《Rise of the Alchemy God》


 Chapter 1: Ethan

    .


    The city of Oston, situated on the edge of the Phoenix Kingdom, was a bustling hub of trade and culture.


    Surrounded by tall stone walls, the city opened to the world through its main market, a vast open space teeming with life and activity.


    The market was the beating heart of Oston.


    Along the cobblestone streets, stalls were neatly lined up, each adorned with vibrant cloth canopies fluttering in the light summer breeze.


    The high sun bathed the scene in its warm light, casting playful patterns of shadows across the displayed goods.


    The atmosphere was vibrant, a blend of smells, sounds, and colors.


    Vendors shouted their offers from their stalls: fresh, juicy fruits, vegetables of all kinds, rare spices, and fine fabrics from distant lands.


    The scent of freshly baked bread mingled with the aroma of roasted meat and savory soups, enticing the appetites of passersby.


    The chatter of customers haggling over prices mixed with the laughter of children running between the stalls, making the environment even more lively.


    Amidst this multitude of voices, in a less frequented corner of the market, stood a young man trying to sell his harvest. Ethan was trying to sell his modest crop in the crowded city market.


    His table was laden with various vegetables he had painstakingly grown, although he was not entirely sure which ones were of good quality.


    He proceeded by trial and error, and his latest attempt at a transaction had failed. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m sorry, these carrots are too bitter," a customer said, frowning and walking away.


    Ethan sighed, looking at his goods.


    He had been at the market for several hours now, yet he had sold almost nothing. If he continued like this for more days, the harvest would spoil, and he would have to throw it away.


    Sighing again, he thought about how beautiful and carefree his life used to be.


    A year ago, he would never have imagined finding himself in this situation. He was a university student, focused on his studies and his future.


    But everything had changed in an instant.


    One evening, as he was heading home after a night class, a strange event occurred.


    A shimmering portal had appeared before him, glowing with an otherworldly blue light.


    Before he could react, he was sucked in. The next thing he remembered was waking up in this strange world, surrounded by dense forests and unfamiliar landscapes.


    When he first arrived, everything seemed ancient and out of place.


    The people he saw were dressed in styles reminiscent of historical dramas he had seen on TV, and their way of speaking was also strange.


    At first, he thought he had stumbled upon a large-scale cosplay event, but this illusion was shattered when a colossal shadow passed over the market.


    Curious, Ethan had looked up.


    His eyes widened in shock when he saw a huge vermilion bird, several meters long, soaring over the market.


    And atop the bird was a person, sitting as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Any doubts he had about where he was dissolved in that instant.


    Now he was sure, this was not his world.


    Since then, Ethan had struggled to adapt to his new reality. He had no money, no place to stay, and no knowledge of the land.


    He quickly learned that survival here required skills and knowledge he did not possess.


    For several days he wandered around the city like a vagabond, trying to understand how he had ended up there and, possibly, how to get back.


    One thing that amazed him was that he could understand the language they spoke.


    He could tell that the language they spoke was unlike any language from his world that he knew.


    When he tried to speak in his native tongue, he discovered that the words coming out of his mouth were in a different language than they should have been.


    And so, overwhelmed by the growing number of questions, he continued his wandering in this new world.


    He found refuge with a kind farmer named Wei, who took pity on him and offered him a place to stay in exchange for work.


    Old Wei, as he called him, was a farmer native to the Phoenix Kingdom.


    He was a man who had spent his entire life working these fields to provide for himself and his family.


    Currently, he lived only with his 18-year-old daughter.


    From what Ethan had learned from him, his wife had passed away several years ago.


    Ethan felt admiration for this man, who, despite having to endure many hardships, continued to go on with his life.


    The daughter, unlike her father, had a completely different personality.


    Thanks to her natural beauty, which was slightly superior to most people, she managed to attract the attention of a rich young master.


    Over time, her personality worsened, to the point where she despised all common people, especially him, who in her eyes was nothing more than a kind of slave working for her family.


    If it weren''t for the fact that she was old Wei''s daughter, he would have long stopped tolerating her.


    And so, time passed, and before he knew it, more than a year had gone by, and he gradually learned more and more about this world.


    Over time, Ethan learned to work the fields, take care of the livestock, and navigate the market. Despite his efforts, selling his produce proved difficult.


    The locals were demanding and not easily impressed by his offerings.


    His lack of knowledge in agriculture often resulted in poor harvests, making it hard to earn a decent living.


    As Ethan packed up his unsold goods, he couldn''t help but feel a twinge of frustration.


    He missed his old life, the simplicity of modern conveniences, and the certainty of his routine.


    Here, every day was a struggle, and the future seemed uncertain.


    At that moment, a familiar voice reached him.


    "Hey, Ethan!" Turning towards the voice, Ethan glimpsed a person waving happily, approaching him.


    This was someone he had known for quite some time,


    someone he had befriended,


    someone who, in the not-too-distant future, would be his downfall.


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I''m still new to all this, so bear with me a little.


    I''m trying to get better with each chapter, and hopefully, in the not too distant future, I''ve gotten good enough to cook up something interesting for you, and satisfying for me.


    Feel free to comment in the comments section.


    Criticism, advice, or simply conversation?


    everything is welcome.

 Chapter 2: Garret

    .


    "Hey, Ethan!" called a familiar voice.


    He turned to see Lina, a local girl who had befriended him, waving happily. She was a beacon of hope in his difficult days, always cheerful and ready to help.


    "Hi, Lina," he responded, managing a slight smile.


    "Not much luck today, huh?" she asked, glancing at his unsold vegetables.


    "Not really," he admitted. "I''m still trying to figure out which ones are good and which are not."


    Lina laughed, her eyes bright. "You''re getting better. It just takes time. Let me help you sort them out."


    Together, they went through his produce, separating the good from the bad.


    Lina''s knowledge of agriculture and produce was invaluable, and Ethan was grateful for her help.


    Even though he enjoyed Lina''s company, Ethan always had a strange feeling when he was with her.


    He couldn''t describe it, but it felt like something was off.


    He had tried to ignore it over time, after all, he had known her for a while, and she seemed like a cheerful and good person, but this feeling was like a tune in his head that wouldn''t go away.


    "You know," Lina said as they worked, "I heard there''s a new merchant in town looking for suppliers. Maybe you should try talking to him."


    Ethan perked up at the suggestion. "Really? Do you think he''d be interested in my produce?"


    "It''s worth a try, right? His name is Garret. He''s set up near the main square. Why don''t you go see him?"


    Encouraged by Lina''s suggestion, Ethan decided to give it a shot. He packed up his remaining vegetables and headed toward the main square.


    The market was even more crowded here, with merchants shouting their wares and customers haggling over prices.


    Near the center of the square, he noticed a new stall with a large sign that read "Garret''s Goods." The man behind the counter was tall and sturdy, with a friendly yet shrewd demeanor.


    "Hello," Ethan greeted, approaching the stall. "I''m Ethan. I heard you might be looking for new suppliers."


    Garret, who was working behind the counter, turned and scrutinized him, his eyes appraising. "Ah, you must be the newcomer I''ve heard about. Let me see what you have."


    Nervously, Ethan unpacked his vegetables, laying them out for Garret''s inspection. The merchant picked up a few items, examining them closely. After a moment, he nodded.


    "These aren''t bad," Garret said.


    "A bit inconsistent, but I see potential. How about this? I''ll buy all your stock today and see how it sells. If it does well, we can discuss a regular arrangement."


    Ethan''s heart lifted at the proposal. "Thank you! That would be fantastic."


    "Don''t thank me yet," Garret said with a smile. "Let''s see how it goes first. Bring your best products next week, and we''ll talk again."


    And so, thanking Garret once more, Ethan headed towards Old Wei''s house.


    As he walked, he couldn''t help but think about how much his life had changed in the past year.


    Since the day of the accident, he had been searching for a way back to his home world.


    He had even asked around if anyone knew of another world, but every time he was dismissed as a madman and chased away.


    After a few months, he stopped trying.


    He was stuck in this place, and for now, he knew he couldn''t do much, so he focused more on his daily tasks, making sure to sell enough each day to repay Old Wei for his hospitality.


    He knew that in his current situation, he had no strength, neither economic nor physical.


    His idea was to save up some money and purchase a cultivation technique in the future, allowing him to build a strength he could rely on, which would help him survive in this world.


    Time passed, and before he knew it, a week had gone by, and the day of the meeting with Garret arrived.


    Ethan, walking through the city''s alleys with his cart, arrived at the agreed-upon location from last week.


    It was early morning, and the place was still quite deserted.


    People usually went out at this hour to go to work, but this area of the city seemed to be a spot where few passed through.


    Ethan looked around, searching for Garret, but couldn''t find him.


    "Maybe I''m too early," he wondered, deciding to wait for a while.


    After about fifteen minutes, Garret arrived, and seeing Ethan already there, he couldn''t help but say:


    "You''re here earlier than I expected," he said, approaching him.


    Ethan, seeing him approach, stood up and greeted him.


    "Good to see you. I didn''t want to risk being late, so I set out a bit early this morning," he said, lifting one side of the tarp on his cart.


    "What do you think of these?" he asked, showing his produce.


    Garret, seeing it, couldn''t help but smile.


    "Not bad, really not bad. They seem fresh and ripe," he said, taking a few and examining them.


    Then, putting them back in the cart, he said to Ethan, "Come, let''s go to my shop, which is nearby, to finalize the deal."


    Ethan nodded, covered the produce with the tarp, and began to follow him.


    They walked for a few minutes until they stopped in front of a building.


    Ethan looked at the building and couldn''t help but think it looked nothing like a shop.


    Garret, seeing his look, said as he approached the building: sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I know, it''s not much of a shop, but I didn''t want to rent a fancier one at a higher price. After all, I don''t tend to stay in one place for too long.


    It''s fair to say this shop is more of a warehouse than a shop," he said, unlocking the doors.


    Ethan nodded and understood his reasoning. Indeed, the goods he wanted to sell, he sold directly in the town square, so for an itinerant merchant like him, renting a more expensive shop was a waste of money.


    After a few seconds, the lock opened, and Garret motioned for Ethan to enter.


    "Come in, make yourself at home," and with those words, he entered.


    Ethan followed, successfully maneuvering his cart. The warehouse entrance was wide enough for about five people to pass through simultaneously, so Ethan had no trouble getting his cart inside.


    Once inside, Ethan set down his cart and looked around.


    The area inside the warehouse was almost completely dark, with only a few rays of light managing to pass through the closed windows.


    Ethan could see the warehouse was quite full.


    Everywhere he looked, he saw large and small containers, covered with cloths, grouped in orderly rows.


    Ethan was curious to know what the nearly two-meter-tall containers held, but he didn''t want to be rude, so he refrained from peeking inside.


    Just as he was about to turn back in search of Garret, a slight sound came from one of the containers near him.


    Ethan didn''t know what it was, and for a moment he thought it was a mouse that had made its way into the warehouse.


    Just as he was about to lift the cloth and check inside the container, he heard the sound of the entrance door closing.


    He turned toward the entrance and saw Garret, who was finishing closing the sliding door of the entrance.


    Though this seemed suspicious, Ethan didn''t worry immediately, but as soon as Garret locked the door from the inside and turned around, everything changed.


    Near the entrance, a smiling Garret closed the door and turned toward Ethan.


    His expression seemed to change by the second, as a disturbing smile formed on his face.


    Seeing him, Ethan became alert, beginning to sense that something was wrong here.


    He remembered the earlier sound, and for a moment a thought crossed his mind.


    ''Wait, could it be...''


    But his thoughts were interrupted by Garret''s voice.


    "What''s wrong, did you see a ghost?" he said jokingly, but seeing that Ethan didn''t react, he paused for a second, extending his hand toward his face.


    Then, as if he understood what was happening, he said, laughing a bit.


    "It seems I couldn''t hold back any longer."


    And then he continued, starting to walk forward, toward Ethan.


    "Too bad, but this will do.


    Come, let me show you my goods."

 Chapter 3: Feng Huang

    .


    Along a mountain path, a group of horse-drawn carts moved steadily towards their destination.


    On each cart sat two people: one held the reins, guiding the horses, and the other sat with a serious expression.


    Many of the seated individuals were armed. Some carried whips, others swords, and a few had axes.


    It wasn''t a large group; there were only six carts in total, each transporting two large, square containers.


    These containers were covered with brown veils, secured to the carts by ropes.


    Occasionally, faint noises and whispers could be heard from some of the containers.


    "Bastards, let me out of here!"


    Suddenly, a voice erupted from one of the containers. From the tone, it was clear the person inside was quite desperate, continuing to shout and bang against the covered container. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of the men sitting on the cart struck the side of the container hard with his hand and spoke in an irritated voice.


    "Stop making noise," the man said. "If I hear your voice again, I swear I''ll skin you here and feed you to the wolves," he threatened.


    The voice inside the container fell silent.


    The man, seeing that the person inside was no longer making noise, turned back and continued to look ahead.


    "Seems like we''ve got a noisy one this time," said the man holding the reins.


    "Yeah, but what can you do? It''s not the first time we''ve had a noisy one," said the armed man.


    Then, with a smile, he continued,


    "Once we reach our destination, we''ll see if he still has the courage to make a sound," he laughed, making sure the person inside could hear him.


    And so, the group of carts continued their journey, this time in peace.


    ***


    At the center of the Phoenix Kingdom stood a grand city, surrounded by tall and majestic walls.


    This was the City of the Sun, the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Within the walls, the city sprawled out in an intricate maze of stone-paved streets, lined with elegant buildings and towers that soared into the sky.


    The city''s streets were always bustling, full of merchants displaying their goods in markets, street performers entertaining passersby with music and dance, and nobles being carried in golden palanquins, followed by their servants.


    The air was filled with the scent of exotic spices and fresh flowers, and everywhere the lively voices of the inhabitants could be heard as they haggled, laughed, and conversed.


    At that moment, in the Vermilion Phoenix Sect to the west of the City of the Sun, an elegant woman was walking down a corridor.


    The woman exuded confidence and refinement. She wore a traditional dress in shades of red and orange that subtly accentuated her natural curves.


    A few steps behind her followed a young girl who seemed to be struggling with whether to speak or not.


    After a moment of hesitation, the girl spoke to the woman: "Sect Master, why don''t you send some of our elders there? There''s no need for you to personally attend to such a trivial matter," she said hesitantly.


    The young girl''s name was Xiang Hua. She was an orphan taken in by the Vermilion Phoenix Sect''s leader, Feng Huang, the woman walking ahead of her.


    Seeing talent in her, the sect leader had taken her under her wing and personally trained her until she entered the second stage of Qi refinement at the age of 17, proving her rare cultivation talent.


    Xiang Hua was grateful for the opportunity the sect leader had given her, so she worked diligently on her cultivation, striving to become strong enough to repay her master in the future.


    At this moment, Xiang Hua was trying to change her master''s mind, knowing that her presence at such an event would cause a stir and lead to unnecessary trouble.


    She knew her master was stubborn and once she made a decision, it was nearly impossible to change it, but she still wanted to try, despite knowing it wouldn''t be successful.


    At that moment, a light and calm voice came from the woman: "There''s no need to send any of the elders. I will go myself.


    It''s been a long time since I''ve left the sect, and I want to take this opportunity to stroll through the capital," said the woman ahead of her.


    Then she continued: "And don''t worry, I''ll make sure no one notices my presence," she said.


    Xiang Hua did not insist on convincing her master further and continued to follow her in silence.


    After some time, they arrived at the sect''s gates.


    The guards at the gate, seeing the woman approach, recognized her and quickly offered their greetings.


    "We greet the sect master," said both guards in unison, as if they had practiced it for a long time.


    The woman nodded calmly, unsurprised by the guards'' behavior, and with a light step, she walked out of the sect.


    The guards did not look up or try to stop her. Who could stop her? They knew that if she wanted to, she could incinerate them both with a snap of her fingers.


    Of course, it wasn''t just for this reason that they said nothing but also because she was the sect master, and they were not in a position to question her actions.


    She was a respected and admired person due to her charisma and strength.


    Upon exiting the sect, the woman, with a gesture of her hand, made a small floating boat appear out of nowhere, large enough to hold three people.


    Both of them boarded, and with a command from the woman, the boat moved toward the capital at an accelerated pace.

 Chapter 4: New Home

    .


    Nightfall descended upon the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom, and the bustling streets began to quiet down.


    While many retreated to their homes, others awoke to enjoy the nightlife in taverns and other establishments.


    Inside a nondescript building, a young man was unceremoniously thrown into a cell.


    Thud


    With a sound reminiscent of a sack of potatoes hitting the ground, the boy landed hard on the cell floor.


    "Ouch, my backside," he groaned, his voice tinged with pain.


    The two individuals who had thrown him in paid no heed to his complaints. They simply shut the cell door and walked away without a word.


    Ethan, after finishing rubbing his sore rear, listened as the guards'' footsteps faded into the distance. Once the sounds disappeared, he calmed down and began to survey his surroundings.


    The room he had been thrown into was filled with cells. Some were occupied, others empty. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan quickly noticed that the prisoners were of various types, from men of different ages and builds to women, and even a few animals.


    From the conversations he had overheard during the journey here, he had deduced that they were slave traders transporting him and the others to an auction that would be held in this place.


    All he knew about this location was that it was somewhere in the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom, a place he had not expected to visit anytime soon.


    He was frustrated by the whole situation.


    "F*ck," he muttered, frustrated as he thought about how he had ended up in this predicament.


    A few days ago, while he was selling his goods to Garret, he had been knocked out by the latter after entering the warehouse.


    Apparently, Garret was a cultivator, and as such, Ethan, who was still a mortal, had no chance against him.


    Ethan had the feeling that all this had been orchestrated by Lina and Garret.


    ''I knew there was something off about her,'' he thought, further frustrated by the situation he found himself in.


    He knew he had to find a way to escape from here as soon as possible because if he were sold, they would put a restriction seal on him that would prevent him from escaping in the future.


    While Ethan was immersed in his thoughts of escape, a weak and hoarse voice sounded from behind him.


    "Boy, it''s all useless. Whatever you''re thinking, rest assured it won''t work."


    "Aaah!"


    Startled by the voice, Ethan turned abruptly, raising his hands defensively.


    In a corner of the cell, crouched on a pile of dirty straw, was a middle-aged man who looked like he hadn''t eaten in who knows how long.


    His skeletal figure was wrapped in tattered rags, and every bone protruded under his taut and pale skin.


    His eyes, sunken and dark-ringed, moved slowly, observing Ethan with a mixture of suspicion and resignation.


    His face, lined with deep wrinkles, was covered by a scraggly, gray beard, a sign of weeks, if not months, of neglect.


    The man, seeing Ethan jump, laughed.


    "Hehehe... cough," but the laugh quickly turned into a cough.


    After he finished coughing, he addressed Ethan.


    "Don''t be afraid, boy, just like you, I was also captured," he said, raising his arms in a gesture of surrender.


    Ethan noticed that, unlike him, the man had iron shackles bound to both his hands.


    The man, noticing Ethan''s gaze on the shackles, laughed.


    "Oh, these? Don''t worry about them."


    He said to Ethan, but Ethan didn''t respond, continuing to watch him warily.


    "These are enchanted shackles with restriction runes on them. In other words, they are used to seal my cultivation," the man said, glaring at the shackles.


    "You''re a cultivator?" Ethan asked, somewhat surprised.


    Since ending up in this world, Ethan had rarely interacted with any cultivators.


    He lived among ordinary people and, although he knew of the existence of cultivators, he had never met one in person.


    He knew that the boy old Wei''s daughter was seeing was also a cultivator, and a talented one at that, according to what she claimed while teasing him.


    "Yes, why, surprised?" the man asked, but before Ethan could open his mouth, he continued:


    "Well, I can''t blame you. From what I see, you''re not a cultivator, so you probably haven''t had much interaction with other cultivators, right?"


    Ethan nodded and then, a bit hesitantly, asked:


    "You don''t seem to be in good shape. If you''re a cultivator, how did you end up here?" he asked.


    "You know, even cultivators can fall victim to slave traders. In fact, even more powerful cultivators than me can be captured for the right price."


    "In my case, I''m doing it to repay a debt," he said, and then fell silent.


    Ethan could tell that the man didn''t seem inclined to elaborate, so he didn''t press further.


    Not that he was particularly interested, as he was more concerned with his own situation.


    Silence fell in the cell, with neither of them speaking.


    After a few seconds, the middle-aged man spoke again.


    "By the way, my name is Yang Wei, and you?"


    "Ethan," he said without adding anything else.


    "Ethan? That''s quite a strange name. Are you a foreigner?" Yang Wei asked, somewhat intrigued by the unusual name.


    "Something like that," Ethan replied.


    Once again, silence fell between the two.


    Yang Wei didn''t know what to do. He had spent a lot of time in this cell alone, without much interaction with the other prisoners.


    Seeing a new arrival, he thought that conversing a bit might help pass the time and distract him from his impending future, but it seemed the new arrival wasn''t very talkative.


    And so, two days passed.


    During this time, Ethan and his cellmate didn''t have many interactions. Yang Wei tried to start a few conversations, but each attempt failed.


    After a while, he gave up and stopped trying.


    All the while, Ethan thought of various ways to escape from here, but none of them were feasible.


    He even considered helping the middle-aged man remove his shackles, hoping he could assist in the escape, but this idea was also discarded.


    The man told him that even a third-stage body refining cultivator couldn''t break these chains, let alone Ethan, who wasn''t even a cultivator.


    He also said that even if he somehow managed to free him from the chains, it was impossible for him to help as he didn''t have the strength to attempt an escape, having been in this condition for too long.


    With this, even Ethan''s last hopes were dashed.


    A few more days passed, and Ethan, having found no way to escape, had resigned himself to his fate.


    Finally, after nearly a week of imprisonment, the two men who had thrown him into the cell arrived. One of the men opened the cell door and said with a smile:


    "Get up, today is the big day."

 Chapter 5: The Beginning of the Slave Auction

    .


    In a building located far from prying eyes, a clandestine auction was taking place.


    Inside the building was a hall resembling an amphitheater, with rows of seats arranged in ascending order, forming a semicircle that converged on a wooden podium situated at the center of the lower level.


    Every detail was designed to facilitate the spectators'' view and maintain an exclusive and mysterious atmosphere.


    The walls were draped in red velvet, muffling any echoes and making the place feel even more oppressive.


    The dim lighting from enchanted crystals created a play of shadows that made it difficult to distinguish the faces of the other participants, enhancing the sense of anonymity and secrecy.


    Everyone in the hall wore a mask to cover their face, a custom that allowed participants to remain anonymous and attend without fear of repercussions.


    The masks varied in style and material: some simple and made of leather, others elaborate and decorated with precious stones.


    The air was filled with a mixture of tension and anticipation as the seats quickly filled.


    In one of the central rows, two women sat side by side.


    They wore masks that covered their entire faces, hiding any emotions and only revealing their eyes.


    One of the women wore an elaborate mask, inlaid with phoenix motifs in gold and red.


    She was Feng Huang, the Master of the Vermilion Phoenix Sect.


    Next to her, her disciple Xiang Hua wore a simpler but equally elegant mask, with floral designs that reflected her love for flowers.


    The two women observed the scene calmly, Feng Huang with an air of detached confidence, while Xiang Hua showed slight tension, her dark eyes scrutinizing every movement in the hall.


    When her sect master had said she would disguise herself well, Xiang Hua had thought of some technique to change their appearance or something of the sort.


    She never would have thought that she would simply wear a mask depicting a vermilion phoenix. It was as if she was announcing her identity to everyone.


    "Master, are you sure we shouldn''t wear some other type of mask?" Xiang Hua asked, her voice barely a whisper behind the mask.


    Feng Huang didn''t take her eyes off the podium. "Don''t worry, these masks are sufficient."


    "But..."


    Just as she wanted to insist more, the hall fell silent. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noticing the strange atmosphere, Xiang Hua stopped her words and turned her gaze towards the stage.


    The figure of a woman stepped onto the podium, drawing the attention of all present.


    The woman wore an elegant blue dress that did nothing to hide her feminine charm and also wore a mask to conceal her face.


    Although the woman''s face was hidden, many of the spectators could tell that she was very beautiful.


    With a theatrical gesture, the woman raised a hand to request silence.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I will be presiding over the auction for you today," the woman said professionally.


    "You are busy people, so I won''t waste your time with unnecessary pleasantries. I am sure everyone here is already aware of the auction rules," she said, looking at the audience in front of her.


    Seeing that no one spoke, she nodded and continued.


    "Very well, without further ado, let me present the first lot of slaves!" she announced, her voice echoing in the hall.


    Moving to the side, she indicated to her right, where a large iron cage was being dragged by some men. Inside the cage, three girls could be seen crouching, dressed in rags, looking around in panic.


    "Today we have some unique pieces with us. What you see here are three girls from one of the tribes of the Jade Forest," the woman said, raising an eyebrow in surprise at some of the participants.


    The Jade Forest was a forest located in the northern region of the Phoenix Kingdom. It was a vast place full of various vegetation, home to several tribes.


    These tribes preferred to live isolated from others and were very wary of strangers.


    Interacting with them was quite dangerous, as they were born with supernatural strength that increased exponentially the higher they cultivated.


    It was known how difficult it was to hunt even one of them, so seeing three of their members here surprised many.


    Xiang Hua, seeing this scene, felt a lot of anger and disgust, which she managed to contain, towards these people who treated human lives as merchandise.


    She knew what she would see coming here, so she didn''t want to come. She tried to restrain herself from acting.


    She didn''t want their cover to be blown because of her.


    The only comfort she had at this moment was the knowledge that they would capture these people in due time.


    Unlike her disciple, Feng Huang seemed indifferent to this sight.


    She had been in the cultivation world for a long time and had seen her fair share of atrocities in life.


    She knew how cruel this world could be, so she didn''t let this sight affect her.


    The auction officially began, with many starting to make their bids.


    The woman on the podium continued to describe the lots with a professional tone, praising the physical qualities and potential of the slaves as if they were precious merchandise.


    Each time a bid was made, her gaze quickly shifted among the participants, mentally noting each proposed amount.


    Meanwhile, Xiang Hua carefully observed the reactions of the other participants. Despite the mask, she could sense the emotion and greed in their eyes.


    She tried to remain calm, but each new bid made her blood boil.


    Her hand clenched into a fist under the mask, but she remained silent, aware that any rash movement could compromise their mission.


    After a few minutes, the first lot was sold to a man sitting in the front rows.


    The cage was quickly taken away and another was brought onto the stage.


    The process repeated, with new lots of slaves presented and sold to the highest bidder.


    Each new auction was accompanied by a murmur of excitement as the participants competed to secure the prisoners.


    At one point, a particularly young girl was brought onto the podium. Her eyes were full of fear and despair, and her body trembled visibly.


    The woman on the podium introduced her as an orphan from a village destroyed by a band of raiders.


    The girl, barely a teenager, had attracted the attention of many for her young age and apparent innocence.


    Xiang Hua could no longer contain her indignation. "Master, we must do something," she whispered urgently.


    Feng Huang gave her a calm but firm look. "It is not yet the time. We have a plan, and we must follow it."


    "But she is just a child!" Xiang Hua insisted, her voice almost breaking with emotion.


    "I know," Feng Huang replied with a softer tone. "Don''t worry. The slaves are delivered at the end of the auction, so we must be patient. Haste could ruin everything."


    Xiang Hua closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself. She knew the master was right, but the sight of that girl broke her heart.


    With a deep breath, she forced herself to focus on the scene again, determined to follow Feng Huang''s instructions.


    After the girl was taken away, the next slave was brought out.


    As soon as the slave entered, Feng Huang, who had remained calm throughout, felt a strange sensation.


    "This feeling..."

 Chapter 6: An Expert Housekeeper ?

    .


    Feng Huang didn''t know exactly how to describe this sensation, but it wasn''t the first time she had felt it.


    In fact, when she met Xiang Hua, she felt something similar.


    ''Could he also be a rare talent?''


    She wondered, as for the first time since the auction began, someone caught her attention.


    Feng Huang had a certain talent for recognizing other talents.


    She didn''t know when she had acquired this ability, but thanks to it, she had managed to elevate her sect to one of the strongest in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    So seeing that this young man gave her a similar feeling to what she experienced when encountering people with rare talents, she couldn''t help but become curious about the background of this slave.


    Ethan, who had finally been taken out of his cell, found himself in a smaller one, this time exposed like a collectible in front of this sea of people.


    He didn''t know how to feel about it.


    He had tried everything in recent days, but failed every single time.


    From gnawing on the bars with his teeth to sneaking the keys away, hoping not to be seen.


    Once, he was even whipped by the guards who had grown tired of hearing him curse them for twenty-four hours straight.


    At some point, he stopped trying and awaited his fate in peace.


    Now he understood how his cellmate felt.


    The auctioneer, upon seeing him, couldn''t help but show a look of disgust, or at least that''s what Ethan perceived from her expression.


    ''Seriously? Am I that ugly?'' Ethan couldn''t help but feel like an arrow had pierced his heart at this sight.


    The woman didn''t waste any time, composing herself, but this time gave a rather simple presentation.


    "And here we have our next... product," she said, trying to maintain a serious face.


    For a moment, the entire hall fell silent. No one knew how to react to those unexpected words.


    Even Xiang Hua and Feng Huang were taken aback by this presentation.


    Especially Feng Huang, who had expected to hear something interesting about this young man, couldn''t help but be surprised.


    Even Ethan, who had resigned himself to his situation, couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    ''Woman, what the hell are you saying?


    An expert in household chores?


    Good at chopping vegetables?


    Can you at least leave me with the shred of dignity I have left?''


    Ethan thought, glaring at the woman with a resentful expression.


    The silence continued, and the auctioneer, not knowing what to do about this situation, thought it best to replace him with the next product.


    At that moment, however, the hall erupted in stifled laughter.


    The tension that had momentarily formed dissipated.


    Seeing this, the auctioneer seized the opportunity and continued with an almost comical tone.


    "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this gentleman here is a true prodigy of housework.


    From the kitchen to the laundry, he can do it all! And that''s not all," she continued, her tone amused.


    "He chops vegetables like a real chef and dusts with the precision of a watchmaker.


    Who wouldn''t want such a talent in their home?"


    The audience laughed harder, the absurdity of the situation providing an unexpected relief from the grim atmosphere.


    "Who wouldn''t want such a talented individual in their home?" she continued, her voice dripping with irony.


    "Imagine the conversations at your dinner table. A true entertainer!"


    By now, the audience was thoroughly entertained, some even lightly applauding for the amusement. The auctioneer stepped back, hands on her hips, and made one last flourish.


    "So, shall we start the bidding at... oh, I don''t know, a silver coin?"


    She didn''t know what price to set for this young man, so she decided to start with something extremely low, just to get rid of him.


    She didn''t know why her suppliers had brought someone like him here, but it wasn''t the time for such questions. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had an auction to run and could worry about these details later.


    The audience, who had finally calmed down, didn''t continue to speak.


    Although the auctioneer''s presentation had been effective, the fact remained that the slave was still useless to people like them. No one was willing to spend any money on someone like him.


    At that moment, a fat man, sitting in one of the rows closest to the stage, raised his hand.


    "Two silver coins," he said with a smile that was anything but friendly.


    Seeing him, Ethan began to get a little agitated.


    He felt he wouldn''t meet a good end if he ended up in that man''s hands.


    ''Come on, make another bid,


    it''s only three silver coins,'' Ethan started to pray in his mind as he looked at the others with wide eyes, hoping to move someone.


    This, however, had the opposite effect, and some started laughing again.


    Seeing this, Ethan cursed all their generations, even daring to curse the ancestors of these people in his mind.


    He didn''t dare do it out loud, fearing he might be beaten to entertain the crowd.


    Seeing that no one else was bidding, the auctioneer decided to end it, without doing her usual countdown, as she deemed it unnecessary.


    Just as she was about to confirm, a sweet voice from the central row of the boxes made an offer.


    "Five silver coins."


    The fat man, seeing that someone wanted to take his goods, couldn''t help but turn around to see who dared to bid when he had already made one.


    "Who dares-"


    But the words caught in his throat when he saw who had spoken.


    It was Feng Huang.


    Seeing Feng Huang''s beauty, the words that were about to come out of the man''s mouth stopped.


    Although she wore a mask to cover her face, the man could tell she was a real beauty.


    After a few seconds, he spoke again, this time with a calmer voice.


    "I wanted to take this slave as a jester for my house, but seeing that the lady here is also interested in him, I will withdraw," he said very formally, as if to impress the woman, and then sat down, lost in his world.


    Feng Huang, seeing this, could tell what the man was thinking, and she didn''t care.


    The moment this man tried to play any dirty tricks on her, she would burn him alive.


    Seeing that the situation had changed, Ethan couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    ''I hope she doesn''t have some kind of fetish,'' he thought, relieved that he wouldn''t end up in the hands of the fat man.


    The auctioneer, seeing that no one else made a bid after the woman, concluded the purchase and proceeded with the next one.


    Feng Huang, who had seen enough, also stood up, deciding that it was no longer worth continuing.


    At this, Xiang Hua, who had held back for all this time, nodded happily and prepared to leave.


    And so, as Ethan returned to his cell in preparation to be handed over to his buyer, chaos erupted in the auction hall.

 Chapter 7: Phoenix Sect

    .


    The Phoenix Kingdom was a vast territory of the Long Empire, located in the southern part of the continent.


    Situated in the Vermillion Phoenix Mountains, there stood the Vermillion Phoenix Sect, a millennia-old sect that rose proudly and imposingly.


    As one of the three ruling sects of the Long Empire, it was known far and wide, attracting many each year who flocked to its gates to participate in the exam to become disciples.


    At this moment, near the entrance to the outer area of the sect, there was a young man with black hair and brown eyes lying on the ground, panting heavily.


    Around the boy, other individuals could be seen suffering the same problem. Some were still standing, walking slowly toward the entrance; others were sitting on the ground, recovering; and yet others could be seen crawling toward the end of the long staircase.


    "Haa, haa, who the hell had the idea to build the sect so high up?" said the panting boy, cursing the one who had constructed the sect so high.


    "I''ve probably done more physical activity today than in my entire life," thought the boy as he tried to stand up.


    With some effort, he finally stood up. The boy was none other than Ethan.


    He was completely sweaty, his legs still trembling, threatening to give out at any moment, and with his energy almost entirely drained.


    It had taken him five whole hours of climbing to get here.


    He didn''t know how the sect disciples moved back and forth from this place, but he knew he would find out soon.


    Today was the day the sect held the exam to become a disciple.


    Although Ethan was initially reluctant to join a sect and start his cultivation path, the events of the last few days had given him much to think about.


    ***


    A couple of days ago, while he was locked in his cell, waiting to be taken away by the one who had bought him, he heard a great commotion coming from the auction hall.


    He didn''t know exactly what had happened. Everything happened so quickly.


    The next thing he remembered was that he was already outside the auction building, or rather, what was left of it, standing in front of the same woman who had bought him.


    The woman''s face was no longer covered, and upon seeing her, Ethan was mesmerized for a moment.


    Her beauty surpassed even that of the models seen on TV or in magazines in his old world.


    She was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.


    He was still a bit confused by the whole situation and why someone like her was approaching him, but the next thing she asked him snapped him out of his daze.


    "Would you like to join my sect?" said the woman.


    Ethan didn''t immediately accept her offer, saying he would think about it.


    The woman, although she had bought him, didn''t seem intent on keeping him as her slave.


    In fact, after hearing his response, she nodded as if nothing had happened, saying that if he decided to join the sect, he could come to the Vermillion Phoenix Mountains, then left.


    ***


    Having finally regained some of his strength, Ethan walked towards the entrance, where two guards stood with stoic expressions on their faces.


    Ethan approached them and asked, "Hello, can you tell me where the exam to become an outer sect disciple is being held?"


    One of the guards, hearing him, didn''t bother to answer verbally and simply raised his arm to point in a direction.


    Ethan followed the direction of his hand and saw a sign near the inner courtyard of the sect that said: "Testing Area."


    Thanking the guard, Ethan entered through the gate and reached the test site.


    Arriving, he saw other people already there, gathering in a group in front of a wooden platform.


    Ethan joined the group, looking around.


    He wasn''t sure what they were doing, but he could only assume they were waiting for the test to begin.


    As far as he knew, the test was supposed to start in the afternoon, and looking up, he could see the sun high in the sky, indicating it was almost time for the test to begin.


    For Ethan, it was the first time he was taking the test to become a disciple, so he didn''t know how the whole process worked.


    As he looked around, he noticed people of different ages. There were some like him who seemed to be almost 20 years old, as well as some younger ones that Ethan thought were around 16 or 17.


    According to what he had heard before coming here, there weren''t many requirements to participate in the exam.


    As long as a person was under 30 years old, they were eligible to participate; whether they passed or not depended on other factors.


    So, like everyone else, he waited, and after about 10 minutes, an elderly man finally appeared on the platform.


    The man, though elderly, walked straight and composed, as if he were in the prime of his life.


    His long white beard swayed with the wind, while his calm gaze scrutinized the crowd that had gathered for the exam.


    The old man was Ch��ng h��zi, an elder of the sect who had been chosen to conduct the exam to become a sect disciple.


    The man had had many such experiences in the past, so he could tell at a glance if a person had talent or not.


    "It seems that even this year, we will only have a few good seedlings," he thought after quickly glancing at everyone.


    The old man was a bit disheartened by the situation. He had noticed in recent years that each year, the number of talents seemed to decline a bit.


    He wondered if this was due to natural factors or because people preferred other sects over the Phoenix Sect. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shaking off these thoughts, the man turned his gaze back to the crowd and said in a loud voice that one wouldn''t expect from someone his age.


    "Well, now that everyone is here, let''s start the test," he said, nodding to the guards at the entrance.


    The guards, noticing, understood what they had to do and sprang into action.


    They each took one of the two doors and began to close them.


    The few people outside, who had just managed to climb up and were catching their breath, were alarmed at the sight of the entrance doors closing.


    Shocked and desperate by this turn of events, they all started running frantically toward the door.


    "What?"


    "Wait, let me in at least."


    "F*ck, my mother will surely skin me alive if I don''t get in."


    They all ran like mad, pushing each other to get into the remaining space between the doors.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, didn''t know what expression to have at that moment.


    "Thank goodness I made it in time," he said to himself as he watched those poor people running frantically toward the door, using energy they didn''t even know they had in their bodies.


    Several people managed to get in, while others were still behind, doing everything they could to move forward.


    THUD


    With a loud sound, the doors closed, leaving those outside to lament and making those who had managed to get in sigh with relief.


    The old man, who didn''t seem to care about the complaints coming from outside, said calmly.


    "Good, now, the test officially begins."


    ------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR: well, as usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms/ERRORS on the novel.

 Chapter 8: The Beginning of the Test

    .


    "Good, now, the test officially begins," said the man, raising his hands theatrically.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Chan Huzi, one of the ten elders of the Phoenix Sect, and I will be presiding over the test," he said, composing himself.


    "Although many of you already know how the test works, let me repeat it for those who are new to all this.


    "The test is divided into three parts, each focused on an aspect of you.


    "The first test is the test of strength.


    This test will gauge how much force you can exert with your current cultivation.


    The minimum requirement to pass this test is to reach at least 50 strength points," he said, pausing to see if everyone understood.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but sweat a little. He had never trained much, neither in his previous world nor in this one.


    He didn''t know how much strength someone who hadn''t started cultivating could exert, but he had a feeling it would be difficult to reach 50 points.


    Seeing that no one had any questions, he continued explaining:


    "Now, we don''t expect all of you to have already started cultivating, so you won''t be eliminated immediately if you fail this test.


    To be disqualified from the exam, you must fail at least two of the three tests."


    The elder could see that at the mention of these last words, many had breathed a sigh of relief.


    Seeing this, he shook his head and then, with a wave of his hand, made a strange wooden machine appear beside him.


    The machine was a nearly two-meter-tall rectangular wooden container with what looked like a circular brown cushion in the center and a small pointer at the top of the container with a thin wooden wheel behind it.


    The wheel was numbered from 0 to 500, and the pointer was currently at zero.


    Ethan, seeing how the elder made this device appear, was a bit surprised.


    "Could it be one of those legendary storage rings often mentioned in cultivation novels?" he wondered, noticing that he wasn''t the only one surprised by this sight.


    "This gadget here is what we will use for the first test," he said, pointing to the machine next to him.


    "What you need to do is simply punch the circular cushion as hard as you can, and the wheel above will spin and show your score."


    "Now, line up, forming a single file, and approach one by one to take the test."


    With these words, he moved to the side of the stage, leaving the space in front of the wooden machine empty.


    The crowd wasted no time and immediately moved to get as far ahead as possible.


    Ethan, who was at the back of the group, seeing this scene, wisely decided to take a step back and wait for the line to form first.


    The last thing he wanted at this moment was to be in the middle of this frantic group and end up getting hurt.


    After a short time, everyone lined up.


    Seeing that the group was finally ready, the elder signaled the first person in line.


    Seeing the examiner''s signal, the person stepped onto the wooden stage and positioned themselves in front of the measuring device.


    The one who stepped onto the stage was a young and tall boy who didn''t seem to be more than 18 years old.


    He had dark blue hair, almond-shaped eyes, and a confident expression on his face, as if he already knew he would pass.


    The boy assumed a fighting stance, focusing his gaze on his target. Then, with a quick hand movement, he punched the device''s cushion hard.


    TING!


    The device''s wheel immediately began to spin rapidly.


    The boy who had just thrown the punch composed himself and calmly awaited the result.


    Even Ethan, who was almost at the back of the line, tried to see what the first score would be.


    After a few seconds, the wheel began to slow down until it finally stopped.


    Everyone leaned forward a bit to see the score, and upon seeing the value indicated by the pointer, a few gasps echoed from the crowd.


    The number displayed on the device was ''153''.


    "153, that means he''s already in the first stage of body refinement," said someone in the crowd incredulously.


    "First stage of body refinement? No, friend, he''s almost halfway to the second stage," said another near the first speaker.


    "Heavens, to be already halfway to the second stage of body refinement at such a young age. He must be a genius from some prestigious family."


    "Now that you mention it, I think I''ve seen him somewhere before. Oh yes, he''s the third son of the Zhao family, Zhao Ming."


    "Wait, are you talking about that Zhao family that runs the Zhao Auction House in Sun City?" said someone hearing what the boy in front of him had said.


    "Of course, I''m talking about that family. Do you know any other Zhao families?"


    The crowd buzzed with comments about the young man''s result.


    Zhao Ming, who was still on the stage, hearing the crowd''s comments, smiled slightly as he descended from the platform.


    The examiner, seeing the result, wasn''t very surprised. He indeed expected such a value from someone of the Zhao family.


    Wasting no time, he called the next person.


    The next was a tall and robust boy with short hair who walked arrogantly onto the stage.


    "Hmph, what are you surprised about? Let me show you real power," he said, assuming an attack position and, without wasting time, delivered a punch to the cushion.


    TING!


    As before, the wheel started spinning quickly. This time it seemed a bit faster than before, and people noticed.


    "Isn''t that Li Qiang?"


    "Yes, it''s him, without a doubt."


    "It seems that many members of prestigious families of the Phoenix Kingdom have shown up for the exam today. We''re in for a show," said someone while looking at some others in the crowd, eager to see how other competitors from prestigious families would score.


    After a few seconds, the wheel stopped, with the pointer pointing to the number 161.


    "161! He surpassed Zhao Ming''s score."


    "Incredible, that means he''s also halfway to the second stage of body refinement."


    Once again, the crowd exclaimed in surprise.


    Zhao Ming, who had stopped at the side of the line, seeing that someone had immediately surpassed him, seemed a bit displeased but tried to hide his emotions.


    Li Qiang, having composed himself, descended from the stage with a victorious smile on his face.


    And so, one by one, everyone began to step onto the stage and record their scores.


    Ethan, who was at the back of the line, seeing everyone''s scores one by one, couldn''t help but think:


    '' I''m definitely screwed. '' S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR: well, as usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms/ERRORS on the novel.

 Chapter 9: Haa, Maybe Ill have more success as a housekeeper after all.

    .


    Time passed, and the long line of people began to shorten even further.


    Individuals continued to ascend the stage, and various scores continued to be announced.


    With each person that took the stage, it felt like a dagger to Ethan''s heart.


    69


    121


    79


    Each score comfortably surpassed the minimum threshold to pass the first test.


    Ethan could tell that not everyone here had reached the first stage of body refinement, yet almost all of them had scored over 50 points.


    At this point, he was certain that he would be the worst performer in this test.


    Time passed, and after about an hour, it finally came to Ethan''s turn.


    "Haa, well, how bad could it possibly go," he muttered to himself as he took a deep breath and walked towards the wooden stage.


    He ascended the stairs and finally stood before the dreaded measuring machine.


    Without much thought, he assumed a somewhat hunched attack position and prepared to throw the strongest punch he could muster.


    Swish


    Extending his arm forward quickly, he aimed the punch at the pad.


    TING


    The machine''s wheel started to spin.


    From the speed of the wheel, it was evident that Ethan''s score wouldn''t be too high, but he still hoped it wouldn''t be too low.


    "Come on, let it be at least close to 50."


    Unlike others, this time the wheel didn''t spin for long. It began to slow down, and within a few breaths, it stopped completely.


    21


    "..."


    Everyone who had gone before Ethan fell silent upon seeing this result.


    No one expected someone to score so low today.


    Even Ch��ng h��zi, who could tell at a glance that Ethan was not yet a cultivator, was somewhat surprised by the result.


    It would make sense if a 13 or 14-year-old without cultivation scored 21 points. But for someone nearing 20, scoring so low was surprising.


    It was known that a normal person could easily score over 30 points, and a trained person could even surpass 50 points.


    Once they became full-fledged cultivators, this score would surpass 100 points, so everyone was surprised to see such a low score.


    Ethan, who didn''t know this, could tell from the atmosphere that his score was worse than expected. Indeed, at that moment, a voice from the crowd rang out:


    "21 points? Holy cow, even my little brother scored more than him," said a boy from the crowd.


    "Goodness, one must have a certain talent to score so little," said another person.


    "And here I thought he''d be stronger," muttered yet another.


    And so a debate ensued in the crowd, each person presenting someone they believed could outperform Ethan in strength.


    They went from cats to mice, and even ants.


    Ethan had a grim expression at this moment as he kept his head down.


    "Just wait until I get stronger, then I''ll come for each of you," he thought inwardly, memorizing their faces.


    The examiner, seeing the situation getting out of control, decided to interrupt them and continue the examination.


    He didn''t know how someone could score so low, but he hoped Ethan would make up for it in the next test.


    "Ahem, ahem, alright, now that everyone has their score, let''s move on to the next test," he said, wasting no time in leading everyone to another area, this time in front of the doors of a hall.


    Stopping in front of the hall''s doors, he said: Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As with the first test, which was meant to assess your current strength, in this test we will examine the meridians of your body.


    As you know, our body has several meridians through which we gather energy from the surrounding environment and circulate it within our body."


    The quality of these meridians, as well as how many of them you can effectively use, enhances a cultivator''s chances of progressing quickly to the next stages.


    Entering this hall, there will be someone evaluating your meridians by injecting Qi into them.


    Depending on how well your meridians manage the Qi injected, you may proceed to the next test or not."


    He said and wasted no time, as before, he brought everyone into the room one by one.


    Ethan, who still didn''t know much about cultivation, wondered how this would go for him.


    If the first test depended entirely on his strength, passing this test would depend on his meridians.


    From what he understood, a person was born with certain types of meridians, so he had little control over how well or poorly this test would go.


    Time passed, and every three or four minutes, the door opened to let the next examinee in and closed.


    Those who entered hadn''t yet come out, so he couldn''t tell if anyone had passed or not.


    "I suppose everyone will pass this time too," he thought, but just then the door opened and a boy who had entered just three minutes ago came out.


    From his gloomy expression, it seemed things hadn''t gone well.


    Ethan recognized that boy.


    How could he not recognize him? After all, like him, the boy in the previous test had not reached the minimum requirement to pass.


    Even though he hadn''t passed, he had still done much better than Ethan, scoring a respectable 47.


    Seeing that the boy was the only one to come out, Ethan deduced he had been eliminated from the test.


    "So those who passed, or those who didn''t pass but still have another chance, are being kept inside?" he wondered, thinking his guess was likely true.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how to feel about it.


    He knew that just because the boy in a similar situation to his had been eliminated didn''t mean the same fate awaited him.


    But thinking about the fact that he wasn''t originally from this world left him quite uneasy.


    In his understanding, if Qi was indeed in the surrounding environment, then the people of this world had come into contact with it since birth, adapting their bodies accordingly.


    For him, not being native to this world, his body shouldn''t have been suitable for cultivation. Or at least that''s what he thought, considering he had only heard about cultivation in novels.


    "Haa, maybe I''m really destined to become a housekeeper."


    ----------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Well, as usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms on the novel.


    And while you''re at it, also jot down some ideas about how the plot might develop in the future. a little healthy inspiration never hurts.

 Chapter 10: Ramifications

    .


    Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, two more candidates who hadn''t scored 50 in the strength test were eliminated, their disappointed expressions evident on their faces.


    Once again, Ethan didn''t know how to feel about it.


    In total, there were seven of them who hadn''t passed the previous test, including him, and three had already been eliminated.


    Although some of them managed to pass, Ethan didn''t believe it was purely luck. After all, most of them had scored very close to 50 in the previous test.


    For this reason, as the line grew shorter, he felt increasingly anxious.


    After almost half an hour, it was finally his turn.


    Standing in front of the entrance to the second test, Ethan couldn''t help but tremble a little.


    The white-bearded man, who was still standing near the entrance, didn''t rush him.


    For the man, this sight had become familiar.


    Every year, it was always the same situation.


    Except for a few who turned out to be real talents, the others either failed or passed only to become one of the many outer disciples who wouldn''t achieve much.


    If the sect hadn''t established some rules to manage this situation, it would have been full of such individuals by now.


    The white-bearded man had almost lost hope for these types of disciples and was content with those who managed to stand out.


    After all, they would be the pillars supporting the sect and maintaining its prestige in the years to come.


    Ethan knew there was little he could do in this test and that it would all depend on his luck.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself and opened the doors, stepping through without hesitation.


    As he entered the room, he realized it was dark. He couldn''t distinguish much, except for a table in front of him with a person sitting behind it.


    The figure was visible only thanks to the light coming from the open doors behind him.


    SBAM


    With a sound, the doors closed automatically, almost making Ethan jump in fear.


    ''Seriously, why do they have to make everything so creepy?'' he thought, recalling how the white-bearded man always seemed to have something depressing to say before the tests began.


    "Boy, don''t waste my time and come closer to the sphere," said the figure, his voice slightly irritated by Ethan''s hesitation.


    With a mix of hesitation and determination, Ethan did as he was told.


    As he approached the table, he noticed it was made of dark, heavy wood, engraved with runes and symbols he couldn''t decipher.


    The sphere, in the center of the table, appeared to be made of transparent glass but had a strange internal luminescence, as if it contained a latent energy ready to be released.


    Once he was close enough, Ethan stopped and awaited further instructions. The man, who seemed to be elderly, perhaps a bit younger than the man outside the chamber, began explaining how the test worked.


    "What you need to do is simply place your dominant hand on the surface of the sphere, and then you can leave," the man said hurriedly, without adding anything else.


    Ethan was a bit annoyed by the man''s attitude but said nothing, mentally putting him on his blacklist.


    Ethan did as he was told, placing his right hand on the cold, smooth surface of the sphere, waiting for something to happen.


    The tension was palpable.


    He could hear his own breathing, slow and heavy, filling the silence of the room.


    He wasn''t sure how long the test would last, but he remembered that the door to the test chamber remained closed for no more than five minutes each time someone entered.


    He had observed the previous candidates and knew that the times varied: some lasted three minutes, others four, and some even two.


    He recalled that for the three eliminated candidates, the test had lasted only two minutes. He hoped his would last longer and possibly with a positive result.


    He waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened.


    The transparent glass sphere seemed indifferent to his touch.


    Ethan looked up from the sphere to address the man, but at that moment a thin thread of light began to appear inside the sphere.


    The thread of light grew like a plant from the point where Ethan was touching the sphere, and gradually began to branch into two threads, then three, and then four.


    Ethan didn''t know what these luminous threads meant and, seeing that the man seemed calm and not inclined to say anything, he waited patiently. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In almost a minute, the number of branches had already reached ten.


    The man, seeing how many threads had formed, seemed a bit curious about how things would progress from there and paid more attention to the sphere.


    At this moment, the growth of the threads began to slow down.


    After a few more seconds, an eleventh branch grew, and finally, the process stopped there.


    Ethan felt confused and a bit anxious. The silence of the room heightened the tension.


    Finally, the man spoke.


    "Very well," he said in a deep, reassuring voice, this time without the irritated tone from before.


    "Your test is over. Eleven branches are a good result. You have passed."


    At these words, Ethan couldn''t help but sigh in relief as the tension in his body eased.


    ''Good, only one more to go,'' he thought to himself, happy that he had passed.


    The man didn''t seem to care about this and, returning to his previous tone, pointed in a direction with his hand.


    "Now you can go. That door will take you to the place where the third entrance test will be held."


    Ethan didn''t need to be told twice and, with a slightly quickened pace, reached the door and left the room.


    At that moment, Ch��ng H��zi, who was waiting outside the door, noticed that more than three minutes had passed since Ethan had entered the room.


    Noticing this, he couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised.


    ''It seems the boy managed to pull through this time,'' he thought.


    He didn''t have high expectations for Ethan. In fact, he was almost certain that, like the other three, Ethan would be eliminated from the test.


    He didn''t expect him to pass.


    ''Oh well, luck is also part of one''s talent. I hope he saved some for the final test. He''ll need it,'' he thought as he prepared to retire to his personal quarters.


    His task here was done, and seeing that the sun had begun to set, painting the sky a beautiful orange color, he set off.


    "This year will be a bit turbulent," he said to himself, remembering some individuals who had taken the test.


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    With this chapter, I''m finally ready to request the contract.


    Fingers crossed, and let''s hope it goes well. I''ll see you tomorrow, or maybe tonight with the next chapter (depending on whether I will have enough time to write).


    As usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms on the novel.

 Chapter 11: The Dao Heart

    .


    After leaving the room of the second trial, Ethan found himself witnessing a peculiar scene.


    Once again, he was in a room, but this time it was much larger, almost five times the size of the previous room he had been in.


    This room had a strange atmosphere surrounding it, an almost mystical ambiance.


    It was adorned with various murals and ornaments, and at the far end, a large statue could be seen.


    The statue was over three meters tall and depicted none other than a phoenix, tall and majestic, towering over all those who stood before it.


    What truly astonished Ethan was not the statue itself but the group of people who were in a meditative position in front of it.


    It was a large group, consisting of at least fifty people.


    It was obviously the group of disciples who had taken the entrance exam to the sect with him.


    He thought this might be the third trial, but he didn''t understand exactly how it would unfold.


    One thing he had noticed, looking at the group, was the number of people that composed it.


    "Is it just my impression, or are there people missing here?"


    Indeed, the group that had passed the second trial was much larger, and seeing that some were missing, he couldn''t help but wonder if they had been eliminated.


    He didn''t have to wait long to get the answer to this question, because the next moment, a boy in the group suddenly fell to the ground, writhing a little.


    "What the hell..."


    Ethan said, taken by surprise.


    He wanted to run over to him to see if he was okay, but at that moment, two shadows shot out of nowhere and appeared standing next to the boy.


    One shadow took him and disappeared, as if teleported.


    Ethan, witnessing this scene, didn''t know whether to be excited by this demonstration of skill or disconcerted by the whole situation.


    The other person who had appeared didn''t leave but instead remained there, turning his gaze to Ethan.


    Ethan, feeling his gaze, tried to ask,


    "Senior, I''ve just arrived here after the second trial, so I don''t know what''s happening here. Is this the third trial?"


    He asked, getting straight to the point.


    There was no need to ask what had happened to the boy before, why he had fainted.


    He was certain it was part of the trial, so he thought it was better not to waste time.


    For all he knew, there might be a maximum time limit to participate in the trial.


    The person in front of him was a boy, perhaps a few years older than him, wearing a robe with a phoenix in a spiraling position, engraved on the left side of his chest.


    Probably a disciple, Ethan thought.


    The presumed disciple, hearing how Ethan had addressed him, couldn''t help but have a slight smile on his face.


    "This is indeed the third and final trial to enter the sect. This is the trial of the Dao Heart," he said calmly.


    "The Dao Heart?"


    This wasn''t the first time Ethan had heard this term; indeed, in every cultivation novel he had read, the Dao Heart was mentioned.


    The Dao Heart wasn''t something concrete that could be touched or seen but rather something abstract.


    As far as Ethan knew, the Dao Heart was the sum of the mental, emotional, and spiritual qualities that a cultivator had to develop and maintain along their path.


    It was what the cultivator believed in, the values that fortified their determination to continue the arduous and often solitary path of cultivation.


    The sect disciple then pointed to the group of people sitting on the ground and said:


    "See, they are currently in an illusion that severely tests their Dao Heart.


    The longer they persist, the better it will be for their future cultivation."


    "To pass the trial, each person must persist for at least 10 minutes.


    As for the maximum limit, well, there isn''t one.


    One can stay there for as long as they can manage.


    Many of your companions who have passed the trial have stayed here for several dozen minutes, with some of them remaining for more than half an hour, and one of them coming very close to breaking the record of 64 minutes,"


    he said with a bit of astonishment on his face.


    Ethan realized that not everyone missing from the trial had been eliminated, which, in hindsight, was normal since it had taken almost two hours for his turn in the second trial to come.


    Nodding to show he understood, Ethan asked another question:


    "I see. So, to start the trial, do I have to go sit near the statue?"


    "Yes, find an empty spot nearby and get into a meditative position.


    You''ll automatically enter the illusion.


    Well, it''s time for me to go. Good luck with the test,"


    he said and then disappeared from sight.


    Ethan, seeing it happen again, couldn''t help but think,


    "I wonder how long it will take me to do the same."


    Finally, shaking his head to clear his mind of various thoughts, he found a spot near the group of people and got into a meditative position.


    "Good, now we wait," he thought as he closed his eyes and prepared for whatever might happen to him.


    At first, nothing happened, and Ethan couldn''t help but think he was doing something wrong, but without realizing it, little by little, he had fallen into a dream.


    He opened his eyes and was a bit disoriented by the place where he found himself.


    Ethan found himself behind the counter of a small convenience store, surrounded by shelves filled with products: snacks, drinks, household items, and everyday essentials.


    The fluorescent lights dimly illuminated the environment, giving the store a familiar yet surreal atmosphere.


    It was the same store where he had worked for years, earning just enough to cover household and university expenses.


    "Good evening, Ethan," greeted a voice coming from the entrance of the convenience store.


    "I see you''re doing the night shift again today."


    Still a bit disoriented, Ethan nodded and said, as if he had repeated these lines many times before:


    "Good evening to you too, Violet," he said, addressing the girl who had entered the store.


    "Looks like you''ll be having a sleepless night too. "


    -----------------------


    FRANK-LEE-JUNIOR:


    Sorry for the absence of chapters yesterday.


    As you know, the commitments never end.


    I should be able to publish another chapter within the day, so, see you later.


    sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 12: VIOLET

    .


    In the tranquil moments of Ethan''s life before he was transported to another world, he found solace in the rhythm of his routine.


    Every morning, he woke up early to do some physical exercise.


    Then, after settling for a meager breakfast, he left for university.


    Once back home, he rested for two hours, usually revising the material from the previous day''s lecture, and finally headed to his part-time job, where he worked until the evening, sometimes even pulling night shifts.


    This was a routine Ethan had followed for almost two years, a routine he had built to achieve his goals.


    A routine that had helped him avoid recalling the hard moments in his life,


    a routine that had helped him not to succumb after losing the last dear person in his life.


    ***


    The girl who had just entered was someone Ethan knew very well.


    After all, how could he not?


    She was Violet Roberts, the daughter of the owner of this convenience store.


    Ethan had started working here almost two years ago, and since then, he had had several occasions to meet her.


    The owner''s house was just a stone''s throw from the store, so she occasionally visited her father.


    Over time, he had befriended this girl. She was friendly and radiant, always with a smile that could enchant people.


    Even Ethan, who believed that girls were only a source of trouble and distraction, couldn''t help but be interested in her.


    For him, who firmly believed that money is power and anyone who says otherwise doesn''t know what they''re talking about, having a girlfriend or going out with friends was a waste of time.


    He knew that only by working hard now could he enjoy a life of luxury later, so he dedicated himself to learning more and more new things to build a lucrative career.


    The only person who had obstructed him in this path was this girl, who, for some reason, was interested in him and never left him alone.


    Ethan thought she was enchanted by his natural beauty (which was average), which had made some girls faint in the past.


    Over time, he got used to her presence, and little by little, he interacted with her more.


    Time passed, and one day, when he was in his third year of university, an accident occurred.


    At an intersection not far from the store, an oil tanker had crashed into some cars.


    This accident had caused a lot of commotion then because the explosion of the truck caused a lot of damage, and several lives were lost.


    He remembered that day at the store and only knew about the accident from a phone call from his boss, who asked him to close the store for the day.


    The usual tone of the boss, with which he used to talk, had disappeared, replaced by a somewhat choked voice, as if he was holding back tears.


    At that time, he still didn''t know what had happened, but later he found out that one of the victims of the explosion was Violet. The same girl who was now standing in front of him.


    Ethan had wondered how the trial would evaluate his Dao heart.


    Since this was his first experience of the kind, he could only imagine what he would face in the illusion, and although he had prepared for everything, this had caught him off guard.


    According to an old saying, the past haunts a person until their death. Ethan felt he was about to learn the meaning of this saying the hard way.


    "Haa, Screw my bad luck."


    ***


    Time passed, and one by one, the number of people undergoing the trial began to decrease.


    Some passed, and others didn''t, but the pace at which people were coming out of the illusion was constant enough that every minute or two, disciples appeared to assist these people.


    At one end of the hall of the third trial, five people stood watching the dwindling group of people sitting in front of the phoenix statue.


    It was the group of disciples assigned to assist the participants in case something went wrong.


    One of these disciples was none other than the boy Ethan had met upon arriving here.


    His name was Sun Hao, a member of the Sun family, a family that had grown wealthy through commerce. It was one of the important families in the city of the sun.


    At this moment, Sun Hao stood with his companions, all of whom were inner disciples of the sect, waiting for the trial to end.


    The Dao Heart trial was a test that severely challenged a person''s determination.


    The importance of the Dao Heart for cultivation was very high, so in almost all sects in this world, this was one of the trials that a person would have to face sooner or later.


    Many had failed because of this trial, and as dangerous as it could become, the sects ensured that people wouldn''t be too shaken.


    There were indeed several ways to recover from the trauma that could result from this test.


    As dangerous as it was, the sects continued this method because those who successfully faced this trial had a greater chance of achieving great things in the future.


    The success rate of this trial was very low, so low that only one in ten people passed the trial successfully, and only one in a hundred passed with good results.


    This year, the number of people who passed was much lower than the previous year, but Sun Hao didn''t seem unhappy about this.


    In fact, he seemed quite satisfied with this batch of people because four people had already passed the trial with excellent results. Last year, there were only two.


    Although he was a bit jealous of the results of those four, he knew that if the sect prospered, he would prosper along with it.


    He couldn''t wait for this test to end so he could interact more with them and build some kind of connection with them, after all, three of them were from important families, more important than his.


    At that moment, only two participants remained in the hall. One was a boy with long black hair tied in a ponytail, who had a tired expression on his face.


    It was clear that he was close to giving up, and indeed, one of the five inner disciples was already ready to intervene.


    The other, however, was the boy Sun Hao had met a few minutes ago.


    Seeing him still sitting, eyes closed, and without any expression on his face, Sun Hao thought he might pass the trial.


    It had been almost seven minutes since he had started, and usually, most people taking the trial began to give up after the first five minutes, so he thought maybe he would pass the trial.


    According to what he had heard, the boy had a terrible result in the first trial and a barely acceptable result in the second, so this was his last chance to pass. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Personally, Sun Hao didn''t expect much from him and was sure he would give up after the first ten minutes.


    ''Well, at least it seems he will pass. One more disciple is always better than nothing,'' he thought, noting that the ten minutes were almost up and preparing to assist him at any moment.


    Unfortunately for him, that moment wouldn''t come too soon.

 Chapter 13: Thirty-Five Minutes

    .


    After ten minutes passed, Sun Hao, who was ready to retrieve Ethan at any moment, stayed there waiting.


    He waited one minute, then two, and then three.


    After another two minutes, he started to get irritated.


    The fact that Ethan hadn''t fainted after the first 10 minutes was already good, but 15?


    This was something he hadn''t expected, especially because from the calm expression on his face, Sun Hao could tell that Ethan could keep going for a while longer.


    "Well, this is unexpected," he thought as he looked at Ethan.


    "It seems he''ll join the group that lasted almost double the time in the illusion," he told himself, recalling that only 23 people had passed the trial by lasting almost 20 minutes.


    This group of people could be considered decent, as they were a notch above the regular disciples of the sect.


    Indeed, recruits were divided into groups in the third trial.


    Depending on how long they lasted in the illusion, they would enter one of these groups:


    The 10-minute group, which was the lowest group, barely able to pass the trial, and this group consisted of the majority of the participants.


    The 20-minute group, which had passed the trial with decent results, comprised only 45% of the participants.


    The 30-minute group was considered good. This group was even smaller, with only 20% of the participants.


    Then there was the 40-minute group, considered excellent, with only 3 people who had lasted up to this point.


    These individuals were highly sought after by various sects, as they had a bright future ahead of them, provided they survived to the end.


    And finally, there was the group of talents that appeared only occasionally over the years.


    It was the 50-minute group. Those who reached and surpassed this point were considered true ranked geniuses.


    In the history of the Phoenix Sect, only 5 individuals had reached this point. One of them was the sect master, who had set the record of 64 minutes, a record that had remained for more than two decades.


    Another person who reached this category was Xian Hua, who lasted for 55 minutes, becoming one of the sect''s emerging talents.


    And this year, a new person had been added to this list, even managing to mark 61 minutes.


    It was certain that this person would almost certainly become a core disciple of the sect.


    Indeed, everyone started as external disciples and then climbed the hierarchy, but there were exceptions to this rule.


    For those who had lasted more than 45 minutes and had only passed 2 of the three trials, they could have the chance to become internal disciples of the sect.


    Instead, those who had passed all three trials would definitely become internal disciples.


    Therefore, Sun Hao couldn''t wait to interact with these 4 disciples.


    After the first 20 minutes passed, there was finally a slight change in Ethan''s expression.


    Seeing this, Sun Hao prepared to intervene at any moment, but once again, the minutes passed, and nothing happened.


    At this point, even the other four internal disciples couldn''t help but glance at Ethan.


    "It seems we''ll have another good one this year," said one of them.


    "Maybe, but there are still three minutes left. He might give in before then," said another.


    But even after three minutes, Ethan didn''t give in.


    "Okay, you were right, but let''s see how long he can last from here on. I bet he won''t last more than another 3 minutes," said the second one who spoke. sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "3 minutes? Nah, he can definitely last at least another 5 minutes," replied the first.


    "You guys are giving him too much credit. He got a bit lucky and nothing more. He surely won''t last more than another 2 minutes," said a third.


    And so, a betting competition started among the four disciples who had come with Sun Hao, who, hearing them, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "These idiots," he thought, but he wasn''t entirely in disagreement with them. Getting to this point was already good enough for this participant.


    Although he believed Ethan wouldn''t last much longer, he didn''t want to say it for sure.


    He had learned his lesson and wouldn''t make the same mistake of standing there like an idiot waiting for Ethan to give in to the illusion.


    Too bad for him that he was wrong once again.


    After about 36 minutes, Ethan''s body finally fell to the ground.


    Since no one had prepared to catch him this time, he fell unconscious directly onto the floor.


    Sun Hao and the other four internal disciples, seeing this, didn''t move immediately.


    They looked at this scene with frowns, thinking that maybe their imagination was playing tricks on them.


    Then, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on them, they all snapped out of their stupor and quickly rushed to Ethan to help him.


    "Damn it, hurry up," shouted Sun Hao.


    They all moved so fast it seemed as if they had teleported.


    If Ethan were awake and had witnessed this scene, he would probably have asked them to teach him this technique.


    Fortunately for them, he was not conscious at the moment.


    All five arrived in a flash next to Ethan.


    They were so taken by surprise that they forgot that only two people were needed to carry him to the infirmary.


    Not that they could be blamed for this.


    All five knew how dangerous this test could become for a person if they weren''t helped in time.


    In recent years, there hadn''t been any cases of people being mentally injured by this trial precisely because the sect took this test very seriously and made sure that no one got hurt.


    If someone was treated immediately after the trial, then there were no problems, but if not, then it would be a problem.


    Sun Hao hoped that their little delay hadn''t caused any issues because otherwise, they would be severely punished by the sect for not doing their job well, not to mention the fact that they would become the laughingstock in the eyes of the other internal disciples.


    But, neither Sun Hao nor his companions, in their hurry, noticed one thing.


    That Ethan was not convulsing.


    When a person ended the trial and didn''t fall to the ground convulsing, it meant only two things:


    Either the trauma sustained was such that it forced the subject into unconsciousness, which would pose serious risks since the body would stop any form of protection against the trauma;


    Or that the person had managed to exit the illusion.

 Chapter 14: Waking Up

    .


    Since a young age, Feng Huang''s ability to evaluate a person''s talent had never been wrong.


    It was like a sixth sense for her, reacting whenever she encountered someone special.


    This person didn''t necessarily have to be a genius in cultivation.


    Her ability wasn''t limited to that but extended to any kind of talent.


    From the best chef to the best strategist, these were talents she could perceive.


    But only perceive, nothing more.


    The specific type of talent these individuals possessed could only be discovered over time.


    But she didn''t mind.


    Thanks to her ability, Feng Huang surrounded herself with talented people and nurtured them, leading her to become the next sect master of the Phoenix Sect at only 30 years old, making her the youngest sect master ever.


    Since she ascended to power, the Phoenix Sect had continuously risen, and its position, which had started to waver as one of the top three sects in the empire, was reestablished by her.


    Therefore, she was so sure that the boy she had found at the slave auction was special.


    At this moment, Feng Huang was in her study, reading the results of this year''s entrance exam.


    Reading them, she was very pleased.


    Although the number of people who turned out to be good seedlings was lower than last year, there were some very good talents.


    In fact, one of them even surprised her when she read that he had lasted 61 minutes in the third trial, coming very close to the current record held by her.


    Reading about these recruits, she couldn''t help but have high expectations for the boy she had saved some time ago at the illegal auction house.


    She was very curious about his scores in the various trials, but her expectations were crushed when she read his results.


    "First trial: 21 points - Rating: failed"


    "Second trial: 11 branches - Rating: mediocre"


    "Third trial: 35 minutes - Rating: above average"


    Reading these results, she couldn''t help but sigh, shaking her head slightly in disappointment.


    ''Could I have been wrong?'' she wondered.


    Although her ability had almost never made a mistake in evaluating a person, seeing these results, she couldn''t help but doubt it.


    "Haa, maybe he''s just not suited for cultivation," she said to herself, thinking that perhaps Ethan''s talent lay elsewhere.


    At that moment, however, she remembered something, and her expression changed to a strange one.


    "Could his talent truly lie in domestic chores?"


    ***


    In the infirmary building, in a room, there was a boy asleep on a bed.


    The boy lay with his eyes closed as if he were sleeping, and around him, a girl with a wooden cart was the only other person present.


    The girl was an outer disciple of the Phoenix Sect, working in the infirmary.


    She had become a disciple just last year, and since then, she hadn''t made much progress in her cultivation, so she decided to be more useful to the sect by working in the infirmary, where work was never scarce.


    Every day she treated various injured individuals. From those with minor injuries to those with severe ones that, if they surpassed a certain threshold, more experienced disciples than her would take over.


    After working here for almost a year, she had to admit that she liked it very much here.


    Even though there were days when she went crazy due to the number of people arriving for treatment, like yesterday, the day of the entrance exam for the sect.


    Just remembering having to run from one person to another the entire time gave her a headache.


    At that moment, she was preparing to administer medicine to this disciple, who had been one of the victims of the third trial, when he suddenly opened his eyes.


    "Haaa" The girl was startled and almost dropped the medicine.


    Ethan, who had just woken up, calmed down and sat up, looking around.


    "Where is this place?" he asked as he looked around, searching for something to tell him more about where he was at the moment.


    Finally, his gaze settled on the girl, who was looking at him a bit annoyed, as if he had done something to her.


    "Um, excuse me, but can you tell me where I am?" he asked, trying to ignore the irritated look of the girl.


    She, hearing him, calmed down and then spoke to him.


    "You almost gave me a scare.


    Currently, you are in the sect''s infirmary," she said.


    Hearing her, Ethan remembered what had happened before he fainted.


    ''Right, I was taking the entrance exam for the sect,'' he thought as he calmed down, remembering what had happened, but then his expression changed.


    ''Wait, if I fainted then, maybe...'' S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t worry, you passed," said the girl as if reading his mind.


    "You, how..." Ethan didn''t know what to say.


    How on earth did she know what he was thinking, he wondered.


    ''Could she have used some kind of technique?'' he wondered, excited at the thought that there were indeed all kinds of techniques in this world.


    But just before his imagination could run wild, the girl brought him back to reality.


    "It''s because of your face. Almost everyone who wakes up after the trial has a similar expression," she said as if she was used to it by now.


    "I see," Ethan said, a little disappointed.


    "Then, can you tell me what I should do from here on?" he asked, as he wasn''t sure what he was supposed to do now.


    "For today, you will stay in bed. Although you were the last one to be brought here, you were the first to wake up," she said, recalling the group of five disciples who had rushed in with Ethan on a stretcher.


    From the way they were in a hurry, she thought the patient they had brought was at death''s door, but upon checking his condition, she noted that he was simply unconscious.


    If it hadn''t been for the fact that they were inner disciples of the sect, she would have scolded them.


    "Since the others have yet to wake up, the entrance ceremony will be held tomorrow morning, so until then, you will stay here," she said, handing him the glass with the medicine she had in her hand.


    "Thank you, what is this?" he asked as he looked at the greenish liquid inside.


    "A medicine, drink it quickly, it will do you good."


    And so Ethan stayed there, and one by one, throughout the day, the other exam participants began to wake up.


    Ethan chuckled a little at the sight of the girl from before, going back and forth explaining the same things to everyone.


    ------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    as usual, feel free to leave a comment, or a suggestion about a text error or other things below.

 Chapter 15: Entrance Ceremony

    .


    The next day, in an area of the sect, a group of disciples was gathered, waiting for the sect master to arrive.


    Today was the admission ceremony for those who had successfully passed the trial.


    Everyone in the crowd was eagerly anticipating the start.


    After all, they were about to be officially welcomed into the Phoenix Sect, one of the best sects in the Long Empire.


    The admission rate each year in the sect was so low that if someone managed to enter successfully, it was certain they would have a bright future.


    Even if one didn''t achieve great results, just being able to enter the sect was considered a significant achievement because it meant you were a notch above the rest.


    Ethan, standing in the middle of this group of people, couldn''t help but compare them to a group of frenzied fans who were happy to have gotten tickets to their favorite stars'' concerts.


    Of course, this didn''t apply to everyone.


    There were some, like him, who maintained their composure, but as for the rest of the group, they continued to chatter excitedly. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After waiting for another quarter of an hour, the crowd finally quieted down.


    A small group of people, young and old, walked slowly towards the stage.


    Once on the stage, they lined up, leaving the center empty, which was filled by another person who came up last.


    Ethan, seeing who it was, couldn''t help but say,


    "It''s the woman from that night."


    He had recognized her immediately, and how could he not, since the woman had left a deep impression on him that time.


    He didn''t expect the famous master of the Phoenix Sect to be her.


    ''I actually met the sect master, and what''s more, I was invited to join directly by her,''


    he thought, surprised and at the same time a little proud of having attracted the attention of such a being.


    Feng Huang, now finally in front of the new disciples, looked at them for a moment.


    Her gaze paused for a moment on Ethan, but then moved on.


    In the end, seeing that everyone seemed to be there and had finally calmed down, she spoke:


    "Good morning, everyone.


    I am Feng Huang, the current master of the Phoenix Sect.


    Today, the elders of the sect and I are gathered here to welcome you to the sect.


    Each of you is here today not by chance or luck, but because you possess the potential and determination to walk the path of greatness," she said, addressing the crowd.


    "Our sect is built on the pillars of wisdom, perseverance, and unity.


    For centuries, the Phoenix Sect has flourished, rising from the ashes of adversity to soar to new heights.


    This resilience is not just a characteristic of our symbol, but a quality that each of us must embody.


    In the coming years, you will face numerous challenges.


    The path of cultivation is arduous and full of obstacles, but it is also incredibly rewarding.


    You will encounter trials that will test your determination, your Dao heart, and your ability to work together as a united group.


    Today is only the beginning of your journey.


    Every step you take will bring you closer to realizing your true potential.


    As you progress, always strive to learn and grow, not only as cultivators but also as individuals," she said, pausing to see if everyone had understood.


    Seeing the passionate gazes of some disciples and the looks of others trying not to cry, she internally complimented herself for her eloquence and then continued.


    "This year, several of you have stood out in the three exams, and I hope that those who haven''t had the chance yet will have the opportunity to do so in the near future.


    Each of you will now receive a robe indicating that you are members of our sect, and along with the robe, you will be given the sect''s rulebook and the number of your lodgings, where you will reside from now on," she said, and with a final line, concluded her entrance speech, leaving the elders of the sect to take care of the rest.


    The disciples all lined up and gradually received the materials they were given. Ethan didn''t know if it was fate or just a coincidence, but once again he was the last in line.


    In no time, everyone had finished collecting their things and dispersed to find their lodgings.


    Ethan had just learned that the sect was divided into three areas, starting from the outermost area, which was where the sect''s outer disciples and workers lived.


    Then there was the inner area of the sect, where the core disciples resided, as well as the elders and the sect master.


    Ethan wasn''t surprised by this arrangement.


    He was sure it was designed to encourage the outer disciples to work harder and the inner ones to maintain their positions.


    As they say, a little healthy competition never hurts.


    At this moment, Ethan was in the outer area of the sect and was standing in front of the doors of a small building.


    "So, this is my lodging?" he asked himself, moving closer to knock on the door.


    Inside, he heard some footsteps, and after a moment, the building''s door opened, revealing the figure of a tall boy who looked at who had knocked.


    The boy was thin, very thin, and tall.


    ''What the hell did his parents feed him to make him grow so much?'' he wondered as he looked at him.


    Ethan was 179 cm tall, which was a bit above average, but in front of this boy, he couldn''t help but feel a bit smaller.


    The boy, noticing who was outside the door, examined him, and seeing the robe in his hand, opened his eyes as if he had realized something.


    "Oh, you must be the newcomer, right?" he asked.


    "Yes, I''m Ethan, nice to meet you," Ethan said.


    "Ethan, what a strange name. Well, nice to meet you. I''m Da Shu."


    ''Da Shu? And he has the nerve to say I have a strange name, tch, young people these days,'' thought Ethan, shaking his head internally.


    "Come on in, I''ll show you around," Da Shu said, entering, followed by Ethan.


    And so, his life as a disciple finally began.


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Well, I''d say it''s time to ramp up the plot.


    The initial introduction is over, so it''s time to get into the heart of the novel.


    I hope you''ve enjoyed the novel so far.


    As always, don''t hold anything back and let it all out in the comments section.

 Chapter 16: Cultivation problems.

    .


    A year had passed since Ethan joined the sect, and many things had happened during this time.


    After moving into his lodgings, which he shared with Da Shu, he began to learn more about the sect and its rules.


    First of all, the daily routine of the disciples.


    It wasn''t much, as most of the time, everyone spent cultivating or training in the designated areas of the sect.


    During the remaining time, they either attended some classes held by seniors or elders of the sect or spent their time doing small chores here and there to earn contribution points.


    Yes, in the sect, the external world''s currency was not used but contributions.


    Everything from the buying and selling of items to attending various knowledge seminars held by the seniors was paid for with contribution points.


    These contribution points could be earned by doing tasks, chores, or accepting the sect''s missions.


    One could also obtain contribution points without working, through the monthly stipend that the sect provided to each of its disciples.


    This monthly amount was not very high; it was only the minimum necessary to prevent disciples from starving.


    After all, it happened that due to an injury, a disciple might be bedridden for a long time, and in these cases, they wouldn''t be able to earn enough to meet their daily needs.


    To remedy these situations, the sect had established a basic monthly payment that all disciples would receive.


    The same applied to resources.


    Every weekend, the sect would distribute low-grade Qi cultivation pills to all disciples, so they could accelerate, even if only slightly, their cultivation.


    The remuneration that the disciples received varied according to their rank. It was low for the outer disciples of the sect and a bit higher for the inner ones, and so on.


    This was one of the reasons why people wanted to be part of a sect.


    Not only did they provide accommodation and an area suitable for cultivation, but they also provided materials to improve one''s cultivation, materials that, although they could be procured from the market, were expensive.


    An average person couldn''t afford to spend so much on cultivation materials, even those of low level.


    Another thing Ethan learned by reading the sect''s regulations was that each year, the disciples would be tested to assess their progress. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to what the sect had established, if within a year a disciple had not yet entered the Body Refining realm, they risked expulsion.


    Body Refining was the lowest level of cultivation. It was the first stage that cultivators had to face in their cultivation journey.


    According to what Ethan had learned, each cultivation level was divided into 10 grades.


    The first level was Body Refining, the level where the body was refined and the foundations for future cultivation were laid.


    Following Body Refining were:


    - Qi Refining


    - Dantian Expansion


    - Soul Cultivation


    - Body and Soul Integration


    Currently, the top experts of the Long Empire had all reached the Body and Soul Integration level, and the master of the Phoenix Sect was one of them.


    The emperor of the Long Empire, on the other hand, had already reached the ninth grade, becoming the strongest known living cultivator.


    According to what Ethan had read in some books in the sect''s library, there had been a cultivator in the past who had managed to surpass this level, but there was little information about him.


    Personally, Ethan didn''t care much about knowing if such a cultivator had existed in history.


    At the moment, he was more concerned with his own situation.


    There was only a month left until the evaluation, and Ethan had not yet entered the Body Refining level.


    Ethan initially thought there was a problem with his cultivation technique, but then learned that the technique given to him was the same basic technique that was given to all disciples who joined the sect, and these disciples did not have had problems using it, so the problem was not in the technique, but perhaps in him.


    This issue had been stressing him out in the past few months, because no matter how hard he tried to cultivate, he didn''t seem to be getting anywhere.


    It was as if there was a barrier preventing him from accumulating enough Qi to reach the first level.


    At that moment, Ethan was walking through the crowded streets of Sun City while on an errand for the sect at the Medicine Pavilion.


    The Medicine Pavilion was where doctors, better known in this world as Alchemists, worked.


    The Medicine Pavilion was also the association that promoted alchemists, and to become one of them, you had to pass a difficult exam that, according to what Ethan had heard, only 10% of people managed to pass.


    He had been tasked with collecting some pills that had been requested to be prepared at the pavilion, and now that they were ready, he had been sent to pick them up.


    Ethan had gladly accepted this errand, even though the pay was low, because he had heard that the alchemist profession was very lucrative.


    For a money lover like Ethan, going to see a place where these people worked was a must, so he accepted this mission because he wanted to take a look around.


    He wanted to know more, and if he saw that it was feasible, he would study to become an alchemist.


    If there was one thing Ethan was good at, it was studying.


    According to Ethan, if you learned alchemical recipes and the basic theory behind them, it was possible to create them easily.


    It was precisely because he was driven by this idea that he was eager to see how these masters of alchemy worked.


    After some time, he finally arrived in front of a large, dilapidated building.


    Above the entrance of the building, it was written in large letters on a sign: "Medicine Pavilion."


    Confirming that he was in the right place, Ethan crossed the entrance and entered the pavilion.


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here is the second chapter of the day. If I can, I''ll try to upload another one within the day.


    So see you later, or tomorrow.


    And as always, if there are any errors of any kind, please report them, and I will try to correct them as soon as possible.

 Chapter 17: Yān Méi

    .


    The Medicine Pavilion was one of the most important institutions in Sun City.


    As those who promoted and often trained Alchemists, they were quite a famous institution.


    The value of an alchemist was very high.


    Just think that even the lowest-level alchemist could earn enough to live comfortably.


    Of course, their reputation was also important, which was often closely tied to their success rate in pill creation.


    As long as the success rate in creating a pill was above 50 percent, it could be said that the alchemist was good.


    This value obviously varied from alchemist to alchemist, and also from the grade of the product they had to refine.


    But overall, it was still a fairly lucrative profession.


    The only problem was that it was very difficult to become one.


    The test to become an official alchemist was held by the Medicine Pavilion, and it was a very difficult test, with a very low admission rate each year.


    It was difficult to become one not only because of one''s skill in refining pills but also because of the amount of money spent on refining materials, which was too high.


    Without materials, an alchemist could not train their refining skills, and without good skills, one could not hope to become a well-known alchemist.


    This was a harsh reality that everyone knew, so many people preferred to choose other professions, and only those who had some talent or a good family background to support them decided to become one.


    Yan Mei was a person who belonged to both of these categories.


    She was born into a wealthy family that already had a master alchemist among them, so for her, following this path was easier than for others, especially because she also had a good talent for alchemy, a talent that led her to become a one-star adept alchemist at the age of 18.


    There were five stages that an alchemist could reach, and each of them had three basic levels to achieve before moving on to the next.


    These levels were represented in the form of stars, which essentially indicated how skilled the alchemist was at their current stage.


    The five stages were:


    Apprentice: one who was still learning the basics of alchemy, such as studying herbs, alchemical techniques, or flame regulation, and so on.


    Once one passed this stage, they were promoted to Adept Alchemists.


    Adept Alchemists were those who had mastered the basics of alchemy and were ready to refine pills.


    This was the stage where one could be called a true Alchemist.


    Subsequently, depending on the success rate in refining and the grade of the product that an alchemist could refine, they could receive the title of Expert Alchemist, Master Alchemist, and finally Grandmaster Alchemist.


    Currently, the number of alchemists who had reached the Grandmaster stage could be counted on the fingers of one hand.


    Their importance was such that even the emperor himself had to show them some respect if they appeared.


    Just successfully becoming an Adept Alchemist could take several years, so those who managed to reach this stage at such a young age were considered alchemy talents. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knowing this fact, Yan Mei had gradually started to look down on all her peers who were still at the beginning stages.


    Currently, she was in one of the refining rooms of the Medicine Pavilion, preparing to create a pill.


    Just as she was about to light the fire under the alchemy cauldron, a knocking sound came from the door of the room.


    ''Tch, who dares to knock at the door,'' she thought as she got up a little irritated and went to open the door.


    ''Seriously, don''t they know not to disturb someone when they''re refining in the refining room?'' she thought as she prepared to give a few words to whoever had knocked.


    Opening the door, Yan Mei saw that the person who had knocked was a worker from the Pavilion.


    The worker, seeing her, said somewhat hurriedly:


    "I apologize for disturbing you, Lady Yan, but the person who was to pick up the pills you were commissioned to make is here," he said, handing her a slip of paper.


    Taking the slip from the worker, she glanced at what was written on it.


    Confirming the validity of the slip, she told the worker to wait a moment here and re-entered the room.


    After a few seconds, she returned with a small glass bottle containing some pills and handed it to the worker.


    "Here are the pills."


    Taking the pills, the worker thanked her and left.


    Seeing the worker leave, Yan Mei re-entered the room and placed the slip inside the dimensional ring on her finger.


    "I really should get myself an assistant, so at least I can avoid ending up in these situations," she said, a bit annoyed by the sudden interruption, as she returned to her workstation and prepared to refine a pill.


    Meanwhile, in the waiting room of the Medicine Pavilion, Ethan, who was supposed to be there to pick up the pills for the sect, was nowhere to be seen.


    The worker, who had gone to fetch the pills, had just returned only to find the room empty.


    "Ehm? Where did the boy who came for the pills go?" he wondered as he started to look around outside the waiting room to see if he could find him.


    Unfortunately for him, Ethan was not there at that moment.


    In the inner area of the sect, which was mainly dedicated to expert alchemists and master alchemists, one could see a boy wandering from room to room.


    Ethan, who had decided to look around while waiting, ended up getting lost and was now trying to find the waiting room.


    "F*ck, where the hell did I end up," he said frustratedly, not knowing where he had come from anymore.


    .


    -----------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I know, it was more of an informative chapter than anything else, but I thought it was better to give a basic idea of the levels of alchemy now, to have more flexibility in the following chapters.


    I wanted to include something about the pills as well, but I think it''s better to wait for the next chapters for that.


    If I can, I''ll try to upload another chapter by the end of the day.


    Let me know what you think of the novel so far.


    I know, we''re practically at the beginning, so there''s not much to talk about, but if you can give me feedback on the text itself, that would be great.


    I ask because English is neither my first nor my second language, so I might make some mistakes in the text.


    Report any errors you find.


    Ciao.

 Chapter 18: The Small Stone Cauldron

    .


    The Medicine Pavilion was divided into two sections:


    The outer section and the inner section.


    The outer section was primarily dedicated to transactions and was also where apprentice and adept alchemists mainly worked.


    They had their study rooms and refinement chambers there.


    The inner section, on the other hand, was where expert and master alchemists primarily worked. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the heart of the Medicine Pavilion .


    Only individuals with a certain status could come here and commission work from the alchemists.


    It was a place where not only the top experts of the Medicine Pavilion worked, but also where various ancient relics and legacies of ancient master alchemists were kept.


    It was a place of alchemical history and culture, which only a few had the opportunity to visit.


    In this place, in one of the rooms, a certain object began to glow.


    It was a small refining cauldron.


    In fact, it was so small it could fit in the palm of a hand.


    This stone cauldron was an object that the researchers of the Medicine Pavilion had found in a ruin where it was said that a grand master alchemist once lived.


    Unlike the other valuable objects the explorers had found in the ruins, this stone cauldron did not seem special in any way.


    Initially, the explorers thought it best to leave it there, but some of them, admirers of great figures of the past like this alchemist, decided to take the small stone cauldron as a collectible item.


    The object was evaluated by many experts, but they all said it was just a simple stone sculpture of a cauldron.


    Thus, the small cauldron ended up being set aside in the Pavilion.


    The cauldron, which was starting to glow with a blinding light, transformed into a ball of white light and flew away from the place where it had been kept for centuries.


    In another area of the Medicine Pavilion, Ethan, who had been wandering back and forth for the last half hour, couldn''t help but curse:


    "Who is the incompetent who designed this place?


    Damn it, it''s worse than a maze.


    And would it have cost so much to put up some signs to make navigation easier in this place?" he said, calling one of the richest associations in Sun City poor.


    Fortunately for him, no one was there to hear him, because otherwise, he would probably have been beaten to death by the locals.


    He was currently in a corridor with several rooms on either side.


    Ethan had tried knocking on all the doors of the rooms, but received no response from any of them.


    He had even tried forcing some of them open, but without success.


    These doors, covered with various protection inscriptions, did not budge an inch under Ethan''s assaults.


    Seeing that everything was futile, Ethan continued to walk in a direction that he believed was the one he had come from.


    ''Come on, this will be the one,'' he told himself, for the umpteenth time, as he hurriedly walked towards a corridor.


    At that moment, he heard a strange sound coming from behind him.


    He didn''t know what it was, but whatever it was, it was approaching him quickly.


    Just as he turned to take a look, a ball of intense light hit him square in the face, sending him flying several meters into the air.


    By chance, the point where Ethan was flung was right at the exit of the inner section of the sect.


    The attendant, who had been tirelessly searching for Ethan for a while, happened to pass by and saw Ethan coming in his direction.


    "Ah, here you are. How could y��"


    Just as he was about to complain to him for disappearing from the waiting room, he noticed that Ethan was not stopping.


    When he was closer, he saw that Ethan was facing away and flying towards him.


    "Damn, stop," he said, but it was no use.


    Swoosh


    The attendant didn''t have time to get out of Ethan''s trajectory and ended up being hit by him.


    Both fell to the ground, rolling for a bit before crashing into the door of a room, which was destroyed due to the force of the impact.


    Ethan, who had fainted after being hit by that ball of white light, didn''t know the trouble he had gotten into.


    In fact, inside the room, there was someone who was finishing refining a pill.


    It was an extremely complicated pill for the person, but after several hours, she had finally managed to complete the refinement.


    Few seconds were left, and the person would have created the pill that would pave the way for her''s second adept alchemist star.


    Just as a few seconds were left for the refinement to be completed, the door of the cultivation room was blown open, and two shadows streaked past her view.


    The person didn''t immediately understand what had just happened.


    Everything had been too fast.


    Before she could register what had happened, the boiling cauldron containing the pill disappeared from her sight.


    "Huh?"


    That was all that came out of her mouth as she turned to see the spot where the two figures had crashed.


    To the side, towards the wall opposite the door of the room, two people were lying on the ground with a cauldron that now had a large dent in it, overturned beside them.


    The contents of the cauldron had spilled only on the figure that was on top of the other figure.


    Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the boiling liquid had only partially soaked the top figure.


    Too bad that the soaked part extended to the waist of the figure''s body.


    The attendant of the Medicine Pavilion, who had been hit by Ethan, was lying on the ground unconscious, foam coming out of his mouth, and his eyes tearing up.


    --------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter. Sorry for the delay in uploading, but I didn''t have a chance to write it this morning as I spent most of the day on the highway, driving back and forth between cities.


    If it weren''t for the fact that I''m trying to be consistent with releasing the chapters of my novel, I''d probably be asleep right now.


    Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and if you have any complaints, error reports, or comments, feel free to leave them below.


    Good night. ????????

 Chapter 19: Unexpected Encounter

    .


    After dismissing the attendant, Yan Mei got back to work.


    It had been several months since she had become a one-star adept, and she thought it was time to move to the next step: creating a mid-quality grade one pill.


    To become a full-fledged alchemist, one needed to be able to create at least a low-level grade one pill. Grade one pills were the simplest to create.


    Every alchemist, to advance from apprentice to adept, had to be capable of creating at least one low-level grade one pill.


    Pills were divided into grades, and each grade was subdivided into three levels, indicating the purity of each pill.


    Low-level pills had to have a purity of at least 25%, mid-level ones at least 50%, and high-level ones had to exceed 75%.


    Creating a pill while trying to eliminate as many impurities as possible was challenging.


    The higher the grade, the more difficult it became.


    Eliminating the impurities contained in the ingredients was no simple task.


    In fact, the highest purity percentage that alchemists had managed to achieve, even with grade one pills, was 99%.


    No one had yet succeeded in creating a perfect pill.


    Only masters and grandmasters could reach purity percentages exceeding 95%.


    For anyone else, creating a pill that even remotely approached this value was already a source of pride.


    Yan Mei, who had always considered herself extremely talented, intended to surpass this percentage and achieve perfection in a pill.


    Therefore, she did not hesitate to use her family''s substantial resources to practice alchemy every single day.


    Today, for her, would be a day when she would take a step forward on the path that would one day lead her to her goal, a step that was interrupted by these two individuals.


    She stared, stunned, at the chaos these two had created. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Recognizing one of them as the attendant from earlier, she could not help but say angrily,


    "You... I hope you have a good explanation for me; otherwise, I''ll make you both regret being born,"


    she said menacingly, looking straight into the eyes of the attendant, who was getting up.


    The attendant, still coming to terms with what had happened, felt a chill down his spine hearing the threatening voice from behind.


    While the attendant was about to face Yan Mei''s wrath, the true culprit of all this was still unconscious.


    ***


    In an unknown place, devoid of anything, a boy lay.


    The surface on which the boy was lying seemed to be a thin mirror of water, covered by a transparent layer preventing his body from sinking.


    At that moment, the boy, who had been lying there for who knows how long, began to wake up.


    Ethan, after being knocked out by the strange ball of light, finally woke up.


    Struggling to get up, he carefully looked around, only to fail to recognize the place where he currently was.


    "Where am I?" he wondered, trying to recall what had happened.


    His head still ached a bit, and no matter how hard he thought, he could not remember a place like this or how he had ended up there.


    At that moment, a voice echoed in the place. "I see you have finally woken up, human," said the voice.


    Startled by the sudden voice, Ethan jumped in surprise and horror, quickly looking around for the speaker, but as before, he saw only an endless white, empty space.


    ''Maybe I imagined it?'' he wondered as he began to calm down a bit.


    "You didn''t imagine it.


    Look below you," the voice echoed once more.


    Ethan, who had just calmed down, stiffened again and slowly lowered his gaze to the mirror of water he was standing on.


    At first, he saw only his blurry reflection, but when he tried to look more closely, he saw something that completely shocked him.


    Beneath him, beyond the invisible layer preventing him from sinking, a gigantic eye was staring at him.


    The iris of the eye was a deep, luminous blue, as if the sky was contained within it.


    The large eye had a long, sharp slit in the center that opened slightly.


    It was so large that it surpassed Ethan''s size. It was the pupil of the creature''s eye.


    The eye blinked once and then moved, disappearing gradually as a large white surface full of scales moved in the depths.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, was petrified with fear. He began to sweat profusely, imagining the size of the rest of the creature''s body.


    ''Yes, this is definitely a dream.


    Wake up, Ethan,


    wake up,


    FAST!'' he told himself as he slapped his face hard.


    But when he finished, he saw that he was still in that place.


    "Boy, I don''t know what mental problems afflict you, but calm down.


    I won''t eat you, not that I could, as I am trapped here," said the voice of the figure.


    Hearing what the creature had just said, Ethan began to calm down a bit but was still on guard.


    Ethan did not know who this creature was or where this place was, but seeing that the creature had not made any move against him the entire time, he tried to calm his racing heart and attempted to speak.


    "Trapped? How did you get trapped here, and what place is this?"


    He asked, hoping to finally get some answers about where he was and possibly how to leave.


    The figure was no longer visible after retreating into the depths of the water, but its voice still echoed in the place when it spoke again.


    "What place is this, you ask? Do you really not know where you are right now?" the creature asked.


    Ethan was unsure why the white creature was asking him this.


    He was certain he had never been in such a place in his life, so shaking his head, he replied, "No, where are we?"


    The creature did not respond immediately, and for a moment, Ethan thought it had left.


    Then, after a few seconds, the creature spoke again.


    "We are currently in your sea of consciousness."


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter. I hope you like it.


    As usual, feel free to comment, criticize, or point out any errors present in the text.


    See you later.

 Chapter 20: Amphora of the Seven Sages

    .


    The sea of consciousness?


    This was another of those terms with which Ethan was quite familiar.


    Often, in the Xianxia novels he read in his previous world, he encountered this term.


    As far as he remembered, the sea of consciousness was a spiritual place within a person''s mind.


    In the novels he had read, this place reflected a person''s talent and could only be accessed once a certain level of cultivation was reached.


    Ethan had never paid much attention to these concepts while reading.


    He read solely for pleasure, and seeing certain concepts repeated across different novels he had read, he began to ignore them and focused more on the plot itself and the actions of the MC.


    He was one of those people who followed multiple novels simultaneously, so he tended to remember only the interesting, funny, etc., points of the novels he read.


    He had reached the point where he had started ignoring even the characters'' names because they were often similar, and he ended up confusing various characters.


    He only remembered their actions or what had happened to them, so his understanding of the sea of consciousness was very limited.


    So, after thinking for a moment, he said:


    "So, this is my sea of consciousness? But how did I enter, and more importantly, is it normal for you to be in here too?"


    Ethan for a moment thought that the luminous thing that hit him might be this being, but then recalling that the being had said it was trapped in this place, the pieces didn''t add up.


    The creature''s voice resounded once more, and it said:


    "No, it''s not normal for either of us to be here," it said in a somewhat displeased tone.


    "Originally, a being can enter their own sea of consciousness if they reach a high level of cultivation, and it''s usually not possible to store creatures or objects.


    But this situation is a bit particular. See that object floating above you? That''s the cause of all this."


    ''Object?'' Ethan, not understanding what it meant, tilted his head upward to look, and only then did he notice it.


    ''What the heck is that?''


    Like the sun, visible high in the sky during the afternoon, a strange luminous object was currently floating very high in Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    Ethan was astonished not only by the presence of this object but also by its size.


    At this moment, it seemed very small, but considering how high it was currently, one could get an idea of how large it should be to still be visible from below.


    ''A cauldron?''


    Ethan thought this whole situation was starting to get out of hand. First, he was hit by a ball of white light, then somehow ended up in his sea of consciousness, an impossible feat for his current level of cultivation, and finally, inside his sea of consciousness, there was a gigantic sealed creature and a strange massive cauldron-shaped object suspended high in the sky?


    ''I must definitely be dreaming,'' he told himself, trying to calm down.


    "What you see is the Amphora of the Seven Sages," said the creature.


    ''Amphora of the seven sages? what a strange name, and I''m pretty sure it''s a cauldron,'' Ethan thought.


    The being, ignoring Ethan''s thoughts, continued its explanation.


    "It''s a unique artifact that allows one to enhance their spiritual power.


    Due to certain circumstances, I have been trapped in this artifact for several centuries now.


    Now that it has chosen you as its owner, I have naturally been brought into your sea of consciousness," it said with a hoarse and resentful voice.


    ''An artifact capable of enhancing a person''s spiritual power?''


    It was known that spiritual power was very important for a cultivator.


    If a person had very high spiritual power, they were less likely to succumb to mental attacks from other cultivators or even spirits of some artifact.


    Spiritual power directly strengthened a person''s soul, allowing the cultivator to progress in their cultivation more easily over time.


    Infact, at a certain point in one''s cultivation path, one had to cultivate and refine their spiritual power to strengthen their soul and prepare it to enter what is currently the highest stage of cultivation, the Body-Soul Integration stage.


    "Wait, you said the cauldron chose me? Does that mean it''s alive?"


    "In a sense, it is. Artifacts of this level, over time, gain their own will."


    "I see," he said, lost in thought for a moment.


    Honestly, Ethan understood little of this situation, and he sincerely did not want to have anything to do with this entity or this strange artifact.


    Although the idea of possessing such an object was enticing, it was also true that he did not have the strength to own and protect this object.


    He was sure that if the world learned of an artifact capable of enhancing one''s spiritual power, he would be in danger. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a great man once said: with great power comes great responsibility.


    Ethan was not sure if it was worth having this artifact.


    From how the white creature made it sound, this object was invaluable and gave its owner great power.


    He wasn''t entirely sure how powerful this artifact could be, but the fact that it could enhance a person''s spiritual power was already significant.


    Ethan believed that perhaps with this artifact, he could finally enter the realm of body refinement.


    ----------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I apologize for my absence in the past few days.


    From this chapter onwards, I will need to accelerate some things and establish some foundations to support the plot for the upcoming chapters, foundations that I noticed still lacked a lot of work, so I had to stop and work on them for a while.


    I should be able to resume uploading at least one chapter a day, and hopefully, no new problems will arise in the near future.


    I want this novel to do well, and I want to dedicate all the time I can to it, so I am rechecking some aspects of the power system of this novel to avoid making a mess later on.

 Chapter 21: What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

    . sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan decided to set aside the problem of the cauldron and the trouble it might bring him.


    It had been a few minutes since he found himself in this place, and he didn''t know how long he had been unconscious before waking up.


    Ethan had fainted in the Pavilion of Medicine, and he didn''t know if anyone had found him yet.


    So he was worried about what might happen if he delayed further.


    The last thing he wanted was to be expelled from the Pavilion for wandering around without permission, and worse, to lose his few remaining contributions in the sect for failing such a simple mission.


    After all, his performance over the past year had not been the best, and he felt every day that the day of his expulsion was drawing near.


    Shaking his head, he pushed away these dark thoughts. He wasn''t sure how to leave this place, but he knew whom to ask for help.


    Looking down again, he couldn''t see the giant being he had seen before, but he was sure it was still there somewhere.


    Just as he was about to address the creature, he realized a problem.


    He didn''t know how to address the being.


    In the confusion of the moment, he hadn''t bothered to introduce himself or ask more about the creature, so he was a bit unsure of how to proceed.


    He decided to go with something standard.


    "Um, senior, I would like to stay here a bit longer to talk to you, but my situation does not allow it.


    Would you be so kind as to tell me how to leave this place?


    As soon as I have time, I will try to return here," he said calmly and courteously, trying not to hide his thoughts.


    From his previous interactions with the creature, he had understood that it could read his thoughts to some extent, so he tried to keep his thoughts under control.


    Shortly after he spoke, he heard the creature''s voice resonate in the environment.


    "Boy, you are still too inexperienced to deceive me.


    Do not worry, as I said before, I am trapped in this place, so even if I wanted to, I couldn''t do anything to you," it said in its calm voice.


    Ethan''s expression almost crumbled upon hearing this, but he still didn''t lower his guard.


    "This is your sea of consciousness, so it only takes a thought for you to leave and enter from here," it said.


    Although the process was a bit more complicated than that, the being understood that it was pointless to explain everything to Ethan because it was useless for him to know all this.


    With the Amphora of the Seven Sages in his possession, certain knowledge became quite obsolete and unnecessary.


    Ethan, hearing this, thanked him and, without wasting time, thought of leaving this place.


    As if by magic, his body became transparent until it dissolved into nothingness, leaving the sea of consciousness empty and silent once again.


    Under the surface of the water''s mirror, in its dark depths, two large blue eyes were silently watching upward.


    No one knew what the being was thinking, but its gaze seemed to grow deeper as it observed the Amphora of the Seven Sages, which continued to float in the air.


    Time passed, and the creature continued to stare at the Amphora until it spoke.


    "I don''t know why you chose that human as your new owner, but with his current talent, he won''t go very far," it said, as if talking to the object, but it did not seem to respond.


    Slowly closing its eyes, it spoke again:


    "I just hope he is able to free us all from this prison once and for all," it said, completely closing its eyes.


    ***


    Ethan, who had managed to leave his sea of consciousness, found himself witnessing a rather peculiar scene.


    He was currently in an unfamiliar place, where, for some strange reason, he was lying slumped headfirst against a wall.


    If that wasn''t enough, a few meters away from him, two people seemed to be arguing about something.


    Perhaps arguing wasn''t the right term, because one of the people was sitting on the ground with his head lowered, while the other person, who seemed to be a girl, was standing in front of him, furiously saying something.


    Ethan, still dazed, couldn''t understand what the girl was saying.


    With a lateral push, Ethan pulled himself together and stood up, struggling.


    For some reason, his body seemed a bit sore.


    Now that he had somewhat recovered, he noticed that the boy sitting on the ground with his head lowered seemed a bit familiar.


    ''Isn''t that the attendant who went to get the pills??'' he thought, wondering what was happening here.


    Yan Mei, who had been lecturing the poor attendant for five whole minutes, noticed that the other culprit seemed to have recovered.


    Shifting her angry gaze towards him, she examined him from head to toe.


    Seeing that he didn''t seem to be from the Pavilion of Medicine, she asked in an irritated voice:


    "Who are you, and how did you dare to break into my refining room?" she asked, still angry.


    Just thinking about the whole situation made her boil with rage.


    She was almost about to create her first mid-level grade one pill when these two appeared out of nowhere, destroying the door to her refining room and ruining her hours of effort in refining the pill.


    She was holding back from flaying these two alive.


    "Breaking into your room?"


    Ethan, who had just recovered, heard the girl''s question and didn''t understand what she was talking about.


    He looked around and noticed that he was indeed in a room.


    Seeing the destroyed entrance of the room, Ethan wondered what had happened.


    He wasn''t sure how he ended up here, but from what the girl had just said, it seemed like he had something to do with all this.


    ''What the heck happened while I was unconscious?''


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    As usual, if you have any comments/criticisms/errors to point out, don''t hesitate to write them down here, and while you''re at it, let me know what you think of the novel so far.


    See you next time.

 Chapter 22: Bruise on the Forehead

    .


    Ethan''s head was starting to ache because of all this.


    He kept ending up from one place to another, without stopping.


    It was as if today the goddess of misfortune had woken up with the desire to mess with him a bit.


    He wasn''t sure how he ended up in this situation, but he was certain that simple apologies wouldn''t be enough to get him out of it.


    He didn''t even know how he ended up here in the first place.


    Just as he was about to say something to calm the girl in front of him, footsteps echoed outside the room.


    Looking toward the door, Ethan noticed a man had appeared.


    The man was dressed in a long green robe, embroidered with golden edges and white symbols on it.


    He had a long white beard on his wrinkled face, and a perplexed expression as he examined the room.


    Yan Mei, who also turned to see who had arrived, said in surprise:


    "Grandpa, what are you doing here?"


    ''Grandpa?'' thought Ethan.


    Indeed, the man at the door was Yan Mei''s grandfather.


    He was Yan Qingshui, one of the elders of the Pavilion of Medicine.


    He was passing by when he heard a commotion coming from his granddaughter''s room and decided to check it out.


    When he saw that the door to the room was smashed, he couldn''t help but ask what had happened.


    If it had been some other disciple, he would have thought they might have blown up the cauldron during refining, a rather common occurrence for beginners, but this was his granddaughter''s refining room.


    Since he had taught her refining, she had never blown up a cauldron, so he was confused about what was happening.


    Upon entering the room, he saw that it was a mess inside too.


    When he heard his granddaughter addressing him, his gaze shifted to her and he asked:


    "I noticed a commotion while passing by. What happened here?" he asked while looking at the attendant still kneeling on the ground and the unfamiliar boy.


    Yan Mei then explained how she was interrupted by Ethan and the attendant, specifying that she was at a crucial point in her refining process.


    Yan Qingshui, hearing the account, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    Unlike his granddaughter, who by nature got angry easily, he was calmer.


    Having understood what happened, he asked the attendant to explain himself.


    "Elder Yan, it''s all his fault," he said, pointing at Ethan, who, seeing this, made a face like, Why are you accusing me of something I didn''t do? S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This morning the boy came to pick up a commissioned pill order from Lady Yan Mei for his sect, and I was the one who went to get it for him.


    Upon my return to the waiting room, the boy had disappeared, so thinking he was nearby, I went to look for him.


    Only after a while did I manage to find him, and just as I was about to ask where he had gone, the boy, for some reason, hurled himself at me.


    Pushed by him, I was thrown backward and ended up crashing into Lady Yan''s chamber," he said.


    The attendant himself was unsure why all this happened.


    His day had started well as usual, only to turn into a nightmare because of this boy, so he felt a bit resentful towards him.


    Yan Qingshui and Yan Mei, hearing the entire account, couldn''t help but turn to Ethan, who stood there with a somewhat surprised expression.


    ''So that''s what happened,'' he thought as he pieced together some parts of the incident.


    ''Although I didn''t throw myself at him, but rather, I was pushed by the luminous ball, how should I explain this to them?'' Ethan wondered, shivering under the gaze of the two people.


    Yan Qingshui had a strange expression as he asked Ethan,


    "Boy, who are you, and why did you attack the pavilion''s staff?" he asked, still uncertain about what to think of all this.


    Although there had been some cases where a person, dissatisfied with the result of a commission they made, took it out on the staff, this was the first time someone had dared to attack one.


    Especially a person who clearly hadn''t even entered the realm of body refinement.


    Ethan knew he was about to jump from the frying pan into the fire, so he tried to justify himself as best he could.


    "Honorable elder of the pavilion, it was not my intention to attack anyone in your pavilion.


    As the attendant said, I came to pick up some pills.


    But while waiting, I needed to use the bathroom, so I tried to find one, but I ended up getting lost.


    During my search for the right way back, I was attacked by someone.


    I don''t know who it was, but the attack was strong enough to send me flying to this point.


    As you can see from my face, I still have the bruise that formed because of that attack," he said, pointing to his face.


    Ethan had noticed that he still had a bruise on his forehead.


    The bruise had formed because Ethan was the one who collided with Yan Mei''s cauldron.


    Ethan didn''t know this, but he had noticed it thanks to his reflection, visible on the liquid on the ground that hadn''t dried yet.


    He couldn''t say that an ancient artifact had decided to hit him as a sign of choosing him, so he decided to rely on what he could at the moment, and the bruise came just in time.


    He was sure the bruise wasn''t created by the artifact colliding with him, because apart from being pushed by it, Ethan hadn''t felt any pain and had been conscious for the first few seconds after the impact.


    He fainted only after colliding with the attendant.


    He knew his excuse wasn''t the best, but there was little he could say to get out of this situation.


    The other three people looked at his forehead and saw that Ethan indeed had a bruise on his forehead.


    "Are you saying someone attacked you?" Yan Qingshui asked, even more uncertain about the situation.


    "I believe so. The attack was sudden, so I didn''t see who or what attacked me," Ethan said, still with a respectful voice, trying to seem like a victim as well.


    He hoped they would buy his excuse because he really had no idea what to do otherwise.


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Honestly, I would have liked the events to unfold differently, possibly in a more natural and comedic way, but my inexperience didn''t help.


    Oh well, I''ll improve over time, at least I hope so.


    As usual, if you have comments, criticisms, or suggestions, leave them below.


    Have a good day.

 Chapter 23: Routine

    .


    In the mission hall of the Phoenix Sect, W��ng Y��ng was currently dozing comfortably, leaning on the work table.


    From his appearance, he didn''t seem to be older than 25.


    His job was to manage the missions of the mission hall.


    From assigning them to receiving confirmation of their completion, everything was handled by him.


    Completing missions often took from a few hours to a few days, so he always found himself fairly free during the day, thus he took the opportunity to take a nap every now and then.


    He had been in the Phoenix Sect for a while, and after reaching a bottleneck in his cultivation that he couldn''t overcome, he decided to find a job in the meantime, to support himself.


    After all, he didn''t have enough resources to sustain himself while waiting to overcome his bottleneck.


    He had been working here for less than a year, and over time he realized that this job was quite simple, so he continued doing it.


    As long as he did his job without mistakes, no one said anything to him, so he wasn''t afraid of being punished if he took a few breaks during the day.


    Today, as usual, he didn''t have much to do, so he decided to take his afternoon nap.


    While he continued to wander in the meanders of the dream realm, a tinkling sound from the entrance door of the Mission Hall woke him up.


    Waking up, he opened his eyes and looked towards the entrance to see who it was.


    Seeing that it was simply an outer disciple, he sighed slightly and asked in a somewhat bored voice:


    "Are you here to accept a task or report the completion of a task?" he asked, knowing that outer sect disciples were rarely given difficult missions.


    ''Most likely he had a commission or something like that,'' he thought as he planned to quickly deal with it and return to his imaginary paradise.


    "To report the completion of a task," said the person who entered, handing W��ng Y��ng a slip of paper and a small bottle containing pills.


    W��ng Y��ng took the slip, and after confirming it, he nodded and said:


    "Alright, please hand me your sect badge for a moment so I can record your contribution points."


    The boy nodded and took out from his pocket a round badge, about the size of a coin, with the engraving of a phoenix wrapped around itself, and handed it to W��ng Y��ng.


    The sect badge was given to every disciple when they joined. It was like an identity document that contained the disciple''s information, as well as their mission records and contribution points tally.


    Each medallion, upon delivery, was bound to the owner by a technique that involved dripping a drop of their own blood onto it.


    This served not only to facilitate transactions within the sect but also to prevent any cases of theft of contributions and so on.


    After a few seconds, W��ng Y��ng returned the badge to its owner and prepared to sleep again, not bothering to ask the other person if he needed anything else.


    The latter didn''t mind W��ng Y��ng''s clearly rude attitude and left the Mission Hall.


    Exiting the mission hall, Ethan walked towards his lodging.


    ''And with this, I should be set for the next week,'' he said to himself as he walked. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now that he had enough contribution points to sustain himself for the next week, he finally felt a weight lifted off his mind.


    As he passed some buildings, he couldn''t help but think about the events of that morning.


    After explaining his situation, Yan Qingshui, thinking it made no sense to escalate the matter unnecessarily, decided to let Ethan go with a small reprimand.


    Ethan was glad that his half-truth had worked because otherwise, he wouldn''t have known how to handle the situation.


    Yan Mei was clearly not happy with the outcome and would have liked to teach both the attendant and Ethan a lesson, but hearing her grandfather, she decided to set the matter aside.


    After a while, he finally arrived at his lodging.


    This time he didn''t knock on the door but used his key to enter.


    Once inside, he closed the door and headed to his room.


    It was quite quiet here, and seeing the door of the room next to his closed, Ethan understood that Da Shu was probably cultivating, so he made sure not to make any unnecessary noise as he closed his own room''s door.


    The lodging that the sect had assigned to him was fairly average.


    Apart from a bathroom and the bedroom, there wasn''t much else.


    Showering here was done in specific spaces that were present in the sect.


    As for cooking?


    One could prepare meals for themselves if they wanted to, buying all the necessary ingredients, but most disciples preferred to eat in the sect''s canteen.


    As the sect was divided into the outer sect, inner sect, and the central zone, there was a canteen for each section.


    Most disciples didn''t know how to cook, and why would they?


    After all, they came here to cultivate, and learning things like cooking or other skills was deemed unnecessary.


    Cultivation sessions could comfortably last from several hours to several days, so not many bothered to learn things like cooking.


    Of course, they had a minimum knowledge of how to cook meat or prepare simple dishes, just in case they needed to eat while traveling.


    For them, this was more than enough.


    Ethan was one of the few exceptions to this.


    Having lived on his own in his previous world, he had some basic cooking skills, so he always kept cooking supplies in his room for the times when he wanted to eat some dish from his world.


    It was almost evening, and he was already feeling a bit hungry, so he prepared a quick meal in his room and consumed it.


    Once finished, he washed his cooking utensils and prepared to cultivate.


    He got into a meditative position on the carpet in the center of the room and slowly closed his eyes.


    "Haa, now that I''ve got that off my mind, it''s time to deal with the other matter," he said as he calmed his mind and thought about entering his sea of consciousness.


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter.


    As usual, don''t hesitate to leave any comments, critiques, or error reports below.

 Chapter 24: Bai Yu

    .


    As if by magic, Ethan''s body materialized in his sea of consciousness.


    Once the transfer was complete, he opened his eyes and looked around.


    The sea of consciousness was empty and desolate, and as before, he could only see an infinite expanse of a surface similar to a mirror of water.


    Raising his gaze, he saw that the majestic luminous cauldron was still suspended high above.


    Seeing it, Ethan felt a sort of connection to it.


    He still didn''t know much about it, nor how to use it, but he knew who to ask.


    He had come to this place to clarify this matter and see if this object could help him in some way in his cultivation.


    At that moment, while lost in his thoughts, staring at the cauldron, the voice of the being that lived beneath the mirror of water echoed in the area.


    "Human, you have returned sooner than I expected," it said, clearly not expecting to see him so soon.


    It had perceived how cautious Ethan still was, so the creature was sure it would take some time before he decided to visit this place again.


    Hearing the voice, Ethan lowered his head to look towards the mirror of water, preparing to be startled once more.


    However, unlike last time, he did not see the giant eye of the creature; in fact, he did not see it at all.


    He sighed in relief, thinking it would take some time to get used to this guest in his head.


    "Well, didn''t I say I would return after handling some matters? Here I am," he said confidently, hoping it hadn''t noticed his fear of it.


    "I understand," said the creature, and then it fell silent.


    Silence reigned once again, and Ethan felt the pressure of it.


    He tried to start a conversation, after all, he had come to learn more about this rather peculiar situation.


    "I didn''t have a chance to properly introduce myself before. I am Ethan, and I am a disciple of the Phoenix Sect," he said.


    "Phoenix Sect? Do you mean the Primordial Phoenix Sect?" it asked, with a voice that was somewhat surprised but also doubtful.


    ''Primordial?'' thought Ethan, trying to remember if he had ever heard this term associated with his sect''s name. He hadn''t.


    "No, just the Phoenix Sect," he replied.


    The creature didn''t respond for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "


    Can you tell me which plane we are currently in?"


    "Plane? What is that? We are currently in the Phoenix Realm, in the Long Empire," he said, a bit confused.


    "You don''t know about the planes existence, this explains everything. So, we are in the mortal plane," it said as if it had understood something.


    "Mortal plane?" Ethan became even more confused.


    The more he interacted with this being, the more it seemed they were speaking different languages.


    He wasn''t sure what it meant by its last words.


    The creature, noticing Ethan''s confusion, sighed and explained:


    "You see, there are two planes of existence, one mortal and one celestial. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I come from the latter, and there everyone knows about the existence of a lower plane.


    So, either you have lived under a rock all this time, or you are from the mortal plane," it said in a calm voice as if instructing a baboon.


    For some reason, Ethan felt mocked, but he quickly brushed off this feeling and focused on what the creature had just said.


    ''So, there is a place called the celestial plane, huh'' thought Ethan.


    Normally, people would be shocked by this revelation and think that whoever said it was imagining things, but for Ethan, it was a bit different.


    He was quite familiar with these types of worlds, thanks to his knowledge of novels from his previous world.


    In fact, Ethan was starting to think that those who had written these novels might have come from other worlds because, according to him, it wasn''t possible that they had perfectly nailed plots that apparently seemed real in other worlds.


    The creature, seeing that Ethan didn''t seem too surprised, couldn''t help but think:


    ''Maybe we are not really in the mortal plane? No, it''s not possible.


    Hardly anyone of his age would still be at this level of cultivation if they were in the celestial plane.''


    It decided to introduce itself: "I am Bai Yu, a dragon from the celestial dragon race."


    ''Bai Yu? So, it''s a she. And to think I have been addressing her informally all this time. But wait, she said she''s a dragon?!''


    Although Ethan had already prepared himself for anything, seeing how big Bai Yu was, hearing that she was a dragon was still surprising.


    It''s not that he had never heard of dragons.


    In fact, according to what he had heard, the royal family of the Long Empire actually had a dragon, which was the mount of the current emperor of the empire.


    He didn''t know what kind of dragons celestial dragons were, but he could make an assumption about it.


    ''Most likely, they are a race from the celestial realm,'' he thought, then addressed Bai Yu.


    "You said you were trapped in the amphora and couldn''t free yourself. Why were you trapped?" he asked.


    This was one of the questions that had been buzzing in his head since that morning.


    If a being like her, who was almost certainly extremely powerful, ended up being sealed in this artifact, then something was wrong.


    Maybe she was a criminal who was imprisoned in this place, or maybe an enemy decided to lock her up because she was too dangerous.


    There were too many possibilities, and Ethan didn''t want to overlook anything that could endanger his life.


    Bai Yu did not immediately respond to the question.


    She had already sensed Ethan''s distrust from the beginning and could understand why he was so cautious towards her.


    Although she didn''t want to recall those painful memories, she knew that if she wanted any chance of being freed in the future, she had to rely on this human.


    She let out a slight sigh and then spoke.


    "You see, hundreds of years ago, when I was still wandering the celestial realm, I met a woman.


    Her name was Y��ng Hu��, and she was the previous owner of the Amphora of the Seven Sages."


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    As usual, don''t hesitate to express yourselves below about whether you are enjoying the novel or not, and please point out any errors you find in the chapter.


    Thank you.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 25: Yīng Huā

    .


    The previous owner of this artifact? Now this is interesting,'' thought Ethan, wondering who this person was.


    Bai Yu continued her story.


    "She was a peculiar person, strange in some ways.


    We met under not-so-good circumstances.


    At that time, in the territory of the dragon race, a civil war was raging, which ended up involving other races, humans included.


    We clashed, and although she was clearly weaker than me in terms of cultivation, she still managed to defeat me.


    She didn''t kill me but instead asked me to become her traveling companion.


    And so the years passed, and our group of two people was joined by other beings.


    I discovered that she came from the mortal plane, and it was quite surprising because almost no one had managed to ascend to the celestial realm in the last millennia."


    ''A person who managed to ascend to the celestial plane? Then why have I never heard of her?'' wondered Ethan.


    Of course, he had only been in this world for no more than two years, and although there were still many things he needed to learn, he thought that a being of this woman''s caliber, who had managed to ascend, should have been quite well-known here.


    Bai Yu could sense what Ethan was thinking at that moment and couldn''t help but shake her head.


    Although she had traveled with Y��ng Hu�� for a long time, she almost never spoke of her life in the mortal realm, so she was as much in the dark about this as Ethan.


    Seeing that Ethan had digested what she had said, she continued:


    "The Amphora of the Seven Sages has always been one of the most contested artifacts among the superpowers of the celestial realm.


    And this is because it was one of the few artifacts that had survived since the primordial era of the universe.


    But no one had ever found even a trace of it, until Y��ng Hu�� appeared with it.


    Thanks to the amphora, our small group grew in strength very quickly, bringing us to the top of the celestial realm in just a few years.


    I never understood the reason for her quest for power, but my life now belonged to her, so I followed her, just like the others in our group.


    Everything was going well until the news that she had the Amphora of the Seven Sages was leaked by one of our companions.


    This disrupted the order of the celestial realm, which was still recovering from the last large-scale war.


    After several years, the various powers managed to corner us, and it was then that Y��ng Hu�� decided to make a desperate move.


    She used the power of the artifact to seal us inside it and bring us to safety.


    I don''t know what happened since then, as my consciousness remained dormant, and I only woke up in the last century," she said.


    Ethan didn''t know how to handle this situation.


    He could feel a tinge of sadness in the voice of this entity, but at the same time, he was also full of information that was poured on him one after the other.


    He took a moment to reorganize his thoughts and calm himself.


    Then he addressed Bai Yu:


    "I understand your situation, and if I could, I would help you get out of here, but I have no idea how to use this artifact, nor do I know if I will be able to use it correctly," said Ethan. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had understood that for her, he was the lifeline since the artifact had chosen him, and being the owner, perhaps he could free her, but the problem was that he didn''t know what to do.


    Bai Yu could hear the sincerity in Ethan''s words and breathed a sigh of relief in her mind.


    ''Maybe there is really some hope for me to be freed,'' she thought and said:


    "To use it, you must first bind it to your soul, but even once that''s done, you won''t be able to fully use its powers," she said.


    "Your strength is too lacking; currently, you are no different from an ordinary person," she said calmly, but for Ethan, it was like an arrow piercing his pride.


    ''Why do you have to rub salt in the wound,'' thought Ethan, trying to eliminate the depressing thoughts that came to mind whenever he thought about his cultivation level.


    Bai Yu, ignoring the forced expression he made, continued: "Currently, the power of the artifact is sealed, and it will gradually unlock as you become stronger.


    This is a protective measure of the artifact because if it were completely unsealed now, you would explode due to the immense power that would be infused into you from the artifact," she said calmly, as if she hadn''t just said something alarming.


    Ethan, hearing her, couldn''t help but thank that the artifact was weak.


    "So there''s no point in thinking about this now, let''s first think about binding it to you."


    "Okay, but how should I do it?" asked Ethan.


    "We are in your sea of consciousness, so you have some control over reality here. You need to create a spiritual bridge between yourself and the artifact.


    Try to think about connecting to it, and the artifact will do the rest."


    Ethan closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.


    He imagined a thread of energy coming out of his body and heading towards the luminous cauldron.


    After a few moments, a soft light began to form around him, connecting to the suspended cauldron.


    He felt a connection forming, a bond that seemed to go beyond mere physical perception.


    Suddenly, a sensation of warmth began to spread through his body.


    It was a strange energy, almost supernatural, that seemed to pulse in sync with his heartbeat.


    Ethan felt a wave of power flow through him, and for a moment, his entire being seemed to vibrate in unison with the artifact.


    As the light became more intense, Ethan felt his mind waver.


    The artifact, high in the sky, began to release a vibrant light.


    Bai Yu, who was witnessing this scene, couldn''t help but furrow her brows.


    ''Something is wrong,'' she thought and tried to remember if Y��ng Hu�� had ever told her anything about this phenomenon.


    Normally, a thread of consciousness was created to connect to the artifact, and it would react to this attempt at connection or not, but in this case, clearly, the artifact not only accepted it but was trying to send something to Ethan.


    Ethan, who was in a sort of trance at that moment, began to have convulsions.


    The energy was too powerful, too overwhelming to be contained in his still weak body.


    This lasted for a few seconds, and then, as if someone had finally cut the power, everything went dark, and Ethan lost consciousness.


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I''ve been waiting a week to write this chapter, and I finally did it.


    I admit that the conversation between the two could have been handled a bit better, but honestly, I didn''t know how to improve it, so I did what I could.


    In a few days, if I don''t have other commitments, I''ll start uploading two chapters a day.


    So I''m keeping my fingers crossed, and I hope no one ruins my plans for next week so I can have more time to write.


    As usual, if you have any questions or doubts, write them down here, and if you find errors or inconsistencies in the chapter, let me know and I''ll fix them as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 26: System

    .


    Ethan woke up in his room, his head pounding insistently.


    The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting dancing shadows on the walls.


    With an effort, he sat up and tried to focus his thoughts.


    After a few seconds, he finally recovered and looked around to understand what had happened.


    ''What happened to me?'' Ethan wondered, massaging his aching temples.


    Slowly, the memories began to resurface.


    He remembered attempting to bind himself to the artifact in his sea of consciousness and being overwhelmed by a powerful energy that caused him to faint.


    Gradually, his headache eased, leaving his mind clear to think.


    "You could have told me it would be this painful," he said, feeling a bit resentful towards Bai Yu.


    ''I suppose the saying "no pain, no gain" applies quite literally here.''


    Apart from the headache that had somewhat subsided, Ethan felt no other pain.


    He thought it might be better to return to his spiritual sea. He prepared to close his eyes and concentrate, but at that moment, a metallic sound echoed in his ears, making him jump.


    The noise didn''t seem to come from any specific direction; it was almost as if it was in his head.


    Ethan opened his eyes to see if it had been produced by something or if it was just his imagination, and that''s when he saw it.


    When Ethan looked up, he was faced with an incredible sight: a thin blue rectangular screen floating in the air in front of him.


    The blue rectangle emitted a soft light, and in the center was written: "The system has been successfully installed."


    "W-wait, what?" Ethan stammered at the surreal sight before him.


    ''This can''t be what I think it is, right?'' he thought, pinching himself to see if he was imagining it.


    "That''s a system message," he said incredulously.


    Ever since he ended up in this world, he had tried to see if he had obtained some sort of special power that would help him in this world, but he hadn''t found anything.


    He had no powerful background to support him, no special abilities or talents, and none of the ultimate tools of all MCs in the isekai novels he had read, namely the system.


    He had come to accept that those things were just the product of the perverse imagination of writers and had resigned himself to finding a way to get home with his own strength.


    Obviously, he had failed.


    So, of all things, he didn''t expect to see this familiar blue screen.


    ''Has life finally started to smile on me?'' he wondered, but suddenly a thought calmed him and brought him back to reality.


    "Wait, this appeared after I tried to connect to the cauldron. Could it be that this is part of its powers?" he wondered in vain.


    He knew he couldn''t find any answers on his own, so he decided to ask the person who knew more about this artifact than he did.


    Ethan was also curious to try something.


    If what Bai Yu had said about the sea of consciousness and his control over it was true, then he could converse with her mentally, without transferring into his mind each time.


    So he tried to see if it worked.


    "Senior Bai, can you hear me?" he asked mentally.


    After a moment of silence, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind, calm and serene as always.


    "Yes, I can hear you. I see you''ve finally recovered. How do you feel now? You''ve been unconscious for the entire night," she said with a slight hint of concern.


    She was worried about what had happened because it didn''t seem normal. Although she didn''t know much about this artifact, she knew, thanks to her vast knowledge, how the process of connecting with an artifact usually went, and in none of them had this kind of event ever occurred.


    At first, she thought that perhaps it was different for primordial artifacts like the Amphora of the Seven Sages, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong.


    She decided to ask Ethan directly what had happened.


    "What happened while you were connecting to the artifact?" Bai Yu asked.


    Ethan described the overwhelming sensation and the message he had seen on the blue screen.


    "I''m not entirely sure. I felt a strange energy spreading through my body, and I could perceive a subtle bond with the artifact, but then, this energy intensified, and I couldn''t bear it. You know what happened next," he said, hesitating whether to mention the system or not.


    "Indeed, that event was a bit unexpected. It''s normal for the artifact to send some of its energy to create a stronger bond with it, but the energy being so overwhelming that it overpowered you was a bit unexpected.


    Perhaps it''s because you''re still a mortal and haven''t even reached the first level of body refining, that even with the artifact sealed, you were still overwhelmed?" This was the only explanation she could think of for this phenomenon.


    Ethan decided to explore the system. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He thought of the most obvious command: "status". Immediately, the blue screen changed, displaying a series of information:


    ------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Mortal.


    QI: 99/100


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames (sealed)


    Strength: 5


    Agility: 4


    Intelligence: 6


    Soul Strength: 100


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 0


    -------------------------------


    "It''s really how I imagined it to be," Ethan murmured.


    The screen was similar to those in the novels he had read, but with a difference: instead of a level, there was cultivation, and instead of EXP, there was QI.


    And seeing his QI value, Ethan confirmed his doubts.


    His QI was stuck at 99, just one point short of breaking through.


    He had felt this sensation for a long time, that he was on the verge of breaking through but couldn''t due to something.


    He thought it was a bottleneck, but discovered that normally no one has a bottleneck before entering the first grade of cultivation.


    He wasn''t sure what the cause of this was, but seeing the next statistic, he got an idea.


    "Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames, sealed"


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    After 26 chapters, I''ve finally managed to introduce the system.


    I know, it arrived a bit late, but I didn''t want to start right away with him waking up with the system in front of him, explaining in two words who he is, what happened to him, and why he''s here, and so on...


    It seemed too rushed that way, so I decided to draw a line that explained how he came to obtain it, although I admit, I drew a longer line than I initially thought.


    Anyway, here''s the chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, and if you have comments, criticisms, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 27: Special physique

    .


    "Sealed?"


    Ethan had no idea what kind of constitution this was.


    From the name, it seemed to be something exceptional, but seeing that it was sealed, he couldn''t help but furrow his brow.


    "Maybe I should ask Bai Yu?" he thought, nodding to himself.


    Being from a higher plane, she would surely know more about it than he did.


    Ethan was almost entirely sure that the reason he couldn''t enter the first stage of cultivation was because of this physique.


    "Senior Bai, do you know anything about a physique called Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames, sealed?"


    "Hmm?"


    Bai Yu immediately reacted to the mention of this name and hastily asked,


    "Where did you hear about this physique?" she asked with a slight agitation in her voice.


    Hearing the subtle agitation in her voice, Ethan couldn''t help but think that she indeed knew about this physique.


    Thinking this, he replied, "When I connected to the Anfora of the Seven Sages, some information about myself was transferred into my head.


    And it seems I have this physique, but it appears to be sealed."


    He thought this explanation was sufficient to explain how he knew about certain things.


    From her previous reactions, she didn''t seem to know about the system''s existence or how this artifact worked in detail.


    If the system was really like the cheat code that usually helped MCs in the novels he had read in his previous world, then it was his ace in the hole to protect himself from future dangers.


    Although he had lowered his guard towards Bai Yu, he was still a bit cautious in interacting with her.


    "Sealed?" Bai Yu was alarmed to hear the name of this physique, but hearing that not only did he have it, but it was also sealed, she couldn''t help but wonder if Ethan was lucky or unlucky.


    Composing herself, she explained to Ethan, "You see, the Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames, sealed, is a special physique considered one of the rarest in both planes.


    Only one person in a billion would have the chance to be born with such a physique," she said, holding back her astonishment.


    "Due to its rarity and the benefits it provides, this physique is classified as a mythical grade physique, a grade that only a few physiques in history have reached."


    "Mythical grade?" Ethan thought, a bit confused.


    He was sure he had never heard of this grade.


    He knew about the existence of special physiques, not only because of his past knowledge but also because even in this sect, people with special physiques were highly regarded.


    For example, Li Qiang, the disciple who had scored well in the strength test, had a special constitution called the "Earth Turtle Physique."


    It was a rare physique named for its properties, which allowed the person''s body to be as hard as a turtle''s shell.


    Ethan knew this because, being from a prestigious family famous for its combat techniques, they had spread the news of a new talent''s birth in their family.


    This news had caused a stir, and Ethan had heard about it from other disciples'' conversations during the test.


    From what he had learned, there were various types of special physiques a person could be born with.


    The percentage of people born with special physiques was low, and it became even lower depending on the physique''s level.


    The highest level of a physique ever recorded in history was the epic level, a physique level that appeared many centuries ago.


    Therefore, hearing that his was a mythical grade physique, he didn''t know how to react.


    At that moment, Bai Yu continued, "In the past, there was a person who reached the pinnacle of cultivation. He was remembered as the God of Alchemy.


    According to some accounts about him, it was believed that he possessed the Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames."


    She stopped for a moment, as if thinking about something.


    "When I awakened in your sea of consciousness, I couldn''t perceive any special constitution in you.


    I thought the reason you were still a mortal who hadn''t entered the first stage of cultivation was because you had no talent, but if what you just said is true, then there is some chance for you to start your cultivation path."


    Hearing these words, Ethan felt elated.


    He was running out of options, and there were only three months left for the annual exam of the external disciples.


    He wasn''t sure if he would ever find a way to break through and enter the first stage of cultivation, but hearing these words, the small flame of hope in him rekindled, brightening his mood. S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What do I need to do, Senior Bai?" Ethan asked eagerly.


    Bai Yu, hearing how excited Ethan was, couldn''t help but shake her head and said, "You see, when we talk about a special physique, it refers to a state in which the person''s physique is dormant.


    It is normal for a high-level physique to be dormant, especially in your case, where the physique''s level is very high."


    "Over time, various methods have been developed to awaken a dormant physique, and depending on the physique, these methods vary."


    "The most common method would be to take an Awakening Pill," she said.


    "Awakening Pill?" Ethan had never heard of this pill, but thinking that this was due to his lack of knowledge, he decided to ask.


    "Is it possible to find such a pill in the mortal plane?" he asked, doubtful.


    As far as he knew, the pills that could be found in the celestial plane didn''t necessarily exist in the mortal plane.


    After all, from what little he could deduce from Bai Yu''s information, there was a significant difference in power and knowledge between the two planes.


    Hearing Ethan''s question, Bai Yu couldn''t help but say uncertainly, "I''m not sure if it exists in the mortal plane, but this pill is quite common in the celestial plane, so it should be possible to find it here as well."


    "Even its grade is not very high, so it should be easy to obtain it here," she said after thinking.


    "If you can''t find an Awakening Pill, then you''ll have to opt for a different method."


    "What method?" Ethan asked.


    He wasn''t sure if such a pill existed in the mortal plane, but knowing that there were other ways to awaken his physique, Ethan calmed down a bit.


    "Personally, it would be better to avoid this method because it''s quite problematic," she said, unsure whether to tell him or not.


    "In what sense?" Ethan asked, feeling that he wouldn''t like the method.


    "Well, the Awakening Pill is the most common method, but there are specific methods for each constitution, and they vary depending on the type of constitution and its level."


    "In your case, you would need to find a rare flame and absorb it."


    "Rare Flames ?"


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter.


    It was a chapter with a lot of information, and I can understand that it might seem heavy, but don''t worry, the following ones will be lighter and more fluid.


    As usual, if you have comments or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 28: Spiritual Wood

    .


    "Rare flame? What is that?"


    "Just like artifacts, there is also a special category of entities that can be created or found in nature.


    Rare flames are one of them.


    They are energetic entities that are difficult to find even in the celestial plane.


    These are very important for those with elemental fire-type physiques, but they are also useful for other types of physiques.


    These flames are highly sought after, especially by alchemists, who can improve their talent through them.


    There are indeed methods to create slightly inferior versions of these flames, but they are well-guarded secrets by each organization," she said.


    Hearing this, Ethan felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him.


    With a trembling voice, he said, "What are the chances that such flames exist in nature in the mortal plane?"


    "The formation of these energetic entities requires a special environment with a high level of fire-type spiritual energy.


    Considering that here in the mortal plane, the level of Qi concentration in the air is much lower than in the celestial plane, I would say the chances of finding a rare flame here are very low."


    At this point, Ethan could only find some time to visit the Medicine Pavilion and inquire about the awakening pill there.


    Just as he was preparing to explore the system further, the light sound of knocking on the door interrupted him.


    From the door came a voice quite familiar to him.


    "Hey Ethan, are you awake already?"


    Ethan, hearing this, responded.


    "Yes, I''m already awake. Do you need something?" he asked, wondering why Da Shu had come to call him.


    Usually, he went out in the afternoon, as he was either cultivating or lost in sleep, and usually didn''t wake up before the afternoon.


    "Today, I have to go to the Spirit Forest to gather spiritual wood. You told me you would help me complete the mission. Did you forget?" he asked.


    ''Spirit Forest? Oh right, I had forgotten,'' thought Ethan and then said,


    "No, I didn''t forget. Wait for me outside, I''ll get ready quickly and come out," he said and hurried to prepare.


    Spiritual wood was a special type of wood found only in certain special places.


    The Phoenix Sect, which was built on the mountain peaks, south of the Phoenix Kingdom, was located near some spiritual veins.


    These allowed the sect to live in an environment rich in pure Qi, which was good for the cultivation of its disciples, as well as influencing the surrounding environment.


    The Spirit Forest was one of these environments.


    It was located at the foot of the mountain where the sect resided and was characterized by a vast flora and fauna.


    The spiritual wood was harvested directly from the spiritual trees that grew in this forest.


    It was very difficult to cut, but being infused with spiritual energy, it had various uses.


    From the construction of sturdy buildings to the creation of talismans or even pills, it was widely used.


    Da Shu had accepted a mission from the mission hall that required procuring a certain amount of wood for the sect.


    Although his stature was enormous, it was still difficult for one person to transport this wood, so he decided to ask Ethan for help and would share the profit with him.


    After a short time, Ethan came out of his room, wearing his disciple''s robe and his travel bag, and left the lodge.


    Outside, Da Shu was waiting, towering with his height as usual, also wearing his robe.


    Ethan greeted him, but then noticed something was missing and asked,


    "Aren''t we taking a cart or something to transport the wood?" He thought about how they would carry all that wood.


    Spiritual trees were very sturdy, and the wood obtained from them was equally resistant and heavy.


    Ethan, with his normal physical body, didn''t think he could carry the wood, especially since they had to climb the entire staircase from the bottom to the top.


    Even now, every time Ethan had to go to the city, he spent hours descending and climbing, and since his cultivation hadn''t advanced, he still struggled a lot, so he had no intention of carrying unnecessary baggage.


    Da Shu said nothing and smiled while raising his right hand.


    Ethan didn''t immediately understand what he meant by this action, but then he noticed something.


    On the index finger of his hand, a gold ring gleamed.


    Ethan immediately understood what it was: it was a dimensional ring!


    Yes, a dimensional ring.


    It was an object with a dimensional space in it, which allowed storing things inside.


    Ethan knew about this object but discovered only later that it existed in this world too.


    He wanted one, but seeing the prices for a dimensional ring, he changed his mind.


    Even for a low-grade dimensional ring, the price was around a medium-grade spiritual stone.


    A spiritual stone was the currency used by cultivators.


    It was a stone mined directly from some spiritual mines, and its value was enormous for cultivators.


    They contained spiritual energy, and depending on the concentration of it, they could go from low grade to high grade.


    To give a comparison, a low-grade spiritual stone could be worth a hundred gold coins.


    The value of medium-grade and high-grade stones was in a ratio of 1:100. So one medium-grade spiritual stone was worth a hundred low-grade ones, and a high-grade one could be worth a thousand low-grade stones or a hundred medium-grade stones.


    Ethan, who had yet to even see a gold coin, was far from obtaining a dimensional ring.


    "Tch, if you have a dimensional ring, why do you need my help?" he asked, a bit jealous of his friend''s ring.


    Da Shu was also from a fairly well-off family.


    His family was a family of merchants, not as rich as the prestigious families of Sun City, but still quite wealthy, so he wasn''t surprised that his friend had managed to obtain a dimensional ring. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is just a low-grade dimensional ring, so it can only hold a limited amount of wood, but it''s enough for the mission.


    I need your help to cut down the spiritual trees because if I do it alone, I might have to stay there for an entire day," he said as if it was nothing.


    Ethan wanted to punch his face but doubted he would reach it, given his height, and besides, he was already at the second level of body refining, so the punch would hurt Ethan himself and not harm Da Shu.


    "Haa, let''s get moving, but at the end of this mission, you owe me dinner," he said, starting to move, with Da Shu following to head towards the sect''s entrance.


    "Sure, no problem, I''ll make you eat until you burst," he said, laughing as they walked.


    "Huh, this daddy has an infinite stomach, you''ll see how I''ll make you spend," he said, and so the two friends set off for the forest.


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR: And here''s today''s chapter.


    I hope you liked it, and as usual, don''t hesitate to comment on anything below.


    If you have any power stones left, give them to me, so I can build my power gauntlet.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 29: Daily Mission

    .


    After almost two hours, Ethan and Da Shu finally arrived at the Spirit Forest.


    At that moment, Da Shu was taking out the equipment needed to cut down the trees, while Ethan stretched a bit.


    "Thanks for the ride," Ethan said with a relaxed expression as he looked around to see which trees would be suitable for their mission.


    "No problem. But sooner or later, you''ll need to break through, especially since the annual evaluation is just around the corner," Da Shu replied, pulling out two axes from his dimensional ring.


    After about an hour, Ethan and Da Shu had only covered a quarter of the long staircase.


    At this pace, it would take them too long, so Ethan came up with an idea and decided to use Da Shu''s strength to his advantage by getting a ride from him.


    Da Shu wasn''t thrilled about carrying Ethan on his back, but understanding that otherwise, it would take at least another three hours to descend, he swallowed his dissatisfaction and carried Ethan.


    With his cultivation base at the second level of body refining, Da Shu descended the long staircase in less than an hour.


    Finally, they reached the mission site of the sect.


    Da Shu finished taking out the equipment and handed one of the two axes to Ethan, keeping the other for himself.


    Ethan took his axe and glanced at the one Da Shu was holding.


    ''Heavens, how heavy is that thing?'' he thought as he looked at the axe that was at least five times the size of the one he had.


    And so, they each chose a tree and began chopping with their axes.


    Ethan lifted his normal-sized axe, tightened his grip on the handle, and with a strong blow, struck the trunk of the spiritual tree.


    CLANG!


    A loud metallic sound rang out, and a strong vibration spread through the axe and into Ethan''s hands.


    Ethan gritted his teeth as the vibration traveled up his arms, almost making him lose his grip on the axe.


    He looked at the small notch his blow had made in the trunk of the spiritual tree and sighed.


    "These trees are as tough as iron," he murmured, observing Da Shu, who, with a single blow of his enormous axe, had already made a deep gash in the trunk of his chosen tree.


    He didn''t know what to make of this situation.


    He had come to help his friend to speed up the work, but at this rate, it would be a miracle if he managed to cut down even one tree by the end of the day.


    ''Haa, if only I could break through, I would tear down these trees like twigs,'' Ethan thought, sighing as he shook his head to dispel his pessimistic thoughts.


    Unbeknownst to him, when he struck the tree and managed to make a small cut, spiritual energy leaked from it, which was immediately absorbed by Ethan''s body and directed to his spiritual sea.


    There, the Seven Sages'' Amphora, which usually hovered high in the sky, absorbed this small trace of spiritual energy and emitted a small luminous pulse.


    At that moment, just as Ethan was about to start striking the tree trunk again, a faint sound in his head stopped him.


    DING!


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t move and focused his gaze forward.


    There, half a meter from his face, a thin blue rectangle appeared, floating in the air.


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Daily Mission]


    - Successfully cut down 10 spiritual trees by the end of the day.


    Mission Status (0/10)


    REWARDS:


    - Assignment of a random Rare Flame.


    Time Remaining: 12 : 43 : 04


    --------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    Ethan almost dropped the axe from his hand as he read what was written on the system screen.


    ''A rare flame?''


    He rubbed his eyes just to be sure as he read once again what was displayed on the floating screen.


    When he heard from Bai Yu that obtaining a rare flame was difficult even in the celestial realm, he realized he had almost no chance of finding one, so he had already set aside the idea of breaking through using a rare flame and wanted to focus on finding the awakening pill.


    But now, seeing that he had just received an opportunity to obtain one, he could hardly believe it.


    Suddenly, he started laughing loudly, shouting things like "Finally, the heavens smile upon me" or "My days of misery are over."


    Da Shu, who had just finished cutting down his first tree, turned to look at Ethan, and seeing him laugh like a madman and say nonsense, thought, ''He finally lost it?''


    Ethan didn''t care about anything else and picked up the axe that had slipped from his hand earlier. Tightening his grip on its handle, he began hammering against the tree''s bark.


    He ignored the pain caused by the continuous shocks he received as he struck and continued to hit without stopping.


    He hadn''t even taken a moment to reflect on the fact that he had just over twelve hours to cut down ten trees.


    He didn''t care; all that mattered was that he finally had a chance to turn his situation around.


    He had spent almost a whole year searching for a way to break through without success.


    And although it wasn''t visible, he was at the brink of despair.


    He knew that, independent of whether he stayed in the sect or not, if he couldn''t cultivate, the only option left would be to keep his head down and hope not to perish due to someone''s whim.


    He was aware that his life would be anything but simple, both as a cultivator and as an ordinary individual.


    However, in the first case, he would at least have the means to change his fate in the future and aspire to a better life.


    At that moment, Ethan was benefiting from the protection provided by the sect, but he knew that once outside, he wouldn''t necessarily find a safe environment to continue cultivating in peace.


    When he saw the opportunity represented by the mission, his determination grew even stronger.


    With a determined look, he began striking the tree with all his strength, determined to use every ounce of energy to cut down those trees in time.


    He wouldn''t let his weakness dictate his destiny.


    With each blow, he felt the fatigue growing, but also his resolve.


    He continued to strike the tree as if it were his sworn enemy. After almost half an hour of continuous blows, a sound finally came from the tree.


    CRACK.


    Ethan, hearing it, stepped back to a safe distance and watched as the tree slowly began to fall.


    THUD.


    With a loud sound, the tree finally fell to the ground.


    Ethan, panting nearby, wiped the sweat from his forehead and moved on to the next tree.


    "One down, nine more to go." S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ----------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter.


    I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, if you have any comments or notices of errors, write them down below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 30: First Mission Completed

    .


    After a long day, the sun in the sky began to set, painting the sky in a mix of red, orange, and yellow.


    At the foot of the Phoenix Sect mountain, continuous metallic sounds could be heard coming from the Spirit Forest.


    At that moment, towards the outer area of the forest, two figures could be seen chopping down trees.


    They moved in sync, almost as if they had practiced together for a long time.


    On one side was the figure of a tall boy wielding a giant axe and striking hard at the trunk of the tree in front of him. A few meters away, another figure, slightly smaller than the first, was also cutting down a tree.


    The two figures continued like this for several minutes without stopping until the tree of the tall boy finally fell.


    Shortly after, the tree the smaller boy was chopping couldn''t withstand the blows any longer and fell as well.


    With a thud, both sat down on the ground, panting.


    The tall boy, with a gesture of his hand, took out two small water flasks and, taking one for himself, threw the other to the boy next to him.


    The latter caught it mid-air and, unscrewing the cap, poured it over his face.


    For a minute, silence returned to the forest as the two recovered from their exertions over the past few hours.


    After a while, the tall boy said, as he finished drinking the entire content of his flask, "Buddy, where the hell did you get all that strength?" he asked while putting the flask back into his dimensional ring.


    "Damn, you almost caught up with the number of trees I''ve cut down," he said, looking towards two piles of felled spiritual trees.


    One of the piles was much larger than the other.


    That was Da Shu''s pile of trees.


    After almost nine hours, the two had finally stopped.


    At first, they had come to cut down only about ten trees, but as they progressed, Da Shu noticed that his friend was starting to catch up, and although he was still a bit slower than him, if he took it easy, Ethan would overtake him.


    Da Shu, by nature, was a very competitive person, so whenever he had the chance, he would challenge someone.


    It didn''t matter if it was a fight or a race of another kind; he would always compete with someone.


    This habit of his earned him the nickname of the crazy demon of the Phoenix Sect.


    So, seeing that Ethan was catching up, he decided to give it his all and started cutting down the trees faster.


    And so, what was supposed to be just about ten trees turned into about fifty, with 40 cut down by Da Shu and 10 by Ethan.


    Hearing him, Ethan didn''t bother to respond and lay down on the grassy ground of the forest, looking up where, in front of him, was a floating blue screen with the words:


    DING!


    [--------------------------------


    [Daily Mission]


    - Successfully cut down 10 spiritual trees by the end of the day.


    Mission Status (10/10) [COMPLETED!]


    REWARDS:


    - Assignment of a random Rare Flame. [Press here to claim the reward]


    Time Remaining: 3 : 17 : 02


    --------------------------------]


    [...]


    [Congratulations, You have completed your first daily mission!]


    [You have received 50 Qi]


    Hm?


    Ethan was just thinking about whether to claim his reward immediately or wait until he returned to the sect when he saw that, on the status screen, in addition to the notification of the daily mission completion, another notification had arrived, giving him 50 Qi.


    ''Wait, doesn''t this mean that I''ve surpassed the threshold to become a first-stage cultivator?'' he thought, a bit confused.


    He didn''t feel any change in himself; it was just like before.


    Moreover, his special physique was still sealed, so he couldn''t cultivate more Qi to break through, leaving him wondering where the Qi he had just obtained had gone.


    He decided to open his status screen to see if there had been any changes to it.


    "Status"


    As if by magic, another screen appeared in front of him, overlapping the previous one.


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Mortal.


    QI: 99/100 [+50]


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames (sealed)


    Strength: 5


    Agility: 4


    Intelligence: 6


    Soul Strength: 100 S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 0


    -------------------------------]


    Seeing that his Qi value had remained unchanged, Ethan was not surprised; he had expected it.


    Noticing the +50 next to it, he understood that this was the additional Qi value he couldn''t absorb yet.


    "Hmm, maybe I''ll be able to absorb it once I break through," he murmured softly as he pondered.


    Da Shu, who was just getting up to put the two piles into his spatial ring, heard him and asked:


    "Hm? Did you say something?"


    "No, nothing. Come on, let''s move. Otherwise, the guards will make us sleep outside tonight," Ethan said as he also got up and prepared to leave.


    Unlike Da Shu, he hadn''t brought much with him, just a small backpack with some provisions for the day.


    He knew they would be here for several hours, so he packed something before leaving.


    They had managed to eat a few hours ago when Ethan almost fainted because he had been chopping non-stop for hours on end.


    Unlike Da Shu, Ethan''s physique was no different from that of a normal mortal who had trained a bit, so he couldn''t withstand that much exertion all at once.


    So, although reluctantly, he took a short break to eat something and recover a bit.


    He understood that he couldn''t push his body too far beyond its limits, or he would only do more damage to himself.


    After packing everything, both of them set off towards the long staircase leading to the sect''s entrance.


    Once they arrived, Ethan turned his head towards his friend and looked at him in silence with a smile.


    Da Shu, feeling his gaze, changed his expression as he said with a sigh:


    "haa, Not again."


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I FINALLY WROTE 30 CHAPTERS!!! ???? ???? ????


    " One big step for me, one small step for humanity "


    o.o , Cought...


    Here''s today''s chapter.


    I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or concerns, write them down below, and I will respond as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 31: Bai Yus Shock

    .


    Ethan and Da Shu ascended the long staircase of the Phoenix Sect''s mountain as night began to fall, painting the sky in shades of purple and black.


    Upon finally reaching the sect, they passed through the mission hall, where the usual attendant, who had been napping all day, was preparing to close up and head home to sleep.


    Unfortunately for him, he was interrupted by these two.


    Though reluctant, since there were still a few minutes left before the mission hall closed, he couldn''t chase them away. He completed his job and recorded the completion of their mission.


    Having completed the mission with a number five times higher than required, their reward was correspondingly high.


    After heading to their lodging and parting ways, Ethan hurried into his room. They usually had dinner together and shared stories about their day, but Ethan couldn''t wait to claim his reward, so he skipped the meal.


    After closing his room door, Ethan opened the daily mission screen.


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Daily Mission] Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    - Successfully cut down 10 spiritual trees by the end of the day.


    Mission Status (10/10) [COMPLETED!]


    REWARDS:


    - Assignment of a random Rare Flame. [Press here to claim the reward]


    --------------------------------]


    .


    He took a moment to relax.


    Although he was excited, he didn''t know exactly what would happen once he tried to claim his reward, so he wanted to be prepared for anything.


    After a few breaths, he calmed down enough and, without hesitation, pressed the button on the screen in front of him.


    DING!


    [Assigning a rare flame...]


    After several seconds that felt like an eternity to Ethan, another notification appeared.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have obtained the Blue Lotus Flame]


    "Blue Lotus Flame?"


    Ethan had no idea what type of flame this was.


    For him, just having finally obtained a rare flame was enough; after all, now he could awaken his special physique.


    He waited for something to happen, but nothing did.


    He wondered where his rare flame had gone.


    Pressing on the notification to see if it would give him more information about the flame, it indeed worked.


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Blue Lotus Flame]


    Grade: Low


    Description: The Blue Lotus Flame is born from the harmonious interaction between the spiritual energies of fire and ice. Although there are only a few places where this flame can form, its strength is still classified at the bottom of the rare flames list.


    Note: Absorbing other flame-type energetic entities can elevate its grade.


    --------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the description, Ethan wasn''t disappointed by its grade.


    "Now I need to ask Bai Yu how to awaken my special physique using this flame," he said to himself, thinking of consulting the expert inside him.


    Just then, a shocked Bai Yu spoke in his mind.


    "i-is that a rare flame ?!"


    From her voice, Ethan could sense a hint of shock.


    Not understanding why she was suddenly surprised, he thought of entering his sea of consciousness to take a look.


    "Could it be that the flame appeared there?" he wondered as he sat down and focused on his sea of consciousness.


    ***


    In Ethan''s sea of consciousness, everything seemed calm and harmonious as usual.


    At that moment, Bai Yu, who was resting beneath the water mirror, woke up when she sensed strange energy fluctuations.


    Opening her eyes, she looked towards the direction from which the energy fluctuations were coming and saw that high in the sky, the Amphora of the Seven Sages was beginning to glow, emitting slight waves of light.


    "Hmm? What''s happening to the artifact?" she wondered as she watched the artifact start to vibrate like a pot under pressure.


    After a few seconds, the lid of the amphora opened, and countless thin blue threads of energy shot out from its interior.


    Gradually, these blue energy threads began to gather beside the amphora, condensing together like a tangled mass.


    The mass started to glow, and after a few seconds, it transformed into a blue flame, floating around the amphora.


    Bai Yu, who had witnessed all this, couldn''t help but widen her eyes at the sight of this newly formed object. She recognized it immediately and, with a voice that sounded incredulous, said,


    "A rare flame?!"


    Although she could tell it was a low-grade flame, the mere fact that a rare flame, usually so difficult to obtain, had appeared out of nowhere here, stunned her.


    At that moment, Ethan, who had just entered his sea of consciousness, materialized at the scene and looked up at the artifact in the sky.


    Since the flame was the size of a palm, it was impossible to see it from below, but the intensity of the heat it emitted was great enough to be felt from the ground.


    "So this is where it appeared, huh?" Ethan murmured.


    Bai Yu, snapping out of her shock upon Ethan''s arrival, asked,


    "How did you obtain a rare flame?" She wanted to know how this human, who wasn''t even a cultivator yet, had managed to get his hands on such an object.


    Ethan didn''t know how to explain it to her.


    He couldn''t say that the system had asked him to cut down some spiritual trees in exchange for a rare flame.


    She would surely laugh in his face and think he was trying to deceive her.


    Ethan was now certain she had never heard of the system, and for him, it was better that way.


    He had already thought of an excuse while considering how to ask her how to use the flame to awaken his special physique, so he proceeded with that.


    "I''m not sure either. While I was cutting down the spiritual trees, I felt a strange energy flow into me, and then I heard your voice, so I came to check what had happened."


    .


    -----------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    The chapter of the day is here. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, errors to report, or suggestions, write them down here, and I''ll get back to you as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 32: Awakening

    .


    Bai Yu said nothing after hearing Ethan''s words and lost herself in thought, her attention focused on the blue flame floating in the sky.


    No one knew what she was thinking, and after a moment of silence, she spoke again.


    "You know, when I traveled with the previous owner of the artifact, sometimes she would pull things out of nowhere, things she clearly didn''t have before," she said and then continued.


    "She told us that it was the artifact that produced these things in times of need when it was difficult to obtain them.


    Back then, I wasn''t sure if she was telling the truth. After all, she was a person who, despite being talkative, hid many things. But now, seeing the same thing happening with you, I''m starting to think she was telling the truth." Her voice had a hint of melancholy.


    Ethan, hearing this, couldn''t help but wonder if the previous owner also had some kind of system.


    After a while, Bai Yu said, "Anyway, now that one of your biggest problems is solved, it''s time for you to awaken your physique and officially embark on the path of cultivation."


    Ethan smiled and nodded, as if he had been waiting to hear these words for a while.


    "Right now, you have the rare flame, but you haven''t bound it to yourself yet, so it''s as if you don''t have it at all.


    Just like you did with the artifact, try to connect to it using some of your spiritual energy.


    Rare flames, if compatible with a person, can form a bond with them; otherwise, they will reject the bond.


    There have been many cases in the past of cultivators who failed to obtain a spiritual flame even though they were compatible with it due to the flame''s will, but in your case, it should be fine.


    This flame is still of a low grade, so it hasn''t fully formed a consciousness yet," she said.


    Ethan understood what she meant and did as she said.


    Focusing, he created a thread of spiritual energy and sent it toward the flame.


    The blue flame, which was orbiting the urn, stopped and moved toward the spiritual thread that was coming toward it, as if it were a child attracted to a toy.


    It floated slowly toward the thread until it got close enough, then began to wrap around it, as if evaluating it.


    Then it started intertwining with the thread of spiritual energy that Ethan had sent.


    He felt a wave of heat as the flame began to merge with his energy.


    The connection deepened, and he could perceive the essence of the flame entering his body.


    It was an overwhelming sensation, but Ethan gritted his teeth and focused on maintaining the bond.


    Bai Yu observed closely, silently, letting Ethan manage the process. The blue flame gradually integrated into Ethan, and he could feel its power spreading throughout his body, igniting his dormant potential.


    As the blue flame intertwined more deeply with the thread of spiritual energy, Ethan''s body began to react.


    He felt an overwhelming wave of heat spreading through every fiber of his being. S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Every cell seemed to wake up, vibrating with new energy.


    Outside his sea of consciousness, Ethan''s body began to visibly heat up.


    In no time, his entire body was drenched in sweat, making his clothes slightly soaked.


    However, his body temperature didn''t stop rising and continued to increase.


    The sweat that had formed on his skin began to evaporate almost immediately, creating a thin vapor that rose from him.


    The room''s temperature rose rapidly, and an aura of heat surrounded Ethan, like an incandescent halo.


    Then, with a small boom, a wave of energy was released from his body, causing the room''s walls to shake and everything inside to be thrown into disarray.


    Books fell from shelves, and the few pieces of furniture he had shifted slightly.


    Da Shu, who was in the kitchen finishing his meal, was startled by the sudden noise and nearly fell off his chair.


    Inside Ethan''s sea of consciousness, the blue flame was completing the fusion process.


    Every fiber of his body was soaking up the flame''s energy, and he could feel something sealed within him awakening.


    The barriers that had prevented his cultivation until then began to crumble, allowing spiritual energy to flow freely.


    At that moment, an oily black liquid began to ooze from Ethan''s skin''s various pores.


    As the flame fully integrated with him, Ethan felt a powerful wave of strength surging through him.


    His constitution was finally emerging, transforming him from within.


    The "Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames" was awakening, bringing with it a power that Ethan had never experienced before.


    The heat began to stabilize, and Ethan''s aura grew increasingly bright and intense.


    His body glowed with a blue light, a visible sign of the change happening inside him.


    After a few moments, the fusion process was complete. The blue flame now resided within him, its energy circulating through his meridians.


    At that moment, outside his sea of consciousness, Ethan opened his eyes.


    His eyes shone with a faint blue light before returning to normal.


    Ethan exhaled lightly, his mind becoming clear.


    He had a calm and relaxed expression, as if he had just had a good rest and awakened full of energy.


    "I''ve finally become a cultivator."


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Haa, finally, after 32 chapters, our MC has officially become a cultivator.


    I know, just like the system, this has come a bit late, but personally, I prefer it this way.


    Now that we have almost all the initial elements of the plot ready, I''d say we can proceed with the main course.


    As usual, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If not, tell me what you didn''t like about the novel so far and how I could improve in the comments section.


    Oh, I almost forgot, I''m increasing the daily time I dedicate to writing to prepare some extra chapters for a little mass release.


    Consider it my way of thanking you for all the support and patience you''ve shown towards me and my novel.


    I''m trying to improve as much as I can every day, and I hope that in the not-too-distant future, I can give you chapters that satisfy both you and me.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 33: [Storage]

    .


    Ethan wanted to take a moment to relax.


    He wanted to stay in that position a little longer and savor the sensation of power coursing through every fiber of his being.


    But as he inhaled to take a breath, he nearly choked, his expression contorting immediately, and his eyes almost tearing up.


    "What the heck is this smell?"


    He asked himself, pinching his nose with his hand and looking around for the source of the odor.


    At that moment, he noticed that his entire room was in disarray, and the area around him was stained with a strange black liquid.


    Ethan lowered his head and saw that the nauseating liquid covered his entire body.


    He was momentarily confused and tried to figure out what had happened, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door.


    "Hey, everything okay in there?"


    From behind the door came Da Shu''s voice.


    "I heard a strange bang from inside��


    Ah, what the heck is that smell?" he said, complaining.


    Ethan, still confused, tried to come up with something to say, but was interrupted once more by Da Shu''s voice.


    "Wait, this smell..."


    In the next moment, the locked door was violently opened, and a stunned Da Shu entered, looking at the mess inside.


    As his gaze fell on the black liquid covering Ethan, he immediately understood what had happened, and his eyes lit up with joy.


    "You finally awakened!" he said happily.


    If it weren''t for the black liquid, he would have jumped into the room and hugged his friend tightly.


    Ethan, not knowing he had just narrowly avoided danger, asked,


    "So this is a consequence of my awakening?" he said, pointing to the destroyed room and the black liquid.


    "Yes, although I have to say it''s not usually this destructive. I mean, you''ve practically turned the whole room upside down."


    He said with a hint of surprise on his face.


    Ethan couldn''t help but laugh slightly as he thought about the cause of all this.


    "Well, now that I''ve awakened, I don''t have to worry as much about the end-of-year assessment." He said as he stood up.


    Dusting himself off a bit, he looked around and then gave a bright smile to his friend.


    "So, how about helping me clean up the room?"


    And like magic, at the mention of those words, Da Shu disappeared from his spot, and then Ethan heard the door to his room close.


    "Sorry, I can''t. I just received some enlightenment, I need to go cultivate," his hurried voice echoed, followed by the sound of the lock clicking shut.


    "Tch, what kind of friend runs away in a time of need?" he said, shaking his head, as he prepared to clean the room and take a quick shower to rid himself of the black liquid.


    He couldn''t stand the nauseating smell that enveloped his room any longer.


    ***


    After some time, Ethan had finally finished tidying up his room and had cleaned himself up. He sat comfortably on his bed and started thinking.


    Now that he had finally advanced to the first level of Body Refining, he could feel that his entire being had become stronger.


    To check how much he had improved, he opened the status screen to see how much his stats had increased.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 1)


    QI: 49/200


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 15


    Agility: 11


    Intelligence: 11


    Soul Strength: 114


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 0


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that his attributes had indeed gone up a bit, he was pleased.


    He wasn''t sure how his attributes compared to others, but for now, it was enough to know that he was no longer stuck and could grow stronger quickly.


    Now that he had taken his first step into cultivation, he needed to think about the next ones.


    He had noticed that his Qi bar had increased from 100 to 200, with only a quarter of the bar filled for now.


    He thought that perhaps with each level, the requirements to level up would increase by 100, with the counter resetting each time the previous Qi requirement was met.


    He wasn''t certain about this, but it was the best he could deduce from the values shown on his status screen.


    "If only there was a system consciousness," he thought, recalling that he had tried to speak with the system but received no response.


    If the system had a consciousness that could talk to him, it would have been easier to understand the various functions, but unfortunately, that wasn''t the case.


    "Oh well, I''ll learn over time." He said, then focused his attention on some functions of the system that he hadn''t had a chance to try yet.


    He looked down at the screen and saw the text labeled [Shop].


    He pressed it, ready to see what miraculous items he would find inside.


    As soon as he pressed it, a message appeared before him, saying:


    [Currently, the shop is empty. Please check back later.]


    "..."


    His curiosity was stifled immediately, and he couldn''t help but curse the system a bit.


    "F*ck, let''s see if storage works," he said and clicked below [Shop], where it said [Storage].


    Another screen opened before him, but this time it wasn''t a message, but a series of squares.


    The series of squares were all empty, indicating to Ethan that his storage space seemed to be available.


    "Hell yeah, at least I won''t have to sell a kidney for a dimensional ring," he thought excitedly.


    He looked around for something to put inside, and his gaze settled on his pillow.


    He picked it up and paused for a moment, wondering how exactly to transfer things into the dimensional space.


    "Let''s try pushing it in," he thought, pushing his pillow against the status screen, but it didn''t seem to work, as the pillow passed through the screen as if it weren''t there.


    Seeing that this didn''t seem to work, he thought for a bit more and then came up with another method.


    He held the pillow tightly in his hands and thought of transferring it to his dimensional space.


    He wasn''t sure if it would work, but he knew he could only try, so he did, and this time it seemed to work.


    The pillow that was in his hand disappeared, and in the next moment, the first square on his screen changed, showing an image of his pillow.


    "It worked," Ethan said, starting to experiment more with the dimensional storage function.


    He tried to see if there was a maximum space capacity, which turned out to be 10 cubic meters per square.


    He tried to see if moving items in and out worked without touch and discovered that they had to be touched the first time, but then they could be moved back and forth as long as they were within a meter of him.


    He wondered if this would remain the same over time or if it would increase as he advanced to higher levels.


    -------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter.


    I hope you enjoyed it. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As usual, don''t hesitate to ask questions, and if you find any errors, let me know, and I''ll correct them as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 34: You always return to the places you tried to avoid.

    .


    The cultivation method that the sect provided to every disciple when they officially joined was the Basic Qi Cultivation Method.


    This method essentially taught how to perceive and manipulate Qi, guiding it through one''s body and into the Dantian, where it would be gradually condensed until the Dantian was full.


    It''s like clouds that, once they have condensed enough, turn into droplets of water.


    The same process happens in the Dantian.


    When a Dantian is completely full, one advances to the second stage of cultivation, the Qi Refining stage, where this condensed Qi is further processed, eventually leading to the third stage of cultivation, improving the Dantian and so on.


    Ethan hadn''t fully grasped the entire process behind the various stages of cultivation or the reasons for each stage, but that was normal.


    Theory helps up to a certain point; only when applied does it become fully understood.


    Now that he had entered Body Refining, he had gained a slightly better understanding of the first stage of cultivation.


    Currently, his cultivation manual was the basic one, which helped to enter the first stage and explained how to complete it.


    For the subsequent stages, he would have to wait until he reached the peak of his current stage.


    In other words, not very soon.


    For now, he wasn''t worried about that.


    His concern was something else.


    After freeing himself from the worry of not becoming a cultivator before the annual assessment, he had to deal with his second problem.


    Resources.


    Just like growing a person requires continuous food intake, cultivation also requires resources.


    Sure, unlike eating, resources aren''t strictly necessary for cultivation.


    A person, as long as they are alive, can cultivate by normally absorbing the spiritual energy present in the air, but if they also consume specific materials for cultivation, their cultivation speed would increase.


    Being part of a sect provided this benefit.


    Not only did you have protection and thus a force watching your back, but you also had teaching and resources given to you.


    Of course, this also depended on your cultivation base and latent talent.


    A normal person would have limited resources, while a talented person recognized by the sect would have many more resources.


    For Ethan, the regular Qi Pill given to every sect member still in the first stage of cultivation was no longer enough.


    This was not only because he had awakened and thus needed an extra push for the next levels but also due to his special physique.


    "You need at least three times the resources of a normal cultivator to make fast progress in your cultivation," said Bai Yu''s calm voice as if it was nothing.


    "..."


    F*ck!


    In the last week, Ethan had cultivated for many hours a day, only to see his Qi bar increase very slowly.


    Thinking that his improvement was slow due to his lack of talent, he calmed down a bit, but hearing from Bai Yu that usually, for a normal cultivator, Qi collection was much slower, he couldn''t help but curse.


    Apparently, if he wanted rapid growth while maintaining stable foundations, he needed more resources for cultivation.


    At the end of the month, when he received his monthly Qi Pill, a pill that disciples would consume over several days of meditation, his body consumed it instantly, giving him a mere +5 Qi.


    At this point, Ethan realized that if he didn''t find a way to earn enough money to afford cultivation resources, he would probably reach the second level of Body Refining only after more than half a year of cultivation, which was good but not enough for him.


    If there was one thing he had learned from cultivation novels, it was that unexpected events were always around the corner.


    An enemy could attack out of nowhere, a young master could target him for the stupidest reasons, a catastrophe that had awakened out of nowhere could strike, thinking it was the right time to mess everything up.


    In short, anything could happen, and for someone like Ethan, who was trying to be ready for any eventuality, he couldn''t remain weak and cultivate slowly like others.


    So, after considering various things, he made a decision.


    ***


    In the center of Sun City, in front of the entrance to a large dilapidated building, stood a boy with a slightly furrowed face, hesitating to enter.


    The boy was none other than Ethan, who was about to go to the Medicine Pavilion for the second time.


    It had been more than seven days since the incident with the artifact, and since then, Ethan had not shown up here.


    Not only because there were no missions related to the Medicine Pavilion but also because he feared that if Yan Mei saw him, she wouldn''t let him go easily this time.


    Thinking that after all this time, she might have forgotten about him, he entered. sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He gathered his courage and walked with firm steps toward the reception.


    After considering various options, Ethan had decided to try alchemy.


    It was a profession where, if you were good enough, you could quickly get rich and earn a reputation.


    Although in this world the strong ruled, for alchemists, strength derived more from their skill in creating pills and medicines for both cultivation and other purposes.


    And this choice was not made only for these reasons but also for another thing.


    He turned to see a status screen, which had appeared as usual this morning


    .


    [----------------------------


    [DAILY MISSION]


    - Become an apprentice alchemist.


    REWARDS:


    - Pill refining skill (liv.1)


    Time remaining: 16:07:26


    -----------------------------]


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially a contracted author!


    With this, the first step to becoming a successful author has been completed.


    I don''t know if it will be thanks to this novel or another one in the future, but sooner or later, I will become good enough to climb all the rankings.


    Well, now that I''ve told myself my bedtime story, it''s time to sleep.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 35: Becoming an Apprentice level Alchemist

    .


    In the previous days, Ethan had received various daily missions.


    These ranged from following an intensive training session, which involved cultivating and practicing other physical exercises, to those directly related to sect assignments.


    During this period, Ethan received different types of rewards.


    From gaining a bit of Qi to acquiring knowledge, specifically knowledge related to alchemy.


    Ethan wasn''t sure why the system was giving him such rewards, but then he learned from Bai Yu that the Amphora of the Seven Sages was an artifact that could also be used for alchemy.


    She said that thanks to this artifact, even its previous owner had reached a fairly high level in alchemy.


    The artifact itself, according to Bai Yu, had been created from the efforts of a God of Forging and the combined essence of six alchemy sages, according to the legends surrounding it.


    Only then did Ethan discover that beyond the Grand Alchemist Master, there was also the stage of the Alchemy Sage, and finally, the pinnacle of this profession: a God of Alchemy.


    Although this artifact was a powerful object that anyone would covet, its true power could only be seen in the hands of an alchemist.


    Ethan knew he was still far from being able to unleash the artifact''s true power, but for now, he was content with just the crumbs of power he received from it.


    Finally arriving at the reception, Ethan addressed the woman at the counter.


    "Hello, I would like to participate in the test to become an apprentice alchemist ," he said cordially.


    The woman, who was examining a manual, diverted her gaze from it to Ethan. She looked him with a keen look and, after a moment, with her expression unchanged, retrieved a wooden tag with a number on it.


    She placed it on the counter and said to him, "The exam will start in 45 minutes. Participation requires three low-grade spirit stones or 300 gold coins," she said professionally.


    Ethan nodded and pulled out a bag containing the spirit stones, passing it to the woman.


    Just as the woman was taking the bag, Ethan noticed it wasn''t moving.


    At that moment, Ethan spoke again:


    "Isn''t there some sort of discount for those signing up for the first time?" he said, maintaining a smile on his face, though showing a hint of sadness.


    "No," she replied, and with a slight movement, the bag was pulled from Ethan''s hand.


    Ethan had worked like a madman in recent days to earn those three spirit stones.


    He had lost count of how many sect contributions he had to exchange to obtain those spirit stones, so his heart bled at the sight of his hard-earned stones disappearing.


    The woman handed Ethan the tag and, ignoring him completely, resumed reading her book.


    Seeing this, Ethan nodded to her and headed toward the test area.


    ''Well, I tried. Anyway, it was just three spirit stones,'' thought Ethan.


    ''That''s the right spirit,'' Bai Yu''s voice resonated in his mind.


    ''Just three spirit stones, right, just 300 gold coins, 30,000 silver coins...''


    ''Never mind,'' thought Bai Yu, who had believed for a moment that Ethan was finally getting used to it.


    She wondered how he would handle it when, in the future, he would have to spend entire fortunes just for some cultivation materials. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking about this, she shook her head and went back to sleep.


    Ethan finally arrived at the test venue.


    The test hall was large enough to accommodate 100 people without difficulty.


    There were several rows of black desks arranged in seven columns, each with a set of ink and a small brush.


    Upon entering the hall, he saw that several people were already waiting.


    Some were chatting among themselves, while others were sitting with their eyes closed, waiting.


    He quickly noticed the wide range of ages among the participants.


    There were young people around 15 or 16 years old, and others well over 30.


    There was even an old man sitting in a corner in a meditative position.


    At the opposite side of the entrance, there was a stage with a small table and a cushion next to it, where no one was sitting.


    Ethan assumed that the test examiner would sit there.


    He found an empty spot and began to wait patiently like the others.


    Thanks to the system, Ethan had acquired all the basic knowledge needed to become an alchemist apprentice.


    He believed he had learned enough to start making pills right away but decided to take things slowly.


    Although he had enough knowledge to pass as an apprentice, he wasn''t confident in his pill-making skills yet.


    He hadn''t had the chance to refine any pills but planned to do so after the test.


    If it weren''t for the daily mission urging him to sign up, he would have waited a bit longer, taken his time learning to refine pills, and taken the adept alchemist exam directly.


    He waited in silence, lost in his thoughts.


    Time passed, and more people started filling the room, taking the remaining spots.


    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a man entered the room from a side door.


    He was middle-aged, with a long beard, and wore the robes of an alchemist.


    His presence commanded respect, and the chatter in the room died down instantly.


    The man approached the table at the front of the room and sat on the cushion, placing several scrolls and tools on the table.


    He then looked up, his eyes scanning the room with a penetrating gaze.


    "Welcome, everyone," he began, his voice authoritative. "I am Expert Lei, and I will be overseeing your test today. The path of an alchemist is not an easy one.


    It requires not only knowledge but also precision, patience, and a deep understanding of the elements."


    Ethan listened intently, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.


    This was the first step toward becoming an alchemist, a path that could significantly aid his cultivation journey and, of course, a path that would make him rich.


    .


    --------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter. I hope you like it.


    As usual, if you have comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow!

 Chapter 36: 30 Minutes

    .


    Expert Lei continued, "As you may already know, today''s test will be a theoretical one.


    This test will evaluate your basic knowledge, from understanding the tools to using herbs.


    Each of you will receive a scroll with questions related to basic alchemy."


    He gestured to an assistant, who began distributing scrolls and writing tools to the participants.


    Ethan received his scroll and unrolled it, finding a series of questions about the properties of various herbs, the principles of alchemy, and the processes involved in refining pills.


    Ethan focused on the questions.


    Surprisingly, the test seemed much simpler than he had expected.


    Although he had quickly learned everything thanks to the system downloading the knowledge directly into his brain, he hadn''t imagined it would be this easy.


    ''Bless whoever created the system,'' he thought to himself as he took the brush and dipped it in ink.


    Without wasting any more time, he began to write everything he remembered.


    As soon as he read a question, the relevant information immediately came to mind, and he wrote it down on the sheet.


    He decided to limit his answers to only the most basic information because if he wrote everything he knew, it would take too much time.


    Question 1: Describe the properties of the Fire Dragon Herb and its use in creating energy pills.


    Ethan wasted no time and wrote everything he remembered about the Fire Dragon Herb.


    "The Fire Dragon Herb," he wrote steadily, "is known for its powerful energizing properties.


    It is often used in creating energy pills for its ability to boost physical and mental strength.


    Its red, fiery leaves contain a substance that, when properly refined, can significantly increase the energy levels of those who consume it."


    Question 2: What are the three fundamental principles of alchemy, and how are they applied in daily practice?


    Without hesitation, Ethan replied, "The three fundamental principles of alchemy are Transmutation, Balance, and Purification.


    Transmutation involves transforming substances from one form to another, a crucial process in creating pills.


    Balance is essential to ensure that the pill components are harmonized to avoid unwanted side effects.


    Finally, Purification is the process of removing impurities from substances to achieve a higher concentration of active ingredients."


    Question 3: Explain the process of refining healing pills and the importance of each phase.


    "The process of refining healing pills," he began, "comprises several crucial phases.


    First of all, Ingredient Selection: choosing high-quality herbs and minerals is essential for the pill''s effectiveness.


    Next is Grinding, where the ingredients are reduced to a fine powder.


    The following phase is Mixing, where the powders are blended in precise proportions.


    Finally, there''s Cooking, where the mixture is heated at controlled temperatures to activate the healing properties of the substances."


    Ethan was amazed at how quickly he could answer each question.


    The knowledge flowed effortlessly, as if every detail had been etched into his mind.


    ''Well, thinking about it, that''s exactly what happened,'' Ethan thought as he continued to write without stopping.


    Due to his quick and fluid movements, even the person sitting next to him couldn''t help but glance at him.


    Seeing Ethan scribbling furiously on the answer sheet, they sneered disdainfully before returning to their own sheet.


    ''Hmph, these days, even nobodies like him can afford to take the exam,'' they thought, imagining Ethan had obtained the registration fee through dubious means.


    If it had been someone else in Ethan''s place, possibly someone with status, they might have thought the person was some sort of genius.


    But in Ethan''s case, they assumed he was answering randomly, hoping to pass the test by chance.


    The test was supposed to last two incense sticks.


    [N/A: one incense stick = 30 minutes]


    When Ethan checked the time, he realized that only 30 minutes had passed, nearly one incense stick.


    Not knowing what else to do, he decided it was best to submit his sheet.


    According to the rules, to pass the test, one had to answer at least 70% of the questions correctly, and thinking back on his answers, he felt he had done well enough.


    He knew he could answer all the questions correctly but decided to leave some out and give half answers for others.


    The last thing he wanted was to attract attention by achieving a perfect score.


    He stood up and went to submit his answer sheet.


    As he approached Master Lei''s table, he noticed some of the other students looking at him curiously but quickly averting their gazes after a glance.


    He could tell that some were nervous about the test and occasionally tried to copy from their neighbors, while others looked at him out of simple curiosity.


    Master Lei, seeing him approach, thought Ethan wanted to ask for clarification on some questions.


    Knowing this wasn''t allowed, he frowned, ready to scold him.


    Ethan, who was almost at the table, noticed the old man''s expression and couldn''t help but think,


    ''Hm? Why on earth is he giving me those angry looks?''


    Ethan reached the table, and before the old man could say anything, he placed the sheet down and said,


    "Master Lei, I have finished answering the questions," he said cordially.


    The old man, who was just about to reprimand him, found himself at a loss for words, looking at him with a strange expression.


    He took the sheet and examined it, astonished to see that all the questions had been answered.


    At that point, he thought that Ethan, out of desperation, had answered everything, even the questions he might not have known. S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, the test included an advanced-level question inserted for additional assessment, to see if anyone would solve it and how.


    It wasn''t possible for anyone to have answered that question, especially in such a short time.


    He set the sheet aside, nodding his head, thinking it wasn''t worth wasting time on the boy in front of him.


    The test answers would be evaluated at the end of the exam, and the results would be announced afterward.


    After submitting his sheet and seeing that the old man had given him permission, Ethan left the test hall and went to sit outside, waiting for the test to finish.


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Ladies and gentlemen, rejoice, I have a release date for the mass release I promised you.


    On 20/07/2024, I will be releasing more chapters than usual.


    Although I have previously mentioned that it would be a small mass release, this may vary depending on how the novel performs up until that date.


    As usual, If you have any advice, comments, or errors to report, please do so below.


    See you tomorrow!

 Chapter 37: Results

    .


    Once again, Ethan found himself waiting.


    There were still 10 minutes left before the end of the test, and 40 minutes until the results were released.


    He wasn''t entirely sure if the results would come out in half an hour, but he had heard from some gossip that they usually did within that time frame.


    It was boring to wait, but there was nothing else he could do.


    He had to stay here to collect his one-star apprentice badge.


    As he waited, he began to think about his next steps.


    After learning the basic knowledge of alchemy, Ethan tried to create a low-grade pill with the few low-cost materials he had, but he failed.


    He had also bought a bronze refining cauldron at a low price, but he quickly found out that he wasn''t capable of creating one.


    Even though he knew the basic method for preparing materials and the subsequent pill refining process, he lacked the actual skill to do it.


    He tried once, then twice, and then three times.


    By the time he couldn''t refine anymore due to lack of materials, he gave up.


    He quickly realized that his path to becoming a renowned and wealthy alchemist was much longer than he had expected.


    He was starting to reconsider his choice, but seeing the next daily mission he got distracted by those thoughts.


    He had already bought some refining materials and was just waiting for the results.


    He couldn''t wait to put into practice the basic refining skill he would soon gain from the system.


    Time passed, and one by one people began to leave the test room.


    Finally, after 10 minutes, all participants were out and now eagerly awaited the results.


    "How did you find the questions?" asked a boy cheerfully, seeming pleased with his answers. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Poorly. I answered half the questions randomly," replied his friend, who had a look of panic and resignation.


    A third joined them: "The test questions this time were tougher than usual. I spoke to a friend who took it some time ago, and he said theirs were much simpler," he added, clearly worried about the outcome.


    "Well, that was to be expected, after all, it was none other than Expert Lei who set the test," said the first boy knowingly.


    "I heard Expert Lei is very strict when it comes to alchemy. It''s no wonder he''s one of the closest people to becoming a master alchemist," he continued.


    The gossip among the disciples began and intensified in no time.


    Ethan, standing alone in a corner, tried to ignore it all and waited for the results to be announced.


    He hadn''t bothered to make friends with anyone, not because he didn''t want to, but because he could tell that many deliberately ignored him.


    He consoled himself with the thought that he wasn''t the only one who seemed to be on the margins.


    As time passed, all the chatter began to calm down, and everyone anxiously awaited the results.


    Meanwhile, in the examination room, Expert Lei had already started examining the answer sheets.


    "Passed."


    "Passed."


    "Failed."


    "For the preparation of materials, does one need to cook everything in a pot?


    This boy must have been hit by many pots on the head" he thought, shaking his head as he marked the answer sheet with a red pen.


    After checking several answer sheets, he finally came to Ethan''s.


    Although he had only glanced at Ethan''s sheet, not checking the number, but merely if he had written anything, he didn''t realize it was Ethan''s.


    He took it and began reading the answer to the first question.


    As soon as he read the first few lines, his expression, which had been bored, turned serious.


    "This..."


    After finishing reading the first answer, he had to pause for a moment to reflect on something before quickly moving on to the subsequent questions.


    Unlike the other answer sheets he had examined quickly, he spent more time than usual on this one.


    Unconsciously, he found himself immersed in it, spending several minutes before looking away.


    After finishing reading it, his expression was serene, with a smile blossoming on his face.


    "These answers are interesting," he said with a hint of approval.


    As he examined each answer, he noticed something right away.


    Not only were the answers correct and precise, but the way the examinee had responded was straightforward and correct.


    Expert Lei had to admit that these answers were quite pleasant to read.


    Not because of their correctness, but because of the understanding of the subject shown by the person who had written them, which an expert like him could appreciate.


    "This boy must have studied very hard," he thought, recalling the examinee''s number.


    This answer sheet had been like a breath of fresh air amid the other sheets, which the more he read, the more he wanted to whip whoever had written them.


    He had found others who had answered quite well, but this one in particular impressed him.


    "Too bad he didn''t answer all the questions. He could have gotten a perfect score," he lamented, remembering that the last person to get a perfect score was over three years ago.


    Shaking his head, he returned to examining the remaining answer sheets, and in another 10 minutes, he announced the results.


    Outside the examination room, a sheet with the results was posted on a bulletin board.


    People waiting outside rushed to it as soon as they saw the attendant put it up.


    Ethan and others joined the crowd, waiting for others to finish checking before proceeding.


    After a few seconds, amidst a mix of joyful and disappointed shouts, Ethan arrived at the board and searched for his badge number.


    The results were numbered according to badge numbers, so it didn''t take long to find his.


    [No.1: PASSED]


    [No.2: PASSED]


    [No.3: FAILED]


    ...


    [No.69: PASSED]


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    If you have any advice, comments, or errors to report, please do so below.


    See you tomorrow!

 Chapter 38: The Refreshing Herb.

    .


    After receiving his apprentice alchemist badge, Ethan decided to take a quick trip to the city market to see if he could find some low-cost ingredients for refining.


    He was quite surprised when the receptionist handed him a two-star badge instead of a one-star.


    Apparently, even though he had tried to keep a low profile during the test, he had still managed to achieve a higher-than-normal performance.


    Even the receptionist, who had greeted him before, was a bit astonished by him.


    According to what he had heard, one could even obtain the third star and have a higher chance of being promoted to the next grade if one scored a perfect score.


    Ethan was now unsure if it had been wise to keep a low profile during the test, but he quickly dismissed those thoughts; after all, there was no use crying over spilled milk.


    At most, if he managed to become proficient in refining pills within a few weeks, he would directly attempt the test for the next grade.


    The lowest-grade pill an alchemist should be able to make was the Basic Recovery Pill.


    It was a basic pill that every novice alchemist needed to be able to make.


    It was a pill capable of restoring a person''s stamina to a certain level.


    Although this pill was very simple to produce, even for a novice alchemist, its market demand was still very high.


    There were simply too many uses for it, so the demand for these pills was always quite high. (Guess in which fields it might be used ????).


    Infact, during the test to advance from apprentice alchemist to adept alchemist, one had to be able to make three low-grade Recovery Pill Pills.


    One had a total of five attempts, so the margin for error was not very high.


    Ethan, who had more or less acquired all the basics of alchemy thanks to the system, had decided to train his newly acquired refining skills.


    He was eager to put his skills to the test because if the newly acquired skill was as effective as the information the system had downloaded into his head, which was easy to remember, he could accelerate his plan to become rich.


    He spent several hours moving from one point to another in the market and eventually obtained only two out of three ingredients.


    It wasn''t that the third ingredient was difficult to find; the problem was that there was only one left, and he was currently competing with another person to get it.


    Yes, he was currently in front of a stall selling various items, including some medicinal herbs.


    And the Refreshing Herb, an herb easy to find in some parts of the forest, had now reached almost 15 silver coins.


    15 silver coins !


    Ethan''s heart bled just thinking about the fact that the herb he wanted to buy had risen in price, reaching 15 coins.


    At this point, he was no longer willing to buy it.


    He could only retreat and curse the person who had bought it, or at least he would have liked to, but he didn''t even know precisely who the person was.


    Next to him, the person who had just bought this ingredient took it and left as if nothing had happened.


    The said person was wearing a brown hooded cloak that hid their body features, but Ethan was sure it was probably a girl.


    ''Tch, if you have so much money to spend, why not go directly to the Medicine Pavilion to buy these ingredients?''


    He thought irritably as he started looking for someone else who had the herb.


    Indeed, almost all types of medicinal ingredients could be bought at the pavilion, but the problem was that they cost more than what one might find here.


    After another hour of searching, he couldn''t find it and had to return to the sect disappointed.


    Just as Ethan was cursing the person who had taken the Refreshing Herb, the person who had just bought it was also cursing him.


    ''That little bastard, I hope he dies a virgin,'' thought the girl under the cloak.


    "He made me spend more than necessary for this simple herb," she said irritably.


    Just as Ethan had guessed, the person under the cloak was indeed a girl.


    She had long, smooth golden hair and emerald green eyes that held a beauty capable of captivating anyone.


    It was precisely because her appearance attracted too much attention that she had to disguise herself before coming to this city.


    "Haa, I''ve spent more time here than I should have. I need to hurry, or they will catch up with me," she said as she quickened her pace and disappeared into the crowd.


    ***


    In a large, elegant palace many miles away from the Phoenix Kingdom, a young man dressed regally was seated behind a desk.


    He had long golden hair tied back in an elegant jade hairpin and eyes of the same color, showing small traces of fatigue.


    Currently, he was buried under dozens of sheets placed in several piles on his desk, reviewing them.


    At that moment, a light knock diverted the man''s attention from the sheet.


    "You may enter," he said calmly, as if he knew who had just knocked.


    The door opened, revealing the figure of a soldier in golden armor who bowed and saluted the man.


    Just as he was about to report what he had to say, he was interrupted by the man''s calm voice.


    "Let me guess, my sister has run away again, hasn''t she?" he said, anticipating what the soldier wanted to say.


    The soldier, keeping his head down, simply nodded.


    The man did not seem to have any change in expression at this and continued.


    "Haa, where did she run off to this time?" he asked as if he was already used to this.


    "The last trace she left was in Sun City," said the guard.


    ''Sun City?'' the man thought, raising an eyebrow.


    "You mean the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom?" he asked, surprised.


    "Yes, Your Highness. The princess managed to procure a long-distance teleportation array.


    The array masters, from the traces left by the formation, determined that she teleported to the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom."


    "Teleportation array, it seems she has become more skilled in escaping," said the man with a sigh as he stood up.


    He moved towards the room''s door, saying, "Very well, I''ll handle this matter. There''s no need to disturb my father with this," he said as he left the room.


    "Haa, my dear sister, when will you stop making me chase you from place to place?"


    .


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 39: Spiritual Artifact and Pill Purity

    .


    In the end, Ethan decided to forgo the restorative herb for the moment.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t have any at his disposal; he just had very little, and for his pill refinement training, he would need to use a lot.


    ''Haa, if only I were richer,'' he thought as he arrived at his lodging.


    Entering, he saw as usual that Da Shu''s room door was closed, indicating he was either sleeping or cultivating.


    He went to his room and closed the door. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then pulled out the cauldron he had received during one of the recent daily missions and prepared to put his new ability to work.


    He opened the mission screen and pressed to claim his reward.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [DAILY MISSION]


    - Become an apprentice alchemist. [COMPLETED!]


    REWARDS:


    - Pill refining skill (Liv.1)  [press here to claim]


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the usual system screen appear before his eyes, he took a breath and prepared to receive the ability.


    The reason he hadn''t claimed the reward right after completing the mission was due to the system''s information acquisition process.


    The system downloaded the information directly into the brain, and although this process was quite fast, the pain it caused could wake even the dead from their graves.


    Just thinking about the first time he had eagerly claimed the knowledge of medicinal herbs made him shiver.


    With some hesitation, he pressed the screen in front of him and braced himself.


    The instant the reward was claimed, he felt a slight jolt in his brain, immediately followed by a flow of information that began to flood his mind.


    And so, his torture began.


    After a few seconds, Ethan could be seen lying on the floor of his room, his face contorted in pain.


    In front of him floated a small screen that read:


    [Basic pill refining skill successfully acquired]


    "D-damn, is there no way to avoid this pain?" he said, his voice still a bit trembling.


    Although the process had lasted exactly three seconds, for Ethan it had felt as long as three hours.


    He hated this sensation, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it.


    "I really can''t help you with that," said Bai Yu, who had gotten used to seeing this scene.


    "When you become a bit stronger, you''ll have enough control over the artifact to slightly loosen the seal on me, then I could transfer some of my consciousness outside to help you," she said calmly.


    Indeed, Ethan had noticed that the stronger he became, the more his control over the artifact increased.


    Right now, the control was very low, almost nonexistent, but Ethan could perceive it.


    He had discussed this with Bai Yu, who told him he needed to be at least halfway through the body refining stage to have enough control to influence, albeit slightly, the seal that bound her to the artifact and trapped her in his sea of consciousness.


    Ethan didn''t mind the idea of helping her, so he gladly agreed to let her out once he had enough strength.


    It wasn''t like she could harm him; after all, only a thread of her consciousness would be coming out.


    With his head still hurting a bit, he struggled to get up and sat on the bed to recover a bit.


    After a few minutes, with his mind settled, Ethan thought about the refining knowledge he had just acquired.


    Just like the knowledge of herbs that came to mind with just a small thought, the little mastery he had just acquired also came to mind, as if he had practiced the art of pill refining for months.


    Wasting no time, he pulled various ingredients from his dimensional space and, with a gesture of his hand, lit a small blue flame and placed it under a bronze cauldron.


    This cauldron had a very simple appearance, but Ethan had noticed that it somewhat resembled the Amphora of the Seven Seals.


    It was a low-level spiritual artifact he had received from a special system mission.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Bronze Cauldron]


    Name: Bronze Cauldron


    Grade: Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, which, with the passage of time, has lost its former splendor but still retains its hidden value, ready to be revealed by those who know how to fully exploit it.


    Requirements for the upgrade:


    - Refine 1000 Level 1 low-grade pills (0/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 1 mid-grade pills (0/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 1 high-grade pills (0/10)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    it was a spiritual object !


    Spiritual objects were enchanted items that could only be created by master forgers.


    They were items that, regardless of their value, would attract the attention of any cultivator.


    After all, they were rare items that could significantly boost one''s power, and depending on the artifact, could become real lifesavers.


    It wasn''t uncommon to find master alchemists with spiritual cauldrons as their primary tools of use.


    These allowed them to increase the purity of the pills they produced.


    And purity, which directly determined the grade of a pill, was very important for a cultivator.


    A purity of 25% made a pill of a certain level low-grade.


    A purity of 50% made a pill of a certain level mid-grade.


    Finally, a purity of 75% or higher made a pill of a certain level high-grade.


    No one had yet managed to reach 100% purity in a pill, regardless of whether it was Level 1 or higher.


    These pills with 100% purity were considered perfect pills, and the only traces of such pills could be found in ancient legends.


    No one knew if anyone had ever managed to refine one.


    This goes to show how special a spiritual artifact was, not to mention one that could evolve.


    If the knowledge of such an artifact were known, Ethan was sure he would be hunted to the ends of the world by all alchemists.


    "Haa, I don''t know if I''m blessed to have a system or cursed."


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter.


    I know, too much info at once, but I realized I hadn''t talked about pills in depth in previous chapters, and now that he''s finally started on this path, it was better to explain some basic things right away.


    I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and for any questions, write to me below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 40: Test Subject

    .


    Ethan, seeing that his artifact was capable of advancing to the next grade, was pleased.


    Although he had to be careful in the future when using items obtained from the system, as long as he became strong enough, no one could take what was rightfully his.


    Therefore, he wanted to keep a low profile for as long as possible, cultivating and becoming strong enough to protect himself in case someone targeted him. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was in a world of cultivation, and if his knowledge of novels was correct, most people tended to be arrogant and irrational, in other words, the perfect mix for troublesome and irritating characters.


    Clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts, Ethan proceeded with the first steps.


    He had already set his cauldron on the fire, and now it was time to prepare the materials.


    The basic steps for creating a pill were essentially three


    - Preparation and Mixing of Ingredients.


    - Refinement of the Mixture.


    - Formation and Drying of the Pills.


    These were the basic steps in traditional pill refinement.


    They varied in content from pill to pill, but overall they followed this structure.


    The reason the Basic Recovery Pill was one of the simplest pills to create was that it followed these steps almost to the letter, with little to no variation.


    Recalling the newly acquired ability, Ethan began his task.


    He carefully prepared the ingredients: the refreshing Herb, the Vitality Flower, and the Reinforcement Root lay before him. These were the essential elements for the Basic Recovery Pill.


    With precise and meticulous movements, Ethan washed and dried the ingredients.


    Once dry, he finely chopped them to facilitate the extraction of their healing properties.


    The bronze cauldron, now heated, emitted a faint golden glow.


    Ethan added a small amount of distilled water, observing carefully as the ingredients reacted to the liquid.


    He began by adding the Reinforcement Root, stirring slowly as the energy of the cauldron and the root began to merge.


    He had to be careful with the doses of each ingredient because a small mistake could ruin everything.


    The entire process was like a mathematical equation.


    To solve it, there were rules and precise steps to follow.


    A small error in the equation could lead to an incorrect result.


    Here it was the same; if Ethan miscalculated even slightly in dosing the various ingredients, the final result would be unpleasant.


    The aroma of the herbs filled the room, creating an almost mystical atmosphere.


    Ethan then added the Herb of Restoration and the Vitality Flower, maintaining a steady and harmonious rhythm in his movements.


    His concentration was absolute; every gesture was executed with precision.


    At one point, even Ethan was surprised at himself.


    He knew that the reason everything seemed to be going well so far was due to the mastery of basic refinement he had acquired from the system.


    At first, he thought he would simply receive the knowledge of how to perform the various steps for pill preparation, not that he would also gain a certain level of mastery.


    It was as if he had performed these movements so many times that his muscle memory was already trained to do them.


    Ethan didn''t expect the effect of the ability to be so astonishing.


    ''Heavens, at this rate, it won''t even take me 10 days to be ready for the exam,'' he thought happily.


    From a month to less than ten days.


    He happily accepted this acceleration of his plans to become wealthy.


    Bai Yu, who had awakened due to Ethan''s turbulent thoughts, couldn''t help but shake her head upon hearing him.


    Returning to the refinement, Ethan, now a bit calmer, resumed carefully refining the pill.


    Now that he had completed the first two steps, only the third step remained.


    With the mixture reduced to a dense paste, it was time to lower the temperature and remove the cauldron from the fire.


    In Ethan''s case, this meant extinguishing the rare flame beneath the cauldron and shaping the paste into as many pills as he could.


    Usually, a portion of the ingredients could produce up to three pills.


    Ethan now had to see how many of the pills he had produced were successful.


    And just for the occasion, Ethan had brought a test subject from the city market to try out his pills.


    Looking at a corner of the room, Ethan smiled at the small white creature in a cage no bigger than a basketball (yes, I know, it''s not the best comparison. btw, the cage is square,).


    After a few more minutes, Ethan was finally ready to let the test subject taste his pills.


    He had spent the last few minutes shaping the paste with his hands, which he had just washed.


    The shaping of the dense paste had to be done while it was still warm, so Ethan had to endure a few burns on his hands, but with some effort, he managed to create the pills.


    Currently, on his table, there was a cage containing a white mouse, and in front of the cage, lined up, were three round pills, or at least almost round.


    Ethan, seeing his creations, had a proud look on his face and couldn''t wait to discover if his pills were successful.


    For an expert, determining whether a pill was good or not was simple.


    With much experience, they only needed a few clues to determine the nature of a pill and its purity.


    Clues such as the aroma emitted by the pill, its appearance, and most importantly, how the pill reacted when a bit of spiritual energy was infused into it for an internal inspection.


    These were the methods for experienced alchemists, but for those who were just starting, like Ethan, they could only rely on trials with test subjects like the present white mouse.


    The little mouse, nibbling on a piece of cheese, felt a shiver run down its spine and became alert.


    It quickly scanned left and right to locate the threat, and that''s when it noticed Ethan.


    Seeing the wide, cringe-worthy smile on the human''s face, the mouse trembled.


    ''Is this my end?'' it thought, resigned, while recalling some other mice.


    ''No, I can''t perish here, I still have someone waiting for me at home,'' it told itself, trying to dispel the fear.


    Ethan, ready to grab the test subject, saw that suddenly the little mouse was giving him an aggressive look.


    "Why is he suddenly looking at me as if I had wiped out his family??" he thought, as he saw the mouse advancing with its tiny fists clenched.


    It seemed a grand battle was about to begin.


    But, unfortunately for both the readers and the author, the system decided to make an appearance.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    "..."


    "..."


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [1/4]

 Chapter 41: System Shop

    .


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    "..."


    "..."


    For a moment, silence reigned in the room.


    The white mouse, who had been mustering courage to face the human head-on, had no idea what was happening.


    The human, who had been ready to do unspeakable things to it, was now standing still, staring blankly ahead as if watching something.


    The mouse didn''t understand why this was happening but felt like it had just dodged a bullet.


    On the other hand, Ethan was far from relieved.


    The appearance of the system screen in front of him had triggered a mix of conflicting emotions.


    Joy, anger, sadness, and resignation.


    Ethan was experiencing all these emotions at once, which was why he stood frozen in front of the system screen.


    Then, as if a pressure cooker had finally started hissing loudly, releasing all the accumulated pressure, he lost strength in his legs and almost collapsed to the ground with a blank stare.


    "Ten..." he murmured quietly.


    "Ten copper coins wasted," he said again, this time with a slightly louder tone.


    Raising his head a bit to address the cage, he said:


    "You, little bastard, rest assured I will get every single copper coin I spent on you back."


    He spoke, casting a murderous glare at the white mouse.


    The mouse, which had just sighed in relief, thinking it was safe, couldn''t help but look at Ethan with an expression that seemed to say,


    "Bro, what the hell did I do to deserve this?"


    Bai Yu, who had been rudely awakened from Ethan''s inner turmoil, saw the scene and couldn''t help but question Ethan''s sanity.


    "What kind of person have I ended up with?"


    And so, while the mouse and Bai Yu reflected on their life choices, Ethan, who was in mourning, finally recovered.


    Ethan noticed that the system messages didn''t end there.


    Looking a bit further down, he saw something that piqued his curiosity.


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [Congratulations, you have unlocked a new item in the shop]


    Seeing these system notifications, Ethan couldn''t help but be surprised.


    Ever since he had received the system, Ethan had been wondering what these system points were. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At first, he thought they were like attribute points for boosting his stats, but he soon had to reconsider this assumption.


    Aside from the fact that it didn''t make sense to call system points attribute points, there was the issue of the shop.


    Ethan didn''t know why the shop had been empty, but he wondered how he could obtain the system items.


    Clearly, some sort of currency was needed for it, and the only thing that seemed close to it were the system points.


    Of course, he could only make guesses, as he didn''t have either the system points or the shop items to confirm any of them.


    Not having anyone to ask about the various functionalities of the system, he set this issue aside, telling himself he would learn with time.


    And indeed, that was how it went.


    Now seeing that not only had he gained system points but also unlocked an item in the shop, he was eager to learn more about it.


    He clicked on the shop option, and a screen opened in front of him.


    This time, however, the screen didn''t show the same message as last time but instead displayed a list, with only one section filled.


    At the top of the shop screen, there was a small box labeled: [Sp: 3]


    "So they really are used to buy things in the shop," he thought, confirming his assumption.


    He then directed his attention to the only item present in the shop.


    [Recipe for Basic Recovery Pill] (low grade)


    Reading it, Ethan couldn''t help but frown.


    "But I already have the recipe, so why is it listed here?" he wondered.


    It didn''t make sense for the system to sell something Ethan already had, so he was confused.


    In fact, after receiving his two-star apprentice badge, the receptionist had also given him the recipe for the Basic Recovery Pill.


    Normally, the recipe was only given after someone had completed the three-star level and demonstrated readiness to start preparing to become an alchemist apprentice.


    This was done to allow those who didn''t have the resources to procure a recipe for the pills to still have a chance to take the exam.


    After all, the requirement to pass was to create at least three level-one low-grade pills, and without the recipe for a pill, one would have no way to practice.


    Thus, the Pavilion, like any other organization of its kind, decided to provide a recipe for recovery pills.


    This pill was quite common, and its recipe wasn''t hard to find in the market.


    The Pavilion knew it wouldn''t lose anything by providing this recipe, so they did it willingly.


    And it made sense, considering that someone without any talent in alchemy wouldn''t have much chance of successfully creating it, and even if someone did, they would need a license to sell the pills, and without the license, selling them would only be illegal.


    But selling a low-grade pill illegally had more cons than pros, so no one bothered to do so.


    Ethan had been an exception to the rule, only because he had demonstrated a deep basic knowledge of alchemy, so the expert alchemist who had overseen the exam requested that the recipe be given to Ethan in advance.


    He had a feeling it wouldn''t take long for Ethan to take the exam to become an alchemist apprentice.


    Although he was still uncertain why the recipe appeared here, he decided to see what it was about.


    He was certain that the system wouldn''t try to sell him recipes he already knew.


    Clicking on the recipe, the shop screen changed, now showing the information about the recipe.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: Low


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 45%.


    [Upgrade] (10 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    At first glance, everything seemed normal, but as Ethan finished reading the information on the screen, he couldn''t help but be a little surprised.


    ''Upgrade?''


    Seeing that there was an option to improve the recipe, Ethan quickly drew some conclusions.


    "So the system isn''t selling me the recipe, but rather giving me the chance to improve it," Ethan thought, somewhat excited.


    This was indeed good news.


    Like all pills, the Basic Recovery Pill had several versions.


    The recipe he had received was the basic low-grade recipe, which only allowed him to create pills with a not very high purity.


    Just as the system stated, the purity of the pill created from the recipe he currently had couldn''t go much beyond 25%, classifying it at the lowest possible grade.


    But obviously, more experienced alchemists had improved the recipe, allowing for better results.


    Of course, these improved recipes were harder to come by compared to the low-grade recipe.


    So seeing that he had the opportunity to upgrade the recipe to the next grade was very good news for him.


    Just thinking about how much money he could make selling medium-grade level-1 pills, or even better, high-grade ones, excited him.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [2/4]

 Chapter 42: Lack of Resources

    .


    Looking at the three pills on his table and then turning his gaze to his status screen, Ethan got lost in his thoughts for a moment.


    "As far as I know, basic recovery pills are sold in batches of ten."


    He began to murmur to himself.


    "Each batch costs a low-grade spiritual stone,"


    "A low-grade stone is equivalent to 100 gold coins,"


    "So if I can produce 7 more pills, I will be able to earn 100 gold coins!"


    Ethan, with eyes shining with excitement and determination, immediately set to work to prepare the remaining pills.


    Just by selling low-grade pills, he could make so much money, and now that he also had the opportunity to upgrade the pill recipe, his chances of making money had simply increased many times over.


    This is because, unlike level 1 low-grade pills, which were sold in small batches, higher-grade ones could be sold individually.


    For example, a level 1 medium-grade recovery pill could cost up to half a low-grade spiritual stone.


    And although they could be sold individually, it was very common to sell them in batches of two or five pills, with the latter costing up to 3 low-grade spiritual stones.


    The same went for level 1 high-grade pills.


    Even though it was still a level 1 pill, just by being high-grade, it could be sold for up to 10 spiritual stones each.


    And this was simply due to its effect being far superior to lower-grade pills.


    Ethan did not know how many System Points it would take to upgrade the recipe to high-grade, but for his current self, even being able to create a medium-grade one was enough.


    With the money he could make from this, he was sure he could cultivate without worries for at least three more stages of body refining.


    He was unsure of the amount of Qi needed for higher stages, but since he could gain Qi not only by cultivating but also by refining, the amount of Qi he could accumulate daily should be sufficient.


    With his improved skills and renewed focus, each refining attempt proceeded smoothly.


    One by one, the basic recovery pills took shape under his expert hands,


    and system messages kept popping up one after another:


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI] (x3)


    [You have gained a System Point] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI] (x3)


    [You have gained a System Point] (x3)


    ...


    "Come on, just one last effort, and I''ll finally have 100 gold coins!" he exclaimed enthusiastically as the number of pills on the table increased.


    However, just as he was reaching for more ingredients to prepare the last pill, he noticed a problem.


    Turning his head, he immediately saw that a crucial ingredient was missing: the Refreshing Herb.


    Yes, precisely the medicinal herb he had failed to buy this morning.


    "Damn, why can''t anything ever go smoothly for once?" he said, as his mood, which had just risen, fell again.


    Haa


    With a deep breath, he calmed his mind a bit.


    ''Calm down, Ethan, think positively.''


    He told himself as he looked at the small mountain of 9 pills he had just created.


    If it were up to him, he would have rushed to the Medicine Pavilion today to take the test to become an adept alchemist, but he couldn''t do that.


    Unlike the apprentice test, which was held every day, the adept test was held at the end of each month, with participation needing to be confirmed at least a week before.


    Today was only the twenty-first day of the month, so he had only 2 days left to register for the test.


    But, if that wasn''t enough, there was another problem, the registration fee.


    Unlike the apprentice test fee, which cost 3 low-grade spiritual stones, the adept test fee cost 10 low-grade spiritual stones.


    Currently, Ethan had only a few gold coins, so he was far from reaching the money needed for registration.


    With the little money he had left, there was not much he could do.


    Creating more basic recovery pills was not an option, as he would need to make another 91 pills and did not have the necessary basic ingredients to make them.


    Usually, the main problem for apprentice alchemists was successfully producing pills, but for Ethan, this problem seemed nonexistent.


    After all, with the help of the system, creating low-quality pills came naturally to him, and he didn''t risk making small errors here and there, which usually compromised the successful creation of a pill.


    His only problem was resources, in other words, money.


    Although materials for creation could be bought at a good price at the city market, there was no guarantee that the situation from this morning would not happen again.


    The same applied to buying materials from the pavilion, which sold them at a slightly higher price than what could be found at the city market.


    ''Haa, why does everything always have to come down to money?'' he thought dejectedly. S��arch* The N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan quickly thought of several solutions to this problem.


    And there were several that could work.


    "I could ask Da Shu for a loan," he wondered, but immediately dismissed the thought.


    He was sure that if he asked, Da Shu would surely agree to lend him money, but that didn''t sit well with him.


    One of the things he hated most was borrowing money from someone.


    Although in his previous life, he had several situations where he ended up broke at the end of the month, he had never tried to ask for a loan, neither from his boss nor, much less, from the bank.


    It was a line Ethan did not want to cross.


    Although Ethan always had a stingy attitude, he had a certain pride in himself.


    And there were things in life that simply went against his pride.


    "It seems I only have one other option left," he thought, as he looked out the window.


    From his window, he had a certain view of the walls surrounding the sect.


    Beyond the walls, one could glimpse the flourishing vegetation that covered some mountains in this mountain range.


    This vegetation was part of the forest he and Da Shu had ventured into more than a week ago.


    Looking at this view, Ethan couldn''t help but think,


    "Desperate times call for desperate measures."


    He had decided to procure the necessary materials for pill creation himself.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [3/4]

 Chapter 43: Gathering Herbs

    .


    After just over an hour, Ethan finally descended the long staircase leading to the sect.


    Although he had finally awakened, and thus could climb the long staircase much faster and with much less effort, he had to admit that he still hated this staircase.


    An interesting thing Ethan had noticed was that although he was at the first level of body refining, already halfway to the second level, his speed was comparable to that of Da Shu, who was already a cultivator at the second stage.


    He thought it was one of the benefits of having a special physique and didn''t dwell on it much.


    Now that he was finally down, he needed to go to the places where the three herbs he needed to make the pill grew.


    The three herbs he needed were:


    the Refreshing Herb, the Vitality Flower, and the Reinforcement Root.


    These three herbs were not too difficult to find, or at least 2 out of 3 were not.


    The reason the pill recipe Ethan was using was low-level was also due to the materials used in that recipe. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If the quality and rarity of a material were low, the recipe it was usually associated with was equally low-level.


    For example, in this case, the Vitality Flower and the Reinforcement Root were quite common in nature, therefore easy to find.


    These two herbs alone had little or no effect, but if combined with the third herb, the effect that characterized the Basic Recovery Pill could be obtained.


    Because of this, Ethan had no trouble finding these two herbs.


    After spending a dozen minutes reaching the edge of the forest, Ethan started searching for the various herbs.


    He didn''t have to look long to find the first herb, the Vitality Flower.


    Ethan wasn''t sure why a flower that commonly grew in open places like this had such a fancy name, but as the name suggested, the herb in question was a flower.


    More precisely, a six-petaled pink flower that grew in groups of three and was no taller than 30 cm.


    Ethan ended up in a field of these flowers, and although he still had some left at home, he took almost all of them.


    Ethan, of course, left their roots intact so they could regrow in the future.


    Gathering herbs might seem simple, but it wasn''t.


    It took very little to ruin an herb during its collection.


    Ethan, of course, didn''t have this problem.


    Among the many things he had learned about basic alchemy, there was also knowledge about herbs, which not only gave a basic explanation of the herb and its properties, as well as the effects it could produce in various mixtures, but also how to collect them.


    In a short time, Ethan filled a box in his storage with many Vitality Flowers.


    Then, he moved to another area not far from the previous one.


    This area, unlike the previous one which was open, was inside the forest.


    The next ingredient he needed was the Reinforcement Root.


    This ingredient, as common as it was, was very easy to miss by the eyes of a beginner, and this was because, as the name itself suggests, it was a root, and therefore it was underground.


    As problematic as it was to search underground if you didn''t know the exact location of the object, in this case, it was very simple.


    These roots were known to always grow near a tree, and the spot where they grew was always a denser green color than the rest of the field.


    So, just look around and see near which tree an area was a bit more densely colored green.


    With just a quick glance around, Ethan managed to identify several areas that had these characteristics.


    With effort, Ethan took out a tool specifically for pulling out the roots and rolled up his sleeves.


    After almost an hour, he had finished gathering a good amount of Reinforcement Root.


    Now he only needed to find the third and last herb.


    But the third herb was a bit more problematic to obtain.


    Ethan would have much preferred to buy this herb directly from the market, but luck was not on his side.


    The reason the Refreshing Herb was problematic to obtain was not because it was in short supply in the forest or because it was difficult to find, but because it was highly adored by animals.


    This herb was like tasty food for animals, more precisely herbivores.


    Although it had a refreshing effect on the body of any creature, those who benefited the most from this property were the herbivores.


    This herb only grew during the summer, and if not harvested immediately, it would end up being eaten by the animals of the forest.


    The reason this herb often ran short even at the market was because, due to its properties, it was useful for refining various pills.


    Therefore, combined with the fact that it was not only highly sought after by animals but also by alchemists, it often ended up being scarce.


    It didn''t take Ethan long to get the information on where to find it, and after searching for about half an hour, he finally spotted a small field of blue flowers in the distance.


    These flowers, although very simple in appearance, had a light blue color that was very pleasing to the eye.


    Unfortunately for Ethan, this beautiful sight was currently being destroyed by an unwanted intruder.


    In the area of the forest that had this small field of Refreshing Herb, a four-legged animal was currently having its meal.


    This animal was no more than a meter tall. It was covered in thin grayish-white fur and had a pair of large coiled horns on its head.


    Seeing this animal, Ethan couldn''t help but approach the nearest tree and hide his presence.


    Ethan immediately recognized the animal in question.


    From behind the tree, peeking out a bit to look at the animal again, Ethan muttered something.


    "Heavens, how unlucky do I have to be to encounter this here," he said to himself.


    "Of all the possible beasts I could have encountered, why did it have to be him?" he said with a bit of regret.


    The beast a few meters away from him was a mountain goat.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [4/4]

 Chapter 44: Special Mission

    .


    A mountain goat.


    These creatures were usually seen roaming in mountainous areas with good vegetation.


    Although they spent a good portion of their time in mountainous regions, during the winter, they would descend to the surrounding forests of the mountains to find less cold places to shelter.


    These animals were problematic to deal with, as their high agility and dexterity, combined with their attack strength, made it difficult for animals of the same level to compete with them.


    The reason Ethan was unhappy to find one here was because the winter season had already passed, and it was safe to say they were currently in the height of summer.


    So finding a mountain goat here in this season was a bit unexpected.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if he could face this creature. After all, although he had learned the basic combat techniques he had received in the sect, he had never actually faced an opponent, let alone a spiritual beast.


    Ethan could tell at a glance that the animal in front of him was not an ordinary animal, but a spiritual beast.


    Spiritual beasts were creatures that had evolved by absorbing spiritual energy from nature.


    Their strength was classified into levels, and each level had three grades, ranging from low grade to high grade.


    All spiritual beasts had different ways of absorbing spiritual energy from the environment.


    Some did it by eating spiritual fruits, others by hunting other beasts, and so on.


    The reason Ethan was unsure if he could face this beast was because, from what he could perceive, the beast was clearly a level one, mid-grade spiritual beast.


    "Why is a creature like this here?" he asked himself, checking that he was still on the outskirts of the forest.


    In this area of the forest, mainly non-evolved animals roamed, and the evolved ones tended to move to more inner areas of the forest because there were more resources for them, mainly due to the fact that there was a higher concentration of spiritual energy compared to here.


    Rare herbs, spiritual fruits, and other things were more present in the more inner areas of the forest, so almost all spiritual beasts tended to avoid the outer areas of the forest.


    The only reason he could think of at the moment was that this beast was eyeing the refreshing Herb.


    "Haa, never once do things go my way," Ethan said with a slightly irritated voice.


    He would have liked to move away from here and look elsewhere, but the problem was that he didn''t know other places where this herb grew, and he didn''t know how long it would take him to find one.


    While he was absorbed in his thoughts on what to do, a familiar sound resonated in his head.


    DING!


    [You have activated a special mission!]


    .


    [---------------------------------


    [Special Mission]


    - Collect as many refreshing herbs as possible within an hour.


    REWARD:


    - Gain (+5 QI) for each refreshing herb successfully collected.


    Time remaining: 0 : 59 : 58


    ---------------------------------]


    .


    "��"


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react to this.


    Usually, he would have jumped for joy at receiving such a mission, but in this case, Ethan wasn''t sure what was going through the system''s mind.


    "Does this thing want me to get impaled by that creature?" Ethan said to himself as he wondered why the system had given him such a mission. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But then, he stopped his stream of thoughts and focused on the mission requirement.


    ''Collecting refreshing herbs doesn''t necessarily mean I have to face that spiritual beast.


    In other words, if in the next hour, I somehow manage to get the herbs without getting killed by the goat, then I should be able to complete the mission.''


    At first, Ethan immediately thought that trying to collect the herbs right now would be like openly challenging the spiritual beast, so he was a bit upset with the system, but then, thinking about it a bit, a lot could happen in this hour.


    Maybe the beast would eat enough and leave. Maybe he could lure it somewhere else and collect the refreshing Herb.


    The point was that the mission gave him enough leeway to manage the situation in his favor.


    Thinking this way, Ethan immediately began to devise a plan to get rid of the beast somehow.


    Defeating the beast with his current strength was not possible, or at least it wasn''t possible to face it head-on.


    ''If I could weaken it somehow, then maybe��''


    At first, Ethan wanted to find ways to lure the beast away, but he didn''t know how.


    Currently, there were no other beasts in the area, so he couldn''t even make it clash with another beast.


    Ethan reflected for a moment on different ways to tackle this problem, and after a bit of thinking, he decided to try to take down the beast.


    At this moment, Ethan had a great advantage in his favor.


    The beast was currently too absorbed in its meal to notice his presence, and Ethan wanted to use this to his advantage to launch a devastating attack on the beast.


    He wasn''t sure if this attack would be enough to kill the beast, but his intent was to injure it enough to be able to face it more easily.


    Currently, he had a simple metal sword with him.


    He knew that the sword wouldn''t be able to do much damage to the thick skin of the mountain goat, so he decided to use the second weapon at his disposal, the blue lotus flame.


    This flame, although of low grade, should be enough to deal a lot of damage to the beast, after all, being a rare flame, it had a very high heat intensity.


    Ethan didn''t believe the beast would come out unscathed from an attack with it.


    Recently, Ethan had tried to dedicate some time every day to increasing his mastery in using the rare flame.


    After several days of training, Ethan had learned to do various things with it.


    For example, his mastery was now good enough to manipulate the shape of the flame at will.


    He had tried to transform it into different shapes, and even some weapons, but soon discovered that the damage these weapons could do was minimal, especially considering that just to create them, it still took him several seconds, and even after that, to maintain the shape of the weapon, Ethan had to constantly supply his spiritual energy to it.


    Currently, Ethan was only at the beginning of his cultivation, so he couldn''t yet provide enough spiritual energy to the flame to increase its damage.


    To remedy this problem, Ethan made several attempts, and in the end, an idea came to him.


    ''What if I could somehow condense the strength of the flame and use it like a grenade?''


    Ethan didn''t know if such a thing was feasible, but after a conversation with Bai Yu, he discovered that there were indeed techniques with the rare flame that used this principle at their core.


    So he spent a lot of time training his flame manipulation to be able to condense it as much as possible.


    And in the end, he succeeded, and when he tested it on a training dummy, the results were satisfactory.


    The dummy had been annihilated by the attack.


    Ethan wasted no time and immediately began to summon his flame.


    He moved a little further away from the place so as not to alert the beast and immediately began to prepare his attack.


    Ethan knew he wouldn''t have much time to attack once the attack was ready, and this was because the fluctuations of his spiritual energy could be perceived by the beast.


    As he concentrated his spiritual energy, he felt the heat of the rare flame growing between his hands.


    With fluid and decisive movements, Ethan began to compress the flame, trying to keep it stable and compact.


    He needed precision and control; any mistake could cause a disaster.


    After a few minutes, the flame had taken the shape of a small luminous sphere, intense and dense.


    Ethan could feel the power pulsing within it, like a heart of fire.


    He knew this was his chance.


    ''Fire ball''


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I hope you enjoyed yesterday''s mass release.


    I am creating small goals for you so that you can receive more mass releases in the future.


    I''ll post them in 1 or 2 days, in the author''s notes below.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    see you tomorrow.

 Chapter 45: Killing the Beast

    .


    He didn''t want to come up with a fancy name for this attack, so he went with the traditional name for such an attack that he''d often seen in various TV series.


    Looking towards the mountain goat, which had stopped eating and started looking around, Ethan thought, "It seems that it finally managed to perceive the fluctuations of the attack," as he prepared to strike.


    Although he had distanced himself quite a bit from the area where the beast was, he was sure that his attack would not go unnoticed.


    He knew he couldn''t move any farther away because then he wouldn''t be able to hit the beast accurately, so he decided to take the risk and attack from a distance that was within his range.


    After all, he had only one chance and didn''t want to mess it up.


    The beast continued to look around, searching for the source of the danger it had begun to perceive.


    After a few seconds, it identified the direction of the threat and, somewhat uncertainly, started moving towards it.


    Although it sensed a bit of danger, it wasn''t enough to scare it.


    Being a naturally proud and combative beast, it decided to confront the threat.


    Seeing it move away from the small field of refreshing herbs, Ethan sighed in relief.


    He had intentionally prolonged the duration of the attack to lure the beast away from the herbs.


    The last thing he wanted to do was hit the beast and end up setting the nearby herbs on fire as well.


    Watching it approach him, Ethan prepared to attack. He took a deep breath and then hurled the fireball with all his might.


    The sphere cut through the air with a sharp whistle, finally catching the beast''s attention.


    The goat, which had been slowly advancing towards Ethan, finally noticed the attack. The beast didn''t waste any time and, with a swift movement, successfully dodged the attack.


    Seeing this, Ethan didn''t lose heart; in fact, he had a smile on his face.


    "Gotcha," he said, watching the fireball that had hit a tree two meters away from the beast.


    BOOOM!!!


    The sphere exploded in a violent burst of flames, instantly engulfing the tree and everything nearby.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if he would hit the beast, so he had planned the attack trajectory such that even if he missed, it would still explode close by.


    The beast, which had just leapt to the side to avoid the attack, was thrown by the blast wave, and its body ended up being covered in blue flames.


    BEEE!


    The goat, thrown by the force of the explosion, fell to the ground writhing in pain as the blue flames began to spread over its body.


    The beast twisted and turned on the ground, trying to extinguish the fire.


    Seeing that the beast was hit, Ethan wasted no time.


    He drew his sword from his dimensional space and rushed towards it.


    He had no intention of losing this opportunity to deliver a lethal blow, so with all his remaining energy, he gripped the sword and aimed it at the beast''s neck.


    Sensing the danger, the beast tried to get back on its feet to avoid the attack, but it failed.


    The damage caused by the earlier strike had done much more harm than Ethan had anticipated.


    In a second, Ethan closed the distance between him and the beast, and without hesitation, struck the beast''s neck.


    STAB!


    The blow managed to penetrate the goat''s defenses and plunged into its neck.


    The wave of heat and light enveloped the goat, burning its skin and lowering its defenses, allowing Ethan''s attack to damage the beast.


    The sword went deep into the beast''s neck but stopped halfway.


    "Sh*t," Ethan cursed as he moved to the side, away from the burning beast.


    He knew he didn''t have enough strength to completely sever its neck, but that wasn''t his intent.


    Seeing blood starting to pour from the neck wound, Ethan sighed in relief and kept a safe distance from the beast, waiting for its end.


    "Sorry, friend, but I''m not strong enough to spare you this suffering," Ethan said, offering his condolences to the dying goat.


    Ethan watched closely, ready to react if necessary. After a few moments, it was all over.


    The goat lay on the ground, defeated.


    DING!


    [Congratulations to the host for killing his first spiritual beast!]


    [You have gained 50 QI]


    Ethan was pleasantly surprised by these notifications from the system.


    Although he imagined he could gain experience by killing monsters, he wasn''t entirely sure.


    After all, he hadn''t had the chance to kill a spiritual beast yet, and since the system seemed to focus a lot on alchemy, Ethan wondered if he could gain something from hunting beasts.


    Ethan had to admit that it was much simpler to create 10 low-grade pills and gain 50 QI than to hunt beasts to get the same amount.


    He opened the mission screen and saw that more than 15 minutes had already passed.


    Ethan wasted no time and approached the beast.


    Without hesitation, he pulled out the sword that was still stuck in the beast''s neck and pointed it at the beast''s head.


    With a strong strike, Ethan managed to pierce the beast''s skull and open it.


    Taking a look inside, he managed to spot something small and shiny within.


    Without hesitation, he reached in and extracted the shiny object.


    He pulled it out and raised it slightly to get a better look.


    What he had in his hand was a small black sphere.


    "A beast core," he said excitedly as he examined the sphere in his hand.


    Just like humans, spiritual beasts also had their own core, and depending on the beast, this core could be located in the abdomen, like in humans, or in the skull, as in this case.


    Seeing the small spherical object in his hand, Ethan''s eyes sparkled.


    Beast cores could have various uses, and depending on their grade, they could be sold at a good price.


    What Ethan had in his hand was a level 1, medium-grade beast core.


    According to what little Ethan knew, it could be sold at the market for up to 5 low-grade spirit stones.


    Essentially, he had already earned half the amount for the exam registration fee.


    Ethan carefully cleaned the beast core, as if it were his child, and put it away in his dimensional space.


    He stood up and prepared to head towards the area of the refreshing herb field.


    Before leaving, he glanced at the beast''s corpse, and seeing that it had been incinerated to death, Ethan shook his head and hurried to leave.


    He had withdrawn the flames from the burning tree, preventing the forest from catching fire.


    Without wasting time, he moved to collect the herbs.


    The last thing he wanted was for another beast to show up and eat the herbs he had worked so hard to get.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 46: Level Up

    .


    Arriving at the field where the refreshing herbs grew, Ethan saw with relief that no other beasts had been attracted here. Without wasting time, he began to gather the herbs one by one.


    As soon as he picked the first herb, a notification sound rang in his head.


    DING!


    [You have collected a refreshing herb]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    Seeing this notification, Ethan quickly scanned the small field of flowers and made a quick calculation.


    "At a glance, I can already count more than twenty herbs here," he said with a pleased expression.


    ''At this rate, it won''t take long to advance to the next level of body refining.''


    With this thought, he started gathering the herbs more quickly, and with each herb, he heard the pleasant sound of system notifications.


    DING!


    [You have collected a refreshing herb]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have collected a refreshing herb]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    ...


    And so Ethan spent the next quarter-hour collecting herbs and gaining QI. The sound of each notification was like music to his ears, filling him with enthusiasm.


    ''Haha, I love having a system,'' he thought, marveling at how quickly his cultivation base was rising.


    He knew that at this rate he would surely break through, and indeed he was right.


    After collecting all the herbs, he felt a change happening inside him.


    The sensation was the same as when he first broke through and entered the initial stage of cultivation.


    Realizing what was happening, he quickly opened his status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 1 --> Lvl. 2)


    QI: 194/300


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 15 --> 25


    Agility: 11 --> 21


    Intelligence: 11 --> 23


    Soul Strength: 114 --> 116


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 9


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that his level had gone from Lvl. 1 to Lvl. 2 confirmed that he had indeed broken through to the next level of body refining.


    Ethan had already gained 50 QI from killing the mountain goat, a level one mid-grade beast, equivalent to a body refining cultivator within level 5.


    That''s why Ethan hesitated to fight the beast head-on. He knew it would be a suicidal move.


    If it hadn''t been for the system, Ethan would have probably waited for the beast to leave.


    Each level of spiritual beasts corresponded to each cultivation grade of the cultivators. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For example, a body refining cultivator was the equivalent of a level 1 beast.


    A QI refining cultivator was equivalent to a level 2 beast, and so on.


    The only way a cultivator could determine the strength of a spiritual beast was by perceiving the spiritual energy of the beast.


    Non-evolved beasts had little to no spiritual energy in them.


    Unlike them, evolved ones had a lot of spiritual energy, and cultivators used this to gauge the strength of the beast.


    Depending on what they perceived, they could tell if the beast was at their level or not.


    If they felt that the intensity of the beast''s energy was close to theirs, they could make an approximate estimate of the beast''s strength.


    After all, if the beast was of a higher level, and therefore a higher grade than them, they would feel a pressure from it and immediately understand that the beast was stronger than them.


    Earlier, when Ethan tried to sense the beast''s spiritual energy, he felt that its intensity was similar to his own, so he could tell it was level 1.


    The only variable left was the grade of the beast, which could only be guessed based on the pressure the beast''s spiritual energy exerted on him.


    Stronger cultivators had higher levels of perception and could therefore be more precise in their estimates.


    Ethan considered this method very rudimentary and low-level, but there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    In this world, there was cultivation, but it lacked technological innovation, and that was reasonable. After all, they had a different culture, different resources, and obviously different technology.


    Ethan couldn''t expect to buy a machine that would give a numerical value to the strength of creatures, although he had heard that something like that existed in this world, but it was expensive and useless for stronger cultivators.


    Returning to the status screen, Ethan was pleased to see that not only had he broken through to Lvl. 2, but he had already completed more than half of the QI required for the next level.


    His stats had also increased a bit.


    Ethan had noticed for a while that not all his stats increased uniformly.


    For example, his strength and intelligence had increased a bit more compared to his agility, and this, according to Ethan, was due to his daily exercises.


    The exercises had certainly contributed to increasing his strength, while his intelligence had probably increased due to the alchemical knowledge he kept acquiring.


    He also noticed that his soul strength hadn''t increased much, which was reasonable, as most cultivators struggled to increase this aspect of their being.


    Every cultivator focused on this aspect when they reached the fourth grade of cultivation, the soul cultivation grade.


    Ethan was lucky that thanks to the Amphora of the Seven Sages, he could still make progress in this aspect.


    Now that he had finished gathering all the refreshing herbs he found, he decided to return to the sect to continue producing pills.


    The mere thought of how much he could earn with this amount of herbs excited him, especially now that he could also increase the purity of his pills.


    "My days as a wealthy Tycoon are not so far off," he said, humming a song from his old world as he hurried back.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    I feel like I should create a chapter where I put the various human and beast cultivation rankings because I think it might get a little confusing in the future for some.


    I don''t know, tell me whether you want me to do it or not.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 47: [Upgrade]

    .


    While Ethan was still in the forest, a small creature in his dorm room was planning its escape.


    "The human has been gone for a while. This is my chance," thought the small white mouse as it eyed the cage door.


    The mouse had noticed that the human, who was on the verge of catching it and doing who knows what, had gotten distracted by his work and forgotten to close the cage door.


    With a swift move, the mouse slipped out of the cage and scanned the room for an exit.


    For a moment, its gaze rested on a bag hanging on the other side of the room.


    The mouse knew what was inside the bag, having seen the human open it that morning.


    It contained food, and the mouse was tempted to nibble on something quickly but restrained itself.


    It knew it had to be fast.


    Not knowing when the human would return, the mouse didn''t want to waste any time.


    Continuing to look around, it saw that the window next to the table, which seemed closed, was actually slightly open.


    Ethan always left the window a bit open to let air circulate in his room, and sometimes he forgot his keys, so as a backup plan, he never locked the window when he went out.


    The slightly open window was the perfect escape route.


    With one last leap, the mouse squeezed through the crack and disappeared into the outside world.


    ***


    Late in the afternoon, Ethan, who had climbed the stairs much faster than usual, finally arrived at his dorm.


    He returned to his room, radiating enthusiasm.


    Without wasting time checking if Da Shu was home or not, he rushed into his room.


    Closing the door, he summoned the cauldron and placed it in the center of the room as before.


    Then he summoned the three herbs from his spatial pocket and laid them out on a blanket on the floor, forming three small piles.


    Just as he finished pulling out the herbs, Ethan paused.


    "Wait a minute..."


    He sensed something was wrong.


    The room was too quiet.


    The only sound was the slight breeze coming through the window.


    Standing still, he turned his head toward the table where the empty cage stood with its door wide open.


    His ten copper coins had escaped.


    Ethan felt a pang of frustration and wanted to cry but knew it wasn''t the time.


    He had more important things to focus on.


    Immediately, he used his Blue Lotus Flame to heat the bronze cauldron and began preparing the herbs for refining.


    It didn''t take long for the cauldron, filled with a certain amount of distilled water, to reach the right temperature.


    As soon as he saw the water was ready, he started adding the herbs one by one.


    His skill with the basic recipe was such that, instead of making just three pills, he could comfortably create several dozen at once.


    His proficiency in refining, combined with his previous experience with this recipe, had made him confident enough to attempt such a feat.


    Typically, novice alchemists would only attempt to create three pills at a time.


    As they gained experience, this number could be increased slightly.


    An alchemist needed to be at the level of a 2-star apprentice to safely and correctly create twelve pills at once.


    This was because, at this level, one should have already mastered the creation of low-tier pills and be good enough to create mid-tier pills.


    For Ethan to attempt such a thing and be sure of success demonstrated how much the system had helped him in this field.


    However, Ethan didn''t want to try making multiple pills at once just yet.


    Although he wanted to speed things up and find buyers for his pills, he knew it would be a big waste of materials to make low-tier pills when he was so close to gaining the recipe for mid-tier ones. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He quickly finished creating the pills, and in no time, three new pills were crafted and shaped by him.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    As before, the notifications didn''t stop there. Right after, the system points messages appeared.


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    Seeing this, Ethan wasted no time and, with a smile on his face full of expectations, quickly opened the system shop.


    The counter at the top of the screen now showed Sp: 12.


    Ethan pressed the only available item in the shop and hit the [Upgrade] button without hesitation.


    A sensation, somewhat similar to when he received information directly into his brain from the system, filled his mind.


    This time, however, the process wasn''t as painful as before, and to Ethan''s surprise, it was over in a few seconds.


    [You have successfully updated the Recovery Pill recipe!]


    Ethan thought the reason this process was faster and less painful was that it wasn''t entirely new information he was receiving but rather an upgrade to something he already knew.


    Ethan took a moment to process the new information he had received.


    Thinking about the method of preparing the Level 1 Recovery Pill, Ethan noticed that the steps were generally the same as before, with some variations.


    Ethan studied these variations, and after a few seconds, his eyes lit up with understanding.


    "Oh, so that''s how it is..." he thought, realizing it was an excellent way to eliminate more impurities from the pill.


    The method itself wasn''t difficult to execute, but he realized he wouldn''t have come up with it on his own any time soon.


    Ethan was now eager to try the updated recipe, so without wasting any more time, he grabbed another batch of materials and began refining.


    The pill creation time had decreased because the updated method had improved several steps, which not only removed more impurities but also sped up the entire refining process.


    Ethan quickly finished preparing the pills and neatly lined them up on the wooden table.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three mid-tier Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 48: Selling the Pills

    .


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three mid-tier Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    Ethan felt a bit dissatisfied with the experience he had gained.


    He thought he would earn more experience with a higher-grade recipe, but he was wrong.


    Then, seeing how many points he had earned, his mood lifted.


    [You have gained 2 System Points]


    [You have gained 2 System Points] S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have gained 2 System Points]


    Seeing how quickly he was accumulating points, Ethan decided to produce more pills.


    He knew that with enough pills, he could earn the money needed to register for the exam to become an apprentice alchemist.


    He had more than enough materials to produce more pills.


    Initially, he wanted to create as many as possible, but then he reconsidered.


    It didn''t make sense to use up all his herbs on just recovery pills.


    With the system shop, Ethan could obtain other recipes, level them up, and earn more.


    Moreover, these herbs could be used to create other types of pills as well.


    It wasn''t a good idea to consume all his inventory at once because if the demand for certain pills increased in the future, he might not have enough materials to produce them.


    Additionally, there were already many suppliers of basic recovery pills of various grades, so it made no sense to compete only on this pill.


    For now, he would settle for just enough to earn what he needed to afford the apprentice exam.


    Ethan got to work, focusing intensely on refining more pills.


    The process, as usual, didn''t take much time, and Ethan now felt so experienced that he believed he could make them even with his eyes closed��or at least so he thought, though he wouldn''t try it just yet.


    When he finished, he had a total of eighteen mid-tier recovery pills.


    Although he needed to create only fifteen mid-tier pills to earn 9 low-grade spirit stones, which, combined with the earnings from the low-grade pills he had made earlier, would give him a total of ten spirit stones, he decided to make a few more so he wouldn''t have completely empty pockets.


    As an old saying goes, it''s always better to have some money in your pocket, as you never know when you''ll need it.


    Confident in the quality of his product, he carefully packaged them and headed to the city market.


    There were few options for novice alchemists like him to sell their pills.


    One was to sell them directly to the Medicine Pavilion, which would guarantee their quality and reliability to the customer in exchange for a small percentage of the pill sales.


    But this option was only available after successfully becoming at least a one-star apprentice.


    This was reasonable since apprentices could at least ensure the production of one low-grade pill, whereas an adept might or might not create one successfully.


    The pavilion couldn''t be too lenient on this front because most of the time, the refinement materials were provided by the customer themselves, who requested to have them refined into a pill.


    They didn''t want an alchemist constantly ruining the customers'' materials, as this would directly impact the pavilion''s reputation.


    The other option for novice alchemists like him was to try to sell their pills at the market on their own.


    But this was a less common practice among alchemists, especially the less known ones.


    The Medicine Pavilion''s badge was also a sign of an alchemist''s status, which directly and indirectly influenced their reliability.


    For example, if an expert decided to sell their pills at the market, they would easily find many customers, whereas someone like Ethan might not succeed even if he begged someone to buy them.


    Ethan knew this fact but decided to try his luck anyway, as he didn''t have many other options.


    "Oh well, at worst I''ll use one of the extra low-grade pills as proof," Ethan thought, deciding to use the two extra low-grade pills he had left.


    The city market was bustling with activity.


    Stalls lined the streets, and merchants loudly advertised their goods.


    Ethan found a spot and set up his makeshift stall, displaying the pills in neat rows.


    He also put up a sign that read, "Sale of Low-Grade and Mid-Grade Recovery Pills."


    He took a deep breath and began calling out to passersby, hoping to attract some customers.


    Several people showed interest in his pills, but seeing that he was only an adept alchemist, they decided to ignore him.


    For a while, no one approached his stall, until two men passing by noticed his setup.


    They approached, examining the pills with curiosity.


    Ethan explained their benefits and assured them of the product''s quality, but as soon as they noticed his adept alchemist badge, they became skeptical.


    "You''re not even an apprentice?" blurted out one man.


    "How can we know these pills aren''t fake?"


    Others murmured in agreement, losing interest.


    Ethan tried to convince them, but it was futile.


    They thought he was a fraud and decided to ignore him.


    Just as Ethan was beginning to feel discouraged, a burly man with a menacing air approached his stall.


    The man carefully examined the pills, a glint of greed in his eyes.


    This man was also a cultivator, so he could use his spiritual energy to examine the pills.


    Seeing that they indeed seemed to be low-grade recovery pills, and that no one else seemed interested in buying them, he decided to try to get them at a lower price.


    "How much are you selling them for?" he asked, maintaining a poker face to avoid revealing to Ethan that he had noticed the validity of his pills.


    "These pills are being sold at market price," Ethan said calmly.


    Normally, he would try to be more proactive in advertising his pills, but he could tell the man in front of him didn''t seem to have good intentions.


    He had already noticed the man was a cultivator and had sensed when he tried to examine the pills, but he decided to wait and see if the man would do anything, as he had sensed the man''s cultivation base and, seeing it was only at the second level of body refining, he calmed down.


    "The ten low-grade pills are sold in a batch for one low-grade spirit stone, while the eighteen mid-grade pills are sold in batches of five, with each batch costing five spirit stones.


    The remaining three pills can be bought for two low-grade spirit stones," he said professionally, as if he had made transactions like these many times before.


    And indeed he had, given his past as a convenience store worker in his previous world.


    "Tch, that''s not acceptable," said the man, clearly displeased with the price.


    "You''re clearly a novice alchemist.


    Even if these pills are real, there''s no guarantee they''ll work properly," he said, trying to lower the value of the pills in the eyes of others.


    He then continued, "Since I''m in a good mood today, I''ll buy them all from you for one low-grade spirit stone," he said as if he were doing a good deed.


    ''Why don''t you go rob a bank instead,'' Ethan thought.


    "I''m sorry, but the price of the pills is non-negotiable.


    If you''re not happy with the price, you can ignore the pills," he said, maintaining his composure, not falling into the cultivator''s trap.


    The cultivator, however, didn''t seem to intend to back down.


    "Come on, it''s more than a fair price.


    You should be happy I''m even offering one spirit stone for these pills.


    No one would be willing to spend even half a stone for them, so why not sell them to me?" he said.


    Ethan didn''t respond, keeping his expression unchanged to show he wouldn''t budge.


    The cultivator, seeing this, didn''t press further and left with a dark face.


    If it had been up to him, he wouldn''t have even tried to buy them; he would have just taken them.


    But he knew he couldn''t cause a commotion at the market.


    The city guards patrolled the streets regularly, and if they heard any trouble, they would rush to the scene, and then he could do little.


    As he walked away from the stall, he decided he would wait for Ethan to pack up and then confront him.


    He wasn''t worried the pills would be sold because it was true that people rarely bought pills of dubious quality.


    Cultivators almost always bought their pills from the Pavilion or known alchemists, so he wasn''t afraid another cultivator would decide to buy them directly from the market.


    Or so he thought.


    Too bad for him, fate loves to play tricks on everyone.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is yesterday''s chapter.


    I apologize for the delay. I got mixed up with the chapter schedules and ended up falling behind, thinking I had already written the chapter when it was just the raw version that I still needed to finish.


    I would have published it directly yesterday after editing, but unforeseen events always come up.


    Anyway, I hope you liked it, and I''ll try to free up some time to write today''s chapter as well.


    Oh, and one more thing: what do you think about the current chapter length?

 Chapter 49: Business Acumen

    .


    Ethan continued to wait calmly for others to come and buy his pills.


    For a while, everyone ignored him, but after a few hours, finally, another customer approached him.


    Seeing someone approach, Ethan prepared to deliver his usual pitch, but noticing who it was, he stopped.


    The person approached the stall, and upon seeing who was selling, couldn''t help but exclaim with a dumbfounded expression, "Brother, since when did you start selling pills?"


    It was Da Shu.


    He had gone out today to buy some cultivation resources, and when he saw a stall selling recovery pills, he decided to check it out as he was almost out of them.


    He never expected the person behind the stall to be none other than his friend.


    Ethan, seeing who it was and hearing what he said, replied,


    "Since I became an alchemist," pointing to his left chest, where his two-star adept alchemist badge was pinned.


    Seeing it, Da Shu couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise,


    "Heavens, when did you become an alchemist?


    I''m pretty sure you weren''t one when you joined the sect."


    "It''s normal that you didn''t know. After all, I became one just recently," Ethan replied calmly.


    He had no problem revealing his identity as an alchemist.


    In fact, he was quite sure Da Shu would find out sooner or later, given that they shared a dormitory.


    "Oh, that''s why. But wait. Why are you already a two-star adept?" Da Shu asked, confused.


    It was a well-known fact that everyone had to start from one star and earn the other two over time.


    Da Shu, coming from a merchant family, had some knowledge of alchemists and their ranks, as his family also traded with various alchemists.


    So, he knew it was impossible for his roommate to already have two stars.


    Ethan, hearing this, simply replied with a smug expression, "Well, it turns out I''m a genius, so they decided to give me two stars instead of one."


    Normally, people would think he was just boasting, but Da Shu didn''t.


    In fact, seeing the pills on the table, he could tell his friend might be telling the truth.


    After all, he too, as a second-level Body Refining cultivator, could tell the pills didn''t seem fake.


    Da Shu, having grown up in a merchant family, had been trained in the world of business from a young age and had developed a good intuition for it over time.


    And right now, his intuition told him there was a good business opportunity.


    Da Shu thought that if these pills were indeed made by his friend, it meant he truly was a genius in alchemy, and if that was true...


    "Tell me, did you refine these pills?" he asked with some anticipation.


    Ethan, not knowing what was going through his friend''s mind, simply nodded.


    "Yes, but it seems no one wants to buy them," he said with a defeated tone.


    Although he knew his chances of selling them at the market were slim, he decided to try anyway but failed.


    He knew he could still take them to the Pavilion and have them appraised there, but the profit he would make from it would be almost half if he considered the appraisal fee, so he avoided going there.


    But seeing the current situation, he thought he might have no other choice, so he was a bit downhearted at the moment.


    ''Well, it''s either this or nothing. Oh well, I''ll take it as an investment for the future,'' he thought, trying to look on the bright side.


    On the other hand, Da Shu, hearing that he had indeed made the pills, felt excited.


    "I see. How about selling them to me? As you know, my family specializes in trade.


    If you sell them to me, I could find customers interested in your products.


    After all, with my family''s reputation, I should be able to vouch for your pills," Da Shu said, deciding to establish a commercial connection with Ethan.


    If in the future, his alchemical skills continued to improve, then the pills he could produce would be high-level ones.


    Although Da Shu''s family had connections with some alchemists, there weren''t many, and the best was only an Expert Alchemist.


    If Ethan''s talent was as good as Da Shu thought, then perhaps there was a chance for him to become a Master Alchemist.


    The only Master Alchemists were all associated with the Alchemy Pavilion, and it was very problematic to request their services.


    No matter the price, they wouldn''t work for his family, which was normal given how much they could earn on their own.


    At their level, money was secondary, and reputation mattered more.


    So, they couldn''t work for just anyone; they would only accept commissions of certain value.


    And refining materials became rarer as the pill grade increased, so Da Shu''s family couldn''t afford to attract a Master Alchemist.


    Although Ethan would also be associated with the Pavilion, if he could establish a business relationship with Ethan now, it would be much easier to request his services in the future.


    Associating with a high-level alchemist was equivalent to having a higher reputation, and a higher reputation meant more business.


    Da Shu''s intuition told him he couldn''t miss this opportunity.


    Ethan, hearing his friend, thought for a moment.


    He could understand why Da Shu had decided to vouch for him and use his family''s channels to help him sell his pills.


    He wasn''t sure why Da Shu was so convinced he would do well in the future, but he didn''t mind much.


    He didn''t mind helping his friend in the future. After all, a future collaboration would benefit not only Da Shu''s family but also him.


    Until he became a well-known alchemist, it would be difficult for him to sell his pills at a good price.


    If he could establish good business terms with his family, then he could make much more money than selling to the Pavilion.


    He decided to accept Da Shu''s offer.


    .


    -------------------------- S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 50: Signing up for the Apprentice Exam

    .


    Ethan initially didn''t expect to gain much from selling at the market, but he wanted to try anyway.


    If it didn''t work out, he would head to the pavilion and sell there, even though it meant losing some money.


    His priority right now was not to make as much money as possible but to successfully register for next week''s exam.


    Failing that would cause him much bigger problems in selling his pills down the road.


    Becoming an apprentice wouldn''t drastically improve his situation, but it would be enough to sell his level-one pills without too much trouble.


    Ethan had time to consider the benefits the system gave him and realized the great opportunity they presented.


    For example, after creating his batch of mid-grade pills, he had ascended to the third level of body refining.


    Not only that, but he noticed that the system''s shop no longer offered the recipe for mid-grade pills but instead moved to a high-grade recipe.


    If that wasn''t enough, he saw that the recipe could be acquired for only 100 points, which made him a bit excited.


    If he didn''t immediately need a high-level recipe, he would have used all the materials in his storage to produce enough mid-grade pills and earn enough points to upgrade his pill recipe.


    At his current level, having the knowledge and skills to produce mid-grade pills was more than sufficient.


    This meant that in just a few days, he had made huge strides.


    The thought of continuing to progress at this speed thrilled Ethan, but at the same time, it gave him a sense of unease.


    Natural questions like why the previous owner of such an artifact perished in the upper realm despite having it for so long crossed his mind.


    ''Maybe at higher stages of cultivation, it''s harder to advance, even with this artifact,'' he pondered.


    Given his current cultivation speed, Ethan was confident he would reach the peak of body refining by the end of the year.


    Considering this cultivation speed, Ethan could only assume the requirements for later stages would be more challenging.


    ***


    After Ethan agreed to sell his pills to Da Shu, they both agreed to formalize things once Da Shu successfully sold the pills.


    Although Da Shu had some authority in his family, it was very low compared to other high-ranking members.


    If he wanted to start a business relationship between his family and Ethan, he first needed to bring some results to show them.


    So, he and Ethan decided to wait a bit and continue selling his pills to see how it went.


    If it went well, Da Shu would have something to support his request to his family.


    If not, he would only lose a few low-level spirit stones, a cost he could ignore.


    Ethan, after gaining a total of 12 low-grade spirit stones, headed to the medicine pavilion to register for the apprentice exam next week.


    Usually, to register for a higher-grade exam, one needed to reach a certain level in the preceding grade.


    In Ethan''s case, already having two stars as an adept alchemist qualified him to register for the apprentice exam.


    Sure, the pavilion recommended waiting until having at least three stars and preparing thoroughly before registering for the next grade exam, but they didn''t stop anyone who wanted to try earlier.


    For them, it was enough that they had set a limitation on who could participate.


    If these people wanted to try the exam even if they were still a bit behind, the medicine pavilion didn''t mind.


    And why should they? After all, they would profit regardless of whether the person was prepared or not.


    Ethan didn''t take long to reach the pavilion.


    The distance between the city market and the pavilion wasn''t large, so he didn''t have to walk much to get there.


    Arriving at the entrance of the pavilion, Ethan entered without hesitation.


    Crossing the entrance, he found himself in the reception hall, where he saw a small line of people of various ages.


    Ethan silently joined the line and waited.


    While waiting, he couldn''t help but overhear some conversations from people ahead of him.


    "Wang Jiao, are you also here to register for next week''s exam?" asked a boy about the same age as Ethan.


    The boy named Wang Jiao calmly nodded and said,


    "Yes, I didn''t do well last month, but rest assured, this time I''ll pass.


    I''ve been studying under an Expert Alchemist from my family for the last month.


    There''s no way I can fail this time," he said proudly.


    "Tch, lucky you. My family doesn''t have high-level alchemists, so I had to learn what I could, but it should be enough.


    After all, I managed to create several low-grade level 1 pills recently," said the boy who spoke first.


    The two continued to converse in low voices while Ethan, standing behind, listened casually.


    ''Seems like I''m not the only one here to register,'' he thought, then nodded to himself.


    It was normal for many to register at the last moment. After all, no matter how confident one is in their abilities, they always have some doubts and tend to delay registration.


    It''s not strange that in such cases, many decide to register at the last moment, spurred by a sudden surge of confidence and courage.


    Ethan shook his head to clear these thoughts and continued to wait in line. After about ten minutes, it was finally his turn.


    Ethan, arriving at the reception, saw that the person behind the counter was the same woman from last time.


    The woman, having just put away what seemed to be some paperwork, turned her attention to the next customer.


    Seeing who it was, she couldn''t help but say in surprise, Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ah, it''s you."


    .


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    In a few days, I will decide from which chapter i will go premium.


    I will inform you of my decision in advance.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 51: High-Grade Level 1 Recipe

    .


    ''Yes, it''s me. Who else were you expecting?''


    Ethan thought sarcastically, though he dared not voice his thoughts.


    He pulled out a pouch, just like last time, and placed it on the counter, saying,


    "I''d like to sign up for the apprentice alchemist exam next week."


    The receptionist frowned slightly upon hearing this.


    She remembered this young man clearly; after all, he had left a profound impression.


    The expert alchemist presiding over the last exam had said he did exceptionally well, earning two stars immediately.


    Although it was true that with two stars one could directly enroll in the apprentice alchemist exam, it was generally advised to take gradual steps.


    Thinking he was yet another overconfident individual aiming too high, she shook her head slightly and took the pouch of spiritual stones.


    After verifying the contents and nodding to confirm the amount, she put it away and retrieved a tag from under the counter.


    As she took out the tag, she hesitated for a moment, then smiled slightly and handed it to Ethan.


    "Make sure you''re here in the morning on the day of the exam, okay? If you''re late, you won''t be allowed to participate.


    You can bring your own cauldron, or the pavilion can provide one if needed. Any questions?" she asked.


    Ethan took the tag without further questions.


    He already knew a bit about how the exam worked, so he thanked the receptionist and headed out of the pavilion.


    The receptionist watched him leave and couldn''t help but recall what the expert alchemist had said last time.


    "Perhaps it won''t be long before this candidate takes the apprentice exam."


    Thinking of the expert''s words, she couldn''t help but smile.


    ''Who would have thought the candidate would indeed show up so soon?


    Let''s hope he''s not all talk and no substance,'' she thought, preparing to receive the next client.


    Ethan left the Medicine Pavilion and headed toward the sect.


    As he walked, he couldn''t help but think about his future plans.


    With the agreement still being finalized with Da Shu, he had almost secured a buyer for his pills, so that aspect was settled for now.


    Ethan''s initial idea was to ensure he had enough money to cultivate without problems in the future.


    But with the system rewarding him with Qi every time he produced a pill, he was also more or less set in that regard.


    He wasn''t sure how much Qi he would need to level up in the future stages, but he knew it was pointless to worry about that now since he was still far from the Qi Refining stage.


    ''It seems the only thing left for me to do is to continue my routine for now,'' Ethan thought.


    And so he did.


    Over the next few days, Ethan spent most of his time either cultivating or making pills.


    The materials at his disposal were almost exhausted by the second day, so he went to restock them just like last time.


    After the second trip, he realized he couldn''t keep doing this every time he ran out of refining materials.


    It was fine for now because he was making level 1 pills, but in the future, when he would need to create higher-grade pills, it would be difficult to find all the materials he needed in nature.


    Many materials grew only in specific places under certain conditions, and the rarer the material, the more challenging it was to find its location.


    Ethan knew he couldn''t go on like this forever; he needed a source to supply him with the resources for his pills.


    Eventually, he decided to see if Da Shu could find a source for alchemical resources.


    Da Shu readily accepted the request.


    Apparently, the pills Ethan had sold were all bought, and the customers had no complaints about their quality, so their trade continued.


    They agreed that a percentage of the pill profits would be deducted in exchange for resources, which Da Shu managed to provide at the base price without any markup, like those sold at the pavilion.


    Though the idea of spending his newly earned money didn''t thrill Ethan, he decided to endure it.


    To give an example of his pill-selling earnings:


    If Ethan produced 20 mid-grade level 1 pills, he would earn about 13 low-grade spiritual stones.


    From these, 7 stones would be deducted to cover material costs, and 2 stones for the selling services in Da Shu''s family shops where the pills were sold.


    The rest went to Ethan.


    Ethan decided not to overdo it, so he produced a maximum of 10 mid-grade pills per day.


    This amount was enough to earn a good amount of Qi and system points, allowing him to remain low-key.


    Though this pace was a bit unusual for an alchemist at his level, Da Shu chose to ignore it, attributing it to Ethan''s talent.


    After all these transactions, Da Shu was increasingly confident in his decision.


    On the sixth day, Ethan broke through to level 4, and his system points exceeded 100.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 3 --> Lvl. 4)


    QI: 55/500


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 35 --> 47


    Agility: 31 --> 41


    Intelligence: 36 --> 48


    Soul Strength: 118 --> 120


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 108


    -------------------------------]


    .


    As usual, all his attributes increased differently.


    Strength and intelligence increased more than the other two, which Ethan attributed to his practice.


    But that wasn''t why Ethan had opened his status screen.


    Turning his gaze down, he pressed on the shop function, and another screen appeared before him.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: Mid


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 75%.


    [Upgrade] (100 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    The pill information had slightly changed since last time.


    The recipe''s grade was no longer marked as low but instead as mid.


    Ethan had accumulated enough points in recent days for this moment. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without hesitation, he pressed [Upgrade], and the familiar tingling sensation began in his head.


    The process of downloading the high-grade recipe had started.


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    So, I''ve decided to go premium from chapter 41 onwards.


    I won''t do it immediately as I need to sort out a few things first, but roughly within a week, I will go premium.


    Use this time to catch up with the novel, so you won''t have to buy the chapters from 41 onwards ????


    As for the extra chapters I mentioned earlier, I''ve more or less established the goals to achieve them. I''ll put them in the author''s notes to avoid filling this chapter with just information.


    The extra chapters system will start in a week or two. I''ll give you the exact date in advance.


    This system is provisional; consider it a test to see if I can maintain a stable rhythm with these new implementations.


    If there are any changes, you''ll be notified in advance.


    Let me know what you think of the extra chapters system, and if you have any suggestions, I''m all ears.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 52: Test Day

    .


    Just like many small streams converging into a lake, increasing its volume, the various flows of new knowledge Ethan was receiving now had begun to circulate in his mind until they coalesced into a small piece of information that continued to expand.


    A strange sensation washed over Ethan as the piece of information in his head kept growing larger.


    This sensation was not accompanied by the excruciating pain Ethan had been bracing himself for.


    The process was much faster and smoother this time, and the resulting pain was reduced to a level that was bearable for Ethan.


    Ethan could attribute this only to the fact that he was now two levels higher than the last time.


    In a short time, the process finished, and Ethan could sense the new information in his head.


    A recipe that, although it was level 1, could cost several tens if not hundreds of lower-grade spiritual points due to its high grade, was now in his hands.


    Just the thought of such a thing lifted Ethan''s mood.


    "Haa, if only I could sell it, I wonder how much money I could make from it," he thought, somewhat comforted.


    Indeed, if it weren''t for the restrictions on the circulation of recipes, Ethan would not have hesitated to put his high-grade recipe up for sale.


    These restrictions had been put in place by various alchemical organizations to limit the spread of alchemical knowledge.


    In essence, exchanging a recipe in one or two transactions was not a problem as long as it passed the alchemical pavilion''s scrutiny, but selling in large quantities was severely prohibited.


    This was understandable, as it would jeopardize the fragile balance maintained by the various powers.


    Just the dissemination of a high-level recipe into the wrong hands could cause immense chaos.


    In the past, there was a rogue alchemist who decided to spread his knowledge of several pills, many of which were forbidden.


    This led to the spread of many diseases and plagues caused by the effects of some of these pills and the improper creations by some alchemists who had attempted to stretch their capabilities beyond their limits.


    The number of victims from this incident was not insignificant, and eventually, all the alchemical associations decided to collaborate to suppress this alchemist and impose various types of restrictions on recipes and their circulation.


    Ethan could only shake his head at this.


    Although he understood the necessity of these restrictions, he couldn''t help but think about how much money he could make by selling them.


    Now that he had elevated the recipe to a high grade, Ethan wondered how his shop screen had changed.


    He wondered if the shop would now sell him the level 2 recipe for this pill.


    Driven by this thought, he opened the system screen and navigated to the shop section.


    In the second following the opening of the shop screen, Ethan looked at it to see if there were any changes.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: High


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 75%.


    [Upgrade] (1000 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that the [Upgrade] button was still there, Ethan couldn''t help but feel a bit excited. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Filled with anticipation, he wanted to press the button immediately to see what would happen next, but he remembered that he didn''t have enough system points.


    "Tch, I''m poor even in the system," he said sarcastically to himself.


    He eventually shook his head and let out a slight sigh as he closed the system screen.


    "At least now I know that the shop allows for further upgrading of a pill even after it has reached the high grade," he said dejectedly.


    Now, he was almost certain that the system could indeed allow users to upgrade their pill recipes.


    He wasn''t entirely sure, but if it wasn''t that, what else could it be?


    Ethan was now looking forward to earning enough points to perform the upgrade.


    This was because if the recipe could indeed be upgraded, Ethan would not need to hunt for higher-grade recipes in the future. It would be enough to find the lower-grade version and level it up with the help of the system.


    Thinking this way, he placed the pills he had just created into glass vials.


    Each vial could hold a maximum of 5 pills.


    These vials were a bit special.


    On the cork of each vial was a small symbol.


    This symbol was a rune of ..., and it ensured that the contents inside the vial remained sealed, preventing the medicinal properties of the pills from escaping and thus causing the pills to lose some of their effects.


    Ethan used to use ordinary glass vials, but now that he was in business with Da Shu, he couldn''t afford to have the quality of his products compromised. Therefore, he had Da Shu provide him with these runes.


    And so the last days before the test passed, and finally, the much-anticipated day arrived.


    Ethan, who had just arrived at the pavilion, made his way towards the entrance and headed straight for the test hall.


    This hall was the same as last time, with the exception that the arrangement of the various stations had changed.


    The large hall no longer had rows of tables as it did last time but rather small stations with a series of materials on top.


    On the sides of these stations were medium-sized cauldrons, no more than half a meter tall.


    Ethan observed and entered the hall, finding the station with his number.


    Once he found it, he approached and stood there in silence, like the others.


    Looking around, Ethan noticed that, unlike last time, the number of people who had come to take the test was significantly lower than before. In fact, the number did not exceed one-third of the participants from the previous test.


    Ethan was not surprised by this.


    It was well known that becoming an alchemist apprentice was much more difficult than becoming an adept.


    This was because to become an adept, one had to study and understand the basic knowledge of alchemy, which almost anyone could do with some effort.


    The same could not be said for refinement.


    There was a reason why everyone considered the apprentice level as the first real step in the alchemy journey.


    To refine a pill, one needed not only basic alchemical knowledge but also technique and a bit of talent.


    Technique was not acquired overnight but was gained through a considerable amount of time spent refining and failing, learning from one''s mistakes.


    Certainly, this rule did not apply to everyone, but in general, everyone had to go through this process.


    Some learned quickly, while others never mastered the technique in their entire lives.


    As alchemists advanced in grade, they not only increased their alchemical knowledge but also continued to perfect their refining skills.


    This was the basic pathway, which was the same for everyone, with minor variations depending on who you spoke to.


    There was only one exception to this rule, and that was Ethan, who, thanks to the aid of the Seven Sages'' Amphora, skipped these steps one after another with little effort.


    If people knew how quickly he was becoming skilled, they would probably have kidnapped him and made him spill everything.


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any questions, comments, or errors to report, you know where to do so.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 53: Beginning of the Test

    . Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Time passed, and one by one the remaining empty seats were filled.


    Silence enveloped the area as everyone settled into their positions and waited quietly.


    Some were examining the materials provided directly by the Medicine Pavilion, while others inspected the cauldrons also provided by the pavilion.


    There were even some who were reading papers, which Ethan believed to be the recipes for the pill preparation.


    Seeing these people, he couldn''t help but shake his head slightly.


    "What''s the point of reviewing now? You should have already memorized it if you''ve made this pill before the exam," Ethan thought.


    Ethan had noticed that most of the cauldrons present were similar, as they were those provided by the pavilion.


    The others, which were different, were probably brought by the candidates and given to the pavilion for inspection and placement in the test hall.


    Ethan decided to use the cauldrons from the pavilion, as the only one he had was the bronze cauldron he used, which was a spiritual artifact.


    He certainly couldn''t bring it here. He could already imagine the commotion it would create.


    Everyone waited in silence for the last few minutes before the start of the test, anticipating the arrival of the examiners.


    Yes, this time there wouldn''t be just one examiner but five, one for each row, so they could closely monitor each candidate and possibly intervene if someone messed up the mixture, causing the cauldron to explode.


    This was quite common, in fact, Ethan was the only one who hadn''t had the chance to experience it yet, something for which he was more than grateful.


    The last thing he wanted was to end up in the infirmary for who knows how long and be scolded by the nurse from last time. Just thinking about it gave him chills.


    Time passed quickly, and finally, the door at the end of the hall opened, and five figures entered the room.


    All the test participants, upon seeing these figures, stopped whatever they were doing and composed themselves, waiting silently for the five figures to speak.


    The five figures were respectively four men and one woman, each of a different age.


    There were indeed figures who seemed to be in the prime of their years, as well as figures who were old, with apparent wrinkles.


    However, Ethan didn''t think much of it.


    There was an important rule that all people, especially cultivators, had to remember.


    The apparent age of a person could be deceptive.


    For example, Ethan, with his current cultivation base at level 4 of body refining, could comfortably live for more than 100 years.


    Beings of higher stages could live for 200, 300, or even a thousand years.


    And given their high cultivation, these beings could choose to preserve their youthful appearance or not, so when encountering a high-level cultivator, one should never take their real age for granted, because just like their strength, it could also be hidden.


    It wasn''t unusual to hear cases of people who had offended certain individuals, only to later discover they were hidden tigers.


    Given the level of alchemy of these figures, Ethan was sure that each of them was already over 50 years old.


    From the left, an elderly man of short stature with long white hair and a beard could be seen.


    He positioned himself in front of the first row of candidates and scrutinized everyone present with his sharp, penetrating gaze.


    His robes were a rich dark green, embroidered with intricate silver decorations hinting at his high rank.


    His eyes, though clouded by age, held a spark of wisdom and authority that inspired respect in everyone in the room.


    The second figure was the only woman in the group.


    She stood in front of the second row, observing her section with a bored expression.


    Despite her apparent disinterest, her sharp eyes moved from person to person, as if evaluating their souls.


    She seemed to be a little over thirty, with an elegant demeanor that set her apart.


    Her long, straight black hair was elegantly gathered with a decorative hairpin, showcasing a refined face with high cheekbones and a slightly upturned nose.


    Her eyes were keen and calculating, like a fox observing its surroundings, even though her overall attitude conveyed a sense of detachment.


    The third figure was a tall man, around forty or fifty years old, dressed in a blue tunic decorated with golden embroidery.


    He had a strong and authoritative presence, with broad shoulders and a confident stride.


    His short brown hair was streaked with silver, and his clean-shaven face was marked by the wrinkles of experience.


    His deep, penetrating brown eyes surveyed the room with a mix of curiosity and judgment.


    The fourth figure was a younger man, probably in his thirties.


    He was dressed in a simple gray tunic that seemed to prioritize functionality over elegance.


    His physique was lean but muscular, and he moved with a fluid grace that suggested both agility and strength.


    His sandy blonde hair was messy, and his face was marked by a slight stubble of a few days, giving him a rugged yet approachable look.


    His eyes were a clear, bright blue, shining with a keen intelligence that contrasted with his otherwise relaxed demeanor.


    The fifth and final figure was a middle-aged man, with a serene expression and an affable presence.


    He was dressed in a dark blue uniform tunic, and his hair was gray, short, and neatly kept.


    His face was lined with a few smile wrinkles, and his green eyes conveyed a sense of calm and understanding.


    His demeanor was that of someone who had accumulated much wisdom over the years, and his bearing reflected an air of tranquility and openness.


    As the five examiners took their positions, a respectful silence fell over the room.


    From the expressions on many participants'' faces, Ethan could tell that they knew who these figures were.


    For Ethan, on the other hand, it was difficult to know the names of the various important figures in the pavilion, let alone their faces.


    He had only recently entered the world of alchemy, and since then, the only thing he had done was produce pills and make as much money as he could.


    He hadn''t bothered to learn more about the various famous alchemists of Sun City.


    And why should he?


    After all, knowing their names wouldn''t be of much help to him since he would still have to produce the pills himself.


    He doubted that someone like him, without any connections, could gain any advantage from these experts.


    But this didn''t mean that he didn''t recognize any of these five figures.


    In fact, the figure who would be overseeing the first row of examinees was someone Ethan knew very well.


    "It seems that even Expert Li will be participating in the evaluation of this exam," he said to himself.


    Yes, the familiar person to Ethan was none other than the examiner from the last time, who had supervised the test to become an apprentice alchemist.


    Ethan was currently in the middle of the third row, so he hadn''t noticed him immediately.


    At that moment, the man standing in front of the central row, which was row three, spoke:


    "Welcome to the adept alchemist test," he began with a deep, authoritative voice.


    "I am Master Liang, and I will be one of your examiners today.


    What you are about to face is not just a test of your theoretical knowledge, but a trial of your practical skills and alchemical ingenuity."


    "Until now, you have only studied the basics of alchemy.


    You have learned the fundamentals, the theories, and the principles that govern our art.


    However, today, you will take your first real step into the world of alchemy.


    From here on, it is no longer just about theoretical knowledge but practical skill.


    You will have to demonstrate your ability to apply what you have learned."


    "Today''s test involves creating Basic Recovery Pills using the materials provided by the Alchemy Pavilion.


    You will have five attempts, and you must succeed in at least three of them to pass the test.


    If you fail more than twice, you will be eliminated.


    If the quality of the pills you create does not meet the minimum standards of a low-grade pill, you will be eliminated.


    If you attempt to cheat, you will be eliminated and barred from retaking the test for at least a year."


    He paused, carefully observing the participants'' faces.


    At this, the participants shuddered.


    If someone was caught cheating, although they would have the chance to retake the test after a year, they would still be labeled as untrustworthy.


    The label of a cheater would follow them, even if they achieved good results in the future, so no one, no matter how poor their refining skills, would attempt to cheat in the test.


    It wasn''t worth sacrificing one''s credibility as an alchemist from the start.


    For an alchemist, credibility was very important, as it directly influenced their business.


    No one wanted to dig their own grave so soon, especially since with five expert alchemists present, it would be almost impossible to attempt any cheating.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    I will upload another chapter for you in a few hours, as a way to commemorate the fact that we have nearly reached 200 collections. (�sO��O)�s�� �ߩ���


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 54: Old Sloth

    .


    Seeing that everyone seemed to have understood his warning, he continued:


    "Here''s how we will proceed,"


    "In front of you are all the necessary resources: cauldrons, herbs, and alchemical tools.


    Each workstation is equipped to allow you to work to the best of your abilities.


    You will be allowed to consult your notes, but remember, precision and skill are fundamental."


    "Alchemy does not forgive mistakes," he added with a stern look.


    "Every step, every movement must be executed with care and attention.


    The refinement of pills is an art that requires concentration and discipline.


    This test is not only to measure your skills but to determine if you possess the dedication necessary to pursue the path of alchemy."


    Master Liang stepped back, letting his words sink in.


    "Now, take a moment to prepare yourselves mentally and physically.


    When you are ready, begin. Good luck to all of you."


    With these words, silence fell over the room, broken only by the rustling of materials as the participants prepared.


    Only a few among the various participants remained calm as they got ready to refine.


    Ethan was one of them.


    Recently, he had created several dozen mid-grade pills, so he felt no pressure at this moment.


    The only thing on his mind now was completing this test and getting his adept alchemist badge so he could finally start his own business.


    His pill trade with Da Shu was going well, but Ethan needed to build his own reputation.


    With his current speed, he could easily dedicate himself to starting his own business while maintaining the current sales pace with Da Shu.


    And so, without further ado, Ethan got to work.


    As soon as Ethan started working, he isolated himself from the rest of the environment.


    He concentrated all his attention on preparing pills and nothing else.


    Although he was now skilled enough to take this level of pill creation lightly, he still believed it was better not to take the task too lightly.


    After all, it only takes a little to ruin all the work.


    With fluid movements, he took the three herbs and began preparing them for refinement.


    He had already lit the cauldron''s fire and made sure the flame wasn''t too strong, giving him the necessary time to prepare the herbs while the cauldron heated up.


    While Ethan was focused on his refinement, the others also started.


    Some occasionally glanced at their notes, while others, like Ethan, began without any hesitation.


    Silence had descended in the room, and only the sound of the tools could be heard.


    The five masters in their respective positions watched the participants closely.


    Everything proceeded calmly, and no one had any problems so far.


    Some were a little behind, and some had already started the second phase of refinement, but overall, everyone was doing well so far.


    Expert Li, who was in front of the first row, nodded seeing everyone working well.


    "It seems there are some good seedlings in this group," he said, sending a spiritual communication to the other four experts present.


    "Although they are only at the beginning, they are performing quite well for now," the fourth expert replied.


    "At a minimum, they should work this well if they want to pursue the path of alchemy.


    But it''s still too early; we should wait to see how they handle the second phase of refinement," the elegant woman said.


    The third alchemist expert nodded at this statement and said, "Indeed, it''s how they handle the second phase that will show how good they are."


    And as they had said, as soon as most of the participants started the second phase of refinement, many faces showed difficulty.


    It didn''t take long before someone made a mistake.


    A participant in the fifth row had just finished putting the herbs into the cauldron when it began to tremble a bit.


    "Damn, I added too much," the participant said, starting to panic.


    He clearly understood what was about to happen and was preparing to move away.


    Even the participants nearby couldn''t help but be distracted, as being close, they would be involved in the cauldron''s explosion.


    At that moment, as if a bucket of water had been poured on a flame, a gentle white energy surrounded the cauldron.


    The cauldron, which had been shaking more and more violently, suddenly calmed down and stopped trembling.


    Whatever chemical reaction the participant had caused inside it was halted by the white energy.


    After that, the energy disappeared into nothingness, while a calm voice echoed in the participant''s mind.


    "First attempt failed."


    The participant was not surprised to hear this nor tried to contest it in any way.  S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Composing himself, he immediately got back to work, starting from scratch.


    Due to this first incident, some others nearby who had been disturbed also had to repeat everything, as in their distraction, they too had made mistakes, leading the final product to either burn or be simply too impure.


    It might seem that this was too unfair towards them, but it wasn''t.


    The current arrangement of the participants had been set up in this way deliberately.


    This was to test the participants'' concentration and evaluate their ability to adapt to any stimuli from the surrounding environment.


    Although most of the time, alchemists refined in peace in their rooms, they could not always have this luxury.


    For example, if during a journey there was an urgent need for a certain pill, the alchemist couldn''t expect to find a quiet and isolated place to refine it.


    He would have to make do with what he had and the environment he was in.


    Certainly, one could say that in a case where an explosion might injure someone, it was better to abandon the refinement and find shelter rather than risk injury.


    However, it had already been stated in advance that the experts would intervene in such cases.


    Although after this first incident everyone tried to maintain their concentration, it didn''t prevent others from making different kinds of mistakes.


    And so, within the first 10 minutes of the test, several participants had already failed once.


    None of the experts were surprised by this sight.


    They already expected that many would fail at the beginning, after all, these participants were just entering the world of alchemy and didn''t yet have enough experience to avoid making these basic mistakes.


    Indeed, even an alchemist who had prepared for an entire year before the exam would have some probability of making errors, let alone these participants, most of whom clearly hadn''t practiced refining for more than half a year.


    It was like this every year, so the alchemist experts could only shake their heads and continue to watch.


    That said, there were also some who had given a rather good performance so far. Seeing them, these experts nodded with satisfaction.


    "Although the quality of the majority of the participants is still very low, there are indeed some rather good ones," the fourth expert said in a mental transmission.


    "Indeed, some of these clearly stand out with a performance much higher than the others.


    That boy who is now finishing his second pill is the most advanced.


    If I''m not mistaken, he comes from a family of alchemists," the woman said, looking towards the third participant in the second row.


    "If I remember correctly, he should be one of Xun Yu''s sons. That old sloth must have instructed him personally," said the third expert.


    The others simply nodded, ignoring how he had referred to him.


    Xun Yu was one of the expert alchemists from the Medicine Pavilion.


    He was very talented, and many said he would reach the level of a master alchemist by the age of 50, but that wasn''t the case.


    That person was too lazy and only refined when he felt like it.


    Because of this behavior, many started calling him the old sloth.


    Although the boy from the Xun family was the most advanced, many others had already started preparing their second pill, with some even in the final phase of refinement.


    Ethan, however, was not in this group.


    He took his time to create each pill.


    He didn''t care about being the first.


    The minimum requirement to pass was to create at least three low-grade pills, and knowing that it didn''t make sense to show all his skills at once, he decided to take it easy and finish his pills one by one, trying to keep their purity within a certain limit.


    Although this attitude led him to be ignored by the experts, not everyone overlooked him.


    The fifth expert, who until now had not spoken and had calmly watched all the participants, did not fail to notice Ethan.


    At first, like his colleagues, he didn''t pay him much attention, but seeing his fluid movements, which were neither too slow nor too fast, he couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    ''This boy...''


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is the second chapter for today. I hope you enjoyed it.


    I wanted to let you know that in the future, most communications will be made directly in the author''s notes.


    Otherwise, the chapter will cost you more coins than usual.

 Chapter 55: The end of the test 1

    .


    "This..."


    The fifth examiner didn''t know why, but he felt a strange sensation while watching Ethan''s process.


    His calm demeanor,


    the way he prepared the herbs,


    the way he adjusted the flame, everything.


    Without realizing it, he started to observe Ethan''s every movement, step by step, until he finished producing his second pill.


    Exactly, he got lost for a moment in observing how Ethan was refining, and without noticing, ten entire minutes had passed.


    He was stunned, murmuring in an almost inaudible voice, "Absolutely perfect."


    In recent years, he had observed many candidates taking the test and preparing pills.


    He could say with absolute certainty that he had seen it all.


    From the talented to those who didn''t even know what a cauldron was, nothing surprised him much anymore.


    That was until today.


    Among all the candidates present, only this boy successfully caught his attention.


    He wasn''t the most advanced, nor the most exceptional, nor did he seem to come from any prestigious family.


    But even taking all that into account, the way this candidate prepared the pills managed to astonish the examiner.


    Every gesture, every movement, was impeccable.


    As skilled as a novice might be, there is always a small margin of error.


    But in this case, everything the candidate did was perfect, down to the smallest detail.


    It was as if he had prepared this pill so many times that his body had memorized the movements, executing them with absolute calm, with the attitude of one who knew there was no way to make a mistake.


    This type of attitude was often seen in experts and grandmasters when they prepared pills.


    At their level, preparing low-level pills was child''s play, and they did it nonchalantly, knowing they wouldn''t make a mistake.


    "Haa, it seems I''m getting too old now.


    It won''t be long before the younger generations of this era surpass us."


    He murmured, shaking his head, while feeling a bit of joy in his heart.


    For someone like him, who had dedicated his entire life to this profession, seeing young talents like Ethan made him happy.


    He was someone who had always aimed for the pinnacle of alchemy and had given his all for this goal, but unfortunately for him, he couldn''t go any further.


    He knew he had already reached the maximum his talent allowed.


    So, seeing that the future of alchemy was in the hands of talented young people like these made him happy.


    "This boy will go far," he said.


    Hm?


    The fourth examiner, who was next to him, heard him and gave him a questioning look, but the fifth examiner didn''t bother to explain.


    And so, time passed, and after another 40 minutes, the test finally ended.


    "Time''s up. Everyone, put everything away, and leave only the pills you have created on the table." sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Said the examiner from the central row.


    At this, many grumbles could be heard in the background.


    "No, just two more minutes, and I would have finished my third pill," said one from the second row.


    "Third pill? I''m still on my second," replied one from the adjacent row, tears in his eyes.


    "At least you successfully created some pills, I failed all five attempts," said another.


    Though many complained, no one created a commotion.


    They had failed, and so they knew they could only lower their heads and try again next time.


    No one raised any complaints because they knew nothing good would come of it.


    In fact, once someone had complained that one hour was too short and that more time was needed for the test.


    In response, an examiner took one of the pills the participant had created and told him to eat it.


    The participant didn''t understand why the examiner asked him to eat one of the two pills he had created, but he did so anyway.


    The next moment, the boy ended up in the infirmary.


    It was discovered that even the two pills the boy had created were defective.


    This was to say that the boy hadn''t managed to create even a single correct pill in an hour.


    It made no sense to give more time.


    If someone doesn''t know how to make a pill correctly, they will make mistakes regardless of the time given for the test.


    The pavilion has repeatedly advised people to think twice before taking the test.


    The test duration and promotion criteria are public knowledge, and many have successfully passed with these criteria.


    This is to say that it''s not the test that is difficult, but the examinees who tend to take the test too lightly and then end up complaining.


    In fact, it has been shown several times that a person who had adequately prepared could produce three low-grade pills quite easily in less than an hour.


    So, giving this much time for refining was already too generous.


    The pavilion, like all alchemy associations, knew how difficult it was to pursue this path and had made sure that each of their tests was of appropriate difficulty so that a well-prepared person could pass successfully.


    And yet, despite this, almost 70% of the participants still ended up failing.


    And the reason for this was obvious, so no one dared to complain to the pavilion.


    They knew that if they exaggerated, they would end up paying the consequences.


    Though some were a bit dissatisfied with their work, they did as they were told, put everything away, leaving only the pills they had produced on the table.


    The examiners passed by each table in their respective rows, one by one giving their verdict.


    "Two acceptable pills, one burnt, and one too impure. You have failed."


    "Three good pills, and two burnt, passed."


    "You burned all five pills, and you''re still here. Are you waiting for me to congratulate you for doing the opposite of what was required? Leave."


    One by one, the verdicts were given, and in a few minutes, a large number of disciples were sent away.


    Some left with their heads down, others sighed as if they knew it would end this way, and still others were dragged away by their companions, in tears.


    In no time, the room emptied of at least 80% of the initial people.


    Finally, it was the turn of the last people in each row, in other words, it was also Ethan''s turn to be examined.


    The middle-aged alchemy expert who was the examiner of the third row did not have a happy face as he approached Ethan''s workstation.


    All the tables he had checked before had failed, with one not even creating one successfully, so he had low expectations for the remaining ones in this row.


    Approaching Ethan''s table, he saw that there were four almost identical pills lined up.


    Seeing the appearance of the pills, the examiner''s expression improved a bit.


    ''It seems not everyone failed,'' he thought as he took one of the pills and checked it.


    As soon as he put a bit of his spiritual energy into the pill, his expression changed slightly.


    "A purity of 49%," he thought to himself, a bit surprised, and couldn''t help but shake his head a little.


    It was known that all pills with a purity above 25% and below 50% were considered low-grade.


    Although there was a one-number difference between 49% and 50%, this small number difference was actually a big difference in terms of the pill''s effect.


    Therefore, it was established that only pills with 50% purity or above were considered mid-grade, while the others were all low-grade regardless of how small the gap was that separated them from reaching 50% purity.


    The requirement to pass was to create pills that were at least low-grade, so a purity above 25%.


    Therefore, this pill was definitely passing, but seeing how close the boy was to creating a mid-grade one, the examiner shook his head a bit but at the same time was pleased with this examinee''s abilities.


    "Really not bad, let''s see if your other pills are as good," he said.


    .


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 56: The end of the test 2

    . S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn''t tell him if his pills were passable or not, but rather if they were good enough.


    Being an experienced alchemist, he could tell by sight how well a pill had turned out.


    The reason he checked their purity was to see how well-crafted the pill was.


    And he had to admit, the first one had impressed him.


    Without wasting time, he examined the second pill, and his eyes filled with surprise.


    "Is this one also 49% pure?" he thought, astonished.


    Earlier, he had thought the participant was lucky to produce one with such high purity, but seeing that he had created a second one just as good, he couldn''t help but praise him internally.


    "This boy has some skills..." he thought to himself as he proceeded to take the third pill.


    As soon as he picked it up and examined it, his expression changed once more.


    This time, however, it was not an expression of surprise, but of doubt.


    "49% once again?"


    For a moment, he didn''t know how to react to this.


    Creating one out of five pills with good purity was one thing, but creating three was another.


    It was normal for adept alchemists to create multiple low-grade pills with such good purity, but it was not normal to see an alchemist who had yet to reach the adept level do the same.


    Moreover, the purity percentage was identical, and with his spiritual energy, he could tell they were all at the same level, none being slightly more or less pure.


    It was as if they were copies of a single pill.


    For a moment, the examiner thought he had mistakenly taken the same pill three times, but seeing the other two he had examined still on the table, he had to dismiss this idea.


    "Maybe it was just a coincidence," he thought to himself.


    Though it was uncommon to see pills identical in every aspect, it wasn''t impossible either.


    He placed the third pill on the table and picked up the fourth.


    Just as he picked it up, he couldn''t help but notice there was no fifth pill on the table.


    Everyone had refined all five pills, with some refining all five well, and others only some of them well.


    Thinking that perhaps he hadn''t had time to prepare it, he proceeded to examine the fourth pill.


    And this one also turned out to be 49% pure.


    "..."


    At this point, the examiner didn''t know if it was a coincidence or not that all these pills were identical in every aspect.


    From their shape to their purity, they were identical in the smallest details.


    This level of skill was very rare to see even among alchemists at his level.


    It wasn''t difficult to create pills of this purity, but pills that were almost identical were difficult even for someone like him.


    ''A genius.''


    He couldn''t help but look at Ethan with an expression of surprise as he asked,


    "Boy, if I may ask, who is your teacher?" he asked, curious to know who was so skilled to instruct such a genius.


    Hearing the question, Ethan couldn''t help but frown a bit.


    ''Teacher? Since when do I have a teacher? What should I say, that the system is my teacher?


    Shaking his head, he replied composedly,


    "I don''t have a teacher."


    The examiner did not expect this answer and quickly asked,


    "Then where did you learn to refine?"


    "I learned on my own from textbooks," Ethan said.


    "You learned from textbooks?


    What nonsense, how could that be? If everyone could learn just from theory, there wouldn''t be so many who fail the exam," he thought, still unsure of Ethan''s response.


    "Boy, don''t lie to me. It''s impossible for you to become so skilled just by reading books," the examiner said, a bit displeased.


    He thought Ethan was lying to him.


    After all, it wasn''t possible for someone to reach this level at such a young age, just by reading books.


    "If this were true, wouldn''t it mean others have been reading different books all this time?"


    In the end, Ethan had to come up with an excuse to justify his skill in pill creation.


    At first, he didn''t understand why the examiner was asking him those questions; after all, he had only created four low-grade pills.


    Who would have thought these pills were at the maximum limit of low grade?


    He said he had spent several years to reach this point and had been a bit lucky to create them with such good purity.


    The examiner was still not entirely convinced of his answer but thought that indeed with some talent and several years of dedication one could reach this level.


    Thus, mistakenly thinking Ethan was a hard worker who had managed to get this far on his own, he complimented him and directly gave him a top score.


    Although the top score could only be obtained by successfully making five out of five pills, Ethan''s case was a bit special, and after discussing it a bit with his colleagues, he decided to directly give him a silver two-star badge.


    None of the other examiners had a problem with this; in fact, to the middle-aged examiner''s surprise, the fifth examiner agreed immediately without even looking at Ethan''s pills.


    Ethan, who at the moment was outside the medicine pavilion, looked at the silver badge in his hand with a complicated expression.


    After a while, he shook his head and put it away, thinking,


    "Haa, my talent is so overwhelming that even trying to stay low, I still managed to get a good result,"


    he said to himself as he walked with light steps, in an upright posture, as if he was alone on top of the world.


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, another person had a desolate expression at that moment.


    Xun Wei, who was satisfied with having successfully created five pills, came to the board to see the results and admire his first place.


    But as soon as he saw the results, his face changed when he saw his tag number was not in first place, but second.


    [N.1: 69]


    [N.2: 05]


    Xun Wei "..."


    "Who the hell is 69?"


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 57: Commissions

    .


    Once an alchemist successfully became an adept, various privileges were bestowed upon them.


    Along with the badge, a symbol of an alchemist''s status and recognition of their rank by the Medicine Pavilion, the alchemist was also given the chance to book refining rooms and other facilities.


    But along with these privileges came duties.


    There were some basic rules that every alchemist in the pavilion had to follow.


    From basic rules prohibiting actions that could in any way compromise the pavilion''s reputation to more specific regulations, alchemists had to pay particular attention to their conduct.


    One such rule was the minimum commission quota an alchemist had to complete within a certain timeframe.


    Commissions varied in nature and directly reflected the level and specialization of the alchemist.


    Just like pills, these commissions were divided into levels ranging from 1 to 3.


    For example, if an alchemist was an adept, they had to successfully complete at least 10 level 1 commissions per month to avoid demotion, while an expert alchemist needed to complete at least 10 level 2 commissions within six months.


    The rank of the mission didn''t matter; the important thing was that alchemists didn''t spend all their time doing nothing.


    Of course, restrictions and difficulty levels varied depending on the alchemist''s rank.


    For one-star adept alchemists, the requirement was to produce at least 10 low-grade level 1 pills in a month.


    For two-star adept alchemists, the requirement was to produce at least 10 mid-grade level 1 pills in two months.


    For three-star adept alchemists, the requirement was to produce at least 10 high-grade level 1 pills in three months.


    And so on...


    Of course, commissions were not solely based on pill refinement.


    After all, an alchemist did more than just produce pills.


    Alchemists were often specialized in various areas, such as creating poisons or antidotes, conducting research on the properties of different herbs, and finding new ways to use them.


    Some acted as doctors, and so on...


    The profession of an alchemist was not limited to pill production; they were also experts in other fields related to alchemy.


    Therefore, the above requirements were just an example of how the commission system worked, but they could vary slightly depending on the alchemist.


    Ethan, who was now part of the pavilion, although he could conduct his activities in private, needed to complete his quota of commissions as well.


    Thus, the next day he went back to the Medicine Pavilion to find a suitable commission and quickly complete his quota so that he would be completely free for two months.


    Being already a two-star adept alchemist, he needed to either produce 10 mid-grade level 1 pills or complete any other commission of equivalent value.


    For example, instead of producing 10 mid-grade pills, he could produce 20 low-grade ones, and that would suffice.


    Commissions were received at the reception, which then displayed them on various boards.


    Ethan went to the commission area and quickly found a board for level 1 commissions.


    He didn''t bother checking those of level 2 and level 3 because he knew he couldn''t accept them anyway.


    He began to look at the various commissions available. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    [Commission: Refine 10 low-grade Qi pills by mid-month.]


    [Reward: 2 spiritual stones]


    [Commission: Refine 3 low-grade poison resistance pills within 3 days.]


    [Reward: 1 spiritual stone]


    [Commission: ....]


    .


    On the various sheets, the request was described along with the information of the requester, the deadline, and of course, the reward for the commission.


    After searching for a commission, he found one that asked for 15 medium-grade basic recovery pills and accepted it.


    Although the reward was only 9 spiritual stones, Ethan didn''t mind.


    Currently, his goal was just to complete his quota and get on with his own business.


    He took the commission sheet and went to the reception to accept it.


    When he arrived, he saw there was no line, so he approached and handed over the commission sheet.


    "Hello, I would like to accept this commission," he said.


    The person at the reception, this time a man, took the sheet, read it, nodded, and then addressed Ethan.


    "Alright. Can you give me your badge so I can register the mission in your name?"


    Ethan handed him his silver badge, and after the man registered his details, he returned the badge to Ethan.


    "Do you also need to book a refining room?" he asked, seeing that there was no room registered under Ethan''s name.


    Ethan thought for a moment and decided it was better to finish everything here since it wouldn''t take him long to refine the pills.


    "I would like to rent one for an hour," he said.


    Refining rooms were usually free for the pavilion''s alchemists.


    If someone wanted to rent one for a future day or for several days, they could choose to pay for it.


    After all, although the number of alchemists was not too high, it depended on their rank. There were far more low-rank alchemists than high-rank ones.


    And the pavilion had a limited number of available rooms.


    Therefore, if an alchemist needed a room and there was one available, they could use it, but if there wasn''t and they wanted to ensure they had one, they could book it by paying a fee.


    Ethan was lucky that one was available today, so he took the room key from the reception and went to the room.


    Once he arrived at the room, he closed it and approached his workstation.


    In the room, there was already a cauldron provided by the pavilion, so even those who, for some reason, didn''t have a cauldron could use one in the room or rent one directly from the pavilion.


    Ethan already had his own, so he moved the cauldron aside and placed his own in the center, then proceeded to take out the materials needed for refining.


    Often the materials were provided by the requester, and they would only pay for the labor.


    This, however, only happened in rare cases where the requested pill required particular materials that were difficult to obtain.


    Of course, the client had to be prepared for the fact that the refining might not be successful.


    After all, it was known that the lower the rank of an alchemist, the lower the success rate.


    The same applied to the pill.


    If it was a low-grade pill, it was easier to create, and vice versa, if it was a high-grade pill, it was easier to fail in the refining process.


    If a high-rank alchemist produced a low-grade pill, there was almost no risk of failure, but no one dared to disturb an expert alchemist or even a master alchemist to produce low-grade pills.


    It would be disrespectful to them.


    Unless the order was of a certain value, for example, producing a large quantity of pills, no one dared to bother these experts for low-grade pills.


    Ethan was already more than proficient in producing this level of pills, especially this particular pill, so he proceeded without hesitation, without fear of failure.


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    I have decided on the date when I will go premium.


    On 05/08/2024, I will make all chapters from the 41st onwards premium.


    As for the weekly goals, I will tell you something next week.


    As usual, if you have any comments of any kind, leave them below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 58: Preparing to Break Through

    .


    For Ethan, producing level 1 pills had become simple.


    This was not only because he had updated recipes for all three grades of this level of pill, but also because the recipes came directly to his mind.


    Therefore, all the steps were extremely clear to him, making his refining process much smoother and without any risk of error.


    He had already tried producing high-grade level 1 pills and noticed that the ease of production for these pills was similar to that of the lower two grades.


    In about half an hour, Ethan had finished refining the 15 medium-grade pills required.


    Seeing that he still had time, he wondered if it was better to continue refining pills here.


    In recent days, he had accelerated his refining process to accumulate the 1000 system points needed for a recipe upgrade.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to update the recipe and see if he would receive the level 2 recipe.


    If he truly received it, he would have another tool in his arsenal to earn more.


    Just as he was about to start refining again, another thought crossed his mind.


    What if he broke through while refining?


    Since he had reached level 4, Ethan hadn''t had a chance to check his status screen.


    He wondered how close he was to breaking through to the next level.


    So, with a mental command, he opened the status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 4)


    QI: 180/500


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 47


    Agility: 41


    Intelligence: 48


    Soul Strength: 120


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 142


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that he was still far from reaching level 5 in body refining, Ethan calmed down.


    He also checked his system points and, seeing that he had only a little over a tenth of what was required to upgrade the recipe, shook his head.


    ''Haaa, at this rate it will take me forever to accumulate a thousand system points. If only there were a faster method,'' he thought, disheartened by his alchemy progress.


    If other alchemists had heard him, they would probably have hit him.


    What Ethan called a slow progression in alchemy was something others had to spend months, if not years, to achieve.


    And he was complaining that it was still too slow?


    Ethan finally closed the system screen and prepared to refine.


    Since there was no risk of breaking through during this period, he could refine in peace.


    So, sealing the 15 medium-grade pills in three glass bottles, he set about producing high-grade pills.


    In no time, the remaining 30 minutes flew by.


    In those thirty minutes, Ethan managed to produce about fifteen high-grade level 1 pills, accumulating a considerable amount of QI and system points in the process.


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    ...


    By the end of the refining, Ethan could already tell that his cultivation base had made half a step towards level 5.


    He knew that at this rate, he would break through by the end of the day, so he hurried to deliver the 15 pills required by the mission and then go to his dormitory to gather the remaining QI needed to break through.


    The receptionist, seeing Ethan approaching, thought he was coming to return the keys to the refining room.


    He didn''t expect that Ethan had already finished his commission, as he still remembered what the commission was about and didn''t believe Ethan had already produced the 15 pills in an hour.


    According to estimates, an alchemist of Ethan''s level should take at least two or three days to refine this number of pills.


    But against the receptionist''s expectations, along with the keys, Ethan handed him three glass bottles, each containing 5 pills.


    For a moment, the receptionist didn''t know how to react.


    ''Wait, has he really finished refining 15 medium-grade pills in such a short time?''


    He was stunned with disbelief for a moment, but then quickly recovered and said,


    "It seems like you have mistakenly handed me some other pills," he said, thinking that perhaps Ethan had mistakenly given him low-grade pills of the same type.


    It wasn''t difficult to confuse pills of the same type but different grades, as their appearance was almost identical regardless of their grade.


    Thinking this, the receptionist calmed down.


    "No, they are all medium-grade pills," Ethan said calmly.


    "..."


    Once again, the receptionist didn''t know how to react.


    Thinking that Ethan was joking with him, he said, S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it a problem if I check them? It''s my job to ensure there are no errors in the delivery of commissions," he said calmly.


    In his mind, however, he was thinking: ''Do you think I was born yesterday? There''s no way you finished refining 15 pills in such a short time.''


    "Sure, no problem," Ethan said, still calm.


    Seeing that Ethan showed no signs of panic, the receptionist proceeded to examine the contents of the three bottles.


    He wondered for a moment if Ethan had really prepared all the medium-grade pills, but then, rethinking, he shook his head and began to examine them.


    To avoid contaminating the contents of the bottles, he didn''t directly take the pills but instead smelled the aroma they emitted.


    Having done this job for several years, he had learned to distinguish the various pills and their grades by their aroma.


    It was known that although the appearance of pills of the same type was the same, their smell varied according to their grade, so he adopted this method for inspection.


    He hadn''t considered that the bottles might contain a mix of medium-grade and low-grade pills, because otherwise, the aroma would have been weaker and clearly different.


    Opening the cap of the first bottle, the receptionist was immediately overwhelmed by the aroma of the pills inside.


    Upon smelling it, the receptionist could immediately tell that there didn''t seem to be anything unusual about the contents of this bottle.


    But he expected this result. What he was interested in knowing was whether the aroma of the other two bottles would be identical or not.


    ''Let''s see if the second one is also fine or not,'' he said to himself as he opened the cap of the second glass bottle.


    Once again, the aroma spread quickly, and the receptionist wasted no time examining it.


    ''Oh? It seems this one is also regular.''


    Closing the second bottle, he prepared to examine the third bottle.


    Although he was surprised that the contents of the previous bottles seemed correct, it was still within acceptable limits.


    ''Well, even if the third bottle turns out to be irregular, at least he successfully produced 10 medium-grade pills in an hour,'' he thought, recognizing Ethan''s talent.


    To his dismay, as soon as he opened the third bottle, its aroma also seemed to be in order.


    "..."


    Now the attendant seemed to have some doubts and re-examined the aroma.


    ''It''s the same,'' he thought anxiously, wondering how such a thing was possible.


    He checked Ethan''s badge again to see if he had misread it before, but to his surprise, the silver badge still showed two stars.


    Ethan, seeing that the receptionist seemed lost in his thoughts, said:


    "So, are the contents of the bottles okay?" he asked a bit hurriedly, eager to return to the dormitory to break through.


    The receptionist, who was still lost in his thoughts, was brought back by Ethan''s question.


    "Ah, haha, yes, the contents are fine. Wait here while I get the reward for this commission," he said, hurrying away and then returning with a bag containing the spiritual stones.


    He marked the commission as completed and respectfully greeted Ethan.


    Ethan didn''t have time to worry about the receptionist''s change in attitude, so he took the bag and headed for the exit.


    The receptionist, watching him leave, couldn''t help but think:


    ''The pavilion is going to have some tumultuous days ahead.''


    .


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s the full chapter, hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 59: Loose Seal

    .


    Ethan quickly returned home.


    With his current cultivation level, it didn''t take him more than half an hour to reach the sect.


    The long staircase he used to complain about was no longer a problem for him.


    In fact, he climbed it in less than ten minutes and wasn''t tired at all at this moment.


    Without wasting time, he headed towards the dormitory.


    As he passed through the sect area, his ears couldn''t help but catch a conversation between some disciples.


    "Hey, I heard that one of the inner disciples who joined the sect this year has already broken through to the fifth level of body refining," said a boy.


    "What, already at the fifth level?


    That''s amazing.


    Let me guess, it''s one of the three prodigies who entered with the highest scores?" said the boy''s friend.


    "Yeah, but I''m not sure which one of the three."


    "It''s probably Zhao Ming. He''s the only one who could reach that level so quickly."


    "I think so too. I''ve heard his family didn''t hold back in spending on many resources for him.


    I''m so envious; with just a third of those resources, I could finally break through to the second level of body refining."


    The conversation between the two continued, and they didn''t notice Ethan passing by.


    Ethan, as he reached his dormitory, couldn''t help but think about the conversation.


    ''So, someone from our group has already broken through to the fifth level?


    The others probably aren''t far behind,'' he thought, remembering that on the day of the entrance test, three people had particularly stood out.


    Ethan hadn''t had the chance to meet these people during the year, mainly because they were admitted directly to the inner sect due to their exceptional results, unlike him and many others.


    Ethan didn''t mind this; after all, he didn''t know any of them personally.


    At this moment, he only cared about his own cultivation.


    ''Hmph, an entire year to reach the fifth level?


    Tch, this daddy will do it in less than 30 days,'' he thought as he entered his dormitory.


    He didn''t bother to check on Da Shu; after all, he knew he wasn''t home.


    Since they had started doing business together, Da Shu''s routine had changed a bit.


    Ethan knew that if Da Shu wasn''t at home, he was either using the sect''s training rooms or selling their pills.


    Every 2-3 days, after receiving a certain number of pills from Ethan, Da Shu would go to his family''s shops to sell them.


    Yesterday, Ethan had given him the latest batch of pills he had created, so he was likely out selling them today.


    Ethan entered his room and locked the door.


    He then took out his refining materials and began producing high-grade level 1 pills one after another.


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    ...


    Ethan refined the pills in batches of three, placed them in appropriate containers, and then resumed refining.


    He continued this process for a while, until he finally began to feel the QI within him reaching a certain threshold.


    ''Come on, just a little more,'' he told himself as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    He could feel he was almost reaching the next level, so maintaining his concentration, he continued producing pills.


    At that moment, in Ethan''s sea of consciousness, Bai Yu, who was resting beneath the water''s surface, opened his azure eyes.


    Hm?


    He sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy and, lifting his gaze, saw that the Amphora of the Seven Sages, which had remained rather calm in recent times, began to glow slightly as some runes on it started to appear one after another.


    Seeing these runes, Bai Yu couldn''t help but narrow his eyes as he pondered something.


    ''Could it be��''


    At that moment, just as he finished speaking, one of the runes that had appeared on the artifact began to lose its brightness.


    ''Just as I thought, the seal has started to loosen,'' he said with a voice filled with surprise but also a hint of joy.


    The rune that was losing its glow didn''t stop, and soon there was no trace of light left in it.


    At the same time, outside the sea of consciousness, Ethan, who had just finished preparing another pill, felt the change.


    Realizing what it was, he quickly put away the cauldron and the pile of pills he had created, preparing for what was about to happen.


    He could feel the QI within him, which he had accumulated over the recent period, starting to stir and gradually spread throughout his body.


    He felt a refreshing sensation spreading through all his limbs as the QI within him continued to circulate and envelop every fiber of his being.


    Feeling this refreshing sensation, Ethan couldn''t help but think:


    ''Haa, I''ll need a good cleaning after this.''


    From his feet to his hands, and finally to his head, Ethan''s entire being was engulfed by this wave of QI, causing his body to heat up slightly.


    Then, as if triggered by something, a small boom resounded in Ethan''s room.


    Black droplets flew in all directions, staining Ethan''s body and the surrounding area with a dark substance.


    A black liquid with a pungent odor splattered the walls as well as Ethan himself.


    At that moment, a system message appeared:


    [Congratulations, you have successfully advanced to level 5 of body refining.]


    Ethan, who was currently in a meditative position, didn''t notice the message and continued to keep his eyes closed as if he hadn''t heard it.


    Meanwhile, in Ethan''s sea of consciousness, luminous particles began to condense at a point, and the figure of a young woman started to form.


    Ethan, who had just finished breaking through, suddenly appeared in his sea of consciousness.


    Towards the end of the process, he had sensed some changes in his sea of consciousness, so as soon as he finished advancing, he decided to enter it to see what was happening.


    His body finished reconstructing, and he opened his eyes.


    At first glance, everything seemed normal in his sea of consciousness, but then, as he continued to examine the area, his eyes caught sight of a figure standing not too far away from him.


    ''What?''


    For a moment, Ethan was alarmed as he turned to see who it was.


    A few meters away from him, a figure could be seen standing with its back to him, looking upwards. S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As far as he knew, apart from him and Bai Yu, no one else could appear in this place, so seeing an unfamiliar figure in his sea of consciousness alarmed him.


    The figure was a woman, a little over 170 cm tall, wearing a classic white robe adorned with metallic gray trimmings.


    She had long white hair cascading down her back, and despite the distance, it seemed to emit an ethereal glow under the dim light.


    Her skin was pale, almost translucent, as if made of porcelain.


    As if sensing his presence, the woman slowly turned around, and a melodious voice emanated from her.


    "It seems you haven''t forgotten to pay me a visit," she said, her beautiful, sparkling blue eyes gazing at Ethan.


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react. Then, with a bit of hesitation, he said:


    "Bai Yu?"


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 60: Spiritual Realm

    .


    Bai Yu?


    Ethan''s mind was flooded with questions at that moment.


    Is it really her? Wasn''t she sealed?


    How is she out of the Water Mirror?


    But wasn''t she some sort of beast?


    Various thoughts raced through Ethan''s mind, and Bai Yu, who was standing just a few meters away from him, seeing his confusion, spoke calmly.


    "Yes, it''s me, or rather, a part of me," she said.


    "A part of you?" Ethan asked, still confused.


    "Yes, I''m still sealed beneath the Water Mirror, but I managed to release a part of my consciousness after the Seal of the Seven Sages'' Amphora loosened a bit," she explained, dispelling some of Ethan''s doubts.


    Bai Yu had already told Ethan before that to have greater control over the artifact, he needed to become stronger.


    It seemed she was right, as soon as he reached the fifth level of body refining, the seal on the artifact loosened slightly as well.


    "Well, I''m happy for you, but tell me, what exactly has changed from before?


    I mean, are you still confined within the Sea of Consciousness, or can you also leave this place?" he asked.


    This was the question that interested him the most.


    If it was just that she could navigate beyond the Water Mirror, there wouldn''t be any issues, but if she could leave this place entirely, Ethan wasn''t sure what new troubles he might find himself in.


    Why did he think this could lead to trouble?


    From what he knew, Bai Yu had been trapped here for a long time, with nothing to do and no one to talk to.


    Even though Ethan occasionally had the chance to converse with her, such opportunities were rare, as he had spent all his recent time refining pills and consolidating his cultivation foundation.


    So it wasn''t wrong to say that Bai Yu''s life hadn''t changed much, even after meeting him.


    Ethan could only imagine what it felt like to be locked away in a place isolated from the rest of the world for centuries.


    He knew that if it were him, he would have gone mad by now, so he feared she might cause trouble once she was free.


    "Well, in a way, my situation hasn''t changed much, from before.


    I''m still sealed here, but unlike before, when I could only perceive the outside world, now I can actually see it," she said, her expression still serene.


    Then she began to walk, and in a few steps, she was standing right next to Ethan.


    "And I must say, you are exactly as I expected you to be," she said, examining Ethan''s face.


    Ethan unconsciously took a few steps back.


    ''I can''t say the same about you,'' he thought.


    Clearing his throat a little, he said, "I see."


    "Do you know what level I need to reach in the future to completely break the seal?" he asked.


    Simply cultivating to the mid-stage of body refining had already begun to affect the seal.


    According to this logic, with every half-step towards the next stage, the seal should loosen more and more.


    Ethan had no idea how much further he needed to advance for the seal to completely break, but he could say one thing:


    if the seal loosened enough, he had no doubt that a being like her would eventually be able to free herself on her own.


    "I''m not sure, I''ve never been sealed before, much less by an artifact of this level," Bai Yu replied nonchalantly.


    "But if I had to guess, I''d say the seal won''t be completely released until you reach at least the Spiritual Realm," she said, after thinking for a moment.


    "Spiritual Realm? What stage is that?" Ethan asked, confused.


    From what he knew, there were only five stages of cultivation, ranging from body refining to body and soul integration.


    He had never heard of another stage beyond this, moreover, she hadn''t said it was a stage, but rather a "realm."


    Bai Yu, who still seemed to be pondering something, made a strange face for a moment, but then her expression changed slightly as if she had understood something.


    "Ah, perhaps here in the mortal plane, people are unaware of the existence of the various cultivation realms."


    Cultivation realms?


    Hearing this, Ethan''s mind clicked, and a few bits of knowledge from his previous world flashed through his mind.


    ''If I remember correctly, in some of the Xianxia books, there was often a power system like this,'' he thought, nodding slightly as if he had understood something.


    In the novels he had read in his previous world, there were often different types of power systems, but in Xianxia novels, the power system was always somewhat similar among them, with differences varying from novel to novel.


    It was often the case that cultivation levels were grouped into certain categories, which in turn were classified based on strength and other factors.


    Thinking this way, Ethan wondered for a moment if the so-called Spiritual Realm was the realm entered after the stage of body and soul integration.


    He didn''t have to wait long to receive an answer to his supposition.


    "You see, due to the low concentration of spiritual energy in the mortal plane, its inhabitants can only reach a certain point in their cultivation," she began to explain as if she were a teacher giving a lesson to her student.


    "This point should be the stage of body and soul integration.


    This stage is also considered the final stage of the mortal realm.


    But the path of cultivation doesn''t end here.


    After the mortal realm, there are two other cultivation realms:


    the Spirit Realm, which is the realm accessed after the mortal realm,


    and the Divine Realm, the realm of the Gods."


    .


    --------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I apologize for my absence in the last two days. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I wasn''t feeling well, and therefore wasn''t in the condition to write or do anything else.


    Anyway, here I am now, healthy as a fish again.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 61: Bottleneck

    .


    The Realm of the Gods


    ''Now, this is interesting.''


    Ethan didn''t know exactly what this realm was, but just hearing that it was where the gods resided was enough to capture his attention.


    ''So, there are actual gods in this world?''


    Ethan unconsciously set aside the spiritual realm and immediately began to think about the realm of the gods.


    He wondered if these beings were like the so-called omnipotent entities that come to mind when one thinks of a god.


    Ethan wanted to ask more, and for a moment, he wondered what level she was at before being sealed, but he brushed the thought aside.


    He spent a bit more time talking with her, and then decided to return to his own sea of consciousness.


    Although it was true that, in a sense, Bai Yu''s situation hadn''t changed much, Ethan thought it was still better than before.


    At least now he could interact with her directly, unlike before, when they only communicated occasionally in his head.


    At one point, he stopped going into his sea of consciousness because there was no real need to do so, as their communication happened the same way regardless of where he was.


    He had discovered that he could also materialize things in his sea of consciousness.


    He wasn''t sure exactly how this worked, but according to Bai Yu, since the sea of consciousness was his mind, he could think of things and materialize them in his mind.


    Needless to say, he was quite euphoric to hear this.


    Only he knew how much he missed things from his past world since he arrived here.


    This world, in terms of technology, was quite backward, and aside from that, there were many other things that didn''t exist here, including some foods and drinks he liked a lot.


    The first thing he did was materialize a red can of a famous soda in his hand.


    He drank it as if he were drinking the most delicious nectar in the world.


    Even Bai Yu, who thought she had gotten used to this strange human, had to reconsider when she saw this scene.


    But Ethan didn''t care; in fact, to show her what a marvel it was, he made her drink a can, but later wondered if it was better not to do so.


    ''Who would have thought she''d like it so much,'' he wondered as he opened his eyes and savored the energy flowing through his body now that he had leveled up.


    Too bad for him, the surrounding environment did not allow for such luxuries.


    F*ck.


    He cursed in his mind as he hurried to clean his dorm room from top to bottom.


    After a full hour, Ethan finally lay down on his bed.


    Now that he had finished cleaning the room and himself, it was time to start thinking about the next step.


    He had always been in a hurry because the end-of-year exam was approaching, but now that his problem was resolved, he decided to think carefully about his future steps.


    His cultivation was currently progressing at a rapid pace, so he didn''t need to worry much about it.


    There was still more than a month until the exam day, and until then, he was more or less free of any obligations.


    He thought everything would go smoothly from here on out.


    He would produce pills every day, accumulating both Qi and spiritual stones, but Bai Yu threw a bucket of cold water on him.


    "If I were you, I''d start preparing for when you advance to the next level," she said while sipping from an elegant glass that seemed to contain a black carbonated drink, lounging comfortably in a luxurious floating armchair. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hm? What you mean?" Ethan asked, also in a single armchair.


    "As you might know, at the end of each stage, there is a bottleneck that everyone must overcome to advance to the next stage," she said, beginning to explain.


    Ethan nodded in agreement while tossing the empty can aside and summoning another one.


    "This bottleneck can be more or less difficult to overcome, depending on each individual''s talent.


    Someone with little talent in cultivation tends to struggle more with the bottleneck, while someone with great talent might not even notice the bottleneck and simply overcome it."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but ask, "But then, there shouldn''t be any problem for me, right?


    After all, now that I''ve awakened my special physique, my affinity for cultivation has increased significantly."


    Indeed, Ethan''s cultivation speed had increased dramatically after unlocking his special physique.


    Although Bai Yu had previously pointed out that, unlike others, he needed much more Qi to level up, his cultivation speed made up for this, and with the large amount of Qi he received just from refining pills, the issue could be simply ignored.


    "Your talent in cultivation has certainly increased a lot, and indeed, I don''t think there are many in the world who can match you in terms of cultivation speed.


    But it''s a different case when it comes to advancing to the next stage.


    You see, advancing to a next stage isn''t just about increasing the Qi concentration in your body; it''s more like crossing a threshold and entering a new environment.


    This environment varies from person to person, and depending on various factors, it could be more or less problematic.


    In your case, the difficulty is very high because you possess one of the rarest and most powerful physiques under the two planes of existence," she said, taking a sip from her glass.


    Upon hearing this, Ethan began to feel a bit of anxiety.


    "How high?" he asked, with a hint of hesitation in his voice.


    "Quite high, enough to make it almost impossible for you to enter the divine realm," she said.


    "The higher you go, the harder it will be to break through the bottleneck of the next level.


    This isn''t due to cultivation itself, but more because of nourishing your special body.


    As I''ve already mentioned, every special body brings certain benefits, but these benefits come with risks.


    Your special physique may be your greatest weapon now, but in the future, it may be what holds you back from ascending to higher realms.


    The rarity of materials you''ll need for your future bottlenecks will rise to a point where you might not be able to find them, as they could be extinct."


    .


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 62: Advancing to the Next Level

    .


    In the end, Ethan decided to set aside the issue of his special physique for the time being.


    There wasn''t much he could do about it right now.


    He wasn''t sure what kind of resources would be needed to nurture his special physique.


    The only thing giving him a glimmer of hope at the moment was the system.


    He remembered that when he became a true cultivator, the system had helped him, so he wondered if it would assist him again when he reached the limit of body refining.


    Therefore, he put the matter aside and focused on what was more important to him right now.


    Namely, accumulating Qi.


    Another week had passed, and Ethan continued his routine, spending most of his time refining high-grade pills.


    He had learned the low-grade recipes for several other pills, which he asked Da Shu to procure for him at a good price.


    With the quality of his pills now being high-grade, his earnings in recent days had been quite good, allowing him to afford some essential and highly sought-after pill recipes on the market.


    His mastery of these pills was a bit lacking at first, but he quickly got the hang of it, and before long, he received a system notification saying he had successfully learned the recipes, meaning he could now view them in his system shop.


    He upgraded all the low-grade recipes to mid-grade, but no further, as each upgrade cost several dozen system points.


    Raising them to high-grade would have been too expensive, and he didn''t need that level of pill just yet.


    Even at this grade, his sales were going quite well, so much so that even Da Shu was a bit shocked by it all.


    He didn''t know how his friend did it, but somehow Ethan always managed to produce a large quantity of pills in a short amount of time.


    Da Shu was even starting to question everything he knew about alchemy and alchemists in general.


    Could it be that other alchemists are lying about their success rates?


    Such questions couldn''t help but surface in his mind every time he saw the sales sheet at the end of the day.


    The sales themselves weren''t anything too extravagant, especially for someone like him, who had seen large sums in his life.


    It was the rapid growth of these sales that excited him.


    It wasn''t uncommon for one out of ten pills from an alchemist to be slightly flawed or defective compared to the others, which often frustrated buyers, but this had never happened with Ethan.


    Da Shu didn''t know if Ethan weeded out these pills in advance before passing them to him, or if he was just skilled enough to avoid them in the first place, but one thing was certain:


    the quality of his pills had remained consistent, thus boosting his reputation among buyers.


    And this was a good thing because it meant that current customers would likely stay, and in the future, they might even recommend Ethan''s pills to their friends or loved ones. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Da Shu had agreed with Ethan that he would sell his pills for a certain period to see how they performed on the market, and then they would decide what to do next.


    ''I''d say it''s time to take this collaboration to the next level.''


    He thought, quickening his pace as he returned to the sect.


    Unfortunately for him, he would have to wait until the next day to talk to Ethan about this matter.


    That''s because, at that moment, in Ethan''s dorm room, he was just finishing preparing another batch of pills and was getting ready to advance to level 7.


    Yes, in just one week, he had already broken through once, and now he was about to do it again.


    Bai Yu, who was in the sea of consciousness, seeing what was about to happen, settled in to watch the show.


    With not much else to do, she entertained herself with things Ethan had given her, like chess, games, novels, etc, anything to distract her from boredom.


    Of course, Ethan chose carefully what to have her read: cultivation novels he had read himself or fantasy stories that didn''t delve too deeply into her world but focused more on magical elements that didn''t exist in reality.


    He had to admit that his collection of things to offer a superior being from a different world was quite limited.


    He quickly discovered the capricious side of this woman.


    Even the novels he suggested were rejected as too ''STUPID.''


    Her exact words were: ''Who''s the idiot who wrote these novels?


    It''s as if this person spent most of his life under a rock, given that he got nearly every single concept of cultivation wrong here.


    Not to mention that almost all the protagonists think more with their lower halves than with their brains.''


    Ethan had to admit that at a certain point, he didn''t even know how to counter her words, so he simply said that these were novels a friend of his used to read.


    He didn''t want to die a social death so soon, even though in this case, it couldn''t exactly be called a social life.


    He was glad that at least she liked games like chess because otherwise, he would have just left her to her own devices.


    He couldn''t spend all his time trying to please her.


    He was already doing this little because, in a sense, she was his guest, if she could even be considered as such.


    He wanted to maintain a good relationship with her because he knew how much help she could provide him in the future, not only in terms of knowledge about the cultivation world, which was clearly superior to the norm, but also in terms of strength.


    Just the fact that she came from a higher plane assured him that she was at a level far superior to that of the inhabitants of this plane.


    Ethan didn''t know what situations he would find himself in the future, but it was better to prepare in advance for anything.


    And so, the process began, and Ethan successfully advanced to level 7.


    .


    ----------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here are today''s 2 chapters.


    I know many of you will not be happy that I went premium, and I understand, but I can''t just keep writing for free forever.


    After all, I have a greedy cat to take care of ???? .


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 63: How’s Business Going?

    .


    This time, Ethan''s room didn''t turn into a mess after he advanced.


    From what he''d learned, the phenomenon of black liquid oozing from his body only occurred during the body refining stage.


    This was because, at this stage, the body is being prepared for the trials that lie ahead on the path of cultivation.


    The black liquid was a concentration of impurities being expelled from the body, a process that happens gradually during the initial phase of cultivation.


    There are a total of three times when the body expels these impurities:


    the first time during the first level of body refining, the second time at the midpoint, in other words, the fifth level, and finally at the last level of body refining, just before breaking through to the next stage.


    So, Ethan didn''t have to worry about being covered in that foul-smelling substance again.


    When the process was over, Ethan opened his eyes and immediately noticed small changes in his body.


    His QI circulation seemed smoother, his breathing more stable, and Ethan could feel that his body now held an explosive power strong enough to rival others at his level with ease.


    In fact, Ethan felt he might even be able to stand his ground against those a level above him.


    He knew this was likely due to his special physique, which, as he grew stronger, made his body superior to what it should be at that level.


    Ethan still knew little about this body, and even Bai Yu seemed to know only a bit.


    From what little she had told him, his body was a physique once possessed by a powerful being from the past.


    This being seemed to wield multiple energy sources, including rare flames.


    Bai Yu had mentioned that obtaining a rare flame put a strain on the owner''s soul, so usually, a person wouldn''t assimilate more than one rare flame, not that they had many chances to find others to assimilate in the first place.


    If they did find them, they would ensure that the stronger flame absorbed the other as fuel to grow stronger, something his flame also needed to do to increase its power.


    He shook his head to clear these thoughts and turned his attention to his status screen.


    He wanted to see what changes had occurred since his last advancement.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 6 --> Lvl. 7)


    QI: 12/800


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 57 --> 68


    Agility: 51 --> 61


    Intelligence: 59 --> 70


    Soul Strength: 122 --> 124


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 237


    -------------------------------]


    .


    As usual, some stats seemed to have improved more than others, though this time, not by much.


    Ethan could only attribute this to the fact that he had spent more time refining than training recently.


    His system points had also increased, but they were still far from the 1000 he needed.


    ''Haa, it''s taking longer than I thought to accumulate them,'' Ethan thought, recalling the number of high-level pills he had created in the last period.


    The number itself was quite high, but the points he received in return were far fewer compared to the amount of QI he gained.


    Not that he could complain. After all, it had only been a week, and in that time, he had accumulated over 100 system points and advanced nearly two levels.


    For a normal person, this speed, both in alchemy and cultivation, was extremely high. It was only Ethan, being accustomed to it, who thought it was slow.


    Ethan didn''t dwell on it too much.


    He had already come to terms with this long ago.


    Cultivation was a long and arduous path.


    Just as it was mentioned in the novels he read in his previous world, here too, people could spend years cultivating to make progress.


    The short time it took to advance in level would stretch out as the cultivator grew stronger.


    Ethan had heard that several of the sect''s elders had been in isolation for months now.


    Ethan didn''t know what stage the sect elders were at, but he knew they were all beyond the Dantian Expansion stage.


    Ethan could only imagine how powerful the sect elders were at this stage.


    After showering, Ethan started working in the kitchen to prepare a good meal as a reward for advancing.


    Just as he finished cooking, he heard the dormitory door open.


    Turning his head, he saw that it was his dorm mate who had entered.


    "Welcome back, how''s business going?" Ethan asked, while he started serving everything into a bowl.


    Da Shu, who had just entered, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "Of all the things you could ask me, you ask how business is going?"


    "Well, what did you want me to ask? Something like:


    How was your day?


    Or if you''ve eaten?


    I''m not your wife," Ethan said.


    Both of them laughed.


    "Hm? What''s that delicious smell? Are you making your usual dishes or something new?" Da Shu asked, drawn by the aroma.


    "No, just some beef with rice and a few seasonings," Ethan replied while finishing the bowl.


    Once done, he admired it and indulged in its splendor.


    ''Maybe I should consider going into the food business,'' he thought as he sat down, ready to dive into his meal.


    "Hey, don''t eat all the good stuff by yourself, share some with me," Da Shu said, seeing what his friend had prepared.


    Ethan didn''t bother replying and began eating, gesturing with his hand toward the kitchen counter, where there was still some fried rice and slices of cooked beef left.


    After a while, both of them finished dinner.


    Ethan was satisfied with what he had prepared, and from Da Shu''s expression, it was clear he was too.


    ''Well, it doesn''t hurt to have a meal in good company every once in a while,'' he thought as he began cleaning up.


    At that moment, Da Shu, remembering something, said:


    "Hey, speaking of business, I think it''s time to take the next step," he said.


    Ethan, who was cleaning the bowls, stopped and turned his head as he asked:


    "It sounds like my pills have sold well," he said.


    "Well? More than well. The quality of your pills is impeccable.


    You''ve practically made a name for yourself among the buyers. I think it''s time you start promoting your own brand," Da Shu said enthusiastically.


    "My own brand?"


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments or concerns, feel free to comment below.


    Now that I''ve gone premium, I''ll try to speed things up a bit, and if I can save some time during the day, I might start releasing two chapters a day.


    I''ll see what I can do in the coming days.


    See you tomorrow. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 64: Creating a Brand

    .


    Night had already fallen in the Phoenix Kingdom, and the faint light of oil lamps could be seen glowing in various places.


    In a dormitory room, illuminated by one of these lamps, Ethan lay on his single bed, reflecting on the conversation he had earlier with Da Shu.


    "Creating my own brand?"


    Ethan was a bit puzzled by his friend''s words.


    Of course, he understood what it meant to create a brand, but he wondered if it was necessary for an alchemist at his level to do something like that.


    Seeing the confusion on Ethan''s face, Da Shu explained.


    "Yes, as you know, every alchemist eventually creates their own brand, and the benefit of doing so is obvious.


    You see, a brand is not just a symbol or a name.


    It''s the identity of your business in the market.


    Creating a strong brand can make the difference between being just another alchemist and becoming one of the most respected in the industry.


    In a saturated market like alchemy, where every alchemist can create similar pills, having a unique brand ensures that customers recognize and remember you.


    It''s like a seal of quality that speaks for itself." Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan raised an eyebrow.


    "It''s not that I don''t understand the benefits of having my own brand, but what''s the point of creating one so early?"


    He naturally had a basic idea of the benefits of having his own brand for his pills, but he simply thought that at his current level, it was unnecessary to create one.


    The pills he produced were essentially already available on the market, and many other alchemists were making them.


    Moreover, they were of the lowest grade.


    So, no matter the degree of purity, they were still common pills with little relevance.


    Ethan had already thought of creating his own brand; after all, he would need one in the future.


    But he didn''t expect that he would need to create one so soon.


    Da Shu, of course, understood why Ethan thought this way, so he explained:


    "Normally, there wouldn''t be many advantages to doing something like this so early," he said, and Ethan nodded in agreement.


    "But there are special cases where it''s better to do it right away, especially in your case," he added, with a hint of excitement in his voice.


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    "You see, in the past period, the reports from our stores, where I primarily sold your pills, have shown a certain increase in earnings.


    And the main source of this increase seems to be the pills, more precisely, the pills you''ve produced," he said with a pleased tone.


    "My pills?" Ethan asked doubtfully.


    "Yes, your pills.


    You see, although our stores have always sold pills from various sources, they''ve never been our main focus.


    Not having a renowned expert at our disposal, people tend to buy pills more from other places, like the Medicine Pavilion stores, and this is essentially due to their reputation.


    People know they have a guarantee when buying from them.


    They know that the quality and validity of those pills will never be compromised.


    This leads our pill sales not to be very high, so we tend to promote other products more, where we are sure to be more successful.


    But this has changed recently.


    The few customers who bought your pills were satisfied enough to come back to us to buy more.


    As you know, when a product is good and the customer is satisfied with it, they often recommend it to their acquaintances, advising them to buy from where they did, and this has been the case for your pills.


    The effectiveness of your pills has been so impeccable that the number of people buying pills from us has increased by at least three times in the last month," Da Shu said, pleased.


    And why wouldn''t he be?


    After all, this not only brought him more earnings but also improved the image of his family''s stores.


    The influence of Da Shu''s family in Sun City was not yet strong enough to hold a large market share.


    Their influence in Sun City was secondary.


    They were still far from being able to rival the other families who had settled there before them and had more time to establish their influence.


    Da Shu personally cared little about commerce and was more interested in pursuing his cultivation path, so although he had some stores under his name, he didn''t pay much attention to them.


    As a result, his performance at the end of the year was always much lower than that of other members of his family.


    That said, although managing a part of his family''s business was secondary, it wasn''t that Da Shu didn''t care at all.


    His so-called monthly allowance, which he received from his family, was actually a share of the total monthly profits from the stores under his name.


    And the resources for cultivation that he bought were purchased using these earnings, so he knew that if he wanted to continue cultivating without too many worries, he at least had to dedicate some time to managing the business.


    So when he saw how much he had earned at the end of the month from the sales of Ethan''s pills, he was pleased.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but ask in a doubtful tone.


    "But wait, don''t I only sell level 1 pills?


    How do pills of that level attract so many customers?"


    Da Shu, hearing his friend''s question, almost fell off his chair and said with a strange expression:


    "Just level 1 pills?


    Do you have any idea how many people buy level 1 pills?


    Seventy percent of the pills sold in any city are level 1 pills.


    Most people don''t have a high enough income to afford higher-level pills, so they rely heavily on level 1 ones." he said.


    At that moment, Ethan''s eyes widened as he realized something.


    ''Right, higher-level pills are much more expensive.


    It''s not possible for common people to afford them without creating a big hole in their finances.''


    Ethan realized what was wrong with his earlier thinking.


    He had always thought that the higher the level of the pill, the more he would earn.


    But there was a flaw in this reasoning.


    Just because a pill was of a higher level didn''t mean there would be more customers for it;


    after all, it would cost more, and there was no way that a person with an average income would decide to spend money on a high-level pill if they didn''t need it.


    Selling level 1 pills in stores was fine because everyone could afford them, but it was a different case for higher-level pills.


    For example, if an ordinary store decided to sell a level 3 or even 4 pill, that store would only risk being robbed.


    Products of a certain level could only be sold safely in stores of a certain level.


    That''s why institutions like auction houses existed, where high-level and rare products were the order of the day and could be sold safely.


    The Medicine Pavilion, for example, had floors dedicated exclusively to products of this level, where only people with a certain income and status could access.


    Ethan had always taken level 1 pills lightly, but now he understood that by doing so, he was risking losing a great opportunity to make money.


    He also realized why it was better to establish his own brand from the start.


    If what Da Shu said was true, then this was a good opportunity for him to establish a good image for his brand.


    It was just as Da Shu had said before.


    Having a good image guaranteed the quality of your products, and if the image was good enough, you could even charge a slightly higher price than normal.


    And this, in other words, meant more money for him.


    At that moment, Ethan had an expression that shone, with his eyes almost taking the shape of a money sign.


    Da Shu, seeing that his friend finally understood, made a similar expression.


    There was no need for more words between the two.


    They could both tell what the other was thinking.


    If an elder of the sect had been there at that moment and heard their conversation and seen their expressions, he probably would have given them a few knocks to bring them back on the right path.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments or concerns, feel free to comment below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 65: A Spark of Hope.

    .


    After discussing the branding issue with Da Shu, Ethan got to work on creating one.


    For now, his main distributor would remain Da Shu, as he had done a good job so far, and Ethan saw no need to look for new ones.


    He spent quite some time thinking about his brand, specifically its design.


    Marking a product with a brand was simple, and anyone with minimal experience could imprint it during the final stage of pill refinement.


    The advantage of having a brand was that not only could you stand out from the competition, but you could also prevent others from using your name to sell their own pills.


    Imprinting the brand requires the alchemist to use their own spiritual energy signature, allowing others to recognize it.


    If the spiritual energy signature is different but the brand is the same, the buyer will be cautious about purchasing that product, preventing anyone from taking advantage of his brand.


    This also prevented others from buying his pills and reselling them at higher prices, though this wasn''t a concern at the moment since he mostly produced mid-grade pills.


    Ethan hadn''t yet elevated any other recipe to high-grade and didn''t intend to do so before raising the basic recovery recipe to the next level.


    Elevating even a single recipe to high-grade cost 100 points, and he didn''t have enough to elevate all the new recipes he had worked on to that level.


    For now, he was content to keep them at mid-grade, as they seemed to sell well enough even at that level.


    Ethan finally decided on his brand design.


    At the moment, he was in his spiritual sea, standing in front of a painting setup.


    He looked ahead with pride, admiring the design he had spent hours creating.


    Initially, he had remained in his bedroom pondering the brand design, but he eventually decided to move to his spiritual sea, where he had a bit more artistic freedom.


    Here, he only needed to think to generate what he wanted, as long as it was an inanimate object and preferably not too large.


    For example, after several tests, he realized he could easily conjure small objects like a fridge, a soda can, or some food, but if he tried to conjure larger objects like a house or a car, he couldn''t do it.


    According to what Bai Yu had told him, the manifestation of these objects required a certain amount of mental power.


    Ethan''s mental power was still insufficient to conjure too many things or objects that were too large, but following this logic, he might be able to do so in the future.


    Now, it''s not that he cared much about being able to conjure these objects, but it was reassuring to know that he might be able to do it in the future.


    Ethan thought he could practice his martial arts here, using imaginary tools of all kinds, since he couldn''t always do it outside, as the training area provided to the outer disciples was very limited both in size and tools.


    After admiring his masterpiece sufficiently, Ethan turned his gaze to his right, where a few meters away stood an elegant woman, and asked:


    "So, what do you think? You have to admit it didn''t turn out too bad this time."


    Bai Yu, who had been assisting Ethan for the past few hours, approached to take a closer look.


    The brand consisted of a black ring with golden lines engraved on it, with a stylized cauldron in the center. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noticing that the cauldron''s figure seemed somewhat familiar, she couldn''t help but ask.


    "So you decided to use the Seven Sages'' Amphora as your brand?"


    "Yeah, I needed something unique that represents me, and what better object than the Seven Sages'' Amphora to identify me?" Ethan said, convinced of his design.


    "The design itself isn''t bad, but it''s not very original. If you release this kind of brand in the upper heavens, you can be sure many people will pay you a ''friendly'' visit," Bai Yu said, shaking her head.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. I''m not even sure I''ll ever go to the upper heavens," Ethan said, shrugging.


    Bai Yu, who had returned to her cloud chair, spoke calmly.


    "If you maintain this cultivation speed, it won''t take many years for you to reach the peak of the mortal realm." she said.


    "And once you do, you''ll have little choice in the matter.


    After all, the heavens don''t allow beings who surpass a certain threshold to continue residing in the lower plane, as it would disturb the balance between the two planes."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but reflect on it for a moment.


    It''s not that he didn''t understand what she meant by these words.


    It was normal for the heavens to prevent beings who had reached a certain level, to remain in the lower heavens.


    After all, it was like putting a lion and a rabbit in the same cage. The result would have been predictable.


    And, It was just as she had said. If he intended to continue pursuing the path of cultivation, he would eventually have to leave this plane.


    He was still determined to find a way back home.


    After all, he had left many matters unresolved in his previous world, and he would never feel completely at ease knowing there might be a way to return, and he hadn''t taken it.


    That said, Ethan also knew that this desire of his wouldn''t be fulfilled in just a few years.


    In fact, he was sure he would remain here for quite some time, assuming there was indeed a way to go back.


    After returning to his room, Ethan decided to create some pills before going to bed, so he could imprint his brand on them and see how it looked.


    He pulled out all the materials and started refining.


    In just a few minutes, the process was complete, and he now held in his hand three high-grade Level 1 basic recovery pills.


    Unlike his previous ones, though, these had something different, a small black mark on the almost smooth surface, similar to the design Ethan had created in his sea of consciousness.


    The mark wasn''t very large, covering only a small part of the pill''s total surface.


    Although it was small, its details were still very visible, making it quite distinguishable to anyone.


    Ethan had to admit that he didn''t expect it to turn out this well on the first try.


    Nodding in satisfaction, Ethan placed the three pills in a small rectangular container, which also had his brand on the front, centered.


    He had decided that this would be the design of the container for his future high-level pills.


    This would be given to Da Shu for examination and to get his approval.


    Ethan wasn''t worried that he would reject the brand because he had had the chance to examine some famous brands of well-known masters and could say that his brand was just fine.


    Da Shu had provided him with an agenda depicting various famous brands, so he could study them and take inspiration, which he had done.


    Now that he had finished sorting this matter out, it was time for him to go to bed and then resume his usual routine tomorrow.


    According to Ethan''s calculations, if he kept up this pace, then in less than two weeks, he would have enough system points to upgrade his recipe.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to do it.


    Just the thought of having a Level 2 recipe at his current alchemist level excited him.


    Ethan didn''t know if he would be able to easily produce Level 2 pills, after all, he had never had the chance to make them, so he wasn''t sure if his current refining skills were high enough to do so.


    In the last few days, the system had only given him daily missions with rewards consisting mainly of Qi and refining materials.


    Yes, after the first week of refining, the system had also started providing him with materials.


    Although they were still of low quality, just the fact that such a thing was possible reignited a spark of hope in Ethan.


    This was because if, in the future, he needed certain materials that were too rare to obtain, then there was a possibility that the system would provide them in exchange for missions.


    Ethan really hoped this turned out to be true, as it would mean that even his material problem for future breakthroughs to higher stages might not be entirely hopeless.


    Ethan had no idea how much he would have to bleed to nurture his special physique in the future, but according to what Bai Yu had said, it wouldn''t be a walk in the park.


    Ethan didn''t doubt her words, so he sincerely hoped that his assumption would not be wrong.


    ''Haa, at least not all is lost yet.''


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    As you may have noticed, the chapter is slightly longer than usual.


    I''m trying to see if this length is okay or if it''s better to just write two chapters. I don''t know, let me know what you think.


    Looking forward to hearing from you.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 66: 1000 Sp

    .


    The next few days were pretty calm for Ethan.


    He would wake up in the morning, do his usual workout routine to keep his body in shape, and then spend at least three hours cultivating and consolidating his cultivation base.


    After that, he''d wash up and have breakfast.


    Once done, he''d lock himself in his room until evening, producing batch after batch of pills.


    This kind of routine might be tough for a normal person, but not for a cultivator, especially someone like Ethan.


    Even an alchemist dedicated to their craft wouldn''t spend all day making pills, mainly because they''d be overwhelmed by the mental fatigue from refining, which would lead to a higher failure rate in creating the pills.


    But this wasn''t a problem for Ethan.


    He had every single step of the process ingrained in his mind, so he could refine without stopping for hours on end.


    Ethan had confirmed that no matter how casually he approached the refinement of this level of pills, the final product would never be lacking in quality.


    So while refining, he could also dedicate part of his attention to other things, like calculating how many materials he had left and mentally noting how much more he''d need for the coming days.


    He often spent time chatting with Bai Yu, asking her for more information about the Heavenly Plane, and so on.


    This routine continued for almost two weeks, and in these two weeks, the number of pills he produced was nearly double that of previous batches.


    Material shortages weren''t a problem at the moment since he had plenty of money, and thanks to Da Shu''s connections, he could always find them at a good price.


    At first, Da Shu was happy about this sudden surge in pills, but even he couldn''t help worrying about his friend''s health, so he tried to talk to him.


    But he soon discovered that his worries were unfounded, as his friend seemed to be in good shape and showed no signs of excessive fatigue.


    He didn''t know how Ethan managed to stay healthy and continue producing so many pills in such a short time, but he eventually came to terms with it.


    The sales of his pills didn''t seem to decrease, and gradually, more and more customers who wanted to buy from his stores started showing up.


    For any merchant, this was a dream come true, and it was the same for Da Shu.


    The days passed, and nothing special happened, except that Ethan made yet another breakthrough, reaching level 8. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That''s right, level 8.


    While the rest of the sect''s disciples struggled to reach level 3, with the more talented ones at level 5, Ethan was climbing the levels like he was walking up the steps of a regular staircase.


    If others knew about his cultivation speed, they''d die of envy, wondering what on earth they were doing wrong to have such a huge difference in cultivation between them and Ethan.


    Ethan, on the other hand, didn''t worry much about his breakthrough and continued with his usual routine.


    And so Ethan kept producing pill after pill for a while, until there were less than two weeks left before the end-of-year trial.


    At this moment, Ethan was in his dorm room.


    Usually, at this time of day, he should be busy refining new pills, but right now, he was standing still, examining a system window in front of him.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 8 --> Lvl. 9)


    QI: 632/1000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 79 --> 90


    Agility: 71 --> 82


    Intelligence: 80 --> 91


    Soul Strength: 126 --> 128


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 1007


    -------------------------------]


    .


    "1007 points, finally."


    Ethan had been tirelessly refining pill after pill in the last few days, allowing himself only brief breaks, which mainly consisted of meals and sleep.


    With his current cultivation, he could avoid sleeping for a few days and not suffer much, but he didn''t. One of the things he rarely gave up was sleep.


    He had a love-hate relationship with sleep.


    He hated the fact that a normal human spends at least one-third of their life sleeping.


    When he was in his previous world and was still in university, he wanted to have more time to dedicate to his studies.


    With university and part-time work, he only had a few hours to rest, and from those, he had to save at least an hour or two for studying.


    If it were up to him, he would have gladly skipped sleep, but he knew that skipping even one day would do more harm than good, so he tried to get at least a certain number of hours of rest each day.


    The situation had changed a bit since he arrived here.


    Besides practicing and cultivating, he didn''t have much else to do, so he had more than enough time to dedicate to his sleep.


    One of the things taught in every sect in this world was how to balance the various needs of your body.


    During the few lessons given by the sect elders each month, they always explained how to cultivate more efficiently without causing any harm to your body or mind.


    Ethan had to admit that these little lessons given by the sect were somewhat enlightening.


    So even though participation in these sessions wasn''t mandatory, Ethan would sometimes attend them.


    This had obviously changed in the last few months.


    With the constant pressure of his cultivation problem, Ethan was always anxious while constantly trying to break through.


    But now he didn''t have to face any of those problems, and in fact, his mood had greatly improved recently.


    So even though he spent many hours a day refining, it didn''t constitute any kind of burden to him.


    Seeing that he had finally reached a thousand points, Ethan took some time to admire the hard-earned points gained with so much effort and sweat.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Ethan proceeded to open the shop''s status screen.


    In a flash, a floating blue window appeared in front of him, and on it, several options could be seen listed.


    Unlike before, Ethan now had at least five new options available, which reflected the recipes he had learned in the last period.


    But Ethan didn''t waste time examining them and proceeded to choose the first item on the list.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: High


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 95%.


    [Upgrade] (1000 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    "Level 2 recipe, here I come."


    He pressed the [Upgrade] button without hesitation and waited for the process to begin.


    Immediately after, a stream of information started to flow into his head.


    Ethan was used to it by now, and with his ever-increasing cultivation, his mental resistance to pain had increased as well, so he didn''t prepare himself like the last few times to receive the pain.


    He knew that at most, he would get a slight headache.


    The information continued to flow little by little into his head, and as Ethan calmly waited, he decided to examine the information that had already arrived.


    "Let''s see."


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 67: A Legend Coming True

    .


    Ethan began to sift through the recipe section he had received.


    He examined the information piece by piece, and the more he examined, the brighter his expression became with joy.


    "This is brilliant. By doing this, I could further increase the purity while keeping the material doses the same."


    Ethan had to admit that some of this information was very useful for further improving the recipe, making its final effect exceed expectations.


    But after examining the recipe a bit, he noticed something.


    "Why haven''t the materials for the refinement changed?"


    It was known that when advancing from a recipe of one level to a higher level, the materials listed for use would also change.


    Sometimes, some materials were replaced with others with better effects.


    Other times, instead of replacing some materials, the existing ones remained, and new ones were simply added.


    It was normal, after all, if you wanted to improve a pill, you needed to work on its refining materials.


    But the problem was that so far, Ethan hadn''t seen either of these situations occur.


    "now, this is strange."


    Although the recipe clearly seemed better than before, Ethan couldn''t help but frown over this small detail.


    He decided to wait until the end and see if, once the recipe was fully downloaded, there would be any changes to the materials.


    He didn''t have to wait long for this.


    In just a few seconds, the rest of the improved recipe information was downloaded into Ethan''s mind.


    Seeing that the process was complete, he wasted no time and opened the system screen to view the new information on the recipe.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: Perfect


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill is 100%.


    [Upgrade] (1000 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the information of the improved recipe, Ethan''s breath momentarily stopped.


    "Perfect grade?!"


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react.


    As he first read the new information, he was confused to see that the recipe''s level was still the same, but as soon as he read the line of information below, he was confused but also excited.


    A perfect-grade pill.


    A legendary pill, never seen before, whose existence was only known from some ancient texts Ethan had read.


    He knew that in this era, there had never been a perfect-grade pill.


    No matter how much the alchemist masters, and even grandmaster alchemists, tried, none of them had ever managed to refine a pill with purity higher than 99%.


    At this point, everyone thought that the old documents referring to this pill were merely legends.


    And it was normal for them to think so; after all, there was no exact evidence of the existence of a pill of this grade. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now all that was collapsing in front of the recipe Ethan had just learned.


    "No, how is this possible?"


    Ethan wondered how a pill that even grandmasters could not produce had an actual recipe.


    He couldn''t imagine what kind of effect such a pill would have on the body.


    High-grade pills were already quite good and did their job wonderfully, but what would a level 1 perfect-grade pill be like?


    Ethan didn''t know, but he doubted it would be inferior, given the rarity of the pill.


    It probably wouldn''t be worse than a high-grade pill, and maybe it would achieve the effect of a level 2 pill.


    It was normal to think so; after all, the recipe was still level 1. It was not possible for the pill to surpass a level 2 pill.


    But it mattered little; even achieving an effect close to a level 2 pill would be more than enough to amaze anyone.


    Ethan didn''t even bother to look at the system notification congratulating him for obtaining a perfect-grade recipe for the first time and immediately set about refining the pill, following the recipe''s instructions to the letter.


    His movements, as usual, were fast but at the same time fluid and flawless.


    He had refined this pill so many times that he couldn''t make a mistake even if he tried.


    The recipe''s details were similar to the previous one, with small details here and there that helped perfect some steps.


    It took Ethan slightly more time than usual, but in the end, he finished the refinement, and at that moment, he heard the system notification.


    DING!


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 20 QI]


    Seeing the system confirmation, Ethan let out a sigh as he calmed his quickened heartbeat.


    He didn''t even miss noticing the amount of QI he had received this time.


    "Twice as much as a high-grade level 1 pill."


    But the system messages didn''t end there.


    [Congratulations to the guest for creating their first perfect-grade pill]


    [You have received 100 QI]


    And with this, his experience bar made a big leap towards reaching the end of level 9.


    Ethan had become insensitive to his high cultivation speed, or rather, to the high amount of QI he was gaining from the system.


    He had almost reached the threshold of the Body Refining stage and was just a little short of reaching the peak of this stage.


    Initially, Ethan thought that once he did this, he would proceed to ascend to the next stage, but it seemed that this time he would need to further elevate his physique to do so.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to see what requirements the system would ask for him to ascend to the next stage, but for now, this wasn''t important.


    What mattered more was what to do with this perfect-grade pill, which he probably knew was the only one in existence, at least in the mortal realm.


    Bai Yu didn''t seem to have reacted to all this, so he wondered if perfect-grade pills existed in the higher heavens.


    He intended to talk to her about this topic the next time he visited his sea of consciousness.


    For now, he needed to see what to do with this perfect-grade pill.


    .


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 68: Zhang Mei ling

    .


    Ethan had immediately dismissed the idea of selling such a pill on the market because he was certain it would create a huge uproar.


    An ordinary person might not notice the peculiarity of this pill and would simply consume it, thinking it had slightly better effects than usual.


    But it would be different for more experienced alchemists.


    If by chance, the pill ended up in the hands of an expert alchemist or even a master alchemist, Ethan was sure they would immediately notice something strange about the pill.


    As soon as they examined it with their essence, they would realize that the pill had no impurities at all.


    For now, Ethan was confident that, aside from Da Shu, no one had any idea that behind all these high-grade level 1 pills was a 21-year-old like him.


    But if a perfect-grade pill were to be put on the market, his cover would undoubtedly be blown.


    Ethan had spent the last year with Da Shu and had naturally developed a certain mutual trust.


    He was sure his friend wouldn''t betray him, but the problem was that it might not be up to him.


    A master alchemist pressuring a family of Da Shu''s level would be enough, let alone two or even three.


    The appearance of a perfect-grade pill would attract the attention of many, and Ethan knew he couldn''t afford to sell it so lightly.


    After considering all this, he decided to keep the perfect-grade pills to himself for now and not reveal them to the world.


    His strength was currently insufficient, and he had no real need to sell such a pill.


    He was already starting to earn a lot from the current sale of his pills.


    There was no need to overdo it. He would only be shooting himself in the foot by doing so.


    He took a deep breath and placed the pill in his dimensional pocket.


    There was no need to store it in any special container.


    The dimensional pocket itself was the best container to preserve the state of things.


    Ethan thought for a moment about what he needed to do at the moment.


    With his strength continuously rising, he temporarily had one less weight on his shoulders.


    With the constant flow of soul energy coming in, another burden was also lifted for now.


    His only current concern was nourishing his special physique.


    He still had no idea what it needed to become stronger, but he knew that the answer might come once he reached the peak of his current cultivation level.


    So, he decided to rest today, as it was already night, and would focus on gathering the remaining amount of QI tomorrow.


    ***


    The next day, while Ethan was still sleeping, ready to wake up with a fresh mind and fully restored body, in a villa south of Sun City, someone else didn''t have the privilege of doing the same.


    At the Zhang family manor, Zhang Mei Ling was having a severe headache as she reviewed the earnings from her family''s various businesses.


    She was the second-born of the current head of the Zhang family, and as such, she held a certain status within the family.


    From a young age, she had demonstrated great talent, succeeding in everything she set her mind to. From studying ancient texts to cultivation itself, everything had come easy to her.


    If not for her older brother, she would have undoubtedly been the family''s crown jewel. But even though she wasn''t, she was still held in high regard by everyone.


    Now over thirty, she was still unmarried and had no intention of getting married anytime soon.


    Her family had tried several times to find her a suitable partner from another prestigious family, but she had always refused.


    Although her family thought it was a pity, no one dared to pressure her too much because she had proven herself more than capable over the years.


    In fact, she currently managed some of the family''s most important businesses, and as expected, they were thriving under her care.


    Every year, the revenue the family received from these activities was better than in previous years.


    This, for her, was like a shield that would protect her freedom for years to come.


    She hated the idea of marrying anyone her family presented her with, seeing it merely as a method adopted by the elders to forge connections with other forces.


    Zhang Mei Ling was an ambitious woman who wouldn''t let anyone decide for her.


    Therefore, she did everything in her power to maintain her current level of freedom.


    This was the case until she received the performance report from the last few months of some of her smaller shops.


    Turning her gaze towards the figure of a girl who was standing a short distance away from her to the side, she said:


    "Why has the performance of these shops dropped so much in the past few months?


    Are they facing some kind of problem?" she asked, her voice betraying no emotion.


    The girl, who was Zhang Mei Ling''s secretary, promptly responded, as if she had already expected to be asked this question:


    "My lady, the shops are functioning as usual.


    The problem is that in recent times, the flow of people passing by these shops has started to decrease slightly," she said.


    Zhang Mei Ling nodded silently, waiting for the girl to continue her report.


    "We''ve investigated the matter a bit, and it turns out that more and more people have started visiting the Peng family''s shops."


    "Hm? The Pengs?"


    Zhang Mei Ling thought for a moment, and then remembered one of the many small families in Sun City.


    She knew the Peng family due to their rapid growth, but also knew that in recent years, their growth had slowed down considerably.


    They were still far from being able to rival families like the Zhangs.


    Recalling who they were, she furrowed her brow and asked:


    "What could the Peng family have possibly done to attract so many customers?"


    The girl, hearing the question, handed a sheet of paper to her employer and said:


    "The Peng family itself hasn''t made any significant moves, but recently, some of their shops, managed by one of their younger members, have started selling level 1 pills of all three grades.


    Normally, this wouldn''t be an issue since they''ve been doing this for some time, but unlike before, this time, it seems the quality of the pills they sell is consistently quite good.


    Almost everyone who has bought from them hasn''t had any complaints and has been fairly satisfied.


    This has gradually led more people to buy from them, causing us to lose some of our customers.


    Their level 1 pill prices are slightly lower than ours, and with the quality guaranteed, people think they''re a better option."


    Hearing this, Zhang Mei Ling nodded and reflected on the matter for a moment.


    After a while, she asked her secretary:


    "Do you think we should be concerned about this?"


    She had already made a decision on the matter but wanted to see what her secretary thought, to get a second opinion on it.


    "Although this was a bit unexpected, I don''t think we should be worried.


    From what I''ve gathered, their sudden growth is based solely on a few level 1 pills and nothing else.


    As you know, a single product isn''t enough to significantly change the situation in the pill market.


    I think we can ignore them for now, as it''s a minor issue.


    Their production, although good, is still far from meeting the market demand for level 1 pills.


    And with other families always ready to attack the Zhang family''s interests at the first opportunity, I don''t think it''s necessary for us to focus our forces on them at the moment."


    She said, maintaining a calm tone.


    Zhang Mei Ling nodded at her secretary''s response.


    Her thoughts were similar to hers.


    She also believed that there was no need for them to act. Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As her secretary had said, the Peng family''s pill production was far from threatening their family''s interests.


    So, she decided to put the matter aside, focusing her attention on more important issues.


    Unfortunately for her, she would soon regret taking this issue too lightly.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 69: Level 10

    .


    After waking up, Ethan did his usual workout routine.


    It didn''t take long.


    In just over an hour, he was finished, and he had even showered and had breakfast.


    Now that he had finally completed all his morning activities, it was time to refine more pills to fill the remaining Qi needed to reach the next level.


    As usual, he entered his room and closed the door to avoid being disturbed during the refinement process.


    He took out his cauldron and placed it over the fire, which he lit using his blue lotus flame.


    As he pulled out the materials for the refinement, Ethan couldn''t help but notice something.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Bronze Cauldron]


    Name: Bronze Cauldron


    Grade: Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, which, with the passage of time, has lost its former splendor but still retains its hidden value, ready to be revealed by those who know how to fully exploit it.


    Requirements for the upgrade:


    - Refine 1000 Level 1 low-grade pills (732/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 1 mid-grade pills (100/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 1 high-grade pills (10/10)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Ethan realized that lately he had prepared so many pills, yet his cauldron was still at the same level.


    Seeing its statistics, he understood why. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Just as I thought.''


    After obtaining the mid-grade and high-grade recipes, Ethan had practically stopped producing low-grade pills in large quantities.


    If the counter for mid-grade and high-grade pills hadn''t maxed out so quickly, Ethan was sure that the total number of those pills would have exceeded, or at least been very close to, the number of low-grade pills he had produced.


    And that was normal; after all, he earned much more by selling higher-quality pills than low-grade ones.


    He wondered if he should increase the production of those pills just to level up his cauldron.


    But the problem was that, no matter how fast he was at production, to create the quantity of pills required to complete this task, Ethan would need at least two days, and the amount of Qi he would receive would be far less than what he needed to reach Level 10.


    So, he decided to set the matter aside for the moment.


    He didn''t need a more powerful cauldron at the moment.


    The one he had was more than sufficient for his current pill production.


    Ethan had decided that he would think about upgrading it to the next level after he ascended to the Qi Refining stage.


    And so, with that decision made, Ethan began refining.


    He had decided to produce high-grade pills since he was able to produce at least three of them per batch of materials, in other words, 30 Qi per batch. Unlike perfect-grade pills, which he had noticed he could only produce one per batch. It was fine, given the high grade of the pill, but it wasn''t ideal for now because he would receive 20 Qi less if he chose to make it.


    For now, he wanted to focus solely on gathering Qi and nothing else, so he decided to refine high-level pills.


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    As usual, he produced batches of pills one after another as if it were nothing.


    At this sight, any alchemist of his level, or even a higher grade, would surely cough up blood.


    But Ethan didn''t seem to care.


    He prepared the pills, stored them in his dimensional space, and then started again.


    This is more or less what he had been doing for the past few hours.


    The more batches of pills he produced, the closer he got to his goal.


    At a certain point, Ethan began to feel that he was nearing the peak of his current level.


    ''Just one last effort.''


    And in no time, the remaining Qi he needed was accumulated.


    Right after producing his 29th batch of high-grade pills, Ethan felt that the limit had been reached.


    Ethan didn''t start preparing a new batch, but instead prepared himself to welcome whatever was about to happen.


    A familiar sensation of energy filled his body as he immediately sat in a meditation position and focused on his breakthrough to level 10.


    The spiritual energy in his body was boiling and began to pervade his entire body from head to toe.


    The breakthrough was beginning.


    Ethan knew that this was the last breakthrough he would make in the Body Refining stage, and he also knew that this was the last time his body would expel the remaining impurities.


    As he had said earlier, there were three occasions when this situation would occur.


    One was when successfully entering the first stage of cultivation.


    The second was when reaching the halfway point of that stage, in other words, the fifth level of the Body Refining stage.


    And finally, the last, but not least important, one was at the end of the first stage, namely the tenth level of Body Refining.


    Ethan knew this, so this time he had prepared in advance.


    The last thing he wanted to do was clean his room after the breakthrough, like the last two times, so he made sure to move all his stuff into the dimensional space and cover the walls with a layer of paper, easy to remove.


    Normally, people would go to cultivation chambers, which were designed for situations like this, but after the first few times, Ethan had decided not to.


    You had to register your presence every time you used those chambers, and although it was common for disciples to use them frequently, it wasn''t normal to see someone break through so many times in a month.


    Ethan wanted to avoid anyone noticing his rapid growth.


    He could still somewhat justify his progress if he claimed it took him a whole year to do it, but he wouldn''t be able to if they discovered he had done it in just over a month.


    Although doing it in a year was still very fast compared to most people, it was still within acceptable limits.


    At most, he would be regarded as a rare genius appearing once in a thousand years, or something like that.


    Even though Ethan still hoped he wouldn''t have to fully reveal himself.


    If possible, he wanted to keep a low profile for as long as he could.


    He might have reached the peak of Body Refining, but that didn''t mean he had become very strong.


    He was definitely stronger than before, but considering that he was still in the first stage of cultivation, with four more stages to reach, it wasn''t wrong to say that he was still at the bottom of the hierarchy.


    Ethan knew very well how bad his luck was, so he didn''t want to take any risks if he could avoid them.


    Especially now that things seemed to be going well for him.


    From money to cultivation itself, everything seemed to be going smoothly.


    Some more time passed, and finally, his breakthrough reached its climax.


    BOOM!


    As expected, with the breakthrough came the impurities.


    He could feel that his body temperature was slightly high, and his breathing was a bit rapid.


    Ethan took a few seconds to calm the Qi in his body.


    After about a minute, he finally recovered.


    He could tell he had reached the peak of this stage, but he could also feel that a new path had opened up for him.


    Ethan''s thoughts paused for a moment.


    ''Wait a minute...


    What the hell?!''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 70: Another Breakthrough

    .


    He was ready to feel a sensation similar to what he had experienced when he couldn''t break through to the first stage, but instead, he felt that a new path, even broader than the previous one, had opened up before him.


    Ethan had no idea what it felt like to cross the threshold separating one cultivation stage from another, but he assumed it was probably something like the sensation he was feeling at that moment.


    However, it had to be impossible, especially for people like him with a special physique.


    They would have to work a bit harder because they not only had to transition from one stage to another, but also ensure their physique was ready for it, or risk damaging their cultivation base.


    After all, the physique was the foundation that would support future breakthroughs, and if it had weaknesses, the foundation would eventually collapse. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan was a bit confused, so he wasted no time and checked his status screen to see what was happening.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 9--> Lvl. 10) MAX


    QI: 1000/1000 (+20)


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 90 --> 100 (+1)


    Agility: 82 --> 96


    Intelligence: 91 --> 100 (+2)


    Soul Strength: 128 --> 130


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 102


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the changes in his statistics, Ethan was momentarily confused.


    His stats had clearly increased, but nothing here seemed to justify the sensation he had just experienced.


    And there was another thing that seemed a bit strange.


    ''Why are there statistics in parentheses?''


    Ethan knew that if there was a number in parentheses, it probably meant that it was meant to be attributed to him but was being withheld due to some limitations.


    For example, when he was still blocked in his cultivation and couldn''t enter the first stage, no matter how hard he tried, the extra Qi seemed to be stored somewhere, ready to be collected.


    A bit like what was happening now, where 20 Qi seemed to be there but hadn''t been given to him yet.


    What he didn''t expect to see was that even points from his physical attributes had been withheld.


    ''Wait a minute''


    Ethan noticed something strange.


    ''All attributes, except spiritual strength, didn''t seem to be able to surpass the threshold of 100 points.''


    Ethan hadn''t noticed this before, but seeing that only the attributes that had reached 100 points seemed to present this anomaly.


    Doing the math, Ethan concluded that there might also be a maximum limit of attribute points that each attribute could have for each cultivation stage.


    This made sense, given that this problem was only occurring now that he had reached the peak of this stage.


    But that didn''t explain the sensation of having no restrictions that seemed to be present at this moment.


    Then his attention was caught by a familiar sound.


    DING!


    [Congratulations to the host for reaching the peak of Body Refining.]


    Seeing this notification, Ethan had a premonition.


    ''Maybe��''


    And to answer his doubts, the next moment, another notification appeared before him.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    It is possible to break through to the next stage.


    [Cost: 100 Sp]


    Do you want to proceed?


    Yes/No


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    For a moment, the faint breath of air entering the room through the window seemed to stop.


    And Ethan, with a face devoid of any expression, seemed to look blankly at what was in front of him.


    If Ethan had been drinking something at that moment, he would have likely spat it out all at once.


    And why wouldn''t he have done so?


    At this moment, the system, his cheat code, his golden finger, his manna from heaven, had given him the chance to enter the next stage out of nowhere, without undergoing a trial or any other difficulty one might expect.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at that moment.


    On one hand, he was happy that the system was only asking for a mere 100 system points to break through. On the other hand, he was a bit unhappy.


    It was because he had spent the last month worrying about what kind of trial or requirements he would have to face to advance to the Qi Refining stage.


    Bai Yu had previously mentioned that although he wouldn''t face many major problems in the lower stages, there would still be some challenges.


    But it seemed he wouldn''t have to face them, because the system had practically paved the way for him.


    Ethan didn''t know what was happening, but one thing was certain.


    He definitely wouldn''t miss this opportunity to make another step forward in his cultivation.


    [Yes]


    As soon as he pressed the option to proceed, he felt a change occurring in his body.


    "Hm? It seems to be coming from my dantian."


    Ethan calmed down and focused his attention on the flow of Qi circulating through his body.


    He could see that its speed had clearly increased.


    By concentrating a bit more, he could see what was happening in his core.


    ''The Qi is condensing?''


    Indeed, in his core, the Qi that had been stored began to become denser and denser.


    The Qi present in his body continued to condense until a subtle, almost imperceptible glimmer emerged from it and fell onto the inner surface of his core.


    Tip!


    ''A drop?''


    Exactly, a drop,


    a drop of condensed Qi.


    Just as Ethan wondered what was happening, another drop fell, and then another.


    Little by little, all the Qi that had condensed in the core vanished, leaving behind a small amount of liquid that Ethan realized was condensed Qi.


    It didn''t take Ethan long to understand what was happening.


    Over the past year, aside from exploring various methods to aid his cultivation, Ethan had also learned more about the cultivation process itself.


    With knowledge of the various stages of cultivation, Ethan had come to understand what happened in the first three stages.


    From what he recalled, the first stage of cultivation was to lay the foundation upon which the rest of the cultivation would be built.


    In the second stage of cultivation, the focus shifted from the body to the Qi that was accumulated in the dantian.


    This Qi, still in gaseous form, would be accumulated several times and refined into what appeared to be liquid Qi.


    The process was very similar to how the air high up in the sky condenses into clouds, which then condense further to become water.


    The same process was happening at this stage of cultivation.


    Here, the Qi was not only being refined but any impurities in it were being removed, rendering it pure Qi, ready to be used by the body for future breakthroughs.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 71: Wait a minute...

    .While what was happening in his core, a faint white aura began to surround Ethan''s body.


    It was subtle, almost transparent.


    If someone hadn''t looked at it closely, they wouldn''t have noticed this aura.


    That said, it didn''t go unnoticed.


    Bai Yu, who was resting in Ethan''s sea of consciousness, sensing a familiar fluctuation, woke up.


    "Hmm? What''s happening?"


    She appeared in her human form on the mirror of water and looked up, where in the distance, she could see the figure of the Seven Sages'' Amphora beginning to glow.


    At this sight, Bai Yu''s eyebrows furrowed, and a thought crossed her mind.


    "No, it''s not possible."


    She focused her mental strength and sent a fluctuation outward to see what was happening.


    In that moment, a transparent figure of a young man appeared in her mind.


    "Is that him...?"


    Around the abdomen area of the young man, particles were accumulating, and a faint white light was beginning to form.


    "He''s entering the Qi refining stage?! But, how is it possible? He should have just reached the peak of body refining. It''s impossible for him to be entering Qi refining already."


    While she was contemplating the issue, the amphora of the Seven Sages did not stop.


    Just like last time, a series of runes began to glow on it.


    One of them was dimming, and another close to it was starting to lose its brilliance.


    As this rune lost its glow, strange yellow particles flew out from it and headed downward, right where Bai Yu was.


    In the blink of an eye, these particles reached her, and before she could react, they surrounded her and began to swirl around her.


    Unaware of what was happening in his sea of consciousness, Ethan, immersed in the process of breaking through to the next stage, began to regain his senses and gradually opened his eyes.


    When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the dirty walls of his room, which hadn''t been cleaned since he reached level 10 of the previous stage.


    But he didn''t pay them much attention. At the moment, he was focused on his body and the strange, somewhat otherworldly aura he was sensing.


    "Is this the manifestation of spiritual energy?" S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Manifestation of spiritual energy.


    When a cultivator reaches the Qi refining stage, their affinity with the surrounding Qi increases, allowing them to have some control over it.


    It is at this stage that cultivators begin to show their true capabilities.


    The manifestation of spiritual energy varies from cultivator to cultivator.


    Each can manifest it with the element they are most attuned to.


    For example, if a cultivator manifests Qi and the aura they are able to harness is a precious color, it means their affinity with the element associated with that color is higher than with any other.


    Essentially, everyone has a slight influence over the four main elements present in nature, but each person shines more in only one of them.


    This is true for most people.


    There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, individuals who awaken not just one but two affinities with elements.


    These individuals are rare, but they are not hard to find in the three ruling sects of the Long Empire.


    As far as Ethan remembered, the colors of the elements were:


    Red for fire.


    Blue for water.


    Brown for earth.


    And gray for air.


    There were also some color shades that were essentially a mix of the above colors, and depending on the mix, one could determine the element.


    These elements were somewhat rarer compared to the primary four and were highly regarded, as their bearers could unleash a power that often overshadowed the basic elements.


    The problem was that Ethan didn''t recall anyone having a white hue like his.


    "Continuing to stumble upon one mystery after another,"


    Ethan thought, unsure whether to laugh or cry.


    He had no grand plan for when he would break through to the Qi refining stage, which was why he didn''t expect to enter it so soon.


    He was sure it would take him at least another month or more, depending on the requirements he might face, but who would have thought the system would throw all that out the window, and he would enter the next stage so quickly.


    Not that he was complaining; the sooner he entered, the sooner he would reach the next stage.


    Thinking about this, Ethan decided to check his status screen to see what had changed this time.


    He didn''t expect any changes in his physical stats; he was more interested in seeing how much Qi it would take to level up in this stage.


    So, with a mental command, he opened the transparent blue status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Qi Refining (Lvl. 1)


    QI: 20/2000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 101


    Agility: 96


    Intelligence: 102


    Soul Strength: 130


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 2


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing his body''s stats as he expected, he nodded.


    "Just as I expected."


    But as soon as he saw the number on his experience bar, his expression changed.


    "F*ck."


    Ethan expected the amount of Qi required to level up in the next stage to be a bit higher than before, but this exceeded his expectations.


    If just for level 2 he needed to earn 2000 Qi, and considering how the Qi requirement had increased in the levels of the previous stage, Ethan didn''t know how to feel.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if this was what normal cultivators without a system had to face, but he knew he would have his fair share of cultivation/refinement to do.


    Lost in the excitement of the moment, Ethan forgot to check the other system messages he had received after his breakthrough.


    Just as he was closing his system screen and raising his head to look at the mess he needed to clean up, a voice reached his ears.


    "Well, this is unexpected."


    "Yeah, tell me about it," Ethan responded but then stopped.


    ''Wait a minute...''


    It wasn''t that the voice was unfamiliar; in fact, he knew it quite well.


    But because the voice belonged to someone he knew, hearing it coming not from his head but from directly in front of him made him pause.


    Slowly, as if his neck were rusty, Ethan lifted his head to look in front of him.


    There, half a meter away, the figure of a woman stood before him, observing her surroundings.


    Ethan immediately felt sweat cover his back as he wondered if what he was witnessing was real or not.


    ''No, it''s just an illusion, just an illusion. How is it possible that she is here?''


    Ethan was quick to deny what he was seeing at that moment.


    The slightly transparent figure of the woman, having finally noticed Ethan''s presence, gave him a curious look.


    Then, to confirm that she wasn''t a product of Ethan''s mind, she said:


    "It seems I might not have to wait too long before I can fully free myself."


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 72: New System Features

    .Ethan was beginning to develop a kind of tolerance for the constant surprises he kept encountering in this short period of time.


    First, the fact that he hardly needed to do anything to advance to the next stage, then the fact that the amount of Qi required for the next advancements was much higher than he had anticipated.


    And now this...


    "..."


    "..."


    For a moment, neither of them spoke, just looking at each other.


    Then, as if to break the ice, Bai Yu said with a mischievous expression,


    "You know, you shouldn''t stare at a woman so intensely," she said with a small, playful smile.


    Ethan almost coughed up blood at Bai Yu''s sudden statement.


    Recovering a bit from his latest shock, he managed to say a single word,


    "How?"


    Bai Yu, hearing this, furrowed her brow slightly and asked,


    "How what?"


    "I mean, how is it possible that you''re here?


    Shouldn''t you still be sealed in my sea of consciousness?" Ethan finally blurted out everything that had been running through his mind.


    "Oh."


    Understanding what he meant, Bai Yu simply said,


    "Well, it''s obviously because you''ve made a breakthrough in cultivation," as if this should answer all questions.


    And in a way, it did, but for Ethan, who was still a bit confused, the meaning wasn''t immediately clear.


    Seeing that Ethan didn''t seem to understand, Bai Yu said, shaking her head a little,


    "As you know, the further you advance, the more the seal holding me back weakens.


    Just like when you reached halfway through the first stage of cultivation, now that you''ve broken through, the seal has loosened a bit more."


    At these words, Ethan seemed to finally understand.


    "Although it''s a bit unexpected that I can already leave your spiritual sea, it''s not exactly something unbelievable, considering that only a part of me managed to do so.


    What you see is my spiritual body, somewhat like the one I had when I appeared in my human form in your sea of consciousness," she explained, furrowing her brow slightly as she began to look around again.


    It seemed she could also perceive smells, and Ethan''s room, still covered in the black liquid, certainly had a strong, nauseating odor.


    Bai Yu, sensing this smell, lost the desire to explore the world outside of Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    "Well, it seems you have some work to do," she said before disappearing from sight.


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t understand this sudden retreat, but he soon realized what the problem was.


    "Right, I still need to clean up this mess."


    He quickly set to work cleaning the room.


    Unlike the last two times, this time it was quicker because he had already made the necessary preparations for such eventualities.


    In about ten minutes, the room returned to its normal state.


    Ethan had opened his room''s window at the start, so while he cleaned, the smell inside gradually dissipated. He also cleaned himself up.


    He didn''t intend to break through naked just to avoid dirtying his clothes, so he had to wash them too.


    There were no washing machines or anything like that here, nor were there proper cleaning products like detergents, so he had to put in the effort to do everything by hand.


    Afterward, he made himself comfortable on his bed and began to explore the system a bit.


    He remembered receiving other notifications after his breakthrough, but hadn''t been able to check them at the time due to the unusual and unexpected situation he found himself in.


    Now that he had some free time, he decided to take a look at the notifications.


    Opening the system screen, Ethan was bombarded by several messages that began to appear one after another.


    [Congratulations to the host for successfully breaking through to the Qi Refining cultivation stage.]


    [You have unlocked a new function in the shop.]


    [Function: Alchemy Lab]


    [Congratulations, you have unlocked a feature in the dimensional space.]


    [Function: Minor Dimension]


    Ethan thought that after his sudden advancement to the next stage, nothing would surprise him for a while, but seeing these system notifications, he had to admit he was now a bit curious about what he had received.


    He wasn''t sure what the Alchemy Lab would do, but just the second notification alone had managed to capture his interest.


    A Minor Dimension?


    Ethan wasn''t sure how this dimension differed from his dimensional space, where he stored things, but he had a feeling it was definitely something good.


    Just thinking about how many times the system had amazed him lately made Ethan realize that whatever it was, it wouldn''t be anything bad.


    From helping him unlock his special physique to pushing him into the Qi Refining stage in exchange for some SP, the system had never let him down, so he was eager to check out the information on these new features.


    Without wasting time, he pressed the [Shop] button and opened the screen to see what had changed.


    The screen opened instantly, showing him the usual list of items he could buy,in other words, he saw the usual list of pill recipes ready to be upgraded.


    Now that he had seen how far he could take each recipe, he decided he would check with Da Shu which pills were more popular and had a better chance of bringing him more profit.


    Upgrading all the recipes to a high grade was still a bit out of Ethan''s reach, but doing so for one or two recipes wasn''t difficult.


    Even more so now that the Basic Recovery Pill recipe had been upgraded to perfect grade, Ethan wanted to see if he could now level it up or not.


    He had initially thought it was possible because he hadn''t considered that the system could elevate recipes to perfect grade, but seeing that it could improve his high-grade recipe, he immediately thought of the next level.


    But now that he had discovered that it wasn''t about leveling up, but rather that there was still one more grade to reach, Ethan wanted to check if it was still possible to improve it.


    He was sure there was no other grade beyond perfect, because that would then render any usefulness of higher-level pills meaningless.


    Already at its current grade, Ethan thought the pill could be compared to a level 2 pill. So, as soon as the list appeared, he immediately searched for the Recovery Pill recipe.


    He vaguely remembered the recipe information when he last checked it after the upgrade to the perfect grade.


    He wasn''t sure, but he believed he had seen the [Upgrade] button still available at the bottom.


    Back then, he had been a bit overwhelmed by the perfect grade recipe, so aside from checking its effects, he hadn''t looked into anything else. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was uncertain if further upgrades were still possible.


    He didn''t take long to find it and identified it right away.


    Apparently, the recipe was still at the top of the items list, retaining its usual appearance.


    This reassured Ethan.


    He had expected to see it grayed out or something similar, like when an item in a video game is depleted or unavailable, losing its color or brightness.


    Ethan subconsciously treated the system like something similar to what he had seen in those video games from his previous world, so he couldn''t help but make this comparison.


    Without wasting any time, he clicked on the recipe option, and a new screen opened in front of him.


    .


    [---------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade:Perfect (MAX)


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    Purity: 100%


    NOTE: You have reached the maximum grade for this level. You can upgrade to the next level.


    [Upgrade] (1000 SP)


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the familiar screen, Ethan reviewed the information.


    For the most part, it was identical to what he remembered from the last time he saw it.


    The only difference was the note next to the pill''s grade that read "MAX."


    It didn''t take Ethan long to understand what this meant.


    ''It seems that the perfect grade is indeed the highest a pill can reach.''


    Confirming one of his doubts, Ethan proceeded. Looking at the bottom of the screen where the upgrade cost was usually listed, Ethan was briefly confused.


    ''It seems the cost for the next upgrade hasn''t increased.''


    Ethan wasn''t sure if this was a system bug or something like that, nor did he know who to consult about it, but seeing that it was still possible to improve the recipe, Ethan was pleased.


    Especially after noticing the system note that appeared above the [Upgrade] button.


    Reading it, Ethan understood that he did indeed have the opportunity to advance it to the next level.


    With a calm mind, he closed the system screen.


    Now that he had cleared this from his thoughts, he no longer needed to worry about it.


    1000 SP was still a somewhat high amount for Ethan, but it was nothing he couldn''t earn.


    He just had to spend his time as he usually did, and in a week or two, he would have earned that amount.


    Now that he had checked off one of the things on his list, Ethan proceeded to examine the feature that he had initially come to the shop for.


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    A big thank you to: @Firas_Safa, @Trexiz, @Conquistadore, and @Solomon_Akinlaja for contributing with golden tokens this month.


    Even though, I haven''t started the system for more chapters yet, but given the support I''ve received recently, I''ll aim to write a few extra chapters this week, just like I did yesterday.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 73: Alchemy Laboratory

    .Ethan returned to the initial shop screen.


    As he examined it for a moment, he noticed that two lines of text had appeared on the left side of the floating display:


    [Items]


    [Alchemy Laboratory]


    Ethan proceeded to click on the second option, and the screen in front of him instantly changed.


    The first thing that caught his eye was what appeared to be a 3D image of a cauldron.


    Below it, there were small squares lined up with ''+'' signs on them.


    One of the squares was slightly separated from the others, and above it was the word:


    [Recipe]


    Ethan noticed that the squares aligned next to this first, slightly larger square also had text above them, [Ingredients].


    ''So, there are two separate sections: one for the recipe, and the other for the ingredients.''


    Ethan quickly got an idea of what he might be able to do with this.


    If his intuition was correct, then...


    ''Maybe I can produce pills directly from here.''


    As soon as he had this thought, he couldn''t help but smile.


    And why wouldn''t he?


    If this feature was indeed what he thought it was, then his pill production could be doubled or even tripled, depending on how much time it took to produce pills using this system function.


    Lately, Ethan had been thinking more about the issue of production.


    Even though his refining speed was high, considering the number of different pills he had to produce each day to meet the market''s minimum quota, Ethan found it too exhausting.


    After all, he was just one person, and no matter how fast he could produce, he couldn''t keep up with the constantly increasing number of clients.


    He had also discussed this with Da Shu, and they were both considering whether to hire assistants.


    Although the proposal was valid, Ethan immediately dismissed it.


    His reasoning was simple.


    Where would they find other people capable of refining pills of this grade while maintaining a high success rate?


    It was known that most novice alchemists had a success rate of around 50%, or even less depending on the alchemist and the grade of pills they had to produce.


    If there were truly people with a very low error rate, what were the chances of hiring them?


    Answer: almost none.


    If someone were that skilled, they wouldn''t need to work for anyone and could simply make plenty of money by producing a certain number of pills each week.


    His brand had been very successful recently, so the market demand for his pills had increased accordingly.


    At this point, Ethan thought it might be better to set a limit on the number of pills a person could buy or a maximum number of pills each shop could sell each month, so customer demand could be kept under some control.


    But both of them thought this idea might do more harm than good, and it wasn''t necessary to take action unless the situation became truly dire, which it would if they didn''t find a solution soon.


    Ethan had no intention of working day and night just to slightly increase his production.


    He knew that even if he adopted such a method, he wouldn''t be able to keep it up for long.


    Not to mention, he had no desire to spend the rest of his life this way.


    What was the point of earning so much if all he did was one single thing all the time?


    How could he enjoy life like that?


    For a moment, he even considered making his products exclusive, but since he was still new to the market and the level of his pills was too low to be considered exclusive, he knew that such a move wouldn''t be very successful.


    So, upon seeing this new system feature, Ethan was happy.


    He wanted to understand how it worked and decided to give it a try.


    First, he chose the square on the far left, the one labeled [Recipes].


    As soon as he pressed it, another screen appeared in front of him.


    Ethan immediately noticed that the display was very similar to the [Items] section, listing all the recipes he had learned.


    But unlike before, the options for the various recipes seemed to be grayed out, with a line of text above them.


    [To unlock this recipe, you must produce 10 perfect-grade pills related to this recipe] S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Status: 0/10]


    The same message appeared above all the other pill recipes listed below.


    Ethan didn''t understand why this was necessary, but he quickly came to terms with it.


    ''It seems that, for now, I can''t use it.''


    Ethan wasn''t sure what to do, but he decided that he would produce 10 perfect-grade pills later to see what would happen.


    He felt a bit disappointed but quickly shook it off.


    It wasn''t a big deal.


    He could produce perfect-grade pills in no time, but he decided to do it later.


    For now, he had another new feature to check out, one that interested him the most at the moment.


    [Minor Dimension]


    Ethan immediately went back to the system''s main screen and entered [Storage].


    Upon entering, he saw that the first of the various available slots was no longer the one containing his money but had been replaced by an image of a portal made of blue energy, rotating.


    The slot containing his money had been moved to the second position.


    Ethan checked to see if there were any other changes besides this one.


    After a few seconds, confirming there were no further changes, he pressed the first square.


    As soon as he did, the Amphora of the Seven Sages, which was floating in Ethan''s spiritual sea, emitted a slight fluctuation.


    Ethan, who had just pressed the square, felt a strange sensation, and for a second, all his senses darkened.


    He could sense that something was changing around him, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his dormitory room.


    The disorienting feeling he experienced disappeared just as quickly as it had come, and as soon as it faded, Ethan could sense again with all his senses.


    As he did, he immediately realized what had happened.


    He had been transported to another place.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 74: Minor Dimension

    .Ethan''s first instinct was to be on guard, but as soon as he saw where he had ended up, he quickly calmed down.


    ''So this is a Minor Dimension?''


    Ethan currently found himself in what seemed to be a vast stretch of land with nothing but grass on it.


    Above his head, he could see a sky and even the sun.


    For a moment, he thought he might still be in the same world, just transported to another part of the continent.


    But he dismissed the thought.


    The system had said this was some kind of dimension, in other words, a place separate from his current world.


    Ethan didn''t know if this dimension contained just this piece of land or if there was more, but he decided to explore.


    With his current speed, he could cover miles of distance in seconds.


    He chose a random direction and began to run in a straight line.


    He ran without changing direction for almost half an hour before stopping.


    He didn''t stop because he was tired, but because no matter how far he went, he couldn''t see anything on the horizon.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if there was an actual boundary to this place.


    Seeing that searching for a boundary or anything else seemed pointless, he began to think about what exactly he could do in this place.


    The only thing he could think of at the moment was that this so-called Minor Dimension was a kind of space he could enter.


    He didn''t know if he could bring other things, or more importantly, other living beings, but just the fact that he could enter was a good thing.


    Although he had yet to discover any other uses for this place, he could at least use it as some sort of refuge, for when he needed to do private things, or things that could attract too much attention.


    One example was his breakthroughs. S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The breakthroughs he had in his previous stage were still relatively manageable, but the same couldn''t be said for future ones.


    He would risk blowing up their entire dormitory when attempting a breakthrough in too high a stage.


    Of course, not that he would do it in the first place, and would instead look for a more suitable place, but even so, it was hard to find one away from others'' eyes.


    Here, however, it seemed he could at least do it without facing such problems.


    Ethan really wondered if there was an information panel on this place.


    In the storage screen, there didn''t seem to be anything like that.


    He wondered if he could learn something by checking his notification history.


    Sometimes, the description of something was in the notification itself.


    Pulling up the notification screen, Ethan quickly found the one about the Minor Dimension and clicked on it.


    Just as he expected, the status screen changed, and a window appeared.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Minor Dimension]


    Grade: Low


    Owner: Ethan.


    Description: It is a small spatial pocket containing a small undeveloped world, which can be inhabited.


    The land of the small world is extremely fertile and rich in natural spiritual energy.


    Anything planted on it will grow at a rate many times faster than normal.


    Since the world is sustained by the Qi present in the dimensional pocket, it is able to thrive for a long time without risking decay.


    The user can choose who enters and who doesn''t as well as what enters and what doesn''t.


    NOTE: The host should keep in mind that the Minor Dimension has a time difference of 100:1 compared to the outside world.


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    Ethan didn''t even know what expression to make anymore.


    He knew this place wouldn''t be something simple.


    The fact that it existed and that he could enter it at will was already a great advantage for him, but seeing that he could not only bring others in, but that there was also such a significant time difference in it, Ethan was shocked.


    The implications of this were too great for him to take lightly.


    Ethan didn''t even pay attention to the fact that this was a small world, but focused only on the last part.


    ''A time difference of 100:1.''


    ''In other words, 1 day outside equals 100 days inside this place?''


    The more he thought about it, the more his body trembled with excitement.


    Earlier, he had been wondering how to deal with his pill production problem, and seeing the alchemy lab, part of that worry was eased.


    But now, seeing this place, even the rest of his worries were blown away.


    Not only could he dedicate 100 times the time to production compared to before, but given the fertile land of this place, he could actually grow all the herbs he needed right here.


    This had also been another of his concerns.


    Although he could obtain herbs thanks to Da Shu''s help, the total price he spent on them each week was a figure large enough to make him cry every time he thought about it.


    Although he managed to earn just as much money, it was still painful for him to see part of his wealth spent on herbs.


    Not to mention, many of the various herbs he used for refining pills could only be bought in limited quantities since many of them grew only in certain seasons, as well as under certain conditions.


    If he could successfully plant the seeds of all the herbs he needed in this place, then he could harvest a large amount every day since time flowed 100 times faster here than in the outside world.


    He would practically never have a shortage of materials and could also save a large sum of money by doing so.


    The more Ethan thought about it, the more his heart beat faster.


    This was a huge advantage for his future cultivation.


    As they say, time is money.


    And now Ethan had time in abundance.


    While Ethan was rejoicing as he thought more and more about what else he could do thanks to this place, Bai Yu, who was in Ethan''s mind, was equally stunned when she saw him transported to a different place.


    ''Wait, isn''t this...''


    ''A Minor Dimension?''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 75: Herb garden

    .Ethan decided it was time to start his own herb cultivation.


    It wasn''t unusual for alchemists to have a personal herb garden.


    Usually, they did it for rare or special herbs that were hard to come by.


    It was said that Master Alchemists and even Grandmaster Alchemists had entire fields dedicated to various types of herbs.


    Ethan knew this, but he had never really thought about having his own herb cultivation before.


    Which made sense, considering he never had a suitable place to grow them in large quantities, being in a sect, nor did he need them before since the few herbs he needed were provided by Da Shu.


    But now that the opportunity had presented itself, Ethan didn''t waste any time planting his own.


    He had a vast, fertile area that wouldn''t be used for anything else, so why not take full advantage of it?


    After reading the information about the minor dimension, Ethan returned to his dorm room and headed to the market to buy various herbs to plant.


    To exit the dimension, Ethan tried using a mental command.


    He thought it wasn''t convenient to have to open the system screen every time to do it.


    If he could do it just by thinking, it would be more practical and useful.


    He could literally escape to safety in case he got into some kind of trouble that threatened his life, like an enemy attack.


    Ethan didn''t take long to figure out some other basic things, like how he would return to the exact spot where he had left, both in the outside world and in the minor dimension.


    Which was reasonable, and it was better to know in advance because if he had to escape from an enemy, he would have to carefully decide when to return to the place he had left.


    Who knows what he might find upon his return.


    It would have been nice if he could modify the point where he appeared, but this was fine too.


    Ethan stayed out for several hours, and when he finally returned, he immediately transferred to his minor dimension.


    Ethan didn''t have a clock or any gadget to tell him how much time had actually passed, so he couldn''t say how much time he had spent in there.


    So, he simply relied on what the system had told him and shrugged off the problem.


    Appearing inside the dimension, Ethan opened his system screen and went straight to his [storage].


    On the screen of his dimensional space, three whole rows of materials could be seen filled.


    From cultivation tools to various types of herbs, he had taken everything he could find.


    He also had other herbs in mind that couldn''t be found at the market, which he intended to have Da Shu procure for him.


    After all, with the connections that Da Shu''s family had, Ethan thought he could obtain some types of herbs that didn''t grow in the territories near the Phoenix sect.


    If he could grow various types of herbs in this place, why not do it on a large scale?


    Ethan thought, as he began pulling out the work tools and preparing the soil.


    Ethan was quite skilled at this, and with his natural speed, he prepared small sections, each dedicated to a specific herb.


    Having been a guest of Old Wei when he first came to this world, he had learned how to cultivate various types of plants, fruits, and vegetables, so he had some basic knowledge.


    For now, he only had a few types of herbs, but the quantity was minimal.


    He had just taken what was necessary for these herbs to grow here and produce the seeds for the ones that would come after them.


    The process itself took some time, and at one point, even Bai Yu emerged from her sea of consciousness to examine his minor dimension.


    She was still stunned by the fact that he had obtained something like this at his current level.


    Even beings at her original level didn''t have the opportunity to get their hands on something like this, yet this little human somehow did.


    Bai Yu was amazed at Ethan''s seemingly endless luck.


    She knew all of this was due to the Seven Sages Amphora, but she couldn''t understand why the artifact was helping him so much.


    From what she remembered, not even the previous owner of the amphora had ever possessed a dimension of their own.


    They had certainly received their fair share of benefits from the artifact, but as far as she could recall, it had never directly helped them like it was now helping this human.


    She wondered why this was the case and at some point, began to think that Ethan might be relying on another power that wasn''t connected to the artifact.


    Ethan spent some time organizing the plots of his various cultivations.


    He didn''t have to dedicate large pieces of land for his cultivations.


    For now, he just ensured that they could grow well and thrive.


    He knew he had to plan the field to be able to accommodate several large plots of land, each dedicated to a different herb, but for now, it wasn''t necessary.


    After all, it was just the beginning, and the number of herbs was still minimal.


    Seeing his small herb cultivation, Ethan couldn''t help but think about how big it would be in the future.


    The great thing was that he wouldn''t have to wait years or even just months, but days!


    Probably, by the time he returned to this place tomorrow, these herbs would have already grown and become mature.


    After finishing planting his herbs, Ethan took his time and began refining pills.


    He still had several dozen hours in this place, and he thought it best to get ahead with production.


    And so, while Ethan immersed himself in his pill refining, in another place, several kilometers away from the Phoenix sect, a gruesome scene was unfolding.


    Pieces of what was once a transport wagon were scattered everywhere, mixed with dirt and blood.


    Several figures could be seen lying dead on the ground, with some cloaked figures gathering at the center of the scene.


    The air in the place was suffocating and smelled of blood.


    The culprits of this scene gathered together, and one of them stepped forward to pick something up from the ground. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The object was covered in blood and dirt but had a smooth, yellowish surface that gleamed.


    The cloaked man who picked it up brushed off the grime.


    It was a coin with a scale symbol engraved on it.


    The cloaked man looked at it and nodded as if confirming something, then turned his gaze to the rest of the group and said.


    A raspy voice came out from under the hood of the cloak.


    "It''s them. Let''s hurry; they shouldn''t have gone far."


    The other figures said nothing and dispersed in unison in different directions.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 76: Using the Alchemy Lab

    .With all the time he wanted at his disposal, Ethan got ahead with some of the tasks he needed to do.


    Time here flowed almost 100 times faster than in the outside world, so he could spend 4 full days here, and less than an hour would still have passed in the external world.


    There were several things Ethan had planned to do, and one of them was to unlock the recipes in the system''s alchemy lab.


    Initially, he had thought of producing these pills in the little time he could spare in the coming days after refining his daily pills, but now that wasn''t necessary anymore.


    Now he had almost all the time in the world.


    Without wasting any, he began refining 10 perfect-grade Basic Recovery Pills.


    At the moment, it was the only recipe available to him that had reached this grade, so he didn''t have much of a choice.


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 20 QI]


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 20 QI]


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 20 QI]


    ...


    [You have gained 5 system points] (x10)


    A little over 3 hours passed, and he finished refining all ten pills.


    In just these three hours, he had earned 200 QI and 50 SP, which wasn''t bad considering he was refining very slowly.


    After finishing the pills, Ethan accessed the system and immediately went to the shop screen to check if he could use the recipe.


    Going to the laboratory section, Ethan pressed to choose a recipe, and a screen opened in front of him.


    The screen was just like last time, with almost all the recipes he had learned grayed out, except for one that was no longer locked.


    Seeing it, Ethan smiled and pressed it to choose it.


    The screen changed, taking him to the alchemy lab, where in the leftmost box, he could now see an image of the Basic Recovery Pill displayed.


    Ethan also noticed that, apart from the recipe box, the material boxes had changed too.


    Now, instead of being empty with a ''+'' in the middle, three of them displayed images.


    In each of them, he could see the image of a different herb.


    Ethan immediately recognized these herbs, which made sense since they were the three needed for producing the Basic Recovery Pill.


    ''So that''s how it works?''


    Ethan thought, and then seeing that the list of materials included only these three items, he frowned for a moment.


    ''Strange, why isn''t water included?''


    Water was a fundamental element in pill refining.


    Seeing that such an essential element was missing, Ethan wondered if he was supposed to add it somehow himself. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This thought crossed his mind, but he then dismissed it.


    He doubted the system wouldn''t alert him if something vital was missing for producing these pills.


    He noticed that the three herbs pictured in the boxes also had small numbers in the top right corner.


    Seeing them, Ethan immediately understood what they represented.


    ''So it takes the elements directly from my dimensional space?''


    Indeed, Ethan stored most of his alchemical materials in his dimensional space, with only a few in his dimensional ring.


    Yes, he had finally acquired a dimensional ring.


    With his high income, earning him more than 20 low-grade spirit stones a day, he decided it was best to get a dimensional ring as well.


    At first, he thought it would be a waste of money to buy one, especially since he didn''t need it with his [storage], but he later realized it was necessary to own one.


    He understood that he couldn''t just pull things out of nowhere every time he needed something, especially when he was outside the sect.


    If he did, he would eventually be discovered by someone, so for security reasons, he decided to get one.


    After confirming there didn''t seem to be anything else, Ethan pressed the [Start] button and waited for something to happen.


    Right after pressing it, the 3D cauldron displayed in front of him came to life.


    A flame ignited beneath it, while what seemed to be the herbs he used were tossed inside one by one.


    The order was correct, but Ethan wondered if this animation was just for show or if it was actually throwing in the herbs as they were.


    If it was the first case, he wouldn''t pay much attention to it, but if it was the second, then he would question the outcome since, as far as he knew, the herbs were supposed to be prepared first and then placed in the cauldron.


    On the [Start] button, the text was now replaced by a 5-second timer, counting down.


    Ethan waited for these 5 seconds, and finally, the process ended.


    Right after the process finished, he saw a system screen appear in front of him:


    [Congratulations, you have refined a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 18 QI]


    [You have gained 4 system points]


    Seeing these system messages come up, Ethan finally understood a bit more about how this alchemy lab worked.


    ''So that''s how it works.''


    Ethan had already predicted that there would be some sort of cost to using this system function, but he wasn''t sure what it would be, so he decided to produce only one pill and no more, just to see what would happen.


    Indeed, he could produce more than one pill at the same time.


    He had noticed earlier a small box below the cauldron, displaying ''-'' and ''+'' signs with a ''0'' in the center.


    Having had experience with games in his previous world, Ethan knew this indicated the number of pills he wanted to produce.


    He increased the number by one because for now, he just wanted to see how it worked and didn''t want to risk losing too many materials if something went wrong since this wasn''t his usual production method.


    There were so many elements, however small, that made it different from a traditional method, and the lack of water was just one of them.


    For example, he couldn''t control the dosage or even the temperature.


    All of this led him to make the choice he did, and it seemed the results were better than he expected.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 77: A Small Concern

    .Ethan wondered what would happen if they produced pills directly from the system.


    If it were just a way to speed up his production, it would be too convenient since he could create dozens, if not hundreds of pills this way.


    From accumulating large amounts of Qi in no time to quickly gaining system points, Ethan thought it would be too OP to have something like that.


    Not that he would complain about it, after all, the faster he got stronger, the better it was for him.


    It was just that, although Ethan had received several rewards from the system recently that, in a way, gave him an edge over everyone else, there was always a limit to it.


    For example, when he was asked to participate in the exam to become an alchemist, it only provided him with a basic understanding of alchemy.


    The same thing happened with the subsequent reward he received, which was mastery in pill crafting, and even that was just level one. S��arch* The N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan learned over time that this mastery made him proficient in handling any recipe as long as it was level 1.


    He hadn''t had the chance to practice a level 2 recipe yet, but he could instinctively tell that refining a level 2 pill wouldn''t be a walk in the park with his current abilities.


    The same applied to the items he received.


    For instance, the cauldron was of the lowest grade, and it had difficult requirements for Ethan back then to upgrade it.


    The same was true for the rare flame he received, and so on.


    Although the system was assisting him, there was always a certain limit within which it did so.


    Maybe it was the system''s way of maintaining balance.


    Ethan didn''t know, he only knew that for an artifact of that level, there would surely be better and more powerful surprises that he could receive with his current cultivation level.


    Although losing 2 Qi and one SP point was low compared to what Ethan had expected initially, he also understood that the total amount he would lose after each refinement wouldn''t be insignificant.


    For example, if he were to produce 100 perfect-grade pills, he would lose 200 Qi and about 100 SP, which, for his current self, was a lot.


    Ethan shook his head and decided to come to terms with it.


    ''It could have been worse,'' he thought.


    Ethan had noticed that for every stack of materials, the number of pills produced mirrored his production in the real world.


    He noticed that he could adjust the grade of the pill he wanted, and by lowering it by one grade, he saw that this time, three pills were produced instead of just one.


    He also noticed that just as the materials were taken directly from his dimensional space, these produced pills also went straight into his dimensional space.


    What convenience, he thought.


    Ethan stayed in the minor dimension for a little longer, producing some high- and mid-grade pills he needed for his trade, and spent the rest of the time stabilizing the large amount of Qi he was receiving from production.


    Ethan dedicated a few hours each morning to cultivation, mainly because at his current stage, he didn''t need to spend entire days cultivating like the other cultivators.


    It was known that cultivation consisted of various steps, from absorbing Qi from the surrounding environment to refining it and stabilizing it in one''s core, from where it would be drawn whenever needed.


    Thanks to the system, Ethan had skipped all the initial steps, and the only thing he had to do was dedicate a few hours each day to stabilizing the Qi he was receiving so that everything wouldn''t collapse.


    Cultivating was like building a castle.


    It was done brick by brick.


    If the bricks, which were the absorbed Qi, were placed without any adhesive, the castle would eventually collapse.


    This adhesive was what Ethan provided by cultivating every day, thus stabilizing his foundation.


    At first, after discovering he could cultivate Qi by refining pills, Ethan had set this aside, but Bai Yu warned him that if he continued like this, he would be in serious trouble in the future.


    Ethan had to admit that although he had gotten used to the customs of this world, as well as to cultivation, there were still various common practices he tended to ignore, thinking it would be fine.


    This "protagonist mentality" of his had caused him quite a few problems, and it took him some time to get rid of it.


    After spending about a day in his minor dimension, he finally came out.


    If his calculations were correct, a day in there should have been just over 14 minutes out here.


    Being in a world where technology was still very primitive, they used ancient methods like incense sticks to monitor the passage of time.


    Ethan had taken three incense sticks, each of a different length. One would burn out in about half an hour.


    Another would last about an hour.


    And the last one could last up to 2 hours.


    Once out of the dimension, Ethan approached the incense sticks and saw that all three were still burning.


    This meant that indeed, less than half an hour had passed inside that dimension.


    All three sticks still had a good portion left to burn.


    Setting aside the longer sticks, Ethan focused on the half-hour one.


    The stick had burned about halfway down; in other words, nearly 15 minutes had passed, which closely matched Ethan''s estimate.


    ''Well, this fits within the calculations. At least now I can be sure that time does flow as indicated in the minor dimension''s information.''


    Ethan thought as he opened the window a bit to let some fresh air into the room.


    He had closed it before leaving to prevent a gust of wind from altering the incense sticks'' burning time.


    Now that this was settled, Ethan could only continue with his usual routine.


    Ethan was still uncertain whether it was a good idea to spend so much time in that dimension.


    Although the outside world wouldn''t change, he would certainly continue to age.


    So, in a sense, he was shortening the time he could spend here in the outside world.


    For a normal person, this could have been a bad thing, since usually on Earth, the average lifespan ranged from 60 to 80 years, with few exceptions surpassing 90, and a few others becoming centenarians.


    In this world rich in spiritual Qi, the situation was slightly different, although not by much. Even here, mortals often didn''t reach 100 years, but certainly, the average lifespan ratio here compared to his previous world was different.


    Ethan knew that as long as he progressed quickly in his cultivation, he wouldn''t have to worry about aging.


    Cultivators could live for more than 100 years, with the stronger ones living for over a thousand years.


    Ethan, who was at the second stage of mortal rank cultivation, could afford to live for over 200 years.


    Knowing this, the small concern that had arisen in his heart was calmed.


    Ethan was beginning to realize that the more he cultivated and learned about this world, the more his old mortal mentality was starting to change.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 78: Silver Cauldron

    .Another five days passed, during which Ethan''s daily life underwent significant changes.


    There was about a week left until the end-of-year exams.


    With the acquisition of the minor dimension, Ethan''s daily routine also changed.


    No longer did he spend his time training in the morning and refining pills until evening; instead, he took three to four hours each day to visit the minor dimension and handle most of his business.


    Given that an hour in the outside world was equivalent to a day in the minor dimension, he had more than enough time to do everything.


    One day was spent refining and advancing the production of pills.


    Another day, he cultivated and trained in the basic combat techniques that every sect disciple had to learn.


    And on some days, he tended to his herb plantations, which after the first 100-day cycle, were now fully grown and mature.


    Although Ethan spent a lot of time inside, it was still just three hours outside.


    The rest of his time was spent on various small tasks, from keeping up with what was happening in the sect to eating and delivering the daily pill quota to Da Shu.


    So, after the first day in the outside world, all the herbs in the minor dimension were more than ready to be harvested.


    Ethan decided to take thirty percent of what he produced, and the remaining 70% he replanted.


    In just a few days, what had been a small plantation of various herbs had grown at least tenfold in size.


    Ethan created several areas, organizing them in such a way that they wouldn''t interfere with each other and that there was a certain order among them.


    This allowed him to cultivate them more efficiently and navigate through the various plantations.


    In addition to herbs, Ethan also cultivated other types of plants.


    From fruit-bearing trees to vegetables and spices that he often used in preparing his simple cooking recipes.


    At one point, he even considered whether it would be worthwhile to bring some animals into this place.


    After all, with this habitat, there could be many animals that could live here comfortably and populate the area.


    In essence, this place was full of opportunities of various kinds that Ethan could exploit.


    In the end, he built a simple dwelling near the herb plantation and introduced some non-spiritual animals, releasing them at a distance from where he had established his residence.


    For them, he had effectively grown a small forest, so they could populate it.


    Normally, Ethan wouldn''t have bothered to do something like this. He would have simply stuck to planting his herbs, refining, and continuing his cultivation.


    But with the amount of time at his disposal, the more he stayed in this place, the more new ideas came to him to develop.


    After introducing a certain fauna and flora into his small world, he returned to his normal routine.


    Da Shu was confused and amazed at how much Ethan''s pill production had increased.


    The daily quota was no longer what it used to be; it was now almost double.


    Although curious as to how his friend was doing it, he decided not to delve into the matter.


    If Ethan wanted to tell him, he would.


    He didn''t want to jeopardize their relationship over something like this, nor was he interested in doing so.


    The reason Ethan decided to increase production wasn''t just to meet the market demand for his pills, but also because he wanted to earn enough system points to elevate the rest of his pills, at least to high-grade, with some exceptions he planned to elevate to perfect-grade.


    One of these pills was the Qi Gathering Pill.


    This was a pill given monthly in the Phoenix Sect to each disciple, and its main purpose was to accelerate the gathering of Qi for everyone.


    Naturally, the sect didn''t give mid or high-grade pills to everyone.


    Low-grade pills were reserved for outer disciples, mid-grade for inner disciples, and high-grade for the elite core disciples.


    Ethan had no idea what treatment the core disciples received, but he didn''t doubt it was better than what the top inner disciples got.


    Ethan initially refined the pills himself because he intended to complete the final requirement to upgrade his spiritual cauldron.


    He had put it off for too long, and it was time to improve it.


    The second reason was to avoid losing any system points. Now that he had decided to pay attention to his other pills, Ethan couldn''t afford to lose even a single SP.


    So in these five days, spending several hours a day inside the minor dimension, he completed all these things he had put aside.


    At one point, he even advanced to the second level of the Qi Refinement stage.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Qi refining (Lv.1 ��> Lv.2)


    Qi: 45/3000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 101 --> 115


    Agility: 96 --> 109


    Intelligence: 102 --> 117


    Soul Strength: 130 --> 132


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 172


    -------------------------------]


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Bronze Cauldron]


    Name: Silver Cauldron


    Grade: Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, corroded by time, now beginning to reveal its former splendor. S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perfect for refining more demanding pills, and thanks to its high durability, it can also serve as a good shield.


    Ability: Size Shifter (new!)


    Upgrade requirements:


    - Refine 10 Level 1 perfect-grade pills (0/10)


    - Refine 1000 Level 2 low-grade pills (0/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 2 mid-grade pills (0/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 2 high-grade pills (0/10)


    - Refine 1 Level 2 perfect-grade pill (0/1)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the change occurring in his cauldron, Ethan opened his status screen and was amazed to see that he had gained an ability.


    Unfortunately, his amazement was short-lived, as when he saw the new requirements for upgrading the cauldron, he almost cursed.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    Get ready, if everything goes smoothly this week, then you will have many chapters waiting for you throughout the month of September.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 79: Shocking Everyone

    .After cursing due to the new requirements for upgrading the artifact, Ethan decided to check out the cauldron''s new ability.


    Even though he could guess what it was just by reading the ability''s name, he still checked, and it turned out to be exactly what he thought.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Size Shifter]


    Description: By providing a certain amount of spiritual energy to the object, you can change its size.


    Depending on how much you give, it will become either larger or smaller, with a minimum limit of 1 centimeter in height, and a maximum limit, which will depend on the amount of spiritual energy provided.


    Note: For every meter you increase the cauldron''s height, it will consume 10 times more spiritual energy than before.


    The same applies to its weight, which will increase by 10 kg for every half meter added in height.


    -----------------------------]


    .


    After reading the description of his spiritual cauldron, Ethan wondered what this ability could be used for.


    It was normal to use cauldrons of different sizes depending on the need, but what use could a 1 cm cauldron have?


    And the same goes for one that''s too large?


    Ethan had no idea if he would ever use the artifact as a weapon in the future, but he had to admit that the object''s durability was not lacking.


    And its weight was no small matter either.


    Before the update, the cauldron weighed about 50 kg, but now, Ethan was sure it weighed over 70 kg.


    So, if it was true that weight increased with size...


    Ethan didn''t even want to imagine what could happen.


    With his current strength stats, Ethan could lift weights over 100 kg fairly easily, so for now, using the cauldron wasn''t a problem.


    Ethan put it away and prepared to head out.


    Meanwhile, once again at the Zhang family residence, a familiar scene was unfolding.


    Zhang Mei Ling, who had previously said there was no need to worry about the Peng family''s products, now had an unreadable expression as she reviewed this week''s performance reports.


    Zhang Mei Ling lowered the sheet she was holding and, without turning around, asked her secretary.


    "Didn''t you say they wouldn''t cause any problems for us? How do you explain this?"


    She asked in a calm tone that was anything but calm in the secretary''s ears.


    The secretary, though with some difficulty, mustered up the courage and said,


    "My lady, our previous assessment of the matter was based on the fact that they had a limited production that didn''t seem to surpass a certain threshold.


    Which was normal, considering the quality of their product, but strangely, since last week, their sales rate has suddenly increased, with the pills never seeming to run out." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She said, trying to remain calm and explain this sudden market anomaly.


    Indeed, this not only alarmed the Zhang family but also other families, including the Medicine Pavilion, which was wondering who this alchemist was.


    They had no record of such a brand, nor did they know where it had appeared from.


    Some partners of the Peng family tried to contact them, hoping to establish some kind of relationship with this mysterious alchemist.


    If it had only been about Level 1 pills, regardless of the grade, no one would have paid more attention than necessary, but now things were different.


    Not only did the quality remain high, but the number of pills also increased.


    Many thought that behind this brand there was a group of alchemists recruited by the Peng family, but this assumption was too far-fetched.


    They understood that hiring so many skilled alchemists would be costly for anyone, let alone a second-tier family like the Pengs.


    This only seemed to add fuel to the fire, and everyone wanted to know more about it.


    The Peng family, faced with all this, was shocked, as they were unaware of everything Da Shu had been doing in recent weeks.


    They still didn''t know how well the shops under Da Shu were doing, so this sudden attention from everyone in Sun City was unexpected for them.


    The Peng family head, who was a tall, old man but still very fit, had to investigate the matter.


    After just a few hours, he obtained a report summarizing what was happening, and reading it, he almost had a heart attack.


    ''That little rascal had a golden goose in his hands and didn''t let us know.''


    The family head thought as he considered how much more money the family could have made if this had been handled better.


    Thinking about how much imaginary money he had lost, he immediately asked someone to call Da Shu back.


    For years, the Peng family had been trying to find an opportunity to elevate their status in Sun City, but they never got this chance.


    The ruling families of the city were too shrewd and careful with their affairs.


    They made sure never to leave any opportunity for others to prevail over them.


    This sudden wave of quality pills had temporarily shaken their control in this almost saturated market.


    The family head didn''t want to miss this opportunity.


    He knew that if he made the right moves, there would be hope for his family to become stronger in the future.


    Da Shu, who was diligently practicing his cultivation in one of the sect''s cultivation rooms, was suddenly disturbed.


    A bit annoyed, he pulled out a talisman from his disciple robe pocket that was glowing and infused it with some spiritual energy.


    Talismans were widely used in this world, and depending on the need, various types could be found.


    The one Da Shu held was a communication talisman.


    Thanks to the use of spiritual energy and some inscriptions on it, small messages could be sent back and forth between two parties.


    It was very different from a modern phone, where you could contact just about anyone, but with talismans, communication was limited to two parties.


    There were other types of talismans that could overcome this issue, but they were inconvenient and impractical, not suited for everyday use, and therefore reserved only for certain cases.


    Examining the talisman with his spiritual energy, Da Shu understood what it was about.


    He stood up, put the talisman away, and prepared to leave.


    As he did, he wondered if the meeting would go well or not.


    ''Let''s hope those old folks can keep their greed in check.''


    He thought, recalling the elders of his family.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 80: Peng Jun

    .At the Peng family manor.


    In a large hall, several figures of varying ages sat in two rows on either side of the room, with a narrow corridor, no more than 2 meters wide, leading to a set of steps where the family head''s seat was placed.


    Currently, the various elders and important members of the Peng family were gathered here.


    Anyone with even a bit of influence in the family was present today, including Da Shu''s parents.


    Sitting in the central seat, the family head silently observed the others speaking, showing no sign of intervening.


    The issue of the level 1 pills, which were selling well in some of the family''s stores, had drawn a lot of attention recently, so this meeting was necessary.


    The family head, Peng Jun, also known as the "Mad Machine," had always been an ambitious man.


    He grew up in a poor family, and seeing the harsh living conditions of his parents and siblings, he worked hard to change their fate.


    Over the years, he took on various jobs and gradually built a reputation for himself.


    His talent for cultivation was low, and without enough resources as a child, he missed what are considered the best years for cultivation.


    But this alone didn''t stop him.


    Along with his excellent business management, he also dedicated himself to cultivation, and after establishing a stable position in the City of the Sun, he devoted himself fully to it, leaving the family reins in the hands of his sons.


    He knew that if he continued to remain a low-level cultivator, he would die after the first hundred years.


    For an ambitious man like him, resigning himself to his fate, knowing there was still a chance to live longer by becoming stronger, was impossible.


    So he spent several years in closed-door cultivation, telling his family not to disturb him unless it was something very urgent.


    He cultivated for several decades, and when he finally emerged, he had ascended to the 6th level of the Dantian Expansion realm.


    Since then, his progress had been extremely slow, and upon reaching the 10th level, he encountered a bottleneck he still couldn''t overcome.


    With his current cultivation, he could afford to live for at least another 100 years.


    He had tried various methods in recent years to break through, but without success.


    From rare cultivation materials to breakthrough pills, nothing worked.


    The materials were not too effective as they were still within a certain rarity threshold.


    The rarer ones were hard to acquire, as every time they appeared, they were snatched up by those with deeper pockets, in other words, not him.


    Although his family had some wealth, it was still inferior to that of more powerful figures.


    The same went for breakthrough pills.


    He needed at least a high-grade level 3 pill, or a level 4 one to break through.


    But getting such pills was easier said than done.


    Breakthrough pills were essential in the current cultivation world, as they significantly increased one''s chances of advancing to the next stage.


    The higher the stage to be reached, the higher the level of the pill needed.


    For him, at the second stage, level 3 pills and above were necessary.


    Unfortunately, these types of pills were difficult to create, so only a few could be found each year.


    Needless to say, the ones that made it to the market were taken by the strongest.


    Peng Jun managed to get his hands on some of these pills, but they were ineffective.


    It was clear that he needed at least level 4 pills to have a chance of breaking through.


    A difficult task, as these were even rarer than the level 3 ones.


    In recent years, the family patriarch, although having lost some hope, hadn''t yet given up on finding a way to break through to the next level.


    And while doing so, he continued to monitor the progress of his family members.


    He had to admit that, although his family had never had any great cultivators in the past, in recent decades, they had produced some good talents.


    One of them was his grandson, the child of his third son.


    The family head had noticed his great potential from a young age and made sure to personally train him to grow into the future pillar of the family.


    Unfortunately for him, this boy turned out to be a strength maniac, and apart from training and cultivating, he didn''t like doing anything else.


    The patriarch had tried multiple times to teach him other disciplines, crucial for a future family head, but he never paid the necessary attention.


    In the end, he let him join the Phoenix Sect so that he could properly develop his cultivation.


    He thought that since he wanted to cultivate, he would let him do so.


    He was certain that in the future, he would become stronger than him, so he wanted to let him cultivate in peace, so at least the family would have a strong figure to protect it.


    There were other family members with good cultivation potential, but Da Shu surpassed them all, and unlike most of them who were more involved in business, he was more dedicated to cultivation.


    Currently, the family had several members in the Body Refining and Qi Refining stages, with even one at the first level of Dantian Expansion, but compared to the more powerful families, they were still a bit weak.


    Therefore, he had high expectations for him.


    Currently, Da Shu was standing before everyone, in the corridor at the center of the hall. sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had a mostly relaxed expression, with a small hint of annoyance, due to his dislike for dealing with matters like this.


    If it weren''t for the fact that his business relationship with Ethan was important, he wouldn''t have been too concerned with the issue, and would have dismissed it as he did with most things outside of cultivation.


    ''Haa, a man can''t even cultivate in peace.''


    He thought, shaking his head, while waiting for the family head to speak.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 81: Poor Combat Skills

    .Seeing that everyone had arrived, the head of the family began the meeting.


    Turning his gaze to the tall young man standing in the center of the room, he spoke:


    "Shu''er, it''s been a while since you last visited the family. Tell me, how is your cultivation progressing?" he asked Da Shu, in an affectionate tone.


    "It''s going well," Da Shu replied.


    He wasn''t in a hurry to bring up the main issue just yet.


    It had been over a year since Da Shu had left for the sect, and he hadn''t returned to the family manor since then.


    The head of the family wanted to catch up with him a bit before addressing the matter that had brought everyone together today.


    As he sensed Da Shu''s current cultivation level, he couldn''t help but smile slightly.


    ''Already at the sixth level of Body Refining. If he continues at this pace, then in a few more months, he''ll reach the peak of this stage,'' he thought.


    The other family members didn''t mind the conversation between the two.


    They knew the patriarch adored Da Shu, and they also couldn''t help but have a good impression of him.


    After all, at such a young age, he was already showing great talent for cultivation, and with the recent incident, their impression of him had only improved.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, the patriarch finally brought up the matter of the pills.


    "Your recent achievements in managing the shops under your name have been very good, almost excellent.


    You''ve even managed to alert those old foxes from other families," he said with a chuckle, before returning to his calm tone.


    The previously relaxed atmosphere was now replaced with a more composed and serious one.


    "Your performance this year will surely surpass that of previous years, perhaps even becoming one of the best," he said, nodding, thinking that maybe the desire to do more business, which runs in the blood of every Peng family member, had finally awakened in him.


    "That being said, the speed at which you''re supplying the shops with pills is faster than anyone expected, catching everyone off guard.


    I assume there are some rather capable alchemists behind all of this," he said, finally starting to discuss the reason they had all gathered here today.


    Da Shu had already prepared himself in advance to respond to this, so he sighed internally and said, "It was unexpected for me too.


    I thought I was dealing with an ordinary alchemist, but he turned out to be more skilled than I anticipated."


    At the mention of these words, many eyes narrowed as they noticed a particular detail in them.


    "Hm? An alchemist? Not a group?" asked the patriarch.


    Although he expected there might be one person behind this, rather than a group, it was still difficult to accept, so he was still uncertain and emphasized the point.


    Da Shu nodded in agreement.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand their confusion.


    Even he was shocked when he saw that Ethan had managed to increase his daily production several times over, and he even asked if he had found some skilled helpers.


    But Ethan simply replied that he had just improved his efficiency, without saying how.


    Da Shu knew this was only the beginning of what would be a barrage of endless questions, so he had already agreed with Ethan in advance.


    He didn''t want to hide anything from his family, but he also didn''t want to involve Ethan if he didn''t want to be involved.


    Not only because Ethan was his friend, but also because Da Shu could tell that Ethan''s potential wouldn''t stop here.


    His business sense told him that if he continued trading with Ethan, he would surely earn much more in the future.


    So, he agreed to Ethan''s request to remain anonymous.


    While Da Shu was busy handling the issue of Ethan''s pills, Ethan was currently in his sea of consciousness, lying on the ground with a smoking bruise on his head. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You didn''t hold back at all," he said as he got up from the ground.


    Bai Yu, who was calmly standing on the other side, spoke as she looked at his battered appearance.


    "Believe it or not, I used a simple basic technique to attack you.


    It''s just that with your nearly nonexistent combat experience, you couldn''t even defend yourself against it," she said nonchalantly, her words piercing through Ethan like sharp knives.


    ''This woman is heartless,'' Ethan thought, regretting asking her to spar with him.


    That morning, as Ethan finished his cultivation and usual training routine, he wondered how effective his actual hand-to-hand combat skills were.


    Over the past year in the sect, he had almost no real combat experience, and the only thing he did was learn various techniques by fighting against a straw dummy.


    With his cultivation issue, he hadn''t bothered to go and train like, well, practically everyone else.


    He had thought he would deal with it after entering the first stage of cultivation.


    But once he did, he had no time for anything else, as he became an alchemist and started refining pills to begin earning money immediately and leveling up.


    Now that his dimension had arrived, giving him more time, he decided to finally address this problem.


    Although he thought he had learned normal combat techniques well, he had no real experience to base them on.


    The fight a few months ago with the mid-stage Body Refining monster didn''t really count since he hadn''t engaged in proper combat, but instead used a calculated long-range attack to avoid close-quarters fighting.


    The monster was simply too strong for him back then, so he couldn''t challenge it directly.


    He decided to ask Bai Yu if she could help him with this problem.


    Who would have thought he''d end up getting beaten by her without mercy?


    According to her, being in his sea of consciousness, these injuries wouldn''t be anything for him, as he could heal them with just a thought.


    Unfortunately, the same couldn''t be said for the pain.


    If what she said was true, then didn''t that mean his combat skills were borderline poor?


    The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt.


    ''Haaa, why does everything have to be so difficult?'' he thought as he started drawing circles in the air and reflecting on his life.


    Bai Yu, seeing him, couldn''t help but shake her head.


    She had already noticed that although he was making great strides in terms of cultivation, his combat skills were almost nonexistent.


    ''It seems there''s a lot of work to be done,'' she thought, sighing.


    She had agreed to spar with him because she wanted to assess his combat abilities and see how much he was lacking.


    But it seemed he had hardly ever been in a real fight, and as a result, he didn''t have the necessary experience to make the best use of the techniques he had received from his sect.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hold back from doing it below.


    See you tomorrow, with another chapter.

 Chapter 82: Heartless Woman

    .She thought about how she could help him.


    Being a member of the dragon race, her combat abilities were very different from his.


    The difference between human techniques and those of dragons was too significant for her to be of help in this situation.


    Her race''s techniques were specifically created for her kind, taking into account various factors that only dragons possessed.


    From their physical constitution to the techniques and abilities they had, everything was too different from humans.


    She had never bothered to learn any human techniques, as they would have been useless for her.


    The only solution she could come up with was to advise him to fight with her companions from the sect.


    Or ask for help from the boy who shared the dormitory with him.


    There was really little she could do at the moment.


    Bai Yu had decided to help him because she had nothing better to do in the sea of consciousness.


    The only entertainment she had was seeing Ethan occasionally come up with problems he had created himself.


    For a creature like her, the passage of time had largely lost its meaning, as with her lifespan, even if she had slept for several years in a row, it would have been just a drop in that sea that was her life.


    When she was still in the upper skies, before meeting the previous owner of the amphora of the seven sages, she spent her time either carrying out missions for her clan, training, or sleeping for long periods.


    For races at her level, it was normal to sleep for long periods.


    A complete sleep cycle for them could last several days, even months.


    Not that they really needed it.


    With the lower level, they could afford not to eat and sleep for decades without feeling any lack or effect on their bodies.


    The spiritual energy of the surrounding environment was the only source of nourishment that beings of her level needed.


    Therefore, normally, spending long periods of inactivity was not a problem for them, but Bai Yu''s situation was somewhat particular.


    Having been trapped in the artifact for who knows how many centuries, she had no desire to spend the rest of her waking days going back to sleep.


    Therefore, whenever she could, she always did something different, from talking with Ethan to trying to understand the strange things he occasionally evoked in the sea of consciousness.


    This time too, he had evoked a strange black screen that, apart from being black, seemed to serve no other purpose.


    She remembered that back then, he was complaining about not having electricity and signal in this place.


    Bai Yu''s electrical concentration was limited to spells and attacks, so she was a bit confused by his words then.


    Similar situations had occurred several other times, both when she was in the real world and when she was here in her sea of consciousness.


    From the use of words and terms unknown to her to actions that didn''t mean much to her. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was always something to witness in her presence.


    She thought she could help him spot flaws in his combat techniques with these little sparrings, but it seemed he had underestimated his real combat experience.


    Not that she was surprised, since he had spent most of his time locked up at home refining pills.


    Shaking her head for the umpteenth time, she moved and approached him.


    She couldn''t help him with the combat techniques themselves because he would have had to learn those from his kind, but she thought that training with her could give him some real combat experience.


    He just needed to lower his level a bit and beat him up each time, and it should be sufficient.


    After all, by doing so, he would seek new ways to attack and defend each time.


    This, in itself, should be enough to develop a battle instinct in him.


    Or at least that''s what she thought.


    Ethan, still recovering from the previous beating, felt a chill down his spine and stood up, looking around.


    ''What was that feeling of danger, just now?''


    He thought as he wondered if it had been a figment of his imagination or not.


    If he had known what was swirling in Bai Yu''s mind at that moment, he would have fled with his tail between his legs from his sea of consciousness.


    He had asked her to help only to avoid falling behind in his combat abilities, but that didn''t mean he was okay with getting beaten up repeatedly.


    He would have preferred to hide in a secluded place, where he could conduct his transactions safely and never risk fighting anyone.


    Bai Yu, who had just approached him, seeing his behavior, shook her mind, thinking it was another one of his strange actions.


    Noticing her approach, Ethan composed himself and spoke.


    "Haa, it seems I still have a lot to work on in this area," he said, admitting how lacking he was in this aspect.


    "Yes, to be honest, I''ve never seen anyone so devoid of any combat knowledge. Even a newborn from our white dragon race could perform better," she said calmly.


    At these words, Ethan coughed up half a liter of blood.


    ''Woman, why are you so ruthless?'' he thought, but he forced himself to remain calm.


    "At your current level, I would advise you to train a bit with your roommate. That boy should be able to help you," she said.


    "I understand, I''ll try asking him later."


    Ethan agreed with her opinion.


    He had avoided going to the training areas open to sect disciples because he risked revealing his current cultivation level.


    The same for Da Shu; he thought he would risk accidentally hurting someone under the Body Refining stage.


    He hadn''t learned to contain his strength either, but he was gradually learning it as he consolidated his cultivation foundation.


    As he thought about this, he remembered something else.


    ''Wait, I still don''t have any special moves.''


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 83: Dragon Blood

    .In almost all the cultivation novels Ethan had read, the protagonists, and even others in general, not only had special techniques but also unique attacks based on their element or whatever made them stronger.


    There were all kinds, but as he was now, he had none.


    Even the charged attack he had used by compressing the blue lotus flame into a ball of condensed fire barely qualified as one.


    He thought about it for a moment but then realized what the problem was.


    He didn''t have any special techniques.


    Exactly.


    A good portion of these special attacks were derived from offensive or defensive techniques passed down within families and sects.


    Since he wasn''t part of any large family, or any family at all considering he couldn''t remember who he was in this world, he obviously had none.


    The same went for the sect.


    He was simply an outer disciple.


    No sect would share their special techniques with outer disciples.


    At most, they would teach them basic combat techniques and Qi gathering methods, but beyond that, there were no other benefits.


    If one wanted to learn some distinctive technique of the sect, they had to prove themselves worthy.


    More precisely, they had to show their value over the course of the year by making great strides in cultivation or by advancing to the inner sect, where they would be granted some benefits, including certain sect techniques.


    Ethan was almost tempted to reveal his cultivation level just to get his hands on one of these techniques, but then he reconsidered.


    If he could fully control his current strength, then he could manipulate and release it to a degree that wouldn''t be too shocking in the eyes of others, yet not too lacking either.


    A middle ground, so to speak.


    He knew he needed to intensify his daily training to keep up with his ever-growing cultivation base.


    Normally, it would be the opposite case for most people.


    They would consolidate their foundations and strive each day to accumulate more Qi and continually improve.


    Ethan, on the other hand, had to constantly consolidate the Qi he received in abundance from refining, and each time it was never enough.


    Overall, things were going well; his strength was great, his spiritual energy reserves improved with each level, but if he didn''t have good control over it, sooner or later he could end up in trouble.


    Ethan wasn''t yet at a level where he could ignore most worldly problems.


    He was still too weak to do so, so he tried to fill in the gaps he had.


    Now that he had the minor dimension, which practically provided him with an infinite amount of extra time, he could work on this without too much worry.


    Ethan wondered if the system''s shop would eventually sell techniques or other things beyond pill recipes.


    ''Well, I can only keep leveling up and see if I unlock some other function,'' he thought, then turned his gaze to Bai Yu.


    He wondered if she could teach him some special attack.


    Who knows, maybe there was some technique he could use even without being of the dragon race.


    "Hey Bai Yu, regarding attack and defense techniques, do you think you could teach me some?" he asked hopefully.


    "No."


    "��"


    Seeing Ethan''s dejected expression, she explained. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s not that I don''t have any techniques you could learn; it''s just that all of them are impossible for you to practice at your current level.


    The energy and strength requirements to use them are too high for the current you."


    And with that, Ethan''s last hope was extinguished.


    "Is there really no way for you to teach me something?" he asked, completely resigned.


    His idea was to fill his various gaps as soon as possible, but it seemed that would take time as well.


    Bai Yu didn''t answer his question immediately and remained silent, pondering something.


    Seeing this, Ethan couldn''t help but ask in a hopeful tone.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Bai Yu, hearing his voice, came out of her thoughts and then said uncertainly.


    "There might be a way to teach you some of my race''s techniques, but I''m not sure if it will work," she said.


    Ethan, hearing this, quickly asked:


    "What way?"


    Still a bit uncertain, she replied:


    "The main reason you can''t learn almost any of the techniques I possess is because they are strictly linked to my race.


    So unless you are of the dragon race or at least have a bit of dragon bloodline, it''s impossible for you to learn my techniques."


    Upon hearing this, Ethan immediately had a premonition.


    ''Could she be suggesting��''


    And as if to confirm his thought, Bai Yu''s next words echoed.


    "The only way for you to learn my race''s techniques would be to absorb and develop a dragon bloodline within you."


    "Is something like that even possible?"


    Ethan asked, not sure what to think about it.


    Not that he was an expert on blood-related matters, or more precisely DNA, but he knew how dangerous it could be to introduce foreign blood into one''s body, especially if it wasn''t compatible with the person.


    This would be problematic even among beings of the same race, but if we''re talking about two completely different races, then the result was obvious.


    But then, thinking about it, Ethan wasn''t in his previous world where everything had to have a scientific explanation behind it.


    In this world, science couldn''t explain many things that were considered normal here.


    The mere fact that a person could fly or shoot fire from their hands could in itself baffle an Earth scientist.


    Who was to say that modifying one''s bloodline here was impossible?


    Wasn''t that what various protagonists of the novels he had read had done at some point in their journey?


    Although many things there made no sense even in this world, many others had proven to be possible.


    So why couldn''t this be as well?


    Just the fact that Bai Yu had mentioned it meant that such a thing wasn''t impossible.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 84: Special Mission

    ."Possible?


    Yes, but it''s not without risks, especially in the current situation where most of me is still under the influence of the seal.


    I''m not sure I can manage something like this," she said, explaining why she was uncertain about this approach.


    Ethan didn''t immediately think about whether it was currently possible or not, but rather wondered what effects doing something like this could have on his body.


    "If by chance you were able to provide me with a dragon''s bloodline, and I managed to assimilate it, what would happen to me?" he asked with a hint of concern.


    "It depends. If you successfully assimilate it, several outcomes are possible, varying based on the bloodline you''ve absorbed and how it''s assimilated.


    For example, if you were to absorb the bloodline of a creature different from your race, the two bloodlines would conflict, and the body would try to find a possible balance between the two.


    If one of them turns out to be stronger, it will suppress the other, and your body will change accordingly.


    For example, you might develop some traits of that creature or completely transform into one of them," she said calmly while explaining.


    Hearing this, Ethan imagined himself with a tail and scales all over his body.


    He shuddered at the thought but didn''t stop the explanation.


    "On the other hand, if your bloodline resists the foreign bloodline, you might retain most of your characteristics while gaining something from the suppressed bloodline.


    In your case, if you were to absorb a dragon''s bloodline, you''d almost certainly either die because your body can''t withstand a dragon''s power, or you would assume its form.


    There are various factors that influence this process, so it''s always risky to assimilate other bloodlines."


    "Then what''s the point of suggesting it?


    Wouldn''t that be like giving me a poisoned pill?" Ethan asked, no longer seeing any benefit in doing such a thing.


    "Normally, I wouldn''t propose this solution, but the fact is that you have the means to resist and succeed in this endeavor," she said.


    "What do you mean?" he asked, skeptical.


    For a moment, he thought she was referring to the Seven Sages'' Amphora.


    "I''m referring to your special physique. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When you acquired it, it wasn''t just your talent that improved;


    your bloodline was strengthened as well.


    Although your special physique hasn''t reached its peak yet, it should be enough to resist a dragon''s bloodline, especially in my current situation, where I am still largely suppressed, and so is my blood.


    The only problem is that I can''t manifest a physical body in the real world, so I can only attempt to produce a drop of my blood essence at the moment.


    But giving it to you would be more dangerous than absorbing a normal drop of blood," she said, making Ethan understand why she wasn''t sure about this approach.


    Hearing this, Ethan thought there was no need to take unnecessary risks now.


    After all, he was wealthy now, or at least more well-off than he had ever been before.


    Perhaps he wouldn''t be able to get his hands on a high-level technique so soon, but it should be within his means to buy a lower-level one.


    At his current level, even such a technique would be of great help.


    Thinking about this, he decided it was better to decline this offer, at least for the moment.


    As he was about to refuse, a familiar sound echoed in his head, and a blue screen appeared before him.


    DING!


    [You have unlocked a special mission]


    ''What?''


    Ethan didn''t understand what he had done to unlock a special mission, but he realized it would surely be something good.


    Without hesitation, he pressed it to see what it was.


    .


    [-----------------------------------


    [Special Mission]


    - Successfully acquire a dragon''s bloodline.


    Reward:


    - Ability: Dragon Gaze


    Time: 02 : 59 : 58


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that it was an ability, the flame of excitement reignited in Ethan.


    ''Dragon Gaze''


    Ethan wasn''t sure of this ability''s effects, but just from the name, it sounded like something powerful.


    Not only that, if the system had intervened at this moment, it also meant that maybe he had a good chance of acquiring Bai Yu''s bloodline without taking too much risk.


    At this point, Ethan had to decide whether to take the risk or not.


    ''Well, I can''t always run from choices, and if the system is suggesting this, then maybe my chances aren''t that low.''


    The system had always helped him in one way or another, and in none of those times had he risked losing his life.


    So he wondered, why not rely on it one more time?


    After all, if he wanted to become stronger, he would have to face situations like this much more often in the future.


    What sense did it make to retreat now?


    In the end, after a few minutes of contemplation, he made his decision.


    Turning his gaze to Bai Yu, he said, in a tone that left no hint of hesitation:


    "I want to try," he said.


    Bai Yu, hearing this, looked at him strangely and said:


    "Are you sure? Although your chances aren''t low, there''s no guarantee that everything will go well," she said, trying to make him understand that this wasn''t something to be taken lightly.


    Ethan was her lifeline out of this place, and she didn''t want him to get seriously hurt or worse, die because of this decision.


    Who knows when she would have another chance to break free from the artifact''s seal.


    "Yes, I''m sure.


    I feel like I can do it."


    Maybe saying he felt like he could do it wasn''t quite right since it was the system that seemed to be telling him he could succeed, but that wasn''t important at the moment.


    He needed to focus and prepare for what was about to happen.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 85: Beginning of the Assimilation

    .Bai Yu couldn''t understand where this sudden confidence in successfully assimilating her blood essence came from, but she decided to go along with it.


    She was also a bit curious to see what would happen.


    Although she was still worried that the assimilation might not go well, at the same time, she had reason to believe that maybe he would succeed.


    After all, this wouldn''t be the first time Ethan had done something that had amazed her.


    So, while silently praying that nothing would go wrong, she began to circulate the little spiritual energy she could control at the moment and started to extract as much blood essence as possible.


    As soon as the process began, Ethan noticed that Bai Yu''s body started to glow with a soft blue light.


    ''Is this how you extract your essence blood?'' he wondered.


    He had no idea how any of this worked, so he kept his thoughts to himself and waited for her to finish.


    Bai Yu wasn''t sure how much essence she would be able to gather and manifest in reality, but as she tried, she felt that at least the process was working.


    While she circulated the spiritual energy through her ethereal body, beneath the water mirror of the sea of consciousness, Bai Yu''s true body emitted a small sphere of light that shot upwards.


    The sphere of light moved at very high speed, and when it finally passed through the water mirror, Ethan didn''t notice, and he couldn''t understand what had happened when the sphere struck him.


    At the same time, outside the sea of consciousness, Ethan, who was in the minor dimension, sitting cross-legged on what seemed to be a wooden platform, furrowed his brow, which lit up for an instant.


    The sphere of light that had struck him emerged from his forehead and paused for a moment in the air.


    The sphere seemed to have a consciousness of its own, and as soon as it saw that it was outside, it immediately tried to dart away from Ethan.


    But as soon as it moved a mere meter away, a force emanating from Ethan''s body stopped it and forced it to come back.


    The sphere, under the influence of this force, darted, no longer toward the forehead, but toward Ethan''s chest, making contact with it.


    The area it struck was the heart, and as soon as it touched it, it was absorbed.


    For a moment, everything went silent, and Ethan, who was still in his sea of consciousness, felt a tingling sensation in his chest that lasted for less than a second.


    He wasn''t sure what had just happened.


    One moment he was watching Bai Yu, who was emitting a crystalline blue aura, and then he felt this strange sensation in his chest.


    He wasn''t sure what had happened and wondered for a moment if this was part of the assimilation process.


    He hadn''t seen the glowing sphere enter his body and then exit only to reenter his chest in the real world, so he was a bit confused.


    ''When will the process st��''


    Just as he was wondering how long it would take for her to extract her blood essence, a sharp pain hit him out of nowhere.


    Ugh.


    A sensation of dizziness followed immediately after, and unable to remain stable any longer, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest with his hands.


    ''What''s happening to me?''


    Gradually, he began to feel a heat igniting in his heart as it started to beat faster.


    The sensation of dizziness was clouding his mind, and just when he thought he might pass out to avoid enduring all of this, the sharp pain coming from his chest would wake him up.


    At some point, without realizing it, he was no longer in his sea of consciousness but had instead returned to reality and was currently on his knees, feeling his body temperature rise rapidly.


    First, it was just the heart, then the whole chest, and finally his entire body.


    The pounding of his heart, which was now pumping blood wildly, could be heard clearly.


    Thump-thump...


    Thump-thump... sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thump-thump...


    His pale skin, which had recently taken on a healthier and more vigorous color, was now completely flushed, with beads of sweat forming on it, only to evaporate immediately afterward due to the high temperature.


    Ethan, now fully immersed in agony, was no longer aware of what was happening, and the only thought in his head was:


    ''ENDURE, ENDURE, ENDURE...''


    He kept repeating it to himself like a mantra, trying not to succumb entirely to the pain.


    He wasn''t sure if this was part of the assimilation process; after all, he didn''t even know when or how he had received Bai Yu''s blood essence, but he knew he couldn''t let it overpower him.


    He had a feeling that if he gave in to the pain and passed out, there was a small chance he might never wake up again.


    The continuous sweating and the subsequent evaporation of it had produced a cloud of steam around his body, making it difficult to see through.


    His body was constantly changing both inside and out.


    At some point, he felt something growing on his skin, and a searing pain struck him again.


    Ethan could feel as if his skin was being torn off in several places simultaneously.


    White scales, as white as marble, began to sprout from his skin.


    CRACK.


    As soon as these scales finished growing on his body, covering his legs and arms, as well as a portion of his face, an impulse from beneath them caused them to shatter immediately.


    The shattered scales fell to the ground, revealing once again Ethan''s reddened skin beneath them.


    Not even a second passed before more scales grew in place of the broken ones, only to be shattered by something once more.


    This process repeated itself once again,


    and again, and again...


    His skin wasn''t the only thing undergoing changes.


    Other parts of his body also underwent a similar process.


    All of this continued for a long time, and Ethan, who felt every second pass as if it were an eternity, continued to persevere, trying not to succumb.


    At some point, even Bai Yu''s figure, which had been in his sea of consciousness before, was now here outside, watching all of this with a calm gaze.


    Her expression didn''t betray any emotion as she watched from a few meters away.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 86: Menacing Dragon

    .Time passed, and before long, three whole days had gone by in the Minor Dimension.


    After several hours of relentless agony, Ethan''s body stopped writhing, and he, no longer feeling the ceaseless pain, collapsed into a sudden fatigue and lost consciousness. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He remained unconscious for three straight days, lying completely still, his body showing no signs of activity.


    During this time, Bai Yu''s figure remained in the same position, continuing to gaze at Ethan.


    If someone had seen him in this state for so long, they would have thought he had been dead for quite some time.


    Then, on the evening of the third day, he finally showed some signs of life.


    His forehead furrowed slightly as he tried to open his eyes.


    Ah


    As soon as he managed to open them a bit, he was struck by a sudden headache, which made him close them again immediately.


    After a while, he tried again, this time more slowly.


    At first, his vision was completely overwhelmed by a white light, and for a moment, he couldn''t help but think he had gone blind.


    Gradually, the white veil covering his eyes began to fade, and shapes started to take form.


    The blue of the sky became clearer, the glare diminished, and finally, a clear view of the sky opened up before him, dotted only by a few fluffy white clouds.


    ''Am I dead?''


    He wondered for a moment, admiring the blue sky, perceiving the colors and details of the various clouds floating above much more clearly.


    It wasn''t that he had had any vision problems before.


    It was just that now, for some reason, everything seemed much clearer.


    It was as if an illusory veil that had previously covered some details had finally been removed.


    His mind was strangely calmer and lighter than usual.


    Just as he was pondering whether the process had been successful, the system decided to intervene.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, Host, for successfully assimilating the blood essence of a dragon.]


    [Congratulations, you have successfully completed the special mission.]


    [Open the mission interface to claim your reward.]


    Seeing this series of messages, Ethan was reassured that he was still alive and had somehow succeeded, albeit surprisingly.


    He didn''t immediately open the system interface and took his time while remaining lying on the circular wooden platform.


    Initially, Ethan had intended to build a small residence for himself.


    Something like a small house, but he had no idea how to make it.


    In the end, he decided on something simpler, like this small wooden platform with a conical roof on top.


    At first, he hadn''t intended to include the roof, but then during one of his visits here, he discovered that it was raining.


    He hadn''t expected it to rain here as well, but then remembering the description of this place, he understood why.


    The system had classified this Minor Dimension as a small world, and as such, it had an atmosphere and its own natural cycles, including those of water.


    Although this raised some questions for Ethan, such as if there was water and an atmosphere, there should also be life, and other similar questions, he decided not to think about it too much.


    These kinds of questions were too grand for someone like him, and he had no intention of spending his time figuring out why certain things existed in this place.


    At least, not right now.


    Perhaps in the future he would, after all, he had big plans for this Minor Dimension.


    Eventually, a voice coming from a short distance pulled him out of his thoughts.


    "How much longer do you plan to stay lying down?" asked the voice.


    Hearing this voice, Ethan knew who it was, and with an effort, he lifted his body, trying to get up.


    Having stayed in the same position for three consecutive days, his body muscles were stiff, and he struggled to find his balance.


    Finally, leaning against one of the wooden beams supporting the conical roof above, he looked forward, where a few meters away stood a woman with an ethereal appearance.


    "Good morning,


    well, perhaps it''s better to say good evening," he said, scratching his head.


    Bai Yu, however, said nothing, continuing to look him up and down, examining his body as if she were trying to see something.


    Then, with a slight, somewhat mischievous smile, she said:


    "Well, I didn''t know you were hiding a dragon that size down there."


    ''Eh?''


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t understand what she meant by those words.


    He lowered his head to see what she was talking about, and then, as if struck by a gust of cold air, he froze for a moment, realizing the meaning behind her words.


    ''Holy sh*t,'' he thought, shocked at the sight of the fierce beast below.


    ''Wait, no, what am I thinking?


    More importantly, where the hell are my clothes?''


    He thought anxiously, wondering why he was naked.


    Giving a quick mental command, he opened his [Storage], pulled out a new pair of clothes, and put them on immediately.


    Then, calming down, he looked at Bai Yu, thinking.


    ''Shameless woman''


    Although he couldn''t read her mind, from her expression, she could tell what he was thinking.


    "Why are you so flustered?


    It''s not the first time I''ve seen you without clothes," she said, maintaining her usual calm demeanor.


    Ethan didn''t understand for a moment, but then it dawned on him.


    ''Right, she can see me from the Sea of Consciousness.''


    He wondered if he would ever have any private life with her always in his head.


    Shaking his head to dismiss this worry, he asked:


    "How long was I unconscious?"


    Although he knew he was still in the Minor Dimension, and thus even if he had been here for weeks it wouldn''t be too problematic, he still wanted to know how much time had passed.


    The issue was if it wasn''t just weeks or months, but years?


    Then he would be in trouble.


    The reason he had this doubt was related to his body.


    Previously, when he looked at himself, he noticed that his skin strangely seemed much whiter, and his body muscles appeared more defined.


    And he also had the feeling that he had grown taller since his clothes seemed a bit tight, as if they were not his size.


    Taking all these factors into account, he could only think of two possibilities.


    Either the assimilation of the dragon''s bloodline had made significant changes to his body, or he had been in this place for a very long time.


    Of course, this didn''t explain some of these things, but it was a cultivation world.


    Especially in his case. He possessed an ancient artifact with a system, had a rare physique, and now also had a dragon bloodline.


    Who knew what could happen and what not.


    Bai Yu, not thinking much about why he asked this question, responded:


    "You''ve been unconscious for about 3 days.


    But it''s normal for this to happen; after all, your body needs to adapt to the new changes and resume its normal functions."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    ''Ah, thank god,''


    He thought to himself, relieved to have been wrong and narrowly avoiding a problem.


    Too bad for him that his problems had just begun.


    .


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 87: Changes

    .Since Ethan passed out in the minor dimension and not in the outside world, he only lost 43 minutes in the real world.


    The more time Ethan spent in this place, the more he understood just how valuable it was for him.


    He had entered in the afternoon, meaning he still had several hours before he needed to leave.


    If he stayed here for days, it would become night outside, and Da Shu would be alerted.


    If Da Shu saw that Ethan had not returned after such a long time, he would report him to the sect, as required by the sect''s rules.


    To avoid all these problems, Ethan decided to stay until evening, leave for dinner, and then return here at night.


    This way was better.


    He wanted to avoid any unnecessary trouble for now.


    So, he spent the next few days in this dimension, training to get more familiar with his new body.


    Well, maybe new wasn''t correct, since even though it had undergone several changes, it was still the same body overall.


    He used this time not only to get used to his body but also to train more with Bai Yu. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She, still being an ethereal figure, couldn''t train directly with him, but she could instruct him and then test him in his sea of consciousness.


    During this period, he learned several things.


    First of all, after receiving Bai Yu''s bloodline, he noticed a drastic increase in his stats.


    [Strength: 115 --> 165]


    [Agility: 109 --> 149]


    [Intelligence: 117 --> 136]


    [Soul Strength: 132 --> 136]


    Almost all his physical stats had increased by several levels.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how, but even his soul stat, which is usually very hard to increase, had advanced by 4 points.


    In other words, it was like he had received the boost he would normally get from advancing several levels.


    The same could be said for his other stats.


    His strength had increased by 50 points, which was equivalent to the improvement of five levels.


    The same went for his agility and intelligence stats, which also increased significantly.


    Ethan tended to consider each 10-point increase as equivalent to what advancing a level would give.


    He had noticed that, on average, his stat points increased by 10 with each level, even when he advanced to level two of the Qi Refining stage.


    He didn''t know if this would remain unchanged in the future, but for now, it seemed like it wouldn''t.


    Considering all this, his current strength was on par with a Qi Refining cultivator of at least level 6.


    Just thinking about this lifted Ethan''s spirits.


    Ethan thought that the stronger he became, the harder it would be to increase his strength.


    Which was normal, considering the amount of Qi needed for higher levels just kept increasing by a lot.


    When moving from the Body Refining stage to the Qi Refining stage, the total amount of Qi needed increased by a factor of 10.


    It wasn''t an extra 100 Qi per level anymore but rather 1000.


    Ethan feared that at the next stage, the amount needed for each level would increase by another factor of 10, meaning +10,000 for each new level.


    Just thinking about it gave Ethan chills.


    So, even though his cultivation speed was much faster than any other disciple of the Phoenix sect, he knew he would face his fair share of difficulties in the future.


    But seeing that the system seemed to provide boosts like these to increase his strength, even with all the new challenges of leveling up, reassured him.


    Another thing he noticed was that the changes in his body weren''t limited to his strength and other various stats but also his appearance.


    He had already noticed that his skin seemed to have a much healthier and more beautiful complexion, and his height had also increased.


    But after seeing his reflection in a mirror, he noticed that his face had changed a lot too.


    His features had become much sharper and more handsome, and most importantly, the color of his eyes had changed.


    What was once a light brown had turned into a crystalline blue similar to Bai Yu''s, with even his pupils now more like those of a reptile.


    This fact sent him into a panic because it was already going to be hard enough to explain his change in appearance, but how was he supposed to explain the change in his eyes?


    Ethan started to consider covering them indefinitely.


    Since there were no sunglasses in this world, he thought about opting for an eye patch.


    With his spiritual sense, which had increased a bit with his advancement to the Qi Refining stage, he was able to perceive the environment around him within a radius of at least 50 meters.


    But luckily for him, he found out he wouldn''t need to.


    Bai Yu told him that, while he couldn''t change the color of his eyes back to what they were before, he could manipulate the shape of his pupils.


    It took him days, but he eventually learned to control it from Bai Yu.


    The problem with his eyes remained, but at least now he could provide a reasonable explanation for their color.


    It wasn''t uncommon to find objects or pills to reshape one''s appearance, and it just so happened that contact lenses also existed in this world.


    Not exactly like the ones from his previous world, but something similar.


    From what he had heard before, mostly in certain professions, including those of assassins, people often needed to alter their appearance.


    The reason this wasn''t a solution before was that the use of these items wasn''t foolproof.


    Although the color change could be attributed to the lenses, the same couldn''t be said for the pupils.


    A cultivator stronger than Ethan would immediately notice he was wearing contact lenses, and with their spiritual sense, they could determine what was behind them too.


    Ethan knew there were other objects, more useful and safer than lenses, for this purpose, but the rarity of these items, combined with their high price, discouraged Ethan from trying to obtain them.


    In the end, Ethan spent a total of 2 weeks training in the minor dimension, and during all that time, he didn''t forget to follow his usual basic routine.


    He refined more pills, getting ahead with his usual delivery schedule by at least a few days.


    The same went for his recipes and the spiritual cauldron.


    He completed the first requirement for advancing the cauldron and accumulated a good amount of system points, once again surpassing the threshold of a thousand points.


    In other words, he now had what he needed to advance another of his recipes to the perfect grade, but instead of doing that, he decided to upgrade his basic recovery pill recipe.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 88: Level 2 Pill Recipe

    .According to what he had read, it was no longer possible to upgrade this pill to a higher grade, as the perfect grade seemed to be the highest one.


    The only option left was for the recipe to finally level up.


    And to test it, he wasted no time, opened the store screen, found the pill recipe, and pressed [Upgrade].


    His 1000 hard-earned SP vanished with the click.


    As soon as the process started, Ethan felt that familiar sensation in his brain, telling him he was acquiring new information.


    Just like the last few times, he managed to endure the pain of the process, which by now was more of a temporary annoyance and nothing more.


    When the process concluded, the system''s sound reached Ethan''s ears.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you''ve successfully obtained your first level 2 recipe.]


    Seeing these notifications, Ethan waited for the one that would grant him some Qi, but it never came.


    ''Well, this is a bit unexpected.''


    Ethan had assumed that every time the system mentioned ''for the first time'' in its messages, he would receive some extra Qi. In fact, he had received some with his first missions, and other times too.


    But it seemed this wasn''t always guaranteed.


    He eventually dismissed the thought.


    It wasn''t really important, given the amount he needed to advance now.


    A small increase like that could be ignored.


    Eager to see what improvements had been made...


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 2


    Grade: Low


    Description: A pill capable of fully recovering fatigue from intense training and capable of increasing the healing of moderate injuries.


    The purity of this pill will be above 25% but below 50%.


    [Upgrade] (100 SP)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that the effects of the new recipe had improved, Ethan nodded with a smile.


    Now, the pill could not only heal minor injuries like scratches or small wounds but also those that were a bit more serious.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what kind of injuries fell into the category of moderate injuries, but at least he could say they were definitely worse than minor ones.


    However, when he saw the SP required to advance the recipe from low to medium grade, his eyebrows furrowed a bit.


    It wasn''t that the price was too high; on the contrary, it was much lower than he had expected.


    ''Only a hundred system points?''


    With a hundred system points, he could upgrade a level 1 recipe to a high grade.


    But here, it seemed like he could use the same amount to advance this pill to a medium grade.


    You could see the difference in price was definitely higher when comparing their grade advancement, but still, the price was much lower than he had expected.


    To advance to perfect grade, a level 1 recipe required 1k SP.


    The same was needed to move it to the next level, meaning level 2.


    Ethan thought for a moment about why this was.


    ''Maybe because perfect grade and level advancement are much higher factors compared to the grade of the recipe?'' he thought, still unsure if this was really the reason.


    This would explain the higher price for advancing the recipe grade, but at the same time, the lower price than what he had paid to move from level 1 to level 2.


    Ethan wasn''t sure of his theory, but with the current information, there was little he could do.


    ''If this reasoning is correct, then future prices for grade advancement will be lower than for perfect grade advancement and level up.''


    Ethan was starting to get a headache thinking about why all this was happening.


    It was in situations like this that he felt the absence of that system existence that seemed to guide the protagonists in the novels he used to read.


    At least with that, he would have had his answers and wouldn''t have to overthink why everything in the system happened the way it did.


    He realized there was no point in dwelling on this.


    As far as he knew, it was better this way; at least he would save a few more SP for other upgrades.


    With the knowledge of the level 2 recipe, Ethan thought of trying to refine one.


    He took out all the necessary materials and started refining.


    Soon, he discovered a problem.


    The refining wasn''t going as he had thought.


    The level 2 pill recipe not only required an additional ingredient but also had extra steps to follow.


    The additional ingredient wasn''t an issue since it was still something that could be acquired from the market, and as luck would have it, it was also one of the many types of herbs that Ethan had planted in this dimension.


    The problem was the extra steps.


    Ethan had never worried about his ability to follow the various steps of the recipe because he had a level 1 refinement mastery and a solid knowledge of the recipe thanks to it being directly implanted in his brain.


    But now, one of these two factors didn''t seem to be at a high enough level for refining this level of pill.


    And it was obviously the refinement mastery.


    ''It seems like a level 1 refinement mastery only helps with level 1 recipes.''


    Ethan thought, feeling disheartened.


    The result was that, in the end, though he managed to finish refining the pill, 2 out of 3 failed.


    And the one that was successfully produced seemed to have a purity of 27%, almost at the acceptable limit for a low-grade pill.


    [Congratulations, you''ve successfully produced your first low-grade level 2 pill.]


    [You have received 100 Qi]


    [You have received 15 Qi]


    [You have received 10 system points]


    For someone like Ethan, who was always used to producing pills as if they were easy-to-refine candies, this was a hard blow.


    Not even the system''s reward of 100 Qi for creating his first level 2 pill lifted his spirits.


    But it seemed the system wasn''t done with him yet.


    DING!


    [A new item is available in the system shop]


    Seeing this notification, he became curious and opened the shop.


    He saw that the screen had changed once again.


    Now, instead of immediately seeing the list of various recipes, he saw two options.


    [Recipes]


    [Skills] new!


    Seeing the new addition, a flame of excitement ignited in him, and without thinking, he pressed it.


    Entering, he saw that, much like it was at the beginning with the recipe section, here too, there was only one option.


    [Refinement Mastery level 2]


    Seeing it, Ethan''s mood skyrocketed.


    He didn''t know why the system hadn''t given him this feature earlier, but better late than never.


    He couldn''t wait to upgrade this skill.


    But as soon as he glanced to the right and finally saw the cost in SP, his expression changed.


    [5000 SP]


    "..."


    .


    --------------------------- Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 89: Red Talisman

    .At this point, Ethan didn''t know what to think anymore.


    He felt like the system was mocking him.


    First, it charged him a lot to level up the recipe to the next level, and then it lowered the cost to something more affordable for the recipe''s grade increase.


    Then, when it came to skills, the price increased again, and this time by quite a bit.


    ''Even for breaking through to the Qi Refining stage, I only paid 100 SP,'' Ethan thought, not understanding how the system determined the prices.


    Perhaps in the system''s eyes, alchemical skills were more valuable than a simple stage advancement.


    Ethan didn''t know, and at this point, he realized it made no sense to waste more time on it.


    The system''s price was what it was, whether he liked it or not.


    And as far as he knew, it wasn''t going to change, so he would have to endure it and move on with his life.


    "Well, there''s no point in thinking about it now.


    Even if I wanted to, I won''t reach that amount of SP anytime soon," he thought, preparing to return to his dorm room.


    By now, it should be evening, and Da Shu should have already returned.


    Thinking that, he teleported out of the dimension with a simple mental command.


    Time passed, and the day of the end-of-year exams was getting closer.


    During these days, Ethan had spent a good portion of his time training in the smaller dimension, only coming out in the mornings and evenings, and occasionally when he had to run errands outside the sect.


    With Bai Yu''s help, he learned to control his strength and even how to use the new skill, ''Dragon Gaze''.


    Bai Yu was pleasantly surprised to see that Ethan had already mastered one of the characteristic techniques of his race.


    It should be known that not all dragons could easily master this technique, and even among those who did, only a few had good control over it and could make it stronger.


    Ethan had shown that he had already mastered it to a certain extent, which was why she was particularly surprised.


    What intrigued her most, however, was not the talent Ethan seemed to show in using this skill, but rather the fact that without any basic knowledge of it, it was almost impossible to learn.


    She tried asking him how he had learned this technique, but received a rather vague answer in return.


    "I''m not sure. It''s like it was transferred into my mind during the bloodline assimilation process," Ethan said.


    Ethan didn''t know how to explain it, so he went with a simple and vague explanation, which was partially true since the system had indeed downloaded the technique into his head.


    Bai Yu didn''t press the issue and helped him refine his control by sharing various uses she had learned over her long life.


    Ethan had to admit that, unlike the combat training with her, this lesson on the more effective use of the skill had indeed helped him a lot.


    The system, when it granted him the skill, had given him the basic information about it. Things like how to use it, where to use it, and some negative effects that could occur if used in certain cases.


    With Bai Yu''s teaching, he learned how to regulate the intensity, how to use it effectively without expending more energy than necessary, and even how to make someone among many the target of it.


    When Ethan used it, it ended up affecting anyone within his line of sight, which was useful in a fight with multiple opponents.


    But it was detrimental in team battles.


    Time passed, and the day of the end-of-year exam drew nearer.


    While time passed normally in the outside world, within Ethan''s smaller dimension, he trained diligently.


    After what was now not days but months of training in this place, Ethan had improved by leaps and bounds.


    His cultivation had increased by 2 levels, bringing him to level 4 of the Qi Refining stage. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even the system points Ethan had accumulated during this time ended up improving the recipes for some pills to perfection.


    Doing this for all the recipes was too expensive, so he focused more on the pills that were most important to him at the moment.


    Like the Qi Gathering Pill, a very commonly used pill among cultivators.


    It sold well almost everywhere, so it was one of the pills Ethan upgraded to perfection, so he could also unlock it in the system''s laboratory.


    Although he had more time in his smaller dimension, it didn''t mean he would spend all his time refining.


    The time he dedicated to refining was only a few hours each day.


    The rest of the pills were mainly produced using the alchemical lab.


    Ethan focused on these recipes because they had a certain market value.


    Once he finished with them, he concentrated more on accumulating System Points to improve his refining skill.


    Everything was going smoothly until two days before the end-of-year exam, when an incident occurred.


    Ethan decided to take a short break and prepare something new today.


    He decided to head to the city market to gather some ingredients.


    Although he had planted some spices in his smaller dimension, there were still some ingredients that couldn''t simply be cultivated there.


    So, he grabbed his things and left his dorm.


    Outside, as usual, there weren''t many people. This was because most of the disciples were either secluded somewhere cultivating, or in training areas fighting, or refining their combat techniques.


    However, unlike on usual days, today Ethan had a strange sense of unease.


    As he walked through the sect, he occasionally saw some disciples, which wouldn''t have been too unusual, if not for the fact that everyone he saw seemed to be in a hurry.


    ''Why is everyone heading there?''


    he thought as he saw people gathering in the outer sect''s atrium.


    This area of the sect usually remained quite calm.


    It was only occasionally filled when important announcements were to be made, such as news about competitions, important external news, and so on.


    Seeing the crowd of disciples, Ethan approached to find out what was happening.


    Upon arriving, he noticed Da Shu on one side of the crowd, towering over most of the disciples with his tall stature.


    Noticing him, Ethan approached.


    "Hey, why is everyone gathering here?"


    he asked as he reached Da Shu''s side.


    Da Shu, hearing him, looked around and spotted him.


    He greeted Ethan and then explained:


    "I''m not certain of the situation, but I heard that this morning a red talisman arrived at the sect''s mission hall.


    I assume it''s something related to that."


    "A red talisman..." Ethan murmured, beginning to understand the situation.


    It should be known that the sect provided its disciples with various types of tools, including those for signaling something to the sect.


    One-way communication talismans were among them.


    These talismans, which every disciple going out on missions had to take, had several basic functions, one of which was to request help from the sect.


    The talismans also indicated the person''s condition and the situation for which help was needed.


    And this was done based on color.


    They could choose between three colors:


    Green, yellow, red.


    Green indicated a non-urgent request for help.


    Yellow indicated an urgent request for help, but not one that involved serious or life-threatening danger.


    Red, however...


    Indicated an extremely dangerous situation, with almost certain death for the person.


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 90: Lín Huó Lì

    .A few more minutes passed, and finally, a man who seemed to be in his fifties appeared.


    By now, the crowd of disciples that had gathered had increased, and many whispers could be heard about what might be the cause of all this commotion.


    At the arrival of the man, all chatter ceased, and everyone turned their gaze to the person in front.


    The man was a well-known elder of the sect.


    His name was L��i T��ng, or Elder L��i, as most of the disciples called him.


    He was a man of few words but had a reputation for being very strict.


    It was said that he was one of the strongest elders of the sect.


    His presence meant that the situation was much more serious than Ethan and Da Shu had anticipated.


    Elder L��i, seeing that everyone was paying attention, spoke in a calm voice, but loud enough to be heard by all.


    "This morning, the sect received a distress signal from some of our disciples who left for a escort mission a few days ago," he began, listing the names of the group of disciples in question.


    "The escort mission they accepted had a very low danger index, making it suitable even for disciples at the first stage of cultivation.


    But it seems there was an incident serious enough that they sent a red talisman."


    At these words, many of the disciples in the crowd began to whisper and worry.


    Seeing this, Ethan thought that perhaps some of them knew members of that group.


    Ethan also knew some of the people listed earlier.


    He didn''t have much of a social life in the sect, as all he did from morning to night was cultivate, refine, sleep, and cultivate again.


    Although many other disciples had a somewhat similar routine, they often met in places like the canteen or public baths, and so on.


    Ethan, having everything he needed in his dorm, avoided frequenting these places.


    He understood that if he wanted to become stronger, he needed to dedicate more time to his cultivation.


    And adding his work as an alchemist to that, he simply didn''t have time to worry about these small matters.


    The only reason he knew one of the people mentioned was that she was fairly famous.


    She was one of the disciples who joined the sect last year, along with him.


    She was one of the four who had achieved excellent results on the entrance test, becoming direct inner disciples of the sect.


    Her name was L��n Hu�� L��, a girl from the Lin family, one of the most prestigious families in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    As expected from a descendant of a renowned family, she scored quite high on the entrance test.


    But that wasn''t what interested Ethan.


    The reason he knew her in particular was due to his roommate.


    It happened that he had a crush on her.


    His embarrassing attempts to court her were the subject of many jokes within the sect.


    Even Ethan occasionally teased him about it.


    He meant no harm to his friend, and Da Shu knew that.


    But that didn''t stop him from doing it.


    Da Shu had always been someone who didn''t care about others'' opinions and did what he wanted.


    Ethan appreciated this side of his friend.


    He saw it as a way to focus on his own goals without succumbing to any distractions.


    What surprised Ethan was that the girl didn''t seem to hate his approach.


    In fact, Ethan had often seen the two of them talking, and at one point, he also got to know her personally.


    So in a way, she was a friend to both of them, even though Ethan barely interacted with her, as he spent more time focusing on his own growth.


    He thought that the relationship between the two might eventually take off.


    He could only pray for his friend.


    At that moment, Ethan turned his gaze to Da Shu, who was standing beside him.


    He could see that although he maintained a calm expression, he was internally agitated.


    "A group led by me will be sent to their rescue, and in the meantime, I advise everyone to be more cautious during your missions outside the sect,"


    Elder L��i said, concluding his speech with some recommendations.


    Ethan normally wouldn''t think much of such matters, but in this case, he couldn''t ignore it.


    He was worried about what his friend might do in response to this news.


    By the end, everyone gradually began to disperse, with a few staying behind to discuss the issue among themselves.


    "So even Sister Huo is in danger?" someone asked.


    "Of course.


    I heard she''s also Elder L��i''s disciple.


    Perhaps that''s why he has stepped forward to lead the rescue group personally," another person nearby said.


    Ethan ignored the chatter of these disciples and, turning his gaze to his friend, said:


    "Hey, are you okay?"


    Da Shu, who seemed lost in thought, responded somewhat late to the question.


    "Of course, why wouldn''t I be?" he said with a calm expression.


    "Don''t worry, it will be fine.


    With Elder L��i acting directly, there''s no need to be concerned," Ethan said to comfort him.


    To this, Da Shu nodded and prepared to leave as well, but was stopped by Ethan.


    "Hey, I know you care about her, but don''t do anything reckless.


    Leave the matter to the sect. They will manage it well," Ethan said, understanding what was going through his friend''s mind.


    Da Shu stopped for a moment at these words and said, turning his head.


    "Don''t worry, I wasn''t planning to.


    With my strength, it would be difficult to be of any help in this situation," he said and then left.


    Seeing him go, Ethan shook his head.


    "He''s definitely going to do something reckless," he said to himself as he headed back to his dorm.


    ''Yeah, but what can you do?


    You''ve seen how infatuated he is with that girl,'' Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind.


    "That''s why i decided to stay single.


    Duty before pleasure," Ethan said with a sage-like expression.


    ''Sure, you''re definitely single for that reason,''


    she said, shaking her head at Ethan''s shameless remark. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 91: Sneaking Out

    . Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.The rescue team wasted no time in taking action.


    That very evening, Elder L��i had assembled a small group of inner disciples, all in the Qi refining stage.


    The sect elder himself was at the fourth stage of cultivation, and with the addition of the other disciples, this group was more than strong enough to handle any danger.


    In fact, this group could be considered somewhat excessive for rescuing a few disciples who had embarked on a mission that was supposed to be relatively safe.


    Normally, the sect would have sent at most a third-stage elder and a few disciples, but this case was a bit different.


    There were two main reasons why the sect decided to let Elder L��i go.


    One, because one of the disciples was an important talent that the sect couldn''t afford to lose.


    Two, because that same disciple was personally under the wing of Elder L��i, and the elder had no intention of sitting idly by and doing nothing.


    That evening, after dinner, Ethan didn''t immediately enter the minor dimension.


    Instead, he stayed in his bedroom and waited patiently.


    He had a feeling that Da Shu wouldn''t sit still, so he checked on him from time to time using his spiritual sense.


    Normally, a cultivator might sense if someone else was using spiritual sense on them, but the cultivator in question would have to be close in strength.


    With Ethan already at the fourth level of Qi refining, it was unlikely that anyone below his stage would detect his spiritual sense.


    So, he had no qualms about occasionally checking to see what Da Shu was up to.


    Around midnight, when most people had already retreated to their quarters, one figure could be seen moving at a moderate pace toward one of the sect''s walls.


    That person was none other than Da Shu.


    Taking care not to be spotted by the guards patrolling the sect at night, he slipped past the walls and hid near a tree.


    He waited there for a few seconds, making sure no one had noticed him.


    Just as he was about to leave, a voice called out from behind.


    "What are you doing out here?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Da Shu immediately tensed up, taking a defensive stance, ready to face any attack.


    Turning around, he saw that the person who had spoken was none other than his roommate.


    Calming down a bit, he spoke in a low voice, sounding slightly displeased.


    "Is that how you greet people? What if I had attacked you?"


    Ethan, smiling, responded, "Well, it''s not like you''d be able to do much to me even if you tried."


    He said this nonchalantly.


    Hearing this, Da Shu didn''t argue, thinking his friend was joking.


    He still believed that Ethan was at least two or three levels behind him, as he was currently nearing the seventh level of body refining.


    Which was a reasonable assumption, considering how long it had taken Ethan just to break through the first level.


    "How did you know I''d leave through here?" Da Shu asked, returning to the matter at hand.


    "Well, isn''t it obvious? I''ve been following you ever since you left the dormitory," Ethan said casually.


    Indeed, around midnight, just as Ethan was about to doze off, he sensed movement from Da Shu''s room.


    Since then, keeping a safe distance, he followed him, waiting until Da Shu managed to slip out of the sect unnoticed.


    Disciples were discouraged from leaving at night, and those who wished to do so had to inform the sect of their reasons in advance.


    Today, the sect would have been especially vigilant about anyone leaving for errands or other matters.


    Ethan was certain that even if Da Shu somehow managed to slip past the sect''s patrolling guards, he would still be stopped.


    After all, in a sect of this caliber, it was impossible for anyone to come and go as they pleased without being noticed.


    And just as Ethan had thought, the moment Da Shu crossed the sect''s wall, a gaze fell upon both of them.


    Da Shu, of course, was unaware of this, but with Ethan''s enhanced senses, thanks to his dragon bloodline, it had been easy for him to detect this presence.


    According to Bai Yu, the one watching them was much stronger than Elder L��i.


    In other words, this being was either at the peak of the fourth stage or, worse, in the Body-Soul Integration stage.


    Ethan could only think of one person at that level: the sect master.


    Contrary to what he expected, however, the gaze lasted only for a moment before fading away.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if they had simply been allowed to go or if whoever it was had sent someone to follow them.


    But after a few minutes with no one showing up, Ethan figured it was the former.


    Though he wondered why, he didn''t dwell on it too much.


    Da Shu was already out, hiding in the small grove near the sect.


    They weren''t quite out of the sect''s territory yet, they still had to descend the mountain peak first.


    For cultivators at Ethan and Da Shu''s level, descending from such a height wasn''t an issue, which was why Da Shu had chosen to leave from this side of the sect.


    Returning to the present, Da Shu was wondering why he hadn''t noticed Ethan''s presence.


    If it were true that he had been following him, he should have discovered it much earlier.


    After all, he had been extremely cautious the entire time, and it would be difficult for someone at Ethan''s level to follow him without being detected.


    He thought perhaps Ethan had used some special artifact to hide his presence, but knowing his friend''s background, it was hard to believe he had one.


    Though he knew how much Ethan was earning these days, since Da Shu was the one handling the sales of his pills, he knew it wasn''t enough to afford such an artifact.


    Shaking off those thoughts, he turned to Ethan with a determined look.


    "Either way, you already know where I''m going, so don''t bother trying to stop me."


    Ethan looked at him calmly.


    After a moment, he sighed and said,


    "Well, there''s no point in stopping you.


    you wouldn''t listen anyway.


    And if I really wanted to, there are more effective ways, like alerting the sect elders."


    He shook his head and continued,


    "For as much of a training maniac as you are, you''re not stupid.


    You must know the risks of going out on your own."


    Da Shu listened without interrupting.


    "But that said, what makes you think you''ll reach them before the rescue team sent by the sect?


    And do you even know where the incident happened?


    As far as I know, the sect hasn''t released any information about it."


    Ethan asked, wanting to know more.


    Finally, Da Shu spoke,


    "Huo L�� told me before she left."


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 92: Bad Feeling

    .Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but smile and say:


    "Oh? It seems that things between you are progressing better than I expected.


    Are you even sharing information on what missions you''re taking on?"


    Da Shu didn''t blush or react otherwise to this remark.


    In fact, he had a proud look on his face as he said:


    "Well, of course, I''ve already said that sooner or later, it will fall to me.


    It''s just a matter of time.


    If you want, I can give you some advice on how to court someone.


    With that handsome face of yours, it won''t be hard to find a girl or a boy.


    I don''t know what your preferences are."


    He said it as if he were a senior giving life advice to his juniors.


    Ethan, who was thinking of teasing him a bit, had to back down.


    ''Nevermind; it''s better if we return to the main topic.''


    And as if he had read Ethan''s mind, Da Shu changed his expression to a more serious one.


    "Listen, I know you''re right.


    I wouldn''t get there before the rescue team, and even if I did, I probably wouldn''t be much help.


    But that''s not the point.


    I don''t know why, but I have a feeling that things aren''t going to end well."


    Hearing this, Ethan also became a bit serious.


    Normally, he wouldn''t take things like a bad feeling seriously, but after spending so much time in this world, he discovered that what people called the sixth sense or feelings weren''t necessarily vague and imaginary, as they were thought to be in his world.


    In this world, even small things had a reason behind them.


    Concepts like karma or divine punishment existed in this world, especially in the Celestial Realm.


    In the few times he had conversed with Bai Yu about her origins, he had learned about these facts as well.


    He wasn''t yet sure how it all worked, but if even a being like her thought such things shouldn''t be taken lightly, who was he to contradict?


    Ethan initially didn''t want to come and was thinking of knocking Da Shu out with a sneak attack and dragging him back.


    But then, who was he to decide what was best for him?


    Da Shu was already 20, in other words, an adult.


    He didn''t need Ethan to babysit him.


    Ethan was always used to thinking rationally and tried to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    That said, he considered Da Shu a real friend, and as much as he wanted to ignore the issue, he couldn''t, so he decided at least to confirm his friend''s plans.


    And as the older person, even if only by two years, he would have felt responsible if something happened to him.


    In a way, it was his way of soothing his concern.


    But now, with this new information, he wasn''t so sure about acting as he had planned.


    In the end, he sighed in defeat and said,


    "Haa, fine, but I''ll come with you."


    In the end, Da Shu accepted Ethan''s participation, and they both set off.


    As they descended the mountain at a moderate pace, Ethan couldn''t help but ask about the incident''s location.


    He discovered that the escort mission involved accompanying a wealthy merchant on a business trip to Goldstone, a mining city north of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    The city''s name was mainly due to its proximity to rich gold mines, but the city didn''t only extract gold.


    From iron to copper, many other metals and precious stones were mined in the area around the city.


    It was also one of the major producers of spiritual stones in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    The merchant could certainly afford some mercenaries or a better escort than a few disciples at the first stage of cultivation.


    Ethan wondered why he hadn''t done so.


    According to Da Shu, the route from the Sun City to Goldstone was relatively safe and mostly free of danger.


    His family had also done business with the mining city, so he knew a thing or two about it.


    It was precisely for this reason that he had a feeling something was off.


    If a route that normally posed no dangers was the one the disciples were on, how could they have been forced to send not a regular help request but a red talisman?


    Even Ethan, hearing this new information, felt there was something decidedly wrong with the situation.


    But he still believed it should be okay; after all, an elder from the sect at the fourth stage of cultivation had been sent.


    An existence of that level was considered nearly a superpower in any realm.


    With their speed, they would likely reach the incident site in less than half a day, meaning they should almost be there.


    He and Da Shu would probably take at least another 5 hours. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if, upon arrival, everything had already been resolved.


    That was if the disciples were still alive.


    The exact location from where the signal talisman had been sent was an area of the path to Goldstone that passed through the Spirit Forest.


    The part he and Da Shu had visited some time ago was only the outer area, and it was in that same area that he had his incident with that beast at the mid-stage of Level 1.


    The path had been built on the east side of the Spirit Forest, where the forest was less dense, and being near a lake, the view was better, reducing the risk of encountering a powerful beast.


    Ethan really hoped that upon their arrival, they wouldn''t find anything unpleasant.


    At his current level, he was more than capable of rivaling someone at the same stage of cultivation, regardless of whether they were at the peak or not.


    After training for a long time with Bai Yu, Ethan felt at least confident enough to face enemies of this level.


    Beyond that, it was simply still too much for him.


    ''I hope I don''t regret this decision later.''


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 93: Strange Spiritual Energy

    .The path leading from Sun City to Goldstone was flanked on both sides by a forest and a medium-sized lake.


    The clear water of the lake sparkled in the sunlight, and the sound of the rustling green leaves of the Spirit Forest created a serene and harmonious atmosphere.


    An atmosphere that sharply contrasted with the gruesome scene just ahead.


    At the site of the incident, seven figures stood scattered across different parts of the area, each examining the surroundings.


    Six of these figures wore white disciples'' robes, with red stripes outlining the clothes and the image of a coiled phoenix on their backs.


    On the left chest of each disciple, there was a silver emblem with an engraving that closely resembled the phoenix design on their backs.


    These were all inner disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    The seventh person, however, stood out from the rest, as he wore a blue robe with golden trimmings and embroidery.


    He appeared to be a man in his fifties, with a mix of long gray and black hair tied back in a half ponytail.


    His expression was serious, and though he appeared calm, a faint murderous intent radiated from him.


    A heavy atmosphere hung over the area, and all the disciples present felt the pressure of this atmosphere weighing on them as they searched for any clues that might help them understand what had happened.


    Adding to this invisible and subtle pressure was the scent of blood lingering in the air, making it difficult for an ordinary person not to succumb to the tension here.


    But it was different for these inner disciples.


    They had spent years diligently cultivating, and each had seen their fair share of blood in their lives.


    It wasn''t uncommon for them to end up in difficult, often deadly, situations due to missions or conflicts with other groups.


    This group had been carefully selected by Elder L��i for this rescue mission.


    After examining the area for a while, one of the sect''s disciples respectfully approached Elder L��i and said:


    "Elder L��i, we''ve confirmed that none of these bodies belong to anyone from our sect."


    He received a silent nod from the elder.


    "We''ve verified that these are indeed the remains of the convoy the group of disciples was protecting.


    However, aside from the remains of a few mercenaries and what we believe to be the merchant''s subordinates, there doesn''t appear to be anything else here.


    From the battle marks, we can tell they weren''t attacked by a group of beasts, but rather by a group of at least five people," the disciple stated, confirming what the elder had suspected upon arriving at the scene.


    For an expert of his level, detecting these signs was easy.


    Even more so, he could sense the remnants of spiritual attacks used here.


    Though beasts were capable of unleashing Qi-infused attacks, their control over it would have been far more basic, not as refined as what he could perceive.


    If that had been all, he wouldn''t have been overly concerned and would have immediately tried to track the source of these spiritual energy traces, but there was a problem.


    Upon arriving at the scene and trying to examine these traces, he felt a slight sense of unease.


    He wasn''t sure why, but these traces of spiritual energy were unusual, and they gave him a sense of danger.


    From this, he could tell that the situation wasn''t as simple as it seemed, and the more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became.


    "We believe the merchant fled with them during the attack.


    Based on the battle marks, we think the group headed into the forest."


    The disciple finished and awaited the elder''s orders.


    Elder L��i nodded and spoke in a firm voice:


    "I''ll go first. You and the others, catch up with me as quickly as possible."


    He had decided to move ahead alone to avoid wasting any more time.


    With his strength, he could explore the direction the disciples had gone far more quickly.


    He knew that was likely the right direction. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The intensity of spiritual energy in that direction seemed slightly stronger than in the rest of the forest.


    He could also sense the traces of that strange spiritual energy he had felt here.


    It was morning, and they had only just arrived at the scene a few minutes ago.


    He knew he couldn''t afford to waste any more time.


    A faint purple aura enveloped his body, and small crackles of lightning could be seen flickering across it.


    He lifted his body into the air and sped off in that direction.


    Seeing this, the disciple who had approached earlier to report their findings couldn''t help but sigh in awe.


    "No matter how many times I see it, it''s always amazing," he said, watching the display of a soul cultivation expert''s abilities.


    Like him, his fellow disciples admired this demonstration of power.


    Then, one of them, still in awe, asked:


    "By the way, does anyone know which beast soul Elder L��i is cultivating?"


    The others also became curious and all turned to look at the disciple who had interacted with the sect elder.


    This disciple, unlike the rest of the group, had been in the sect longer and had far more interactions with the elder.


    In a way, he was their senior, so after the elder, he was the one leading this team.


    Hearing the question from his companion and seeing that the others were also particularly interested, he spoke without scolding them or anything of the sort.


    "I''m not entirely sure which beast soul Elder L��i is cultivating, but I''ve heard some rumors.


    A couple of years ago, the elder supposedly defeated a mid-stage level 4 spiritual beast.


    It''s believed that the beast in question was a Purple Thunder Bird."


    At the mention of this spiritual beast, everyone was slightly shocked.


    Although finding a level 4 spiritual beast wasn''t too difficult, finding one with a rare element like purple thunder was.


    If the location of such a beast were discovered, many sects and experts would rush to subdue it and capture its soul.


    It was known that among the various types of thunder, purple thunder was one of the rarest.


    The power of this thunder was far superior to that of other types, which made it highly sought after by many cultivators, especially those with a strong affinity for the thunder element.


    Those cultivators, in particular, would see a massive increase in their strength, and if they managed to cultivate the beast soul of such a creature, they would dominate over anyone at the same cultivation stage.


    It was also said that the current sect master had an extremely rare beast soul, which is why she was considered one of the strongest experts in the Long Empire.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, the disciple who had just spoken turned to his companions:


    "Alright, let''s stop wasting time.


    We need to catch up to the sect elder quickly, or we''ll be in trouble," he said,


    then dashed at full speed in the direction Elder L��i had gone, followed by the other four inner disciples.


    Thus, while this group was heading toward the presumed location of their sect''s disciples, elsewhere in the forest, two individuals were swiftly passing through the trees, drawing closer to the scene of the incident.


    ***


    Several hours passed, but eventually, the two arrived at the scene.


    To avoid any delays and encounters with beasts, they had opted to stay on the outskirts of the forest.


    The two moved at a speed that no ordinary person could reach, even if they were two or three times faster than usual.


    Da Shu had been certain that his friend would tire at some point and wouldn''t be able to keep pace with him.


    But apparently, he was wrong.


    Ethan had shown no signs of slowing down or fatigue the entire time.


    His expression was like someone merely taking a light jog, which surprised Da Shu a little and made him doubt his friend''s cultivation level.


    But he didn''t dwell on the subject.


    For now, it was more important to reach the site of the incident.


    Both knew that the escort group wouldn''t still be there, but it was the only starting point they had, so they quickened their pace and headed toward it without stopping.


    Because they hadn''t taken any breaks, their travel time was much shorter than they had originally anticipated.


    By the afternoon of the next day, both were almost at the site of the incident.


    As they drew closer, Bai Yu''s voice resonated in Ethan''s mind.


    "I sense the presence of two powerful auras a few miles from here," she said, alerting Ethan.


    Her voice was calm, but at the same time a little confused, as if unsure of something.


    Ethan could sense this and wanted to ask what it was about, but just then, as if to confirm Bai Yu''s words, a loud explosion echoed from a location not far from where they were.


    The force of the sound was so great that even the ground beneath their feet vibrated slightly, and powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy spread throughout the eastern part of the Spirit Forest.


    Da Shu, who hadn''t heard what Bai Yu had said, was caught off guard and almost fell.


    "What in the world was that?" he asked in a voice tinged with fear and caution.


    He, too, could feel the powerful spiritual energy fluctuations coming from the direction of the sound.


    "I don''t know, but I believe it''s where the sect''s rescue team went," Ethan replied with a serious expression.


    He could tell from the spiritual energy fluctuations that someone powerful was fighting in that direction.


    It didn''t take long for him to figure out that it was probably the sect elder fighting someone there.


    With his heightened senses, he could distinguish two different types of spiritual energy.


    Bai Yu confirmed that one of them belonged to the sect elder, but the other...


    She wasn''t sure if it belonged to a person or a beast.


    Da Shu, hearing Ethan''s words, didn''t ask why he thought that was where the sect''s group had headed.


    He, too, thought the same, as they were close to the site of the incident.


    It was only natural to assume that this explosion of spiritual energy was due to the sect elder.


    Da Shu didn''t know the situation regarding the missing group of disciples, but if even the sect elder had to release his power, then the situation definitely wasn''t good.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 94: Dangerous Opponent

    .In an area deep within the Forest of Spirits.


    Powerful waves of spiritual energy, generated by the clash between two high-level beings, were rippling through every direction of the forest, sending all beasts within at least a few miles into a state of alert.


    In a dark, deep cave near the battleground, a creature that had been sleeping was suddenly awakened.


    Clearly irritated by the disturbance, the creature let out a loud roar, followed by two glowing eyes emerging from the depths of the cave.


    The brightness of its eyes intensified as the creature began moving toward the cave''s exit.


    The more it advanced, the clearer its features became.


    Within seconds, it reached the cave''s entrance, and now, struck by the sunlight outside, the details of its face were visible enough to make out.


    It had a face that was slightly elongated, entirely covered in small, overlapping scales that blended harmoniously, giving the creature a more uniform appearance.


    Its two yellow eyes, with pupils as thin as needles, scanned the area, searching for the source of the disturbance.


    Then, as if it had finally locked onto the cause of the commotion, they stopped and focused on a spot high up in the sky.


    Seeing this, the creature let out a loud hiss and quickly slithered out of its den.


    Right after its head came into view, an elongated, limbless body slid out.


    The size of the creature almost rivaled the height of the trees in the forest.


    With a body nearly 100 meters long, the creature slithered out slowly, coiling itself around the nearest tree and lifting its gaze upwards toward the two figures fighting in the sky.


    It waited patiently for a few seconds, then, narrowing its pupils even further, it launched itself at them with terrifying speed.


    The massive figure of the creature appeared in less than a second behind one of them, its enormous mouth wide open, ready to swallow its prey whole.


    A little further down its back, just behind its head, a pair of long bat-like wings had appeared.


    The two figures battling in the air seemed unaware of the creature''s presence, even as it closed in on them.


    With its mouth wide open, revealing two long sets of sharp fangs, the creature tried to swallow its prey just as they clashed.


    But right as its mouth was about to reach them, another wave of powerful spiritual energy erupted from the impact of their clash, and this time, the creature, being so close to the source, took the full brunt of it.


    Moments later, the creature''s massive body exploded in a mist of blood, leaving behind nothing but shattered bones scattered throughout the forest.


    The two figures that had caused the creature''s demise didn''t even glance at it and continued their battle.


    Both emitted powerful auras that would make any cultivator below the third stage tremble.


    One of them appeared to be an elderly man, full of vigor, surrounded by a thin purple aura crackling with small electric currents.


    The purple aura seemed to twist constantly, and an illusory figure resembling the face of a long-beaked creature appeared above the man.


    The other figure, on the other hand, was that of a middle-aged man with a stern expression and eyes filled with an unmistakable malicious intent.


    He wore a short-sleeved black robe that left his muscular arms, covered in black veins, exposed.


    What drew the most attention, though, wasn''t the slightly gray tone of his skin but the threatening aura that enveloped his entire being.


    The battle between the two continued for a while until, at one point, the old man cloaked in the purple aura managed to land a lethal strike, severing his opponent''s arm clean off.


    The middle-aged man grunted in pain, retreating a safe distance from his opponent.


    Both paused mid-air, staring at each other. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A creepy smile spread across the middle-aged man''s face.


    He didn''t seem to care about his severed arm and looked at his opponent with an intense gleam in his eyes.


    Then, letting out a loud laugh, he said:


    "Just as expected from an elder of the Phoenix Sect.


    You are very strong."


    He spoke without receiving a response from the other side.


    Seeing the other man remain silent, he continued.


    "You know, it''s been a while since I''ve taken a hit like that," he said, lightly tapping an object tied to his waist with his remaining arm.


    Immediately after, the object glowed and spat out something.


    It was a pill.


    The Elder L��i felt an aura similar to that surrounding the cultivator before him emanating from it.


    The middle-aged man, taking the pill and swallowing it in one go, said:


    "I intended to just keep you busy until my subordinates finished their work, but I''ve changed my mind."


    He spoke as his voice grew deeper and his expression more twisted.


    The flesh near where his arm had been began to writhe.


    "I think I''ll take your head as a prize before I leave."


    In an instant, the writhing flesh burst, and a brand-new arm appeared in its place.


    Seeing this, Elder L��i''s expression hardened even more.


    ''Who is this man?'' he thought.


    About an hour ago, he had rushed at full speed toward the place where he had sensed increasing fluctuations of spiritual energy.


    With his powerful spiritual sense, he could detect several figures, and he was sure some of them were disciples of his sect.


    One in particular he recognized immediately��it was his disciple.


    Upon confirming this, he accelerated even further, closing the great distance in less than a second.


    Just as he was about to arrive at the scene, he was met by a sudden, unexpected attack from nowhere.


    If it had been a regular attack, he would have simply brushed it off with his aura, but this one felt dangerous, forcing him to abruptly halt his advance and narrowly avoid it.


    The missed attack continued its trajectory, eventually striking a small hill in the distance.


    The force of the attack was so immense that half of the hill was obliterated in an instant.


    That alone was enough to demonstrate the lethality of that strike.


    "I was sure I''d hit you with that one," said a voice.


    And right after, a figure materialized out of nowhere, a few dozen meters in front of Elder L��i.


    ''This man is dangerous,'' Elder L��i realized almost instantly, recognizing the threat posed by the figure before him.


    With the appearance of the figure, several questions started popping into Elder L��i''s mind, such as:


    If a figure like this was with the group that attacked the convoy, how is it possible that the sect''s disciples are still alive, and even managed to escape safely from them?


    The only answer he could come up with was that this man hadn''t participated in the attack and had been watching from the sidelines the entire time.


    But even that didn''t seem entirely right.


    He had a feeling that if he wasted more time here, something very bad would happen.


    ***


    Witnessing this display of power were two figures, hidden a few hundred meters away.


    The two were none other than Ethan and Da Shu.


    The closer they got to the battlefield, the more they could feel the spiritual pressure radiating from the fight between the two beings.


    At a certain point, both managed to spot the two figures fighting, and upon seeing them, they were both astonished but also terrified.


    They both witnessed the sect elder severing his opponent''s arm and, for a moment, thought the battle was almost over.


    But when they saw what happened next, a shiver ran down both their spines.


    Just like the sect elder, they too were caught off guard by the sight of the regrowing arm.


    It was known that pills existed powerful enough to regrow someone''s limbs, but they were extremely rare and very difficult to create, requiring a grandmaster alchemist to pour all his effort into refining it.


    So, seeing one appear out of nowhere, eaten as casually as candy, shocked all three of them.


    Even more so, Ethan, being an alchemist, could tell that the pill wasn''t ordinary.


    Not to mention the person who ate it.


    Ethan could sense that something about his aura was off.


    Even Bai Yu, who was observing everything from within Ethan''s spiritual sea, felt that something was wrong with that man''s aura.


    The aura emanating from the man gave her a sense of repulsion and caution.


    It wasn''t the man himself causing this feeling, but the energy he was using.


    She had never felt an aura like this before, but as she examined it, a thought crossed her mind.


    ''Wait, could this be...


    Demonic Qi?''


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    I''ll upload the next chapter in 4 hours.


    I can''t right now, gotta run to work. (?�n?).

 Chapter 95: Soul Beast

    .A shiver ran down Bai Yu''s spine at this assumption.


    ''No, it can''t be demonic Qi,'' she said, trying to reassure herself that she had perceived it correctly.


    ''This innate malice in that spiritual energy��


    But it shouldn''t be possible, after all, they have been exiled.


    It is not possible that they managed to infiltrate the mortal realm.''


    The more she thought about it, the more absurd her assumption seemed.


    While Bai Yu was lost in thought, Ethan and Da Shu decided what to do.


    Clearly, they would not be of any help in the battle against that strange individual.


    They would likely be dead weight for the sect elder, so they both decided to bypass this area and move forward.


    "If an enemy is here, then the rest of them must be nearby too," they both thought.


    They only hoped that the companions of that cultivator were not of the same level, because if they were, there would be no way out for the sect''s disciples, nor for them.


    Ethan had some escape routes in case of danger, and the most important of these was obviously his smaller dimension.


    He really hoped it wouldn''t come to that, as it would risk exposing it to others.


    With this in mind, both moved cautiously, trying not to fall into the enemy cultivator''s line of sight.


    Ethan was sure that beings of their level would definitely have a fairly broad spiritual perception, so they had almost certainly already been detected.


    He wasn''t sure why they had been ignored, but it was better this way.


    Just as Ethan had thought, the enemy cultivator and the sect elder had immediately detected them when they reached this area, but neither of them bothered to do anything.


    In a battle like this, even the slightest distraction could be costly, and both knew it.


    The sect elder could tell they were not part of the enemy group, but he didn''t know if they were passersby or not.


    In any case, he knew he couldn''t drag this battle out.


    The premonition that something bad was about to happen grew stronger.


    Therefore, he no longer held back and released all the power of his cultivation base.


    The purple aura surrounding him began to writhe more and more, and even the illusory image behind him began to change.


    Gradually, the aura started to expand and take shape.


    Seeing this scene, the enemy cultivator understood that the opponent had decided to get serious.


    So, with a twisted smile on his face, he too began to release his cultivation base.


    Within seconds, both auras rose several levels, and they both reached a cultivation level close to the peak of the fourth stage.


    Everyone knew that at each stage of cultivation, a person''s strength increased several times, but few knew that beyond the third stage, a much greater change occurred.


    This change was such that a person at the first level of the Soul Refining stage could comfortably face several cultivators at the peak of the third stage simultaneously.


    And this was not due to the individual''s strength increasing with the stage, but because of something else,


    the beast soul .


    Every cultivator, to successfully break through to the fourth stage of cultivation, had to subjugate the soul of a spiritual beast compatible with them.


    The stronger the subjugated spiritual beast, the stronger the person who obtained its soul would become.


    The importance of a high-grade spiritual beast was such that whenever a strong and rare one appeared, it would lead to a bloodbath.


    It was possible to switch from one beast soul to another, so even cultivators at the fourth stage acted in these situations, making the battle for the possession of the beast even more brutal.


    Elder L��i was fortunate to find one still undiscovered by anyone, which was moreover of his own element,


    lightning.


    The sect elder, who had previously been concealed by his spiritual energy, was no longer visible, and instead, a large purple-winged figure, nearly 100 meters tall, was in the sky.


    On the body of the large avian, small purple lightning bolts could be seen flashing rapidly, and if one looked closely at the slightly transparent chest of the beast, one could see the figure of the sect elder.


    This was the beastial form that every cultivator at the fourth stage of cultivation could assume once they had fully controlled the beast soul in their possession.


    Cultivators referred to it as the manifestation of the beast soul.


    The large beast, made of the elder''s L��i spiritual energy, gazed toward the spot where the cultivator was.


    The sect elder had expected to see a manifestation of the beast soul that the enemy cultivator had subdued, but instead, apart from a significant change in the aura, which had now taken on a bloody red hue, no beast soul manifestation appeared.


    ''Could it be that he hasn''t fully subdued it yet?


    No, it can''t be. His cultivation base is clearly as high as mine.


    It''s not possible that he hasn''t managed to subdue it yet.''


    Elder L��i did not know what was happening.


    First, that strange spiritual energy, and now this.


    He was increasingly certain that something was wrong with this situation.


    ''I need to finish this fight quickly,'' and with this thought, he launched into attack, and the battle between the two cultivators resumed.


    This time it was much more intense than before.


    As the battle in the sky became more and more intense, in an area of the forest near the site of the clash, the situation was becoming increasingly desperate.


    Currently, three cloaked figures had surrounded a group of six people from all sides.


    The surrounded group was clearly in a state of panic as they watched the horrifying scene before them.


    A few meters away, another cloaked figure stood, wiping his right hand covered in blood.


    At his feet lay the figure of a man.


    He lay in a pool of blood, coming from a wound as large as an arm on his chest.


    After wiping the blood from his hand, the man bent down and retrieved a spatial ring from the corpse.


    Spatial rings usually couldn''t be opened by anyone other than their bearer, as they were engraved with protective runes that recorded the bearer''s blood.


    The strength of the protective seal varied depending on the ring''s grade.


    The one in the man''s hand was clearly a high-grade ring.


    Seeing it, the cloaked man couldn''t help but say:


    "Well, for a wealthy merchant, he certainly has little stuff in here."


    He said, easily destroying the seal and examining the inside of the ring.


    It was possible to break this seal with sufficient force, especially if the ring''s bearer was no longer alive, thus severing the connection with it and weakening the seal.


    Not worrying too much about what was inside, the man injected a bit of Qi into the ring, and a moment later, a thin and long object, covered with a black fabric and an adhesive on top, appeared in his hand.


    The adhesive had various inscriptions on it, incomprehensible to the eye of an ordinary person.


    The man didn''t concern himself with the rest of the items and discarded the ring, while staring intensely at the object in his hand.


    ''Finally, we got it.''


    The man wasted no time and immediately removed the rectangular piece of paper attached to the object.


    As soon as he did, the paper, now removed and discarded on the ground, began to burn, and within seconds, it disappeared, leaving only ashes behind.


    But the cloaked man seemed indifferent as he moved his arm to remove the fabric covering the object.


    As he removed it, a strange aura began to emanate from the object.


    It was black and gave a sense of discomfort to anyone who perceived it.


    The man didn''t seem to be affected by this subtle aura emitted by the object, but the same couldn''t be said for the group of disciples.


    The group of six people, mostly disciples of the Phoenix Sect, was even more terrified, sensing this aura.


    A girl among them, with brown hair tied in a ponytail, couldn''t help but ask with a trembling voice: sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Now that they''ve got what they came for, they''ll let us go, right?" she asked, trying to keep her voice low so as not to be heard by the cloaked figures.


    The disciples beside her didn''t know what to reply.


    One of them, a girl with blue hair, responded quietly:


    "I doubt they will.


    They wouldn''t risk ending up in our sect''s crosshairs," she said with a serious expression.


    And as if he had heard what she said, the cloaked man holding the object spoke, stopping his movements for a moment:


    "Haha, end up in your sect''s crosshairs?


    What makes you think we care about being discovered or not?"


    He said, changing his tone from derisive to a darker one.


    "Let me tell you somethig.


    Before long, even the royal family will fall under our feet, let alone your sect," he said, then gestured to the three cloaked men surrounding the group of disciples.


    At this, all three advanced, raising their hands covered in spiritual energy.


    Just as the three were about to attack the group, a strange pressure suddenly descended upon them all.


    Both the three cloaked figures about to act and the one finishing removing the fabric from the object felt an invisible pressure enveloping them.


    Their bodies petrified for a moment, as they began to tremble slightly.


    Their hearts raced, and their survival instincts went out of control for a moment.


    ''W-what is this��''


    At that moment, just as they tried to recover, two shadows emerged from nowhere and headed towards them.


    The attack from these figures was too sudden, and being still affected by that strange pressure, they couldn''t react in time.


    Woosh!


    In the next moment, two heads rolled to the ground, scattering blood around.


    Even the group of disciples, who had feared the worst moments ago, now had shocked expressions on their faces as they witnessed the scene.


    The girl with blue hair, upon seeing the figures that had appeared suddenly, couldn''t help but say:


    "You are..."


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter. ??

 Chapter 96: Rescue Plan 1

    .A few minutes earlier, in an area close to where the group was located.


    Two figures stood still as they looked ahead.


    It was Ethan and Da Shu, who had finally found the group of disciples from their sect.


    Seeing the situation they were in, they decided to hide and come up with a plan to rescue them.


    Ethan could tell that three of the group were in the Qi Refining stage, with two of them almost at the peak of the stage.


    While the other one was stronger, most likely already in the third stage, although he didn''t know exactly what level. S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He could tell that among the four, that one would be the most problematic to deal with.


    The only consolation he had at the moment was that there didn''t seem to be anyone else around, so at least they had some chance to attempt a rescue of the group.


    Da Shu, too, who was watching the situation unfold, could understand this.


    He clearly couldn''t gauge precisely how strong their opponents were, but he could at least tell that they were all at a higher level than him.


    At that moment, the figure with the highest cultivation base had just removed the rectangular talisman from the object in his hand and was preparing to pull it out from the cloth it was wrapped in.


    As soon as he removed a layer of the cloth and the blackish energy began to seep out, Ethan felt a sense of alarm.


    He didn''t know exactly what that object was, but he could tell it wasn''t anything good for them.


    Confirming this feeling was the voice of Bai Yu, who, having recovered from her earlier thoughts, spoke at the sight of this scene.


    "Whatever your plan is, do it quickly.


    That object in that man''s hand is emanating a strong cursed aura.


    It''s probably a cursed object.


    I''m not sure what its function is, but from my experience, I can tell you that dealing with a cursed object is never a good thing," she said, warning Ethan of the danger that object posed.


    "A cursed object? What is that?" asked Ethan, hearing of this for the first time.


    He had an idea of what a curse was, after all, in his world, there were numerous TV shows, anime, or even novels that featured curses, each with their own version.


    Having never heard of curses in this world, he wondered if they were the same thing here as well.


    In his previous world, curses had never been proven to have any real effect, so they were considered imaginary.


    But in this world, where the line between reality and fantasy didn''t exist, curses most likely did exist, perhaps not in the form he was used to thinking about.


    Bai Yu, hearing Ethan''s question, gave him a brief explanation.


    She had already noticed that Ethan seemed to lack some basic knowledge that even existed in the mortal realm.


    She never asked him why, thinking that everyone had their own circumstances.


    For all she knew, Ethan could have lived under a rock his entire life, though that still didn''t explain some of the things he created in his sea of consciousness.


    "In simple terms, curses are a product of the negative energy released by any living being.


    It is also a type of energy, but its effects lead it to be considered harmful to most living beings."


    She said, letting Ethan absorb the information.


    Then she continued:


    "Just like the spiritual energy present in nature, negative energy is also a type of energy.


    And just like spiritual energy can be controlled, so can negative energy, through special objects or techniques.


    It can be used for various purposes, but most of them are never good, so you should always exercise caution when dealing with curses.


    The object in that man''s hand is one with a strong curse upon it."


    Hearing the explanation, Ethan somewhat understood why Bai Yu had warned him to be careful with that object and to act quickly.


    He knew he couldn''t waste too much time here and had to find a way to deal with the group of enemies immediately.


    As he was deep in thought, a voice came from beside him, interrupting him.


    "Hey, I have a plan, but it could be dangerous," said Da Shu, now with a much more serious expression than before.


    Curious, Ethan asked what it was.


    "I''m sure you can tell that the group ahead is strong, much stronger than the two of us," Da Shu began to explain.


    Ethan simply nodded and didn''t interrupt.


    "Facing them head-on would most likely lead to almost certain death, so we have to opt for a different method of attack."


    At these words, Ethan could already guess what his friend was about to propose.


    He pulled out a dark green pill from his spatial ring.


    Ethan, seeing it, didn''t recognize it but could tell it was at least a level 2 pill.


    "This is a high-grade level 2 pill," Da Shu said, confirming Ethan''s assumption.


    "It allows a person to raise their cultivation for a certain period of time.


    In my case, if I take it, I could reach the strength of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.


    Once I take it, I''ll draw the group''s attention while you go save our companions."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.


    But after thinking for a moment, he immediately saw a problem.


    There was no way a pill like that didn''t have some negative side effects; otherwise, it would be widely used by cultivators.


    Ethan knew there were pills capable of providing a small boost in exchange for mild side effects, which most of the time were something manageable.


    But this was a different case with Da Shu''s pill.


    Ethan didn''t believe that a pill like this, which apparently allowed someone to have power beyond their cultivation stage, would have only a mild side effect.


    He was sure that the consequences of using such a pill would be quite harmful to the person.


    "And what are the side effects?" he asked.


    "Well, nothing too serious.


    At most, I''d be bedridden for a few months," Da Shu said as if it were nothing.


    Hearing this, Ethan wanted to kick him.


    Clearly, the effects of such a pill were not that mild.


    "Are you sure that''s all?" Ethan asked with a skeptical tone.


    Da Shu wasn''t surprised that Ethan would ask this.


    A normal person might not think much of it, but for an alchemist, it was different.


    He knew he wouldn''t be able to hide certain things from his friend.


    "Well, maybe a year or two," he said, avoiding Ethan''s gaze, but then added,


    "But that''s fine.


    With my talent, it won''t be hard to make up for the lost cultivation time.


    And don''t forget that my family is a merchant family.


    Finding medicines to speed up the recovery process won''t be difficult for us.


    At most, it''ll be a bit expensive, but money is not something I lack," he said seriously.


    Ethan understood what he meant and knew it wouldn''t make sense to try to dissuade him.


    The look on his face was one that Ethan knew all too well.


    He had already made his decision.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 97: Rescue Plan 2

    .


    Ethan didn''t waste any time trying to change Da Shu''s mind but instead highlighted another point.


    "Even if you take it, your chances of handling that group even for a second are slim.


    With their strength, just facing one of them will be a challenge for you, let alone all four of them," he said with a sigh.


    "But��" Da Shu wanted to argue, but he knew Ethan was right.


    Just as he was losing hope, Ethan spoke again.


    "But, we can still use this plan, only you won''t be the one executing it; I''ll be the bait," he said.


    Da Shu, hearing this, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    He thought that if even Ethan, who was stronger, had slim chances of succeeding with the pill, what chance did he have, being weaker?


    Ethan knew what Da Shu was thinking and couldn''t really blame him.


    He shook his head and sighed as if making a decision.


    Then he closed his eyes, and just as Da Shu was about to say something, Ethan reopened them.


    Da Shu, on the verge of speaking, suddenly stopped as he felt a heavy aura descending upon him.


    He felt a shiver run down his spine, and for a moment, he was immobilized.


    The pressure lasted less than a second, but to Da Shu, it felt like much longer.


    When he finally came out of his trance, he looked at Ethan with a horrified expression, asking with a trembling voice,


    "W-what level are you at now?"


    From that single pressure, he could tell that his friend had reached a level much higher than his own.


    The shocking thing wasn''t that Ethan had surpassed him but how quickly he had done it.


    It had only been a few months since Ethan had broken through to the first level of Body Refining.


    How was it possible that he had already reached this level of power?


    Ethan had already decided to reveal his strength, so he didn''t think much before saying,


    "I''m already at the Qi Refining stage."


    Hearing this, Da Shu was petrified once again. He felt as if life had lost all meaning.


    Unconcerned with Da Shu''s reaction, Ethan continued.


    "I might be strong, but I''m not sure I can handle the one with the object in his hand," he said seriously.


    "But I have a plan. It will be a bit risky, but we have a better chance of saving them this way."


    Ethan had decided to opt for a surprise attack, something like a hit-and-run.


    With his current strength, he could eliminate at least one of them with a single attack, and if he was lucky, maybe even a second one.


    He knew he had little hope against the one at the third stage of cultivation, but he was confident he could at least hold him off for a while and then escape safely.


    In the end, Da Shu agreed.


    Ethan told him that he had a way to stun the enemy for a few seconds and that they should use that moment to attack and eliminate at least two of them.


    And so they did.


    Ethan knew that his Dragon Gaze would work well on the three Qi Refining cultivators, but he wasn''t sure about its effectiveness on the stronger one, so he chose to target the weaker ones first.


    Both of them managed to take down one opponent each.


    By a twist of fate or perhaps just coincidence, the ones left alive were the strongest and the weakest of the enemies.


    Ethan could tell that the weakest one was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and as much as he wanted to deal with him immediately, he didn''t get the chance as the cultivator at the third stage attacked him instead.


    He was pushed back a few steps. Fortunately, he managed to block the attack in time with his sword, so he didn''t take much damage.


    ''Just as I thought.


    He shook off the effects of Dragon Gaze much faster than the other cultivator,'' he thought, looking at his sword hand, which was trembling a bit.


    The sword had cracks where it had been hit, which was normal since it was a low-level sword.


    Ethan had never worried about getting a stronger weapon before, and now he was regretting it a bit.


    Throwing it aside, he pulled out another sword and aimed it at his opponent, who was momentarily surprised that Ethan had remained unharmed from his attack.


    He wondered who the heck these two were who had suddenly attacked him, but then his gaze shifted to their clothing, and he understood.


    "So they''re disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    Tch, why do they keep showing up one after another?" he said, a bit stressed.


    Earlier, when his team had finally found the group of disciples who had escaped with the merchant, they had sensed several auras converging on this point.


    One of them was so strong that they had to call for the help of an elder to hold it back.


    The rest of the newcomers were held by his stronger teammates.


    Only he and the weaker ones were left to handle the situation.


    They had decided to take the object and eliminate the small group with the merchant and leave, but once again, they were obstructed by other disciples of the sect.


    ''How many reinforcements have they sent?'' he thought, a bit frustrated.


    The only consolation in the current situation was that one of the two was too weak, while the other was barely able to withstand his attacks.


    At this point, he could only fight and eliminate the other side or escape with the object.


    Just as he was making his decision, he felt that heavy pressure descending on him once again.


    Although it was the second time, he still felt an immense fear, as if a fierce beast was watching an ant.


    As before, he managed to come out of his daze quickly enough, but as soon as he did, he realized that the boy was no longer there.


    ''Where��''


    At that moment, he sensed a danger coming from the side.


    His instincts told him that he couldn''t fully withstand the attack.


    Swoosh!


    A sharp sound echoed through the air, and a severed arm flew into the sky.


    Argh.


    The cloaked man managed to move his body out of the attack''s trajectory in time, losing an arm in the process.


    ''What''s happening?'' S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man was confused. Who was targeting him continuously?


    Could another elder from the Phoenix Sect have arrived as well?


    Questions like these began to plague his mind, but he had no time to think as Ethan, having finished his attack, charged at him once more.


    As the battle between Ethan and the enemy cultivator started to intensify, Da Shu, who had managed to take down an enemy with Ethan earlier, was now focusing on the remaining one.


    He had just finished exchanging a few blows with the enemy and had discovered that the enemy was still slightly stronger than him.


    ''Damn, at this rate, I''ll lose,'' he said while searching for ways to turn the situation around.


    His weapon was good enough, allowing him to withstand the enemy''s attacks.


    This, combined with the strength he had gained from taking the pill, was enough to handle the opponent safely.


    Unfortunately for him, the enemy also had hidden cards, so to speak.


    A faint red aura covered the enemy''s weapon, allowing it to gain the upper hand over Da Shu''s.


    He wasn''t sure what technique it was, but he knew that the situation was far from favorable for him.


    At that moment, while preparing to receive another attack from the enemy, he felt someone running beside him.


    He didn''t need to shift his gaze to see who it was.


    He knew the aura all too well.


    It was Lin Huo Li.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. ??

 Chapter 98: Using the Cursed Object

    .


    While Ethan was busy keeping the stronger enemy occupied, the weaker one was being pushed back by the coordinated attacks of Da Shu and Hou Li.


    Hou Li had great talent in cultivation, and if that wasn''t enough, her affinity with the elements was also exceptionally high.


    In fact, she had a dual affinity, which was rare, even more so in her case, as both elements were powerful.


    One was fire, with which she had an above-average affinity.


    This element alone, combined with her good cultivation talent, would have made her a valuable asset in any sect.


    But if that were all, she wouldn''t have attracted the attention of a sect elder like Elder L��i.


    It was her affinity with the second element that made her truly stand out in the sect, garnering the attention of even the elders.


    And that element was lightning.


    When Elder L��i discovered this, he decided to test her lightning affinity, and the results were shocking, even to him.


    Hou Li''s affinity for the lightning element was almost on par with Elder L��i''s.


    It should be known that Elder L��i was not only highly regarded within the Phoenix Sect but also outside of it, not because he was one of the strongest elders in the sect, but because his talent with the lightning element was second only to the patriarch of the Qilin Sect, one of the three ruling sects.


    This had caused him many problems over the years.


    Everyone wanted him, including the Three Ruling Sects, but he chose the Phoenix Sect for reasons still unknown to the public.


    Even the master of the Qilin Sect had offered to take him under his wing and nurture his talent many times, but he refused.


    This shows just how impressive his talent with the lightning element was.


    But now, another person with such talent had appeared, and the most shocking part was that she was still a budding flower yet to fully bloom.


    Her lightning talent was only in its infancy.


    If she cultivated it well in the years to come, she would surely surpass him, and maybe even rival the lightning affinity of the Master of the Qilin Sect.


    So he took her under his wing and personally trained her, even feeding her rare herbs and pills that even someone like him found difficult to part with.


    But he knew that no matter how far his own talent could take him, it wouldn''t compare to what this girl could achieve, so he didn''t hold back in investing in her.


    He hadn''t taken on many disciples in his long life.


    The ones he did have could be counted on one hand, and among them all, she was by far the most talented.


    So when he heard about the incident, he personally took action to go save her.


    At this moment, the enemy was in trouble.


    On one side, he was fighting a steroid-boosted Da Shu, who currently had the strength of a third-level Qi Refining cultivator.


    And on the other, he was being bombarded by the hidden but powerful attacks of Hou Li, who was at the ninth level of Body Refining.


    If it had been Da Shu alone, he might have managed, as he was in the middle stage of Qi Refining, but against the coordinated attacks of the two of them together, he was losing ground with every passing second.


    At this point, if he didn''t do something, he would almost certainly be defeated.


    ''No wonder they''re disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    Looks like I have no choice but to use it.


    Tch, to think I''ve been pushed this far by mere children.''


    Frustration building by the second, the enemy cultivator pulled out a red pill from nowhere.


    After a brief hesitation, he swallowed it in one go.


    "You''ll pay dearly for this," he said, his voice laced with hatred.


    Da Shu and Hou Li, who had seen him take the pill, knew nothing good could come of it, and they had to act fast to avoid losing the advantage they had.


    But just as they were about to launch another attack, they felt an invisible sense of terror wash over them.


    "W-what''s happening?" Da Shu asked, sensing the oppressive aura coming from the enemy cultivator.


    "I don''t know, but it''s not good for us," Hou Li said, feeling the sinister aura as well.


    The cultivator, who had just taken the pill, started convulsing, and a thin crimson aura began seeping from his body.


    Da Shu and Hou Li, who were keeping their distance, ready to defend against any attack from the enemy, couldn''t see his expression, as it was hidden by the hood of his cloak.


    They looked at each other and, seeing the determination in each other''s eyes, nodded and attacked together.


    Da Shu swung his greatsword, sending a vertical slash that could have split the enemy in half.


    Hou Li, on the other hand, gathered spiritual energy into both hands.


    One was coated in a blue aura with tiny lightning arcs dancing around it, and the other was infused with a yellow-orange aura, radiating intense heat.


    Charging an attack in both hands, she brought them together and, using her Qi, began to fuse the two auras, creating a small vortex of lightning and fire.


    Without wasting time, she took aim and, thrusting her hands forward, hurled the vortex at the enemy.


    Both attacks shot towards the enemy at high speed.


    Anyone below the third stage would have been seriously injured if they took such an attack head-on.


    ***


    While Da Shu and Hou Li were throwing everything they had at the enemy, Ethan''s battle was also intensifying.


    Under the relentless barrage of Ethan''s attacks, his opponent was being pushed back more and more.


    Just as he dodged one attack successfully, another one was already on its way.


    This continued for several minutes, and by now, the enemy''s energy reserves were beginning to run dry.


    "This monster. Who the hell is he?


    How can he be this strong when he''s barely at the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"


    Ethan''s opponent was getting a headache.


    He had thought he could overwhelm this boy who appeared out of nowhere, but reality had slapped him in the face multiple times in recent moments.


    ''And then there''s that strange pressure,''


    He had felt that chilling pressure several times now.


    At one point, he thought Ethan was the cause, but that didn''t make sense.


    Even someone like him couldn''t emit such an oppressive force, let alone the boy in front of him.


    He was becoming more and more convinced that there was another elder from the sect nearby, occasionally intervening, and this thought frustrated him even further.


    At this point, he knew that if he didn''t do something soon, he would lose.


    He had already used a pill to restore his missing arm, which had shocked Ethan.


    At one point, Ethan began to wonder if such pills weren''t as rare as they were said to be, but he dismissed the thought.


    He could tell that these pills were clearly not of a high grade.


    At most, they were level 2 or 3, and more importantly, these pills were infused with a strange energy he hadn''t encountered before coming to this place.


    Bai Yu, who had been watching the entire battle since the beginning, was growing more and more certain that this energy resembled demonic Qi, but he didn''t want to believe it.


    If his suspicions were correct, only the heavens knew what grave implications this would have for all realms, both mortal and celestial.


    He needed Ethan to examine the enemy''s body after defeating him. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The enemy, now having run out of options, made his decision.


    Channeling a bit of energy into his spatial ring, he retrieved the cursed object he had taken from the sorcerer''s corpse.


    There was a moment of hesitation on his face, but he knew it was now or never.


    He had already reached a point where, if he didn''t use all the cards at his disposal, he was sure to perish in this battle.


    "Damn brat, you''ll regret this."


    He took out the object and used his spiritual energy to burn away the veil that still covered it.


    He had set it aside earlier to deal with the surprise attack, but now he had no choice but to bring it out again.


    ''I really wanted to avoid relying on this.''


    Without hesitation, he infused the cursed object��revealed to be a wooden sword no longer than a meter��with all the Qi he had left.


    Seeing this, Ethan immediately had a bad feeling, and this was confirmed by Bai Yu''s sudden voice.


    ''Stop him! Don''t let him use that object!''


    Ethan had already been warned by Bai Yu earlier about the danger of the cursed object, so he didn''t ask questions and acted immediately.


    But it was already too late.


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 99: Gate

    .


    The situation on Ethan and Da Shu''s side was getting worse by the minute, while the battle between Elder L��i and the enemy cultivator was reaching its climax.


    Both were now suspended in mid-air, looking worse for wear.


    Their bodies were riddled with scratches, bruises, and burns, but neither showed any signs of backing down.


    Each time they unleashed their strongest attacks, they canceled each other out, leaving no one the victor.


    Both had taken their fair share of damage, but the true victim of their battle wasn''t either of them, it was the surrounding forest.


    The once vast expanse of towering trees in the Spirit Forest had been reduced to a massive crater, hundreds of meters wide, where only moments ago, the forest had stood tall.


    The only fortunate thing for those nearby was that neither party had resorted to unleashing their full destructive potential.


    One side held back to avoid accidentally killing the very people he had come to rescue, while the other needed the help of his subordinates to retrieve a particular item from this place.


    By now, both combatants had nearly exhausted their energy reserves.


    Elder L��i was visibly struggling to keep the manifestation of his beastly soul intact.


    The once vivid appearance of his soul beast was now much more translucent than before.


    Likewise, the opposing cultivator no longer bore the thin layer of crimson aura that had earlier enveloped his body.


    "Not bad at all.


    You know, I should thank you.


    It''s been a long time since someone has pushed me to this point," the enemy cultivator remarked, his expression surprisingly light for someone so gravely wounded.


    Elder L��i didn''t respond immediately, but his mind was racing with questions.


    ''How is it possible I''ve never heard of a cultivator of this level before?''


    It wasn''t unreasonable for him to be confused.


    Aside from a few rare exceptions, nearly all cultivators nearing or having reached the fifth stage of cultivation were well-known figures, or at least names that had been heard in the circles of the upper cultivation ranks.


    Finding someone who had achieved this level while remaining completely isolated from the world was an anomaly, particularly for those who ascended to the fifth stage of cultivation.


    After all, the rise of a being to this level typically sent shockwaves through the world, making it impossible to remain unnoticed.


    There was a growing suspicion in Elder L��i''s mind that this situation was far more complex than it appeared.


    Surely there was someone else involved, beyond the cultivator in front of him. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps a shadowy organization or group working in secret.


    It wasn''t uncommon for factions to plot in the darkness, only to emerge later with their plans set in motion.


    More often than not, though, such groups were swiftly suppressed by the royal family before they could cause any significant damage.


    His only hope was that this hidden force wouldn''t prove too powerful for the royal family to handle.


    "What''s your goal in attacking a mere merchant convoy?


    Surely someone of your caliber doesn''t waste time on trivial matters like these," Elder L��i asked, hoping to pry some information about the enemy''s motives and the power behind him.


    The enemy cultivator, who hadn''t expected an answer from the Phoenix Sect elder, paused for a moment as if considering the question.


    "Well, it just so happens that the merchant had something we were interested in.


    But don''t worry about that.


    You''ll find out soon enough," he said, alluding to something more ominous.


    Elder L��i realized his attempt to glean information from the enemy had failed.


    ''No matter. I''ll make him spill everything once I capture him,'' he thought, preparing for their next clash.


    He was ready to put the last of his energy into his final trump card.


    He knew his reserves were nearly depleted; he didn''t have the luxury of continuing to fight for much longer.


    It was either end the battle with this last strike, or things would become very dire for him.


    Just as Elder L��i was about to launch his attack, a faint vibration in the air caught the attention of both combatants.


    Both he and the enemy cultivator turned their heads toward a specific spot in the forest��the location where the group of disciples was stationed.


    Alarm bells rang in both their minds, though for entirely different reasons.


    The elder sensed that whatever it was, it posed an extreme danger to the sect''s disciples.


    The enemy cultivator, on the other hand, recognized the vibration for what it was and grew visibly distressed.


    ''I can''t believe it�� those fools activated the artifact''s seal.''


    As soon as this realization hit him, the enemy cultivator took off at full speed toward the source of the disturbance.


    Seeing this, Elder L��i chased after him with everything he had left.


    He couldn''t let the enemy get close; it would make protecting the disciples far more difficult.


    But whatever was causing this disturbance seemed to be worrying even the enemy, which gave Elder L��i pause.


    Just as both combatants were about to reach the spot, another shift occurred.


    The surrounding mana began to converge toward a single point like a whirlpool, sucking everything in.


    ''What on earth is happening there?'' Elder L��i thought, his alarm growing.


    The more he sensed the changes in the environment, the stronger his feeling that something terrible was about to unfold.


    Just as Elder L��i was beginning to understand the gravity of the situation, Ethan, who had been trying to intercept the enemy cultivator, noticed the shift as well.


    ''The Qi in the air is going wild,'' Ethan thought, sensing the changes around him.


    The Qi was growing denser, gathering more rapidly by the second.


    As time passed, the concentration of Qi in the area reached levels far beyond normal.


    Ethan then noticed that all the Qi was converging at a single point not far from the enemy cultivator.


    Just as he was wondering what was happening, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind.


    "A portal is opening," she said, her tone filled with uncertainty and caution.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but think of the minor dimension he had access to through his system.


    Before he could ask where the portal might lead, or how to stop its opening, the swirling Qi emitted a powerful shockwave that rippled outward at high speed in all directions.


    The wave was so sudden that Ethan didn''t have time to avoid it and was struck head-on by the energy blast.


    Just like him, the enemy cultivator, the Phoenix Sect disciples, Da Shu, and Huo Li, who had been fighting nearby, were all caught in the blast and thrown back several meters.


    Ethan and the enemy cultivator, being the closest to the source, were hit the hardest and flung dozens of meters away.


    The enemy crashed into a tree, and the force of the impact knocked him unconscious.


    Ethan''s fate was similar; he crashed through several trees before finally coming to a halt.


    Thanks in part to Bai Yu''s assistance in stabilizing his mind and his dragon bloodline-enhanced constitution, Ethan managed to stay conscious despite the intense blow.


    Staggering slightly, he forced himself to stand, wiping the blood from his face.


    ''What the hell was that?'' he thought, struggling to regain his balance as he tried to move toward the source of the disturbance.


    Just as he was nearly back on his feet, a crushing pressure descended upon him, almost forcing him to collapse again.


    ''W-what is this feeling?'' Ethan thought, alarmed as an overwhelming sense of fear suddenly gripped him.


    It wasn''t a physical pressure weighing down on him, but something far more psychological��a primal fear urging him to flee without looking back.


    Ethan didn''t realize it at first, but this strange aura hadn''t only affected him��it had blanketed the entire area of the forest, extending for at least a kilometer.


    Above him, the sky had begun to change.


    Dark clouds appeared, swirling ominously over the area, heavy with water and charged with electricity, converging around a specific point in the Spirit Forest.


    The wind picked up, and all the nearby animals and spiritual beasts, sensing the growing danger, began fleeing in every direction.


    Da Shu, Huo Li, and the rest of the Phoenix Sect disciples had been knocked unconscious by the energy wave, completely unaware of the peril that had manifested.


    Even Elder L��i and the enemy cultivator, who had just arrived at the location, felt the chilling effects of the invisible pressure.


    The air itself seemed to freeze as they stood witness to the source of all this chaos.


    In the spot where the enemy cultivator and Ethan had fought moments earlier, a massive swirling vortex of dark gray energy, nearly four meters tall, had appeared, radiating an overwhelming concentration of condensed Qi.


    "What in the world is that?" Elder L��i asked, feeling the immense danger emanating from the vortex before him.


    The enemy cultivator, his face filled with grim seriousness, remained silent for a moment.


    Then, after a few seconds, he spoke, his voice low as he pulled something from the ring on his finger.


    "Well, nothing good."


    .


    ---------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, feel free to share them below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 100: A Shadowy Figure

    .


    The opening of the portal caused a great commotion, alerting anyone nearby.


    Most of the forest''s animals, sensing the impending danger, fled as far away from the source as possible.


    This included not only the weaker, unevolved animals but also the spiritual beasts.


    It didn''t matter if they were of Level One, Two, or Three; all of them fled, sensing the heavy aura emanating from the portal.


    Streams of spiritual energy exploded outward, radiating like the waves of an earthquake, spreading far and wide.


    In the Phoenix Kingdom, on a small lake hidden atop the highest hill of the Phoenix Sect, a majestic woman with elegant features sat in a meditative pose.


    Her figure was graceful as she cultivated in harmony with nature, a harmony that was suddenly disturbed.


    Sensing something, the woman abruptly opened her golden eyes and directed her gaze in a particular direction.


    To the north of the continent, in the White Tiger Kingdom, warlords and sages sensed the chaotic fluctuations.


    A man over two meters tall, sitting on a throne made of the bones of a large creature, was sleeping, his head resting on the fist of his right arm.


    Suddenly, he too opened his eyes, revealing deep gray irises, which focused on a point.


    To the southeast of the White Tiger Kingdom, in the Qilin Kingdom''s territory, on a mountain peak engulfed in a fierce storm, a man hovered in midair, surrounded by lightning strikes.


    Despite the heavy rain, the figure of the man remained dry as he floated upright like a needle in the storm, admiring the view.


    At that moment, he too sensed the spiritual fluctuations and turned his head, looking puzzled.


    And finally, amidst all these territories, a figure sitting in a grand, dark hall of a majestic palace opened their eyes and stared straight ahead, as if their gaze pierced through any barrier, fixing on the Spirit Forest.


    Their gaze lingered there for a moment, then shifted slightly to the right, and the scene they were watching changed instantly.


    They saw a slim figure darting through the air, passing over a long mountain range.


    The man watched the flying figure for a few seconds, then finally closed his eyes, returning the dark hall to its previous state.


    ***


    For Ethan, who was a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, it would have been hard to withstand such pressure.


    He should have already succumbed, overwhelmed by the invisible weight that this aura had on the entire surrounding environment, but he managed to hold on, though barely.


    With his special physique, enhanced by the dragon bloodline, and his mind protected by Bai Yu''s aura, he was able to remain conscious even when so close to the source of the aura.


    "W-what the hell did that guy do," Ethan muttered weakly, still trying to recover from the injuries he had sustained after being thrown by that powerful energy wave.


    Ethan had no idea what was happening, and to be honest, he had no desire to find out.


    Whatever was coming out of that portal was clearly at a higher stage than him, and judging by the aura it emitted, it was far beyond him.


    Not even a battle between two beings at the peak of the fourth stage had given him such a terrifying and overwhelming feeling.


    He knew that if he stayed here any longer, he would risk never leaving this place alive.


    With some effort, he managed to steady his entire body.


    He still had a few wounds here and there, and although his high-speed body recovery was helping heal the various injuries, he was still in bad shape.


    He had been thrown quite far from the site, but not far enough, as he could still see the gray-black portal.


    He also noticed the two figures above that had appeared, and it didn''t take long for him to realize who they were.


    He could tell from their expressions that they, too, feared the suffocating aura emanating from that portal.


    Ethan wanted to ask Bai Yu if there was a way to close the portal, but he decided against it.


    Even if there was a way, was it feasible for someone at his level?


    Clearly not!


    His only concern now was to find the others from his sect and leave this place.


    With some difficulty, he circulated Qi throughout his body and silently sent out a pulse of spiritual energy in all directions, extending his spiritual perception.


    Normally, he would be able to sense anything within a hundred-meter radius, but he had learned this new technique to further expand that distance.


    The concept behind this method was to use the pulse of spiritual energy like a sonar, traveling in all directions and, upon encountering something, sending a signal back to the user.


    In this way, Ethan could cover an area almost six times his initial range with his spiritual sense.


    In no time, Ethan''s mind was flooded with various information from every direction, which his brain processed, creating a mental map of the covered area.


    Although the amount of information was quite large, Ethan had grown used to receiving data directly into his brain, so it wasn''t too overwhelming.


    Even more so now, at his current level of strength, his brain had also been greatly enhanced, allowing him to think much faster and more clearly than before.


    "There they are."


    In no time, Ethan had finished scanning the entire area within his perception range. Recovering his composure, he turned toward a specific position and set off.


    Although his body hadn''t fully recovered, he had regained enough strength to make such a journey in a short time.


    Eventually, he arrived at the location where the battle between Da Shu and the enemy cultivator had taken place.


    Upon reaching the scene of the fight, he could see that the area was in quite a bad state.


    There were clear signs of the battle on the ground, and even the surrounding trees bore marks of slashes, burns, and more.


    Ethan could tell that the fight hadn''t been easy for his friend, and he wondered how he was doing now.


    Moving in a particular direction, he advanced and, in a few steps, reached his destination.


    The scene in front of him was somewhat unexpected.


    He looked on with a confused, yet slightly amused expression.


    "Well, I''d say you''re making slow but steady progress," he remarked, gazing at the two figures lying ahead.


    It was Da Shu and Huo Li, with the former holding the latter as if trying to protect him, though in the end, both of them had ended up on the ground.


    Ethan regretted not having anything on him to immortalize the scene before him.


    "Tch, the backwardness of this world''s technology has saved you," he thought, lamenting the absence of cameras, which, as far as he knew, didn''t exist here.


    Ethan wondered what he should do with these two.


    ***


    In an unknown place, dark and grim, a heavy scent of blood lingered everywhere.


    The black earth was scattered with the corpses of all kinds of creatures, while their blood trickled downwards, only to dry shortly after, leaving nothing but stains.


    The dark sky was covered by a thick fog, blocking out any light, making it difficult for anyone to pass through without getting lost.


    In this desolate place, devoid of any living soul, the shadowy silhouette of something moving could be seen in the distance.


    No matter how close one got, it was impossible to discern the features of the figure.


    The only thing that could be said about it was that it stood over 3 meters tall, even wider, with a body supported by what seemed to be six long, slender limbs.


    The figure, which had been moving with a light and steady pace, suddenly stopped.


    It sensed something, its white irises gleaming from within the black mist that shrouded its figure.


    Its large eyes moved out of sync, up and down, left and right, until suddenly they both stopped, pointing in opposite directions.


    Then, they snapped toward a point in the fog-covered area, and the large silhouette moved silently but swiftly toward that spot.


    In mere seconds, the figure covered several miles and arrived at the location where it had sensed something.


    Upon arrival, it paused, witnessing a strange phenomenon unfolding before it.


    The dense, gray fog that covered the area was coiling into a single point.


    The more the fog converged on that point, the more intense the sensation the creature felt.


    Wosh!


    Then, with an almost invisible pulse of energy that cleared the surrounding fog for hundreds of meters, a black vortex appeared.


    The thick black fog that had covered the place dissipated slightly, revealing the gruesome scenery of the surrounding land to the observer.


    In no time, the thick fog enveloped the area once again, returning it to its former state, as if nothing had happened.


    The only difference now was the massive, gray-black vortex, several meters high, that was drawing in some of the fog.


    The beast, seeing this scene, didn''t flinch, not even when the energy pulse hit it, unfazed.


    It stared at the vortex with curious eyes. sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, moving its many limbs, it began to advance, nearing the vortex until it was only a few meters away, and without hesitation, it jumped in.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, feel free to share them below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.??

 Chapter 101: Unexpected Encounter

    .


    While various beings from the Long Empire were becoming increasingly alert due to the powerful aura emanating from the dark gray portal, Ethan found himself in a dilemma.


    He needed to retreat as quickly as possible and take them with him.


    Sure, he could transport them and move them away, but the problem was that there were not just the two of them.


    Not far from here, there were also the other disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    He didn''t have a carriage or anything like that with him, so he wondered what to do.


    Taking only the two of them and leaving the others behind didn''t sit well with him.


    Even though he didn''t know any of these people, he didn''t feel comfortable leaving them to their fate, which he knew wouldn''t be anything good.


    He would have asked the elder of the sect for help, but it seemed that he would have to think of something else since the elder was dealing with the enemy cultivator and now whatever was coming out of the portal.


    Ethan was a bit curious to at least see what kind of being it was, as the one who had yet to appear had already caused quite a stir.


    But he decided to stop thinking about this and focus on his current problem. After all, as they say: Curiosity killed the cat.


    He had considered putting everyone inside his minor dimension, but then hesitated.


    ''What if they wake up?''


    Even though he intended only to put them inside and move them to a more remote location, then bring them back out and wait for them to wake up, he was worried they might wake up while still inside.


    After all, the time inside his minor dimension flowed 100 times faster than the outside world. In other words, one minute outside would equal an hour and 40 minutes inside.


    Certainly, he didn''t expect anyone to wake up in that time frame, but the problem was that it wouldn''t take him just one minute to get a bit further away.


    He was sure that if he wanted to go to a sufficiently distant and safer place, he would have to head toward the outer part of the Spirit Forest. In other words, it could take him between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how quickly he recovered.


    If this time is multiplied by 100, there would be more than enough time for almost everyone present to wake up.


    And that was a problem.


    ''Think, Ethan, think��''


    While he tried to find a solution to this problem, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind.


    "Well, you could always put them to sleep every time they wake up.


    After all, you can always perceive what''s happening inside the minor dimension," Bai Yu said as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    Just as Ethan was about to consider this option, Bai Yu''s voice echoed again.


    "And remember, you''re an alchemist.


    Is it possible that you don''t have something with you to make them sleep for a long period?"


    Hearing this last statement, Ethan didn''t focused on Bai Yu''s sarcasm but on her words. sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Damn, she''s right. Why didn''t I think of that?" he thought, and immediately after, he opened his storage to examine something.


    Ethan''s storage was no longer as empty as before; it was now filled with items of every kind arranged in a certain order.


    He had at least one box for each item, including a whole box for every type of herb.


    He scrolled quickly to see if he had the material he needed, and in no time, he found it.


    "Thank god, with this, I should be able to gain at least a few more hours," he thought as he pulled the material from his dimensional pocket.


    In his hand was what seemed to be a yellowish root, the upper part of which had a small plant with two leaves.


    He took a few, and then vanished from the spot.


    In less than 5 seconds, he reappeared at the same spot from where he had departed, now holding not herbs but a series of white bandages.


    Ethan wasted no time and wrapped a bandage around each person''s neck, ensuring they were loose enough not to strangle anyone, but not so loose as to slip off.


    Ethan didn''t have time to think of a better and more comfortable solution, so he went directly to extracting the essence of those herbs and preparing a liquid that would make someone drift into their dreams for entire days.


    The effect varied depending on the person, but overall, it was certain that no one would wake up for the next 24 hours.


    He immersed the bandages in the liquid so that they would carry its effect for a while.


    Wrapping them around each person, the bandages would release the scent of the plant, which would be inhaled by them for several hours.


    Of course, the aroma released by the bandage wouldn''t last too long, but once absorbed, it would do its job for hours.


    It wasn''t the most effective method of using the plant''s properties, but in desperate times, desperate measures were needed.


    As he finished applying the bandages to everyone, he noticed that there was one more person among the group of disciples who had come to rescue.


    It was a girl.


    She seemed to be of the same age as the other disciples, covered in a brown cloak with a hood.


    The hood was down, revealing the girl''s graceful face.


    As soon as Ethan approached the girl and saw her face, his body froze, and a perplexed expression appeared on his face.


    If an outsider had seen him in this way, they would have thought he was mesmerized by the girl''s beauty.


    But they couldn''t have been more wrong.


    For Ethan, who had seen beauties like the sect master and Bai Yu, this was nothing.


    The reason he was shocked was that he recognized who the girl was.


    "Damn, isn''t she the one who stole herbs from me at the city market?"


    As he wondered what she was doing here, the pressure emanating from the portal suddenly increased several times.


    It didn''t take a genius to understand what was happening.


    Turning his head in the direction of the portal, Ethan thought with a renewed sense of urgency.


    ''Something is coming out of the portal.''


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, feel free to share them below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.??

 Chapter 102: Powerlessness

    .


    A sudden increase in pressure was felt by everyone nearby.


    Especially by the two figures in the air, just a short distance from the portal.


    Elder L��i, who had only just arrived at the scene, grew increasingly alarmed as he sensed this pressure.


    Just as he was about to question the enemy cultivator about the situation, he saw the man crush something in his hand.


    He wasn''t sure what it was, but he had a bad feeling about it.


    As he prepared to act, the enemy turned and smiled.


    "Well, this was a bit unexpected, but I suppose it''s better than nothing.


    With the portal open, that thing from the other side has been drawn in.


    There''s no recovering the object now, so I might as well leave," he muttered to himself.


    A faint blue light began to emanate from his body.


    Seeing the confusion on the sect elder''s face, he spoke again, his body starting to turn into sparks of light.


    "Well, it''s been nice fighting you.


    If you survive this, perhaps we''ll meet again." And with that, his body completely vanished.


    Elder L��i, seeing the enemy''s body dissolve into glowing sparks, realized that the man had used something to teleport away.


    He knew there was no point in trying to stop him. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if he tried, with his current strength, the best he could do was injure the man a bit more.


    It wasn''t worth wasting his energy on that.


    There was a more urgent matter at hand.


    ''He mentioned something coming out of the portal,'' he thought, piecing together that the ever-growing pressure was likely due to the being emerging from the portal.


    He didn''t know what level the creature was at, but he could tell it was far stronger than him,in other words,


    someone already at the fifth stage of cultivation.


    He knew he had no chance of defeating such a being.


    He turned as well, moving to leave the area.


    ''I must quickly save the disciples and alert the sect of this,'' he thought.


    Just as he was about to fly toward the direction where he had sensed the auras of his sect''s disciples earlier, he suddenly felt an intense sense of danger from behind.


    ''What...?''


    He turned his head to see what it was, and the moment he did, his body almost froze.


    Less than two meters away from him was a strange creature, wrapped in what appeared to be black mist, examining him with two completely white eyes.


    ''When-''


    Just as he was about to distance himself from the creature, it moved one of its many long limbs like a spear toward him.


    Swish!


    In an instant, the sect elder''s body was flung hundreds of meters away, crashing hard into the ground, shattering it into thousands of pieces and burying him beneath.


    The creature seemed confused for a moment, looking at the limb with which it had struck him.


    It saw fresh drops of blood on it and nothing more, with small lightning arcs dancing across the surface.


    The creature observed this bizarre phenomenon until shadowy tendrils covered the blood and the arcs, making them disappear.


    The elder, who had been thrown away, burst out from the rubble and stood, his body in more pain than before.


    His expression was serious, with a hint of hidden fear.


    Looking down at the ground where he stood, one could see drops of blood falling intermittently.


    Raising his gaze, one could notice that the blood was coming from the elder''s right arm.


    Sensing the mortal danger from the beast, he immediately circulated his Qi within his body, ready to face whatever attack came next.


    When the beast struck, with no space or time to evade, he concentrated all his spiritual energy into his hands and blocked the blow.


    The result was a fractured bone in his right arm, the arm that had taken the direct hit, leaving him with a broken limb and his energy nearly depleted.


    He had already used most of his strength fighting the enemy earlier, and now, with this last action, he was almost entirely spent.


    But none of that seemed to matter now.


    Seeing that strange black creature in the air, he felt a primal fear in his soul.


    ''What on earth is that thing?''


    The black creature was several meters tall.


    Its body was entirely shrouded in black mist, making it hard to discern what lay beneath.


    Six long, thin limbs extended from it, all converging toward a single elongated body that ended with what resembled a human face.


    The features of the face were indiscernible, as they too were covered by the dark fog, and only two completely white circles could be seen.


    These circles suddenly snapped toward him, as if responding to his gaze, and moments later, the elder felt that sense of death once again.


    Wasting no time, he threw himself to the side, and in less than a millisecond, the spot where he had been standing was completely destroyed by a solid black pillar.


    The elder, who had stumbled to the ground due to his hasty dodge, tried to get up, using one of his hands.


    Never in his life had he felt so powerless and drained.


    He had lived for more than two centuries now, and although he had faced many life-threatening situations before, never once had he felt this helpless.


    Frustrated, he tried to raise his head to at least get a better look at the face of the creature that was about to take his life.


    At the same time, he began circulating his Qi within his core, forming a small vortex that quickly began to spin faster.


    ''Come on, if I''m going to die, I''ll make sure to take you with me to the afterlife.''


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 103: The Arrival of the Prince

    .


    Elder L��i never imagined he would die in such a way.


    No sane cultivator would ever risk overloading their core, as they know that once a certain limit is surpassed, the core will explode, releasing a massive amount of energy, which, depending on the cultivator''s level, can be more or less devastating.


    For example:


    If a first-stage cultivator decided to self-destruct, their death would cause an explosion powerful enough to blow up a medium-sized house.


    It would be strong enough to kill any normal person without cultivation or severely injure first and second-level cultivators.


    The same goes for a second-stage cultivator.


    If they decided to explode, the resulting blast would be at least three times stronger than that of a first-stage cultivator.


    It would be powerful enough to affect everyone within a 20 to 30-meter radius, potentially causing severe injury to even a third-stage cultivator.


    However, for a third-stage cultivator, the power does not increase two or three times but fivefold, decimating everything within a radius of at least 100 meters.


    From the fourth stage onwards, things change.


    The person''s core becomes stronger, allowing the cultivator to store much more refined Qi inside.


    If this Qi were triggered, the explosion would rival the power of a small atomic bomb.


    Even fifth-stage cultivators must be cautious of this explosion, as the force behind it could kill a cultivator in the early stages of the fifth level.


    The high temperatures, combined with the massive energy stored within the core, would be enough to disintegrate most natural elements.


    Only a few extremely rare and resistant materials could withstand the power of such an explosion.


    Elder L��i was now certain that the creature in front of him was at the fifth stage of cultivation.


    He couldn''t determine the exact level, but he knew that as long as the creature took the brunt of the explosion, it would hardly survive.


    Even if it did, it would sustain enough damage to no longer pose a significant threat.


    As an elder of the sect, he had to prioritize saving his disciples, especially since one of them was his direct disciple.


    Reduced to his current state, there was no saving himself from the creature before him.


    So, he might as well inflict serious damage on it while dying, at least preventing it from seeking more prey immediately afterward, giving the others enough time to escape and alert the sect master.


    He had lived a long life, and though not without regrets, he had his happy moments, so he wasn''t afraid to face death.


    ''Just a few more seconds,'' he thought, feeling a source of heat in his abdomen that was growing more and more intense.


    The pressure generated by the vortex of pure Qi inside his core had almost reached the point of no return.


    Once it went past that point, even if he wanted to stop it, he wouldn''t be able to.


    The misty creature, seeing that its new toy had stopped attacking it, decided to finish him and find another.


    It raised one of its long, thin legs, ready to pierce the being below, and with a nearly invisible movement, it launched the blow.


    The elder, who had resolved not to look away, didn''t see the attack coming.


    He only felt that his time had come.


    His core was nearly ready, needing just a few more seconds to explode.


    ''It seems I''ve failed,'' he thought, realizing he wouldn''t be able to make his core explode in time.


    Just as he thought it was all over, he saw that the limb, which had disappeared from his sight, now appeared just a few centimeters from his face.


    ''Huh? Why did it stop?''


    He noticed that the creature''s eyes were no longer fixed on him.


    Its face remained still, but its eyes were now focused in another direction.


    The elder didn''t understand and, just as he wanted to move his head to see what the creature was looking at, it vanished in an instant from its place.


    ''Huh?''


    Just as it had arrived, the creature disappeared into thin air.


    As the elder wondered what had just happened, several miles north of the Spirit Forest, toward the end of a long mountain range, a massive being completely covered in what seemed like black smoke appeared in the air, staring intensely ahead with its pairs of white eyes.


    The creature, which a second ago had been in the Spirit Forest, was now here, looking ahead at a distant speck in the sky that was growing larger and larger.


    Within a few seconds, the speck became visible enough to distinguish its features.


    It was a tall young man with golden hair and eyes of the same color. He was dressed simply but elegantly, and his facial features were sharp and flawless.


    In contrast to his striking appearance, the man''s expression was serious as he gazed at the being before him.


    Once he was close enough to see the other party clearly, he halted his advance and, remaining suspended in the air, stared at the strange creature before him.


    "So, you are the source of all this chaos."


    After confirming his sister''s location, the prince had teleported to the nearest position to the Phoenix Kingdom''s capital and then decided to cover the rest of the distance by flying.


    He could have used long-distance teleportation like his younger sister, but such scrolls were costly and difficult to produce.


    Even though money wasn''t an issue for someone of his status, he still wanted to avoid wasting his family''s resources on matters like these.


    He also thought this would give his sister some time to enjoy a little freedom in the outside world.


    He understood how his sister felt and why she didn''t want to remain in the royal palace, but as much as he sympathized, he knew her situation didn''t allow for such liberties.


    If it were up to him, he would have directly enrolled her in a major sect, so she wouldn''t have to run away from the palace every time.


    So he took his time, heading toward Sun City calmly, while taking the opportunity to enjoy a brief break himself, knowing that once he returned, a mountain of work awaited him.


    This was until he sensed a strange aura, which had suddenly appeared near the Phoenix Kingdom''s capital.


    A normal cultivator wouldn''t have been able to gauge the strength of the being, but it was different for him.


    He could tell that this aura was strong, very strong.


    Even at his level, he could tell it would be difficult to deal with such a being.


    He checked his sister''s current location and was shocked to find that the location indicated was close to the area where the being had appeared. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 104: Battle Between Fifth-Stage Beings

    .


    In a hurry, he set off at full speed towards the Spirit Forest.


    He was already very close to the capital, so with his cultivation base, he would reach the location quickly.


    However, he never expected the being to confront him directly as soon as it sensed him.


    Now that the creature was in front of him, he could be certain that it was at the fifth stage of cultivation, almost at level 5.


    ''Where the hell did it come from?'' he wondered.


    He couldn''t tell if the being in front of him was some kind of beast or a completely new creature.


    He was sure he had never seen, nor heard of, such a creature before.


    The only way to learn more about it was to defeat the creature and examine the place where it had originally appeared.


    He could sense other people in the Spirit Forest, but none of them seemed to be his sister.


    This reassured him somewhat, as it meant she wasn''t dead.


    He wondered, though, where she could be, as he couldn''t sense her presence anywhere.


    With his spiritual sense, he could scan the area around him for miles, and he couldn''t detect her aura.


    He decided to deal with the strange creature in front of him before searching for his sister.


    And as if sensing his battle intent, the creature roared at him and attacked immediately.


    ''Haa, this won''t be an easy fight,'' he thought, and fully unleashed his cultivation base at the fifth stage, ready to attack as well.


    It happened that their auras were at the same level, so it would be factors other than their cultivation level that would determine the winner.


    With golden scales beginning to appear on his arms and face, and an ethereal golden dragon-like silhouette appearing behind him, the crown prince advanced.


    Thus, as the battle between two beings began, a new wave of spiritual fluctuations started to spread through the surrounding environment, much stronger than before.


    Even Ethan, who had by now moved quite a distance from the incident site, could feel strong tremors coming from the ground.


    The strong vibrations he felt from the ground were almost at the level of a magnitude 6 earthquake.


    Ethan could also sense two powerful auras clashing in the distance.


    ''Is it possible that another powerful being has appeared?'' he thought, quickening his pace even more.


    He had thought that at this distance they would be off the creature''s radar, but it seemed he had underestimated the power of such a being.


    According to what Bai Yu had told him, these two auras were clearly at the fifth stage of cultivation, and he wondered for a moment if the sect master had appeared.


    After all, it wouldn''t have been surprising if she did, especially with an elder already on site, and the situation severe enough to mobilize such an existence.


    The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to witness the battle up close.


    He wanted to see how powerful beings at the pinnacle of the mortal realm could be.


    But reason pulled him from these thoughts.


    He had been running at full speed for several minutes.


    With his body mostly recovered from the injuries, he could continue running at maximum speed for a while longer.


    Ethan knew that inside the small dimension, more than ten hours had passed, in other words, he could afford to keep them inside a bit longer.


    That said, Ethan didn''t allow himself to slow down.


    He knew that even though he was almost out of danger, he was still far from being able to take it easy.


    He wouldn''t calm down until he had at least reached the edge of the Spirit Forest.


    There, he was sure he wouldn''t have to face any beast too strong for him, and he would also be far enough from the battle between the two beings.


    As he ran, he couldn''t help but think about what he had discovered just before leaving that area of the forest.


    After he had finished transferring everyone from his sect, including the blonde girl he had met at the city market, at Bai Yu''s request, he approached to examine the enemy cultivator''s body.


    He was in worse shape and on the brink of death.


    Ethan tried to interrogate him, but the enemy used a strange power against him.


    He didn''t know what was about to happen, but he could tell he would be in danger if he let him proceed, so he gave him the final blow.


    Immediately after, Bai Yu''s ethereal figure appeared outside of his consciousness.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what she intended to do, but she seemed rather distracted by something, even before he began the battle with the cultivator who had summoned the portal.


    He could only think that whatever was bothering her was related to these individuals.


    He waited aside while she examined the enemy''s body using her spiritual perception.


    Not being in a physical body, she couldn''t use her spiritual perception freely without any means.


    She had to touch the subject directly and circulate spiritual energy within it, and so she did.


    Just a second after she started the process, her expression grew troubled, and Ethan, who was just a few steps away, seeing her, asked what she had discovered.


    "As I thought, it''s demonic Qi," she said with a complicated expression.


    Ethan wanted to aske more about the matter, but he understood it wasn''t a good time to do so, so he postponed the issue until he returned to the sect.


    ***


    With the strange creature having disappeared suddenly, the sect elder stopped the Qi vortex, which had now almost reached the point of no return.


    He didn''t calm down immediately and tried to sense where the beast had vanished to.


    He was afraid it might have headed towards the group of injured disciples.


    Just as he began to scout the area with his spiritual sense, he felt the earth vibrating as intense spiritual energy fluctuations struck him and the surrounding environment.


    "What the...?"


    Although sudden, he did not panic and examined the energy fluctuations.


    He immediately sensed the strange aura of the creature within them and realized that the thing had found a new opponent to fight against.


    "Where on earth are all these powerful beings continuously coming from?"


    He could tell that the other side was also strong, at least almost as strong as the creature.


    He had a feeling he recognized the aura of the newcomer, but at the moment he couldn''t remember who it belonged to.


    He didn''t waste time thinking about who it was.


    As long as it wasn''t an opponent, it was fine.


    Sending some of his own energy into his dimensional ring, he pulled out a bottle containing 3 green pills.


    Without hesitation, he opened it and swallowed the pills.


    Immediately afterward, a greenish light covered his body for a second, and the various wounds on it began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    "With this, I should be fine for the moment," he said to himself as, with the little strength he had just regained, he prepared to find the sect''s disciples and head back.


    He could sense that the group of disciples he had brought with him for the mission were nearby; from what he could perceive, it seemed they had managed to confront the enemies, although not without injuries. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Several of them appeared to be gravely injured, so he decided to first assist them and then search for the others.


    For now, he couldn''t locate the group he had come to rescue, so he could only hope they had managed to escape in time.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 105: Attracting Feng Huangs Attention

    .


    The arrival of a being at the fifth stage of cultivation had alarmed all the major powers of the Long Empire.


    From the White Tiger Kingdom to the Phoenix Kingdom, all the top forces could sense the presence of this strange existence that had appeared out of nowhere.


    Naturally, this raised many questions and led many to decide to investigate the matter further.


    The appearance of another fifth-stage being could be either a cause for celebration or concern.


    It should be noted that currently, only a few beings at this level existed in the empire, and all of them held very high positions in the realm.


    From the three masters of the empire''s top sects to the emperor himself and the crown prince, all of these figures held prominent positions, some more influential than others.


    The emergence of another being at this level could potentially disrupt the balance of power carefully established over centuries by these five individuals.


    Certainly, the imperial family wielded the greatest power, managing the other forces in the empire, but that didn''t mean the three ruling sects lacked influence.


    Each of them controlled key aspects of the empire, from its protection to its economy, and so on...


    They were pillars of the empire, each crucial in its own right.


    The arrival of a new pillar would unsettle the balance of all the others because, depending on who it was and their intentions, it could lead the empire into a new era of prosperity, or ruin.


    This was what everyone powerful enough to sense the aura of the new being was contemplating.


    Only those at the peak of the realm, the pillars of the empire, could tell that this new presence was far from good news.


    They could sense that the being in question wasn''t human, nor did it seem to be a beast.


    In other words, it was something else.


    Something dark and malevolent, constantly exuding a sinister aura. S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If not for the fact that Crown Prince Long Jian was already on the scene, some others would have considered acting personally to eliminate this sudden threat.


    They could tell that both sides were evenly matched in terms of sheer strength, and they wanted to wait and see how the situation would unfold.


    If it worsened, they would act. Otherwise, they would observe the battle from their residences.


    The one closest to the battlefield was, of course, the Phoenix Sect, as the fight was taking place in a region within the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Most likely, it would fall to the sect master of the Phoenix Sect to intervene if necessary.


    She had already heard about the distress signal that had reached the sect the day before, so she had a vague idea of what was happening there.


    She just wondered how the situation had escalated to this point.


    She had decided to personally investigate the incident once the sect elder had brought everyone back.


    With her perception, she could tell that they had all managed to survive the incident, an unexpected outcome given the magnitude of the event.


    She was especially curious about one individual in particular.


    "It seems I wasn''t wrong about him after all," she thought, sensing a faint aura currently darting through the Spirit Forest.


    She hadn''t been able to witness the entire incident, so she couldn''t say exactly what her disciples had faced.


    So, after the appearance of the being, she expanded her senses throughout the Spirit Forest and managed to locate the sect elder, as well as the disciples who had set out to rescue the team in danger.


    Although she was at the fifth stage of cultivation, even for her, it was difficult to keep her spiritual senses active over a vast area for too long, especially in this case, where the area spanned several miles from the Phoenix Sect.


    Therefore, among the few things she was able to pick up from her scan of the forest was the aura of this particular disciple, who had been saved by her over a year ago.


    At her level, few things could be hidden from her, so the moment she sensed his presence, she realized the disciple had already advanced to the second stage of cultivation.


    Judging by the intensity of the Qi within him, she could tell he had made good progress in this stage.


    Over the past year, he had been checking in on Ethan''s progress and learned that he had been stuck at a bottleneck, unable to break through even in the Body Refining stage.


    A rather strange situation, as anyone who reached this point could at least manage to advance past the Body Refining stage.


    Even more unusual was that, after several months, he still hadn''t made any progress and remained stuck at the same point.


    The more she heard about this disciple''s lack of progress, the more she felt her intuition had been wrong this time.


    She had all but given up hope for this disciple and stopped checking in on him.


    Only yesterday, when she sensed two individuals sneaking out of the sect, did she remember him.


    She wondered what had happened to him in recent times to allow him to advance so quickly in such a short time.


    For a moment, she considered questioning him upon his return, but then, upon further reflection, she dismissed the idea.


    Everyone had their secrets, and it wasn''t unusual to find people in the cultivation world who had some fortuitous encounter.


    It was normal to find individuals who one day were nobodies and the next had suddenly become someone remarkable.


    ''Hm, perhaps I could try this.


    I don''t think he''ll refuse, after all he''d only benefit from it.''


    With this thought, the Phoenix Sect master made her decision.


    Whether this decision would ultimately benefit Ethan or not, no one could say.


    Including Ethan, who at that moment had nearly reached the outer edge of the Spirit Forest.


    ''What was that sudden chill?'' he thought, feeling as though some beast had set its sights on him.


    Ethan couldn''t figure out what it was.


    It felt like a fleeting sensation, lasting less than a second, so he didn''t give it much thought.


    But the same couldn''t be said for Bai Yu.


    Even though the gaze from the sect master had lasted only an instant, it was enough for her to pinpoint its origin.


    ''It seems she''s finally noticed him,'' she thought, choosing to remain silent on the matter.


    Judging by her instincts, there hadn''t been any malice in that earlier glance, at most, a bit of curiosity.


    She knew that Ethan''s progress couldn''t remain hidden forever, and sooner or later, it would attract attention.


    Having been a figure of some standing in the past, she understood that it was impossible for him to continue cultivating and advancing at such a pace without drawing the attention of the fifth-stage figure from the Phoenix Sect.


    The only reason he had stayed under the radar was that most of the time, he spent his days in his minor dimension, and it was there that he had broken through the various levels of his stage.


    That was how he had managed to keep a low profile for so long.


    She didn''t give the matter too much importance.


    As long as it wasn''t dangerous for Ethan, it was fine.


    At the moment, her mind was elsewhere.


    ''That man clearly had demonic Qi within him.


    Even if it was a small amount, it shouldn''t be here in the first place.


    Could the seal have been broken?''


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 106: Corrupting Energy

    .


    The fight between the creature and Prince Jian had just begun, but in this short time, both sides had already exchanged several blows, ranging from the most innocuous and insidious to the most destructive. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more the prince fought the creature, the more he was disturbed by its strange attacks.


    It wasn''t just the creature''s fighting methods that left him thoughtful, but also its attacks.


    He could tell that the energy being used was not at all the natural spiritual energy.


    Or rather, it seemed as if it absorbed the energy present in the surrounding environment and transformed it into another form of energy.


    The prince had avoided any attacks imbued with that energy because he could instinctively tell that trying to counteract that energy would not be good for him.


    And he received confirmation of this when the creature managed to scratch his arm, destroying the golden scales that covered it, leaving behind a superficial wound, as it would regenerate in no time.


    If that had been all, he wouldn''t have paid much attention, but as soon as he saw that the wound, instead of regenerating, began to darken and infect the rest of his arm, he made a quick decision and tried to expel the foreign energy from his body.


    It turned out that this energy was extremely corrosive and had, to some extent, accelerated its spread.


    In the end, he wasted no time and directly severed that part of his arm, thereby eliminating the infection with it.


    He still had no idea what kind of energy this was, but he knew he didn''t have time to study it, so he took the fastest route to get rid of it.


    As long as his arm wasn''t completely severed, he could recover from the wounds with his high regeneration and the help of some pills.


    After that first successful blow, he avoided being directly hit by the creature and instead summoned his beast soul manifestation and fought using that.


    Unlike Elder L��I soul manifestation, the prince''s was much more realistic and not just a mass of aura condensed into a beastly form.


    It was almost as if the prince himself had transformed into the dragon.


    Prince Jian''s beast form was that of an eastern golden dragon, nearly 100 meters long.


    The battle between the two intensified with every passing second, and at a certain point, even the tail of the mountain range could no longer withstand their blows and ended up being leveled to the ground.


    The commotion caused by the battle between these two beings, almost at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, was perceived by all the cities and villages near the Spirit Forest.


    Even Ethan, who was now out of the danger zone, wondered how terrifying the clash between these two beings must be.


    He had reached the outer edges of the forest, so he decided to stop there and bring the others out of the lesser dimension.


    It had been almost 15 minutes that he had been running at full speed, and he had now reached the outer area of the Spirit Forest.


    These 15 minutes were equivalent to almost a day inside the lesser dimension, and from his perception, he could tell that some were close to waking up.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if someone from within the lesser dimension woke up in the next half hour, so although he wanted to take them even further away, he decided that this area was sufficiently good for them.


    He preferred not to take any unnecessary risks and reveal one of his most important secrets.


    He examined the surroundings of the area and made sure that no beast, no matter how weak, was nearby.


    Seeing that the area was relatively safe, he began to bring out the others and had them lean against a sufficiently large tree.


    The trees in the Spirit Forest were quite tall and wide, especially those imbued with spiritual energy, reaching heights between 20 to 50 meters, with some old ones even exceeding that.


    The tree Ethan used to support them was wide enough that it would take at least five people to wrap around it entirely.


    This tree was almost twice the size of the one Ethan and Da Shu had cut down in the past.


    Once he had brought them all out, he removed the bandages from each of them.


    The bandages had lost their effectiveness, and leaving them around their necks would only be a source of trouble.


    Especially for the women.


    He was certain they would have beaten him to death if they had known he had put bandages around their necks.


    It was easy to misunderstand even the simplest things.


    And a highly educated person like Ethan would not have made such a mistake.


    During the time Ethan had been away, the elder of the sect had also reunited with the rest of the disciples who had come with him.


    Currently, they were all heading towards the edge of the forest as well.


    The elder had already informed them of the situation, and now they were on the move to leave the area.


    They knew they would be at risk of being involved in the battle.


    The other disciples of the sect did not know what to think of the situation.


    They couldn''t tell if the rescue mission had been a total disaster or a success.


    They had come to rescue people but ended up in a seemingly lost battle against the enemy.


    The people they had come to save were nowhere to be found and now the only thing they could do was leave quickly, to avoid being killed by a stray attack.


    As the group of disciples was lost in their sad thoughts, the sect elder continued to explore the Spirit Forest with his spiritual sense, searching for the scattered disciples.


    He kept sending out pulses of spiritual energy every two or three seconds.


    Although he thought that perhaps the disciples had fled the area, he couldn''t be entirely sure after all; the opening of that portal had created much chaos, damaging everything in the area.


    He was certain that the disciples had been affected by the shockwave produced by the portal, and although he could say it wouldn''t have killed them, he was sure they had sustained some serious injuries.


    He continued searching with his spiritual sense for a while longer until, at some point, he sensed something.


    Examining the area from where he had detected the return signal of his spiritual energy, he sensed eight auras.


    ''Found them.''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 107: Summoning Letter

    .


    The battle between the creature and the prince lasted for four consecutive days, with the final victor:


    Prince Jian.


    They had been four long and anxious days for many, especially for those who knew what was happening.


    During this time, the Phoenix Kingdom remained on high alert, ready to act if the outcome of the battle turned out poorly.


    But in the end, that wasn''t the case.


    Ethan, Da Shu, and the rest of the disciples returned to the sect on the second day of the battle, together with the sect elder who had joined them in the forest.


    Ethan and Da Shu knew that their troubles were far from over.


    After all, they had broken the sect''s rules by sneaking out at night without permission.


    The punishment for such actions could range from losing sect points to outright expulsion.


    But to their relief, it didn''t come to that.


    The elder L��i, considering the situation, decided to go easy on them this time, deducting 100 points each from both of them.


    Normally, this would be troublesome for many disciples of the outer sect, but for Ethan, who had recently become quite wealthy, and Da Shu, who had always been rich, the punishment seemed quite light.


    However, neither could completely ignore the point deduction, as both were already down 100 points.


    This deduction put them directly in the negative, making them indebted to the sect for several points.


    Ethan was the unluckiest, as unlike Da Shu, who only owed the sect 10 points, he was now at -40, meaning he would have to complete at least two medium-level missions for the sect.


    The rescued disciples, upon seeing the punishment, offered to share some of their own sect points with Ethan and Da Shu as thanks for saving them, but the sect elder forbade them from doing so.


    But all this was only about the incident and the rule-breaking.


    There was another problem awaiting them both.


    "We''re doomed," said Ethan, utterly drained, collapsed on the ground, lost in his depressing thoughts.


    "Well, it would be more accurate to say *you* are doomed. I''m all set on that front," said Da Shu, sitting on one of the chairs in their small living room/kitchen.


    Hearing this, Ethan wanted to strangle him, but he couldn''t find the willpower to get up from the kitchen floor.


    Oddly enough, that floor felt quite comfortable to him that day.


    ''Maybe I should bury myself here and spend time in the minor dimension, only coming out to cultivate.


    Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,'' he thought, and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like an excellent plan.


    Bai Yu, who resided in his sea of consciousness, simply shook her head upon hearing these thoughts.


    The reason Ethan was feeling so down today was that, having gone off to save the group of disciples, they had missed the annual test day.


    The worst part was they missed it by just one day.


    The annual test was the last chance for an outer sect disciple to prove they had made progress in their cultivation.


    Normally, throughout the year, whenever someone advanced, they would take a test to show how much they had improved, informing the sect of their progress.


    Everyone could take the test whenever they wanted, but they had a one-year deadline to do so.


    If they didn''t demonstrate any progress by the end of the year, they would be expelled from the sect without ceremony.


    This was the fate outer sect disciples had to face.


    For inner sect disciples, there was no such evaluation.


    At most, if an inner disciple showed no progress after several years, they would be demoted and subjected to the same process as outer sect disciples, with the exception that they had a much easier path to becoming inner disciples again compared to someone trying for the first time.


    Da Shu, having advanced several levels in his cultivation, had informed the sect long ago, so not only did he not have to take the annual test, but due to his great progress throughout the year, he could now apply to take the test to become an inner disciple.


    In this regard, things were going quite well for him.


    However, Da Shu wasn''t particularly enthusiastic about it. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, how could he be, knowing that his friend, who was now at risk of being expelled from the sect, had already surpassed him in terms of strength and cultivation, and by quite a lot too.


    He thought about protesting for him at first, but had to reconsider when this morning, Ethan received a summons letter from the sect master.


    Da Shu had no idea what the summons was for, so he could only pray for him.


    This summons letter was also the reason why Ethan was feeling down at the moment.


    "Surely they''ve called me to tell me about my expulsion," he said, still lying on the ground.


    "I highly doubt the sect master would bother summoning someone just to tell them they''re being expelled, especially when it comes to an outer disciple," Da Shu replied.


    Ethan knew that too, but he didn''t know what to think, as he hadn''t interacted with the sect master since that time at the slave auction.


    The next day, in a run-down, three-story building.


    On the top floor of the building, Ethan stood in front of a room''s door, hand raised in a fist, as if to knock.


    Though hesitant, he eventually gathered his courage and moved to knock.


    Just as he was about to touch the door, a voice from within the room echoed.


    "You may enter."


    "..."


    ''If you knew I was already here, then why did you wait so long to speak?''


    Ethan thought, embarrassed at the idea that the sect master had seen him standing outside for a full minute, deciding whether or not to knock.


    Composing himself, he straightened his back and wiped the frustrated expression off his face, then stepped inside.


    "With your permission."


    Entering the spacious room, which was at least twice or three times the size of his dorm room, the first thing he noticed was the large desk, seemingly made of redwood, adorned with various golden carvings.


    Behind it sat an elegant woman dressed in red, with long, lustrous hair, half pinned up by a hairpin while the rest cascaded down her shoulders.


    She had a refined face with delicate features, seemingly untouched by makeup, not that she needed any.


    The woman wasn''t alone in the room.


    Next to her, standing quietly, was another girl, a little older than Ethan, at least from his impression.


    Though she was beautiful as well, she paled in comparison when standing next to the woman at the desk.


    From the expression on the girl''s face, Ethan sensed a certain dissatisfaction directed at him, something that didn''t show in her impassive face.


    "Why does she seem to have a problem with me?"


    Ethan was sure he had never seen this girl in his life, so he was puzzled by this hostility towards him.


    .


    --------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 108: Become My Disciple

    .


    Deciding to ignore the girl, he gave a respectful salute toward the woman seated at the table.


    "The disciple greets the sect master."


    He said, bringing his right hand, clenched into a fist, to his left hand, which was open and wrapped around the fist, performing a slight bow forward.


    The sect master nodded in acknowledgment and, for a moment, said nothing, simply watching him.


    Having completed the salute, Ethan didn''t know where to look, as the other party neither spoke nor reacted.


    Just as the silence was becoming heavy for him, the sect master spoke, uttering a brief and simple phrase:


    "Do you wish to become my direct disciple?" she asked with a calm expression.


    "..."


    Hearing this, Ethan''s brain momentarily froze.


    ''Become a direct disciple? Did she mispronounce the words?


    Perhaps this is a new way of saying that one has been promoted to a disciple thrown out of the sect?


    Ethan''s mind embarked on a long, endless journey in search of the hidden meaning behind those words.


    If it hadn''t been for Bai Yu, who decided to pull him out of his thoughts, he might have continued indefinitely, like a computer program endlessly reprocessing an instruction due to an error.


    Seeing that Ethan wasn''t responding, Xiang Hua, who stood next to the sect master, had an even worse impression of him.


    She remembered Ethan very well as she had been present on the day of the slave auction.


    Having been taken under the sect master''s wing since she was young, she held a great respect for her.


    She almost revered her.


    Therefore, when she learned that the disciple who had been invited to the sect was making no progress, it left her with a very poor impression of him.


    The sect master had informed her that she intended to take a new direct disciple.


    In other words, her second direct disciple after her.


    She wasn''t sure how to feel about it, but she thought that having a junior might not be so bad.


    Who would have imagined that the disciple her master wanted to take under her wing would be this guy?


    Her impression of him was already quite bad, and seeing that he didn''t even thank the sect master for the opportunity being offered only further irritated her.


    She wanted to say something but refrained from doing so.


    She didn''t want to lose her temper in front of the sect master.


    Eventually, Ethan shook himself out of his thoughts after a few seconds, and to avoid wasting more time, he immediately responded:


    "The disciple is honored to receive this offer," he said, performing another half-bow with his hands clasped in respect.


    Ethan wanted to ask why he had been suddenly asked to become a direct disciple, but he knew it was better not to ask such questions right now.


    Not with the girl next to him, who seemed to be even more irritated towards him.


    ''Does she have some kind of problem?


    Why does she seem angrier than before?'' he wondered, puzzled by Xiang Hua''s mood swings.


    Feng Huang, seeing him accept, nodded in satisfaction with his response. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She preferred people who were direct, who didn''t beat around the bush when speaking.


    "Good, now that you''ve become my disciple, naturally, the treatment you receive will be different," she said, pulling out a small jade talisman from her dimensional ring and making it float toward him.


    "With this, you can request a certain amount of resources from the sect''s treasure pavilion every month, and for any resource-related needs, you can make a request to the elders of the sect," she explained.


    "Of course, there are other benefits to having this, but for those, you can ask Xiang Hua later," she said, pointing to the girl next to her.


    Seeing her, Ethan shivered at the thought of his future.


    He had decided he would stay as far away as possible from this girl.


    In the end, the sect master said that he could ask her for any problems related to cultivation, and for the rest, he was free to cultivate on his own.


    Throughout the time, he had never asked her about cultivation, but Ethan had the feeling that she probably knew what stage he was at.


    That was the only reason he could think of for her to take him as a direct disciple.


    He was also given a residence in the inner area of the sect, where the concentration of Qi was much higher than in the area where the outer disciples resided.


    Ethan had to admit that there hadn''t been much conversation.


    Basically, everything could be summed up with a "Yes" and "Thank you."


    In the end, he found himself outside the three-story building, with a green jade talisman in hand.


    And while Ethan was coming to terms with the events of the day, in another part of the Long Empire, another important meeting was taking place.


    Currently, in a grand hall adorned with gold and other precious materials on both sides, a meeting was underway.


    At the end of the hall, there was a throne with a high back resting on a raised platform made of seven steps, on which a majestic figure was sitting at the moment.


    On the long strip of intense red velvet, richly embroidered, which stretched along the hall from the large entrance door to the steps of the throne, knelt a young man with a valorous appearance, whose eyes matched the color of his golden hair.


    He was none other than the Crown Prince Jian.


    After the battle with the strange creature at the fifth stage of cultivation, he recovered its corpse and reached his sister, who seemed to have moved to another location in the meantime.


    Once reunited with her, he returned to the royal palace, where he requested an audience with the emperor to inform him of the matter.


    He knew that his father had surely noticed this being and was waiting for a report on the issue.


    The situation with this being was too strange to be ignored.


    From the type of creature it was to the strange energy it was using.


    Not to mention the portal itself.


    After defeating the creature, he investigated the incident, going to the place where its aura first appeared.


    Upon arriving at the site, he found everything destroyed and no soul in sight.


    The only thing he recovered from that investigation was a strange wooden object, resembling a sword.


    He would have ignored it if it were only that, but the energy he felt coming from the object was very similar to that of the monster, so he decided to bring it with him.


    He hoped that his father knew something about this,


    after all, he was the strongest person in the Long Empire and also one of the people who had lived for almost a millennium.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 109: New Residence

    .


    The news that the sect master had accepted another disciple could not remain hidden for long. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Somehow the news leaked, and within a day, it spread like wildfire.


    Everyone in the sect was shocked by this sudden news, and several did not want to believe it.


    Not only the outer court disciples but also the inner and core disciples were stunned by this news.


    It must be known that the sect master, throughout all this time, had only accepted one disciple under her, and that was Xiang Hua.


    Everyone knew her and knew how high her talent was, so no one had ever said anything about it.


    The only thing they complained about was that no matter how many other talented disciples had appeared after her, the sect master never bothered to take another one.


    Over time, everyone had lost hope and settled for becoming the direct disciples of the sect elders, which was still a good choice.


    But now the news that the sect master had accepted her second disciple threw the sect into chaos.


    Everyone wanted to know who this fortunate individual was.


    They wanted to see what made him special.


    Thus began a manhunt to discover who the new disciple of the sect master was.


    Even the sect elders, curious to know who the lucky one was, went to her to ask more about the matter.


    The sect master had decided to keep Ethan''s identity to herself and had no intention of holding any ceremony or other event to present him to everyone.


    She thought that Ethan was someone who preferred not to be disturbed by such matters and that he preferred to cultivate in peace.


    Therefore, she decided to inform only the sect elders of his identity and asked them to keep Ethan''s identity to themselves.


    In the future, if Ethan needed resources and other things, he would have to largely turn to them, so she decided to inform them.


    Sooner or later, Ethan would have to make an appearance, especially at certain special occasions where he couldn''t be absent, so sooner or later his identity would be revealed.


    This decision, although based on assumptions not entirely accurate, still indirectly helped Ethan, who was happy that his identity as a disciple had not been revealed.


    He could already hear many rumors that some of the sect''s core disciples had started hunting him, and from what he had gathered from discussions in the sect, they were mainly those who in the past had tried several times to become disciples of the sect master but had been rejected by her.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    He hadn''t even asked to become her disciple, yet here he was, without much choice, in this situation.


    The commotion calmed down after a few days, and although he still sensed that the hunt for him was continuing, it was now only to a small extent, mainly carried out by inner and core disciples.


    To distance himself from this madness, he secluded himself in his residence, spending most of his time cultivating and refining pills, occasionally also tending to his herb garden and other things that were growing day by day.


    It was practically the same routine as before, except that now he had his own residence, a privilege not even given to the inner disciples of the sect.


    It was a medium-sized residence, located on a mountain hill adjacent to the innermost area of the sect, the so-called core of the sect.


    It had everything necessary to live there in peace without having to make too many trips outside.


    It had two medium-sized bedrooms, a bathroom with a dedicated space for a shower, a small kitchen, and a cultivation hall, which was essentially a spacious room with little or nothing inside, perfect for cultivating.


    All this, however, was secondary. What really interested Ethan was the presence of a spiritual vein beneath this hill.


    [N/A: You can refer to the Tianzi Mountains in China to get an idea of the location]


    It must be known that the mountainous area where the Phoenix Sect''s residence was located had several spiritual veins underground.


    Generally, these veins did not have a specific element that characterized them, but the ones precisely beneath the Phoenix Sect''s mountain were fire spiritual veins.


    For anyone with an affinity for the fire element, this was a small paradise on earth.


    Even those without a fire element affinity could refine the spiritual energy present here.


    It simply had a reduced effect on them.


    The spiritual vein beneath the mountain hill of Ethan''s residence was a pure spiritual vein, with no specific element, making it suitable for any type of cultivator, as this type of spiritual energy could be transformed into something more suitable for the person''s affinity.


    This aspect made the value of this residence even higher.


    Ethan was happy but at the same time worried that some other disciple might discover that he lived here.


    Although there was a wooden bridge connecting this hill to the main sect mountain, and it was made clear to everyone not to go there without the sect''s permission, it wasn''t difficult to spot him when he went out to run errands.


    After all, no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn''t stay holed up here forever.


    In the end, Ethan thought that he could avoid taking the direct path and descend directly from the hill.


    Although it was tall, there were ledges and other things he could use to climb up and down.


    For someone like him, who was at the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage, this was relatively easy.


    Even more so because this could be a good opportunity to further train his spiritual manifestation.


    He was already good enough to wrap objects and move them, but not yet skilled enough to do it for too long and with precision.


    He couldn''t wait to finally try to fly, at least to some extent.


    He had long known that there were techniques here to fly using swords and other objects.


    He used to think that such things only existed in the novels he read, but apparently, he had been wrong once again.


    Although there were mounts, those that could fly and were good for riding were at least level 3.


    Taming such a creature was a feat, especially for someone at his level.


    One could buy already tamed ones, but their cost was by no means low.


    Therefore, most people preferred to wait until they reached the third stage of cultivation and ride on their own swords.


    Although spiritual energy manifestation could already be learned at the second stage, the control and strength of it weren''t high enough to do it for long periods, so most cultivators preferred to wait until they reached the third stage, where, with the condensed and strengthened core, their Qi energy reserves and control over spiritual energy would be greater.


    Ethan was currently sitting cross-legged in his cultivation hall.


    If someone from the outside saw him, they would think he was deep in cultivation, but that couldn''t be further from the truth.


    At the moment, he was in his sea of consciousness, sitting on a couch, looking ahead with a serious expression.


    In front of him was a small table with only a plate of cookies and two cups of what seemed to be hot tea, still steaming.


    On the other side of the table sat Bai Yu, also in a comfortable armchair.


    The atmosphere was rather light, but Ethan knew that the upcoming conversation wouldn''t be.

 Chapter 110: A Piece of Past History

    .


    She calmly took a sip from her cup of tea, and Ethan didn''t rush her.


    He had to admit that, although it was just a simple gesture of drinking tea, there was a certain elegance to it.


    This was perhaps natural, considering that the woman in front of him exuded an incredible feminine charm, and even someone like him, who normally didn''t lose his composure around beautiful women, had to admit that he struggled to maintain complete calm.


    He shook his head to dispel the thoughts that were beginning to arise and waited for the person in front of him to talk about the people they had encountered in the Spirit Forest two days ago.


    More precisely, he wanted to know about this strange Qi that the enemies had used in their attacks.


    Having fought one of them for a while, he could tell that the energy they were using was not the same as anyone else''s.


    Whatever it was, it was strong and clearly also a bit malevolent, considering the effects it seemed to have on the person hit by it, but also on the one using it.


    Ethan had avoided the attacks heavily infused with that energy and had prevented the enemy from preparing new ones by never giving them enough time to strike.


    Ethan didn''t know if his battle would have gone so smoothly if the enemy hadn''t been caught off guard by him.


    Even using Dragon Gaze had helped him a lot in the fight since it constantly stunned the opponent.


    The effect of Dragon Gaze was very powerful, but against stronger enemies, its impact was greatly reduced.


    Thus, he was only able to stun them and nothing more.


    There was also the issue of the spiritual energy consumption it caused, which for his current state was still too high.


    In short, he had used what little he could, but it was enough to put the enemy in difficulty.


    If only he hadn''t used that object, they might have avoided all the subsequent trouble.


    He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw that she was about to begin.


    Placing the cup of tea on the saucer on the table, Bai Yu looked at Ethan and opened her mouth.


    "Tell me, how much do you know about Qi and spiritual energy?" she asked with a calm expression.


    Ethan, hearing the unexpected question, couldn''t help but think for a moment before answering:


    "The difference between the two is not much, and in a certain sense, you could say that both are two sides of the same coin," he began, saying what he knew about these two types of energy present in this world.


    Bai Yu neither nodded nor denied, continuing to listen in silence.


    "This is because spiritual energy is the energy present in nature, and we can find it in all living beings.


    This is the energy we absorb to strengthen our bodies and our souls to become stronger, thus extending our lifespan and improving our understanding of the world around us," he said.


    "All living beings, to use this energy, need an important organ, the dantian.


    It is thanks to this organ in our bodies that we absorb the energy present in the environment and convert it into Qi, a refined derivative of spiritual energy that is compatible with our bodies.


    Using the refined Qi in our core, we elevate our cultivation little by little, starting from the body, then reaching our soul, and finally merging these two parts into one, achieving what is considered the peak of cultivation, the Fifth Stage," he said, without considering the subsequent stages, as he still knew little about them. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, he limited himself to the five stages of cultivation in the mortal realm.


    She nodded and finally spoke:


    "Yes, everything you''ve said is essentially correct, but there''s one thing you haven''t grasped," she said.


    Hearing her, Ethan wondered what it was.


    He didn''t immediately understand what she was referring to, but then, thinking back to the sensation he had when encountering those enemies, a spark lit up in his mind.


    "Are you referring to the nature of this energy?" he asked.


    She nodded and spoke again.


    "As you may know, the spiritual energy present in nature doesn''t have a real nature of its own.


    It is harmless and pure, and only when it is absorbed and refined does it take on a different form," she said, and Ethan nodded.


    "We see cases of this when, for example, a cultivator with a certain affinity absorbs and refines it into Qi aligned with their affinity, or when in certain places, there are plants and animals of a specific kind that absorb and release it, modifying it accordingly."


    "In this sense, we can consider this energy positive, as its adaptability allows almost anyone to use it without causing harm to the individual," she said, and Ethan finally understood where she was going with all this.


    "For a long time, it was thought that there was only this unique energy, which could take on completely different forms, and the researchers who studied it to find other uses had taken it for granted.


    This was until word spread that a similar but at the same time opposite form of energy had been found.


    The rulers at the time, who were at the peak of cultivation, discovered the existence of a higher-level dimension.


    The existence of alternative dimensions was known, and beings at their level were even able to create their own, but those were different from the ones that had formed naturally.


    It''s not known exactly what happened, but in the pieces of history that have been passed down to our time, it is said that the 10 gods who ruled above the two heavens decided to join forces to open a rift into this dimension.


    And they succeeded.


    It''s not clear what they found inside, but when the group of gods who ventured in emerged, they caused great shock at the time.


    Almost half of the gods who had gone into that dimension never returned.


    In the texts, it was only said that the gods who returned did everything they could to close the dimension again, and they succeeded, but not without consequence.


    From the dimension, a strange energy had leaked out, and once it reached the outside, it began to spread little by little everywhere.


    This energy was similar in some ways to spiritual energy, but unlike the first, which tended to adapt to the living being it came into contact with, this one tended to corrupt it."


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 112: The Forgotten Past

    .


    Long Jian had come mainly to inform his father of the appearance of this strange and very powerful creature.


    The appearance of such a high-level being was cause for concern, so he had to inform his father.


    He was certain that with his father''s level of cultivation, he had already sensed this figure''s appearance and was just waiting for him to return to report what he had discovered.


    But the problem was that he hadn''t learned much about this creature.


    Those who had summoned it were dead, and the Phoenix Sect didn''t seem to know much about these people or the creature in general.


    The only clue he had was that wooden sword he had picked up from the battlefield.


    He had come in the hope that by examining the sword, infected with the same energy as the monster, his father could uncover something, and indeed, he did.


    But...


    "It seems they''ve found a way to weaken the barrier," his father said, his face expressionless, but his eyes hiding an indistinguishable emotion.


    Hm?


    Upon hearing these words, the prince couldn''t help but frown, asking:


    "Father, do you know something about this?"


    He questioned his father''s figure in front of him, seated on the throne while examining the object floating a short distance from him.


    This was Long Hao, the second emperor of the Long Empire, and the most powerful figure on the continent.


    Currently, there were five people on the continent who had reached the Fifth Stage of the Mortal Realm, mainly the three masters of the three ruling sects of the Long Empire, Prince Jian, and Long Hao.


    If Prince Jian was the weakest among these five experts, then his father was the strongest.


    Had it not been for him uniting the other Fifth Stage experts under his empire, the continent would be divided among various powers rather than under one empire.


    The prince had no idea how old his father was, but he could tell he had lived more than ten times his own years.


    Currently, Long Jian was over 150 years old, relatively young for high-level cultivators, especially for those at his level.


    With his current cultivation base, Long Jian could comfortably live for more than a thousand years, so while he had lived far longer than most ordinary people, he was still considered very young.


    The Long Empire''s history spanned only a few thousand years, and his father was barely its second emperor.


    This was because his father had already lived for over a thousand years.


    He could be considered one of the oldest beings in the empire, if not the oldest.


    Yet despite this, his appearance didn''t show more than 30 years of age.


    Long Hao, upon hearing his son''s question, contemplated something for a few seconds, then rising from his throne, he walked to one side of the hall, telling the prince to follow him.


    Long Jian didn''t ask questions and followed his father.


    In no time, they passed from the throne room to walking in a long corridor beneath the castle, dimly lit by the flickering flames of torches on the walls.


    The prince wanted to ask where they were going, but decided to hold back his questions and continued walking.


    He had to admit the corridor was unusually long.


    They had been walking for several minutes, yet there was still no end in sight.


    Moreover, something felt strange about it.


    With his enhanced vision, he should be able to see hundreds of meters ahead, yet when he tried, he saw nothing but complete darkness.


    He didn''t believe the corridor was so long that it was impossible to see the end, even after using his enhanced sight, so he could only assume some sort of spell was cast on it.


    This made the corridor all the more mysterious.


    He wondered how he had never noticed the existence of this passage in all his years living in the imperial palace.


    After a while, the prince finally saw the end of the corridor.


    The total time it had taken to reach this point was no more than ten minutes, confirming the prince''s suspicion that there was some kind of formation altering their perception in the corridor.


    At the end of the corridor, there was a large door made of what seemed to be bronze, with some barely visible engravings on it.


    But these details weren''t what stood out most to the prince.


    What was strange about the door was that there didn''t seem to be any lock to open it, nor the central line that should divide it into two parts.


    It couldn''t be a single door given its large size and arched shape.


    His father, however, didn''t seem bothered by these inconsistencies and simply approached the door calmly.


    Once he reached it, he extended one of his hands and placed it on the metallic surface, right in the center.


    As soon as he touched it, a circle appeared on the door''s surface, from which several streaks of light shot out, moving irregularly toward different points on the door.


    Shortly after, some symbols, unfamiliar to the prince, appeared where the light had touched.


    These symbols, which had appeared out of nowhere, glowed in a faint yellow hue and came to life, detaching from the door''s surface and floating around the circle where his father''s hand rested.


    As the various symbols, which seemed to be runes, circled the area, his father appeared to channel a bit of his spiritual energy into the door, and instantly, the symbols stopped moving and settled in place.


    A straight line, starting from where his father had placed his hand, split the massive door in two.


    Before the prince could understand what was happening, the door began to move, splitting in two and slowly opening.


    Within seconds, the door was fully open, and his father had already stepped inside.


    Seeing this, the prince followed.


    As soon as he entered, he noticed that the door led to a spacious room.


    While not as large as some rooms in the castle, it was still big enough to hold hundreds of people.


    The room was rather dark, but soon, torches hanging on various points of the walls began lighting up, and in no time, the room was fully illuminated.


    The prince paid little attention to this and instead immediately noticed that the walls were covered in various frescoes, seemingly depicting different scenes.


    If that had been all, he wouldn''t have given it much thought and would have focused on the platform that appeared to be at the far end of the room.


    But as he took a quick glance at the various depictions, he frowned.


    ''What?''


    Among the many frescoes, only seven stood out to his view.


    They were seven circles, each with a diameter of about two meters, scattered around the room, and in each of these, there seemed to be different images.


    The reason Long Jian''s attention was drawn to these seven frescoes in particular was not due to their peculiar feature of being enclosed in circles, but because of the images, some familiar and some not.


    The first one he saw was a depiction of an irregular piece of land set against what seemed to be a vast blue distance.


    Initially, he thought it was simply a depiction of some island in the sea, but noticing some details of the piece of land, he had to reconsider.


    ''Why does it resemble our continent?''


    A part of the piece of land resembled the characteristics of the continent where they lived, but the rest of the land did not.


    For a moment, he considered a possibility, but then dismissed the thought.


    ''No, it''s not possible. If there were other lands, we would have known,'' he thought.


    Infact, aside from their continent, no one had ever sighted the existence of other lands.


    Many over the years had tried to travel the seas to see if there was anything beyond their continent, but none of those who departed ever returned.


    Over time, it began to be thought that the sea was too dangerous, so people stopped trying.


    Especially after even powerful cultivators tried to travel, only to never return.


    The prince himself, over his many years, had wondered what lay beyond the sea.


    Once he reached the fifth stage, he instinctively felt it was dangerous to travel over the sea.


    It wasn''t dangerous if one stayed near the continent, but once beyond a certain distance, one was sure never to return.


    In a sense, they were trapped on this land, not knowing if there were other lands beyond their own.


    But the painting before the prince made him think there could be others, but they didn''t seem to be separate continents, rather, a single vast land that seemed to include their own continent as well.


    Moving from this image, he went on to the rest of the frescoes, and just like the first one, the rest depicted scenes that seemed to be a mix of reality and what seemed entirely unfamiliar.


    Some showed two armies fighting, one human, and the other beasts of all kinds.


    Another appeared to depict a gory scene where several mutilated bodies of people and beasts were scattered everywhere, with some survivors seeming to be in agony, their faces completely obscured.


    The more the prince looked from image to image, the more he felt something was off about these representations.


    In the end, he could no longer resist and turning to address his father, who was at one end of the room, he couldn''t help but ask:


    "What is this place?"


    The emperor, standing before a raised platform about a meter high, kept staring at an object elongated on it as he answered.


    "This is the room where the only piece of history about the forgotten past of our continent is kept," he said, as he gestured with his hand to float the wooden sword forward and place it on the raised platform.


    The prince, noticing this, was able to see the other object present on the platform, and as soon as he saw it, he couldn''t help but frown:


    "A sword sheath?"


    Indeed, the object on the platform resembled a sword sheath, strangely matching the dimensions of the wooden sword placed beside it.


    Seeing this, the questions in the prince''s mind grew more numerous.


    The more time he spent in this place, the more unanswered questions he had.


    After placing the sword on the platform, the emperor observed both objects for a few seconds, contemplating something in his mind, then diverted his gaze from them and turned to his son.


    "See, there are some important events from our past that were not recorded in books due to certain circumstances, and to ensure they were not completely forgotten,


    my father had this room built so that at least future generations of our family could remember these events." Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He said, looking at the frescoes on the walls, more specifically, at the seven scenes the prince had just examined.


    "He had done it not only to preserve the memory of certain past events...


    but also to warn us of a catastrophe that would inevitably one day strike our continent."


    ??

 Chapter 113: Imperial Alchemy Tournament

    .


    In the residence of the Yan family, in a medium-sized room, two people were present: one comfortably seated and the other standing near a cauldron no taller than a meter.


    Neither spoke, and the only sound was the crackling of the fire beneath the cauldron.


    The room, made of sturdy wooden walls, was sparsely decorated, with only a few cabinets and shelves holding various objects and ingredients, each in its own container.


    The aroma of different herbs and substances that should have permeated the air was contained within each vessel, even if they were open.


    The two continued in silence.


    The seated figure was an elderly man with a long beard and white hair, watching the girl before him, who was busy refining, with a calm but attentive gaze.


    This elderly man was none other than Yan Qingshui, the grandfather of Yan Mei and one of the esteemed alchemists of the Medicine Pavilion.


    He typically spent his time refining his alchemical techniques and researching the various uses of certain herbs and substances needed for alchemy.


    After all, he was a master alchemist, still far from being a grand master alchemist.


    Though he was advanced in age, he still possessed the drive to improve himself and become even better at alchemy.


    This attitude was what had brought the Yan family to where they were today, and it was how he intended to spend the rest of his years.


    It could be said that this desire to become better was present in all alchemists who had reached this stage in their journey, and like Yan Qingshui, they were reluctant to stop here.


    It wouldn''t make sense; after dedicating so much of their lives to pursuing the pinnacle of their profession, settling for the title of Master Alchemist, held in high regard throughout the Long Empire, was not enough.


    Until a few centuries ago, many had given up, believing there was no higher rank than their current one. But when the first grand master alchemist emerged, a flame reignited within all of them that had nearly gone out.


    In just a few centuries, three more grand master alchemists appeared, and now everyone was striving to become the fifth grand master alchemist.


    And Yan Qingshui was one of them.


    Today was one of the rare occasions he could be found doing something other than secluding himself for research.


    This was mainly due to the girl in front of him.


    Yan Mei, the prodigy of alchemy in the Yan family, was a source of pride for Yan Qingshui.


    She had invited him today to showcase her progress.


    According to what she had told him, she was now capable of refining level 2 pills.


    Usually, seeing someone refine pills of this level would be nothing special for Yan Qingshui, but it was different for his granddaughter.


    Considering she was under 20 years old, an age where it was already a feat for an alchemist to refine even medium-grade level 1 pills, hearing that she could now refine level 2 pills was enough for him to set aside his research and watch her demonstrate.


    As both her grandfather and teacher, he felt immense pride in her.


    He had never taken a disciple in his long journey as an alchemist, but recognizing his granddaughter''s talent, he decided to make an exception, helping her whenever he could.


    Most of the time, he let her pursue her path as an alchemist independently, only occasionally stepping in to assist with certain challenges.


    He believed that every alchemist had their own path to follow, and as her mentor, he needed to guide her in the right direction while allowing her to take the necessary steps to achieve her goals.


    Watching her progress so quickly, he knew she was doing exceptionally well.


    Now, all that remained was to see if she could successfully refine the level 2 pill.


    Although it was just a low-grade pill, it was still level 2. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If she succeeded, she could attempt to take the exam to become a one-star expert alchemist.


    With his status in the pavilion, he could testify for her and help her become an expert alchemist without an exam, but he didn''t want to pamper her in any way.


    He wanted her, like everyone else, to go through the normal process to acquire this rank, not that she needed his help.


    With her talent, passing the test would be easy.


    The more he watched her refine, the more he could envision how the pill would turn out in the end.


    He had been observing her from the beginning and had noticed various mistakes and shortcomings that, while minor, needed to be addressed to avoid problems later.


    That said, he could also tell that overall, she was on the right track. In fact, after just a few minutes, she successfully finished refining the pill.


    Seeing the pill that his granddaughter presented to him, he nodded and said, "Not bad, you''ve indeed managed to successfully refine a level 2 pill."


    Just as she was about to rejoice at the compliment, he continued, "That said, you made several mistakes throughout the refinement process, especially in the final part. If you hadn''t rushed, you could have achieved slightly higher purity."


    He began listing all the errors she had made, explaining what went wrong and giving suggestions on how to improve those aspects.


    He had poured a bucket of cold water on Yan Mei''s happiness, which she hadn''t even had time to savor, due to the subsequent lesson he gave her.


    But this didn''t seem to sadden her; instead, she took her grandfather''s teachings to heart, jotting down all the mistakes he pointed out.


    Seeing her attitude, Yan Qingshui smiled to himself.


    Among the many things he appreciated about his granddaughter, this attitude was one of them.


    Many others would let themselves be swept away by reprimands and often waste time comforting themselves instead of improving.


    He had always maintained a serious, but not too serious, attitude when it came to teaching his granddaughter alchemy.


    He praised her when she succeeded at something and reprimanded her when she made mistakes.


    In all this, he tried to maintain a certain balance, so as not to overwhelm her with either positive or negative feedback.


    He knew that being too strict would only lead to the opposite result, just as overindulging her would.


    He could tell that due to her good alchemical talent, she had developed a certain superiority complex compared to her peers, but there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    It was fine to be proud of one''s talent, but she needed to be careful not to let it overwhelm her.


    This was what he tried to teach her every time, but he had to admit that although she was respectful towards her elders, she still tended to treat those who weren''t as skilled as she was poorly.


    He could only hope she would improve this aspect of her attitude over time.


    Shaking off these concerns, he asked her,


    "There''s only a month left until the selections for young generation alchemists participating in this year''s Imperial Alchemy Tournament begin.


    Tell me, do you plan to participate this year?"


    "With your current skills, you shouldn''t have too many problems competing and securing a good placement," he said, recalling how last year she had refused to enter.


    At that time, she had barely learned to create level 1 pills, which was sufficient to participate in the selections, but she had declined, saying she wasn''t good enough yet.


    If other alchemists had heard her then, they would have spat blood at the thought of an 18-year-old girl claiming that refining level 1 pills wasn''t enough to be considered skilled.


    It should be noted that anyone who managed to do this by the age of 20 was considered above average, let alone someone who succeeded at 18.


    Yan Qingshui didn''t push her too much, as he believed it was indeed too early for her to compete at that level.


    After all, this competition was divided into two categories.


    The beginner category included anyone under the age of 30 who had at least reached the rank of apprentice alchemist.


    The expert category allowed participation from anyone under 100 years old who had reached at least a two-star adept alchemist rank or a one-star expert alchemist rank.


    Technically, she could choose to compete in either category, and she could have performed well in both.


    In the first category, she had the chance to take first place, while in the second, securing the top spot at her current level would be difficult, but she could certainly aim for a good position in the top 10.


    This competition tested not only an alchemist''s refining abilities but also their knowledge of ingredients and refining techniques.


    Pills were just one of many products an alchemist could refine, and while that was the most commonly produced item, they also needed to be skilled in creating other products, such as elixirs, powders, and even talismans with specific effects, and so on.


    The alchemist profession was not limited to producing various types of pills, but extended to other areas as well, which is why they were highly regarded for their versatility with other products.


    Hearing her grandfather''s question, Yan Mei didn''t think long and nodded while saying,


    "Yes, I intend to participate in the tournament this year.


    It''s time I made a name for myself as an alchemist, right?" she said proudly.


    Seeing this side of her, Yan Qingshui couldn''t help but shake his head, but in his heart, he was glad she had this attitude.


    Fully dedicating oneself to studying alchemy is fine, but overdoing it while neglecting everything else does more harm than good.


    Seeing her maintain a cheerful personality warmed his heart.


    ''Haa... , at this rate, this girl will surpass me in no time.''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 114: Fast progress

    .


    Ethan''s days were relatively calm.


    He continued his usual routine, with the intensity of his training with Bai Yu having increased.


    He still hadn''t fully mastered control over his current strength.


    He was able to regulate his physical power during attacks, and he also had some control over his speed.


    He had gradually improved his control over spiritual energy as well, and he was now able to levitate much heavier and larger objects.


    He had tried riding a sword, and although balance itself wasn''t an issue, he still needed to train to avoid expending more energy than necessary.


    With his limited Qi reserves, he had to learn how to utilize every bit of Qi in his body efficiently, to avoid unnecessary energy loss.


    During his sparring with Bai Yu, in his mind, he could adjust his strength to simulate a battle between someone at the peak of the second stage fighting against someone in the third stage of cultivation. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, he couldn''t perfectly regulate the strength since he hadn''t yet reached the third stage and had no real idea of the power level, but with some help from Bai Yu, who guided him in this, he was able to achieve this outcome.


    Bai Yu had already mentioned that while this practice helped,


    it didn''t necessarily mean he could fight someone at the third stage as effectively in the real world, as there were many variables to consider in a real battle.


    He advised Ethan to use this training as a foundation and adjust it according to the situation during actual combat.


    Normally, one would avoid such simulations, but Bai Yu, despite not being familiar with many human combat techniques, had proven to be highly skilled due to her vast intuition, honed through years of battle experience.


    This, in turn, had helped Ethan improve his own combat techniques.


    Besides this, Ethan continued refining pills.


    For mid and high-grade pills, he used the system''s lab, as these needed to be mass-produced and were of little personal use to him.


    However, he personally refined the perfect-grade ones to avoid losing too much in terms of Qi and SP gains.


    In what had been less than a week in the outside world, for Ethan, who had spent much time in the minor dimension, almost a year had passed.


    It would have been longer if he had spent all his time in the dimension, but he refrained from doing so for various reasons.


    That said, his gains during this year of training in the minor dimension had not been small.


    His cultivation base had already reached the peak of the second stage, and just like before, the system had offered him an SP exchange to move on to the next stage.


    The total SP he had to pay this time was 1,000, in other words, 10 times more than the previous time.


    For his current self, this amount was manageable, so he didn''t think much of it and advanced to the next stage.


    The more Ethan interacted with the system, the more he noticed that for various improvements, whether recipes,


    the Qi required for each level, or in this case, the ability to advance to the next stage, everything seemed to increase by a factor of 10.


    Ethan wasn''t sure why this was the case, but by this logic, to upgrade his alchemy skills again, he would need to fork out 50,000 SP, which was an unreachable number for him at this point.


    The same applied to his Qi level.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Dantian Expansion (Level 1)


    Qi: 465/20000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 246


    Agility: 231


    Intelligence: 207


    Soul Strength: 150


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 5130


    ------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    Ethan almost had a heart attack at the sight of how much Qi was required for the next levels of this stage.


    He had already noticed that his progress had slowed recently, and it wasn''t due to a problem with cultivation or the amount of Qi he was gaining from refining pills.


    Instead, it was the ever-increasing amount of Qi needed for each level.


    It had taken him an entire month of hard work to gather enough Qi to reach 10,000, which was required to hit the 10th level of the second stage of cultivation.


    Now, just thinking about the fact that each level would require 10,000 more Qi terrified him.


    He was finally starting to understand why, the further cultivators advanced, the more time they spent in secluded cultivation.


    At least half of the sect''s elders were in secluded cultivation and would only come out if their presence was absolutely necessary.


    The only silver lining in all this was that after several months, he had finally managed to save up 5,000 SP.


    If it were up to him, he would have earned them much faster, as long as he had enough materials. He could have used the system''s lab to do so.


    But after considering how much Qi and SP he would lose in the process, he decided against it.


    He wasn''t in any rush, so he decided to take his time.


    After all, while it felt like nearly a year for him, in the outside world, barely a week had passed.


    There was no point in speeding things up.


    He was already improving in almost every aspect at a rate several times faster than the rest of the sect''s disciples.


    Acting recklessly would only get him into trouble, especially since he still did not have the ability to completely hide his abilities from beings, such as the sect master.


    She wasn''t an enemy, and although he hadn''t interacted with her since their last encounter, he could at least tell she wouldn''t force him to reveal his secrets.


    At least not for now.


    He had no idea how she would react if she saw that in just one week, he was already in the third stage of cultivation.


    Ethan wasted no time and opened the shop interface, heading to the skills section.


    Although he wasn''t in a rush and was already doing a good job, after consulting with Da Shu about the sales of his pills, he found out that while there were no major obstacles for now, the other royal families wouldn''t let him monopolize the Level 1 pill market so easily.


    At the moment, he didn''t have the strength or reputation to counter their forces, but once he increased the grade of the pills he sold, the situation would shift somewhat.


    Especially since Da Shu had suggested a way to boost his reputation as an alchemist.


    It involved participating in the selection for the Imperial Alchemy Tournament and successfully competing in it.


    With his skills, he shouldn''t have any trouble placing in the top 15, if not the top 10.


    Da Shu had confirmed this after seeing how effortlessly Ethan produced high-quality pills without any apparent issues during the refining process.


    He had no idea how Ethan managed it, but he had never tried to investigate further.


    Instead of participating in the beginner''s category, Ethan decided to compete in the expert category.


    At first, he was hesitant to join, mainly because it would require him to reveal his identity, something he wanted to avoid for the moment.


    But after learning that alchemists weren''t required to disclose their identities, and that only their skills mattered in the competition, he finally decided to take part.


    Ethan wondered how they would determine a person''s alchemy level and age without revealing their identity, but Da Shu told him that the organizers had tools to verify things like age and skill level.


    Da Shu mentioned that having an alchemist association badge would be enough to prove his abilities, and based on the competition''s entry requirements, a two-star silver badge should be enough.


    Ethan had initially thought that even master alchemists might participate, but finding a master alchemist under 100 years old was almost impossible, and none of them would bother joining a competition like this.


    At their level, there was no need.


    The mere fact that they were master alchemists was enough to make them famous, and this competition, which was primarily a platform for younger alchemists to make a name for themselves, held no value for them.


    However, many of them would at least attend the competition or go there to scout for someone skilled enough to take under their wing.


    This was one of the many advantages of the competition and also the reason why so many wanted to participate.


    They knew that as long as they performed well, they would at least gain popularity for their brand, which meant more customers.


    Many great families also used this competition to promote their alchemists or recruit the best ones.


    That''s why Da Shu suggested Ethan participate, knowing it would be a significant boost to his reputation and brand as an alchemist, putting them in a stronger position, making it harder for other business families to attack.


    There were two weeks left until the selection began, and Ethan had already registered thanks to Da Shu''s help.


    Now, he just had to wait for those two weeks and secure a spot in the competition, which would be held in the capital of the Long Empire.

 Chapter 115: Problematic Cultivation Method

    .


    It was the first time Ethan had ever upgraded a skill through the system, and for a moment, he wondered if the process would be the same as when he had initially acquired it from the system.


    And indeed, it was.


    The information was downloaded directly into his mind, and like a puzzle piece falling into place, it merged with what he already knew, expanding Ethan''s mastery in refining.


    Ethan had already realized that without level two proficiency in refining, producing grade two pills was extremely difficult for him.


    Almost every time, two out of three pills would either burn or turn out too impure to even be considered low-grade pills.


    The only reason he could even produce level two pills was due to the fact that after refining so many perfect-grade level one pills for such a long time, he had naturally gained a certain mastery.


    Yet, this was still not enough to perfectly follow all the steps of the recipe.


    In less than a minute, he had finished upgrading his mastery, and he could already feel that producing level two pills wouldn''t be as difficult as before.


    To test his refining abilities, he immediately pulled out enough ingredients, and with the cauldron already out, he lit the flame and began refining a level two pill.


    It didn''t take long for him to notice the difference between before and now.


    His movements were smoother and more precise, and most importantly, he no longer hesitated when performing each step.


    It was as if his body had been used to this for a long time, making it feel natural.


    This sensation was similar to when he had gained level one mastery and tried refining a level one pill for the first time.


    ''Haa, this is the result of all my hard work lately,'' he thought, comforting himself.


    If only other alchemists knew about this, they''d wonder why the results of their months or even years of effort weren''t as good.


    In just a few more minutes, Ethan had finished refining the pills and was now admiring them, while listening to the system messages.


    [You have successfully refined 1, level 2, low grade Recovery Pill] (x3)


    [You gained 15 QI] (x3)


    [You gained 10 SP] (x3)


    Upon seeing the amount of QI received, Ethan immediately noticed that it was higher than what he gained from a high-grade level one pill, but lower than a perfect-grade level one pill.


    In contrast, the amount of SP gained was twice as much as that from a perfect-grade level one pill.


    So in terms of SP, he was still doing well, but when it came to the QI gained, he realized that the amount he needed for each subsequent level was too large to be filled simply by producing pills.


    For example, to obtain 20,000 QI, he would need to produce nearly 1,333 level two, low-grade pills.


    To produce a batch of three pills of this level, it would take him at least 5 minutes.


    So, doing a quick calculation, it would take him a minimum of 37 hours of continuous refining, without stopping, to reach that amount of QI.


    And that''s just for level two of the Dantian Expansion.


    Assuming the amount of required QI increased by 10K for each subsequent level, it would take him at least 56 hours of continuous refining of level two pills, which was more than two days of non-stop production.


    And this time would only increase further as he progressed.


    Even though it was still tremendously faster than a talented person from the sect, one had to consider that, despite how dedicated he was, Ethan couldn''t afford to spend entire days refining without ever stopping.


    His minor dimension was certainly more useful here, but other problems arose, such as the issue of materials.


    He would always have to venture into the outside world for a while to give the herbs inside his dimension enough time to grow.


    This would add at least some more time to the refining process, but it would still be within a short timeframe, one that was very brief even for a talented cultivator.


    basically, within a few months, if he completely dedicated himself to refining pills, he could quickly reach the peak of this stage.


    Ethan hadn''t paid much attention to his rapid progression in cultivation before, because, one, he wanted to make up for the time he lost being stuck at the beginning when he first started cultivating, and two, to at least have some strength to save himself in times of need.


    In the cultivation world, the strong ruled, and the weak could only endure in silence.


    Being someone with no background, he wanted to become strong quickly so he wouldn''t easily fall victim to anyone.


    Now, however, he had someone who would support him, he had a certain reputation as an alchemist, and consequently, a steady source of income, and finally, he had enough strength that no one would easily ignore him.


    In the Long Empire, cultivators were considered a notch above ordinary people, and the latter were careful not to offend them.


    No matter the cultivator''s level, just the fact that they were one meant they were stronger than the average person.


    This changed, however, if one was in an environment full of cultivators.


    There, remaining at a low level was not enough; one had to constantly improve in order to rise above others.


    Only then could they earn the same degree of respect that mortals gave to cultivators.


    A cultivator at the third stage of cultivation was certainly one of these, someone who would not be taken lightly by anyone, especially if they were still quite young.


    A third-stage cultivator under the age of 50 was already considered good, and if they were under 30, then they were considered talented.


    What about someone who was barely 22?


    Considering all of this, Ethan saw no need to rush his cultivation in this manner.


    But then, remembering the recent incident, he had to reconsider.


    If he compared himself to a creature like the one that emerged from the portal, then even if he were at the peak of the fourth stage, he would still be beaten to death.


    His only salvation was the ability to travel in his smaller dimension.


    It wasn''t the best option, but it was better than nothing.


    Of course, for that too, he would have to do it fairly quickly.


    If the enemy had been faster than him, he could have died instantly without even realizing it.


    The more he thought about these things, the more his previous idea of slowing down his cultivation speed was suppressed.


    ''No, I have to at least reach the fifth stage,'' he thought, believing that would be the point where he could feel safer in this realm.


    Just as he was thinking about continuing at his current speed, Bai Yu threw cold water on his plans.


    ''If I were you, I''d take it slower during the next two stages of cultivation,'' she said, immediately noticing the direction Ethan''s thoughts were taking.


    Hearing her, Ethan immediately asked what she meant by that.


    ''I''ve always wondered why it''s so difficult for those at the peak of the mortal realm to break through to the celestial realm and ascend to the celestial plane,'' she said.


    Hm?


    Ethan, not expecting her to talk about this, wondered what it had to do with his current problem.


    ''What I mean is, it''s natural for advancing to the next realm of cultivation to be difficult and take a lot of time.


    Yet, in the last millennia, only one person from the mortal plane has successfully ascended to the celestial plane, and that''s Ying Hua.''


    Ethan didn''t interrupt and continued listening.


    This wasn''t a problem he had to face at the moment, but he knew he would have to deal with it in the future.


    If she wanted to talk about this now, there had to be an important reason.


    ''During the portal incident, I had the chance to observe the experts of the fourth and fifth stages of this plane.


    At first, I didn''t notice anything wrong with their cultivation, but later, when they fully unleashed their bases, I immediately saw a problem.''


    ''A problem?''


    ''Yes,'' she said, and after a moment, continued.


    ''As you know, once at the peak of the third stage, a cultivator''s core becomes strong and stable enough to withstand the refined concentration of QI needed for further progress.


    Normally, at this point, cultivators should begin studying and cultivating their soul, developing a spiritual beast in their dantian, a spirit that would help elevate their cultivation until the end of the fourth stage.


    Once they reached the peak of the fourth stage, the spirit would fuse completely with the cultivator, strengthening their soul to the point where, by the end of the fifth stage, they could attempt to advance to the celestial realm of cultivation.''


    Up to this point, Ethan nodded at her explanation, which seemed to align with the little he knew about the higher stages, but then he noticed something.


    ''Develop a spiritual beast, not capture one?'' S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 116: Deep Dive

    .


    From the little Ethan knew about the next two stages of mortal cultivation, once a cultivator reached the peak of the third stage, they were supposed to find the soul of a beast compatible with them and assimilate it into their dantian.


    But according to what Bai Yu had said, the soul needed to be developed by oneself.


    Furthermore, she hadn''t called it a beast soul, but a spiritual beast.


    The difference between the two might seem small, but in cultivation, such things couldn''t be taken lightly.


    Just as he was about to ask more about it, Bai Yu, who had paused to give Ethan enough time to digest the information, resumed her explanation:


    "When that elder from your sect fully released his cultivation base at the peak of the fourth stage, I sensed that what he was using wasn''t a spiritual beast, but the soul of a beast.


    For those unaware of what spiritual beast are, using a beast soul might seem like a valid alternative, but this is far from being a good approach.


    At first, I thought it was just an issue with this elder, but then the person who later fought the creature that emerged from the portal also seemed to have used a similar method.


    I don''t know why the people on this plane have adopted such a cultivation method, but I can tell you that it''s far from the standard practice humans in the Celestial Plane use to cultivate up to the peak of the mortal cultivation realm."


    Ethan didn''t interrupt her.


    He thought it was natural that humans from two different planes would have different cultivation methods.


    But if the previous owner of the Seven Sages'' Amphora had managed to ascend to the Celestial Plane while others hadn''t, there had to be a reason.


    Ethan didn''t believe that person used the same method as the inhabitants of the mortal plane, because if she did,


    Bai Yu wouldn''t have just now noticed this problem with their cultivation method.


    He could only assume that the previous owner had either found the right method or another alternative.


    In any case, she had ascended long ago, so it didn''t make much sense to dwell on it.


    What was more important now was learning how to proceed correctly with his own cultivation.


    He was already at the third stage and knew he couldn''t take things lightly anymore.


    He just wondered what the system would propose once he reached the peak of this stage.


    ''Could it be that I''ll continue paying in SP to advance to the next stages without any bottlenecks or other issues?'' he wondered.


    "The reason cultivating a beast soul within your body isn''t efficient is that, no matter how compatible it may seem with the cultivator,


    the percentage will always be below what is needed for complete fusion when reaching the peak of the fifth stage.


    We beasts and many other races don''t need this process because our souls are naturally strong, so we simply surpass this stage by cultivating.


    But for humans, it''s different. You are one of the few races whose souls aren''t strong from birth.


    If you continue to cultivate without strengthening your soul, it will eventually become a bottleneck, and if you try to force it, you risk putting even more strain on your soul and damaging it.


    And that''s something to avoid since soul damage is one of the most lethal and hardest to recover from.


    In fact, 90% of the time, damage to the soul is irreversible, and you can only wait to die slowly, as your accumulated cultivation disperses."


    Ethan wasn''t sure what it was like to suffer damage to the soul, but just hearing about it, he could tell it wasn''t something he wanted to experience.


    "Your ancestors developed a method to cultivate a secondary soul similar to your own to merge with and strengthen your soul.


    I don''t know if they ever tried cultivating the souls of captured beasts, but it''s easy to understand that the souls of two different entities would rarely be able to fuse and harmonize.


    Finding one that is completely compatible is almost impossible,


    which is why they adopted the method of cultivating one themselves and then assimilating it with their own," she said, then paused as if contemplating something.


    "I have no idea what method your race uses since I''ve never needed anything like that, but designing a similar method isn''t difficult.


    For your current self, it doesn''t make much sense to practice this method now because you must first reach the end of this stage,


    but laying the groundwork now can only benefit you when you start cultivating one and integrating it with your soul," she said.


    Ethan understood why she believed the method adopted by all the sects was flawed, at least in part, and if what she had said was true, he could agree with her.


    He didn''t mind starting to practice the correct method now; after all, time wasn''t an issue for him, and if it could help him overcome any obstacles he might face in the future, all the better.


    He decided to accept the idea and follow her plan, but there was one problem.


    ''How the heck do I perceive my soul?''


    In theory, one was supposed to first examine their soul and then cultivate one based on that.


    He wasn''t sure how it worked in detail, but it didn''t matter, since at the moment, he didn''t even know how to take the first step.


    Apparently, perceiving one''s soul was a standard process for a cultivator.


    They would use the typical meditation pose to isolate themselves from any stimuli from their surroundings and immerse themselves in their cultivation,


    where they would carefully circulate the spiritual energy absorbed into their dantian and refine it.


    Based on what Ethan had heard from Bai Yu, to perceive the soul, something similar needed to be done.


    Instead of stopping after refining spiritual energy into Qi, one had to circulate the Qi through the rest of the body and feel how it moved through the body''s various channels.


    Circulating Qi was something every cultivator knew how to do since it was the foundation of their strength and their attacks once they reached the Qi Refining stage.


    To perceive the soul, one had to dive even deeper, and as Bai Yu had said:


    "Dive into the flow of Qi circulating within the body."


    At first, Ethan didn''t think much of it and gave it a try, but after several hours, he achieved no results.


    He wondered if he was doing something wrong, but Bai Yu told him it was normal.


    According to her, achieving that level of immersion was something that was difficult for everyone at first and often took days or even months.


    Ethan realized it wasn''t something he could accomplish in a short time, so he decided to handle all his tasks for the day first and then remain in the minor dimension to meditate for the rest of the time.


    One day in the outside world was more than three months here, so he took care of everything he needed to do that day.


    He didn''t have much to do, aside from delivering the batch of pills to Da Shu.


    Even though he had become the sect master''s disciple, in the last week, he hadn''t received any tasks from her, nor had he needed her help with anything.


    His life hadn''t really changed much from before, except that now he lived in his own residence, far away from, well, everyone.


    He barely saw Da Shu, who now also had his own residence in the inner sect.


    The only times they had seen each other in recent days were when he came to deliver his batch of pills.


    There could have been other occasions to meet, like in the dining hall or similar places, but he still preferred to cook his own meals.


    What they served in the dining hall wasn''t worth the trip for him.


    Even though he had discovered that, as the sect master''s disciple, he could order different dishes beyond the usual ones they served.


    Not that he didn''t understand why.


    Most cultivators spent their time cultivating, and cultivation sessions could last a long time depending on the cultivator, so having a good meal was an occasional thing for them, and when that happened, they went directly to some restaurants in Sun City.


    The further along they were in their cultivation, the less they tended to interact with the outside world.


    The dining hall existed mostly because cultivators at the first stage, especially newcomers, still had the habit of interacting frequently with each other.


    So, he completed all the small tasks he had and prepared to enter closed-door cultivation for three months in the minor dimension.


    He did as Bai Yu had instructed and dove deeper into his cultivation while also feeling the Qi exiting his dantian.


    He didn''t achieve any results in the first few days, but after nearly a week, he began to sense something.


    And so, the days passed as he tried to expand his perception.


    Bai Yu, who resided in his sea of consciousness, constantly monitored his progress.


    For the dragon race, the stages of the mortal realm were similar to those of humans in several aspects, but unlike them, the dragon race surpassed these stages in much shorter times than humans.


    For them, these early stages were like open doors they simply needed to walk through.


    It was only starting from the Celestial Realm that they also faced their challenges in cultivation, so she could only help Ethan through this phase to a limited extent.


    A week passed.


    Then two, then three.


    Before he knew it, almost two months had passed, and Ethan hadn''t moved from his position.


    After the first week in which he had finally been able to sense something, he had immersed himself more and more in that sensation, entering a trance-like state.


    Then, after nearly three months, a sudden change occurred in his spiritual sea. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu, who had returned to her body under the water''s surface, suddenly opened her eyes as she sensed an oppressive aura strike Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    What had been a calm environment suddenly became turbulent.

 Chapter 117: Luminous Sphere

    .


    Ethan''s sea of consciousness began to tremble violently.


    Visible cracks started to appear everywhere, while a blackish-green aura began to envelop the space.


    Bai Yu didn''t know what was happening, but it didn''t take long for her to understand the cause of this strange phenomenon.


    ''Could it be related to a spiritual beast?


    But how? It shouldn''t be possible, especially at this stage, not to mention this oppressive aura. sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just��


    What in the world is going on?''


    Ethan was asking himself the same question at that moment.


    After he began to focus more on the fragments of his soul he could sense, he had almost completely detached from the rest of the world, entering a state of absolute concentration.


    For him, time had lost all meaning, and the only thing on his mind was to close the gap between him and the perception of his soul more and more.


    At a certain point, he could finally confirm that what he was sensing was indeed his soul.


    But just as he managed to fully sense it, he also felt something else.


    ''This... what is this?'' he asked himself in confusion, feeling a sort of connection to something.


    At first, he thought it was his soul artifact, the silver cauldron, but then he sensed a strange attraction coming from whatever was beyond this connection.


    He doubted it was the Seven Sages'' amphora, as that was located within his spiritual sea, and the only connection he felt with it was through the system.


    He wasn''t sure if it was indeed the amphora or something else, but he decided to investigate.


    He focused more on it, and as if entering a portal, his consciousness was suddenly transported to a completely different place.


    It was similar to when he entered his spiritual sea, where he could feel his ethereal form moving within it.


    Although he wasn''t in his physical body, he still somehow felt a slight headache, and for a few seconds, he struggled to stabilize his mind.


    After a few moments, he finally regained his composure, and as his eyes managed to focus on his surroundings, he muttered,


    ''W-what ��''


    As his vision cleared, all he could see was a black tunnel in which his soul seemed to be traveling at high speed.


    On the tunnel walls, lights of different colors appeared and disappeared constantly.


    The speed at which they appeared and then vanished made Ethan realize that his soul was traveling at an incredible velocity.


    He wasn''t sure what was happening or where his soul was being taken, but he knew the only thing he could do was wait and see, as he no longer seemed to have any control over himself.


    It was like being pulled by a force so powerful that any resistance was futile.


    Normally, Ethan would have panicked by now, but he thought that as long as his body was safe, he could survive whatever was happening now.


    After all, he had a being like Bai Yu watching over his sea of consciousness, as well as the Seven Sages'' amphora, which had proven useful in difficult situations before.


    A few seconds passed, and finally, Ethan began to notice changes occurring around the tunnel.


    The black color that surrounded him was gradually being replaced by what appeared to be a blackish-blue-green fog.


    Ethan noticed that despite the high speed, he could distinguish this fog much more clearly compared to the series of lights from earlier.


    Then he realized that it wasn''t him focusing his vision more effectively; it was his speed that was beginning to slow down more and more.


    What had been mere traces of fog now became an entire mass, and in a few moments, the entire surrounding environment was enveloped by this strange fog.


    The fog was everywhere, surrounding him from all sides, and seeing this scene, he couldn''t help but associate it with the images taken by telescopes in Earth''s orbit, of cosmic clouds.


    It was a strange association, but it was the first thing that came to Ethan''s mind as he saw this scenario.


    As he moved forward, he noticed that certain points in the fog intermittently lit up at irregular intervals.


    It was as if something luminous inside it was moving at high speed.


    After a few more moments, as his soul continued to advance, Ethan realized what it was.


    They were bolts of lightning.


    Thin, blue, luminous, irregular streaks resembling lightning surged through the strange cloud, moving from one place to another.


    Ethan didn''t have time to examine them calmly or understand what they were because, after a few more seconds, something else started to come into view ahead of him beyond the fog.


    At first, it was just a glowing dot, then it grew to the size of a baseball, and then to the size of a basketball.


    The closer he got, the bigger the dot became.


    The fog around this area seemed to dissipate like curtains being drawn back, allowing a view of the breathtaking, yet at the same time shocking, scene ahead.


    At a certain point, Ethan could finally see the actual size of the luminous mass in front of him, and as soon as he did, his body broke out in cold sweat, a strange chill coursing through him.


    "What the hell��"


    What had once been a small glowing mass was now, from this close distance, a gigantic luminous sphere, so vast that even from this distance, Ethan could clearly see its enormous size.


    The luminous sphere emitted an intense bluish-green light, like a sun in space, and around it, a dense mass of this fog swirled at high speed, forming what seemed like a luminous ring.


    Ethan had no idea what this place was, nor what this gigantic sphere in front of him was, but he knew one thing, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t stop his advance toward it.


    Currently, Ethan''s soul was racing toward the enormous luminous sphere, with no sign of stopping.


    Helpless in this situation, Ethan could only grit his teeth and watch.


    He had tried to wake up, but he couldn''t.


    It was as if all the connections he had with his body had completely vanished, and he couldn''t even communicate with Bai Yu or the system.


    "Why the hell do I always end up in situations like this?" he cursed, lamenting his bad luck.


    At this point, his soul had already drawn very close to the sphere, and he could no longer see its outlines, only the blue-green light that was approaching ever closer.


    ''Hm?''


    Reaching this point, Ethan thought he saw something move inside the luminous sphere.


    ''Could it have been just an illusion?'' he wondered for a moment, but then he saw something shift again within the glowing mass.


    "F*ck, there''s something alive inside," he muttered, realizing that whatever it was, it was definitely alive, and judging by its size, it was anything but small.


    At this point, Ethan felt like his fate was sealed.


    All he had wanted was to perceive his soul, but somehow he had ended up in this kind of situation, where all he could do was wait and see what would happen to him.


    From the movements of the creature inside, it seemed to have sensed him, and feeling an increasing pressure on his soul, Ethan could tell that it had locked onto him.


    This pressure kept growing and in no time had surpassed that of the creature that had emerged from the portal earlier.


    In fact, there was no point in comparing it to that creature.


    This one clearly emitted an aura that was many times more terrifying.


    Just as Ethan''s soul was almost swallowed up by the luminous mass, in his spiritual sea, the amphora of the Seven Sages, which had remained silent the entire time, finally showed signs of activity.


    Suddenly, runes on the amphora began to glow, and several series of floating symbols appeared, swirling around it.


    First, a ring of symbols materialized.


    Then another, and then yet another.


    In no time, almost a dozen rings had formed around the amphora of the Seven Sages, each one larger than the last.


    Bai Yu, who had been starting to panic over the strange phenomenon affecting Ethan''s spiritual sea, noticed the unusual activity of the amphora in the air and thought,


    ''And now what''s happening?''


    The series of rings made up of strange symbols, each one different from the other, began spinning faster around the artifact, and where it had initially only glowed in a few places,


    it was now completely enveloped by a golden aura that slowly spread across its surface until it covered it entirely.


    Then, out of nowhere, a column of light shot upward from it.


    The thin column grew wider as it rose, while the swirling symbols around the amphora spun even faster, becoming almost indistinguishable.


    The beam of light quickly reached an incredible speed, and in no time, it had already struck the ceiling of Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    At the same moment the beam hit the ceiling of Ethan''s consciousness, his soul, which had been sucked into the luminous mass, began to shine.


    Ethan''s soul was now completely covered in a golden aura, though it continued moving forward.


    At this point, he was fully inside the luminous sphere, and the creature moving within it began approaching him.


    Just as the giant figure of the creature, encased in the glowing mass, came near, the golden aura surrounding Ethan shot forward at an almost imperceptible speed.


    In the next instant, Ethan could no longer comprehend what had happened, as his mind suddenly went blank, and he immediately lost consciousness.

 Chapter 118: New Problems

    .


    In the minor dimension, not far from the herb garden, a charred figure lay in a crater 50 times its size.


    The crater was wide, but not very deep.


    At the center of it, the charred figure that lay without showing any signs of life suddenly emitted a muffled groan from its mouth,


    while its almost unrecognizable forehead began to twitch, and faint movements could be seen from its closed eyelids.


    Slowly, the charred figure began to regain consciousness, though with difficulty, as it opened its eyes.


    His mind was still foggy, so he didn''t notice much, but as he began to recover some clarity, a wave of pain rushed from his entire body to his head, almost making him lose consciousness again.


    "Argh!"


    With a loud groan of pain, due to the numerous signals coming from every pain receptor in his body, the charred figure convulsed slightly.


    With extreme effort, he tried to move his limbs in an attempt to get up, but soon discovered that was a bad idea.


    The moment he even tried to move his arms, another wave of pain hit him, immediately halting any intention he had of moving his body.


    With his mind still a bit dazed and confused, he tried to figure out what had happened.


    ''Why can''t I move?'' he wondered as he worked to think faster, trying to recall what had happened.


    Finally, his mind stabilized somewhat, and a flow of memories began to pour into his head.


    ''Ah, right, I was about to be swallowed by that glowing sphere,'' he thought, gradually remembering what had occurred.


    He recalled that just as the creature inside the glowing mass was charging at him, a strange golden aura appeared, and then he lost consciousness.


    ''Whatever it was, it seems to have saved me,'' he thought, though he still didn''t understand why his physical body was in its current condition.


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, while he was being sucked into the glowing mass, not only had his sea of consciousness been invaded and started to collapse,


    but his body was also enveloped by that blue-greenish cloud, which attempted to devour him both from outside and within.


    Just as he was wondering what to do now that he couldn''t move, Bai Yu''s voice came from his head.


    ''You should take a look at your sea of consciousness,'' she said, her voice clearly not as calm as usual.


    Ethan, with his mind still somewhat confused by his current situation,


    noticed that even focusing enough to enter his sea of consciousness was difficult and no longer as instantaneous as before.


    With some effort, he managed to stabilize his thoughts to some degree and transfer his consciousness into his sea of consciousness.


    Within seconds, particles gathered, and an ethereal Ethan appeared in the place.


    Unlike before, here he could move his body, which was natural since he was inside his own mind, but it was still a relief for him, as he wondered how long it would take for him to recover from his injuries.


    He thought about asking Bai Yu for help to heal himself later.


    With his current cultivation, even she had gained some freedom with her manifestation of the soul in the external world, and although she was still limited in what she could do, it was enough to heal him.


    Putting that matter aside for now, he looked around to see where he was, and as soon as he turned slightly to the side, he had yet another shock.


    "W-what the hell happened here..."


    Before him was the chaotic scene of his sea of consciousness.


    Wherever he looked, there were small cracks, both above and below him, floating in the air as if they were tearing reality itself.


    If it weren''t for the fact that these cracks seemed to be slightly healing themselves, Ethan would have wondered what would become of his sea of consciousness.


    "It seems my mind isn''t stable for a reason," he thought, realizing that this was likely why he still had a slight headache.


    After all, he was in his sea of consciousness, and seeing it damaged, he could tell it was the cause of his somewhat unstable mind.


    At least now he had solved one mystery.


    That said, he had noticed the small traces of blackish-green mist, similar to what he had seen in that strange place, and he wondered how it had gotten inside.


    He was starting to think this was also the cause of his damaged body.


    He looked around a bit more and finally managed to spot the figure of Bai Yu a few meters away.


    But she wasn''t alone.


    In front of her, just a little farther ahead, floated a glowing sphere the size of a basketball.


    The outer layer of the luminous sphere was slightly transparent, so if one looked closely, a faint elongated shadow could be seen moving inside.


    At the sight of this glowing sphere, Ethan almost panicked.


    "T-that thing...


    How is it here?"


    Bai Yu, who had been looking at the sphere in front of her with a complex expression,


    noticed his arrival and turned to him with a look that seemed to ask for answers.


    Ethan, seeing her, gave her a similar look.


    For a moment, neither said anything.


    Eventually, he approached and stood beside her, examining the sphere closely.


    He could tell it was the same one he had seen in that place he had been taken to earlier.


    Shifting his gaze from the sphere beside him, he asked:


    "Was it the amphora that brought it here?"


    The only explanation he could think of for how this thing was here was the amphora.


    He hadn''t done anything, and Bai Yu, with her current strength, was equally powerless, so that left only the amphora.


    It wasn''t the first time it had done something like this, and from the golden aura that had enveloped him earlier and then shot at the creature that was charging at him,


    he could only think that the Amphora of the Seven Sages was involved.


    And it seemed he was right.


    Bai Yu nodded slightly, and for a moment, she didn''t say anything while looking at the glowing sphere with a complicated expression.


    Ethan noticed this and wondered what was going through her mind.


    Just as he was about to ask her if she knew anything about the creature inside the sphere, she spoke:


    "How did you manage to form a bond with it? No... how did you even find it?" she asked.


    Ethan was now sure that she knew something about this creature and honestly told her what had happened.


    Hearing him, Bai Yu gave him a strange look as she said:


    "You''re saying the bond already existed when you sensed your soul?"


    Ethan nodded in response and waited for her to continue.


    Bai Yu seemed even more confused, but from what she had heard, Ethan was as well, so she said:


    "I can''t tell you why the bond already existed, but as I mentioned before,


    from the fourth stage onward, humans need to strengthen their soul through the process of creating and subsequently assimilating a spiritual beast.


    Most people do it this way, as far as I know, but it''s not the only way to obtain a spiritual beast.


    As you''re aware, there are various realms beyond the one we know, and separate dimensions are one of those realms.


    Spiritual creatures also have their own realm.


    If a cultivator struggles to create their own spiritual beast, or if they desire a specific one, they can try summoning one from that realm.


    Unlike before, where the soul merges, in this case, the summoned beast will create a spiritual bond with the person who called it,


    and help them cultivate the later stages in exchange for something, which is decided between the cultivator and the summoned spiritual beast.


    The reason many avoid using this method is that the chances of a beast accepting the invitation are not very high, and 70% of the time, the summoning fails.


    And even if it doesn''t, it''s not guaranteed that the beast will agree to form a bond once it has interacted with the person who summoned it." She paused for a few seconds and looked at the glowing sphere.


    "I have no idea what kind of creature is inside there, but I can tell it''s different from normal spiritual creatures.


    You see, when one being encounters another of the same species but with a stronger bloodline, it feels an instinctive sense of oppression.


    At this moment, the creature in this cocoon of light is emitting a form of oppression on my bloodline,


    which is hard to believe since the bloodline of the Celestial Dragons is one of the purest and strongest in the dragon race."


    She said this, making Ethan understand the reason behind her complicated expression.


    "Wait, but then why don''t I feel it?"


    Ethan had assimilated Bai Yu''s blood essence, which had partially transformed his bloodline into that of the dragon race.


    If what she said was true, then why wasn''t he feeling any pressure from the creature in front of him?


    "The reason you''re not feeling any pressure is probably linked to the amphora. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It not only helps you strengthen your soul but also protects it from attacks like the one you faced today," she explained.


    Ethan now remembered that the amphora had this ability.


    "If the amphora protects my soul, then wouldn''t it be possible for me to advance to the spiritual realm without needing to first assimilate a spiritual beast?"


    he asked, recalling that his soul strength had indeed been strengthened every time he leveled up.


    Though it happened in small amounts, it was still a consistent improvement.


    "There is a possibility, but it''s slim.


    Your soul is definitely much stronger than that of a normal human,


    but it''s still a bit too weak to try breaking through without risking injury.


    That''s why I suggested going with the standard method," she said, as she once again turned her attention to the cocoon of light in front of them.


    ''Although, with the current situation, I''m not sure how things will unfold in the future.''

 Chapter 119: Recovery

    .


    The creature inside the cocoon seemed to have been suppressed, so for the moment, it posed no immediate danger to Ethan.


    From his subsequent conversation with Bai Yu, it appeared that the being inside the cocoon was barely a fetus, and it would take some time before it could grow enough to fully emerge.


    Neither of them knew whether it would be good or bad for them to allow the creature inside to be born, but for now, all they could do was wait.


    Ethan, already somewhat skilled in sensing his soul, could tell that the connection with the creature was still there.


    And from what he had learned from Bai Yu, killing the creature would damage his soul, as the two were linked.


    It would be better to get rid of this ticking time bomb, as neither of them knew if the being inside the cocoon was evil or not, but for now they could do nothing about it.


    Ethan''s spiritual sea would take some time to recover, so the only thing he could do at the moment was to take care of the other pressing matter.


    That was, the problem with his injured body.


    Currently, Ethan was outside his sea of consciousness, waiting for Bai Yu to help him with his injuries.


    With his body completely damaged, any movement would be pure hell for him, so he could only rely on her.


    Bai Yu, who was standing next to Ethan''s charred figure, wondered how he could possibly fully recover with just pills, especially pills that didn''t exceed level 2.


    For this type of injury, they would need at least a high-level level 3 pill.


    The only good thing about his current condition was that there didn''t seem to be much internal damage; it was mainly the outer layer of his body that had suffered the most.


    ''I need you to make a potion using some of the herbs from my garden, which I''ll guide you to,'' he said, sending a mental communication


    Normally, it would be difficult to do this with someone else, but since she literally lived inside his head, communication between the two was simpler.


    Hearing what he said, Bai Yu couldn''t help but ask, "Don''t you think you''ll need something more effective than a potion to recover?"


    "Yes, but I don''t have many options right now.


    With the potion, my skin will regenerate little by little, and then I''ll focus on healing the rest of the wounds."


    Bai Yu could tell that the time it would take for his skin to regrow wouldn''t be short, but since they were in her minor dimension, there was plenty of time for him to recover.


    Given Ethan''s dragon bloodline and special physique, recovery would be faster than normal.


    With the help of the potion, it would only speed up the process.


    Following Ethan''s instructions, Bai Yu retrieved some herbs from his medicinal herb garden and created the potion.


    She couldn''t say the final result was exceptional, but it was still acceptable.


    He hadn''t asked her to make a pill because, aside from the fact that with her current strength, she wouldn''t have been able to refine one even if she wanted to, digesting it would have been difficult for him in his current condition, so he opted for a potion instead.


    Since it was liquid, it would be easier to ingest, and once inside, he could use his Qi to direct the effects of the potion to the areas he wanted.


    Thus began Ethan''s long recovery.


    During this period, he spent most of his time in his sea of consciousness, as he could do little more than lie still outside of it.


    At least here, he had some freedom of movement.


    The only times he emerged from it were when he needed to assimilate the potion that Bai Yu gave him regularly every two or three days.


    Since he was already at the third stage, he no longer needed to consume food and could sustain himself on spiritual energy.


    As a result, he also didn''t need to go to the bathroom or anything else, as spiritual energy left no physical residue.


    Thus, his days passed, and before he knew it, a month had flown by.


    He had already recovered enough to move slightly within the first week of recovery, and by the second week, his skin had partially regrown.


    By the third week, he was finally able to move his body and stand up, though his muscles still ached.


    With his mobility partially regained, he prepared some pills and ointments to further accelerate the recovery process, and within about another week, he was almost fully healed.


    At that moment, he was lying in his bed in the outside world, savoring the softness of the cotton-filled mattress.


    Ever since he had moved here, he had practically never used his bedroom.


    With his current cultivation base, sleep was no longer a necessity for him, so he either spent his time cultivating or refining, with small breaks in between.


    It was only after living like this for a while that he began to understand why it was said that the path of cultivation required one to detach from the mortal world.


    The people you once knew would gradually disappear over time, especially if they were not cultivators, and the same went for all the mundane concerns you had before beginning the cultivation journey.


    The further one progressed, the lonelier and more isolated the path became from the mortal world.


    Ethan had partly understood this reality when he started cultivating, but only now did he grasp its deeper meaning.


    He wondered if, in the future, he would become indifferent to everything, like the characters in the novels he read in his previous world.


    He still had the desire to find a way to return, but he questioned whether he would continue to want that in the future.


    Ethan had asked himself these kinds of questions many times over the past two years.


    At the beginning, he wanted to leave this place because he was weak and knew that his life wouldn''t be peaceful in a world like this.


    Now, even the issue of lacking strength had been resolved, or at least, he now had the means to acquire it.


    So what other reasons did he have to return?


    He had no family to go back to.


    He had no friends to reunite with.


    His days were monotonous, and it had been a long time since he found satisfaction in the things he did.


    Not that the situation here was much better.


    Aside from the change in environment, his life hadn''t changed much.


    While he pondered his future, in a dark place somewhere on the continent, another person was fearing for their own.


    In a dimly lit room, illuminated only by a few torches on the walls, a man was kneeling.


    His body trembled, and it seemed as if he might collapse at any moment, but the man gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.


    He wore a sleeveless black martial robe, leaving his muscular arms exposed.


    It was the middle-aged man who had appeared during the incident a few weeks ago.


    Though he bore no visible signs of injury or serious wounds, only the man himself knew the agony he was enduring at that moment.


    "So, not only did you fail to recover the object, but you also allowed the seal on it to be activated."


    A low, yet powerful voice echoed through the room.


    At the sound of the voice, the man''s body trembled even more, and he did not dare to raise his head to look forward.


    There, in the midst of the darkness, out of the torches'' light, a figure stood.


    The figure''s features were indistinguishable, but from its barely perceivable outline, it could be seen that its height would shame even the tallest man on the continent.


    The figure did not move and continued to calmly watch the kneeling man in front of it.


    "Now, everyone on the continent has been alerted, and if that wasn''t bad enough, the object has also fallen into that person''s hands."


    The figure spoke, its voice remaining low and grim.


    The kneeling middle-aged man thought about any methods he could use to get out of this situation alive.


    ''If only any of them were still alive.''


    He regretted that none of his team had survived.


    He knew that regardless of whether anyone else had made it out alive, he would still face his punishment, but at the moment, he wasn''t just risking a simple punishment,


    he was at risk of being completely eliminated. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If someone else had survived besides him, at least his situation wouldn''t be this precarious, but at the moment, he didn''t have that luxury and could only think of something else.


    "What do you think I should do with you?"


    The voice of the figure echoed again, this time much closer.


    Much closer to the man.


    Noticing that the figure was no longer in its previous position, but instead standing right beside him, the man nearly flinched, his heart skipping a beat.


    He did not dare to turn his head toward the voice.


    He knew that if he didn''t speak now, he would be silenced forever.


    So, with some effort, he spoke.


    "I-I can still recover the object."

 Chapter 120: The Day of Selection

    .


    Once Ethan fully recovered, he followed his previous plan.


    That is, to continue becoming stronger.


    According to his calculations, it would take him more than a month to reach the peak of this stage, but only if he continued refining pills without pause the whole time,


    something he wouldn''t be able to do since he also had to give enough time for his cultivation to stabilize his foundations.


    Not to mention the usual small things he did daily.


    His occasional training with Bai Yu continued, with various improvements in combat techniques and the use of his Dragon Gaze.


    He had also found different ways to incorporate his combat abilities with his Blue Lotus Flame, which was still at the same level, but nonetheless effective if used well.


    Finding a way to level it up was difficult since obtaining another rare flame was out of the question, and he could only hope that the system would offer him some missions to acquire one.


    The more he progressed and tried to fill his current gaps, the more he noticed new areas to pay attention to.


    For example, his special physique had several advantages, which he wouldn''t be able to exploit unless he improved it.


    As he leveled up, so did his physique, but there were other things it could do that Ethan couldn''t currently take advantage of.


    For instance, the ability to manage more than one type of rare flame.


    According to Bai Yu, the god of alchemy, in the past, he wielded as many as 10 different types of rare flames, thanks to this special physique.


    This was a significant advantage in terms of both alchemical skills and combat abilities.


    More importantly, it seemed that the physique would strengthen even more as he acquired more rare flames.


    Knowing all this, Ethan could only sigh in disappointment, as he understood very well that he had no idea how to find others at the moment.


    Thus, with regret, he could only set the matter aside for now and focus on what he could improve at present.


    At this moment, he was sitting on the wooden platform with a conical roof in his minor dimension, and he was cultivating the Qi he had acquired through pill refinement.


    Before breaking through to the next levels of this stage, he had to ensure that the Qi he had obtained was used to strengthen his core, and only then could he refine more.


    This process at this stage was crucial because if he failed to do so, he risked overloading his core, which could lead to becoming a vegetable in the best case, or dying in the worst case.


    Therefore, even Ethan, who had a special physique and a bloodline of dragons, dared not take unnecessary risks or rush his cultivation.


    Sitting in a meditative posture, he inhaled and exhaled silently at a calm and measured rhythm.


    While from the outside it might seem that he was simply cultivating in peace, internally a completely different process was taking place.


    Ethan''s Dantian, which was full to the brim with refined Qi in liquid form, was now undergoing a remolding process.


    This process consisted, in simple terms, of pressurizing the Dantian from the inside and gradually expanding it to a certain extent, while eliminating the natural elasticity of its walls, making it harder both internally and externally.


    All of this occurred through a fundamental technique that every cultivator at this stage of their journey had to learn,


    Namely, the technique of Qi crystallization.


    The liquid Qi collected in the Dantian was made to flow out of it through several channels connected to it, and once it reached there, it was compressed through specialized meridians that increased its density by at least two or three times, making it thicker.


    Once this was done, it was sent back into the Dantian, and over time, more would be produced until the internal pressure generated would force the Dantian to expand.


    Given the initial elastic nature of the Dantian, it would increase in size gradually, like a balloon being inflated.


    This phase of the remolding process was crucial and very delicate, as if the cultivator was distracted or failed to regulate the intensity at which it was expanded, they risked damaging it.


    The Dantian couldn''t be inflated at will, but it had to be done only to a certain extent, allowing the condensed Qi inside to be worked with and crystallized.


    All this process had to occur in stages, and each one was very delicate, requiring several sessions for each level.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that from this stage onward, most cultivators secluded themselves and cultivated behind closed doors.


    Until one successfully surpassed each level, the risk that something could go wrong during cultivation was high.


    After all, it only took a small distraction to ruin entire days of work.


    It was like a chain reaction.


    If you made even a single mistake, you had to repeat everything from the level you had reached.


    Usually, it took an immense amount of time even for each section of cultivation, and cultivators often informed their sect in advance about their absence. But for Ethan, who had his smaller dimension with accelerated time, this process for each level could be completed in just a few hours in the outside world.


    [Congratulations, you have reached level 3 of the Dantian Expansion stage.]


    After spending almost two days going through all the steps and constructing his first network of crystallized Qi that would strengthen the inner walls of his Dantian, Ethan finally opened his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.


    "Haa, it seems I can''t just skip every step with the help of the system," he thought with regret.


    For normal cultivators, there were two tasks to complete.


    One was the collection and refinement of Qi into liquid Qi, followed by the subsequent phase of crystallization.


    For Ethan, however, the first part was mostly handled by the system, which provided him with infinite amounts of Qi as long as he produced pills, and he only had to perform the second part, which was crystallizing the Qi and strengthening the walls of his Dantian.


    The process itself was complicated due to its delicacy, and mentally exhausting as one had to pay maximum attention, but overall it was still rewarding.


    Ethan knew that with each level, the time required would only increase, and he understood that there was nothing he could do about it.


    He could only be grateful that the total time was greatly reduced compared to normal cultivators.


    That said, once he finished cultivating, he exited his smaller dimension and took a quick shower to remove the sweat that had accumulated.


    Once he refreshed himself, he left his residence.


    Without hesitation, he jumped down from the high mountain hill where he resided.


    The mountains in this area were generally about 1,200 meters tall, with some being taller and others slightly shorter.


    From this height, if a person jumped freely, it would take about 15 seconds to reach the ground.


    Just enough time to savor the sensation of falling and decide whether to go to the afterlife or postpone it for another time.


    Ethan showed no emotion as he continued to fall downwards at high speed,


    and just as he was a little over one hundred meters from the ground, he enveloped his body in a thin white aura and decelerated until he reached the ground, landing lightly like a feather. S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan had used his Qi manifestation to slow down the speed of his fall.


    Being only at the beginning of this stage, he still had a long way to go before he could manifest a solid surface on which to support his body and glide suspended in the air.


    So for now, this was the maximum he could do.


    Which was sufficient.


    He used little tricks like this throughout his day to constantly train his control over manifested Qi, and given the results, he could say that this method was working wonders.


    Without wasting any time, he dashed forward towards the City of the Sun.


    He usually tended to stay in his residence, but today he couldn''t do that.


    This was the first day of the selection for participation in the Imperial Alchemy Tournament.


    Given the number of people who tried to participate each year, the selection typically took a minimum of two to three days to complete.


    And this was just the beginning.


    The tournament would start three months from now, but preparations were made in advance to prevent any eventualities.


    Like a gust of wind, Ethan traveled the entire route from the sect to the Sun City at a moderate speed, without ever slowing down.


    In less than 30 minutes he had already arrived near the capital of the kingdom and had already put on his suit for the occasion.


    He hadn''t changed earlier for safety reasons, as if someone had seen him already dressed when leaving the sect, he would risk being recognized later.


    Therefore, during his journey to this point, he took a moment to change clothes and to put on the mask that Da Shu had provided him.


    With the mask matching the black color of his clothes, Ethan finally entered the city and headed towards the location where the selection would take place.

 Chapter 121: Unexpected Participant

    .


    In a short time, Ethan arrived at the testing place and immediately noticed that although there was still some time before the test began, the location was already full.


    ''Wow, there''s still more than an hour left, yet they''re all already here?''


    Ethan thought to himself, but then again, he had arrived early too, though probably not for the same reason as them.


    With that in mind, he found a less crowded spot and stayed there, silently waiting for the test time to arrive.


    Ethan preferred less crowded places to avoid being disturbed by the chatter of those around him.


    While he could listen in to see if anything interesting was being said, most of the time, they were casual conversations, often irrelevant.


    That said, it wasn''t like he hadn''t overheard anything interesting; in fact, some conversations caught his attention.


    "Hey, did you hear that this year some disciples of renowned masters alchemist will also participate?" said one person.


    "I hope not, because if that''s true, we basically have no chance of participating this year," another replied.


    "Exactly, of the three spots assigned to our city, at least two are practically already gone," said the first speaker.


    To Ethan, who was participating in this competition for the first time, this didn''t matter. S��ar?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As far as he knew, unless the others could produce level 2, high-grade pills or level 3 pills, he didn''t have to worry.


    After all, a person at that level could aim to become a master alchemist directly.


    It wouldn''t make sense to participate in such a competition.


    With a level 2 recipe in hand and his refinement skills improved, he was unlikely to lose.


    He had heard that in the past, there was another category besides the current ones dedicated to master alchemists.


    Before the appearance of the first grandmaster alchemist, the top figures in the field of alchemy competed against each other to determine the best.


    But after the appearance of the first grandmaster alchemist, they all began to aim for that title, no longer concerned about competing in tournaments.


    Therefore, the total categories for the tournament went from three to two, and these primarily served to scout out those with talent, in other words, the future master alchemists.


    It should be noted that throughout the empire, there were no more than 30 master alchemists, and only 4 grandmaster alchemists.


    The number might seem large, but when divided among the number of major corporations or families, it wasn''t very high; in fact, it was the opposite.


    Getting hold of emerging talents was a must for all these powers.


    That being said, it wasn''t long before these so-called emerging talents began to make their appearance.


    Not far from where Ethan stood, a group of people parted to let a young girl pass, with raven-black hair and a green dress, who walked forward with a proud look.


    The surrounding crowd, upon seeing her, went into a frenzy, starting to whisper about her.


    "Hey, isn''t that Elder QingShui''s granddaughter?"


    "Yes, it is."


    "I''ve heard that no one her age can equal her in terms of alchemy."


    Hearing the commotion, Ethan looked to see who had just arrived and recognized her almost immediately.


    ''It''s that girl from back then,'' he thought, recalling the incident at the medicine pavilion a while ago.


    Although he believed she probably didn''t remember him, he was still glad to be wearing a mask.


    The last thing he wanted was to end up arguing with that crazy girl.


    While Ethan''s outfit attracted some attention, it was still nothing too strange.


    Just like him, others in the crowd wore something to cover their faces, though not many in number.


    But this was normal since many present had come to enhance their reputations, and hiding behind a mask certainly didn''t help in that goal.


    Ethan, on the other hand, just wanted to promote his brand and didn''t care about being in the spotlight too much.


    He believed that keeping a low profile was the best way to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Before the chatter about Yan Mei''s arrival calmed down, others made their appearance, triggering a similar effect as before.


    "Hey, isn''t that Xun Wei?"


    "Oh, it really is him. It seems he''ll be participating this year too."


    "Great, first Yan Mei, and now him. We can already say goodbye to two of the three spots," someone said, and others nodded in regret.


    "Well, it shouldn''t matter to us.


    They''re probably participating to go into the expert category," said a guy who had been listening to their conversation.


    To this, many of them nodded their heads.


    It was known that there were a total of 6 spots for each city, divided into the two categories in which one could participate in the tournament.


    Most of those present had come to try and join the novice category, so they weren''t too worried about the appearance of the two.


    Seeing this, Ethan had no idea who he was, but from the others'' reactions, he could only assume he was someone akin to Yan Mei.


    Xun Wei walked confidently through the crowd, ignoring everyone around him.


    ''Tch, why do they even have to hold a selection in the first place?


    Most of them aren''t even half as good as me,'' he thought, openly despising the others.


    Seeing his behavior, many were infuriated, but no one dared to provoke him openly. Everyone whispered in the background.


    "Look at him, arrogant as always," said a chubby boy to his friend.


    "Yeah, but what can you do? With his skills, he can afford to be that way," replied the friend.


    "I know, but it''s still frustrating. I really hope someone teaches him a lesson," said the chubby boy.


    Xun Wei didn''t bother to pay attention to any of them and continued to walk forward toward the spot where he was waiting for Yan Mei.


    Seeing him approach, Yan Mei made a displeased face, clearly unhappy to see him.


    Seeing this, a vein appeared on Xun Wei''s forehead, but he held back and maintained his smile as he got closer to her.


    "Miss Yan, it''s been a while since we last met. How is Elder QingShui?" he asked, keeping a calm and respectful tone.


    Although both had grandmaster alchemists as mentors, Yan Mei''s family had more power than the Xun family.


    Therefore, even though they were both geniuses in Alchemy, Xun Wei couldn''t afford to provoke Yan Mei in any way.


    Not that he needed to.


    Ever since he first saw her, he had become infatuated with her, and from then on, whenever he had the chance, he tried to court her.


    In his eyes, a girl of her caliber was destined to be with someone of his level, and since they both had a certain talent in alchemy, he thought they would be the perfect couple.


    Too bad for him that Yan Mei had never once returned his feelings.


    Seeing the two, Ethan couldn''t help but shake his head internally.


    ''And here''s the typical Young Master,'' he thought, labeling Xun Wei as the second-rate villain usually found in novels.


    He could only sympathize with anyone who fell victim to him.


    As the crowd calmed down for the arrival of these two, another commotion arose shortly after.


    "I can''t believe it, is she planning to participate this year too?"


    "I heard she had stopped being an alchemist and was focusing entirely on her cultivation."


    "Exactly. I''ve also heard that thanks to her talent, she has already reached the peak of the Dantian Expansion stage."


    "Really?! But isn''t she just a little over 30 years old?" said one of them, shocked, but he wasn''t the only one in the crowd to feel that way.


    With the arrival of this new person, the commotion created was much greater than that of Yan Mei and Xun Wei.


    Even those two, who were a short distance from the scene, couldn''t help but show surprised expressions upon seeing the newcomer.


    Ethan, who had stopped paying attention to the crowd, thought about ignoring the new commotion, but after hearing that the newcomer had already reached the peak of the third stage, his curiosity was piqued, and he couldn''t help but glance in that direction.


    ''Wait, what?!''


    Noticing the source of the commotion, Ethan couldn''t help but be astonished.


    There, a little ahead from where he stood, was a girl, taller than 170 centimeters, with long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a scarlet dress that couldn''t fully conceal her natural figure.


    The girl''s red dress was adorned with various golden embroidery, enhancing her beauty.


    This, combined with her flawless and radiant face, left everyone who looked at her dazzled.


    But that wasn''t what had caught Ethan''s attention.


    The reason he was so surprised was that he recognized who the person was.


    ''Who would have thought she was also an alchemist?'' he thought as he looked at the girl in front of him, who was walking calmly at the entrance.


    The person in question was none other than Xiang Hua, a disciple of the Phoenix Sect and Ethan''s fellow direct disciple under the sect master.

 Chapter 122: A Strange Person

    .


    After being accepted by Feng Huang into the Phoenix Sect, Xiang Hua took some time to fit in.


    Apart from cultivating and participating in training to improve her understanding of cultivation, she didn''t do much else.


    This is how she spent her first few years in the sect, and before long, she broke through to the Qi Refining stage.


    Her cultivation speed was undoubtedly one of the best, and little by little, she started to surpass more and more disciples, until she almost reached the peak of the second stage.


    Over the years, she began hearing more and more rumors that her fast progress was not due to her own efforts, but rather because she was the disciple of the sect master.


    Although the rumors were false, she didn''t care.


    It was her own path to follow, and what others said didn''t matter to her.


    She wouldn''t allow anyone to influence her cultivation journey.


    Being the sect master''s disciple certainly had its advantages, but apart from using a cultivation ground with a higher concentration of spiritual energy, she never asked for any other help from her.


    For Xiang Hua, it was already more than enough that the sect master had saved her and welcomed her into the sect, giving her a new home.


    She didn''t need anything else.


    At some point, she became interested in alchemy.


    More accurately, it was the sect master who wanted her to give it a try, and it turned out that she had a certain talent for it.


    Just like with cultivation, her progress in alchemy was quite fast.


    In less than two years, she was already able to refine high-grade level 1 pills and could attempt level 2 ones.


    It didn''t take long for her to make a name for herself in the alchemist circle.


    For a while, she continued dedicating herself to alchemy, but then, seeing that her progress in cultivation had slowed down due to not dedicating enough time to it, she decided to set alchemy aside.


    It was well known that the higher one progressed in cultivation, the harder the subsequent levels would be.


    The amount of time she used to dedicate to cultivation was no longer sufficient, so she decided to focus solely on it.


    Both alchemy and cultivation required time, and she had to choose between the two.


    Only when she reached the peak of the third stage and encountered a difficult bottleneck did she decide to take a break.


    During this period, she resumed refining pills, and since the date for the selections was approaching, she thought she might as well decide to participate.


    After all, a bottleneck wasn''t something one could overcome in a few days, it took time.


    For some, it might take only months, but for others, it could take years, so she had enough time to at least participate in the tournament.


    In the past, her sect master had told her that it didn''t hurt to take a break from cultivation every now and then.


    According to her, this would help refresh the mind and soul.


    Back then, Xiang Hua hadn''t immediately followed the advice, but she remembered it.


    And now, after encountering this bottleneck that she still couldn''t overcome even after a month, she decided to distract her mind from cultivation for a while.


    ***


    After the commotion caused by Xiang Hua''s arrival, a few others showed up, but unlike before, they didn''t stir up as much of a fuss.


    Time passed quickly, and in the hour that remained, many other participants arrived, making the waiting area more crowded.


    Finally, the hour passed, and the doors opened.


    A person stepped out from behind, gazing at everyone with a calm expression.


    He was a middle-aged man, with a gentle demeanor, but for anyone who knew him, he was anything but gentle.


    Seeing him step out, many of the participants who had been talking fell silent, waiting quietly for the man to speak.


    When no one else appeared, the man said nothing and simply turned around to walk back, where the doors were now fully open, revealing the area inside.


    Apart from the new participants, no one found his behavior strange. Once the man disappeared from sight, they too began to enter in silence.


    One of the new participants, noticing the strange behavior of the man and the others, couldn''t help but ask one of them:


    "Hey, who was that person, and why does everyone seem so cautious around him?" he asked.


    The boy who had been asked the question kept walking forward as he responded:


    "You may not know him, but see, he''s one of the examiners for today''s test," he began to explain.


    Some others who also didn''t recognize the man became interested and listened carefully.


    "One of our examiners?" asked the boy who had posed the question, sounding confused.


    "Yes. He''s Zhang Qixuan, an alchemy master from the Zhang family.


    Although it''s odd for an examiner to come just to take a look and open the gate, he''s a special case.


    Normally, someone else would come to open the doors, but every now and then, he shows up instead.


    We don''t know why he does it, but sometimes he appears, and just like you saw today, he looks around and then leaves without saying a word.


    Once, someone tried to question him, and that person ended up being disqualified on the spot," the boy said with a somewhat complicated expression.


    Hearing this, the others couldn''t help but feel even more puzzled.


    None of what he said made any sense.


    Why would an examiner personally come to open the doors?


    And then there was the story about the contestant being disqualified on the spot just for asking a question?


    what was wrong with that man''s head?


    "Believe me, it''s not worth trying to figure it out.


    Let''s just go in," said the boy, and he stopped talking.


    Although the explanation had only raised more questions than answers, the others wasted no time and also went inside.


    Ethan had overheard their conversation as well, but unlike the others, he didn''t think the same.


    ''What did that man use just now?'' he wondered.


    He had sensed a strange flow of energy expanding briefly through the area, only for it to vanish quickly.


    He wasn''t sure what it was, but he could tell that man had been the source of it.


    Bai Yu, who had also sensed the energy flow, noticing Ethan''s confusion, said: sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''What you felt earlier was a result of a detection technique.


    I don''t know what that man was looking for, but it seems whatever it was, he didn''t find it.''


    ''A detection technique? Like spiritual sense?'' asked Ethan, noting the similarities between this so-called technique and spiritual sense.


    ''In a way, yes. However, detection techniques are specialized in finding one particular thing, unlike spiritual sense, which detects everything around it.


    They''re used to make detecting something more efficient, as they focus solely on one thing and ignore the rest,'' she explained calmly.


    Hearing her, Ethan couldn''t help but wonder what that man had been searching for.


    But he didn''t dwell on it for too long and entered along with the others.


    Once inside, a large open area unfolded before the participants.


    The ground was completely paved, and rows of cauldrons were set out in lines.


    Beyond the rows of cauldrons stood several people, watching the participants enter with neutral expressions.


    The man from earlier was among them, still wearing the same calm look.


    Seeing the examinees forming a line to the side, Ethan glanced in that direction and saw a tent where participants were entering one by one and exiting from the other side.


    He wondered what happened to the explanations about how the test would proceed, but he got in line, thinking he would probably have his answers soon enough.


    From what he could see, the tent was likely there to examine the participants and check if they met the admission criteria.


    After all, they had to declare which category they were participating in, as well as prove they were alchemists.


    That was the only logical explanation he could think of, so he waited patiently for the line to shorten and his turn to come.


    Although he had rushed to get in line, he still found himself quite far back.


    He wasn''t among the last in line, but he was still close.


    ''Damn, they were fast,'' he thought in frustration.


    It seemed he wasn''t the only one feeling frustrated.


    Behind him, many others seemed annoyed as well.


    ''They''re probably new too,'' Ethan thought as he took another look around the test area.


    From what he had learned from Da Shu, the test was divided into three parts.


    The first part was a simple check to see if the person was indeed an alchemist and if they fell within the age range for their chosen category.


    After that, a small test would be conducted to assess the participants'' alchemical knowledge��in other words, a theory test.


    Finally, to filter out the three best alchemists among the remaining group, there would be a small alchemy tournament, where the examinees would compete in refining.


    Ethan didn''t find any of this to be beyond his abilities, so for now, he was relatively calm.


    He just wondered where the theory test would be held.


    From what he could see, there were no desks or tables to write on, so he was curious if it would be some kind of oral test or something else.

 Chapter 123: Beginning of the Second Test.

    .


    Ethan waited in line for at least half an hour before it was finally his turn.


    Although the line ahead of him was quite long, he had noticed that no one stayed inside the tent for more than a minute.


    He wondered what method they were using to assess someone''s age, but then it hit him.


    ''Hmm, technically, I should be almost 23 years old instead of 22, considering all the time I spent inside the minor dimension,'' he thought, wondering if that might cause an issue.


    Whether he was 22 or 23, both were within the range for the category he wanted to participate in, so it shouldn''t be a problem.


    That said, he wondered if he could hide his true age in the future.


    He was certain that he would spend a significant amount of time inside the minor dimension, especially in the months leading up to the tournament.


    He planned to seclude himself for closed-door training, and all that time would be spent inside the dimension.


    His previous calculations mainly revolved around the gathering of Qi, and just for that alone, he would have to refine for a long time.


    If he added his need to strengthen his core from the inside, the time would only extend further.


    It will probably take another 7 or 8 months to reach the peak of the third phase, which, compared to the previous phases, was already a much longer period of time.


    Of course, compared to a normal person who would take decades at this stage, his speed was already divine.


    During his last stay inside the minor dimension, he had refined a number of pills, enough to last him at least 3 months in the outside world.


    That is, provided nothing went wrong, but that wouldn''t be his problem; it would be Da Shu''s.


    He would inform both the sect master and Da Shu of his decision to undergo closed-door cultivation for the 3 months before the start of the exam, so that no one would come looking for him during that time.


    Finally, seeing the person in front of him leave the tent, he realized it was now his turn to enter.


    So, he moved forward and entered the tent.


    Once inside, he noticed that the space, about the size of a normal bedroom, contained only a table with one person sitting behind it.


    It was a girl who, at first glance, didn''t seem to be older than 20.


    Ethan approached the table and stopped, pulling out his badge given to him by the Medicine Pavilion.


    His badge was a silver one with 2 stars embedded on it, indicating that he was a two-star adept-grade alchemist.


    As far as he remembered, the minimum requirement for participation in the expert category was to be at least an adept-grade alchemist with two stars.


    Without saying anything, the girl took the badge and infused it with some Qi.


    This process was meant to examine the information contained within the badge.


    Just like the phoenix sect''s badge, the alchemist''s badge was also a kind of identity document.


    It should contain his basic information, like his name, age, alchemist rank, and so on.


    The examination of the badge didn''t take more than a few seconds, and seeing her nod, it seemed that everything was in order.


    She handed him back the badge and then pointed towards a transparent crystal.


    "Now, I have to examine your bone age. This orb will determine how old you are. Place your hand on the orb and infuse it with some of your Qi," she said, giving a brief and concise explanation.


    Ethan wondered if she was just someone of few words.


    She had barely looked at him and had spoken literally fewer than 15 words in all this time.


    ''She probably just doesn''t want to waste time. After all, there are still a lot of people left to be examined,'' he thought, advancing his right hand and doing as instructed.


    As soon as he placed his hand on the cold, smooth surface of the orb, he noticed a slight suction force coming from within.


    It wasn''t too strong, barely noticeable.


    He didn''t think too much about it and circulated his Qi from his arm into his hand, noticing the orb glow faintly.


    He wondered how the orb would be able to determine his exact age, so he watched the changes inside it closely.


    The orb glowed for a few seconds, and then the light inside moved and gathered in the center, forming an image, specifically, a number.


    ''23''


    ''Oh?'' Seeing this, Ethan wondered what principle the orb was based on to accurately determine his age.


    The girl, seeing the number, nodded and wrote something down on a sheet of paper she was holding.


    After finishing, she looked at Ethan and said, "Alright, now tell me which category you want to participate in."


    Since he met the age and alchemist rank requirements for both categories, she asked which one he wanted to participate in.


    Ethan simply said he wanted to participate in the expert category.


    After she noted it down on the sheet, she told him that he was all set and could exit through the side to join the others.


    Ethan nodded and left the tent.


    He had noticed that even for him, it hadn''t taken more than a minute.


    Upon exiting, he immediately spotted the group that had gathered in an area a bit further ahead and joined them.


    Practically none of the participants had been eliminated during the previous test, indicating that everyone was eligible.


    This was a bit unexpected for Ethan, as he had been sure he would see at least one person make a scene after being rejected.


    He hadn''t expected everyone to be eligible for participation.


    ''I mean, isn''t that what happens most of the time in novels?'' he wondered.


    This only showed how seriously everyone was taking this competition.


    Just like before, he found an open area with few people and waited patiently for the start of the next test.


    He had already been wondering how the theoretical test would be conducted.


    Soon, he would have his answer.


    After another 20 minutes, the remaining participants in line finished being examined, and just like before, none of them seemed to have been rejected.


    While waiting, Ethan had already spotted Xiang Hua, Yan Mei, and Xun Wei.


    It was hard not to, as the crowd was primarily gathered where they were.


    Especially around Xun Wei, who seemed to be enjoying all the attention he was receiving.


    Although he didn''t say much, his face revealed everything.


    Many weren''t fond of his behavior, but that didn''t mean there wouldn''t be those trying to establish connections with him.


    After all, he was a wealthy second-generation member of the prestigious Xun family from Sun City.


    Tolerating his attitude and forming a connection with him was worth it in the eyes of many.


    Even the two girls had no peace, though the cold aura they emitted made many hesitate to approach.


    The funny thing was that even Xun Wei wasn''t well-liked by either of them.


    So, he was a bit irritated but tried not to make a scene.


    After all, they were in the presence of various axpert and even master-grade alchemists from Sun City.


    He might be from the Xun family, but if he had caused a scene, he would have been kicked out without a second thought.


    And so, in no time, everyone had finished being examined, and now they were waiting for the second test to begin.


    The first two tests themselves didn''t take too long and could be completed entirely on the first day.


    It was the third test that required more time.


    It could be completed in one or two days depending on how many passed the second test, but based on the results from previous years, it was almost certain that it would take at least two days.


    Seeing that everyone had finished being examined, an alchemist from those who had been observing stepped forward and positioned himself on a small semicircular podium near where they were standing.


    Everyone, upon seeing him, fell silent and focused on him.


    Noticing that he already had everyone''s attention, he wasted no time and began:


    "Now that you''ve passed the examination phase, we can finally begin the exam," he said in a calm voice that was amplified using a technique. S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As you all know, the test will consist of two phases: a theoretical one, where we will test your alchemical knowledge and determine whether you are suitable to proceed or not;


    And a practical one, where all those of you who pass will compete to determine the top three among you.


    As you might have noticed, the field is divided into two sections, and this is mainly to separate those participating in the novice category and those in the expert category," he said, gesturing with his hand toward the field where the various rows of cauldrons stood.


    Ethan hadn''t noticed it before, but now that he looked closely, the field was indeed split in half.


    The group of cauldrons he had seen when he first entered was only one part, and there was another smaller one off to the side.


    Perhaps "small" wasn''t the right word. There were literally only two cauldrons positioned at a reasonable distance from each other, almost like a small arena, with each end occupied by a cauldron.


    It didn''t take long for him to understand why there was such a significant size difference between the two groups.


    The one for beginners was naturally the larger one, given the number of people who would be participating.


    Due to the large number of participants in this category, they would have to examine the competition between the different participants simultaneously, otherwise, two days wouldn''t be enough.


    On the other hand, for the group in the expert category, two cauldrons were enough because the group participating wouldn''t be very large.


    Based on last year''s numbers, there would probably be no more than 30 people attempting to participate in this category.

 Chapter 124: Theoretical Test

    .


    The examiner then continued his explanation.


    "The theoretical test will unfold as follows.


    You will be examined in groups.


    Each of you will take your place at one of the 50 stations present here," he said, pointing to the area where the various cauldrons were set up.


    "There you will find a wooden talisman.


    What you need to do is channel your spiritual energy into it and answer as many questions as possible within one minute.


    It is possible to skip questions.


    Once that is done, the talismans will be collected and prepared for the next group of 50.


    We will continue inthis way until all of you have taken the test.


    After that, we will announce the results, indicating who has passed and who hasn''t," he said, then, with a serious expression, continued.


    "And one more thing: there are a total of 10,000 questions recorded in those talismans.


    Every time you successfully answer a question, another random one will be given to you from the remaining ones.


    Remember, to pass, you must have successfully answered at least 500 questions.


    Those who registered for the expert category must successfully answer at least 1,000 questions," he said, looking at the crowd of disciples who seemed to be in a panic.


    Answering 500 questions in a minute might seem impossible, but it should be considered that none of the participants present here were ordinary people.


    They were all cultivators, and as such, their mental capacities were superior to the norm.


    Depending on the level of the cultivator, the mental capacity could be more or less superior, but overall, everyone here should be capable of answering 500 questions.


    This obviously considered an ideal situation where the answers to the questions were known, thus there was the possibility of skipping questions. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spending too much time on one you weren''t sure about or didn''t know the answer to would only be harmful; therefore, no one would hesitate to skip a question.


    Ethan decided to wait and see how the first group of people would fare.


    As soon as the instructor gave the signal, many moved and took their places at the 50 stations.


    There was no race to see who would arrive first, and no one dared to do so since they were in the presence of several prominent figures.


    Making a bad impression would only be harmful to them.


    Ethan honestly expected to witness such a scene, but to his disappointment, this did not happen.


    In few seconds, the first group of examinees was ready, and as soon as the instructor started the timer, everyone took the talisman and infused their spiritual energy into it.


    They were using a small incense stick to measure the time.


    Ethan, who had already been in this world for 2 years, had also gotten into the habit of using incense sticks to measure time.


    Depending on their length and thickness, the sticks could last from a few minutes to many hours.


    He had learned that hourglasses also existed in this world, but it seemed more common to still use incense sticks.


    From the outside, it didn''t seem like the examinees were doing much.


    In fact, everyone appeared to be still, holding the talisman in their hand, for a full minute without moving.


    Only those who were taking the test knew that the situation wasn''t as easy as it seemed from the outside.


    For the first few seconds, there was no reaction from anyone, but once the first 10 seconds passed, you could already see the furrowed brows of many participants.


    After the first 20 seconds, many already had slightly sweaty foreheads,


    and after 30 seconds, most of the participants appeared to be in difficulty.


    This was normal, considering the cultivation bases of many of the participants.


    Ethan had checked the cultivation bases of everyone upon his arrival and had estimated that 70% of those present hadn''t even surpassed the body refining stage.


    Another 15% were barely at the beginning of the Qi refining stage, and only a small percentage were at the advanced phase of Qi refining, with only 2 people at the dantian expansion stage.


    And these two people were none other than himself and Xiang Hua.


    If Ethan were to make an estimate based on his intelligence statistics and how it increased with each level, then he could say that the mental capacities of all those present were barely one or two times superior to those of an ordinary person.


    This meant that most of those present, as long as they knew the answers to the questions, should be able to easily answer 500 questions in one minute.


    The delay would only occur if they didn''t know the answer and wasted time skipping it to move on to another one.


    It might seem like a high number, but considering the speed at which a average person''s brain processes information, it wasn''t impossible to answer at least 100 questions in a minute for which they knew the answer.


    As long as this happens mentally.


    The remaining 30 seconds passed in the blink of an eye, and the participants finally stopped answering.


    As soon as they did, their talismans, against their will, flew toward the examiners, emitting a light toward a crystal sphere placed on the podium, where the examiner had previously explained how the test worked.


    The process lasted for a few seconds, and then, as if they had a will of their own, the talismans flew back, returning to their original places.


    Seeing this scene, Ethan wasn''t very surprised. He had become accustomed to seeing such things after spending some time in this world.


    Immediately after the 50 examinees who had just finished returned, others moved to fill the spots.


    Once again, Ethan waited.


    From what he could see, there were at least 300 people in line, so it would take some more time to examine them all.


    While those who left to take the test, had determined expressions, those who returned had returned were the opposite.


    Many of them had a blank expression, due to the continuous mental effort they had been putting in for a whole minute.


    Some were lamenting to their friends who still had to participate, while others found a place on the side to recover their spent energy.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    ''Tch, the kids today are too weak,'' he said as if he were a disappointed wise old man witnessing the younger generation.


    ''No, they are still normal. The abnormal one is you,'' said Bai Yu''s voice, shaking her head in Ethan''s spiritual sea.


    Ethan took it as a compliment and waited for the others to finish.


    Five minutes passed, and during this period, another two groups had completed the test.


    Finally, when it was the fourth group''s turn, Ethan decided to join.


    Ethan had noticed that Xiang Hua and Yan Mei had already gone in the second group, while Xun Wei was still waiting with a calm expression.


    He stepped forward and found an empty spot next to him, positioning himself there while waiting for the signal to start.


    Being at the third stage of cultivation, he would be able to answer 1,000 questions with relative ease.


    As for the final score, that would depend on the questions themselves.


    Given the amount of knowledge on alchemy that Ethan had acquired during this time, he could confidently say he knew the basics to perfection.


    From refining techniques to the materials used, he had a vast understanding.


    It was the advanced knowledge that he lacked.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how the system assessed the level of knowledge.


    He had certainly acquired a lot of information when he managed to gain some mid-level knowledge, but considering there were two planes of existence, didn''t that mean there were materials and techniques that didn''t exist on the mortal plane?


    He hadn''t bothered to examine every piece of acquired information to see if it was present in this plane, simply because it was a process too long, and he wasn''t interested in doing so.


    As soon as the instructor saw that the spots were filled and everyone was ready, he signaled the start, and immediately everyone took the talisman and infused their energy into it.


    As soon as Ethan did this, an image of a flower with seven pink petals appeared in his mind.


    Seeing it, Ethan''s mind immediately identified the information regarding that flower and sent it into the talisman.


    The information didn''t need to be too detailed, as that would take much more time.


    As soon as Ethan mentally stated the complete name of the flower, the image changed automatically, making him understand that the answer was sufficient and there was no need for further explanation about the flower.


    And so the test began for everyone.


    Sometimes images of herbs of all kinds would appear, sometimes specific questions would come up, and sometimes trick questions would also appear to slow the person down.


    Once Ethan started answering, he completely lost track of time and quickly responded to every question presented to him.


    No matter the difficulty of the question, Ethan continued to answer all of them without wasting any time.


    Ethan didn''t know what the average intelligence statistic of a person was, but he hypothesized it was around 10.


    If he based it on that value, then his mental capacity was at least 20 times greater than that of a normal person, considering he had an intelligence statistic that exceeded 200 points.


    This value was only approximate and didn''t take other factors into account.


    He was certain that his mental capacity was superior to this.


    He continued to answer everything that was put in front of him without wasting even a millisecond.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed or how many questions he had already answered, but he knew that so far he had successfully answered all of them, as the talisman hadn''t rejected any of his responses at that moment.


    At a certain point, while he continued to provide answers, the talisman stopped asking questions, and Ethan''s mind returned to reality.


    ''Hmm? Looks like time is up,'' he thought as he loosened his grip on the talisman.


    Just a second later, just as had happened with the previous groups, the talisman flew toward the examiners.


    Just as he was preparing to leave, he noticed something strange.


    ''Hmm? Why aren''t the others moving?''


    He looked around and immediately noticed that everyone was still standing still, their talismans in hand, and he was the only one whose talisman had taken off.


    ''Eh?''

 Chapter 125: Start of the Third Test

    .


    The test area was completely silent, with only the occasional rustle of the spring breeze blowing through.


    From the examiners to the spectators, everyone gazed at the bizarre scene before them with a lost expression.


    As if in response to their stares, even Ethan, still wearing his mask, looked around for answers.


    In less than a second, he realized what might have happened, and as soon as he did, he coughed lightly and walked calmly towards the participants from the earlier groups.


    Participants: "..."


    Examiners: "..."


    As he moved toward the waiting area, everyone''s gaze followed him.


    Ethan felt the pressure of all eyes on him, so he pretended they didn''t exist and found a spot to wait.


    After another 15 seconds, the rest of the participants from his group finished their test, and soon after, their talismans floated and flew towards the crystal sphere.


    Thud.


    "Haha... it was tough, but I answered every question I could," said a boy, sitting down on the spot as if he had just run a marathon.


    "Heh, I didn''t miss a single one," said another boy confidently, though if one looked a little lower, his trembling legs were clearly visible.


    Scenes like this could be seen in various places around the test area.


    Clearly, their low cultivation didn''t help them cope well with the mental exhaustion from the test.


    The examiners, who had still been distracted by Ethan, snapped back to attention when they saw the results being recorded in the sphere.


    "That boy has some talent," said one of the examiners, stroking his long beard.


    He was also one of the alchemy masters present today.


    Hearing the elder''s words, the others nodded, complimenting Ethan''s abilities.


    None of them doubted for a second that there was an error or that he had cheated, as they knew better than anyone how difficult it was to cheat in this test.


    Moreover, sensing Ethan''s cultivation level, they knew it wasn''t impossible for someone at his level to achieve this.


    So although it was unexpected, it wasn''t entirely beyond their expectations.


    "I thought the ones who would dominate were going to be those three, but it seems a dark horse has appeared," said another examiner.


    While the elders discussed the results from this year''s group, the spectators were busy talking about something else.


    "What? Are you telling me that masked guy finished before us? Doesn''t that mean he answered all the questions?" said one of Ethan''s group members.


    "Yeah, but maybe it wasn''t because of that.


    As far as I know, you can finish early if you can''t endure any longer," said the companion who had witnessed Ethan''s performance.


    Unlike the examiners, who could tell that Ethan had answered all the questions correctly, the participants couldn''t, or at least not all of them.


    Xiang Hua, who had come here just to take a break from cultivation, didn''t expect to witness such a scene.


    It had to be said that even she hadn''t achieved this result, and she was already at the peak of the third stage, so how had this masked person done it?


    She wasn''t the only one.


    Even Yan Mei, who had come thinking she would easily pass all the tests, had to take into account Xiang Hua''s presence, and now, this person as well.


    As for Xun Wei, he believed he had done well enough, and seeing the peculiar situation with the masked man, he didn''t think much of it.


    ''Hmph, weak. He couldn''t even last a minute,'' he thought mistakenly, believing that Ethan had collapsed from exhaustion.


    Xun Wei''s cultivation level didn''t surpass the second stage of Qi Refining, so he wasn''t able to assess Ethan''s true strength.


    He thought this was due to the other person''s low cultivation, so he didn''t pay it much attention.


    Finally, after recording all the participants'' results, the previous examiner approached the podium and announced the results, starting with those who had passed the second category, as it had the fewest participants.


    Several contestants were eliminated and were given the chance to compete in the beginner category.


    Although reluctant, many of them accepted.


    Others, for various reasons, did not do so and, after respectfully greeting the expert alchemist, silently left the area.


    In the end, out of the 30 participants in this category, only 7 passed.


    It was a relatively low number compared to the total participants, but given the difficulty of the test, it wasn''t unexpected.


    So, as the names of those who had passed were announced, the group of 7 expert-level participants who had passed was separated from the rest and moved to the right side of the test area.


    The previous examiner was no longer in charge of this group; instead, it was one of the alchemy masters, specifically the master alchemist with the long, white beard.


    "Congratulations, all of you have passed with excellent results. You deserve to be here.


    That being said, as you know, the spots assigned for the tournament are limited, so do your best to be chosen," said the elderly man with a calm smile on his face.


    Upon his appearance, the rest of the group bowed to give him a courteous greeting as a sign of respect.


    Even Ethan, who had no idea who this person was, followed their example and did the same.


    The elderly man gave a simple nod to acknowledge their gesture and didn''t waste time explaining how the practical exam would be held.


    "Given your reduced number, it won''t take long to determine this year''s three participants," he said, beginning with a brief introduction to the test.


    "The third test, as you already know, is a practical one that will consist of one-on-one matches between you until the three spots are filled.


    Since your numbers are odd, let''s proceed this way," he said, infusing some spiritual energy into the ring he wore on his finger.


    Immediately afterward, from the ring, a ball of light emerged and transformed into a series of sticks.


    There were 7 sticks in total, 6 of them presenting three pairs of different colors, and one of them showing none.


    Noticing this setup, Ethan immediately understood what the elder intended.


    ''So we''ll be randomly paired with our opponents,'' he thought, trying to figure out what would happen with the extra contestant.


    And as if to answer his question, the elder took the uncolored stick and said:


    "Surely, you''ve already gotten an idea of how we''ll select the pairs who will face off," he continued, raising the uncolored stick forward.


    "Given your uneven numbers, whoever gets the stick with no color on it, will not have to fight in this round and will wait with me until the first three winners appear," he said, to the surprise of almost no one.


    ''Yes! I''ve made it this far. One last effort, and I''ll finally be able to participate in this year''s competition,'' thought one of the participants.


    His name was Tan Chi, a great lover of good food and an alchemist with a highly developed sense of smell.


    Thanks to his exceptional sense of smell, he had made great progress in his alchemical skills, becoming one of the few to be promoted to the rank of three-star Adept Alchemist.


    with this ability of his, not only could he distinguish various ingredients, but he could also memorize them.


    The same applied when refining.


    Depending on how the scent changed during the refining process, he could determine whether it was going well or not, and so on.


    He could tell what was missing, whether the doses added were correct, and many other details.


    At first, he thought it might be safer to aim for the beginner category, where he was sure to take one of the three available spots, but upon reconsidering his rank as an alchemist, he decided to go for the expert category. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It would have been too embarrassing for a three-star Adept Alchemist to compete against those of lower levels.


    Although the appearance of Xiang Hua had made him anxious, he still thought he had a good chance of securing one of the three spots.


    And upon seeing who he was paired with, his expression became more confident.


    ''Let''s see if your refining skills are as good as your theoretical knowledge.''


    He thought, thrilled by the fact that he had been paired against none other than the boy with the black mask.


    The master alchemist didn''t waste any time, shuffling the sticks and letting each of them pick one by one.


    As fate would have it, the lucky one was none other than Xun Wei, who, upon seeing the uncolored stick in his hand, didn''t know whether to be happy or disappointed.


    He wanted to duel against someone and have the chance to show off his alchemical abilities, but seeing the uncolored stick in his hand, he thought it would have to wait for another time.


    After the pairs of opponents were made, the elder numbered them from 1 to 3, and then, using a method similar to that of the sticks, he drew a random number, and the result was number 2.


    This was the number assigned to Ethan and Tan Chi.

 Chapter 126: New System Feature Discovered

    .


    Although Ethan had no problem going first, he was still a bit surprised to be the first to compete.


    ''Oh well, the sooner I go, the sooner I come back, right?'' he told himself as he stepped forward and grabbed one of the cauldrons placed at a fair distance at the two ends of the small field.


    Tan Chi had already positioned himself as well, and now both were waiting for the master alchemist to tell them what their tasks would be.


    From what Ethan knew, the test would last an hour for each competition, both for the novice and expert categories.


    The expert category would likely finish within the day, while the novice one would take at least two more days.


    But that didn''t matter to Ethan.


    He wanted to finish the selection quickly and go make preparations for when he would begin closed-door cultivation.


    It would be the first time he did so, but he thought it wouldn''t be much different from what he usually did.


    Only this time, instead of focusing more on refinement, he would concentrate on reaching the peak of the third stage and surpassing it, to then make as much progress as possible toward the next stage.


    He still had no idea how to deal with the being inside the sphere of light, but he knew he had to do it soon as that being was supposed to be his beast spirit.


    While Ethan was lost in thoughts about the various things he had to do after today''s competition, the other participants were more focused on something else.


    Tan Chi was a bit irritated by the fact that his opponent didn''t even glance at him, making him think that perhaps he wasn''t being taken seriously.


    Xun Wei was still annoyed that Ethan hadn''t been eliminated but had passed the test by answering all 10,000 questions, something impossible in his view.


    ''If I couldn''t do more than 4,000, how could a nobody like him answer all 10,000 questions?'' he thought, frustrated.


    Yan Mei, on the other hand, was more curious about who this person was.


    She could tell it was a man, but due to the mask hiding his facial features, she couldn''t determine whether he was young or not, in other words, whether he was older or younger than her.


    She could accept that someone much older than her might be better at alchemy, but she could never accept that someone around her age could have a talent similar to hers.


    Even Xun Wei, in her eyes, wasn''t as good as she was.


    As for Xiang Hua, she had a strange feeling that she knew this person.


    ''How strange, I''m sure I''ve never seen him before,'' she thought, but since he was hiding his face, he could be anyone, maybe even someone she knew.


    With her cultivation base at the peak of the third stage, she could tell the person was strong, but she couldn''t determine just how strong he was.


    Apart from that, she couldn''t gather any other information about him.


    But she didn''t dwell on it much.


    Although it was extraordinary that he had answered all 10,000 questions in a minute, it wasn''t far from her own record, which was 7,124.


    Finally, the elder took two seemingly identical sheets of paper and made them fly toward the two ends of the small field.


    Ethan and Tan Chi both caught the sheets in mid-air and examined them while the examiner''s voice echoed.


    "For the third and final test of the selection, you must prepare the products listed on the sheets, specifically pills.


    Normally, in addition to the pills, we would also ask for the refinement of at least one potion and a few other products, but this year we decided that the refinement of the pills was more than enough." he said.


    Ethan, hearing this, understood why.


    Although the methods for preparing potions and pills were similar, they differed in many other aspects, and in terms of difficulty, pills were more troublesome to refine.


    Therefore, he thought they had decided to choose only pills because they were the most difficult in terms of challenge.


    Seeing what was written on the sheet, Ethan didn''t have much of a reaction and continued to look everything listed one by one:


    .


    -------------------------------------


    1- Prepare a batch of three high-grade basic recovery pills (Lvl.1)


    2- Prepare at least one high-grade qi gathering pill (Lvl..1)


    3- Prepare a batch of high-grade martial purification pills (Lvl.1)


    ...


    9- Prepare one low-grade meridian cleaning pill (Lvl.2)


    --------------------------------------


    .


    The sheet given by the elder listed various types of pills, ranging from simple Qi recovery pills to those strengthening meridians and more...


    They were all pills Ethan was familiar with and had already produced at least once.


    What he wondered was which ones to make.


    They only had an hour, and from what he understood, their objective was to prepare as many as possible within this limit.


    At the end, not only the total number would be checked, but also their purity.


    Every little factor that could determine the winner would be examined.


    It was impossible to produce all these pills in just one hour.


    It was even impossible for Ethan if he used only one cauldron and refrained from using his system''s alchemy lab.


    So he had to carefully choose which ones to refine.


    ''Let''s see��''


    In reality, the best choice would be to directly refine the only level 2 pill that was listed.


    A pill of this level alone would outclass at least ten high-grade level 1 pills.


    The problem was that Ethan hadn''t learned the recipe for this pill, and it wasn''t exactly cheap to obtain.


    It wasn''t impossible for him to produce a level 2 pill as long as he had the recipe, and with his recently improved alchemy skills, he could make one with more confidence than before.


    Just as he was pondering how to handle the level 2 pill, the examiner,


    who had remained silent while giving the two competitors time to review the list of pills they had to produce, finally spoke:


    "Well, now that you''ve looked at the list of pills from which you must choose, you''ve probably noticed there''s also a level 2 pill, right?


    At your level, producing a pill of this grade isn''t impossible, but I don''t expect you to know the recipe for every level 2 pill out there.


    So, to give you an idea of which materials to use and how to prepare it, I will refine that pill in front of you.


    Whether or not you''ll be able to refine it afterward will depend on you."


    The elder said this while pulling out a cauldron no taller than 80 centimeters from his ring.


    "Normally, for an expert-grade alchemist to produce a low-grade level 2 pill, it would take at least 30 minutes, but we can''t afford to lose that much time.


    I''ll do it in 15 minutes, and I''ll make sure the various steps and materials used are clear for all of you.


    For the Imperial Tournament happening in three months, it would be ideal if each of you were at least able to refine a low-grade level 2 pill, because rest assured that many of your opponents will know how to do it. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, you won''t just be up against other adept alchemists, but also expert ones," he said with a serious expression.


    "I''m sure some of you already know how to refine level 2 pills, but for those who don''t, if you''re chosen to participate in the tournament, it would be wise to catch up with the others before the competition begins."


    After this, his expression suddenly returned to its calm state from before.


    "So if you intend to try refining this pill, then pay close attention."


    Saying this, he quickly pulled out a series of materials and herbs, and after lighting the fire under the cauldron, he began the refining process.


    Everyone kept a good distance from the elder to avoid disturbing his refining, but even so, they could clearly see all his movements.


    From the materials he was taking to their preparations, the control of the flame, everything.


    Every movement was being watched as if to imprint it in their minds.


    Only three people were observing but not with the same intensity as the rest.


    One was Xiang Hua, who at her current level was already capable of refining low-grade level 2 pills and was already aiming for those of mid-grade.


    Then there was Yan Mei. She too, having already mastered the refinement of low-grade level 2 pills, was training for higher grades under her grandfather''s guidance.


    And finally, there was Ethan.


    Although he could prepare level 2 pills as long as he had the recipe, the reason he wasn''t paying close attention to the demonstration was due to something floating in front of his vision:


    DING!


    [Preparation of a pill detected]


    [Analyzing...]


    [The pill being prepared is a high-grade level 2 Meridian Cleaning Pill]


    [Initiating learning process��]


    [5%]


    [11%]


    [34%]


    The further the elder progressed with the refinement, the more the learning percentage of the recipe displayed on the system screen increased.


    Ethan, seeing the sudden appearance of these system messages, was momentarily shocked.


    ''There was a feature like this?''

 Chapter 127: Shocking Refining Speed

    .


    Ethan, like everyone else, had approached at a safe distance to observe the ingredients that the Alchemist Master would use, but he didn''t expect this to happen.


    As soon as the alchemist started the refining process, the system appeared, asking him if he wanted to learn the recipe.


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react, but instinctively, he accepted, and the analysis process began.


    [56%]


    [72%]


    [97%]


    Ethan had no idea what to expect.


    It seemed too convenient to be able to learn a high-grade level 2 technique, just like that, without any cost.


    Since he had started using the system, there was almost always a cost for everything it offered him.


    Most of the time, it required system points, and occasionally, special missions or daily tasks.


    He was certain that after the system finished acquiring the technique, he would definitely have to pay a price for it.


    As the Master Alchemist continued with the refining, the recipe acquisition percentage kept increasing.


    At one point, the Alchemist Master, still gazing at the cauldron, said:


    "Although the refining process of the pill is finished, this doesn''t mean I can proceed to shape it and extract the pill," he said while moving his hands in the air.


    Ethan, who was already in the third stage, could sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy moving as the Alchemist Master waved his hands.


    He was using the manifestation of spiritual Qi, and more specifically, he was using it in small amounts to manipulate what was inside the cauldron.


    Normally, alchemists, after nearly finishing the refining process, would manually shape the mixture into a pill, but the higher the alchemist''s rank, the more complex and dangerous the pills became.


    For instance, if one were refining a poison pill of a certain grade, one couldn''t expect the alchemist to shape the final mixture with their hands.


    This was because, by doing so, they risked direct contact with the poison, and depending on the poison, they could end up infected either immediately or later on.


    Most experienced alchemists had at least reached the Qi Refining stage, so they could use the surrounding spiritual energy to protect their hands, and for those who were at the third stage, they could directly shape the final mixture using spiritual energy without needing to use their hands.


    Although alchemists were considered weak in terms of physical strength and cultivation, this didn''t mean there weren''t alchemists with high cultivation levels.


    In fact, the four Great Masters Alchemist were all beings who had at least reached the peak of the third stage, with two of them in the fourth stage.


    Alchemists spent most of their time refining pills, so the time they dedicated to cultivation was minimal.


    As a result, most of them didn''t have very high cultivation levels.


    As the Elder finally extracted the fully refined pill, the system''s progress bar also completed.


    [100%]


    [Recipe for a high-grade, level 2, Meridian Cleansing Pill, acquired.]


    [You can now purchase the recipe from the shop.]


    Just as he had suspected, it was too good to be true. Read now on m_vl_em_p_yr


    ''Well, it''s better than nothing.


    At least now I can buy a recipe of this level instead of starting from scratch and upgrading it,'' he thought, though he wondered what the recipe''s price would be.


    And what if the price was higher than the total points needed to upgrade it to that level?


    In the weeks before the start of the selection exam, he had accumulated a good number of system points.


    Enough to perfect three recipes.


    Once the refining process ended, everyone returned to their places, including Ethan and Tan Chi.


    As soon as they did, the Elder, seeing they were ready, gave the signal, and the competition began.


    Tan Chi, who seemed to have already chosen the pills he wanted to refine, didn''t waste a second and began pulling out some materials and working.


    His movements weren''t too slow or too fast.


    Sufficiently fluid and without interruptions due to hesitation or anything else.


    He quickly prepared the materials, while the cauldron had already been prepared at the beginning.


    Without wasting time, he placed the prepared materials one by one into it and began refining, while simultaneously preparing the materials for his second pill.


    Xian Wei, seeing this, scoffed and stopped paying attention to him.


    He didn''t even bother to glance at Ethan, as he considered both participants to be at the same level. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unlike him, however, the two girls were somewhat curious about the alchemical abilities of the boy with the mask, so they didn''t hesitate to take a look at him.


    Too bad for them, Ethan was busy doing something else at the moment.


    Turning their gaze toward Ethan''s station, what they saw was Ethan standing silently, seemingly doing nothing but staring at the cauldron, or at least, that was the trajectory of his gaze.


    Two minutes had already passed, and he had been standing in that position since the beginning.


    "��"


    "��"


    ''What is he doing?'' they both wondered with furrowed brows.


    Even the examiner, seeing Ethan''s strange behavior, didn''t know what to think.


    ''Is it possible that he''s still thinking about which pill to prepare?'' the examiner thought, not even considering that Ethan might be incapable of refining.


    For him, someone with cultivation at Ethan''s level and such deep knowledge of alchemy would hardly not know how to refine, so he could only assume that Ethan was contemplating which pills to prepare.


    So, while the three of them reached their own conclusions, Ethan, still standing motionless, continued to look in the same direction.


    But instead of observing the cauldron, he was examining the status screen in front of him.


    .


    [---------------------------


    SHOP:


    Recipe for a Level 2, High Grade, Meridian Cleansing Pill .


    Price: 2000 SP


    ---------------------------]


    .


    ''Hm... the price is surprisingly lower than I expected,'' he thought, considering how much time it would have taken him to upgrade a recipe to this level.


    He was sure the price would have been at least twice the indicated amount, so he was a little caught off guard when he saw the pill''s cost.


    In the end, he decided to buy it.


    No matter how he looked at it, this was a good price, especially for a recipe of this level.


    Just thinking that he now owned a high-grade Level 2 pill excited him.


    At first, he thought the examiner would show them how to prepare a low-grade recipe, but it seemed that he had directly produced one that was two grades higher than expected.


    Adding to this the discovery of the system''s new feature, Ethan had to admit that today was going great.


    He currently had a little more than 3000 SP saved up, so he didn''t mind using 2/3 of it for the recipe.


    Ethan raised his hand and pressed the purchase button, and the recipe was immediately downloaded into his mind.


    This action of his didn''t go unnoticed by the three who were watching him.


    ''What is he doing?'' they all wondered, even more confused by Ethan''s behavior.


    But then they saw that the boy with the mask suddenly started refining, and seeing this, they set aside their previous thoughts and focused on observing his movements.


    In less than two seconds, Ethan had already completed the initial preparations and was now ready to proceed with the cooking phase.


    Seeing this speed, all three of them widened their eyes.


    ''What the hell is that speed?'' they all thought.


    What amazed them the most wasn''t just his speed but the fact that, despite how fast his steps were, they were fluid and free of any imperfections.


    Being skilled alchemists themselves, they could tell that despite his great speed, he performed every step flawlessly.


    It didn''t take long before the examiner could identify the pill he was making.


    ''Hm, it seems he''s refining a Foundation Pill,'' the examiner thought, stroking his beard.


    This pill was one of the high-grade Level 1 pills listed in the provided sheet.


    Although it wasn''t particularly difficult for an experienced alchemist, it still required at least several minutes to refine successfully without too many impurities.


    Yet, just after 4 minutes, Ethan made three pills float out of the cauldron and sealed them in a small glass bottle.


    "..."


    Once again, the three observers were speechless at what they had just witnessed.


    ''That''s definitely a Foundation Pill. How is it possible that he refined it in just a few minutes, and three at that?''


    Yan Mei thought, stunned as she watched Ethan set the prepared pills aside and proceed to the next.


    Even Xiang Hua, who was particularly fast at preparing Level 1 pills, didn''t know how to react to this sight.


    ''Could they have low purity?'' she wondered, but then shook her head.


    With her skill and heightened senses, she could tell that the purity of those pills was not low at all.


    She was sure that all three were of high grade.


    But this made it even harder to believe that Ethan had refined them in such a short amount of time.


    While the examiner and the two girls were lost in contemplation over what had just happened, Xun Xei, who had been ignoring the competition, noticed their astonishment and decided to take a look.


    ''Eh?''


    At first, he saw only Ethan preparing a few materials, and for a moment he was confused, but then, noticing the glass vial beside him, his eyes narrowed.


    ''When did he prepare those?''


    ??

 Chapter 128: Attracting Xiang Huas Attention

    .


    For a moment, Xun Wei thought he was seeing things, but as hard as it was to believe, there were indeed three pills already prepared in that vial.


    Even he had decent alchemy skills, so he knew that creating those pills in such a short time was a feat that not even someone at his level could achieve.


    For a moment, he thought Ethan was cheating, but he knew well that with the examiner present, it would be nearly impossible to do so.


    Not to mention it would be pointless, since one would have to do it again a second and even a third time to win the competition.


    There was no way that a figure like the alchemy master would fail to notice someone cheating, especially not multiple times.


    From their reactions, Xun Wei could tell that they had seen Ethan refine those three pills, which meant that his skills were so great that he could accomplish such a task.


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    ''Where in the world did this guy come from?''


    He clenched his fists, refusing to believe that the masked boy was better than him.


    But neither Ethan nor the others seemed to care about his inner turmoil.


    Ethan continued at the same speed with the following pills.


    In another five minutes, he prepared another batch of three pills.


    This time, he only needed to make one pill, not a batch of three like some of the others, but he still managed it with the limited materials provided.


    Seeing this, the elder couldn''t help but nod approvingly.


    It wasn''t difficult for an expert alchemist to create more than one pill with the materials provided, even when only one was required.


    At their level, their mastery of using the right amount of refining materials was good enough to avoid wasting the remaining materials in the process.


    Even Yan Mei and Xiang Hua could do such a thing with low-grade Level 1 pills.


    Of course, they weren''t at Ethan''s level, who had done it with a high-grade pill.


    The examiner, the more he saw Ethan refine, the more he appreciated his abilities.


    He had already classified him as someone at the level of an experienced alchemist.


    His knowledge of alchemy and this display of skill were enough to classify him as such.


    While he was having these thoughts, he also noticed Tan Chi, who had just begun refining his second pill.


    In the first ten minutes, Tan Chi refined a batch of three mid-grade Level 1 pills that were listed on the exam.


    As soon as he finished, he immediately moved on to the next pill without wasting a second.


    ''This boy''s abilities aren''t bad either,'' the examiner thought, pleased to see that there seemed to be more talented participants this year compared to previous years.


    The examiner thought he had already seen the extent of Ethan''s abilities, but he quickly realized that wasn''t the case.


    This was because, over the next 20 minutes, Ethan continued to refine pill after pill without stopping, each time producing a batch of three pills, whether required or not.


    The shocking thing was that after two more pills, his speed increased even further, bringing his refining time from five minutes down to three for each pill.


    At this pace, he managed to refine five different pills in 20 minutes, bringing his total to six pills, four of which were of high grade.


    With this amount, he practically had victory in hand, but he still had 30 minutes left.


    Six of the pills on the list had already been refined, and only four were left.


    During the exam, materials were provided for all ten pills, though they knew that most of the materials would go unused since it was unlikely anyone could produce that many pills in one hour.


    Perhaps masters and grandmasters could manage it, but surely no one below their rank could.


    Even Ethan knew the remaining pills were a bit problematic due to their production method.


    He couldn''t produce all four remaining pills in half an hour.


    The Level 2 pill alone would take at least 20 minutes to produce, let alone having time to make the other three.


    After producing his sixth pill, he paused for a moment to contemplate the next ones he had to make and finally made his decision.


    At first, he intended to try producing the Level 2 pill, making it barely a low-grade one, but then, after reconsidering, he realized he had no reason to do so.


    His current goal was to secure a spot among the three who would take part in the tournament.


    To do that, he only needed to keep winning the matches until he obtained one of the three spots.


    Currently, there were seven participants, and after the first round of matches, their number would drop to four.


    Then he would only need to win one more match to secure one of the three spots, without needing to go all out to be the very best.


    In the competition, to be completely eliminated, one would have to lose two consecutive matches.


    If he won the first two, and then lost the third, he would still secure one of the three available spots on his own, without needing to do anything else.


    The first three losers of the competition would have to face each other again, with the addition of Xun Wei, and the two winners among them would then have to compete for a chance to participate in the next rounds of matches. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, in the second round of the competition, four participants would compete against each other for the three spots that would allow them to enter the tournament.


    According to this arrangement, the one who had been spared from participating in the first round of matches might seem disadvantaged, but that wasn''t the case.


    In fact, many would have liked to be in Xun Wei''s position, as it allowed them to observe how everyone else refined pills and get a better idea of their next opponent''s abilities.


    For a few seconds, Ethan decided to refine the remaining pills under Level 2.


    In half an hour, he would easily be able to refine them, so he wasted no time and got to work.


    Meanwhile, the other participants, who had yet to compete, seeing that the masked boy, who had been like a crazed machine producing pill after pill without stopping, had paused for a moment, thought he had finally grown a bit tired.


    But both the examiner and Xiang Hua could tell that he wasn''t tired at all.


    Someone at his cultivation level wouldn''t get exhausted just from refining pills for 30 minutes.


    It would take a lot more to exhaust someone at the third stage of cultivation.


    By now, Xiang Hua had dropped her previously disinterested attitude and was watching this participant with much more interest.


    Up to this point, she hadn''t taken anyone too seriously because she could gauge everyone''s level, and no one was skilled enough to pose a problem for her.


    So, she had continued the competition knowing she would secure the first spot for the tournament.


    Although only being in the top three was enough to earn the chance to participate in the tournament, it didn''t mean she didn''t care about being the best.


    On the contrary, as a direct disciple of the sect master, she intended to come in first place in every competition.


    Finishing second or third was not an option for her.


    Building a reputation for herself meant bringing honor to her master.


    She had no intention of being defeated by anyone.


    Therefore, seeing a participant with such a high level of skill put her on guard.


    She knew he would definitely be a troublesome opponent to face.


    ''As long as he can''t refine Level 2 pills, I should be able to beat him,'' she thought, confident that the two of them would eventually face each other.


    She was aware of Yan Mei and Xun Wei''s skills, and like the others, she believed they had bright futures as alchemists.


    However, at the moment, neither of them was on her level, so she wasn''t concerned about them.

 Chapter 129: End of the First Round

    .


    As Xiang Hua finally started to take the competition more seriously, both Yan Mei and Xun Wei, seeing the masked boy''s alchemical skills, felt that a dark horse had appeared in the competition.


    Neither of them was now certain they could defeat him, and this fact only put more pressure on them.


    At first, both had entered the competition believing they had what it took to secure a spot in the imperial tournament.


    With the appearance of Xiang Hua, the situation had shifted slightly, but they still had a good chance of securing a spot.


    Now, however, with the addition of this mysterious person, it was no longer a certainty.


    While the other participants began to feel the pressure of the competition, Ethan, who was the main cause of it all, continued to refine in peace.


    Although the remaining pills were all Level 1 high-grade, they were problematic to prepare due to many delicate steps that took time, no matter how fast one was.


    Rushing them would only risk reducing their purity and final effect, so Ethan, who had enough time to prepare them, did not rush the production.


    Time passed quickly, and before anyone knew it, the remaining 30 minutes were gone.


    Tan Chi, who hadn''t taken his eyes off him the entire time, wiped his forehead as he looked satisfied at the six vials of pills he had produced.


    Three vials contained a batch of three pills, while the other three contained only one pill each.


    Unlike Ethan, who produced a batch of three for each pill, Tan Chi had strictly followed the requests listed on the sheet.


    He didn''t want to waste more time producing more than required and risk making only some of the listed pills, as this would lower his chances of winning.


    Of the three pills, two were high-grade, and this, combined with the fact that he had managed to produce six pills out of the 10 required, gave him confidence that he would pass.


    With a smile on his face, he finally looked up from his workstation to glance toward his opponent''s station.


    "Hm? Where did he go?"


    He saw that the station was empty, with neither the masked boy nor any pills displayed.


    He looked around for answers and finally spotted him near the examiner.


    "Could he have given up?" he thought as he picked up his vials of pills and brought them to the examiner.


    Unfortunately for him, reality was far from what he thought.


    When he arrived, he saw that on the table where the examiner was waiting, there were nine neatly arranged vials of pills.


    The unique thing about these vials was that each one contained at least three pills.


    He could tell they were all different pills, and for a moment, he thought they were all the ones listed on the sheet. Explore more stories at m-vl_em,pyr


    But then he shook his head, thinking it was absurd to produce nine in such a short time, let alone three of each.


    Arriving at the counter, he placed his six vials of pills and waited for the examiner''s verdict.


    Although he was sure he had passed, he still had to wait for the examiner''s decision.


    The examiner, seeing that Tan Chi had submitted his pills and was still waiting, couldn''t help but ask:


    "Do you have any questions for me?" he asked calmly.


    Tan Chi, not understanding why the examiner was asking him such a thing, simply said no and continued to wait for the verdict.


    Seeing that Tan Chi continued to stand there, the examiner couldn''t help but ask again.


    "Hm, but then why are you still here?" he asked calmly.


    Once again, Tan Chi didn''t understand the meaning of his words, so he finally said:


    "And the final verdict?"


    At these words, the examiner seemed confused and glanced down at the two rows of vials on the table.


    ''Isn''t the result obvious? ''he thought, shaking his head, as he said:


    "As you can see, the winner is the masked boy," he said, pointing to the two rows of glass vials.


    "��"


    And so, without knowing it, Tan Chi, who thought he had victory in his grasp, found himself with a blank expression for the rest of the competition.


    Ethan had finished producing the remaining three pills five minutes early, and since there was nothing else to do, he handed in his pills and returned to wait with the group who had yet to compete.


    The examiner, when he saw him submit the vials, nodded with a particularly satisfied expression and said nothing more.


    Ethan knew better than anyone that the pills he produced were flawless, not only because he received notifications from the system but also because he had raised his alchemical skills to such a level that he could produce all the pills below Level 2 with absolute certainty of their final quality.


    Even with the low-grade Level 2 pills, he had some mastery, but it wasn''t as refined as with the Level 1 pills.


    That being said, now that he had a high-grade Level 2 recipe, he could make even more progress at this level. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With his alchemical mastery at Level 2 and his knowledge of pills, he had already done much of the work; the rest would come from the experience gained through continuous and consistent pill refining.


    When he returned, he saw that almost everyone was watching him with attentive gazes, as if he were some sort of exotic species they had never seen before.


    ''What''s with them? '' he wondered, ignoring them and finding a spot to wait for the rest of the competition to proceed.


    After a few minutes, the second group of participants stepped onto the field and positioned themselves at the two stations.


    Just like before, neither side wasted time, refining non-stop until the end of the hour.


    In the end, a skinny boy with strangely pale skin won.


    After them, the remaining participants also stepped forward, and in another two hours, the first round of the competition was completed.


    In the end, apart from Ethan and the pale boy, Xiang Hua and Yan Mei won, both with relative ease.


    Yan Mei managed to produce seven of the required pills, while Xiang Hua managed to produce nine, just like Ethan.


    That said, she didn''t seem happy with her result, and this was because, unlike Ethan, she hadn''t produced a batch of three for each pill.


    The victories of the two girls were expected, and even their opponents didn''t seem too discouraged by this result.


    Finally, the second round of matches was about to begin, and in this round, the losers of the first round had only one chance to turn their situation around.

 Chapter 130: Xiang Hua vs Yan Mei

    .


    The instructor decided to give everyone a 5-minute break while preparing the next teams that would compete.


    Although this time was an opportunity for everyone to calm their nerves, it seemed to have the opposite effect.


    Apart from the group that won the first round and Xun Wei, everyone else was feeling the increasing pressure of the challenge.


    The results of the first round had essentially determined part of how the rest of the competition would unfold, and as of now, things weren''t looking good for any of them.


    Excluding Tan Chi, who was still in disbelief over the result of his match, the other two couldn''t stop glancing back and forth between those who would participate in the next round, including Xun Wei.


    Hm?


    Xun Wei, who was already in a bad mood because of the masked boy, couldn''t help but glare at them when he noticed their continuous glances.


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    Ethan, who had passed the first round, noticed that he had received at least a glance from both Xiang Hua and Yan Mei.


    He couldn''t quite tell what was going through their minds, but the fact that he now had the attention of two of the women highly regarded for this tournament gave him a strange feeling.


    ''Seems like even the mask can''t fully hide my charm,'' he thought with a serious expression, as if the matter were of great importance.


    At these thoughts, Bai Yu could only shake her head.


    At first, it wasn''t very noticeable, but the more she interacted with Ethan over the last year, the more his slightly narcissistic side became evident.


    The strange thing was that, due to the various improvements he had undergone over the past year, from his bloodline to his ever-growing cultivation base, his natural appearance was already far above average.


    The only reason he hadn''t attracted much attention from others was that he spent most of his time secluded on the hill of his residence.


    Not to mention the products he used to hide some of his physical traits, like the crystalline blue color of his eyes.


    That said, it was certainly not because of that reason that the two girls had paid him some attention, and both he and she knew it.


    ''Haa, I wonder what face she''d make if she knew I''m her fellow disciple,'' Ethan thought, imagining Xiang Hua''s reaction.


    He had only met her once, and he could tell that the impression she had of him wasn''t the best.


    He still wasn''t sure why, but he didn''t make much of it since he was a person he knew he wouldn''t meet very often.


    Today had been pure coincidence.


    He doubted that after the imperial tournament, the two of them would have much interaction beyond what was required by the sect master.


    And so, in the blink of an eye, the 5 minutes passed, and the second round finally began.


    Whether by a twist of fate or simply by chance,


    Tan Chi, who had barely recovered from the previous shock of his crushing defeat, ended up being paired against Xun Wei.


    ''F*ck''


    The small glimmer of hope he had before was now completely gone.


    Out of all the participants in the second round, the one he absolutely wanted to avoid fighting right away was undoubtedly Xun Wei.


    The other two participants, seeing this, couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    All three of them knew that once they won, they would have to face the winner of the other match, which was almost certainly going to be Xun Wei.


    They knew their fate was sealed, so their goal wasn''t to aim for the three spots in the imperial tournament, but rather to avoid suffering two consecutive defeats.


    They were all young alchemists with a reputation to maintain.


    If word got out that they lost every match, it would deal a significant blow to their budding careers.


    Two hours passed, and as expected, Xun Wei won the first match with a total of 8 pills from the list produced.


    Tan Chi, though expecting to lose this round, still decided to give his best, and this time, he managed to surpass his previous record by producing a total of 7 out of the 10 pills listed.


    Though he lost, he was at least satisfied with this result.


    Meanwhile, among the competitors of the second match of this round, the winner was the tall boy with the strangely pale complexion.


    After the two matches ended, the examiner asked if they wanted to take a break or continue, and both sides decided to face off immediately without taking any break.


    Xun Wei felt there was no need for a break; for him, both the previous opponent and this one were on the same level, so there was no point in wasting time.


    The pale boy, on the other hand, thought it was senseless to delay the inevitable, so he too decided to fight immediately without a break.


    And in the end, unsurprisingly, Xun Wei won without much effort.


    "Alright, and with that, we have our four semifinalists," the examiner calmly stated.


    "Given your current disposition, I don''t think we need any drawing of lots.


    Why don''t we do this?


    Since we have both a pair of males and a pair of females, we already have the arrangement for this round," he said, laughing at the coincidence.


    In other words, he would now have to face Xun Wei.


    He could tell that the boy didn''t like him, not that he cared, but he found it strange that lately, everyone seemed to have something against him for no particular reason.


    At the examiner''s words, neither the boys nor the girls said anything, and seeing no objections to this arrangement, the examiner proceeded, saying:


    "Alright, since we now have the two pairs who will face off, we can start the next match.


    Given that our Xun Wei has already competed in two consecutive rounds, why don''t we let you girls go first?" the examiner said, turning to Xiang Hua and Yan Mei.


    Both, upon hearing the examiner''s words, remained silent and nodded as they proceeded to take their positions on the small field.


    Hearing the examiner''s decision, Xun Wei couldn''t help but feel displeased.


    ''Exhaust myself competing with those two losers?''


    Although he was unhappy with the examiner''s words, he restrained himself.


    The two girls were already in position, and there was no point in causing a scene now.


    The only result he would get was disqualification.


    Yan Mei, who was reviewing the list of pills to be produced to check if they were the same as before, couldn''t help but wonder if she could beat Xiang Hua.


    Even though she had been away from alchemy for a long time, her previous battle made her realize her skills hadn''t rusted at all, if anything, they seemed even more refined.


    "Hmph, I am no less," she thought, waiting for the examiner''s signal to start.


    Unlike her, Xiang Hua, on the other side of the small field, didn''t think much about her upcoming match with Yan Mei.


    She had to admit that for a 19-year-old girl, Yan Mei was undoubtedly a prodigy.


    But Xiang Hua also believed that if what she had shown before was her best, then she still wasn''t on the same level.


    The examiner, seeing that both girls were ready, gave the signal, and the competition finally began.


    Both competitors wasted no time in selecting which pill to prepare first and immediately started preparing their materials. It was clear they had already decided on their initial pills.


    Watching the speed and fluidity of both parties'' movements, even Ethan had to admit they were skilled.


    "Hmm�� it seems the pills listed this time are different from before," he thought, analyzing the materials both girls had chosen.


    With his alchemical skills, he could tell just by looking at the ingredients what kind of pill they might produce, or at least get an idea of the type.


    He noticed that the combination of materials and the way they were being prepared for refinement wasn''t related to any of the pills listed previously.


    He wondered if the level 2 pill that appeared each round had also changed.


    But upon thinking about it, if the examiner had given a demonstration for that pill before, he would likely do the same this time, meaning the level 2 pill was probably the same as before.


    Ethan didn''t miss a single movement from the two girls, and the more he watched, the more he had to admit that they both had a certain talent for alchemy.


    Unlike him, who relied entirely on the system''s help, these girls had reached this level with their own strength.


    Their speed in refinement was second only to his own.


    In less than five minutes, both sides had finished refining their first pill.


    Yan Mei seemed to be taking a gradual approach, starting with the simpler ones and moving up to the more complex pills.


    On the other hand, Xiang Hua appeared more confident in her choices, producing a high-grade level 1 pill right from the start.


    Both competitors had chosen completely opposite strategies, yet both were performing exceptionally well.


    Even Xun Wei watched this match.


    Thus, the match between the two continued without pause, and time flew by in a flash.


    In the end, with a score of nine vials of pills to eight, Xiang Hua claimed victory.


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 Chapter 131: Ethan vs Xun Wei

    .


    The result of their match was somewhat predictable.


    Ethan and Xiang Hua had already proven to be superior to all the participants since their first match, so unless Yan Mei managed to produce at least 9 out of the 10 listed pills, she would have little chance of winning.


    Even Yan Mei knew this, yet the loss still left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    She had managed to produce the eighth pill at the last second, but compared to Xiang Hua, who once again produced 9, she couldn''t come out on top.


    Ethan, who had been watching their match the whole time, couldn''t help but notice that Xiang Hua was producing pills with ease, a skill that was very close to his own.


    "It seems she''s still holding back," he thought.


    In any case, it was now his turn, so as soon as the two girls returned, he and Xun Wei took their places.


    "Just as I thought."


    Ethan examined the new list of pills to be produced and noticed that it was indeed different from the previous one, with the exception of the level 2 pill.


    That said, none of the pills were actually more complicated than the previous ones; in fact, they were of the same difficulty.


    As soon as the examiner gave the signal, both he and his opponent began pulling out their materials.


    Xun Wei, who had watched Ethan''s first match, knew that if he didn''t perform better than his last match, he stood no chance against him.


    Ethan and Xiang Hua were already considered the strongest participants, so anyone who found themselves up against them knew they had only a small chance of winning.


    This chance lay in at least matching their number of produced pills and hoping to win through the purity of their creations.


    Xun Wei had been trained by his father, who was none other than a Master Alchemist.


    Though it wasn''t obvious, like Yan Mei, he had spent many years learning the art of refining from him, and this year, he had reached a level of mastery that allowed him to refine high-grade level 1 pills with relative ease.


    So, like most of those present, he was now training for the next level.


    After several attempts, he had finally succeeded in producing a low-grade level 2 pill, with an acceptable purity percentage.


    It was a small step forward, but still a step forward nonetheless.


    The only problem was that he hadn''t had enough time to perfect his technique, so even now, if he attempted to refine a level 2 pill, he would fail 80% of the time, a rate far too high to risk it during the competition. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, he aimed to produce 9 out of the 10 listed pills.


    Unlike Xun Wei, Ethan wasted no time wondering whether he could beat his opponent.


    He refined at the same speed as before.


    He had no doubt that he would win.


    Just look at how many pills he had produced in the first match.


    He had produced a batch of 3 for every single pill except the level 2 one, which would have taken too much time to refine.


    Although the list didn''t require more than necessary, in case of a tie, other factors would determine the winner, and this was one of them.


    But Ethan believed he wouldn''t even need that.


    If it were up to him, he could produce all the listed pills at a higher grade than their current level.


    The problem was that the list didn''t seem to allow any freedom in this regard.


    Therefore, Ethan focused on producing a large number, and even in that, he had left a little surprise in case of a tie.


    Time passed quickly, and neither side held back.


    Xiang Hua and Yan Mei couldn''t help but watch the match, and both of them noticed one thing��Ethan was going just as fast as before.


    Even though the pills had changed, he was still producing them from the lowest grade to the highest, all in batches of three.


    This proved that his previous result wasn''t just luck, but rather, it was his actual level of skill.


    They weren''t the only ones who noticed this; even the examiner, who now believed that Ethan would definitely participate in the imperial tournament, noticed something in the batches of pills he was producing.


    "This��


    This boy has been holding back much more than I thought," he thought, raising his opinion of Ethan a bit higher than before.


    Finally, the incense stick burned out completely, marking the end of the match.


    Just like before, Ethan had finished early and had already placed his vials of pills on the table in front of the examiner.


    Xun Wei had noticed Ethan finishing, but he didn''t get discouraged by it.


    He wasn''t aiming to beat him in time or quantity but in purity.


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    So, he didn''t rush through any step unnecessarily and took his time to refine each pill.


    In the end, he also managed to produce 9 pills in an hour, breaking his previous record.


    "Haha��"


    In this match, he had spent much more energy than before, not just to increase his speed but also to maintain a level of focus that allowed him to adapt to this pace.


    It wasn''t the first time in his life that he had exhausted himself this way, but the number of times he had done it was certainly low. The occasions that required it were relatively rare.


    Yan Mei, seeing that even Xun Wei had managed to produce 9 out of the 10 required pills, couldn''t help but feel left behind.


    She knew that Xun Wei was two years older than her, and just like her, he had been trained by a Master Alchemist, but she didn''t like the feeling of being surpassed by others.


    To her, those two years of difference between her and Xun Wei didn''t matter much.


    First, there was the masked boy, who had appeared out of nowhere and demonstrated his overwhelming ability.


    Then there was Xiang Hua, who, even though she had withdrawn, was still on a level above her.


    And now, even Xun Wei.


    Having lost to Xiang Hua, she knew she would have to fight in the next round and win to have a chance at securing the last spot, as the first two spots were already in the hands of Xiang Hua and the masked boy.


    She clenched her fists in frustration.


    This was the first time she had participated in this competition, and given her skills, she had decided to enter directly into the expert category.


    She had thought she wouldn''t have much difficulty securing one of the top three spots, but now she had to rethink that, as not one, but three strong competitors had emerged.


    She knew she would have to give her all in the next match.

 Chapter 132: Overwhelming Victory!

    In the end, both Etha and Xun Wei ended up producing 9 vials of pills each.


    The only difference was that one had produced the required number of pills, while the other had produced three pills for each vial.


    Xun Wei, seeing this sight, could only say that he was not surprised by this result.


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    The only thing he hoped for was that since the other party had produced more pills than necessary, their pills would have compromised purity, making them inferior to his.


    He had produced each individual pill with the maximum purity it could have.


    For example, if a high-grade pill had a purity of over 75%, he made sure that his were at least 85%.


    Similarly, for the low-grade pill requested, he ensured that their purity was at the maximum limit of that grade, which was 49% purity.


    So he was quite certain that in this aspect he would have the upper hand, and since this was a competition in which both sides demonstrated their skill in refinement, the purity percentage of all pills would be the most important factor.


    Producing more pills in a short time was good, but if their purity was low, then it was not worthwhile to produce so many.


    The examiner, just like before, received Ethan''s pills in advance, so now he was waiting for those of Xun Wei.


    Seeing that he had also managed to produce 9 pills out of ten, he nodded in satisfaction.


    "Just as one would expect from his son," he thought, thinking of Xun Wei''s father.


    As a master alchemist, he naturally knew Xun Yu personally, so he expected that his son would also have a certain talent in alchemy.


    And seeing the results, it seemed that his talent was not inferior to that of his father.


    "What a pity for him that he had to face this kid," he thought while examining the two rows of vials.


    With the pills from both parties before him, he could begin to evaluate them. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had observed throughout the duration of the time, so he already had a certain idea of their purity level, but he still decided to examine each one.


    One by one, he sent some of his spiritual energy into the pills and determined their purity level as well as some other factors.


    The evaluation process itself took no more than 5 minutes, and it was the same for the previous competitions, where most of the time he immediately declared the winner.


    In the end, after examining the pills from both parties, he delivered his verdict.


    "You both did an excellent job, not only managing to produce almost all the required pills but also maintaining their purity above average.


    So, good job to both of you," said the examiner sincerely.


    He knew that Xun Wei was only 21 years old, and that the masked boy was also very close in age, and seeing two such young boys produce pills of this level made him happy.


    He could say that at their age he was not capable of showing this level of skill, so he was pleased because this meant that the next generation of alchemists would have many stars that would shine much brighter than them, and as an alchemist, he could only rejoice in this.


    He also thought that both had a good chance of reaching the level of grandmaster alchemist; indeed, all four of them, remembering that the two girls also had skill levels no less than theirs.


    "That said, there can be only one winner, and that is none other than the masked boy," he said.


    Xun Wei, who somewhat expected this result, could not help but feel a bit down about it.


    The examiner, however, did not seem to have finished speaking.


    "The purity level of both pills was very high, but those of the masked boy were significantly superior regarding the high-grade pills.


    If your pills on one side managed to reach a purity level of 85%, his managed to hit 90% in each one of them, and if that wasn''t enough, one of the two pills he produced in excess of the requested amount was also of a higher grade, with the same level of purity percentage," said the examiner bluntly.


    This fact made him think that Ethan''s level was certainly very high, even among expert-grade alchemists, and this could not help but make him happier because it meant that in this year''s imperial competition, they would have a monster like him competing for them.


    Other nations would hardly have a talent like him on their side.


    While the examiner was daydreaming about the results of this year''s competition and the prestige this would bring to their kingdom, Xun Wei, who thought he could accept defeat, could not help but feel his soul leave his body upon hearing these further details about how he had lost.


    ''What? His purity percentage reached 90%? And moreover, for each high-grade pill he produced?!''


    The more the examiner explained how he had lost, the more he felt that his life was meaningless.


    It should be known that the maximum purity level that could be reached for a high-grade pill, no matter what its level was, once reaching 90%, it would hardly go much further.


    By now, all alchemists agreed that it was impossible to achieve a purity of 100%, but with sufficient effort, one could at least get close.


    Reaching a purity of 80% was considered good, 85% was considered very good, and 90% was considered exceptional.


    Beyond this point, only the best alchemists could achieve it.


    So, hearing that his opponent had reached 90% in every single high-grade pill was a tough pill to swallow.


    Now he knew that his defeat against the masked guy was not by a small margin, but it had been an overwhelming defeat!


    Xun Wei was not the only one to be stunned by this result;


    even Xiang Hua and Yan Mei, who were listening to the final verdict, could not help but show a slight change in their expressions.

 Chapter 133: The Peng Familys Secret Technique

    .


    At the Peng family residence, in a large training area, stood a young man over two meters tall, wearing a simple short-sleeved training clothes.


    The young man was exhausted, with drops of sweat visible on his forehead as he caught his breath.


    In front of him, a dozen wooden dummies were scattered around, having once been intact training tools.


    "Ha... ha... I finally managed to use it," he said in a tired but enthusiastic voice, clenching his hands into fists, which appeared to be covered by a thin black layer.


    This layer covered his entire fist and extended slightly past his wrist, where it gradually faded and disappeared.


    At the edges where it ended, a series of unreadable symbols were aligned, forming a column of seven marks stretching from his wrist to the elbow on both arms.


    At that moment, one of the black symbols was illuminated, slowly losing its intensity.


    A short distance from the training area stood an elderly man, who, despite his age, stood straight as if he still had plenty of energy.


    This man was none other than Peng Jun, Da Shu''s grandfather.


    He had been observing the entire time, watching his grandson''s training, and had to admit that Da Shu''s talent had not disappointed him once again.


    ''Haa, only a few weeks, and he has already learned the first form,'' he thought, recalling the scene from a few weeks ago.


    "Grandfather, I want to learn the family''s secret technique," Da Shu had said with a determined expression.


    After the incident in the forest, Da Shu realized that he was still too weak to even protect himself, let alone the people dear to him.


    "Hm? It seems you''ve finally advanced to the next stage in your cultivation," Peng Jun said, pleasantly surprised.


    Through intense training in recent days, Da Shu managed to break through to the Qi Refining realm, but he did not want to stop there. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the past, his grandfather had told him that he could only learn the family''s secret technique once he reached at least the Qi Refining stage.


    Now that he had reached that point, he decided to pay a visit to his grandfather.


    Da Shu, who had almost fully recovered, released the technique, and his fists, once covered in that black layer, returned to normal.


    recently, he had stabilized his new cultivation base while also training his body and Qi, allowing him to use the manifestation of spiritual Qi.


    Before, he didn''t understand why his grandfather had told him to reach the second stage of cultivation before learning the technique, but now he understood the reason.


    This technique required the use of spiritual Qi; without it, 90% of its effectiveness was lost.


    Da Shu had seen his grandfather use it in the past, and compared to that time, his technique still lacked much power.


    ''Well, I''m only at the first form,'' he thought as he wiped away the sweat and prepared to leave.


    Today, he had several things to take care of, including the enormous number of pills his friend had dumped on him, saying he would remain in closed-door cultivation for a few months.


    Da Shu, who had gotten used to Ethan''s refining speed, was still shocked to see the huge number of pills that Ethan pulled out of nowhere.


    At this point, he wondered if Ethan had a team of alchemists helping him produce the pills, because no matter how much he thought about it, it was impossible to produce so many pills in such a short time.


    According to him, this number would last for three months, but Da Shu believed they would likely last a few months more.


    The sale of Ethan''s pills was going great, and they already had many regular customers who eagerly awaited each new batch of pills.


    The situation became even more frenzied when the number of high-grade level 1 pills that Ethan produced increased.


    Previously, he had only produced three or four types of pills at this grade, but now it seemed like he could produce as many as he wanted, and on top of that, the purity of these pills was unmatched by any other high-grade pills produced by other alchemists.


    In fact, it surpassed almost all of them, with a purity that exceeded 90%, which was insane considering that only a few alchemists could bring the purity of a pill beyond 90%.


    This only brought more prestige to his brand, and since Da Shu''s family was the only one selling his pills, they too greatly benefited from it.


    All his uncles and cousins, who had ventured into business and ridiculed him in the past, were now flattering him from all sides, wanting a piece of his success.


    Because, even though the family''s reputation was benefiting from this, Da Shu was the one gaining most of the profits.


    And the others couldn''t even try to establish a connection with the unknown alchemist, as no one knew who he was, so they could only rely on Da Shu.


    Da Shu was a cultivator, and a talented one at that, so no one dared to force him, especially because his grandfather, who was also the head of the Peng family, had warned everyone not to play any dirty tricks on him.


    In the end, they could only accept the crumbs from his success and be happy in the background, though these crumbs were not insignificant.


    Simply put, when there''s an entire cake in front of you, no one wants to focus solely on the crumbs.


    ''I wonder how he''s doing in the selection,'' he thought, but then, remembering Ethan''s results in the alchemical field, he simply shook his head.


    ''It shouldn''t be too difficult for him to secure a spot in the imperial tournament,'' he thought as he prepared to leave.


    And just as he thought, Ethan managed to secure one of the remaining three spots.


    But he didn''t do it in the way everyone expected.


    At the end of his match with Xun Wei, the third and final round began, in which the three participants for the official tournament would be decided.


    The first two spots were more or less secured by Ethan and Xiang Hua, while Xun Wei and Yan Mei had to face off for the third spot.


    The examiner asked if they wanted to take a break before the next match, but Ethan simply shook his head, saying there was no need.


    Xun Wei and Yan Mei were to face off for the third spot, but as for first place, Xiang Hua was supposed to compete with Ethan.


    In other words, their match was next, but that''s not what happened.


    Against everyone''s expectations, Ethan, who had said there was no need for a break, asked the examiner if he had already secured one of the spots.


    When the examiner, though with a puzzled expression, nodded, Ethan said without hesitation that he conceded the match to Xiang Hua.


    Both the examiner and the participants, who had finished their matches and were preparing to watch the game between the two, were left speechless.


    The one who took the greatest hit was Xun Wei, who ended up losing to Yan Mei in the competition, thus coming in fourth and consequently losing the last spot.


    Both sides had given their best, but unlike Xun Wei, who had finished preparing nine out of ten pills, Yan Mei prepared two high-grade pills and used the remaining 40 minutes to refine a low-grade level 2 pill.


    That single pill alone was enough to counter most of the pills Xun Wei had produced, and with the addition of the two high-grade level 1 pills, she secured the victory.


    Just like Xun Wei, she was still a beginner when it came to producing level 2 pills, but she decided to take the risk and successfully refined the pill. Your source is m-vl|em|p,yr


    Xun Wei, who had entered with his head held high and back straight, returned with his heart broken, especially by the woman he loved.


    If Ethan had been there, he might have sympathized with the defeated, but after withdrawing from the last match, he took his medallion, indicating that he was one of the participants, and left.


    He had the feeling that if he stayed any longer, he would end up getting beaten by Xiang Hua, who was staring at him with a dead look in her eyes.


    Ethan had decided that he would never reveal his identity in front of her, because if she knew who he was, she would likely hunt him down.


    Ethan had decided to participate in the competition up to this point only because he needed to secure a spot.


    He had no intention of aiming for first place and wasting more time here, after all, what was an hour here was over four days in the Minor dimension.


    The sooner he returned, the sooner he could begin his closed-door training.


    Aside from cultivating and refining pills to accumulate large amounts of Qi and system points, he also had to do something about that cocoon in his spiritual sea.


    The cocoon needed a large amount of his Qi to hatch, and whether he liked it or not, it would continue to parasitize his body as long as it remained in the cocoon.


    Only after it hatched could Ethan and Bai Yu decide how to deal with it.


    According to Bai Yu, Ethan was not at risk of being harmed by it, since both of them seemed to be linked, and hurting him would mean hurting the creature in the cocoon.


    So, for now, they had one less worry.


    What remained to be determined was the type of creature inside it, because depending on the creature that emerged, he could benefit more or less from it.


    ??

 Chapter 134: Entering closed-door cultivation

    .


    Ethan, having just returned from the competition, immediately informed the sect master of his intention to go into seclusion to cultivate for about three months.


    Although three months wasn''t a lot, considering that cultivators often stayed in seclusion for years, it was still necessary to inform someone, to avoid any issues later on.


    Especially now that he was a direct disciple of the sect master, he couldn''t take these matters lightly.


    When he went to the sect master''s office to report this, he could tell that she had noticed he had already advanced to the third stage.


    She probably thought that he wanted to consolidate his cultivation since he had apparently reached the third stage.


    This was further confirmed when, before he left, his master asked him if he needed help finding a suitable spiritual beast for himself.


    Ethan replied that there was no need, as he had some personal contacts to acquire one when the time came.


    In fact, the best time to assimilate a spiritual beast''s soul was when one reached the peak of the third stage.


    From then on, he would have to cultivate the beast''s soul within his core and prepare it for the fusion that would occur in the fifth stage.


    Ethan could tell the sect master was a bit disappointed that he had declined her offer.


    Perhaps she was a caring sect master who wanted to help whenever she could?


    He thought this as he returned to his residence.


    Having left the competition early, he didn''t encounter Xian Hua when he went to visit the sect master, and he thought it was probably for the best.


    If she had examined his cultivation base, she might have had suspicions about his identity as the masked boy.


    That said, he didn''t prepare much and went directly into his minor dimension.


    Everything he needed was already present in his minor dimension, so he didn''t have to do much in the outside world.


    He knew this would be his first time in seclusion for such a long period, and he wasn''t sure if he would be able to endure it.


    After all, three months in the outside world would be 25 years inside the minor dimension.


    Ethan believed that if he cultivated in seclusion for that long, he risked going insane, but fortunately for him, he wasn''t alone, he had a dragon woman in his mind to converse with from time to time.


    His plan for now was to accumulate a certain amount of Qi each day by refining high-grade level 2 pills and use that Qi to work on strengthening his Dantian.


    In addition to this, he would continue his training with Bai Yu and learn more about dragons, their various characteristics, and abilities, so he could fully harness everything he had gained by assimilating their bloodline.


    His Dragon Gaze was currently the most powerful weapon in his arsenal, but precisely because of this, it was also difficult to use.


    No matter how much he improved his mastery of it, he would still encounter a fundamental problem: the energy consumption.


    Ethan had done some quick calculations and had come to the conclusion that by producing high-grade level 2 pills for 5 hours a day, it would take more than a year to reach the amount of Qi necessary to reach the peak of the third stage of cultivation.


    This time would be extended even further by the fact that to hatch the cocoon, Ethan would need to share part of the refined Qi with it, more precisely, almost half of the Qi, so it wouldn''t take just one year but over two years.


    This was just the beginning.


    Once he reached the peak, he would need the creature inside the cocoon to be ready for assimilation with him.


    A basic requirement for this had already been met, which was none other than forming a bond.


    Now, he needed to ensure that the creature would nest inside his Dantian and begin fusing with him from the inside.


    From what he had heard from Bai Yu, the process was much more complicated, but for him at this stage, that wasn''t important.


    Along with Qi, he would also gain an enormous amount of system points during this time and would have to decide how to use them best, since he had no idea what the future costs of his pills or abilities might be. Stay connected with m|vl|e|mp|y|r


    According to a rough estimate, he could earn at least 1,350 SP per day if he refined high-grade level 2 pills during those 5 hours.


    The list of tasks was long, and Ethan knew that it wouldn''t be easy to endure for such a long period.


    But he thought it was better this way.


    He intended to use every means at his disposal to become as strong as possible.


    With the incident in the forest not long ago, he was now on high alert, and if it was true that demonic Qi had appeared in the mortal plane, it wouldn''t be long before a catastrophe struck.


    He didn''t know when, but he knew that something like this could happen, and Bai Yu agreed with him on this.


    According to her, it wouldn''t take long before other similar incidents began to surface.


    Arriving in his minor dimension, he glanced at his ever-growing herb garden and couldn''t help but sigh in amazement.


    ''To think that it was just a small garden a few months ago,'' he thought, satisfied with his work over the past few months, which had been years within this space.


    He had expanded his garden multiple times, and now it was far from what it once was.


    Each herb now had its own large or small area, depending on the herb and its importance.


    With the great wealth Ethan managed to earn from selling his pills, he had ordered every type of rare and precious herb, cultivating them here and multiplying them in a short amount of time.


    If anyone saw the enormous variety of herbs, including some extremely rare ones, they would go mad.


    Even a grandmaster couldn''t claim to have an herb garden that could rival Ethan''s.


    In fact, if it were discovered that Ethan possessed all these herbs, he would be hunted to the ends of the continent.


    Ethan regretted not being able to get his hands on some extremely rare herbs that were hard to find, but for now, he was happy with what he had.


    Not that what he had was anything to scoff at.


    Ethan mainly had to rely on refining pills to gain Qi, as doing so normally would take too much time, more than he could afford.


    There were many pill recipes, but he had to rely primarily on those he currently knew.


    So, although his herb garden couldn''t be considered complete, filled with every kind of herb, the important thing was that he had the main ones for producing his pills.


    During this period, he knew he would accumulate a large amount of System Points, and he needed to choose a few pill recipes to upgrade.


    Upgrading all of them would deplete his SP in no time, but doing so for 2 or 3 was manageable.


    Opening the status screen, he went to the shop and looked at the recipes for some of the perfect-grade level 1 pills he already had.


    The cost to upgrade a perfect-grade pill to level 2 was 1000 SP.


    He had already upgraded his basic recovery pill recipe to low-grade level 2, so he found that recipe and checked how many SP it would take to upgrade it to the next grade.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Recovery Pill Recipe]


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    Grade: Low


    Description: A pill capable of fully recovering fatigue from intense training and increasing the healing of moderate injuries.


    The purity of this pill will be above 25% but below 50%.


    [Upgrade] (100 SP)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the cost of 100 SP, Ethan wasn''t too surprised.


    He had paid around 2000 SP to get that high-grade level 2 recipe, but if you considered how many SP in total had already been spent to bring a recipe from level 1 to level 2, then the total costs were much higher, especially since this recipe was still at low grade.


    To bring it to mid-grade required 100 SP, but very likely, to bring it to high-grade would require 1000 SP or more.


    He deduced this based on how the costs of recipes had increased in previous grades.


    Almost every time, the costs increased tenfold.


    It was almost like a rule.


    And to confirm it, Ethan pressed [Upgrade] and raised the recipe''s grade.


    The familiar tingling sensation in his head, as he felt information being downloaded directly into his brain, didn''t take long to arrive.


    In less than a minute, the process was finished, and the recipe was successfully upgraded.


    Ethan didn''t waste time contemplating the new information but checked the status screen to see the new price of the pill.


    [Upgrade] (1000 SP)


    ''Just as I thought.''


    The price had increased tenfold.


    Now, there was a problem.


    If the price increased tenfold, didn''t that mean to reach perfect grade for this pill, he''d have to spend 10,000 SP?


    With just over a thousand System Points remaining, Ethan pressed the button to upgrade the recipe from mid-grade to high-grade.


    Again, the upgrade process took less than a minute.


    After it was done, Ethan immediately opened the pill screen and saw how much it would cost now.


    [Upgrade] (10,000 SP)


    "..."

 Chapter 135: The Vengeful Beast

    .


    Near the Phoenix Sect, in a shallow area of the Spirit Forest, a bloody battle to the death was taking place.


    The area of the Spirit Forest involved in the fight showed various signs of damage, from deeply dented trees to others that had been completely uprooted from the ground.


    The culprits behind all this destruction did not seem to care and continued their battle without the slightest distraction.


    Boom!


    At the sound of what seemed to be a small explosion, a cloud of smoke rose, and within seconds, a figure could be seen darting out and crashing into a series of trees.


    The mighty trees of the Spirit Forest, upon contact with the figure being thrown, couldn''t withstand the impact and were destroyed, adding more disorder to the already damaged area.


    Within a 100-meter radius, no beast could be seen wandering, and the closest ones were at least 300 meters away, rushing in the opposite direction from the battle between these two beings. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the end of the row of newly destroyed trees, a mantis the size of a grown adult could be seen, its body embedded into the trunk of a tree.


    The large mantis showed no signs of movement, demonstrating the lethal nature of the earlier explosion.


    The cloud of dust that had been raised began to settle, and the figure of another creature started to emerge from it.


    Unlike the mantis, the size of the second creature was much smaller, almost one-tenth that of the mantis.


    Squeak.


    Squeak.


    With a series of high-pitched squeaks, the small figure moved, disappearing from its initial position and reappearing in front of the lifeless mantis''s body, embedded in the trunk.


    The creature''s speed was fast enough to close the nearly 20-meter distance in an instant.


    Appearing in front of the lifeless mantis, the small creature squeaked a couple of times and then launched itself onto its body.


    It disappeared and reappeared again on the mantis''s head, and without hesitation, used its small fangs to tear through the mantis''s skull.


    After several seconds, the creature stopped, now holding a sphere half the size of its own small body.


    With the mantis''s beast core in hand, the creature opened its mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.


    Immediately after, the creature''s body began to be covered by a faint white glow, while small but noticeable changes started occurring on its body.


    Its entire body began to tremble and started growing slightly in size.


    If the creature had been 15 centimeters before, it now measured almost 20 centimeters.


    Even its outer appearance underwent some changes: its white fur became smoother and shinier, its eyes took on a scarlet hue, and its claws grew larger and sharper.


    The process itself lasted no more than a minute, and by the end of it, the creature that had once appeared cute now had a much more threatening appearance.


    Seeing that it had become stronger, the creature couldn''t help but let out a loud squeak, as if to assert its newfound power.


    "Wait for me, human. I''ll make you pay for all the suffering I''ve endured ," thought the creature as a series of painful memories flashed through its mind.


    Some time ago, while it had gone out to find food for its family, it ended up being captured by a human who treated it like merchandise and brought it to a market to be sold.


    The creature spent a long time in that cage, worrying about the fate of its family, as well as its own.


    After several days in the cage with no one buying it, a young man with long raven hair tied in a ponytail finally came and bought it.


    The human left a deep impression on it, as the small creature had never seen anyone haggle so persistently over the price of something.


    It should be known that even in the wild, beasts had to face their fair share of problems, and they often fought over the same thing.


    This situation seemed similar to the creature.


    In the end, the young human managed to get a good price for himself and took it home.


    The little creature, which resembled a mouse, didn''t know what would become of it, but seeing the crazy glances the human gave it while fiddling with a large metal object, it knew nothing good was coming.


    It feared for its life and knew it had to find a way to escape; otherwise, it likely wouldn''t survive.


    Even though it knew this, it made no effort.


    The days spent inside that cage had caused it to lose all hope.


    This lasted until something miraculous happened.


    The strange boy, who until recently had been staring intensely at it while muttering something like, "I''ll make sure you''re worth the money I spent on you," suddenly stopped what he was doing and rushed out of his room.


    The small, mouse-like creature, which had been thinking that the crazy boy was about to deal the final blow by feeding it those strange balls, sighed in relief, glad to have survived another day.


    Only then did it notice that, in his haste to leave, the crazy boy had forgotten to lock the cage.


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    The little creature, realizing this, knew that either it escaped now, or it would remain there forever.


    Without hesitation, it fled from the cage and managed to slip out through the slightly open window.


    From there, it took some time, but it eventually found its way back to its den.


    It wondered how its family was doing and whether they had missed it during its long absence.


    Without hesitation, it entered its underground den and hurried to reach its family.


    But what it found upon its arrival was not a pleasant sight.


    On its knees, surrounded by the bones of its loved ones, it swore it would take its revenge.


    Shaking off the painful memories, the small, mouse-like creature climbed off the mantis'' corpse and headed in a new direction, ready to hunt its next prey.


    What had once been an innocent little mouse had, in just a few months, become the nightmare of many beings in the outer area of the Spirit Forest.

 Chapter 136: Zhao Ming

    .


    A week had passed since Ethan had gone to cultivate in the minor dimension, and during this time, nothing too significant occurred within the sect or the outside world.


    The peaceful lives of the disciples continued as they pursued their cultivation paths in a relaxed yet steady manner.


    Or at least, most of them did.


    In the inner area of the Phoenix Sect, where the core disciples resided, a young man with blue hair and gray eyes sat, glaring ahead at two disciples of the sect with an angry expression.


    "You''re telling me that after all this time, you still haven''t managed to find out who the sect master''s new disciple is?" he said, slamming his hand down on the wooden table in front of him.


    At the sound of the table hitting, the bodies of the two disciples trembled and one of them found the courage to speak up and explain.


    "Young Master Zhao, we''ve done our best to find any information on that person, but no one seems to know anything about him.


    We even tried asking the elders of the sect, but their answer was always the same: that we should wait for the sect master to introduce him.


    We also tried keeping watch from a distance near the building where the sect master''s office is, but aside from Senior Sister Xian Hua, we didn''t see anyone else who could be the new disciple," one of the two youths said hastily.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Ming''s frown deepened.


    He had been admitted to the sect just over a year ago, and due to his high scores in the entrance exam, he, along with three other disciples, had been admitted as inner disciples of the sect right from the start.


    But his achievements didn''t stop there.


    With a rare, special physique, above-average talent, and the immense wealth of his family, he progressed rapidly in his cultivation.


    When he entered the sect, he had already reached the first level of body refining. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within less than a month, he had reached the second, and in the following months, he continued in this manner, until, in less than a year, he reached the peak of the first stage of cultivation.


    It should be noted that the average person would take several months to advance even one level, let alone many.


    A normal person would take anywhere from 3 to 5 years to reach the peak of the first stage of cultivation, but with his talent, Zhao Ming had done it in less than a year, and in a few more months, he broke through to the Qi Refining stage.


    Due to his rapid progress, he was taken under the wing of one of the sect''s elders, and before long, he went from being an inner disciple to becoming a core disciple.


    Core disciples were considered the future pillars of the sect, and it was said that each of them possessed great talent.


    All these successes only served to fuel Zhao Ming''s sense of superiority even more.


    He was born into a wealthy and powerful family, possessed a rare, special physique, and had talent for cultivation far beyond others.


    He practically had all the cards to become the best, and as such, he didn''t want to settle for being just a core disciple. Dive into the story on m|vl em pyr


    He wanted to become a direct disciple of the sect master.


    He knew that becoming a direct disciple wasn''t easy, as evidenced by the fact that in the past 40 years, the sect master had only accepted one disciple, and that was none other than Xiang Hua, a woman whom even Zhao Ming could respect, as her cultivation talent was not inferior to his.


    Thus, he did everything he could to attract the sect master''s attention, but he failed.


    He had already proven himself to be one of the best among the core disciples and had even asked to be taken under the sect master''s wing, but she rejected him without hesitation.


    For someone like him, who was used to getting everything in life without too much effort, this rejection felt like a slap in the face, but he didn''t give up.


    While his Zhao family was powerful, they couldn''t possibly think of challenging one of the most powerfull figures in the Long Empire.


    With just a word, she could bring his family from the stars to the dirt.


    Her influence in the empire, combined with her almost unparalleled strength, was not something to be taken lightly, so Zhao Ming didn''t act recklessly.


    Instead, he resolved to change the sect master''s mind.


    Although he had been spoiled by his family from a young age, talent wasn''t something he lacked, and combined with his personal efforts to become stronger, he was certain he would succeed in earning the sect master''s favor.


    Thus, he cultivated even more diligently and reached the third level of Qi Refining.


    He was only 21 years old and had already reached this level.


    At an age when many were still struggling with the first stage of cultivation, he was already climbing through the second.


    He thought that with his progress, perhaps this time the sect master would finally take him as her disciple, but it wasn''t so.


    As soon as he came out from closed-door cultivation, which had lasted several months, he learned that the sect master had accepted a new disciple.


    There was no need to say that the news hit him like a bolt from the blue.


    What was even more unacceptable to him was that the person in question was an unknown, and no matter how hard he tried to find information on him, he couldn''t uncover anything.


    It was as if this individual had appeared out of thin air.


    He decided that he would track him down, and once found, he would challenge him to an official duel, where he would immediately deal him a crushing defeat.


    He thought that perhaps in this way, he would finally prove to the sect master that he had all the qualifications to become her disciple.


    But there was only one problem.


    The boy in question couldn''t be found anywhere.


    No matter how he searched, he couldn''t obtain any information on him.


    ''Just wait until I find you, then I will personally see what makes you so special that you can become a disciple of the sect master,'' he thought as his gray eyes glowed faintly with energy.

 Chapter 137: Long Yue

    .


    In the capital of the Long Empire, in a corridor of the royal palace, a maid was pushing a cart with various covered dishes on it.


    The light footsteps of the maid barely echoed along the marble corridor.


    The echo of her movements blended with the solemn silence of the great walls as she gracefully advanced towards a door that, beyond its heavy, intricately carved wooden panels, hid an inner garden.


    Gently pushing the door, the maid entered a small hidden paradise, colored green by various species of flowers and animals.


    The garden, though not too large, radiated a perfect calm.


    Flowers with pastel-like colors bloomed along the paths, and small fish darted in the clear waters of the fountain, unaware of the presence of the person sitting on the edge, observing them distractedly, lost in her thoughts.


    The maid moved delicately, careful not to disturb the serenity of the moment. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She reached a shaded corner and carefully set up a small wooden table, adorning it with a steaming cup of fragrant tea and a plate of biscuits.


    After completing the task, she approached the girl sitting by the fountain, almost reaching her ears, and with a neutral expression, she said:


    "Young lady, I''ve brought you some tea."


    "AH!"


    The girl, with golden hair and eyes like emeralds, jolted at the maid''s sudden voice and ended up falling into the fountain.


    The maid, still with a neutral expression on her face, tilted her head and asked:


    "Young lady, why did you throw yourself into the fountain? Are you feeling hot? If you''d like, I can prepare a bath," she said, with an apparently confused expression.


    The girl, struggling to climb out of the fountain, looked at her wet dress and then at the maid''s confused expression.


    "Haa..."


    She sighed and simply shook her head, while seemingly circulating Qi through her body.


    "No, Fei Yi, I''m not hot; you just caught me off guard," she said, as the air around her warmed slightly.


    Water vapor started to rise from her robe, and within seconds, it was no longer wet.


    The maid, hearing her princess''s words, thought for a moment and then said:


    "I understand. Then I deserve the death penalty," she said with a neutral expression.


    "..."


    Long Yue, hearing these words and seeing the neutral expression of her maid, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    Finally, shaking her head, she approached the table the maid had prepared and sat down, asking:


    "I heard that my brother left on a journey to the north, to the White Tiger Kingdom. Is that true?"


    The maid, standing nearby, nodded and simply said:


    "Yes, His Majesty the Emperor has sent the young master Jian on some tasks in the White Tiger Kingdom."


    Hearing this, Long Yue''s expression changed slightly, and for a moment, she said nothing.


    Then, taking a sip from her cup, she said:


    "I see."


    She didn''t have a good relationship with her father, the Emperor, as he had mostly neglected both her and her older brother, and she didn''t have a favorable opinion of him.


    Especially after an incident many years ago that led to her mother''s death.


    To her, the imperial palace was a cage, full of memories she didn''t want to remember, so she fled from it whenever she had the chance.


    She had tried to enroll in a sect so she could move there, but her father denied the idea, saying it was dangerous and unnecessary.


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    In his view, there was nothing that the sects had that the imperial family didn''t already possess.


    From the strongest and most experienced cultivators to masters of all kinds, all her needs could be met here.


    At first, she thought he was doing it genuinely for her safety, as the imperial family didn''t lack enemies hidden in the shadows, ready to strike.


    But as time passed, she believed this less and less.


    For her, the events that led to her mother''s death were still fresh in her mind, and staying here was a constant reminder of those events.


    Clearing her mind of these thoughts, Long Yue turned to her maid and asked:


    "By the way, regarding the incident a few months ago, do you know if any action has been taken?"


    Having been hit by the wave of spiritual energy released from the portal, she had lost consciousness and remained unconscious throughout the incident.


    She only knew that she woke up the next day in the Phoenix Sect and only then learned of the creature that emerged from the portal and the battle between the creature and her older brother.


    She wondered what her brother had been doing in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    She was sure she had erased all traces of her escape.


    She had decided to move from the capital to another city to avoid being easily tracked, but during her journey, she ended up getting involved in the incident.


    In the end, she tried to leave, but her brother found her and brought her back to the family castle.


    Although her brother seemed fine when she met him, she could tell that wasn''t the case at all.


    She knew how strong her brother was, so she understood the gravity of the situation.


    It was impossible that her father wouldn''t take action after such a creature appeared out of nowhere in the empire.


    The maid nodded her head as she said:


    "Yes, His Majesty has scheduled a meeting after the end of the competition to be held in three months, and from what I''ve heard, he has also summoned the masters of the three great sects of the empire."


    She answered with her usual neutral expression.


    "The competition? Do you mean the annual alchemy tournament?"


    The maid simply nodded her head.


    The annual alchemy tournament was one of several yearly events held in the Long Empire.


    Among the many, in terms of importance, it was second only to the martial arts competition held every five years, where all the sects of the three empires regularly participated, sending their best disciples.


    Coincidentally, this year also hosted the martial arts competition, not far from the alchemy tournament.


    If she had to choose between the two, Long Yue would prefer to see the martial arts tournament, as it would give her an idea of what level her peers had reached.


    Alchemy wasn''t among her interests, and although she could produce a simple pill or two, it was more due to the fact that, as the emperor''s daughter, she was required to specialize in various fields, one of which would eventually become her future in a sense.


    Alchemy was one of those fields.


    She wasn''t forced to continue learning it, but at least some basics were necessary.


    Thinking about alchemy, she remembered an event that happened shortly before the incident in the Spirit Forest.


    She had been in the market of City Dino in the Phoenix Kingdom, trying to buy a herb that would have been useful during her journey, when she ended up bidding against a boy wearing the robes of an outer disciple of the Phoenix Sect.


    Remembering that boy, her mood darkened slightly as she muttered something like,


    "He made me waste too much money."

 Chapter 138: After 5 years

    . S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It had been some time since Ethan locked himself inside the minor dimension, and since then, almost 20 days had passed in the outside world, which meant 5 years had passed in the minor dimension.


    Inside the dimension, everything was calm and serene as always, and the rich vegetation continued to grow in peace.


    What had once been a fairly large herb garden had now nearly doubled in size.


    Given the time that had passed inside, the total dimensions of the garden should have been even more enormous, but Ethan eventually decided that further expansion wasn''t necessary.


    For almost all the herbs he was cultivating here, there was already more than enough space, and expanding it further was pointless.


    So, he decided to stop and simply store the herbs that grew regularly here.


    If one were to look at his dimensional pocket, they would notice several compartments filled to the brim with every type of plant and medicinal herb.


    This amount alone would last him for several years if used sparingly.


    If converted into pills, it would yield at least a few thousand level 2 pills, tens of thousands of level 1 pills, and so on.


    One of the many reasons he decided not to expand the garden further was due to the maintenance it required.


    If he wanted the herbs to keep growing healthily, he needed to constantly tend to the garden.


    Some of the herbs were, in a sense, self-sufficient and didn''t need any special care, but many others required that every few months, Ethan would harvest them and tend to the soil, ensuring it maintained its properties.


    It was during moments like these that he contemplated the idea of hiring staff to work here.


    He had thought about it many times, and the idea was feasible.


    The basic problem was the risk of revealing the existence of his minor dimension, but if he made the staff sign a soul contract and agreed to live here permanently, it could save him from this concern.


    Of course, this plan had several flaws, not to mention that morally, Ethan didn''t think that was quite right, so he found himself back where he started.


    This was until, at one point, the system underwent an update.


    Two years after he had been inside, he finally reached the peak of the third cultivation stage, and now the only thing left was to wait for the cocoon of light to hatch and for the creature inside to finally be born.


    Although he had already reached the limit of this stage and had completely strengthened his Dantian, he couldn''t move on to the next step until he had assimilated the spirit beast inside the cocoon.


    Even the system didn''t give him the option to advance to the next stage in exchange for a certain number of SP this time.


    This only confirmed what Bai Yu had told him about the fragility of the human soul and how it wasn''t advisable to take the next step without that crucial element.


    An element that, over the last five years, had drained his Qi like a bottomless parasite.


    Finally, three years after reaching the peak of his current stage, a change occurred in the cocoon of light within his spiritual sea.


    Both Ethan and Bai Yu were already present, ready to witness the birth of the creature inside.


    They had both been waiting for this moment for five years and were eager to finally discover what creature was inside.


    Ever since Bai Yu had told him she felt some suppression of her bloodline, Ethan had been wondering what kind of creature was inside the cocoon.


    After all, according to what she had said, her bloodline should technically be one of the purest dragon bloodlines in existence, so it was rare to find another dragon that could have such an effect on her.


    According to her, even the current emperor of the dragon race had never had such an effect on her.


    Needless to say, after hearing this information, Ethan was even more wary of the creature inside the cocoon.


    "Are you sure it''ll be safe to let it be born?" Ethan asked for confirmation while both of them observed the changes happening in the cocoon of light.


    "I can''t say for sure, but the fact remains that you''ve already formed a bond of sorts, so there shouldn''t be any danger," she said.


    The intensity of the light emitted by the cocoon increased, and the figure inside began to twist more violently.


    The process continued for a while, and then it finally happened.


    CRACK!


    A crack appeared, and blue-green light leaked out.


    CRACK!


    And another, and then another.


    Within a few seconds, the cocoon began to fracture, covered in cracks, and then, without warning��


    BOOM!


    The cocoon of light exploded, sending a wave of black-green energy rippling out for at least 1,000 meters in Ethan''s spiritual sea.


    Though neither he nor Bai Yu suffered any backlash from this energy wave, Ethan felt his spiritual sea tremble as a black-blue-green cloud began to gather around the cocoon''s area.


    The cloud gave off a menacing feeling, and once released, as if it had its own will, it began to swirl, condensing at the center of the vortex it created.


    In no time, the vortex, which had a diameter exceeding two meters, shrank smaller and smaller until it was the size of a basketball.


    At last, the vortex began to calm, and the mist that had formed it started to dissipate.


    As the mist cleared, some features of the newly born figure became visible.


    A half-meter-long body, entirely covered in shiny black-gray scales. Delve into more on m-vlem,pyr


    Two pairs of glimmering eyes that seemed to be a mix of black, blue, and green, and a slender, snake-like snout with an elegant, sharp form.


    Its mouth opened, revealing razor-sharp teeth, ready to catch any prey.


    Two small horns, resembling tree branches, extended backward from its head as it lifted its head majestically.


    Though the creature was newly born, Ethan could feel a strange, almost ancient aura emanating from it.


    Just as he was wondering what kind of being this creature was, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.


    DING!


    [Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a primordial chaos beast.]


    [Would you like to proceed with binding it to your soul?]


    [Y/N]

 Chapter 139: Primordial Chaos Beast

    .


    Upon hearing the term the system used to refer to the creature, Ethan froze for a moment.


    It wasn''t the first time he had heard about Primordial Chaos, also known as the Primordial Era.


    It was a period before the various planes of existence came into being, and according to what Bai Yu had told him, it was also the time when most of the ancestors of various races were born.


    ''Is it possible that...''


    Ethan considered a shocking possibility but then shook his head.


    ''No, that''s too absurd to be true,'' he thought, questioning more and more about the creature''s origins.


    Previously, Bai Yu had mentioned that she felt an instinctive suppression in her bloodline coming from this creature.


    She had said that this only happened when encountering someone with a stronger bloodline than her own, and the effect was stronger if the being was of the same species.


    This creature that emerged from the cocoon was a primordial chaos beast, not to mention a reptilian one.


    Now, Ethan didn''t want to call Bai Yu a reptile, since he wasn''t sure if she''d like being classified as such.


    He had read in many novels that dragons hated being associated with lower reptilian creatures.


    He didn''t know if the situation was the same in this world.


    That said, perhaps the creature wasn''t the ancestor of the dragon race but just a closer descendant in terms of bloodline?


    Ethan simply couldn''t believe he had ended up with the ancestor of dragons.


    As far as he knew, the ancestors of the various races of the Heavenly Plane had disappeared during the Primordial Era, and since then, no one had seen them.


    The more Ethan thought about it, the more he realized that there were too many mysteries surrounding this being.


    While Ethan was lost in his thoughts for a moment, forgetting even to respond to the system,


    Bai Yu, who was next to him, felt the creature''s gaze shift to her for a moment, and she sensed an invisible pressure reappear.


    The suppression was more of a invisible sensation that, at the moment, had no real effect on her or her soul.


    But the more she looked at this being, the more she felt a certain sense of familiarity with it.


    She could say that they were part of the same race, and given the current situation, this being undoubtedly had a purer bloodline than hers, probably even purer than the current dragon lord.


    If this being were to appear in the Celestial Plane, only the heavens could know what kind of havoc it would cause.


    The small snake-like creature, black with horns, had been looking around the entire time and finally fixed its gaze on Ethan.


    It felt an invisible bond between the two, instinctively wanting to approach him.


    Ethan, who had been lost in his speculations the entire time, couldn''t help but finally say to Bai Yu,


    "The Seven Sages Amphora seems to classify this creature as a Primordial Chaos beast," he said, addressing her.


    "What?!"


    Bai Yu, upon hearing this sudden information, almost had a heart attack.


    A Primordial Chaos beast.


    She, who had spoken about the Primordial Era and Primordial Chaos to Ethan, knew better than anyone about it.


    Thus, this information led her to have the same exact speculations as Ethan.


    For a moment, she too got lost in her thoughts, and while she did, Ethan returned his focus to the floating system screen in front of him.


    [Y/N]


    Ethan had been waiting for three years for the creature inside the cocoon of light to be born so that he could then assimilate its soul into his core and break through to the next stage.


    He had thought that once the moment came, the process would be difficult, as it required the creature''s consent as well, but seeing this system prompt, Ethan no longer thought that.


    He had come to trust the system''s ability to do things perfectly, in the sense that if it said it would do something, it would do it without harming him.


    Even the pain he felt the first few times he tried to learn and improve his pill recipes had never left any damage to his mind.


    Ethan had wondered how long it would take to convince and assimilate the soul of the spiritual beast into his core, but now it seemed he didn''t have to think much about that problem anymore.


    In the end, he mentally said, "Yes."


    Immediately after he did, a beam of light shot from his mind and struck the creature''s.


    The creature tried to resist the beam for a moment, but upon realizing it wasn''t harming it, it calmed down and watched what was happening.


    The beam of light disappeared after passing from Ethan to the creature, and shortly after, it returned, this time striking Ethan''s abdomen.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what had just happened, but he could feel a strange tingling coming from his dantian.


    He immediately closed his eyes and tried to perceive inside his core, and the sight of what was within destabilized him for a moment.


    The first time he managed to perceive inside his dantian was when he broke through to the second stage of cultivation.


    Back then, he could feel the Qi inside condensing and forming droplets of water, which were actually pure, refined Qi.


    The second time was when he reached the third stage, when the process of crystallizing the Qi inside his core began, expanding and strengthening it in preparation for hosting the soul of a spiritual beast within.


    Bai Yu had told him that once he reached the peak of the third stage, the perception of his inner core would become clearer, and he would, in a sense, be able to observe the space within. Continue the journey on m|vl-em,py-r


    She had also said that the space formed within wouldn''t be small and would essentially be like a small dimension inside himself.


    It was in this space where the rest of everyone''s cultivation would progress.


    According to what he had learned from Bai Yu, beings who reached the peak of the Spirit Realm could even manifest their inner space in reality.


    Knowing this, Ethan expected to see a somewhat extended space inside him, perhaps a bit dark, where the spiritual beast''s soul would wander. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But what he saw before him was something he had never expected.


    Something he had hoped never to see again.

 Chapter 140: Zhong Hei

    .


    Since arriving in this world, Ethan had encountered many situations where his life was at risk.


    The most recent of these was when he ended up being dragged into that dark space, where he found the cocoon of light, which had nearly absorbed him at the time.


    Back then, he had almost thought it was the end, but was saved just in time by the amphora of the Seven Sages.


    He didn''t expect to return to that place. From what he could see now, that space was within his Dantian.


    ''Fate sure loves playing cruel jokes,'' he thought as he noticed something strange about the place compared to the last time he had been there.


    Previously, the entire surrounding area had been covered in a bluish-greenish black cloud, charged with energy, with the giant cocoon of light at the center, surrounded by a large spiraling ring, likely formed from the condensed energy cloud found in this place.


    But now, everything was calmer.


    The cloud was still present, but in smaller quantities, and the sphere of light was no longer as intense as before.


    It was still there, large, with the translucent figure of the primordial chaos creature swimming inside, but it no longer had the same intensity, and the energy ring was gone.


    In short, everything seemed too peaceful.


    It no longer gave off that chaotic feeling from before.


    It was as if someone had unplugged the power cord, and now everything was still in the darkness.


    After examining the entire space inside his Dantian, Ethan returned to his spiritual sea.


    As soon as he emerged, he felt the connection between him and the creature grow stronger.


    He could sense what the creature was feeling at that moment, and it seemed the creature could feel him too.


    At that moment, he heard the system notification once again.


    [Primordial Chaos Beast Soul successfully assimilated]


    Find your adventure at m-vl-em,py-r


    [Assign it a name: ��]


    A name?


    Ethan was a bit caught off guard by this request.


    He had never had a pet before, so he had no experience in naming a creature.


    In fact, now that he thought about it, he realized that he would spend a lot of time with this beast, so he would have to come up with a name to call it sooner or later.


    Given his previous worries, he had completely overlooked this matter, being more concerned about whether the beast inside would listen to him and whether he could successfully bring its soul into his Dantian.


    But now, those concerns no longer existed.


    Finally, he thought for a moment and decided on a name.


    Bending his knees slightly, he crouched down, looked at the creature in front of him, and, extending his right hand, he called out.


    "Zhong Hei, come here," he said gently, pronouncing its name directly.


    [The beast''s name has been set]


    [You can now view Zhong Hei''s status screen]


    The system seemed to have recognized the name he gave, and so did the creature.


    Upon hearing Ethan''s voice, it looked at his hand for a moment before slowly slithering toward it.


    At first, Ethan had decided to call it "Black Serpent," but then he thought that was too direct and not a great name.


    Then he remembered the circumstances under which they met and eventually came up with "Zhong Hei," which means "Midnight," essentially surrounded by darkness, just like he had been when he ended up in that strange space with the dark cloud.


    Considering the creature''s physical traits, Ethan thought it was a fitting name.


    Bai Yu, who was still nearby, raised an eyebrow when she heard Ethan call the creature by that name. Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From her previous experience with him, she knew the Ethan had a terrible taste in names, so she wasn''t expecting him to come up with something so fitting this time.


    ''It seems the bond between the two has strengthened,'' she thought, noticing the sudden familiarity they both seemed to show.


    After all, this was their first meeting.


    There was no way they could interact so easily, especially the creature, which instinctively should have been a bit wary of strangers, even if it was just born.


    Remembering the subtle light beam that had emerged from Ethan and struck the creature before returning, she could only assume that the process of assimilating the beast''s soul into his Dantian had been a success.


    Normally, the process for doing this was much different, but she could only guess what had allowed for such a quick result.


    After all, this wasn''t the first time she had seen that light beam.


    It had appeared before when Ethan''s spiritual sea had begun to collapse due to the pressure that had been imposed on it.


    The small creature, resembling a black horned serpent, slithered quickly and reached Ethan in a few seconds.


    Once in front of his hand, it paused, seeming to examine it for a moment.


    Hiss, hiss.


    It hissed a few times before gently touching Ethan''s open palm with its head.


    Even though it''s said that reptiles are cold-blooded, Ethan could feel a strange warmth emanating from the creature in front of him.


    Naturally, saying that reptiles were cold-blooded wasn''t entirely accurate.


    From what little he knew, they adapted to the temperature of their environment.


    In warmer environments, they gained heat, which allowed their metabolism to be more active, while in colder environments, their metabolism slowed down, allowing them to survive by consuming less food, a survival function they possessed.


    It wasn''t like other animals that had to maintain a certain internal temperature or risk getting sick and so on.


    This basic knowledge of beasts was one of the many pieces of information Ethan had acquired from the system when he gained access to the complete alchemical knowledge.


    More precisely, it was knowledge related to poisons and the species that carried them.


    He gently stroked the small serpent-like creature''s head for a bit before lowering his hand slightly, sending it a mental command.


    Immediately after, the creature coiled itself around his hand, slithering up to his shoulder and wrapping around his neck like a scarf.


    Ethan didn''t know how, but he wasn''t afraid of the creature.


    Like most people, he had an instinctive fear of snakes, and even though he was now a cultivator and knew that a creature of this type couldn''t harm him, that feeling was still there.


    But with Zhong Hei, he didn''t feel anything like that.


    He could only attribute this to their bond.

 Chapter 141: Advancement to the Fourth Stage

    .


    In these five years inside the minor dimension, Ethan had accomplished many things.


    From advancing his cultivation base to enhancing his skills, alchemical recipes, items, and more.


    During all this time, he hardly ever took a break, as when he cultivated to consolidate the acquired Qi and begin the crystallization process, he would also recover from physical fatigue.


    He constantly kept himself busy, wanting to make the best use of the time he had at his disposal.


    After the first two years of cultivation, he had to stop his pill-making routine, as they no longer provided him with the same benefits, as he could not accumulate any more Qi until he broke through his current stage.


    And to break through, he needed the cocoon of light to hatch, which took another three years.


    During these three years, while the cocoon absorbed part of his Qi, he focused on enhancing some of his abilities.


    Normally, Ethan would be much more selective about where to spend his system points, but the amount he earned during these two years was not small.


    It''s enough to say that he managed to save up more than 1,350 SP per day if he refined constantly for five hours a day.


    Multiplied by the two years of following this routine, the amount he had accumulated was around 950,000 SP, an exorbitant amount, even for him.


    Seeing this number, Ethan was filled with joy, but it didn''t last long.


    When he finally started upgrading his skill recipes and saw their escalating costs, he was shocked by the ever-increasing prices.


    A level 2 recipe of perfect grade cost a whopping 10,000 SP.


    A level 3 recipe of low grade cost 5,000, likely lower because it was of a lower grade within that level.


    But that didn''t last long either.


    The price for mid-grade went back up to 10,000 SP.


    Then came exactly what Ethan had feared:


    the price for a high-grade level 3 recipe was a staggering 100,000 SP.


    Although he hesitated, he bought it.


    He wanted to see if this rule of multiplying by ten would continue at higher levels, and unfortunately for him, it did.


    The price for a level 3 recipe of perfect grade was 1,000,000 SP. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing all those zeros lined up, Ethan nearly had a heart attack.


    One million.


    That was the price for just the perfect grade of a level 3 recipe.


    This amount was almost the equivalent of two full years of effort.


    Ethan didn''t even want to think about how much a level 4 recipe would cost.


    He was already happy with what he had, and for now, high grade was enough.


    Especially because, with his current alchemical abilities, he wouldn''t be able to easily refine pills beyond level 2.


    He had tried, and the result was exactly what he had expected.


    It was the same situation as when he had first obtained the level 2 recipe but couldn''t refine them as easily as he had with level 1 recipes.


    On this note, Ethan discovered that it was also possible to upgrade his alchemical abilities to the next stage, but when he saw the price, it stung his heart a little.


    [Price: 50,000 SP]


    Though reluctant, he decided to spend that amount of system points.


    He already had the level 3 recipes, so it made sense to elevate his abilities to that level.


    Now Ethan could be considered at the same level as a two-star alchemy master.


    If the outside world knew there was such a young alchemy master, it would cause an uproar throughout the kingdom.


    In the end, with his various purchases, his SP, which had once been 950K, was now just over 600K.


    This was without a doubt the most expensive expense he had ever made, but even he knew it was worth it.


    He hadn''t upgraded all of his recipes to level 3.


    Only the basic recovery recipe, which was also the most advanced one he had.


    The others, after reaching level 2 perfect grade, were not upgraded further.


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    It was pointless to do so, as it would have been just a waste of SP.


    He had decided to bring at least 10 recipes to this level mainly because he could then register them in the system''s laboratory, allowing him to produce them up to this level using the system.


    He discovered that up to level 1, this was possible, but for higher levels, he had to personally refine 10 of each at perfect grade for that level.


    So, he decided to choose the 10 most important recipes and upgrade them to perfect grade, stopping at high grade for the others.


    There was no need to go further; after all, it wasn''t a small number, and it would have cost too many unnecessary SP.


    Ethan''s improvements ranged from his alchemical abilities to his physical skills.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Dantian Expansion (Level 10)


    Qi: 100,000/100,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 246 --> 341


    Agility: 231 --> 335


    Intelligence: 207 --> 304


    Soul Strength: 150 --> 168


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 585.130


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Even his spiritual artifact did not stay at the same level and increased in grade.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Gold Cauldron]


    Name: Gold Cauldron


    Grade: High-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, corroded by the passage of time, that has begun to reveal its former splendor.


    Perfect for refining more demanding pills, and thanks to its high durability, it can also serve as a good shield.


    Ability: Size Shifter


    Requirements for the upgrade:


    - Refine 10 Level 2 perfect-grade pills (10/10)


    - Refine 1000 Level 3 low-grade pills (1000/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 3 mid-grade pills (100/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 3 high-grade pills (10/10)


    - Refine 1 Level 3 perfect-grade pill (0/1)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    It had gone from being a shiny bronze cauldron to a golden one, with its entire surface now covered in all sorts of inscriptions and symbols.


    The more the cauldron increased in grade, the more it resembled the amphora of the Seven Sages.


    Ethan had already completed most of the requirements for its upgrade to the next grade, but one was still missing.


    And that was none other than producing at least one level 3 perfect-grade pill, which meant spending 1 million system points.


    He lacked that sum, but even if he had it, he wouldn''t spend all that money right now.


    It would simply be too excessive a spending, even for him.


    Even at this grade, the cauldron could rival any cauldron out there.


    Ethan didn''t know the grade of the cauldrons used by grandmasters, but judging by the ones used by master alchemists, he could get an idea, and he was sure his cauldron wouldn''t lose to theirs.


    The cauldron had also become much heavier, and even with his strength at the peak of the third stage, he had to admit it was quite a struggle to move it.


    He definitely wouldn''t be able to use it as a weapon easily, but given its increasing hardness, it should be sufficient as a shield.


    Ethan had significantly increased his strength in these five years, and he still had another 20 years in this place.


    If all went well, by the end of those 20 years, he would have reached the peak of the fourth stage, and perhaps even surpassed it.


    Just like in the previous times, after he had assimilated Zhong Hei''s soul into his Dantian, the system suggested an advancement.


    .


    [------------------------


    It''s possible to break through to the Soul Cultivation stage.


    Do you wish to proceed?


    [Y/N]


    Price: 10,000 SP


    -------------------------]


    .


    Ethan, opening the screen, stared at it for a few seconds.


    Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind and proceeded to press "Yes."


    The process of advancing to the next stage began.


    At this stage, the cultivator had to deepen the bond with their spiritual beast until, in the end, the two would completely merge.


    He had no idea what to do at first, so he left everything in the hands of the system, just like he had done with the previous cultivation stages.


    Immediately after the process started, Ethan felt fluctuations coming from his Dantian.


    He thought the advancement process would start from there, and he was right.


    In his Dantian, in that space with the now-dim luminous sphere that was once radiant, it began to react to the fluctuations of Qi converging in the Dantian.


    Little by little, it started to glow again, and around it, a bluish-green mist began to accumulate.


    The surrounding mist was slowly drawn toward the sphere, and once it arrived, it gathered around the sphere, forming a thin ring of energy, far from the one Ethan had seen long ago.


    The ring of energy condensed more and more as the surrounding cloud accumulated in it.


    At a certain point, it stopped absorbing the cloud, and a slight change could be noticed in it.


    The ring had begun to move.


    Although slowly, the rotating movement that the previous ring of light had returned, and as it moved, light electrical discharges emanated into the surrounding area.


    Soon after this phenomenon occurred in his Dantian, Ethan felt a tingling sensation coming from all the meridians in his body, receiving a sudden surge of energy.


    Gradually, the heat in them increased, and some of them could be seen burning, only to regrow afterward.


    "Argh!"


    This process, just having started, brought Ethan sudden and immense pain, and he had to do everything he could to keep his mind stable as he endured the advancement process.

 Chapter 142: Bai Yu Reborn

    .


    The sensation of his damaged meridians being repaired, only to be damaged again, was far from pleasant.


    Especially because the process wasn''t limited to just the meridians.


    It moved from the meridians to the muscles and then attacked the nerves of the body.


    One after another, these bursts of energy passed through different parts of the body, and wherever they went, they left behind a series of damage that was immediately repaired.


    Gradually, these surges moved higher and higher, and in the end, through the nervous connections, they reached the brain.


    It was at this moment that Ethan realized he was in trouble.


    A fierce scream escaped his mouth as he did his best to hold back the cries of pain.


    At a certain point, blood started to flow from all seven of his orifices.


    First the eyes, then the ears and nose, and finally the mouth.


    The more the pain grew, the more blood flowed from his body.


    For a moment, Ethan thought it was impossible for him to bleed inside his spiritual sea, but what he didn''t know was that his mind was currently replicating exactly what was happening to his real physical body.


    Bai Yu, who was witnessing the entire process, seeing Ethan continuously struggle against the pain, couldn''t help but shake her head as she thought.


    ''Any matter related to the soul is very delicate, and no matter what is done, the result will always bring a certain amount of pain,''


    For Example:


    Simply touching the skin wouldn''t hurt anyone, but let''s imagine the skin being torn away, leaving only the exposed muscles visible.


    Now, if someone were to lightly touch the surface of those muscles, the person would feel a certain amount of burning pain.


    And that''s just the skin we''re talking about.


    Now consider the human body as the skin, and once it''s removed, what remains is the soul.


    If we were to repeat the earlier situation, but this time touching the soul, the pain would be many times worse.


    Ethan''s soul was not just being touched, but grabbed and manipulated, as the bond between him and the beast''s soul grew stronger and stronger.


    At this stage of cultivation, Ethan should have been creating a series of connections between him and the spiritual beast''s soul so that when he fused the body and soul, bringing them into greater harmony, the process would proceed without too many complications.


    The only good thing in all this was that Ethan didn''t have to keep his mind stable, as he wasn''t the one handling the process, but rather, the system was.


    All he had to do was endure the pain and hold out until the process was over.


    Only once he successfully broke through this stage would he have to take care of these steps on his own, just as he had done in the third stage of cultivation.


    And so, while Bai Yu remained silently on the side, Ethan''s mental torture continued.


    Ethan didn''t know how long it had been going on, but at a certain point, the pain finally stopped, and with the sudden sensation of relief, he lost consciousness.


    As he slept, a few system notifications echoed in his mind.


    [Congratulations to the host for breaking through into the Soul Cultivation stage.]


    [...]


    While Ethan was finally entering the Soul Cultivation stage, high in the sky of his sea of consciousness, a certain artifact was undergoing some changes.


    The familiar series of symbols lit up once more, with one of them eventually losing its brightness, which evaporated from it and descended downward.


    The number of illuminated symbols had gradually decreased as Ethan progressed in his cultivation, and now fewer than half remained active.


    The day when Bai Yu would obtain complete freedom was drawing near.


    The glowing dust descended, and before long, it reached near Bai Yu and Ethan.


    Without stopping, it moved toward Bai Yu and wrapped around her.


    Bai Yu, seeing this phenomenon, wasn''t alarmed, in fact, she seemed to have a certain gleam of anticipation in her eyes as she closed them and waited for something to happen.


    Outside Ethan''s sea of consciousness, the forehead of an unconscious Ethan lying on the ground began to glow, and luminous particles flowed out of it.


    The particles flowed out in large quantities, and little by little, they began to condense in one spot.


    Gradually, a figure began to take shape, and in another 20 seconds, the completed figure of a woman with silver-gray hair materialized next to the unconscious Ethan.


    Bai Yu, who had materialized outside, slowly opened her eyes as she raised her hands and moved them to feel their sensation.


    "Haa, I can finally feel my body," she said with a voice that contained a certain joy.


    Previously, when she materialized outside the sea of consciousness, it was nothing more than her spiritual form condensed outside the spiritual sea.


    Over time, that form had become solid enough to interact with the outside world, but it was still a spiritual form.


    The things she could do were very limited.


    In fact, she was barely able to carry out some of the instructions Ethan had given her when he was burned and needed her to heal him.


    But now, it was no longer the case.


    This was not her spiritual form but her body.


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    It was Bai Yu in flesh and bone.


    If Ethan could see her now, he would be shocked, because the current her was not the usual one he was used to seeing, either outside or within the spiritual sea.


    She was much more beautiful, with more delicate and defined facial features, alabaster-white smooth skin, and flowing silver-gray hair as soft as silk.


    No matter from which point of view she was looked at, the current Bai Yu was significantly more enchanting than the one Ethan had been accustomed to seeing.


    Bai Yu''s crystalline blue eyes shimmered for a moment as they moved toward Ethan''s body.


    Suddenly, Ethan''s bloodied body was surrounded by a thin layer of blue energy, and he began to float.


    She moved her hand, and a bed materialized from nowhere, as if she had used the air to fabricate it.


    She placed the unconscious Ethan on it.


    However, unlike before, Ethan wasn''t bleeding or battered anymore.


    In fact, he looked as good as new, as if he was just peacefully resting.


    S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 143: The Sweet Taste of Freedom

    .


    Ethan didn''t know how long he had been unconscious, but as he finally began to regain consciousness, he felt a soft sensation cradling him, one he didn''t want to part from.


    So, like a typical student wanting to sleep for five more minutes, he let his mind dive once again into the depths of imagination and drifted back to sleep.


    But as he did, a fleeting thought crossed his mind.


    ''Strange, I haven''t slept in a long time. Why am I sleeping now?''


    This thought was like a small spark that triggered a chain reaction of thoughts, igniting his reason, which had been nearly dormant, to awaken.


    With a jolt, he opened his eyes and sat up, scanning the surrounding environment for answers.


    He immediately recognized the familiar interior of his minor dimension and calmed down a little.


    Then, he realized that the soft sensation he had been feeling came from none other than...


    ''What the heck is this?'' he thought as he examined the single bed, which seemed to be made of condensed clouds, soft like cotton.


    Ethan was sure he had never brought anything like this into his minor dimension, nor had he ever seen this bed here before. So he wondered for a moment where it came from.


    Gradually, his mind settled, and the events before his collapse resurfaced in his memory.


    ''Right, I was breaking through to the fourth stage,'' he thought as he immediately opened his status screen to see if he had succeeded.


    Not that he doubted the system''s abilities, but it had become a habit for him to confirm his progress through the information on the system screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Cultivation (Level 1) S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    QI: 0/200,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 341 --> 361


    Agility: 335 --> 355


    Intelligence: 304 --> 324


    Soul Strength: 168 --> 173


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 585,130


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing his new stats, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ''Looks like I broke through without any issues,'' he thought, reassured that he hadn''t ended up like a charred barbecue, like the last time he had interacted with the space now present in his dantian.


    Then, he noticed the QI requirements to level up again, and his good mood was instantly shattered.


    Even though he had realized that the QI value seemed to increase every time, seeing a number like that was far from encouraging.


    Ethan still believed the remaining 20 years here would be enough to make significant strides in this cultivation stage, but that also depended on several other factors.


    Not wanting to look at that string of zeros any longer, he examined his stats and immediately noticed something.


    ''Wait, haven''t they increased by 20 instead of 10?!''


    All his stats, except for soul strength, had increased by at least 20 points, which was double the gain from previous levels.


    He wondered if it would be the same for future levels as well.


    He also noticed that his soul strength hadn''t increased by 2 points, but by 5, which was more than double.


    While he was noticing these changes, he failed to realize that he wasn''t alone in this area.


    While he was on that small wooden platform with a cone-shaped roof, not far from his bed, a woman sat on a single chair, made of the same soft material as the bed Ethan was resting on, watching him with an amused glint in her eyes.


    Bai Yu, after finishing taking care of Ethan, spent some time savoring the sensation of having a real physical body again, rather than a mere condensation of spiritual QI.


    She strolled through Ethan''s vast herb garden, savoring the air and the feel of the grass against her bare feet.


    She felt more in harmony in this place.


    She had always wondered when she would finally be free.


    Although Ethan''s progress was far beyond what she could have imagined, it still wasn''t guaranteed that the seal of the Amphora of the Seven Sages would loosen enough to allow her to fully reconstruct her physical body.


    Her situation had undoubtedly improved since meeting Ethan, compared to before when she spent her time alone and in silence within the amphora''s internal space.


    Back then, she would occasionally wake every ten or twenty years, only to see that she was still there.


    Although she had long since transcended the mortal realm and was accustomed to long periods of isolation while cultivating, it didn''t mean she didn''t feel any sense of loneliness. Read today on m,v,l,e,mpyr


    It was simply that her mental strength, amplified by her high cultivation base and long years of life, muted the effects of that loneliness, so she didn''t feel them as strongly as a normal person would.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, she finally noticed Ethan beginning to stir and decided to return to the wooden platform.


    She wondered how Ethan would react upon seeing that she no longer had an abstract form, but a real body.


    She arrived at the scene and waited for him to wake up.


    Ethan furrowed his brow a little, but then, as if not wanting to wake up, he returned to sleep just as deeply as before.


    Just as she was about to throw some cold water on him to wake him up, she saw him suddenly sit up and stare around the single bed.


    She didn''t understand what had caused this reaction but didn''t think much of it until she saw him acting strangely, muttering strange things, with his expression shifting constantly from surprise to joy, to sadness, and back to joy.


    This odd behavior reminded her of someone.


    Someone she had traveled and shared many experiences with.


    Seeing this side of him, almost involuntarily, without her even realizing it, a slight smile appeared on her face.


    In the end, she conjured a floating chair made of what seemed like shaped clouds and sat down comfortably, waiting for the weirdo in front of her to return to the real world.


    And that moment didn''t take long to come.


    Ethan, having finally processed his new improvements, noticed the presence of a second person nearby, and for a moment, he almost panicked.


    Then, letting out a slight sigh, he realized the figure seemed familiar.


    Just as he finally focused on the person sitting not far from his bed, his expression froze.

 Chapter 144: Trust

    .


    Ethan''s breath almost caught in his throat as he admired the sight of the person sitting not far from him.


    ''W-wait, is that Bai Yu?''


    He thought, as his mind struggled to process the image of the woman sitting in front of him.


    He had already seen Bai Yu''s physical form, and although he found her very beautiful and attractive, he had developed a certain level of resistance against her natural beauty.


    But now, all that resistance seemed useless as the goddess-like woman, with a slight smile on her face, looked at him.


    ''Damn, why the hell has she suddenly become even more beautiful than before?


    Is it possible I''m still dreaming?'' he thought, instinctively trying to pinch himself.


    With some effort, he managed to pinch his extremely resilient skin, and noticed that the scene in front of him didn''t change.


    ''Wait a second... why does her appearance seem so... real?''


    It didn''t take long for Ethan to realize that, aside from the fact that she somehow seemed even more beautiful than before, everything about her appeared so real, almost as if she wasn''t a spiritual manifestation but rather a real body.


    Thinking about this possibility, his eyes widened as he said:


    "Have you regained your physical body?" uncertain about his own assumption.


    Upon hearing Ethan''s words, Bai Yu''s smile widened, and Ethan, noticing this change, received yet another critical blow.


    ''This woman has become even more dangerous,'' he thought, referring more to her natural beauty.


    "So, what do you think? Don''t you agree I''ve become even more charming than before?" she said, finally standing up and dispersing the cloud chair.


    Hearing her, Ethan almost instinctively wanted to give a positive response but held himself back with great effort and said:


    "You''re not much different from before," he said, but in his mind, he was thinking something else.


    ''Come on, Ethan, don''t fall into temptation.


    Resist, for the sake of your pride as a man,'' he told himself mentally, trying to strengthen his resolve against her.


    After finally calming down a bit, he asked:


    "Now that you have regained your physical form, will you still be able to enter my spiritual sea?" he asked, considering this possibility.


    He could sense that under the surface of his spiritual sea, Bai Yu''s gigantic draconic form seemed to have disappeared.


    This instinctively made him wonder if she could still enter his sea of consciousness, and the answer was:


    "Yes, although I''ve almost completely freed myself from the seal of the amphora, a part of me is still inside it.


    For example, at this moment, my cultivation base is only slightly higher than a cultivator at the Fifth Stage who has just broken through.


    A large part of my original cultivation is still sealed inside the amphora, which resides in your spiritual sea.


    I can still manifest a piece of my soul in your spiritual sea," she said.


    At this information, Ethan felt a certain sense of relief.


    He wasn''t sure why, but knowing this reassured him a bit.


    ''Maybe I''ve gotten too used to her presence in my head,'' he thought, shaking his head a little.


    Finally, he brushed off these thoughts and asked what she intended to do now.


    Although her cultivation base was only at the early Fifth Stage, there were few individuals in the mortal realm who could pose a threat to her, so she could easily go out and explore the outside world.


    Ethan thought this was what she wanted; after all, she had spent centuries inside the amphora.


    If he had been in her position, he would have done what he had avoided doing multiple times in his previous world.


    Go out and touch some grass.


    Literally, in this case.


    "I think I''ll stay here with you inside.


    The environment here isn''t bad at all.


    It''s serene, and not much different from what''s outside," she said, glancing at the vast plantations of various herbs that, from a distance, gave a beautiful picturesque view.


    "Although, I wouldn''t mind going outside for a while once you''ve finished your isolation in here.


    What do you say?


    You''ve got such a beautiful woman in front of you, and you''re not even proposing to take her out?" she teased him once again. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at this new side of Bai Yu.


    And without holding back, he responded.


    "A beautiful woman, huh? Where is she? Why doesn''t she show herself?"


    With that said, he was glad to see that she hadn''t turned out to be the typical ice-cold woman often depicted in the novels he used to read in his old world.


    Although his initial impression of her was indeed that, over time, she had opened up a bit, showing her true personality, which apparently was quite playful.


    Ethan would never admit it, but deep down, he didn''t mind this side of her.


    He realized that even his initial wariness toward her had faded over time.


    He didn''t know if this was a good thing or not, but he knew it made no sense to dwell on it now.


    It wasn''t bad to have someone to rely on for once in his life.


    In his previous world, he hadn''t had such a person, and in this one, he had almost two.


    Thinking for a moment about the second person, Ethan corrected his thoughts.


    ''Well, maybe one and a half.''


    Poor Da Shu, without any reason, ended up being treated this way.


    Ethan then remembered someone else who was not currently present here.


    ''Hm, I wonder what happened to Zhong Hei.''


    He did a search mental check, and soon found him.


    Apparently, the little creature had fallen asleep inside his sea of consciousness.


    Ethan wondered if he could bring him out of his spiritual sea and tried sending a mental transmission to the creature.


    The little being, who was peacefully asleep, woke up upon receiving Ethan''s thoughts and was confused for a moment, not knowing what to do.


    Then, as if a light bulb went off in his head, it moved as its body vibrated slightly, releasing a thin layer of greenish light.


    That layer completely enveloped it, and as if by magic, it disappeared from his sea of consciousness and appeared before him. Explore new chapters at m_vl_em_p_yr


    ''Hm? So I can summon it mentally?'' he thought, wondering if he could also reverse the process.


    The small creature, resembling a black serpent with horns, recovered and looked around, examining its new surroundings.


    Now with this issue resolved, Ethan thought it was time to resume cultivating.


    He had already taken a long enough break due to his problem with the cocoon of light.


    Now that he had settled that issue and successfully broken through to the Fourth Stage,


    it was time to resume cultivating and lay the foundations for the next cultivation stage.

 Chapter 145: Soul Cultivation Stage

    .


    Ethan, now in the stage of Soul Cultivation, had begun to accumulate sufficient Qi for this level, doing exactly what the name of this cultivation stage implied:


    cultivating the soul, more precisely, cultivating the acquired spiritual beast and making it increasingly compatible with his own.


    The process that Ethan underwent during his breakthrough served only to prepare his body for what was to come next.


    How this process occurred and what effects it would have on the cultivator varied from person to person.


    People were different, and so were the spiritual beasts they acquired.


    When a spiritual beast was absorbed into one''s Dantian, the resulting process would differ for everyone.


    This was because the spiritual beast would have its own characteristics, to which the cultivator''s body had to adapt.


    Although these characteristics diminished as the cultivator''s compatibility with the spiritual beast increased, they were still present, and the cultivator needed to prepare their body to host and successfully cultivate with the spiritual beast.


    The adaptation process that Ethan''s body experienced was the electric sensation that coursed through his entire body, moving from his meridians to his nerves, reconstructing them and making them more compatible with the spiritual beast.


    This process was very delicate, and often cultivators preferred to have assistance from someone since the pain could cloud a person''s mind, and it was a challenge to maintain enough concentration to guide this adaptation process.


    For Ethan, this was not the case as he only had to assist while the system handled the rest of the work.


    Unfortunately for him, he would have to do it himself from now on; sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after all, he couldn''t expect to surpass this stage without learning more about the spiritual beast he had acquired.


    The amount of Qi required for level 2 was enormous, and it was not something he could accumulate in just one day of refinement.


    He had refined for only 5 hours a day, spending the rest of the time consolidating his expanded Dantian.


    Now he had to do something similar.


    He would first gather enough Qi, and only when he felt it was sufficient would he stop and begin the soul cultivation process.


    For the previous stage, it took him about five hours to accumulate a good amount of Qi, but now he would have to refine a bit more.


    After nearly 6 hours of refining, he finally sighed as he stored away his pill refinement materials.


    He had refined a batch of level 3 pills to obtain more Qi in less time.


    The refining time for a level 2 pill was about 20 minutes, while the refining time for a level 3 pill was almost half an hour.


    A low-grade level 3 pill provided him with 100 SP and 30 Qi.


    The amount of SP he received was nothing to take lightly.


    Compared to the 30 he received from a high-grade level 2 recipe, this was more than three times greater.


    But the extra time spent refining it was no small matter either.


    He could refine three level 2 pills in 20 minutes, while he was refining one level 3 pill in 30 minutes.


    He had to admit that the difference between these two stages was much greater than he had expected.


    The materials for refining three level 3 pills were far more than Ethan was used to using at one time. Enjoy reading on m,v|le|mp|yr


    In the end, he brushed aside these thoughts and focused more on the refined Qi that was circulating in his Dantian.


    He entered a meditation pose with crossed legs and proceeded.


    His method of soul cultivation would be identical to what he had perceived during the breakthrough, that is:


    He would have to manipulate the pure Qi to fuel the bluish-green mist that would then be used to strengthen and expand the spiral light ring that was revolving around the sphere of light.


    From what he had observed, this ring was what was directly fueling Zhong Hei''s soul that resided within the sphere of light.


    Apparently, the sphere acted as a container that would aid in the cultivation process of the spiritual beast.


    Ethan proceeded to condense the Qi, ensuring that it didn''t condense too much and become liquid.


    What he had to do was create clouds of Qi, which, due to the properties of the environment, would take on the same form as the bluish-green cloud.


    The time it took just to make this step was by no means short.


    Indeed, it took him a full 3 hours to produce the first cloud of bluish-green color.


    He condensed it even more until he felt it was enough.


    At this point, the cloud was quite visible and charged with energy.


    Now, what he had to do was produce many more and direct them gradually towards the light spiral.


    This would require not hours, but days.


    Fortunately for Ethan, time was not an issue for him here.


    He followed the same routine he had established on the first day, then the second, the third, and the fourth, transforming this into his new routine.


    He would accumulate a certain amount of Qi, refine it, condense it, and then repeat the process all over again.


    Ethan would have to do this for about 100 days before reaching the peak of his level and finally advancing to level two.


    To confirm his earlier assumption about the increase in his statistics, Ethan opened his status screen and looked at how much they had increased this time.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Cultivation (Lvl.1 �� Lvl.2)


    Qi: 1420/300,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 361 �� 381


    Agility: 355 �� 375


    Intelligence: 324 �� 344


    Soul Strength: 173 �� 178


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 1,205,170


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the updated values on his status screen, Ethan could confirm his assumption.


    ''Well, this explains why it''s said there is a great difference in strength after the third cultivation stage,'' he thought, also confirming some of the things he had learned about this stage of cultivation from the sect''s texts.


    It was said there that the difference between a third stage and a fourth stage was too great, and this was due to the significant improvement gained by assimilating a spiritual beast''s soul into one''s Dantian.


    For Ethan, this was good news.


    Now what he had to do was take a few days to acclimate to his new cultivation base and then resume cultivating as he had done in the last 100 days.


    And so, Ethan spent the next 20 years cultivating with a certain consistency, never taking too many breaks.


    And in the blink of an eye, his long and tedious isolation for cultivation had finally come to an end.

 Chapter 146: Dissatisfaction and opportunity

    .


    There is one week left until the start of the tournament, but the imperial capital,


    despite its troubles, was already full of all kinds of people arriving from the three kingdoms of the empire.


    To avoid any delays, people came a bit earlier.


    Many did it for this reason;


    others, for example, wanted to explore the capital a bit since they were new or visit some acquaintances and so on.


    Every year was like this, and this was both considered a good and a bad thing by many.


    For the merchants of the imperial capital, more people meant more opportunities to earn.


    After all, many of those who arrived would be new and would at least try to explore the capital and make some purchases.


    Many others considered it a bad thing because the incoming people wouldn''t be easy to handle.


    Many of the participants in the tournament were members of important families and sects;


    when people of this level gathered, it was difficult for conflicts not to arise.


    This time of year was therefore considered problematic for the city guards, who, although they reported directly to the imperial castle and could manage most of the disturbances, always found one or two individuals that were too significant for them to handle.


    Essentially, during this time of year, the capital was always relatively lively.


    However, this festive atmosphere was not shared by some at this moment.


    In a luxurious restaurant in the commercial area of the capital, a group of seven individuals sat around a table adorned with various drinks and food.


    Four females and three males.


    They were none other than the group of participants from the Phoenix Sect.


    At one end of the table sat two girls, one in her 20s and one in her 30s.


    They were none other than Xiang Hua and Yan Mei.


    At the opposite side sat two males and a female, also aged between their 20s and 30s.


    Beside them was an elder from the medicine pavilion, tasked with bringing the group of participants to the competition and returning them safely.


    She also looked like she was not much older than 30, but if her true identity was known, it would be clear that she was much older than her appearance suggested.


    In the world of cultivation, women, in particular, paid great attention to their physical appearance, so they had no qualms about spending some of the Qi they refined in their Dantians to maintain a relatively youthful look.


    Generally, all high-level cultivators appeared much younger than their actual age, but there were always methods to ensure they looked even younger.


    And finally, at the opposite end from the woman, sat a young man who seemed to be just over 20 years old.


    Despite the presence of such delicacies, many at the table wore grim expressions at that moment. S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The only one among them who seemed to have a serene expression was the young man who looked just over twenty.


    He was none other than Xun Wei, and at that moment, he had a particularly happy expression, as there was a good chance for him to take Ethan''s place in the competition.


    A few days ago, in the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom, all the participants from the city of the phoenix had gathered outside the medicinal pavilion in preparation for their departure to the capital for the tournament.


    Among all the participants, one was missing, and he was none other than the masked boy.


    They had waited for almost an hour, but he did not show up.


    In the end, while they were deciding to leave, a letter was delivered to them.


    It was a letter from the masked boy.


    In shirt, it told the others to leave without him and that he would join them before the start of the competition.


    This, of course, did not sit well with anyone present, especially the elder from the medicine pavilion, who, seeing this behavior, could not understand how such an individual could secure one of the three available spots.


    She already had a bad impression of him due to what had happened during the last round of the competition for participant selection.


    And now with this, she was particularly displeased.


    They decided to leave since they knew nothing else about the masked boy, so they wouldn''t even know where to look for him.


    The elder decided to bring the fourth-placed individual as a backup plan, in case the masked boy didn''t show up in time.


    She had mentally decided that if the person did not show up within five days of the tournament''s start, she would automatically eliminate him from the team.


    Xun Wei, sensing that he had a chance to participate in the tournament, was happy and maintained that state of mind the whole time.


    They had already been in the capital for a few days, and only one day remained until the deadline set by the elder.


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    Usually, she would not tolerate such behavior, but since the person in question had already proven to be more than capable, crushing Xun Wei in their last match, she decided to wait.


    After all, she had to save some face for the elder who presided over their competition.


    And eliminating the masked boy, regardless of what he had said, would only unnecessarily complicate the situation between the two, and she had no desire to do that.


    They were both high-ranking alchemists, and it was better to have more allies than enemies at their level;


    not that this issue would make them enemies, but the situation would surely become tense.


    With all these considerations, she waited.


    God knows how much Xiang Hua had already blamed Ethan in her mind.


    She was already angry because he had given up on their match, and now this.


    She had decided that if she had the opportunity, she would teach him a lesson.


    Yan Mei, on the other hand, didn''t know what to think of this person.


    Aside from the fact that she didn''t like that he was better than her, and by a lot, she had no other impression of him.


    She was more focused on figuring out how to improve her skills.


    Since the competition where she had failed to secure one of the three spots with relative ease, she ended up almost not obtaining it at all, and this fact dealt a hard blow to her.


    As soon as she returned, she immediately began training her skills with her grandfather, who, although he didn''t know what had gotten into her, was pleased that her desire to learn was stronger than before.


    And the improvements she made during this period of time were not few.


    She was now at a level where refining level 2 pills of low-grade had become relatively simple, with a success rate exceeding 70%, which was extremely good,


    especially considering how long it took her to achieve this result.


    Of course, she was not the only one to improve;


    even Xun Wei, who had been eliminated, trained and improved his skills more, and he had reached a level very similar to hers.


    And so, while everyone was engaged in their thoughts, whether good or bad, they finally noticed someone approaching them.


    Even the elder from the pavilion, seeing the person and noticing the black mask on his face, realized that he was probably the one in question.


    ''Finally he has arrived. Let''s see how he justifies himself,'' she thought, not intending to let him go so easily.


    But then she noticed something strange, more like an invisible atmosphere surrounding him that gave a suppressive feeling to all those present.


    ''Hm? What is this feeling?''

 Chapter 147: End of closed-door cultivation

    .


    Currently in the minor dimension.


    The internal environment of the dimension had not changed much compared to before, or at least that was the case in the area where Ethna''s herb garden was located.


    Beyond this, the rest of the place had undergone several significant changes.


    The small forests he had planted had now grown larger and denser.


    The few animal populations he had introduced into this dimension had reproduced and populated the small world, filling it with more life.


    From time to time, small groups of birds could be seen flying over the area of Ethna''s garden, but strangely, none of them even thought of approaching, not even a little bit closer.


    The animals here instinctively sensed danger in that area, so they kept as far away as possible.


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, the geography of his minor dimension had also changed slightly.


    The forests were not the only thing, as more mountains appeared at certain points.


    All of this happened mainly about a month ago.


    At that time, a massive explosion occurred not far from the herb garden, sending the entire animal population of the minor dimension into chaos.


    Right after the explosion, a heavy aura covered the entire minor dimension, and no matter how far away one was from the site of the explosion, they could feel this oppressive aura everywhere.


    Many animals close to the area fainted, while many others went mad, fleeing in a hurry from the scene.


    As the small world fell into complete chaos, the cause of this event was lying there, savoring the sensation of overflowing power coursing through their body.


    "So this is the Body-Soul Integration stage," the person said.


    It had been a month since that event, and since then, everything had finally returned to normal.


    Even the animals, who had been somewhat cautious, seeing that nothing similar happened in the following days, gradually calmed down and returned to their daily lives.


    At this moment, in the forest closest to the herb garden, a large creature was slithering through the woods.


    Despite its enormous size, the creature made almost no sound as it slowly advanced toward its prey.


    Not far from where it was, a large gorilla, standing 5 meters tall, was lounging on a branch of one of the forest''s giant trees, unaware of the threat approaching ever closer.


    The slithering creature had a long body, stretching tens of meters, with skin entirely covered in smooth, thin black scales, and two pairs of long, branch-like horns on either side of its head.


    The creature had already gotten close to the tree and was ready to strike.


    Just as it prepared to pounce on the gorilla lounging on the tree, a mental transmission passed through its mind, causing it to stop for a moment.


    In the end, it lowered its head and shifted its direction from the tree to the herb garden.


    There, on a large rock, a person sat in a meditative pose.


    The person was a tall man with long, straight black hair tied behind his head, and a perfectly chiseled face with no visible imperfections.


    He wore a simple black robe as he meditated in peace. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, he let out a slight breath and released an aura that appeared like mere air but was actually filled with spiritual energy.


    The man opened his crystal blue eyes, which had a slight greenish-blue tint, and looked to the side.


    "It''s finally time to leave here," he said, addressing a woman not far from the rock.


    She nodded slowly as she rose from what appeared to be a soft cloud shaped like a chair.


    The man also stood up and, looking toward the direction of the forest, sent out a mental communication and waited for a few seconds.


    Shortly afterward, in the distance, within the forest, a large black figure could be seen emerging.


    The creature slithered out of the forest, gazing toward the herb garden just ahead, its needle-like pupils focused on the figure standing on the rock.


    The snake-like creature hissed softly and then, with incredible speed, shot towards him.


    The creature flew through the air like a bullet, closing the distance between itself and the man in less than a second.


    Just as it got within a hundred meters of the man, its body became enveloped in a thin layer of green light, and it shrank in size, transforming from a massive and menacing creature into a small, simple being.


    Finally, it reached the man, and instead of attacking, it coiled around his neck like a scarf.


    Seeing the small creature around his neck, the man raised his left hand, and with a slight smile, gently stroked its small head.


    The creature seemed to greatly appreciate the gesture, hissing happily a few times.


    With that done, Ethan, now ready to leave, nodded toward Bai Yu, and disappeared from the spot.


    Bai Yu, who had been not far from him, also vanished from her position, leaving the area as quiet as before.


    The few animals nearby, seeing that the three beings who had been like nightmares looming over them had left, let out a sigh of relief and began emerging from their hiding places.


    In these twenty years, even the animals present here, apart from increasing in number, had also evolved, giving rise to many level 1 and 2 beasts.


    There were even some stronger ones who had become the rulers of their areas, but whether it was an unevolved animal or a level 3 evolved beast, all feared the three beings from before.


    None of them, in recent years, had ever dared to roam near the herb garden area.


    They had marked that area as a death zone for themselves, and would not even wish their enemies to go there.


    And so, while the beasts regained their tranquility, Ethan reappeared after three months in his cultivation room, along with Bai Yu and Zhong Wei.


    Knowing that he most likely wouldn''t be present on the day of departure from Sun City to the empire''s capital, Ethan asked Da Shu to deliver a message from him to the departing group.


    In short, he had told them he would join them before the start of the competition, and that they could leave without him. Stay updated on m v l e mpyr


    Today was the day after the group''s departure day and noting this fact he decided to settle some matters before leaving for the capital.

 Chapter 148: Flying at Mach 1

    .


    Ethan didn''t have many tasks to take care of.


    First, he informed the sect master that he had emerged from isolation.


    Naturally, as it happened before, Xiang Hua wasn''t there, as she had gone to the Imperial Alchemy Tournament. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Feng Huang saw Ethan for the first time in three months, she wanted to examine his cultivation base, but she immediately noticed that she couldn''t.


    She didn''t ask why that was and simply assumed that he had improved.


    Even though she couldn''t examine his cultivation base, from the spiritual aura surrounding him, she could tell he had made significant progress in his cultivation.


    However, she was unaware that her assumption was far from how much he had actually improved.


    She didn''t even notice that much of his appearance had changed because Ethan, once he returned to his residence, used a technique to make himself look more like he did 25 years ago.


    Zhong Hei, on the other hand, returned to Ethan''s sea of consciousness, as bringing out a creature like him would only cause unnecessary chaos.


    Although Zhong Hei could suppress his cultivation base, he was far from being a normal beast.


    He might appear to be a simple black snake, but if one looked closely, they would begin to notice various peculiarities about him.


    Ethan wanted to avoid causing any problem for the time being.


    Especially because showing Zhong Hei to the sect master would be like presenting him on a silver platter, giving her the opportunity to examine him.


    After reporting, Ethan spoke with Da Shu and discovered that his supply of pills, which he had given him, was nearly depleted.


    That reserve was prepared to last for much longer than three months, but who would have thought that business would go so well and that the demand for pills would increase so much?


    In the end, Ethan gave him some of the pills he had produced in his minor dimension, and when Da Shu saw them, he almost had a heart attack.


    The dimensional ring Ethan gave him contained hundreds upon hundreds of vials of pills, most of which were level 1 pills of various kinds.


    What surprised Da Shu was that there were also a good number of level 2 pills of all three grades, and they weren''t of just one type, but several, meaning Ethan had recipes for this level of pills.


    This was impressive considering he wasn''t part of any organization, and finding them on the market was difficult, especially those of higher levels.


    Ethan didn''t think much of this and went elsewhere to handle some other minor matters.


    After taking care of those, it was time for him to head to the capital.


    At that moment, there were eight days left until the start of the exam, and even with the fastest means of travel, it would take nearly four days of continuous travel to get there.


    The Alchemy Pavilion had stations with short-distance teleportation arrays that connected several cities within the same region, so this time was halved.


    Ethan knew that using these teleportation arrays would be costly, and while he could afford the price, he had no intention of wasting money unnecessarily.


    With his current cultivation base, he could make the entire journey on his own in about a day.


    For others, this speed might seem incredible, but for beings at the fifth stage, it was something they could do comfortably.


    Of course, some were faster than others, but overall, they all had exceptional physical stats.


    In the end, Ethan headed to the Spirit Forest and used his fifth-stage cultivation base to float effortlessly in the air.


    Compared to when he was at the second stage, where he could already influence spiritual energy to move small objects, he was able to float a little at the third stage.


    But his lack of technique, along with his limited Qi reserves, caused him to tire quickly.


    However, now, he no longer had these problems.


    He had had 25 years to train in many things, and this was one of them.


    With a teacher like Bai Yu, it was no exaggeration to say that he had perfect control over the amount of Qi he was spending.


    With a slight burst of energy, he leaped into the air, and once he reached a height of 200 meters, he looked around for the direction of the imperial capital and shot toward it.


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    Thanks to the aura suppression technique he had learned from Bai Yu, he didn''t risk being noticed by anyone, not even by a fifth-stage cultivator, so he could now speed toward the imperial capital without fear of being detected by anyone.


    The further Ethan flew, the faster his speed increased.


    20 km/h, 50 km/h, 100 km/h�� 1000 km/h.


    At a certain point, Ethan had reached a speed equal to Mach 1, the speed at which military jets usually fly.


    An impressive speed that would be impossible even to consider for a low-level cultivator.


    Normally, at such a speed, vast distances could be covered in very little time, but the reason Ethan expected it would still take him a full day was due to the fact that the capital was about 20,000 kilometers away.


    To give an example of how great this distance was:


    The Earth''s equator has a circumference of just over 40,000 kilometers.


    This means that Ethan, at his current speed, could circle the Earth in a little over two days.


    At this speed, the landscape beneath him changed constantly, almost every second.


    Normally, at such a speed, an ordinary person would have a 100% chance of dying.


    This was due to the fact that such a person would have to endure enormous resistance from the friction with the air, the pressure from inertia forces, and the extreme temperatures the body would reach, high enough to burn the person alive.


    Clearly, at his current level, Ethan didn''t risk suffering from any of these issues because:


    One, his body was extremely strong, so he didn''t risk damaging it in any way by flying this fast;


    Two, he covered his body with a layer of spiritual Qi to protect his clothes from being damaged.


    And so, in just about a day, Ethan covered the entire distance of 20,000 kilometers separating the imperial capital from the Phoenix Kingdom.

 Chapter 149: Taking a break

    .


    Ethan arrived at the kingdom''s capital at dawn, and once he reached its vicinity, he slowed down and stopped in a nearby area.


    After that, he joined the queue with others waiting to enter.


    The kingdom''s capital was a large city, comparable in size to Earth''s Beijing.


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    The great city was surrounded by tall, sturdy walls that enclosed it on all sides.


    To enter, one had to pass through one of the four entrances.


    Ethan, having come from the east, was entering through the city''s eastern gate.


    The empire''s capital occupied a rather unique position on the empire''s map.


    To the north was the Qilin Kingdom, to the west was the White Tiger Kingdom, and finally, to the east was the Phoenix Kingdom.


    As for the south, well, there was the sea.


    The capital was built near the coast of the continent, overlooking the ocean.


    This allowed the city to grow and flourish steadily and quickly, as the sea provided fertile land, perfect for growing crops.


    It supplied a vast amount of fish, and the climate in that region of the continent was ideal year-round.


    This was just an extra benefit for the residents of the capital and the surrounding lands.


    It was currently midsummer, and although the temperatures were high, they weren''t unbearable, allowing common folk to go about their daily activities without too much trouble.


    Ethan finally arrived at the entrance, showed his two-star expert alchemist badge, and was immediately let in.


    The guards, who were inspecting each person, straightened their posture upon seeing the badge and treated Ethan with a newfound respect after verifying it with the help of a special artifact.


    Ethan didn''t make a fuss and paid the entry fee to enter the city.


    He had previously been just a two-star adept, but after his alchemical skills were showcased during the competition for the selection of participants, the master alchemist made sure he received an expert badge.


    Ethan had already proven himself capable enough to be considered an adept alchemist, so no one opposed this promotion.


    To Ethan, it didn''t really matter; if he had cared, he would have already taken the test and obtained on his own.


    But he didn''t think it was necessary.


    With his previous rank, he already had access to most of the services offered, and the exclusive ones didn''t appeal to him.


    With his pill business thriving, he didn''t care much about his reputation.


    The only remaining benefit would have been a discount on refinement materials, but since creating his personal herb garden, even that wasn''t something he needed anymore.


    In short, he was content with his rank and didn''t bother to advance it further.


    As soon as he entered the city, he noticed the joyful atmosphere that filled the air.


    In preparation for the annual alchemy tournament, the city had come alive, teeming with activity.


    People crowded the streets, and the city guards struggled to maintain order, as it took little to spark a conflict.


    Though no one dared to act recklessly in the capital, there were always a few fools, so security remained tight.


    But none of this mattered to Ethan.


    He pulled out a sheet of paper and read the information on it. S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a note the master alchemist who had accompanied the others had given to Da Shu before they left, informing them where they would be staying upon arriving at the capital.


    Ethan read the location''s name, and since he didn''t know where it was, he asked around until he obtained a map of the city.


    He already had a basic sense of the city''s layout, thanks to his spiritual sense, which now covered vast areas.


    Now that he knew where to go, he decided not to head there immediately but to explore the capital instead.


    It was his first time here, and given the city''s size, it certainly had much to offer.


    He had spent the last 25 years cultivating, refining, training, and cultivating again.


    He wanted to take a break and rest for a day.


    "Hey, want to explore the capital?" he asked mentally.


    Immediately after, something in his sleeve stirred, and a voice transmitted into his mind:


    "Oh? Are you asking me out on a date?" came Bai Yu''s playful reply.


    Ethan didn''t hold back and responded, "Why not? After all, it''d be a shame to visit such a grand city alone," he said calmly.


    He might not have noticed it, but his cultivation base wasn''t the only thing that had changed.


    He had spent 25 years inside the minor dimension, and adding that to his previous years, his mental age was now that of a 45-year-old.


    That said, it hadn''t changed his habits much.


    His thinking had just become more mature, and even the natural aura he emanated wasn''t something a young person could possess.


    This natural charisma attracted the attention of the nearby women, who couldn''t help but cast a glance or two at him.


    Ethan had suppressed his cultivation and disguised his appearance, but certain things couldn''t be hidden so easily.


    And so, Ethan spent his first day in the capital wandering around with Bai Yu.


    She, too, had suppressed her cultivation to the lowest level of the second stage and reduced her natural attractiveness as much as possible.


    Even so, she still stood out among many others and received quite a few looks.


    The two visited many famous locations in the capital, from historical monuments to luxurious restaurants.


    They fully enjoyed this day of rest, something both of them needed.


    One had just emerged from a long period of seclusion, and the other had also been stuck for a long time with no contact with the outside world.


    Of all the things they tried, what they enjoyed the most was the food.


    At one point, they ordered half of the items on the menu and somehow managed to finish it quickly.


    The only thing Bai Yu complained about was the lack of a strong enough drink.


    Being a fifth-stage cultivator, there was hardly any alcoholic beverage that could have any effect on her.


    This, combined with her superior palate, accustomed to the delicacies of the celestial plane, made her irritated.


    She even asked Ethan to find a way to replicate the Coca-Cola she had tasted once, the only drink that had left a good impression on her, even though what she had was just a mix of information Ethan had condensed in his mind.


    And as an alchemist, Ethan couldn''t deny that he had the ability to try and replicate that drink.


    And so, their day of rest came to an end.

 Chapter 150: Reuniting with the Group

    .


    The next day, Ethan headed to the place where the group from Sun City had decided to stay. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon arriving, he entered, went straight to the reception, and asked about the group from Sun City.


    The receptionist had already been notified in advance of Ethan''s arrival, so she didn''t ask him for anything else.


    Once he confirmed his identity with his Pavilion badge, she told him which floor they were staying on and handed him the room key.


    He also learned from her that they were currently out for lunch, as it was almost afternoon, so they had probably decided to eat outside.


    He asked if she knew where they had gone and discovered the location of the restaurant.


    ''It seems the elder thought of everything,'' he mused, realizing how the receptionist was ready to provide any necessary information.


    The restaurant where they had decided to eat was called the "Gu��ng Hui L��ng," or "Shining Dragon."


    It was one of the most prestigious restaurants in the imperial capital, well-known for its high-quality cuisine and top-tier service.


    Hardly anyone found anything to criticize about it.


    Although the prices were by no means low, considering the quality of the food, it was worth it.


    All the wealthy people in the city visited this restaurant at least once a month.


    As fate would have it, this was also one of the restaurants where he and Bai Yu had gone the day before, and he had to admit that the food here was not bad at all.


    Even Bai Yu had enjoyed many of the dishes they served here.


    Her only complaint was about the drinks.


    Ethan never would have thought that the dragon woman would become obsessed with cola.


    He could only pity the manager''s face yesterday when he asked the lovely Bai Yu if the food was to her liking, only to be scolded over the beverages.


    The poor guy didn''t even have the courage to refute her words due to Bai Yu''s natural aura, which could suppress anyone with just a look.


    Ethan had to step in, and after paying an exorbitant amount, they left.


    Ethan now understood why it was said that taking a girl out to eat was expensive; he had spent almost an entire day''s wages on that meal.


    It might seem small, but considering how much he earned per day, it wasn''t a negligible sum.


    He shook his head at these thoughts and entered.


    He had already put on his black suit with matching mask and entered.


    Ethan had to admit that the mask was proving more useful than he had originally thought.


    This was because no one would recognize him here.


    Even though it was his first time at the restaurant, it was unlikely that the manager would forget his face so quickly.


    Not after the scolding he had received.


    Ethan sent out a thin spiritual wave to scan the area and soon found the table where the others were seated.


    He also noticed Xun Wei, but didn''t dwell on it and headed straight for the stairs, ignoring the restaurant receptionist who was supposed to greet people and find them a seat.


    Although most of the time, everything was already reserved, so they asked if you already had a reservation.


    The receptionist was a cultivator at the second stage, but even so, she couldn''t probe the person who had just entered.


    She avoided trying to stop him, as his movements around the restaurant made it seem like he already knew where he was going.


    That said, she couldn''t simply ignore him and let him walk around.


    What if he had come to cause trouble?


    She simply notified the manager, who told her he would handle it.


    Ethan finally arrived on the first floor and without stopping, walked straight toward a table situated near an open view of the outside, offering a beautiful sight of the city.


    Ethan had already been here before and even back then, he had appreciated this view while enjoying the meal, or at least, he had before the scene from yesterday.


    Not wanting to recall yesterday''s memories, he proceeded toward the table, and within seconds, he was almost there.


    Just as the people at the table began to notice him, he found himself face-to-face with someone.


    Seeing the person''s face, Ethan couldn''t help but make a complicated expression.


    It was the poor man who had been a victim of Bai Yu yesterday, in other words, the manager.


    The manager, clearly not recognizing Ethan, asked in a calm voice with a slight friendly smile.


    "Excuse me, sir, I couldn''t help but notice that you haven''t reserved a seat at reception, nor have you presented an invitation.


    As you may know, our restaurant is almost always fully booked, so it''s difficult to find a free table. Today is one of those days.


    If you don''t have a reservation or invitation, I can only kindly ask you to leave the restaurant," said the manager courteously.


    The manager was a man in his 40s who had been running this place for almost half of his life.


    He knew how to interact with almost every type of person, and after hearing what the receptionist had said, he knew that the person in front of him was by no means ordinary, so he maintained basic courtesy when speaking to him.


    On the other hand, Ethan almost wanted to laugh at the manager''s words.


    Not because he found them offensive or anything, but because of one part of what he had said, that the place was full.


    It had been full yesterday too, but as soon as the manager saw Bai Yu, he somehow managed to free up a table from nowhere.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, but he accepted the situation as it was and enjoyed the meal.


    Now that Bai Yu wasn''t with him, the manager wasn''t making that exception.


    But he didn''t need it.


    He pointed to the table behind the manager and said:


    "I''m part of that group of people," he said, gesturing towards the group of participants, who had already noticed him by now.


    All the participants from both the first and second categories knew him, so they weren''t surprised when he pointed to them.


    The deeds of the masked man had already spread among the alchemists who had participated that day, and the impression of him varied from envy to admiration.


    The group of participants in the novice category had one admirer and two jealous individuals.


    The only girl in the group was the admirer of this masked boy.


    She had no idea what his face looked like, but she could tell that the rest of his body was well-trained.


    Adding to that the fact that he wasn''t a bad alchemist at all, she ended up becoming one of his fans.


    Ethan had unintentionally gained several fans that day, and she was one of them.


    The manager, hearing this, glanced at the table, and there, the elder of the pavilion gave him a nod, as if to confirm Ethan''s words.


    Seeing this, the manager didn''t hold Ethan back any longer and let him pass.


    It was better for him that way; he didn''t want to start another commotion after what had happened yesterday.


    He still couldn''t understand what had been wrong with the drinks he had served.


    To be sure, he checked them later, and the taste and quality of all the drinks were first-rate. Read the latest chapters at m-vl-em,pyr


    He could only think that the woman had an unusual sense of taste.

 Chapter 151: Xun Weis Dissatisfaction

    .


    Ethan finally reached the table and sat down in an extra chair that had been prepared for him.


    By chance, he ended up sitting with two girls from his same category, Yan Mei and Xiang Hua.


    Ethan would have preferred to sit with Xun Wei rather than these two, because one was too competitive, and the other was clearly upset with him.


    But he had to admit, the way he looked at these two was very different now.


    He now found their attitudes somewhat amusing, and nothing more.


    Perhaps it was because his mental age was higher than almost everyone present, or maybe because he was the strongest among them.


    Ethan didn''t know and had no intention of figuring it out right now.


    At this moment, he wondered what to do.


    Earlier, they had asked him if he wanted something brought to him, which he declined, as he couldn''t eat or drink with his mask on.


    And so he sat with everyone, enduring the curious glances of those around him, especially the woman sitting in front of him.


    He could tell that, aside from him and Xiang Hua, she was the third strongest person present.


    ''Well, that''s the least I''d expect from a master alchemist,'' he thought as he prepared for the questions that were about to come his way.


    Since he had sat down, he had practically ignored everyone, and when asked why he had been absent during the attendance day, he simply replied that he had some important commitments.


    Naturally, this flat answer didn''t please the elder Shu Ai Qing, but she decided to drop the matter.


    For some reason, the aura surrounding this masked boy felt very different from the others present.


    It was a strange and mysterious aura, and in some ways, mature.


    She didn''t know what was happening but decided not to think too much about it.


    At the very least, she could tell the boy had abilities.


    She remembered him from the selection test, where he had scored a perfect score on the theory test, something difficult to achieve in such a short amount of time.


    Even she, knowing all the answers, wasn''t sure if she could have answered all the questions so quickly within a minute.


    This only proved how special the boy in front of her was, even more so for the impeccable performance he gave during the practical test.


    These were probably the only reasons why she let him off so easily.


    Like it or not, he was needed for the tournament, and given his skill, he would most likely be a great help in securing a good position.


    They might even win first place.


    While she decided not to cause Ethan any further problems, someone else at the table thought differently.


    ''Damn it, you show up late, and now you''re acting like nothing''s wrong?''


    It was none other than Xun Wei.


    Knowing that there was a possibility for him to participate, his mood had been high the whole tim,e until today, when the masked boy showed up.


    He had thought his participation in the tournament was assured, but who could have predicted that the masked boy would arrive at the last minute and snatch that opportunity from him?


    This clearly annoyed him.


    As they say, the higher the expectations, the harder the fall when things go wrong. Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelFire


    But he had no intention of giving up so easily.


    He had trained a lot over the last three months and had successfully refined low-grade Level 2 pills with relative ease, so he no longer thought himself inferior to the masked boy as he had before.


    So, in the end, he turned to him and said:


    "You know, I''m not entirely convinced of your participation in the tournament.


    You avoided participating in the last match against senior Xiang Hua, and you were really late in arriving here, when you should have handled your affairs and made sure everything was in order for the tournament.


    Look, the pavilion elder had to go through the trouble of bringing me along because your participation was uncertain.


    You''re not going to pretend none of that happened, are you?"


    He said this clearly trying to cast Ethan in a bad light.


    Ethan, on the other hand, found Xun Wei''s amusing attempt to steal his spot in the tournament rather funny and responded with a light chuckle and a neutral tone.


    "So what?"


    Ethan didn''t want to provoke any unnecessary fights. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it were up to him, he''d attend the tournament, do what he had to do, and then leave without wasting any more time.


    The only reason he was participating was to promote his brand and strengthen his position in the market.


    But now, after all the improvements he''d undergone in the past 20 years in the minor dimension, both in terms of cultivation and alchemy skills, he no longer saw it as that important.


    He was now skilled enough to refine higher and higher level pills and easily outshine the competition, but that would require effort on his part, not just participation in the tournament.


    It wasn''t just any competition; it was an imperial one.


    To leave as if nothing had happened would be disrespectful to the competition, the pavilion, and all the participants.


    Sure, at his current level he couldn''t care less, but now that he''s already here, why not?


    He saw it more as a little vacation than anything else.


    He also wanted to see the level of the other alchemy contenders from the other regions.


    After all, the Phoenix Empire had always been the place he roamed, be it in small towns or the capital, and eventually within the Phoenix Sect.


    Participating in the tournament was like taking a breath of fresh air and seeing a bit more of the outside world.


    So, why not participate?


    Xun Wei, hearing his audacious response, wanted to flip the table and hit at him, but he restrained himself, taking a deep breath to calm down before saying:


    "How about this? Why don''t we compete again?


    You''ve beaten me once already, so it shouldn''t be difficult for you to do it again, right?"


    He said, clearly trying to provoke some kind of reaction from him, but with that mask on, it was hard to tell what he was thinking.


    The pavilion elder, seeing this scene, decided not to intervene and instead watched how the situation would unfold.


    She could have easily ended it with a simple command, but she wanted to see how the masked boy would handle this.


    She honestly hoped Ethan would accept the challenge because she, too, wanted to see if the masked boy had improved since the last time.


    She remembered that during the last competition, she, like the other examiners, had probed his cultivation and discovered, to her shock, that he was at the third stage, similar to most of them.


    This, in itself, made them pay more attention to him.


    But now, when she tried to probe his cultivation again, she realized she couldn''t sense anything at all.


    It was as if he were a normal person, but that would be impossible. So, she concluded that he was most likely using some kind of artifact to conceal his cultivation base.


    She didn''t believe that in just three months, this person had made giant leaps in his cultivation.


    No matter how talented he was, no one could make such progress in such a short time.


    And so, like everyone else, she waited for his answer.


    And when he finally opened his mouth to respond, what came out was as flat as before.


    "No."

 Chapter 152: Bloodflower

    Ethan''s flat response left everyone in stunned silence.


    Especially Xun Wei, who hadn''t expected such a blunt refusal.


    Still trying to suppress his anger, he spoke in a calm tone,


    "And why is that?


    Don''t tell me you''re actually afraid of losing?


    You can admit it if that''s the case. No one will blame you," Xun Wei said, hoping to provoke a reaction.


    As much as he wanted to rush at him, they were in the imperial capital.


    If he caused a scene here, missing the tournament would be the least of his problems.


    He was trying to goad Ethan into accepting the challenge, which is why he said those words.


    But Ethan didn''t seem concerned at all by what he said and responded simply,


    "You see, I already have a spot in the tournament, but you don''t.


    So fighting you doesn''t make sense for me.


    After all, even if I win, I gain nothing.


    But if I lose, I''d lose my place. Why would I accept such a duel?" He asked calmly, making his point clear.


    Upon hearing these words, Xun Wei secretly rejoiced.


    ''Finally, he''s taken the bait,'' he thought while making an offer,


    "You''re right, such a duel wouldn''t be fair to you. How about this?


    If you win, you keep your spot in the tournament, and in addition, you''ll get a favor from my Xun family." He figured that would be enough. S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But to his disappointment, Ethan still refused, saying he wasn''t interested.


    A vein appeared on Xun Wei''s forehead as he struggled to control himself.


    He tried again, offering something else, "Well then, what do you want?


    Money? resources of some kind?


    Tell me, as long as it''s something reasonable, I can get it for you," he said, thinking it''d be faster to ask what the other side wanted.


    He doubted that an alchemist of Ethan''s caliber was short on money, so he left the offer open.


    Upon hearing this, Ethan smiled to himself and responded without hesitation,


    "I heard your Xun family acquired some hundred-year-old Bloodflowers a few months ago.


    If you''re willing to offer even one of those, I''d be happy to accept your duel." Ethan replied calmly.


    Unfortunately, the request he made was far from ordinary.


    Not only Xun Wei, but several others at the table made blank expressions as they stared at him.


    ''He''s insane? Does he really think the Xun family will hand over their Bloodflowers?'' they all thought, shaking their heads.


    The Bloodflower was a rare medicinal herb, difficult to find in the wild.


    Among the list of herbs and ingredients that Ethan hadn''t been able to get his hands on, the Bloodflower was one of the most elusive.


    Aside from its applications in various fields, it could be used in several high-level alchemical recipes. Many of the third-level recipes Ethan had required this herb as a primary ingredient.


    But without even one of them, he couldn''t even think of growing it in his herb garden.


    Usually, a single herb wouldn''t be enough to grow more, but the Bloodflower was a little special. Even one could produce several seeds, which, if carefully cultivated over decades, could result in many more Bloodflowers.


    That''s why Ethan wanted to get his hands on at least one of them, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn''t find it.


    He heard that the last of these herbs to appear ended up being sold at an auction, and the buyer was none other than Xun Wei''s father, Xun Yun.


    So when Xun Wei made his offer, Ethan didn''t hold back and directly asked for the Bloodflower as a reward.


    Xun Wei, who had been expecting something reasonable, suddenly found another two veins appearing on his forehead as his patience began to crack.


    ''What the hell did you say? A Bloodflower?


    Do you think they''re cabbages you can just pick up anywhere?''*


    This time, Xun Wei was truly on the verge of losing it.


    Even the elder Shu, seeing that the situation could escalate, was about to intervene, but Ethan continued.


    "Of course, asking for the herb may be a bit much, so how about this? If you agree to wager a Bloodflower as the reward for our duel, I''ll put these up as well."


    He waved his hand, and three ginseng roots appeared in his right hand.


    For a moment, no one reacted, including Xun Wei, who wasn''t sure how to respond.


    He thought Ethan might be mocking him, but then his eyes sharpened as he noticed something.


    ''Wait, are those...'' and just as he realized what they were, a voice broke the silence.


    "100 year old ginseng''s," said the voice.


    Everyone at the table turned toward the source of the voice and saw the elder of the pavilion staring in astonishment at the ginseng in Ethan''s hand.


    Even those who hadn''t realized what it was widened their eyes one by one after hearing the elder''s words.


    "No way, centennial ginseng? And he has three of them?"


    "Wait, but aren''t those really hard to find? How is it possible he has three?"


    "More importantly, are they really centennial ginseng? What if they just look like it but aren''t mature enough?"


    One by one, whispers spread through the table, primarily from the group of beginners.


    Even Yan Mei couldn''t help but be surprised, just like Xuang Hua, but neither of them lost their composure.


    This was because, while the ginseng Ethan held was as rare as the Bloodflower, one of them was the granddaughter of a master alchemist and had seen the herb before.


    The other was part of one of the most prestigious sects in the region, and though it had only been once, she had also come across this herb before.


    That said, it didn''t mean they weren''t shocked.


    Even the elder Shu was tempted to take those ginseng roots from Ethan, but she held back.


    Her reputation was at stake, after all.


    And while ginseng had its value, it was not enough to justify such a deplorable act.


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    Xun Wei had seen this herb once or twice while learning from his father, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t tempted.


    In the end, he didn''t speak immediately and had to think carefully about how to proceed.


    The Bloodflower belonged to his father, not him, so using it as a prize for a duel was out of the question.


    Without his father''s permission, there wasn''t much he could do.


    But the addition of those three ginseng roots changed things.


    If he managed to get his hands on them, he might not only justify the bet, but also perform well in the tournament and secure a good position.


    That alone would be enough for his father to forgive him.


    So, seeing he had multiple reasons to participate, he decided to accept the bet.

 Chapter 153: Prepare Some Tea

    . Read new chapters at m_v-l''e-NovelFire


    In the end, Xun Wei agreed to offer a Blood Flower as the reward for the duel.


    They decided to find a suitable place for the duel, so they rented a large training hall, which they would use as their battleground.


    Both were provided with cauldrons of the same type by the pavilion elder, who had been chosen as the duel''s judge.


    They had agreed to use the same rules from the selection test, meaning they had to produce as many pills as possible within an hour.


    The difference this time was that the pills wouldn''t be chosen by someone else, but by themselves.


    Both agreed to use whatever pill recipe they had on hand, as long as they possessed the materials. This was fine with the elder of the pavilion, as the duel had been arranged in haste, and it wasn''t realistic to expect them to have enough materials for just any pill.


    Since both parties had agreed on this, she had no obligation to interfere.


    Nor did she have any intention to.


    She knew that both participants had likely improved since the last time, but she was curious to see by how much.


    She was particularly interested in seeing what the masked boy would produce.


    His performance during the selection had been nearly flawless, so her expectations of him were high.


    Of course, that didn''t mean she wasn''t taking Xun Wei seriously. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She also wanted to see how much he had grown, after all, he was the son of a fellow alchemist master, and she had high expectations for him as well.


    Both participants finished preparing their materials within minutes, and once she saw that both were ready, she signaled the start of the test.


    As soon as the incense stick was lit, the challenge began, and Xun Wei, more determined than ever, started immediately like a storm.


    With quick and precise movements, he prepared the necessary materials while focusing on his cauldron, making sure it was ready for the next phase of refinement.


    One by one, he processed the ingredients, and once finished, he carefully added them into the cauldron, paying attention not to make a mistake with the amounts.


    After all, the dosage was a crucial part of the process, and even the smallest error could ruin everything.


    As she observed his refinement process, the pavilion elder got a sense of what kind of pill Xun Wei was likely preparing.


    ''Hmm, it seems he''s aiming to make a high-grade pill right off the bat.


    And it looks like it''s going well so far,'' she thought, examining his every move and nodding with approval.


    ''Just as one would expect from Xun Yun''s son," she mused, shifting her attention to the other side of the arena, curious to see what the masked boy was refining.


    But as she did, she noticed something odd.


    Her gaze first landed on the other tournament participants who were watching the duel.


    The reason she focused on them was because of the puzzled expressions they all wore as they looked in one particular direction, toward the masked boy .


    ''What''s going on?''


    she thought, as her eyes followed theirs toward masked boy''s station to discover the source of their strange expressions.


    And as soon as she did, her expression changed from one of curiosity to one of bewilderment, just like the rest of the group.


    "What on earth is this boy doing?" she thought, utterly confused by the scene in front of her.


    There, at Ethan''s station, instead of a meticulous refining process, what she saw was a masked boy sitting comfortably while preparing something over a small portable stove.


    ''No way... is he making tea?!''


    Everyone thought the same, staring in disbelief at the masked figure, who continued his actions as if nothing was wrong.


    Poooof.


    Steam finally rose from the container on the stove, and after placing it back into his dimensional ring, he poured himself a cup of steaming tea, ready to drink.


    As he finished putting away the kettle, he noticed the strange atmosphere.


    For a moment, he glanced to the side, only to see five pairs of incredulous eyes staring at him as if he were some kind of bizarre creature.


    ''What''s wrong with them?


    Why are they looking at me like that?'' he thought, pausing for a moment before deciding to ignore them and getting ready to sip his tea.


    While this scene was far too strange for the five onlookers, for Bai Yu inside Ethan''s head, it was the opposite.


    Shaking her head, she said,


    ''Haa, what did I expect from him?''


    She had no doubt Ethan would do something like this during the duel.


    She knew him too well, and she knew he would never take a challenge like this seriously.


    After all, she had witnessed his skills personally over the past twenty years and knew that none of the present participants could match him, either in terms of strength or alchemical ability.


    In the end, lightly lifting his mask from below, Ethan took a few sips of tea, nodding internally in satisfaction.


    The tea leaves he was using were extremely rare, obtained from some plants in his herb garden.


    The value of these leaves was worth dozens of high-grade spirit stones per leaf.


    Ethan had been fortunate to get his hands on the plant and cultivated it in his herb garden.


    In fact, his garden was filled with plants of all kinds, ranging from medicinal herbs useful for refining pills and medicines, to fruits and vegetables, and in this case, tea leaves.


    Ethan had filled his garden with as many species of herbs and trees as possible.


    Some out of interest, others out of necessity, and still others simply to complete his collection.


    Some he cared for less, but he kept them anyway.


    As he enjoyed his tea, at one point, he even offered it to the five still watching him, before finally deciding it was time to start refining.


    The others, now with a steaming cup of tea in their hands, couldn''t help but look at the incense stick and then back at him.


    About 15 minutes remained.


    At this point, no one dared to comment and continued sipping the excellent tea while watching with curiosity what the masked boy would do next.


    Even the pavilion elder, who had accepted the tea at some point, was curious to see what he would do in such a short time.

 Chapter 154:

    .


    Xun Wei, who had been completely focused on refining his pills the entire time, had no idea that while he was refining like a madman, the other side was calmly enjoying tea.


    At one point, he smelled a pleasant aroma and was momentarily tempted to lift his head to see where it was coming from, but he decided to restrain himself.


    He could check at the end of the competition anyway, and after all, there were less than 15 minutes left.


    He was now preparing his final pill, the one that would also be his ticket to victory.


    He had already refined three different high-grade level-1 pills, and with this result, he thought he had placed himself in a strong position.


    But he didn''t let his guard down.


    He knew the other side''s abilities, so he was aware that he couldn''t beat him with just simple high-grade level-1 pills.


    He still remembered how quickly and easily the other side could produce pills of this level, so he decided it was time to increase the difficulty.


    After the first half-hour of refining, he pulled out more materials and continued working on them without stopping.


    The pill he was about to produce was extremely challenging and required time to make.


    If the pavilion elder hadn''t been busy receiving tea from Ethan, she would have realized that what Xun Wei was preparing was a medium-grade level-2 pill.


    Furthermore, it was one of the most complicated pills in that category.


    Xun Wei had trained like a madman to improve significantly because he couldn''t accept the fact that he had been defeated by someone like Ethan, and in such a crushing way, no less.


    The humiliation from that defeat had been the fuel for his flames of revenge as he tirelessly refined his skills, and in the end, he finally achieved good results.


    ''You''ll see, I''ll make you pay with your own medicine,'' he thought as he was ready to move on to the second phase of refining, which involved adding the materials one by one, in the correct doses, and cooking them in the cauldron.


    This process was the most problematic for this pill because it required many materials, each with different doses, to be mixed in a specific sequence.


    Taking a breath to calm himself, he proceeded, and as he did, he immersed himself completely in the refinement once again.


    At this point, even the spectators had noticed what he was doing and couldn''t help but wear expressions of shock as they realized the pill the other side was trying to produce.


    "Th-that''s a level-2 pill?" said one of the participants from the first category. Enjoy new tales from m-v l''-NovelFire


    "It''s not just any level-2 pill, that pill, it''s the Pill of a Hundred Cures, and it''s one of the most complicated medium-grade level-2 pills," said the boy next to him.


    Even the only girl in their category, hearing this, couldn''t help but worry for Ethan.


    After all, there were only 15 minutes left.


    It was impossible for Ethna to turn things around in such a short amount of time.


    That was everyone''s thought, and even Yan Mei, upon seeing what Xun Wei was preparing, was impressed for a moment, thinking that Ethan had no chance of winning anymore.


    And so, while everyone was skeptical of Ethan, he, without caring about what they were thinking, lit the fire and grabbed some materials.


    Hm?


    Seeing his choice of materials, everyone couldn''t help but glance at Xun Wei, then look back at Ethna''s materials again.


    "Wait, it can''t be��"


    "I don''t believe it, is he really planning to refine the same pill as Senior Xun Wei?" said one of the boys, but their shock was shared by the rest of the spectators.


    Everyone seeing this scene thought Ethan had lost his mind.


    Even though they appreciated the good tea, they couldn''t help but feel sorry for him.


    After all, there were less than 15 minutes left, and the other side had decided to prepare such a complicated pill in this short amount of time?


    No matter how fast he was, this particular pill was extremely complex, and speed alone wasn''t enough.


    There was no way he could refine it in such little time.


    Even the pavilion elder, upon seeing what Ethna wanted to refine, simply shook her head, thinking the winner was already decided.


    While everyone was lost in their thoughts, Ethan finally began.


    And as soon as he did, everyone''s gaze snapped to him, watching closely.


    "What?" sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait, what are those movements, and what''s with that incredible speed?" Everyone was stunned by what they saw in front of them.


    Ethan, who had just started refining, simply waved his hand, and all the ingredients began to float around him.


    With a snap of his fingers, each ingredient started to be processed on its own.


    Some were ground by an invisible force, others peeled, others sliced, and so on.


    In less than a minute, Ethna finished processing the materials, a task that had taken Xun Wei at least five minutes.


    And that wasn''t all.


    With a single gesture, the materials started to be added to the cauldron one by one without stopping, and in just a few seconds, everything was inside the cauldron.


    Seeing this scene, everyone thought Ethan had gone mad.


    After all, he had practically thrown everything into the cauldron, ignoring the doses and timing.


    Usually, ingredients were added in a specific order and at precise intervals.


    You had to give time for the first ingredients to prepare before gradually adding the rest.


    It was like preparing a dish.


    First, you would cook some of the ingredients, and then add others little by little.


    You couldn''t just throw everything into the pan and hope for the same result.


    At this point, everyone had stopped sipping their tea, watching with blank expressions as they looked at Ethan.


    Ethan continued to ignore them and refined without any distractions.


    Finally, the time passed, and there were only about two minutes left.


    This remaining time was supposed to be used to mold the finished mixture into pills and place them into the provided glass vials.


    Xun Wei did exactly that.


    When there was about a minute left, he finished refining and proceeded to shape the pills, letting them cool for a few seconds before placing them into the vial.


    "Hahaha, I finally did it," he said, wiping some sweat from his brow, tired but satisfied, as he prepared to hand the vial to the pavilion elder.


    As he did so, he also saw Ethan arrive and, seeing the three pills in his vial, he scoffed with disdain and placed his pills in front of the elder.


    In total, he had refined three high-grade level-1 pills and one medium-grade level-2 pill.


    Yes, he had successfully refined the Pill of a Hundred Cures.


    As he placed the pills on the table, he couldn''t help but wonder what the other side had produced.


    Although his victory was certain, the other side did have some skill, and he wanted to see what he had made.


    Hm? Why do they look familiar?


    He asked himself as he noticed more and more the resemblance between the three pills in Ethna''s glass vial and one of his own pills.


    "It can''t be��"


    And just as he realized what pills they were, the pavilion elder''s voice came from the side:


    "The victory goes to the masked boy."

 Chapter 155: Monstrous Talent

    .


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    Xun Wei''s world collapsed once again as he heard the verdict of the Pavilion Elder.


    ''No, how is this possible?''


    He was in denial, refusing to believe the reality.


    He simply couldn''t accept that the masked boy had produced three mid-grade, lvl.2 pills in such a short time.


    It was simply impossible unless he was a master alchemist.


    Xun Wei''s shock was understandable, as even those who had witnessed the refinement over the last 15 minutes would not have believed it if they hadn''t seen it with their own eyes.


    Even the elder from the Medicine Pavilion, upon seeing the speed with which he refined and his method, couldn''t help but let out a cold sigh.


    She wondered how it was possible for her to improve so rapidly.


    SHe remembered how he refined three months ago, and even then his alchemical abilities were first-rate, but now��


    Even she, a master alchemist herself, couldn''t confidently say she could refine level 2 mid-grade pills in 15 minutes.


    Of course, refining the pill itself wasn''t too difficult for her, but to do it in such a short time, she wasn''t sure she could replicate Ethan''s actions.


    What surprised her the most was his unique technique.


    ''He manipulated the ingredients with his spiritual manifestation and worked them to perfection in minute details.


    And he also managed to manipulate the elements inside the cauldron to ensure the ingredients didn''t mix randomly.''


    It wasn''t a new method of refining or anything, but it took a long time to master.


    After all, various elements would influence this method of refinement, ranging from precise control of one''s spiritual manifestation to manipulating the ingredients inside the cauldron.


    It wasn''t difficult for a master alchemist to do such a thing; in fact, this was one of the traits that distinguished them from experienced alchemists.


    ''Could he already be at that level?'' she wondered, unwilling to believe her own assumption.


    After all, it would be too much to digest, especially considering the person appeared to be no older than 30.


    How could someone so young have reached such a level?


    If a person reached the level of master alchemist by the age of 100, they were considered a genius who appeared once every thousand years.


    And if they did so by the age of 50, they were considered a genius who appeared once every hundred thousand years.


    What could be said of someone as young as this boy?


    A genius like no other had ever appeared.


    The more she thought about it, the less she believed that he could already be at the master alchemist level.


    That said, she acknowledged his skill and the quality of his pills.


    Thus, she declared him the winner.


    Even though Xun Wei had also produced a pill, it was still inferior in purity compared to Ethan''s three pills.


    The other three high-grade level 1 pills were overshadowed by just one of those level 2 mid-grade pills, so it was clear who the victor was.


    Still, this did not sit well with Xun Wei, who said through gritted teeth, "It''s not possible that all these are level 2 pills, right?"


    The Pavilion Elder could only shake his head.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand what Xun Wei was feeling.


    After all, not only had he lost once again in a crushing defeat to the masked boy, but he had also lost his last chance to participate in the Imperial Tournament.


    He had previously been offered a spot in the novice category but refused, thinking it was humiliating for someone of his caliber to participate in such a category.


    That said, however much he wanted to deny the result, he couldn''t do so.


    After all, there were too many spectators for him to accuse the other side of cheating.


    If it had been up to him, he would have suppressed the boy using his family''s power, but here, he couldn''t even do that.


    In the end, despite his reluctance, he accepted his defeat.


    What worried him most was the fact that he would now have to ask his family for a blood flower.


    A flower might seem insignificant, but this flower grew only in special environments and conditions, and there were fewer than a hundred in the entire Phoenix Kingdom.


    For such a vast kingdom, having only 100 of these flowers meant they couldn''t even be divided among all the cities present.


    His family had three of them.


    His father had taken the third one a while ago and given it to him.


    That flower was supposed to be used for a future pill, but now he had lost it.


    Although reluctant, he handed over the reward and withdrew into his quarters.


    He didn''t know how his father would react if he found out about this, but it certainly wouldn''t be good for him.


    On the other side, Ethan, finally seeing one of the rare herbs he had been searching for in his possession, nodded in satisfaction and placed it in a special container before storing it in his dimensional ring.


    He couldn''t put it directly into storage since he was still in the presence of many people.


    Speaking of those people, they were all clearly shocked by the skill Ethan had shown, especially those participating in the novice category.


    They had never seen anyone refine in such a way, nor did they think it was possible.


    The admiration of Ethan''s female fan grew even more, and even the two boys couldn''t help but acknowledge Ethan''s superiority.


    They were dissatisfied for various reasons, but the main one was that Ethan had ended up being the idol of all the girls in the selection tournament.


    So, because of that, they were still envious, but that didn''t stop them from respecting his alchemical abilities.


    Unlike them, however, the other two people present with them had similar but at the same time different opinions.


    They were more aligned with Elder Shu.


    Yan Mei recognized this refinement technique, having often accompanied her grandfather when he met with his alchemist friends and others.


    She remembered once when her grandfather had taken her to see a Grandmaster Alchemist from the Pavilion, and at that time, she had the rare opportunity to see him refine.


    The way he refined was very similar to how the masked boy was doing it.


    According to her grandfather, this was something a master alchemist could already do, but it required great mastery over one''s spiritual manifestation since many elements had to be managed in a short time, and in alchemy, where precision had to be millimetric, there was no room for error.


    Seeing the masked boy do something that even her grandfather still struggled with a little gave her a great shock.


    The same was true for Xiang Hua.


    Not many knew this, but the master of the Phoenix Sect was also a master alchemist.


    Although she no longer practiced the profession, when Xiang Hua began learning alchemy, she picked up a thing or two from her, and she remembered that at that time, the sect master showed her this technique, explaining how it was used, its advantages, and its disadvantages. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had told her that while she could perform this refining technique, she was far from being able to use it to its full potential.


    And that was because it took a long time to master it step by step.


    She had stopped being an alchemist a long time ago, so she didn''t continue training in this technique.


    Xiang Hua had also started learning the technique, but she still wasn''t able to use it for refinement.


    Moving objects was one thing, but working them and refining them entirely through spiritual manifestation was another.


    Seeing the masked person able to do such a thing made her realize that if before they could have been considered at the same level, now they no longer were, as the other person had already surpassed her by a large margin.


    ''Who the hell is this monster?'' she thought.

 Chapter 156: Nine Dragons Seal

    .


    After the battle between Ethan and Xun Wei, nothing particularly interesting occurred, and everyone calmly awaited the arrival of the day when the Imperial Tournament would begin.


    Elder Shu had granted everyone free time to do whatever they wanted in the remaining days, as long as they returned to their lodgings at a set time and avoided trouble.


    When she said this, she gave Ethan a particularly long look, though Ethan had no idea why the elder was singling him out.


    While the others went out to explore the city or pursue other activities, Ethan, who had already rested enough, decided it was time to return to his previous routine.


    Now that he had obtained the Blood Flower he desired so much, he wanted to plant it as soon as possible.


    Once back in his room, he transported himself to his minor dimension.


    Upon arriving, he sensed Zhong Hei''s aura wandering in the forest near his herb garden.


    Seeing that the creature was fine, he continued to the herb garden.


    He wasn''t worried about any dangers there.


    After all, among the beasts in the area, Zhong Hei was undoubtedly the strongest, so the danger was relatively minimal.


    That said, Zhong Hei had a tendency to cause trouble for others.


    What if he ended up provoking too many beasts and they all ganged up on him?


    Ethan believed Zhong Hei could handle himself even in that scenario, but one could never be too sure.


    He had already noticed that his dimension seemed to change each time he improved, and who could say whether dangerous areas wouldn''t appear at some point?


    For now, he hadn''t discovered any other life forms apart from those he had introduced himself, but that didn''t mean it would always be that way.


    Entering the herb garden, Ethan looked around, unable to suppress a feeling of pride at the beautiful sight before him.


    Not because of how beautiful it was, but because in this area all the herbs were particularly rare and precious.


    Seeing so many gathered in one place filled him with joy.


    As he was enjoying the moment, he suddenly noticed a petal fall from one of the herbs.


    "..."


    [ -300 high-grade spiritual stones]


    In his mind, an imaginary number appeared.


    Ethan stood frozen as he watched the petal fall to the ground.


    He had just lost 300 high-grade spiritual stones.


    Shifting his gaze from the petal to the fiery orange flower from which it had fallen, he noticed something in particular.


    Without hesitation, he sent out a thread of spiritual energy, catching that object.


    The next thing to happen was that something went flying through the air, traveling several kilometers before crashing into a distant mountain.


    The object, resembling a scarecrow, clung to the mountain''s side before falling another thousand meters down.


    Ethan, the cause of this sudden flight, glanced to the side at another scarecrow-like figure that had just appeared and said:


    "I''m fairly certain I told you all to be particularly careful with the herbs in this area, didn''t I?"


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    The scarecrow trembled in fear as a stammering voice emerged from it.


    "Number 5 got lost and ended up working here," it said.


    "What? Him again? Didn''t I tell you to send him to the outer area of the garden to chop down trees from the forest? How did he end up here?"


    "Number 3 doesn''t know. One moment he was there, and then he wasn''t," said the scarecrow.


    Ethan, hearing this response, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    These scarecrows were his creations, designed to keep his herb garden in order.


    He had faced numerous difficulties in solving this problem.


    That''s when Bai Yu had come up with a solution.


    She had taught him a soul technique that allowed him to create soul puppets.


    These were essentially empty shells into which wandering souls were placed.


    Bai Yu had explained the various uses of this technique, and the more Ethan heard, the more uneasy he felt.


    She told him he could simply take the souls of animals and shape them to create these puppets.


    She mentioned that human souls would work better, but Ethan had no intention of hunting people to steal their souls, so he used some beasts from the forest instead.


    The downside of using beasts was that the final product''s intelligence would be far lower than even a three-year-old child''s, and while these souls could learn and grow over time, it would take many years.


    As of now, all of them had less than 10 years of existence, so Ethan kept them away from the area with rare herbs.


    Even a small mistake there would cause him to shed bitter tears over the loss of an herb.


    Not wanting to give names to dozens of puppets, Ethan classified them by numbers.


    At the moment, he was talking to Number 3, one of the few puppets with slightly higher intelligence than the others.


    The one he had just sent flying was Number 5, the scourge of his herb garden.


    Number 5''s intelligence barely surpassed that of a three-year-old child.


    He could follow simple instructions, but anything more complex would lead to disaster.


    For this reason, Ethan kept him far away from anything valuable.


    On the very first day, he had found part of his plantation in flames thanks to Number 5.


    Ethan had been so furious he almost threw the puppet into the fire it had caused.


    Had it not been for the fact that the little troublemaker had won Bai Yu''s sympathy, Ethan would have dismantled him and reshaped his soul to make him as efficient as the other puppets.


    At this point, Ethan had only one thing left to do, seal off this area.


    He had never thought to do it before, as this dimension was his and no creature other than those he introduced could enter and steal his herbs.


    He had never bothered to set up any defenses for the garden.


    But now, with a walking disaster like Number 5, Ethan knew it was time to install them.


    He sighed slightly as he concentrated some spiritual Qi into his hand and made a sign with his palm upward.


    "Nine Dragons Seal."


    As soon as the words were spoken, various symbols began forming above Ethan''s palm.


    First one, then two, then three, and so on, until they all gathered into a circle.


    After a while, the symbols stopped appearing, and Ethan closed his palm.


    The symbols shot out in different directions, forming a circle with a radius of 5 kilometers.


    "Activate."


    Immediately, columns of light of different colors shot up around him, and a thin dome-shaped barrier formed over the herb garden. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the Nine Dragons Seal formation.


    It was a technique Ethan had learned from Bai Yu, which allowed for an almost absolute defense against any creature below the spiritual realm.


    In other words, even a cultivator in the fifth stage of the mortal realm wouldn''t be able to penetrate it.


    Of course, such a barrier required a large amount of spiritual energy, but Ethan had set it up so that the necessary energy would be drawn from the surrounding environment.


    Being in a small world rich in unused spiritual energy, he didn''t need to maintain the barrier himself.


    Once he finished setting up the defenses for the herb garden, Ethan went to the wooden platform with the conical roof and sat down in a meditative pose, ready to cultivate.


    He had already stored up enough Qi, and now he needed to refine it, hoping to break through to the next level by the end of the month.

 Chapter 157: Wait, what?!

    .


    Since Ethan had entered the fifth stage of cultivation, he had struggled greatly to make any progress.


    Gathering Qi, as usual, wasn''t a problem since he could accumulate it in large quantities by refining high-level pills one after the other.


    The real problem, however, was that unlike the first three stages, where he mostly just needed to gather enough Qi to break through to the next level, starting from the fourth stage, he couldn''t do that anymore.


    Now, he had to consolidate what he had already gained, work on it depending on the stage he was in, and then gather more.


    The fastest part of all this was undoubtedly the Qi collection.


    He was fortunate to have the system, which allowed him to accumulate Qi by reproducing pills.


    So, unlike other cultivators who spent days gathering and refining Qi, he only had to do the latter.


    In the fourth stage, he had to condense the Qi into clouds and then assimilate it into the ring surrounding the glowing sphere.


    Now that ring had become much larger than before, and if you looked at it now, you would see a spiral ten times the size of the glowing sphere, swirling with it at the center.


    This breathtaking yet frightening scene was what the inside of Ethan''s core had become.


    He had already noticed that this space had become quite chaotic, and now all the Qi he refined went directly into the sphere, which had become brighter and, somehow, even heavier.


    That was the sensation Ethan felt when he visited the space inside his core.


    He had also noticed that the further he advanced in cultivation, the more the space seemed to expand and become vaster.


    Whereas before, it was just big enough to barely contain the glowing sphere and its thin ring, now it was at least five times bigger, and it seemed to grow larger with each passing day.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if this was normal or not, but after consulting Bai Yu, he learned that the space in the dantian was different for everyone, so Bai Yu couldn''t help him much in this regard.


    That said, there were no negative effects of any kind, so Ethan eventually accepted it.


    For months, he had been cultivating in the first level of the fifth stage, and he felt that he was close to making a breakthrough to the next level.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelFire.net


    Cultivation: Body and Soul Integration (lvl. 1)


    Qi: 1,420,000/2,000,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 381 --> 571


    Agility: 375 --> 565


    Intelligence: 344 --> 547


    Soul Strength: 178 --> 223


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 18,204,120


    -------------------------------]


    .


    To pass from the fourth stage to the fifth, he had to spend 100K system points. And once he finally reached this stage, he naturally saw how his various stats had increased.


    He had to admit that, despite hating it, the requirements for improvement had increased tenfold, once again.


    He no longer had any tears left to shed and stopped paying attention to the exorbitant Qi values required for the next levels in this stage of cultivation.


    To cheer himself up, he first looked at the enormous amount of SP he had managed to accumulate over the past 25 years, and then finally examined the rest of the functions.


    He immediately noticed that his stats for strength, agility, and intelligence had increased not by 20 but by 30 this time, and even his Soul Strength had increased by 10 instead of 5.


    This alone was enough to lift his spirits.


    He could already feel the pure physical power his body could generate with a single blow. To test it, he went to the nearest mountain.


    Once there, he threw a full-force punch at its side, expecting it to break. But the damage went beyond his expectations.


    Immediately, he felt the ground tremble, and the side of the mountain, which had been solid before, was no more.


    To be more precise, the entire part he hit was pulverized, and a large section of the mountain disappeared.


    Ethan didn''t know how to react.


    He had indeed put all his physical strength into that punch, but he hadn''t felt much resistance when he struck the mountain.


    Later, he discovered that it was due to his special physique.


    Apparently, it increased the potency of his physical attacks.


    Since then, Ethan had experimented more to gain better control over his strength.


    The last thing he wanted was to accidentally kill someone with just a friendly pat on the back or something similar.


    Better to prevent that than take any risks.


    So, while he cultivated in his minor dimension, in the city of the sun, in the western area, Da Shu stood in front of the gate of a grand villa.


    Unlike his usual attire, today he was wearing elegant robes, clean and perfectly ironed, with a rigid expression on his face as he prepared to step forward and enter the villa. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After much effort, he had finally managed to win over the heart of the girl he loved, who decided to give him a chance.


    Their friendly interactions had become something more, and little by little, the distance between them decreased more and more, until at one point, out of nowhere, she asked:


    "Tell me, how seriously do you take our relationship?" she asked in a calm voice, looking him straight in the eyes.


    Da Shu didn''t know why she suddenly asked him this question, but he answered without hesitation:


    "I take our relationship very seriously.


    In fact, if it were up to me, I''d go ask for your hand in marriage tomorrow," he said, without showing any hesitation.


    And it was true.


    He had pursued this girl for two years, and now that things between them had progressed to this point, he wouldn''t mind taking the next step.


    Huo Li''s serious expression softened at his words, and with a smile on her face, she said:


    "Really?" she asked.


    "Absolutely."


    "Good, then I''ll see you at my family''s residence tomorrow morning," she said and walked away.


    "..."


    ''Wait, what?!''


    Though he had said he was ready to propose tomorrow if he could, he was mostly saying it to show how serious he was about her.


    He didn''t think he would actually end up going to her family''s manor the next day.

 Chapter 158: Trouble Ahead

    .


    Time passed, and the remaining three days flew by.


    Finally, the long-awaited day arrived in the capital.


    During this time, aside from cultivating, Ethan hadn''t done much else.


    He had been invited out by the first category disciples, but he refused.


    He didn''t know them and felt no need to get acquainted.


    Right now, he wanted to make the most of his time, advancing his cultivation as much as possible.


    Unlike ordinary people, Ethan didn''t have a normal perception of time.


    After all, he had a dimension where time flowed faster.


    If he had gone out, he probably would have wasted 2-3 hours, which in the smaller dimension would amount to 12 days, a considerable amount of time for him.


    As far as he was concerned, he wouldn''t be interacting with these people after the tournament, since aside from Xiang Hua and him, no one else here belonged to his sect.


    And lately, he had been leaving his residence less and less, cultivating whenever he could.


    The amount of Qi needed for each level increased by 1 million each time.


    By making an approximate estimate, he could tell it would take him three full years of refining pills for each million Qi gathered, producing perfect-grade level 3 pills.


    From this, it could be deduced that the maximum time within which he could advance to the end of this stage wouldn''t be a matter of years or even decades but could comfortably stretch to a century or two. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And this was considering only the quantity of Qi to gather, then refining it and feeding it to the sphere would require additional time.


    In other words, he didn''t have time to waste.


    Now that he had recharged his brain with that free day spent wandering around with Bai Yu, he knew it was time to seriously focus on his cultivation again.


    Infact, after the tournament, he was considering returning to the dimension and cultivating in seclusion.


    There wasn''t much else for him to do out here, so he might as well take another leave and lock himself up in his residence for a year or two.


    While thinking about this, he had already left his room and was heading towards the atrium to join the rest of the group.


    Once he arrived, Elder Shu checked that everyone was present, and they finally set off towards the tournament venue.


    The capital was large and had various public buildings for all kinds of events.


    At the moment, the building many people in the capital were heading to was a large coliseum, big enough to hold 100,000 spectators.


    Once they arrived at the coliseum, two guards at the entrance approached to confirm their identities.


    Elder Shu took care of this, and once their participation was confirmed, they entered.


    As they entered, Ethan continued to examine the surroundings of the coliseum, trying to get a sense of the people who would be participating.


    "Hmm, it seems there are quite a few powerful beings here," he thought, noticing several auras of potent figures scattered throughout the coliseum area.


    Most of these were likely figures of a certain level, invited to oversee or monitor the situation at the coliseum.


    Only a few of them were companions of participants or spectators.


    While casually scanning everyone, he didn''t worry about being noticed by anyone who could perceive his spiritual sense, mainly because he knew how to conceal it from anyone who wasn''t at least a stage or two higher than him.


    The number of things Ethan perfected during these 25 years of seclusion was quite significant.


    Even regarding his rare flame, he had find various methods to use it to his advantage in combat and other things, including pill refining.


    As he examined the various participants, he noticed something.


    "Wait, this..." Ethan''s calm expression shifted slightly as he sensed a strange but familiar aura.


    "Could I have been mistaken?" he thought, noticing that the aura had vanished as soon as he detected it.


    It was as if it had disappeared into thin air the moment he sensed it.


    What he had perceived was none other than demonic Qi.


    Ethan knew he hadn''t made a mistake, so he tried expanding his search range further and once again noticed that aura.


    But this time, it wasn''t alone.


    He detected at least three more spread throughout the area.


    Ethan wondered why beings tainted with that energy had suddenly appeared in this place, but then, recalling the incident a couple of months ago, he remembered the cultivator had said something about the organization behind him, claiming they would overthrow the current Long Empire.


    "Could it be that they''ve moved to attack the capital during this event?" he wondered, thinking he might be overthinking it.


    But then again, he couldn''t just ignore them.


    After all, it was demonic energy, and regardless of the situation, it would inevitably lead to some kind of catastrophe.


    Perhaps they wouldn''t attack the empire so soon, but if these figures with that aura had appeared here, it meant something unpleasant was going to happen at the tournament.


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    "What do you think of this situation?" he asked as he continued walking with the others.


    Bai Yu, who was hidden in his sleeve, had also sensed those auras and could tell they were users of demonic energy.


    "Given the concentration of demonic Qi in them, we can say they aren''t part of the demonic race but are merely infected by it.


    It''s likely they''ve come to sabotage the alchemy tournament, but as for why they''re doing it, I''m not sure.


    That said, leaving them unchecked isn''t an option for us," she said as Ethan''s sleeve moved slightly, then stopped.


    Although nothing was seen, Bai Yu had just exited the sleeve and blended into the crowd.


    "You continue with the tournament while I try to follow them and see what they''re up to," she said.


    "Be careful not to get caught," he replied, knowing there wasn''t much need to worry.


    Bai Yu was currently assuming a reduced form of her draconic form.


    Essentially, she was a small white snake coiled around his arm under his robe.


    Ethan silently prayed for the unfortunate one among the four who would become her target.


    She might not show it, but that dragon woman could be quite aggressive at times.


    He still remembered some training sessions with her when he reached the fifth stage and thought he could hold his own against her in combat, but instead he ended up being beaten by her.


    It was clear he still lacked a lot of combat experience.


    He snapped out of his thoughts when the group arrived at a small room dedicated to them.


    This was where they would participate in the various competitions.


    In other words, it was their temporary lodging.

 Chapter 159: Start of the Imperial Alchemy Tournament

    .


    After less than three hours since the Sun City group had arrived, the tournament finally began.


    The stands of the Coliseum were packed with cheering people, rooting for their favorite team.


    On the other side, the participants of the first day''s tournament were already in position.


    On a stage set at a height of 10 meters, an elderly man in a white robe with gray stripes approached the edge as he lightly coughed.


    Even though he coughed softly, everyone in the Coliseum heard him and immediately quieted down, turning to look at him.


    Seeing that the crowd had finally calmed, he spoke in a calm voice.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, once again this year, I will be presiding over the tournament.


    Many of you may already know me, but for those who don''t,


    I am Wang Dazhi, an elder alchemy master of the Alchemist Association of the Imperial City," he said calmly, and the crowd cheered.


    Waiting for them to quiet down once again, he continued:


    "This is an important event that many young and experienced alchemists look forward to every year, and this year is no different.


    Today, In the 890th Imperial Alchemy Tournament, many talents couldn''t resist making their presence known.


    Alchemy is a very difficult profession that requires dedication and commitment from the person to learn, and perhaps a bit of talent doesn''t hurt either.


    This tournament is an opportunity for already emerging alchemists to once again assert their talent, and for new alchemists to make a name for themselves.


    So, give it your best, and show us how high your abilities are," he said, officially beginning this year''s alchemy tournament.


    The alchemy tournament was divided into three phases, and in many aspects, these phases were quite similar to the qualification test held in every city before the tournament.


    Essentially, there was a theoretical part and a practical part.


    Unlike the qualification test, in this tournament, things would be a bit different for alchemists who participated in the expert category.


    The participants of the first category would face the talisman theoretical test with the questions and then a one-on-one competition. sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The participants of the second category would first take the theoretical test, and those who passed it would have to answer Five questions chosen by the examiners themselves, answering directly to them.


    Participants had to prove they could handle unexpected questions or ones of a higher-than-usual complexity.


    The examiner would indeed ask this section of questions in a rapid-fire format that would last five minutes per person.


    Given the much smaller number of participants in the expert category compared to those in the novice category, the examiners had plenty of time to dedicate to each of them.


    The questions would vary in difficulty, and the participant could decide the difficulty of each question. Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelFire.net


    Naturally, depending on the complexity of the question, the total points gained would also differ.


    Ethan, along with the two girls, the elder Shu, and also Xun Wei for some reason, were seated in special seats reserved for them.


    Next to them, members of other teams from the Phoenix Kingdom could be seen, as well as some teams from other kingdoms.


    Ethan had already examined the auras of these people and could tell that the strongest among them was an elder at the 4th level of soul cultivation.


    All the others didn''t go beyond the third stage.


    Naturally, he wasn''t examining them just for fun, but also to find those individuals.


    ''Hmm, three of them are here. Where''s the fourth?'' he asked himself, immediately identifying three people in these numerous groups who had traces of demonic Qi on them.


    He could tell they were the same as yesterday, and he was just wondering what had happened to the fourth one.


    While he decided to contact Bai Yu, the competition below in the arena began.


    The first day of the tournament was reserved only for the participants of the first category, so only they could be seen down there.


    Immediately, several of them could be seen falling into a trance, focusing deeply, as they channeled their spiritual energy into the talismans and started the process.


    For many of them, that minute felt longer than a minute, and already after the first 30 seconds, several foreheads were covered in sweat.


    After another 10 seconds, some began to tremble, and finally, when the 60 seconds passed, many collapsed to the ground, exhausted, while their talismans slipped from their hands and flew towards the alchemy masters presiding over the tournament.


    Next to each examiner stood an alchemy master, and this was because expert alchemists couldn''t examine, as many of their rank would also be participating in the tournament.


    Only alchemy masters and above were allowed to examine.


    And so, while their scores were being recorded, the first group of disciples moved from their positions, leaving space for the next group.


    The same scene as before repeated itself once again and continued every minute for about 10 minutes, until the last group was also examined.


    Immediately after the end, several talismans flew from their positions and landed in front of various participants of the first category.


    This indicated that they had passed.


    For those who hadn''t received a talisman, there was only the bitter taste of defeat, while many of them still waited hopefully, hoping one of the flying talismans would head in their direction, but it did not.


    And so, the first trial for the participants of the first category ended, with the final result being that one-third of the participants had failed.


    A large number, but one that didn''t surprise anyone.


    The novice category was regarded as such for a reason.


    Every year, many were eliminated in the first trial.


    One would expect that an alchemist who managed to participate in the tournament would at least have solid theoretical foundations, but the alchemy masters knew very well that this wasn''t always the case, which is why this test was still in place.


    They had considered removing it, as the final and most important skill was the practical one, but it soon became clear that wasn''t a good idea.


    In the year they skipped the theoretical test, there were several cauldron explosions due to the inexperience and lack of basic knowledge of many novices.


    The examiners were clearly not happy to see such a prestigious competition turning into an experiment ground for these newcomers.


    As a result, the rules for selecting participants became more stringent.


    This almost never happened in the expert category, and the reason was obvious.


    The minimum one would expect from alchemists at their level is to know every single basic aspect of alchemy by heart.


    For them, most eliminations occurred during the second phase, where they would have to compete in one-on-one matches against another participant.

 Chapter 160: End of the First Part of the Theoretical Test

    .


    The first day of the competition was mainly to examine the participants of the first category.


    Once that was done, it was finally time for the group of Ethan, Yan Mei, and Xiang Hua.


    Last night, when they met in their residence, some congratulated those who had passed, while others consoled the one who had been eliminated.


    Even though he was already out of the competition, he would wait for the next few days for his group.


    However, he would only watch from the sidelines for the rest of the time.


    Ethan didn''t join them and returned to his room, as was his habit. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point, no one even tried to stop him, not even his fan, who had given up after three days of constant rejection.


    She thought that maybe he trained every time he had the chance, and unlike them, he didn''t take breaks to rest.


    ''It''s clear that we''re on completely different levels,'' she thought.


    And although her assumption wasn''t entirely correct, it was true in a sense.


    Ethan was indeed training, but not in alchemy, he was cultivating.


    When the next day came, the three participants were ready.


    He and the two girls greeted each other with a nod and went to take their assigned seats.


    Once everyone was ready, the same scene as yesterday unfolded.


    However, unlike yesterday, there was a noticeable difference in the seating arrangement today.


    The space separating the seats was much larger and more spread out.


    This indicated that the number of participants in this category was much lower than the number from yesterday, where they had to squeeze as many seats as possible into the arena.


    Currently, there were a total of 143 participants in this category, and according to Ethan''s knowledge, these were all the participants of the second category.


    There wasn''t a second group like the participants from yesterday.


    Time passed, and finally, a minute had passed.


    Ethna finished first again, but with his high cultivation base, he could have a more precise sense of time, so he slowed down on the last few questions to synchronize with the time limit.


    Even though he aimed to finish within a precise minute, he still managed to answer all ten thousand questions, just like last time.


    When he began answering, he noticed that the difficulty level was very similar to the one used for seating selection.


    Ethan understood that the more challenging questions would come only now that the first part of the theoretical test was over.


    Just as he expected, all participants in this category passed without any problems.


    However, this time, unlike yesterday, a transparent screen was projected with the help of a special artifact, displaying the initial scores of everyone.


    1. Nuyu: 10,000 points


    2. Xiang Hua: 8,534 points


    ...


    15. Yan Mei: 7,859 points


    The list of 143 participants was shown to everyone, and as soon as people''s eyes landed on the top scorer, the entire crowd fell silent.


    "Nuyu? Angry fish? What kind of name is that?"


    "Forget the name, look at the score."


    "What? A perfect score!"


    Immediately, the crowd burst into a series of exclamations as they noticed the first-place score.


    A perfect score in the first round.


    This was something that hadn''t happened in several centuries.


    In fact, the last person to achieve a perfect score did so over 300 years ago.


    The reason for this was obvious.


    Many struggled just to get close to 9,000 points, which was understandable given the time constraints, and only a few geniuses in the history of the tournament had managed to go beyond that, with some even achieving a perfect score.


    The number of people who achieved such a result could be counted on one hand.


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    The audience knew that the competition in the expert category would be more exciting to watch, but to start by breaking a record like this was something no one expected.


    Even the elderly man who was supposed to comment on the participants'' results remained silent for a few seconds at the sight of this score.


    ''Who the hell is Angry Fish?'' he thought as he looked towards the examiners to ask for their opinion.


    They shook their heads to indicate that the results were correct and that there had been no mistake.


    Seeing this, he took a deep breath, regained his composure, and announced excitedly,


    "With great surprise to the public, and even to us, someone has managed to score a perfect score this year, earning the honor of being added to the Hall of Fame of the competition," he said as he made another projection of a list of various names appear.


    At the end of this list, a light appeared, and the name "Nuyu" was inscribed.


    Although the examiner wasn''t entirely sure of the name, he knew there was little he could do about it.


    They had allowed the participants to choose an alias.


    This was both for privacy and for those who wanted to choose a professional name.


    The only question was what kind of problems this person had to call himself that.


    With today''s excellent result, his name had already been added to the Hall of Fame, and the tournament was just beginning.


    Everyone who had taken the first test knew that a particularly powerful competitor had appeared, and compared to the second-place scorer, he had a lead of over a thousand questions.


    A significant gap.


    After the initial shock, everyone started to get excited again as the announcer declared the beginning of the second part of the theoretical test.


    This was merely a formality, as although all the participants in this category had already been tested, it wasn''t guaranteed that they would achieve a good score here as well.


    There were many cases of participants who did well in the seating selection test but then scored poorly or insufficiently in this round.


    Relying on the seating test was one thing, but taking it as the final proof of their ability was not.


    It might seem like they were questioning the ability of those alchemy masters, but that wasn''t the case, and even those masters didn''t mind it.


    So, now that the first part was over, it was time for the part entirely dedicated to the second category: questions and answers with difficulties adjusted by the participant themselves.

 Chapter 161: Second Part of the Theoretical Test

    .


    In a part of the capital of the Long Empire, an individual was walking at a moderate pace through an alley. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn''t stop but continued passing from one alley to another calmly until he halted in front of a building.


    He looked around to see if anyone was following him and, seeing that he was alone, he entered.


    Once inside, he closed the door, and immediately a luminous sphere appeared, providing light.


    The building he had entered was a type of warehouse, filled with several items covered by white sheets to prevent dust accumulation.


    He wasn''t concerned with these things and walked for a while until he found a part of the floor that seemed suitable.


    He crouched and placed a sheet of paper with strange symbols inscribed on it.


    Once the sheet was in place, he made a cut on his finger and allowed a drop of blood to fall onto the paper.


    If a regular person saw this scene, they would be shocked, not by the act itself but because the person''s blood wasn''t red,


    it was black.


    As the drop of black blood fell onto the paper, it started to contort, and as if by magic, it was absorbed by the formation on the sheet, which began to glow.


    Along with it, the paper began to burn until only the formation remained.


    It placed itself on the wooden floor of the warehouse and seemed to grow larger as a half-meter diameter circle encompassed it.


    "This looks suspicious, don''t you think?" a voice said from behind him.


    While he was focused on setting up the inscription, he hadn''t noticed a figure appear behind him.


    Hearing the voice, his eyes widened as he hurried to turn around and see who it was.


    He had been especially cautious during the entire journey and had confirmed no one was following him.


    Yet there he was, discovered by the person before him.


    As he turned to see who it was, his eyes caught the sight of a woman with greyish-white hair, sitting on a square container covered with a white cloth.


    She had her legs crossed and her face resting on her hand while smiling at him.


    For a moment, he froze at the sight, involuntarily muttering, "A goddess."


    The woman, hearing this, smiled and closed her eyes for a moment.


    "A goddess, you say?


    No, I think you''re mistaken.


    I''m just an innocent woman forced to do dirty work by a ruthless human who doesn''t appreciate my beauty," she said, playing the victim.


    Then she opened her eyes.


    Suddenly, the man''s entire body became paralyzed as his vision blurred, his consciousness beginning to fade.


    "But let''s not talk about that. Tell me, what are you up to in this isolated place?"


    The man''s body trembled as those crystal blue eyes rested on him.


    No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t move, and the more time passed, the more his consciousness dimmed.


    ''Who on earth is this woman?'' he thought, fading.


    At this point, even the little rationality left in him vanished, leaving nothing but an empty body.


    While Bai Yu was interrogating the man, Ethan, who had just finished the first part of the practical test, was now standing on a platform with another participant.


    Both were looking at the alchemist master in front of them.


    "Well, now that you''ve successfully passed the first part of the theoretical test, we''ll move on to the next round," he said, looking towards Ethan and the other participant.


    After the end of the first test, a random selection was made to choose the first two people to start the next test.


    It so happened that Ethan, who ranked first, was chosen alongside another participant from the top 50.


    The other participant was a tall young man, no more than 180 cm, with long hair tied back and a serious expression.


    He was one of the participants from the Qilin Kingdom.


    The test consisted of a series of questions with difficulty chosen by the participants, and the goal was to score more points than the opponent.


    The winner would advance, while the loser would have a second chance.


    If they lost again, they would be disqualified.


    With both participants in place, the alchemist master asked them to choose the difficulty for their first question.


    The difficulty ranged from one to five, with one being easy and five nearly impossible.


    Both made their choices by pressing a talisman, and the elder decided to start with the participant who chose the lower difficulty.


    He turned to Ethan''s opponent and asked:


    "Since you''ve chosen the lower difficulty, we''ll start with you."


    ''What?''


    The boy, hearing this, couldn''t help but wonder what level of difficulty his opponent had chosen.


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    He had chosen level three, thinking it would be a good start without being too difficult.


    He assumed his opponent had chosen either two or three, but it seemed like he had chosen a higher level.


    He figured that Ethan had likely chosen level four, without even considering level five.


    That level was something no one dared to challenge, as the questions could stump even an alchemist master.


    The elder, ignoring the boy''s hesitation, spoke and asked the first question:


    "What is the balance of the five elements in alchemy, and how does it influence the creation of advanced pills?"


    The boy, hearing this question, made a thoughtful expression as he contemplated his response.


    This question might not seem too complicated, but he knew otherwise.


    Giving a superficial answer risked losing points on this level-three question.


    He had to be detailed, carefully choosing which parts were essential and which weren''t.


    In this test, it wasn''t just about knowledge but also about how well the participant could form precise answers, knowing what to include and exclude.


    Providing an overly detailed response might seem correct but wasn''t.


    No one wanted to sit and listen to entire pages of theory.


    "The balance of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, is essential in creating advanced pills.


    Each herb or alchemical material has a nature corresponding to one or more of these elements.


    If the balance between the elements is incorrect, the pill may fail or have dangerous side effects.


    For example��"


    He proceeded to outline the main points, trying to be both concise and precise in his response.


    As he did, the other participants, who had gathered in small groups, also tried answering the question in their minds.


    Several of them wore complicated expressions, while others didn''t seem to find the question difficult.


    As the boy finished his answer, the examiner nodded and said:


    "Correct, you receive 3 points," awarding the maximum for this difficulty level.


    Even Ethan, who had listened from start to finish, nodded in agreement, though he thought there were some points that could have been improved.


    He shook these thoughts away as he prepared to receive his own question.


    ''I wonder what he will ask me,'' he thought, recalling the difficulty he had chosen earlier for this round.

 Chapter 162: 30 to 21

    .


    The difficulty of the first question lay in everyone''s expectations.


    Most of the participants would have chosen a difficulty level of 2 or 3 as a starting point to test the waters,


    and seeing the question that was asked, everyone knew it was a good place to begin.


    The question itself wasn''t complicated.


    Its main challenge resided in the way it had to be answered.


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    In other words, the completeness of the content required.


    One had to be careful not to say too much, nor too little.


    A balance had to be found, highlighting the main points without exaggerating their importance.


    Most of the participants could say they could handle a question of this level.


    Now everyone anxiously awaited the question that would be asked to the masked boy.


    He had chosen a higher difficulty compared to the other participant, and everyone assumed it was probably at level 4.


    They didn''t know why he wanted to start directly with a question of this level, but it was fine for them;


    after all, it was as if he would be their test subject, allowing them to gauge the level of difficulty and decide whether or not to aim for the same.


    Of course, there were some among the group watching who didn''t have these thoughts, having already made their decisions.


    They only watched to see how things would go.


    Unlike them, however, the examiner had a smile on his face as he prepared the question.


    ''Well, it would have been disappointing if he hadn''t started with a difficulty like this,'' he thought as he prepared to announce the question.


    "What is a ''pseudo-spiritual pill,'' and how does it differ from a real spiritual pill?" As soon as he finished asking the question, the crowd fell silent. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A pseudo-spiritual pill?


    What the heck is a spiritual pill in the first place?"


    "I don''t think I''ve ever heard of a pill like that before.


    Could they have gotten the name wrong?"


    "No, I doubt they did. I mean, he''s a master alchemist.


    He wouldn''t get the name of a pill wrong even by accident."


    While the crowd quickly began discussing this unfamiliar pill, Ethan immediately started answering without losing a second:


    "A ''pseudo-spiritual pill'' is a pill that externally seems to have all the characteristics of a spiritual pill but lacks the true spiritual essence needed for full effectiveness.


    These pills can be created accidentally when the alchemist fails in the process of infusing essence, or they can be the result of inferior alchemical practices.


    A pseudo-spiritual pill has much weaker effects compared to a genuine spiritual pill and could even cause side effects if consumed.


    Only a high-level alchemist can perceive the difference through their spiritual sense."


    Ethna stopped here without delving further into what the pill was for or its various uses.


    He made sure to stay within the limits of the question posed, avoiding any unnecessary explanations of the different uses.


    If it weren''t for the vast knowledge the system had given him, even he doubted he would have known about such a pill.


    He was sure he hadn''t heard mention of a pill like this in the alchemy texts he had read to get an idea of the alchemy level in the mortal plane.


    Of course, he didn''t think he had acquired all the knowledge present here, but he had learned enough to get an idea of the level of the alchemists of this plane.


    A spiritual essence pill was a level 4 pill that only the most skilled master alchemists and grandmaster alchemists could attempt to produce.


    It allowed the soul to have a bit more defense, making cultivation in the fourth and fifth stages more stable.


    The process of producing this pill was somewhat complicated and required that the alchemist have a certain mastery in handling spiritual essences, a form of energy produced directly using spiritual energy.


    This level of knowledge was still far beyond the alchemists barely reaching the level of grandmaster alchemists, so it was normal that many of them hadn''t even heard of such a pill.


    Seeing the speed and precision of Ethna''s answer, even the examiner was surprised for a moment, but then he recovered, nodding inwardly at Ethna''s response.


    ''It seems like this year we''ll have some pleasant surprises,'' he thought as he announced the result.


    "The answer is correct; you''ve earned the maximum points," he said as Ethan''s score went from 0 to 5.


    As soon as the people saw that score, they wore stunned expressions, realizing the difficulty Ethna had chosen for his first question.


    "Damn, is he crazy, choosing that level right from the first question?"


    "More importantly, how on earth did he know about that pill? He even got the maximum points."


    From the question alone, people could tell that the difficulty was certainly high, and many doubted that it was only at level 4.


    Seeing that he had indeed chosen the highest level right from the start, they understood they had been right.


    This madman had started with maximum difficulty, right from the start.


    And so, with just the first question, Ethaa had already secured a score higher than his opponent.


    And with the following questions, the situation only worsened for his opponent.


    For the second question as well, Ethan chose the highest difficulty, and just like before, he answered excellently.


    Ethan''s opponent, on the other hand, had chosen a level 4 difficulty this time, hoping to close the gap a little, but he ended up giving an incorrect answer, earning only 2 points out of 4.


    He knew that if he wanted a chance to turn the situation around, he had to take a risk.


    The first attempt had gone badly, but at this point, he had no choice but to gamble again or face defeat, so he tried another level 4 question and this time answered correctly, gaining 4 points.


    This lifted his spirits, and he wanted to see what difficulty Ethan would choose next, but he didn''t expect him to go for the highest difficulty once again and answer correctly, just like the previous times.


    In the end, everyone realized that Ethna wasn''t an easy opponent, and just as they had expected, he defeated his opponent with a crushing score of


    30 to 21.

 Chapter 163: A Trap

    Ethan finished his round in just over ten minutes.


    Normally, this part of the competition didn''t take much longer, but people still expected it to last around 15 to 20 minutes per match. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelFire.net


    With Ethan''s quick responses, along with his opponent''s, the match ended relatively fast.


    When Ethan returned to his seat, he found four pairs of eyes staring at him as if he were some unique, strange creature.


    Not knowing how to respond, he simply decided to ignore them.


    Especially since one of those pairs of eyes belonged to a girl, whose gaze was more intense than the other two.


    ''Damn, another one fell for my charm,'' he thought, recalling the countless stares he''d received from the opposite sex in recent days.


    Particularly during his outing with Bai Yu to explore the city.


    If Bai Yu had been there, she would have shaken her head at Ethan''s assumptions.


    Just like the participants, the alchemy masters were also surprised by the level of knowledge this masked young man displayed.


    He had already stunned everyone by taking first place in the first part of the trial.


    Now, with his results in the first match of the second part of the theoretical trial, they had the feeling he would repeat his previous success once again.


    At some point, many began to wonder if he was, in fact, an expert alchemist, perhaps one of their own, disguised to take part in the competition.


    The level of knowledge he had shown so far was enough to classify him at their level, because they too knew how difficult those questions were, and not all of them could confidently say they would have been able to give perfect answers like his.


    Now, the only thing left to examine was his refining skills.


    If those were also up to their expectations, then there was no reason why they wouldn''t consider him a master alchemist.


    The very idea of having a master alchemist at that age gave many of them chills.


    None of them would have been able to say they could compare to him, if this turned out to be true.


    That said, having talent of this level excited them, because it meant that another person with the potential to become the next grand master had appeared.


    While everyone was lost in their speculations, Ethan, who had maintained a calm expression throughout, now had a slightly more serious look as he thought to himself:


    ''I understand, so that''s how it is.''


    ***


    In a remote and deep area to the north of the empire''s capital, a large figure had a furrowed brow as he tried to communicate with one of his subordinates, but received no response.


    The figure could tell the person in question was still alive and that the formations they had set up in parts of the city had been completed, so he didn''t immediately consider the worst-case scenario.


    Standing up from his seat, he looked off into the distance, pondering something for a moment.


    Then, taking a step forward, he vanished from his position, leaving the place as silent as it was before.


    However, the peculiarity of the location didn''t stem from its lack of light or its underground-like appearance, but from the scattered remains of animals and other creatures strewn about.


    Even where the figure had just been standing, there lay the mangled corpse of what was once a mountain bear.


    Sensing something might be wrong, the figure decided to check the situation personally.


    He appeared at the entrance of a cave, still shrouded in deep darkness.


    Taking a step forward to exit, his form shifted visibly.


    As soon as he placed his foot outside the cave, the massive figure was no longer visible, and in its place stood the silhouette of a middle-aged man.


    With another step forward, he vanished once more, this time heading directly toward the imperial capital.


    In no time at all, he covered several kilometers and found himself outside the capital''s walls.


    Stopping at a certain distance, he tried once again to sense the aura of his underling.


    Just as he managed to perceive it, his expression changed, and he turned to look to the side.


    There, lying sprawled beneath a tree, was the man he had been searching for.


    Noticing his condition, he could tell that the man wasn''t injured, just unconscious.


    ''Something''s not right here,'' he thought, becoming even more alert.


    Everything about the current situation was far from normal.


    It was likely that his underling had been discovered by someone, and leaving him here was likely a trap meant to lure him in.


    Just as he hurried to send a mental communication somewhere, a voice reached his ears, and his body stopped responding to his commands.


    ''What''s happening to me?''


    "It seems you''ve finally decided to leave your lair," said a soft voice, coming from somewhere nearby.


    In front of the man, the figure of a woman materialized, as if a veil had been lifted from her.


    Seeing this woman, the man felt an instinctive fear, as his body was overwhelmed with danger signals from all directions.


    He wanted to ask who she was, but he couldn''t even open his mouth, and with panic written all over his face, he could only stare at the figure before him.


    "You know, I''ve always wondered what your kind looked like," the woman said, her calm expression unchanging as she looked at him with deep blue eyes that seemed to glow faintly.


    Suddenly, a force struck his body, and in an instant, he returned to his original form, still immobilized.


    Seeing this, the man felt a mix of shock and disbelief, combined with the growing fear within him.


    ''Who on earth is this woman?


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    Bai Yu, observing the true form of the figure, couldn''t help but comment.


    "Hm? I knew demons didn''t have fixed forms, but this�� it seems you were originally from the race of giants," she said, noticing the various differences between him and a race she was familiar with.


    She knew that such a race didn''t exist in the mortal plane, so she could only think that the demon was one of the survivors from the celestial plane.


    Intensifying her aura around the demon, she smiled as she said calmly:


    "Well then, why don''t we have a little chat?"


    These words, which seemed harmless on the surface, were like a bolt of lightning for the immobilized demon.


    He knew it was over for him, so he decided to make one last attempt.

 Chapter 164: Beginning of the Practical test

    .


    The competition proceeded as usual, and today was finally the third day of the tournament.


    The second phase of the theoretical test had ended yesterday, with the final scores now posted, just like the first time.


    And, to no one''s surprise, the top spot was once again taken by Nuyu, the masked boy.


    Though people found his nickname amusing, they preferred to refer to him as the masked boy.


    Even though he wasn''t the only one wearing a mask in the tournament, he stood out the most, so they gave him this nickname, which Ethan naturally didn''t approve of.


    But apparently, it wasn''t up to him to decide.


    If Bai Yu had been here at this moment, she would have already burst out laughing.


    She had her doubts about his nickname, but she would have agreed with the rest of the audience about his new title.


    If given the chance, she probably would have been the one to give him this name.


    That said, one way or another, Ethan ended up in this situation, and as much as he wanted to, he knew there was little he could do.


    The interesting thing to note was that, once again, he beat the second place contestant by an even greater margin than last time.


    However, this time, the second-place contestant wasn''t Xiang Hua but someone else.


    She ended up in third place this time, losing by a small margin to the one before her.


    Clearly, she wasn''t happy with this, given her displeased expression.


    Ethan, however, didn''t care and continued to watch the competition from his seat.


    This time, the number of participants had decreased even more, and by the end of the second part of the theoretical test, the total number of contestants had reached an exact 100.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if it was a coincidence that there were precisely 100 participants or if it was done on purpose, but this way, they now had 50 pairs of participants for the practical test.


    The test, seeing the number of participants, wasn''t limited to just one battle at a time but rather 8 at once.


    At this pace, the first winners among all these 50 pairs of contestants could be determined today, but the test wouldn''t last for just an hour per group but for three.


    Ethan thought this was done on purpose since the pills produced wouldn''t be of low grade anymore but of high grade for level 1.


    Everyone present had already demonstrated sufficient skill to be able to produce at least low-grade level 2 pills.


    This was a level expected from these participants, as each one of them was at least a three-star adept, with many already at the expert alchemist level.


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    The reason why competitions among experts were more impressive compared to those of novices was that they always showcased high-level skills, with pill refining methods and even the pills themselves being newer and more unique.


    No matter how large the alchemy tournament was, it never attracted more than a certain level of attention, and this was due to the fact that many couldn''t understand the majority of what was happening during this competition.


    Which was normal, after all, not everyone had knowledge of alchemy, even at a basic level.


    That''s why a commentator was provided, who would simplify what was happening for the present audience.


    That said, even then, the audience was mainly interested in knowing who the best was or the future pillars of alchemy for their empire, and witnessing their rise, so to speak.


    Being able to say they were present during the debut of a certain important figure was considered an honor by many.


    It was similar to when someone became rich and successful in their profession, and all their old acquaintances wanted to be part of that success.


    There was always that friend or classmate who would suddenly appear out of nowhere, claiming they were in your class in front of their friends.


    Situations like that were very common in the cultivation world as well, where everyone wanted a chance to end up having some kind of connection with prominent figures or those who were achieving a certain level of success.


    It was a world governed by the strong, and everyone understood that if they wanted a certain level of security, they had to cling to someone powerful.


    Ethan found this mentality strange and preferred not to end up in such situations in any case.


    No matter which world one was in, some things wouldn''t change, and this was something he understood very well from his first year here.


    That said, Ethan watched the performance of the first group of participants, and so far, no one caught his attention.


    He was in the second group of participants, who would compete today, and he couldn''t wait for his turn.


    After what Bai Yu had communicated to him, he knew that the situation was more serious than he had expected.


    He intended to meet her after the tournament and find a solution to the problem together.


    If what she said was true, then most likely, they only had a few days to act.


    The time passed quickly, and the first group of winners was decided.


    Ethan could say that all of them were good to a certain extent, but from his perspective, now more than ever, none of them stood a chance of winning against him.


    ''I feel like I''m bullying them,'' he thought as he stood up, preparing himself for when he would be called onto the field.


    The highest level of pill he saw was a level 2 pill of medium grade,


    a good feat for them, but for him, who could refine level 3 pills of perfect grade with his eyes closed, this result was nothing more than child''s play. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the other participants left the field to make room for the next group, Ethan, along with the others, moved to his designated station.


    At this point, everyone had confirmed Ethan''s theoretical knowledge and admitted that no one could stand behind him in this area.


    But now it was time for pill refining, and one couldn''t necessarily be good at both, so many were anxious to see his performance.

 Chapter 165: Xiang Hua’s Determination

    .


    As the competition progressed, many people experienced either despair or joy.


    From those who were proud of their results to those who were disappointed due to defeat or mediocre performance, there were all kinds of emotions.


    And within this group of people, Ethan''s companions were certainly no exception.


    The two participants from the first category were anxiously awaiting the next day, as that would be the day of their category''s practical test.


    Both had barely passed up until now.


    They didn''t have a second theoretical test, so the number of eliminations in their category was somewhat limited.


    Of course, the eliminations from the talisman test weren''t few at all, and just those alone exceeded the number of disqualified participants in the experts'' category.


    This alone indicated the skill gap between the two groups of contestants.


    Currently, both the girl and the boy from Ethan''s group were watching closely, impatiently awaiting the start of Ethan''s trial.


    But they weren''t the only ones.


    Xiang Hua and Yan Mei, who had been part of the first theoretical test group, also had their eyes fixed on him.


    Both of them had contrasting expressions, with a sea of thoughts overwhelming their minds.


    Yan Mei had, to some extent, already accepted that she wasn''t on Ethan''s level yet, but the same couldn''t be said for Xiang Hua.


    She gazed at him deeply, recalling the events before the tournament began.


    After the day of the competition that selected participants for the tournament, she had been quite frustrated.


    And the main cause of this frustration was none other than Ethan.


    "That bastard, I''ll make him pay," she said, breaking the composure she usually maintained in public.


    Normally, it was hard for anything to make her lose her usual composure, but the events of that day had been too much for her to bear.


    She had gone to the selection, thinking she would pass the test with relative ease, which she did in a sense, but she hadn''t expected to see someone who was apparently on her same level, possibly even more capable.


    And just when she was finally about to face him, he decided to withdraw from the match since he had already secured one of the spots.


    This infuriated her.


    She knew he was a strong opponent and that she would have little chance of winning against him, but not even having the opportunity to face him sent her into a frenzy.


    What should have been a simple selection had become a source of stress for her.


    As soon as she returned to the sect, she immediately got to work.


    She went to the residence given to her as a disciple of the sect master and locked herself in there for days, refining and honing her alchemy skills.


    That flame which had dimmed reignited, burning stronger than ever.


    The drive that constantly pushed her to improve had returned. S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She spent nearly a whole month like this, and although she achieved good results, she wasn''t satisfied.


    She was now able to refine high-grade level 2 pills with relative ease, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t refine level 3 pills.


    She was fortunate to have the level 3 pill recipes she had requested from the sect master, and she trained with those, but even after days of refining, she didn''t see any significant progress.


    The purity of her pills never exceeded 10%, far from the minimum threshold required for a low-grade pill.


    Taking a pill with that amount of impurities would do more harm than good, and in many cases, it would bring no benefit at all and could even lead to certain death, depending on the pill.


    In the end, she gave up and decided to do something she had never wanted to do, not regarding alchemy.


    She decided to ask for help from the sect master.


    Few people knew, but even the sect master had once been a very famous alchemist.


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    Before becoming the sect master, she had dedicated herself to both cultivation and alchemy.


    It''s unknown why she stopped, as being an alchemist wasn''t an easy path; it required a lot of time and dedication, as did cultivation.


    Pursuing both at the same time was considered madness by most alchemists and cultivators.


    And this didn''t even take into account that alchemy also required a certain level of innate talent, without which it would be extremely difficult.


    Just like she had started studying and practicing alchemy from scratch, she had also stopped at a certain point.


    Many believed the reason for this was that she was about to be appointed as the new sect master of the Phoenix Sect, but this didn''t explain why she had completely stopped.


    After learning this, Xiang Hua wanted to become as skilled as her, and now that she didn''t know how to proceed, she could only ask for her help.


    It was normal to turn to one''s master for these things, but for her, it wasn''t an easy choice.


    She believed the sect master had already done enough for her and that there was no need to ask for more.


    She was a grown woman who now knew how to stand on her own and take care of herself.


    That being said, she eventually went to her, and upon seeing the smile on her master''s face, it seemed as though she had been expecting this day.


    As much as she was happy to receive teachings from the sect master, Xiang Hua had to admit that when she made that smile, it meant the training wouldn''t be fun at all.


    And just as she thought, it wasn''t.


    The hell she went through for two months to improve her skills under the sect master''s guidance was something she hadn''t experienced in a long time.


    Just thinking about it sent chills down her spine, but despite that, the results of this intense teaching weren''t insignificant at all.


    The level of progress in her alchemical skills that she had made in these two months was something that would have taken her at least a year to achieve on her own, if not more.


    Now that the tournament had started, she didn''t intend to hold back against anyone.


    She would defeat all her opponents until she finally faced him.


    "This time, you won''t be able to escape."

 Chapter 166: A random mix of ingredients

    .


    Although the challenge itself lasted almost three hours, he had no intention of staying idle for that long.


    An adept-level alchemist could refine several low-grade pills within this time frame, about one every 30 minutes.


    An expert-level practitioner could refine a medium to high-grade pill every 15 minutes.


    So, if his opponent decided to produce several high-grade pills, he wouldn''t be able to make more than 12.


    Ethan didn''t have much to do.


    He had already set aside several years'' worth of pill stocks of every kind, which he''d prepared over the time he spent within his minor dimension.


    Thus, there was no point in creating additional ones, especially level-1 or level-2 pills, since they were not profitable enough for him to bother with.


    At his current level, this grade of pill was child''s play, and he preferred not to refine them.


    The participants were required to follow basic guidelines for their pills, each one had to be at least a high-grade level-1 pill.


    At this point in the competition, the requirement was reasonable, even if unnecessary, since all remaining participants could at least refine low-grade level-2 pills.


    So, he decided to ask the examiner directly.


    He raised his hand, signaling for the examiner to come toward him.


    The commentator, noticing this, couldn''t help but say:


    "Oh, it seems that Participant Nuyu has a question. What could it be?" he said.


    He wasn''t the only one who noticed; several audience members and participants who hadn''t yet competed began to wonder what the issue could be.


    "Could he have already given up?" one of them asked.


    "I told you theory was the only thing he was good at. He probably can''t even produce a low-grade level-2 pill," said another, and murmurs spread among them.


    Yan Mei, Xiang Hua, and Elder Shu, seeing his actions, furrowed their brows.


    They knew his alchemy skills weren''t the issue, after all, they knew better than anyone just how capable the masked boy was in this field.


    So, they were puzzled by his actions.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this,'' thought Elder Shu.


    The alchemist master who was serving as the examiner approached Ethna and asked:


    "What''s the problem, participant Nuyu?"


    He, too, was eager to see this person in action, so he was perplexed by this move at the very beginning of the round.


    "If a participant finishes refining their pills before time is up, can they leave early?" Ethan asked nonchalantly.


    The examiner: "..."


    The audience: "..."


    The participants: "..."


    At these words, silence followed, then, as if a bubble had burst, the crowd erupted in laughter.


    "The round just started, and he''s already talking about finishing it."


    "He says that as if finishing that long list is nothing."


    "Kids these days have such a strange sense of humor."


    While the crowd broke into laughter and jeers, the examiner who had approached didn''t know how to respond.


    It wasn''t the first time questions had been asked during the competition, but one like this was a first even for him.


    Finally, seeing Ethan''s expectant gaze, he coughed and forced himself to say:


    "A participant isn''t obligated to stay here until time runs out; certainly, I would still advise staying," he said.


    Ethan nodded in understanding and began to prepare for refining.


    The examiner, seeing he was about to start, returned to his position.


    Like the selection round, here, too, a list of pills to refine within three hours was given.


    The difference was that they now had certain level and grade requirements, as well as others.


    As for the pills themselves, they could be refined to any level desired.


    This allowed some flexibility for the alchemist since if refining a certain type of high-grade pill was easier and quicker, they could do so first, then move on to more challenging ones.


    Ultimately, it wasn''t only the number of pills produced that counted, but also their grade and purity.


    Ethan knew they didn''t expect anyone to refine every pill on the list, but at this point, he held nothing back and began.


    He didn''t need to use his Spiritual QI Manifestation Technique to move the ingredients.


    He simply chose a few and tossed them straight into the cauldron.


    This action made everyone''s eyes widen as another wave of exclamations erupted.


    Even his opponent, who had been constantly distracted by the uproar, couldn''t help but glance over to see what was causing all this commotion.


    The moment he saw what Ethna was doing, he nearly dropped the ingredient he was holding into his cauldron.


    ''What the hell? Is he cooking food or refining pills?'' he thought, not expecting to encounter such a person.


    He came prepared to face other geniuses of his level, or even higher, and when he saw that he was up against the boy who had scored the highest points in both theory tests, he thought his fate was sealed.


    But now, seeing this scene, he couldn''t help but think he had overestimated his opponent.


    ''In the end, he''s all smoke and mirrors,'' he thought as he resumed refining his pills.


    That said, even if the crowd was incredulous at what they were seeing, his group members were not.


    They had already seen him do something like this a few days ago and knew he was capable of refining in this manner.


    Even Elder Shu could only shake her head at this behavior.


    What none of them expected, however, was that Ethan didn''t just throw in one precise series of materials; he added many more afterward.


    At this, both the audience and the examiners were even more astonished. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The first set of materials made sense, as they were ingredients for a known pill, but seeing him add more made them reconsider and start guessing what pill he intended to refine.


    They thought the outcome would be anything but a pill, but they at least wanted to determine the type of pill he intended to refine.


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    As time passed, Ethan continued adding ingredients.


    At a certain point, even the judges gave up.


    They noted that the ingredients combined made no sense together but could be separated to create several of the pills required.


    After five minutes, Ethan finally finished putting ingredients into the now probably overloaded cauldron.


    He closed the lid, lit the fire, something usually done right from the beginning and waited.


    "��"

 Chapter 167: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

    .


    At this point, everyone had given up trying to guess what Ethan was doing.


    Even the examiners had to admit that, in their long lives, they had never encountered someone so "peculiar."


    Practically, what the masked boy did in the first 30 minutes was wait while the ingredients in the cauldron were cooking.


    He did nothing: no checking, no stirring, no additions,


    nothing.


    They all assumed that whatever abominable thing the contestant was preparing was certainly not a pill or anything related to alchemy,


    so they stopped paying him any attention and resumed watching the other participants.


    "I have to say, no one here has shown an especially impressive performance so far," remarked one of the examiners, a woman in her forties dressed in a pink robe adorned with various gold engravings, her expression one of boredom.


    "You can''t expect much at this point in the tournament.


    After all, we''re only in the early rounds;


    the most spectacular performances will come in the later stages, as they do every year," replied a middle-aged man next to her, also paying attention to the participants.


    "Seriously, this is so boring! Why did they even invite all of us?


    Three or four of us could have evaluated this.


    Why go through the trouble of inviting ten?" the woman said, her expression irritated.


    "Come on, don''t be like that.


    This is a rare opportunity for us to step out of our usual routine.


    And who knows, maybe you''ll find your next disciple here," said an old man nearby, who had overheard the woman''s complaints.


    As they continued their conversation, one of them, who was evaluating the examiners, couldn''t help but glance out of the corner of his eye at Ethan''s station to see what he was doing, and immediately noticed something.


    ''Is he about to remove the lid from the cauldron?''


    Just like him, the other examiners noticed this change and shifted their attention to Ethan''s station.


    Their hopes of seeing a good show from him had faded, but seeing him finally do something other than observe his cauldron piqued their curiosity;


    after all, they wanted to see what he had produced inside.


    After standing still and watching his cauldron for the entire time, Ethan finally moved after forty minutes and lifted the metal lid.


    The lid, which had been on the cauldron over the fire for 40 minutes, was now scorching hot, but Ethan didn''t seem to feel any pain as he slowly took it off.


    As soon as he did, a cloud of steam billowed out of the cauldron, making it difficult to see what was happening for a moment.


    Then, as the steam began to dissipate, several small spheres shot out from the cauldron.


    At first, no one noticed them, but as the steam completely cleared, people finally saw what they were and widened their eyes in surprise.


    "No, it cant be; those are... pills?"


    "Wait, how is that possible? We all saw him standing still the entire time; it''s impossible he refined them all, right?"


    "Exactly! And look at their number; there are at least a dozen there," said another.


    As the crowd erupted into yet another discussion about Ethan''s actions, the latter waved the pills in front of him, from which he pulled out a couple of glass vials.


    One by one, the pills were placed inside and lined up on the small table beside him.


    This was the display table where the pills would be placed for evaluation later.


    Seeing this scene, the examiners were momentarily at a loss for words, then one of them got up from his seat and went to Ethan''s station.


    Upon arriving, he didn''t even bother to look at Ethan or ask him questions; he immediately began examining the contents of the lineup.


    "This color, and this smell, there''s no doubt, this is a pill for the cure of the venom of the mountain snake," he said, a confused expression on his face.


    "Not only that, but its purity is very high.


    This is a level 2 pill of high grade, with a purity of 95%," he said, even more incredulous, almost doubting his own words.


    Hearing their colleague saying this, the other alchemists had similar expressions as one by one they rose from their seats and went to check.


    They didn''t care about their positions, and all ten of them moved toward Ethan''s station.


    What was once a small, half-empty area was now filled with people examining the various vials set on the display table.


    "My God, he''s right; this pill really does have a purity of 95%," said the older man, who, like everyone else, was surprised to see Ethan''s refined pills were indeed genuine and not just some rounded stuff.


    The other colleagues who were already there and had started examining the other pills had similar expressions as they spoke. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is a pill for immunity against venom, and it too is a level 2 high grade, with a purity of 95%," said the woman in the pink dress as she finished examining the vial in her hand.


    "This one is of the same level and purity."


    "This one too."


    "This one is as well."


    One by one, they all gave their conclusions after examining the pill vials, and to everyone''s shock, all these pills were of high grade level 2 with a purity of 95%.


    They looked at each other, reading the surprise on each other''s faces.


    ''All of these pills are of excellent quality,'' they all thought.


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    The purity of pills at every level is extremely important, and the higher the level, the more difficult it is to increase its final purity.


    All these were level 2 pills, and for them to have a purity of 90% was already extremely good, but what about those at 95%?


    These pills could rival all the highest quality pills at this level.


    The most astonishing thing about all this was that the refiner not only had refined them all in less than an hour, but also that he had refined them all at once.


    ''What kind of monster is this?'' they all thought while looking at the masked boy.


    It wasn''t difficult for them to refine a pill by manipulating the materials inside the cauldron with their spiritual Qi.


    They could even manage to do it while refining two pills, or even three.


    This was something that, once they reached their level and perfected their skills, could be done, although with difficulty.


    But what about 12 pills?


    They didn''t even know if such a thing was possible.


    They had observed the whole process from the beginning and even at the end, and could tell that those pills had been refined inside the cauldron and not placed there in a second moment, so they knew these creations were original and made on the spot.


    None of them doubted this fact.


    But it was precisely for this reason that they found the situation even more incredible.


    In the end, while they were still bewildered at how he had achieved such a result, Ethan decided it was time to go.


    None of them tried to stop him as each of them remained there, still holding the pills in hand, deep in thought about what they had just seen.


    Then, out of nowhere, one of them said, his voice still somewhat uncertain,


    "We''ve let a wolf into this flock of sheep."


    Hearing this, everyone nodded while trying not to highlight the strange metaphor used by the alchemist master.

 Chapter 168: Interrogation Results

    .


    The daily challenges were over, and everyone had retreated to their quarters.


    They knew the upcoming days would be tough, as there were still a few days left before the end of the tournament.


    Unlike usual, though, Ethan was not in his room, immersed in his minor dimension; instead, he was wandering through the city at night.


    "Seal."


    With his spiritual Qi manifestation, he formed a circular array, and with a motion of his hand, he placed that formation on the seal he''d found on the ground in a secluded alley of the capital.


    "And with this, that makes three," he said as he moved from his previous spot, only to reappear elsewhere.


    "Well, you were the one who didn''t want to alert the enemy, and this is the only way to neutralize the formation without drawing any suspicion," Bai Yu said through mental communication.


    "Yes, fine, but couldn''t you do it yourself?" he asked as he appeared on the roof of a building, looking down at yet another formation they had found.


    After hearing what Bai Yu said, he understood that the situation was much more problematic than he initially thought.


    According to what she had managed to extract from the mind of the captured enemy, the purpose of the seals left at various points around the city was to raise a massive formation that would suppress the cultivation bases of all beings below the fourth stage.


    When Ethan first heard this, he found it hard to believe, as he didn''t think such a formation could exist.


    But then Bai Yu explained to him that, in the celestial plane, there existed formations far more powerful than these.


    Compared to those, this one was a trifle.


    "Well, with that man out of the game, the mind behind this will likely come to inspect the area.


    I can use this opportunity to capture them and see what else they have in mind.


    After all, you told me not to eliminate him right away," she said, reminding him of the instructions he had given her while he was still at the tournament.


    He had told her to learn everything she could from the enemy and put him out of commission, not kill him, as that would have alerted whoever was behind these four individuals.


    He was certain these four weren''t acting on their own.


    This was likely connected to the incident from a few months ago in the spirit forest.


    Then, most of the enemies were wiped out, but the strongest one managed to escape before the creature emerging from the portal appeared.


    And when he heard Bai Yu''s information, he realized he had been right.


    The goal of these four infected individuals was to make preparations to erect a cultivation suppression formation.


    Ethan didn''t understand the point of setting up a formation that would only affect those below the fifth stage.


    He understood that nearly everyone present fell within this range of cultivation, but the emperor or even the prince did not.


    If the tournament was their target, they would have known that these two individuals from the Long Empire wouldn''t allow them to do as they pleased.


    But as he finished sealing the last of the seals, he received more information from her.


    "So he''s appeared?


    What did you do to him?" he asked, sensing that the person behind these four had shown up.


    "Oh, nothing much, I just questioned him a bit, and he was kind enough to provide some answers," she replied in her usual playful and calm voice.


    Ethan shivered at her words and mentally offered a prayer for the poor soul who had ended up in her hands.


    He was certain the unfortunate man had been tortured for quite some time before he spoke, like a dam bursting open.


    That said, what finally piqued his interest was the fact that the person in question was, in fact, a demon.


    A real demon.


    For as much as he had heard her speak about demons, he had never met one, so hearing that one had appeared stirred his curiosity, and he looked forward to seeing him.


    "So you''re telling me they intend to attack the imperial palace? But that makes no sense.


    The demon you captured wasn''t just a mere fifth stage, was he?" he asked as he finished sealing a seal, hearing this information.


    Just as he''d said before, that formation was useless against people who had already advanced to the fifth stage, so there was no point in attacking the imperial palace if the strongest person within it would not suffer any debuff from this formation.


    The more he heard about these individuals'' plans, the less certain he was of their ultimate objective.


    While he was busy moving to various points in the empire''s capital, far away from the capital, someone else was hunting down individuals corrupted by demonic Qi.


    The person in question was a man with blonde hair and yellow eyes, glimmering in the darkness of the night.


    With a gesture of his hand, he threw something toward the trembling figure of a man a few meters away, slumped against a tree, looking at him with an amused expression.


    The area around was anything but peaceful.


    Under the freshly fallen snow lay the debris of trees and earth, scattered and uprooted everywhere.


    The round object landed on the ground and rolled toward the man until it stopped at his feet.


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    A red trail was left on the snow where it had rolled, and once it stopped, its features could be seen.


    The thing, covered in snow, dirt, and blood, was none other than a person''s head.


    The head bore features similar to that of a human male, but with a gray-blackish complexion like ash, and from the wide-open eyes, two ruby-red irises glinted.


    At this sight, the man felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked in horror at the figure before him.


    He walked forward, and as the moon''s rays, breaking through the clouds, hit him,


    they illuminated his figure, covered by a yellow aura that swirled slightly above him, occasionally forming what seemed to be a dragon''s head.


    "So, you managed to cross the barrier." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 169: Three categories

    .


    Ethan passed through various parts of the city, sealing all the points of the formation he found.


    Coincidentally, the outer part of the formation had been left entirely in the hands of the person Bai Yu had captured.


    Had it not been for this, Ethan would have had a harder time locating the remaining points.


    That said, although he had now neutralized the cultivation suppression formation to some extent, a certain risk remained.


    This was because, while the outer part had been neutralized, its core was still intact.


    Ethan asked Bai Yu if she knew where the formation''s core was, and soon he discovered its location.


    "So that''s why they joined the tournament," he thought as he headed toward his lodging.


    He had wondered why three out of the four corrupted by demonic Qi had participated in the tournament.


    Initially, he thought they just wanted to cause some trouble, but then he realized the situation couldn''t be that simple.


    And indeed, it wasn''t.


    The core of the formation was apparently in the basement of the coliseum used for the tournament.


    He didn''t know if they had deliberately placed it there, but he knew he needed to find an opportunity to go there and neutralize it too.


    He decided he''d have a friendly conversation with those three as soon as he got the chance.


    He was sure they planned to use the tournament to launch their attack, meaning he had just under four days left to act.


    The tournament''s initial phases were already over, and the intermediate stages were underway.


    Ethan had already fought his match for the day, and tomorrow he''d probably have another one.


    Arriving at the building where they were staying, he passed unnoticed, and within seconds, he was already in his room.


    As soon as he arrived, he transported himself into his minor dimension with Bai Yu.


    They had already met somewhere in the city, and from there, he had set out to return.


    Now that he was finally inside his minor dimension, he asked if she had taken the demon''s body.


    He was curious to see what this creature looked like, one that had caused so much trouble even in the celestial plane.


    Without delay, Bai Yu pulled a massive body from her dimensional ring, letting it fall three meters from them.


    Ethan had given her that dimensional ring, as, due to her cultivation being much lower than before, she couldn''t access her internal dimension.


    Apparently, she had her own core dimension, but remembering her level in the celestial plane, he understood it was normal for her to have one.


    After all, she had already said that upon reaching a certain level in the spiritual realm, a person could access or manifest their core''s internal dimension.


    It was like their small world, very similar to Ethan''s minor dimension.


    Ethan knew he was far from reaching such a level, so he didn''t think much of it and gave her a high-grade dimensional ring, so she''d have enough space for whatever she wanted to store.


    That said, upon seeing the giant body lying before him, he immediately noticed many features similar to those of a human male.


    "So, this is the giants race," he thought as he examined the giant''s body more closely.


    Aside from the giant''s great stature, at least five times his own, and the unhealthy skin tone, a dark gray with black veins throughout, the giant otherwise seemed similar to an ordinary human.


    Ethan knew the giant race existed in the celestial plane, and that there was most likely no trace of them here in the mortal plane.


    "So this is a half-blood demon, huh," he thought as he recalled the information Bai Yu had given him about the demon race.


    According to her, there were several distinctions among demons, all of which could be classified into three basic categories:


    Starting with the lowest category, there were lesser demons, also known as demonic beasts. Stay tuned with m-v l|-NovelFire.net


    As the name suggests, they were demonic creatures imbued with negative Qi, with very low intellect.


    A good example was the creature that emerged from the portal, which Ethan later found out to be a demonic creature.


    After the lesser demons, there were the half-blood demons, and these were mainly beings infected with negative Qi and turned into demons.


    The giant was an example of this demon category.


    They, unlike demonic beasts, retained their intellect.


    And lastly, the final category, pure demons.


    These were beings born and raised directly from negative Qi, the true demon race, the one that had been the main cause of the calamity that struck the celestial plane in the past.


    They had an internal hierarchy, but compared to the previous two categories, they were considered far more dangerous, as even one of them was enough to cause tremendous chaos.


    They had the power to turn other races into half-blood demons, and depending on how they used this power, it could have very powerful effects.


    Ethan didn''t know if one of them existed in the mortal plane, but she knew that if there was, it wouldn''t be long before this plane fell into complete chaos.


    That said, while he was examining the giant demon''s body, a familiar sound echoed in his mind, and a blue screen appeared before him.


    DING!


    [A new energy source has been detected]


    [Do you want to proceed with analyzing the source?]


    [Price: 1000 SP]


    Seeing what was written on the screen, Ethan paused for a moment. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn''t the first time the system had asked him to analyze something, but unlike now, before it had only requested it for pill recipes he didn''t know.


    Not to mention that this wasn''t the first time he had encountered demonic Qi, so he didn''t understand why the system was asking him to analyze it now and not during the incident a few months ago.


    That said, he didn''t think too much and accepted.


    If it had been him from some time ago, then spending this amount of SP would have been too much for him, but with the large amount of SP he had saved up during the 25 years he spent cultivating in seclusion, 1000 SP was like spending 10 SP.


    So he didn''t think much before using it, especially now that he was a bit curious about what the system would do after analyzing the demonic energy.

 Chapter 170: Assimilation

    .


    As soon as the process began, the inert body of the giant trembled, and a dark red mist started to seep out of its form.


    Seeing this sudden change, Bai Yu became alert as she felt a negative sensation emanating from the mist. Just as she was about to make a move, Ethan''s voice resonated. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait,"


    She looked at him with a questioning gaze, seeking answers, to which he nodded as if signaling her to hold on.


    A few seconds after the mist had emerged, the screen in front of Ethan finally changed.


    DING!


    [The analysis of the energy source has been completed.]


    .


    [---------------------------


    Energy Source: Demonic Qi


    Description:


    This is a special type of Qi produced by refining negative spiritual energy.


    NOTE: This energy is incompatible with most existing species.


    If any of them come into contact with it, they risk being corrupted and transformed by it.


    It is advised that the host does not interact with this energy.


    ----------------------------]


    .


    Reading the information on the screen, Ethan confirmed what he already knew about negative Qi.


    Essentially, the details provided matched what Bai Yu had told him in the past about demons and demonic Qi.


    Just as he wondered if that was all, another system screen popped up in front of him.


    DING!


    [The Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames is reacting to the energy source.]


    [Warning, the Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames is attempting to absorb the energy source.]


    [Do you wish to allow your physique to absorb the energy source?]


    [Y/N]


    Seeing this message, Ethan didn''t know what to think.


    ''Wait, why does my special physique want to absorb the demonic Qi?''


    he thought as he felt something tingling within his body.


    He couldn''t quite describe the sensation, but it felt like an invisible pull towards the blackish-red mist that was escaping the giant''s body.


    Though the sensation was persistent, it wasn''t overwhelming, so he managed to control himself to a degree, but this only confused him further.


    From what Bai Yu had told him, his had one of the rarest and most mysterious physiques ever, with little information known about it.


    According to the limited knowledge he had, this physique allowed him to wield more than one rare flame, a feat particularly difficult to achieve, especially as it involved not just one additional flame, but as many as nine.


    Ethan had also experienced other effects of this physique, such as heightened defense, resilience, and flexibility, which had only increased after absorbing Bai Yu''s blood essence.


    He thought this was more or less the limit of what his physique could do, but now he wasn''t so sure.


    He was hesitant about the idea of allowing demonic Qi to enter his body.


    It was exactly as the system had stated.


    Most beings were incompatible with this energy, so if they absorbed it, they ended up becoming half-demon, who, while retaining part of their sanity, were far from what they once were.


    Ethan knew he was different from an average human, and even from a typical dragon due to several factors, but that wasn''t enough to reassure him about absorbing a negative energy as if it were nothing.


    He also knew there were still aspects of his special physique he hadn''t yet understood, and that there was likely a reason why it was reacting to the demonic Qi, so he was indecisive about what to do.


    In the end, he took a deep breath and calmed his mind.


    He focused on the sensation this energy was creating in his body and, based on that, made his decision.


    The blackish-red mist began to twist and accumulate over the giant''s body.


    Within seconds, it finished leaving the giant''s body, which no longer looked sickly.


    Even the color of its skin changed, taking on a natural and healthy tone.


    Seeing this series of changes, Bai Yu furrowed her brow further, and just as she was about to ask Ethan if he knew what was happening, the sphere of demonic Qi that had gathered over the giant''s body moved.


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    It shot in Ethan''s direction and, in an instant, struck him, entering his body without resistance.


    At this sight, Bai Yu froze for a second, then quickly turned her gaze to Ethan as she appeared next to him in a flash, placing a hand on him.


    "Wait, no, don''t absorb it,"


    She wasn''t sure what had just happened, but she knew demonic Qi wasn''t good for either of them, especially not for Ethan, and seeing him absorb the condensed sphere of demonic Qi put her on high alert.


    She immediately tried to expel it from his body.


    Just as she channeled her energy into his body to locate and attempt to expel the demonic Qi, Ethan, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, spoke:


    "Wait, don''t."


    He gently removed her hand from his chest.


    "What do you mean by stopping me?


    Don''t you know how dangerous it is to absorb demonic Qi?" she said, still a bit agitated.


    After all, the more time passed, the harder it would be to do anything about it.


    Already, she wasn''t sure if she''d be able to expel the demonic Qi; it was her first time dealing with it.


    Losing more time would only make it more impossible to prevent it from infecting Ethan''s body.


    "Don''t worry, it''s all under control," he said, and just as he was about to explain, he froze.


    Bai Yu, noticing this, realized that the demonic Qi had probably begun to take effect.


    "No, it''s too late."


    Ethan felt his body suddenly tense up, as his skin tone shifted from its natural color to a slightly more intense shade, as if it were heating up.


    In a short time, his temperature increased significantly, surpassing 100 degrees Celsius.


    For a cultivator at the body-refining stage, such a temperature was no different from an ordinary fever, which, as long as treated, wouldn''t cause any internal damage.


    For Ethan, it was bearable, but it didn''t stop there.


    200


    300


    ...


    1000


    At this point, his body reached extremely high levels, far beyond what any ordinary being with low fire affinity could withstand.


    But for him, this too was tolerable.


    This was because his resistance to fire, as well as all other elements, was significantly higher than other cultivators, not only due to his cultivation base, which was at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, but also because of his dragon blood essence and special physique.


    As his temperature rose, other changes also occurred.


    The color of his skin, which had turned a deep red, began to shift, and blackish veins appeared across his body.


    From his feet to his arms, and even on his face.


    Clearly, the demonic Qi had begun to spread within him, reaching every possible place.


    From his blood vessels to every organ, the Qi invaded his entire body, finally reaching his brain.


    Instantly, Ethan felt a sharp pain in his head as a loud scream escaped him.


    He dropped to his knees, clutching his head tightly.


    "It hurts... .


    Someone, stop this pain."


    He felt his entire being wracked with pain, which managed to bring even someone of his level to his knees.


    He''d had his fair share of painful experiences during his secluded cultivation, and he thought there were very few things left that could still make him feel this way, but it seemed he had just found another one for his list.


    Bai Yu, who was witnessing all this, considered for a moment putting an end to his suffering to spare him from undergoing the full transformation and the pain, but as much as she tried, she couldn''t muster the courage to do it.


    For a moment, she thought it might be because she was still bound to him through the artifact, but then she realized that wasn''t the whole reason.


    She didn''t know why, but for some reason, she felt that he might somehow be able to withstand the corruption of the demonic Qi, so she held back and waited anxiously.


    She might not admit it, but she had grown somewhat attached to this human, who, in a way, had saved her from her captivity in the Amphora of the Seven Sages.


    She didn''t fully trust him at first, and she could tell that he didn''t fully trust her either.


    Which was natural, after all, when two strangers meet for the first time, it''s unlikely they won''t have some doubts or caution towards each other.


    Even more so when one is a dragon sealed inside a strange artifact, and the other is an unusual human compared to others.


    Over time, however, this mistrust waned, and in those 25 years inside the cauldron, an invisible bond formed between the two.


    Perhaps it was because they spent so much time in the same place together, or maybe because, in a way, they were in the same boat.


    But, in fact, they both developed a certain affinity for one another, a bond you might only see between family, longtime friends, and so on...


    She wasn''t sure what would happen if he ended up corrupted, or worse, dead.


    Though she had gained a certain degree of freedom, she was still bound to him through the artifact.


    What if she were to be completely sealed again, as before?


    Or even worse, what if she died as a result of that connection?


    Many thoughts whirled through her mind, but for now, she only hoped that Ethan would be able to suppress the spread of the demonic Qi.


    As if someone had heard her prayers, Ethan''s body, now collapsed on the ground, stopped convulsing and began to return to its former state.


    His temperature visibly started to drop, and even the dark veins across his body began to recede, disappearing within seconds.


    Just as she moved to appear beside him and examine his condition, Ethan''s semi-conscious mind managed to hear the system''s sound.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, your special physique has successfully assimilated the energy source,]


    [The demonic Qi has been successfully assimilated,]


    [You have gained +57 STR]


    [You have gained +10 AGI]


    [You have gained ...]

 Chapter 171: Creepy idea

    .


    Ethan didn''t know how long he had been unconscious. When he woke up, he felt a soft sensation brushing against the back of his head.


    "Hm, it seems she created that sort of bed for me again," he thought, remembering that something similar had happened the last time he managed to place the soul of his spirit beast into his core.


    At that time, he wasn''t sure what this bed-like structure, seemingly made entirely of clouds, was, and he only learned later that Bai Yu had condensed air to form actual clouds.


    These weren''t just air masses but also contained spiritual energy as a binding element, giving the clouds a necessary softness without letting him sink through them as he would in a real cloud.


    The basic technique to create these formations wasn''t overly complicated, and even he, at his current level, could do it easily. Explore hidden tales at m,v l''-NovelFire.net


    ''But I must admit they''re strangely springy and warm,''


    he thought, remembering that the last time, they provided more of a cooling sensation, while now they seemed to emit a gentle warmth, comforting.


    Thinking about this detail, he opened his eyes, finally deciding to wake up, and the first thing he saw above were two blue peaks.


    He was confused for a moment, but then, as if struck by lightning, he jolted up and quickly got to his feet.


    As soon as he stood up, he turned around, only to see Bai Yu''s face watching him with a smiling expression.


    Ethan could tell that behind that calm look, a beast was ready to unleash itself on him.


    "Lovely day, isn''t it?" he said, mentally slapping himself for the poor start.


    "Lovely day, you say? Yes, I think you''re right.


    It''s truly a beautiful day to absorb some demonic Qi," she replied, her smile still calm.


    Ethan knew there was no way he could escape the dragon woman, so like a lamb resigned to its fate, he surrendered.


    Five minutes later


    "So, you''re telling me that your special physique is also capable of absorbing demonic energy?" she asked as she sat under a tree, in a chair, sipping what seemed to be tea made from refined leaves.


    �C 2,000 high-grade spiritual stones.


    Ethan, sitting opposite her, swallowed the imaginary money his brain had just calculated and nodded with an equally calm expression, sipping a cup of green tea as well.


    Though the peaceful scene in this small space was tranquil, it starkly contrasted with the surrounding area, filled with craters, piles of debris, and fragments of frozen vegetation.


    "Well, although this is indeed something I didn''t expect, it''s also true that I know little about your special physique," she said, placing her steaming tea cup on the table before continuing:


    "That being said, now that you''ve recovered, can you sense if there''s been any change in your physique?


    After all, if it absorbed demonic Qi, it should have metabolized it into something." she said, looking at him.


    "Well, there have indeed been some changes I noticed," Ethan said as a status screen appeared before him. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    [---------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body and Soul Integration (Lv. 1)


    Qi: 1,720,000/2,000,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of Sacred Flames


    Strength: 581 �� 638


    Agility: 565 �� 575


    Intelligence: 554 �� 551


    Soul Strength: 223 �� 233


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 18,204,120


    ---------------------------]


    .


    Ethan had had the chance to review the system notifications he''d received while unconscious,


    discovering that his body could not only absorb all the demonic energy of a being, completely purging it, but that the said energy was converted into stat points for his body.


    He didn''t understand why his strength had increased by far more points than his other stats, but an improvement was still an improvement, even if his stats weren''t evenly enhanced.


    Even his Soul Strength, which usually only increased with his level, had increased by a whopping 10 points.


    This was good news for him, as he now had an alternative way to increase it.


    His Intelligence, Agility, and Strength could increase through training, although only slightly, but he hadn''t yet found a real alternative method, besides leveling up, to improve his Soul Strength.


    In the end, Bai Yu accepted his explanation.


    As she''d said, she knew little about his physique.


    Not only her, but almost everyone knew almost nothing about it, except that the Alchemy God who had lived long ago possessed it.


    She only knew of a few beings besides her who might know more about it, but none of those were accessible at the moment.


    Therefore, she could only take the matter as it was.


    She had already examined Ethan''s body with her energy and could confirm that there was no trace of demonic energy in it, so she could only accept what he had told her and hope that there were no hidden effects.


    "By the way, what should we do with the giant''s body?" Ethan asked, remembering it.


    He''d already seen that the giant''s body was no longer corrupted by demonic energy, and whether it was or not, a body was still a body.


    Though intrigued by the new species, Ethan had no use for it.


    He wondered if it would be best to simply bury it somewhere.


    "Well, if I''d known about this ability of yours sooner, maybe I would have avoided killing it and captured it alive.


    A person from the giant race could be useful, as they possess immense strength that grows immensely with every level they advance," she said, taking another sip from her steaming tea.


    "That being said, it''s not that the body is entirely useless.


    The bodies of special races like the giants can be used for various purposes, such as refining special pills, creating weapons, or tools, and so on.


    There''s no shortage of uses for them, but in your case, I think it''s best if you use it to create a subordinate," she said.


    "A subordinate?" Ethan furrowed his brow, not quite understanding what she meant.


    But then, after a few milliseconds, a thought struck him, and for a moment, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    ''This woman is truly heartless,'' he thought, shaking his head at what she intended to do with that body.


    Although Ethan found the idea slightly gruesome, he understood the advantages of doing so and couldn''t help but agree with her.

 Chapter 172: Beginning of the Third Round

    .


    The plan of the demon followers had been uncovered, and now it was only necessary to take care of the formation''s core, located somewhere in the tournament''s underground area.


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    However, the exact location of the formation was unknown, and even the giant didn''t seem to know precisely where it was placed.


    He only knew it was there somewhere, and that as long as the formation was set up around that area, it would function. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan honestly shook his head at this piece of information.


    Among the many things he had done during his closed-door cultivation, he had also learned the mastery of formations.


    This began when he, having reached the peak of the fourth stage, discovered that nearly all superior beings present in the celestial plane knew at least one or two things about formations, as these were useful for various purposes.


    Therefore, each of them knew how to use at least one or two formations.


    However, this didn''t make them professionals in the field, nor did they intend to become so.


    They were satisfied knowing only the formations that could benefit them.


    Bai Yu was one of them, and as a result, she also had a few formations up her sleeve, including the Nine Dragons Seal formation.


    Bai Yu decided to teach Ethan some formations that were suitable for someone at his level to use.


    Ethan personally had reached a point where anything new was a welcome change.


    Repeating the same routine for many years in a row had led to boredom, making him lose some interest in everything he did.


    That being said, this did not affect his training.


    Even though he was no longer as passionate as he once was, the speed of his progress never diminished.


    Ethan thought it would be good for him to learn the use of some of these formations as he could see just how versatile and useful they were in different situations.


    So, he began learning from her, but he didn''t expect that after grasping part of the basic theory, the system would unlock formation mastery in his store.


    Although pleased, his joy faded when he saw the prices for learning basic mastery in formations. Currently, his formation mastery was at level 3, and reaching this level had already cost him almost 4 million SP, a hefty sum for him.


    Even though the next level would cost 5 million, which he had, he decided to stop for now, as level 3 formation knowledge was already considered beyond the standard knowledge level on the mortal plane.


    Ethan had noticed that several important professions in the cultivation world, such as alchemy, formation mastery, forging, and others, were at a very basic level in the mortal plane, and Bai Yu confirmed this fact.


    According to what he learned from her, so-called master alchemists, who were already rare on the mortal plane, were abundant in the heavenly plane.


    There were even two additional ranks beyond Grandmaster, which was already a highly regarded rank even in the heavenly plane.


    That said, with his level 3 knowledge in formations, he knew that just the fact that the formation could function, even if it wasn''t perfectly centered in the area covered by the seals, would create some basic issues and affect its effectiveness.


    He could tell that if this formation had been set up flawlessly, its effects could extend to the early levels of the fifth cultivation stage.


    But noticing the number of minor mistakes made here and there, he could only assume that whoever devised this plan had a formation knowledge level no higher than level 2.


    This was an advantage for him since it would make it easier to neutralize the formation and simultaneously locate the person who would activate it.


    It was one of those formations that could be activated remotely, and depending on the formation, it could even be triggered from the other side of the continent.


    This would have made it difficult to identify the person, but this wasn''t the case here. E


    than could tell that whoever would activate the formation was likely near the capital, or at best, within its walls.


    He discussed it with Bai Yu, and they planned their next moves.


    Afterward, he proceeded to cultivate for a few days in his minor dimension, and finally, on the day of the third competition round, he emerged.


    Just like the first round, the second one had also gone very well for him, and once again, he didn''t waste much time refining against his opponent.


    He directly decided to produce some of the more challenging pills with a purity of 97% of level 2, an even harder purity level to reach than 95%.


    At first, he thought he could simply refine low-grade level 3 pills, but he could tell that his opponent was far from being able to produce pills of that kind, so he crafted level 2 pills with that purity.


    Just like last time, he returned to his seat, while the examiners once again examined his pills at his station with astonished looks.


    His opponent, who, though he had low expectations of winning, had intended to do his best to at least make his defeat less embarrassing, found himself suffering an even more crushing defeat than Ethan''s previous opponent.


    Today, the tournament would be split into two parts, and in the first part, the contestants who would compete were from the first category.


    In their group, only two remained after the first round, and after the second, the other male in the team was also eliminated, leaving only Ethan''s fan, who also won by a small margin.


    Only 50 participants remained in the first category and 30 in the second.


    In just two more days at most, the top 10 spots in each category would be determined, and in another two days, the final winners would be decided, marking the end of this year''s alchemy tournament.


    Ethan and the team all reunited in the lobby of the building where they were staying and headed to the coliseum.


    It was already clear that the atmosphere around them had changed.


    The members of the two categories were noticeably more social with each other, and even Yan Mei, who hadn''t previously taken those her own age with lower alchemical skills seriously, had changed her attitude slightly.


    The two eliminated members of their group were absent, and separate areas had been arranged for them where they could watch the rest of the tournament.


    The girl who was a fan of Ethan had now given up trying to start a conversation with him, as each attempt was met with a few dismissive words from him.


    However, she had socialized with Yan Mei and Xiang Ha, who, though still somewhat distant, was noticeably more open than at the beginning of the tournament.


    Eventually, everyone arrived at the coliseum, and it was clear that the number of people left to compete had significantly decreased, making the waiting area much less crowded than before.

 Chapter 173: Wang Li Na

    .


    Less than an hour after the Sun City''s group arrived, the third round of the tournament finally began.


    The first group of participants took their positions and started to compete while the audience cheered for different contenders.


    Although the beginner category was considered less important than the second, this didn''t mean the crowd wasn''t excited to watch their challenges.


    The truth was that most of their matchs tended to be dull due to their limited skills.


    However, for true enthusiasts of this profession, even this was a spectacle on its own.


    They loved evaluating every single action of the participants, drawing conclusions about how their final products might turn out.


    Ethna''s fan, the last remaining member of the beginner category, still had some time before her turn.


    She waited with the others, watching her peers compete. The more she observed, the more anxious she felt.


    It had to be admitted that her group hadn''t shown any great performance so far.


    Unlike Ethan, Yan Mei, and Xiang Hua, who defeated their opponents with relative ease, she always had to give her all in every round.


    In fact, in yesterday''s competition, she almost lost, winning by only a very narrow margin.


    The more she watched others compete, the higher her anxiety grew because she knew her turn was approaching. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Come on, Li Na, you can do it,'' she whispered, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.


    From a young age, she''d adored the alchemist profession, and as soon as she had the chance, she began to learn as much as she could.


    She was lucky to be born into a family with a relatively stable financial situation. Being an only child, she received the love of both her parents.


    Though they had urged her multiple times to pursue a different career path, trying to make her understand that alchemy wasn''t an easy road, and that even after a long time, results weren''t guaranteed, she was determined.


    Eventually, her parents stopped trying to persuade her and chose to believe in her, supporting her as best as they could.


    Thanks to their support, she was able to get more and more books on alchemy.


    Finally, at the age of 16, she passed the test to become an apprentice alchemist.


    This, for her, was the first real step on the alchemy path.


    After achieving this, she truly understood how tough the world of alchemy could be.


    She hadn''t been born with any extraordinary talent, nor was she particularly skilled in any area, but one thing she didn''t lack was hard work.


    While hard work alone doesn''t always guarantee success, in most cases, if one persevered long enough, it eventually bore results, which was true for her.


    Although theory was a bit complicated, she studied it with passion and eventually passed the test to become an apprentice alchemist.


    Since this rank was primarily focused on mastering basic knowledge of alchemy , more on theory than practice , within a few years, she managed to earn her next two stars.


    After several more years, she became a fully-fledged adept alchemist.


    Her achievements weren''t particularly outstanding, but she didn''t lose heart and continued.


    After another five years, she finally reached two-star adept status, a level that was already respected among young alchemists.


    She was now 24 years old.


    While there were plenty of people of her rank around her age, she could still be considered slightly above average.


    She had faced her fair share of difficulties during all these years of study, but in the end, she obtained the results she hoped for and finally got the chance to participate in one of the most important tournaments in alchemy: the Imperial Alchemy Tournament.


    She had joined the selection process knowing that many more brilliant and capable young alchemists would be participating.


    Fortunately for her, the most skilled ones had chosen to attempt the test for a place in the second category.


    This allowed her to nearly reach a place among the top three.


    Despite the difficulties, she managed to secure second place in the selection, winning one of the tournament spots.


    For her, this was already a great achievement, and from that point onward, she didn''t mind too much whether she would achieve a high ranking in the end.


    Reaching this point at her age was already remarkable, especially as she was the youngest in her group, with her other competitors almost 30.


    Only those in the expert category were closer to her age, if only slightly.


    She could tell that the masked young man, who had shocked everyone at the selection competition, was likely younger than her by a little, but he exuded an aura far more mature than his age suggested.


    This only increased her admiration for him.


    She reminded herself that she had always done her best and persevered through every challenge that had come her way, so even now, she just had to keep giving her all.


    After about another 30 minutes, the group competing finally stepped off the stage, meaning it was now her group''s turn.


    With her spirit somewhat lifted, she stood up and prepared to go, but just then, she heard a voice behind her.


    "Go, Li Na, show them what you''re made of," the voice said.


    Turning to see who it was, her eyes widened in surprise, and her heartbeat quickened.


    ''He... he just encouraged me?''


    Like a firework that had just been lit, she walked with more vigor and enthusiasm, quietly muttering to herself.


    "I won''t let him down."


    "He believes in me."


    "I won''t let him down."


    The person who had spoken was one of her fellow participants, and seeing that his words had a surprisingly positive effect, he patted his chest proudly.


    Ethan, who was sitting right next to him, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    ''Kids these days...'' he muttered.


    Bai Yu, on the other side, saw what had just happened, and understanding the situation, she didn''t know whether to laugh or sigh.


    And so, with a highly motivated Wang Li Na joining the rest of the participants in her category, the second round of today''s first part of the challenge officially began.


    After several hours...


    -----------------------------


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    Wang Li-Na''s match Results :


    Match Outcome: Defeated


    Final Position: 36


    -----------------------------

 Chapter 174: Start of the Second Part of the Competition

    .


    The first part of the third round of the competition had finally come to an end, with 25 out of 50 participants advancing, and an additional 7 moving forward after battling once more against others who, like them, had lost in the first round.


    Although the performance of the beginners'' category hadn''t improved much compared to the beginning, it was a fact that there had been some slight progress.


    All the previous rounds had eliminated those whose skills were still below a certain threshold, and now only the most powerful remained in this category.


    This was already evident from the last matches, where the competition had become much more serious and intense.


    Everyone who could not withstand this new pressure was inevitably eliminated, including Wang Li-na, who, despite showing her worth, ultimately lost by a narrow margin.


    For her, reaching this point had honestly been a significant achievement, so to some extent, she was satisfied with her results in her first participation in the imperial tournament.


    That said, like many others in her category, she too longed to advance further and secure a higher position, but the harsh reality was quite different from her expectations, and in the end, she had to be content with her current standing.


    After the first part of today''s competitions concluded, there was a 30-minute break, and finally, the second round of matches commenced, involving this time those from the experts'' category.


    Today''s schedule was divided into two parts, one for each category, with each part allotted a total of 6 hours, thus two groups of participants from each category would compete. Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The experts'' category had fewer than 50 participants remaining, so the number of competitors in the first group was clearly much smaller than in the novices'' category.


    In this first group, from Ethan''s team, only Yan Mei participated, while Ethan and Xiang Hua would join the second group of challengers.


    Yan Mei gathered her courage and, as soon as the competition began, she, like the other participants, entered the competition area and took her place on the designated platform.


    What she had to face in this challenge was a boy with long gray hair, left free.


    He had a slightly pale complexion, as if he hadn''t seen sunlight for several months.


    He had a tired look, but his eyes showed a lot of energy.


    Ethan, noticing the participant against whom Yan Mei would compete, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    The participant was none other than one of the three demon cultivators who had entered the competition.


    Throughout the tournament, Ethan kept a close watch on them to not miss any unusual actions.


    He already knew their plan, and given where the tournament had progressed, he didn''t doubt that the setup had already been arranged.


    He just had to find it, or rather, know its exact position; Bai Yu would take care of the rest.


    Having already dealt with the cultivator wandering through the capital city and the half-demon supervising him, she could now assist him in managing these three.


    Not that he really needed help since he could tell that none of them had surpassed the fourth level, and for him, who could compete on par with those of the fifth stage, the fourth level was child''s play.


    If it weren''t for the tournament, Ethan would have captured them all, made them spill the beans, and then exorcised them with his new ability.


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    After seeing how the giant''s body was purified from the influence of demonic Qi, he needed more test subjects, preferably alive.


    With them, he could experiment further with his new physical ability and determine its maximum and minimum extent.


    After all, if his ability could purify a being without killing it, he would have a useful weapon against demons and potential subjects corrupted by them.


    He had already realized that brute strength alone wouldn''t suffice against demonic energy; he also needed to eradicate it in some way, and that''s where his new ability came into play.


    As he watched, Ethan could only hold back for now and mutter:


    "For now, you''re safe, but you won''t be for long."


    As if sensing malevolent intentions toward him, the boy with gray hair felt a chill run through his body as he looked around, confused.


    ''Was it just my imagination?''


    Once everyone took their positions, the announcer wasted no time and finally initiated the first round of the second part of today''s competitions.


    Immediately, all the participants pulled out various materials and began to work on them while igniting the fire beneath the provided cauldron.


    Clearly, everyone had already decided which pill to create and was just waiting for the start.


    Just like in the competition for the first category, where differences in skill compared to their initial matches were already noticeable, the same was true for the experts'' category, with significant disparities evident.


    The minimum requirement for purity and level had risen to 50% of level 2, in other words, a medium-grade level 2 pill at minimum, and this time, there was also a minimum requirement of how many pills to produce, which was at least 3 pills.


    The requirement itself was not difficult, especially for the participants remaining in the experts'' category, who were more than capable of refining pills at this level easily.


    With three hours at their disposal, each made their action plan and proceeded, focusing on their own station while ignoring everyone else, including their opponent.


    Yan Mei was no exception, as she had already gotten to work for a while.


    Ethan had already noticed that Yan Mei''s refining skills had improved significantly since the last time he had seen her, and from what he had observed over these days, he could say that she was most likely already at the initial level of a master alchemist;


    in other words, she was probably already capable of producing high-grade level 2 pills with ease and attempting those of the next level.


    Of course, she was far from being comparable to his own progress, but unlike him, who relied on the system, she had honed her refining skills up to that point.


    Ethan didn''t see this advantage over the others as something to be ashamed of.


    He believed everyone had their own opportunities and problems.


    Some had more, some had less; in a sense, the system could be considered part of his strengths, and making the best use of his abilities was not wrong at all,


    he didn''t care if it was right or wrong.


    He had long since stopped caring about others'' opinions.


    He knew that others wouldn''t decide his fate;


    it was what he did that mattered because those actions would determine his future.

 Chapter 175: Wounded Demon

    .


    The first group of the second part finally finished, and as expected, several participants put on a great display of their abilities.


    From those of the Phoenix Kingdom to those of the White Tiger Kingdom, everyone showcased their unique methods of refinement.


    While they had similarities at a basic level, each was sufficiently different to entertain the audience.


    As one would expect in this kind of competition, there were a losing and a winning side, but unlike previous rounds, the margin by which the losers fell behind was much narrower, and in some cases, there were even near ties.


    In these situations, factors like purity, the number of pills, and their types became significantly more important.


    After a brief pause to allow enough time to set up the stations, the tournament resumed.


    In this round, all those who had not participated before would take part.


    As Yan Mei arrived, Ethan and Xiang Hua were already ready to head to their stations.


    As he passed by her, he noticed the dark expression on her face, and reflecting on her recent match, he wasn''t too surprised.


    Even though she had performed at a very high level, especially for her age, she was still defeated by her opponent, who not only outproduced her in the number of pills but also in their purity, and in some cases, the quality of the pills.


    Although her defeat wasn''t overwhelming, it was close enough to feel like one, and this naturally displeased a proud woman like Yan Mei.


    Ethan could only shake his head while thinking that she still had a chance to continue.


    After all, after their group, the losers from the first group would challenge those from the second group of participants, which would be an opportunity for her to come back.


    Ethan didn''t spend too much time contemplating her situation and focused more on his opponent.


    The pills he produced weren''t anything particularly extravagant or different;


    they were quite well-known to any alchemist, but what remained in his mind were more his refining techniques.


    ''He was using the manifestation of demonic Qi.''


    To a normal person, it would seem that he simply used spiritual Qi to manipulate the ingredients, somewhat like Ethan had done so far, but those familiar with demonic Qi knew that it wasn''t pure Qi.


    ''I wonder if that''s how they produced those pills,'' he thought as he walked toward his station.


    He recalled the pills that the cultivator dressed in black had consumed during the incident with the cursed object.


    He only knew that those were pills infused with demonic Qi, but he never understood why they had such miraculous effects, powerful enough to regrow a new arm for the person who consumed them.


    He didn''t have any samples of those pills, so he couldn''t study them, leaving this a mystery for him.


    Pills that were barely level 2 typically weren''t capable of regrowing a severed limb.


    Only high-grade level 3 pills and those of level 4 could do that, and those pills were very rare.


    Ethan had tried to replicate such an effect with level 2 pills but had always failed.


    Now, seeing this demonic cultivator use his alchemical skills, infused with demonic Qi, he began to understand a bit about how they might have achieved such an effect.


    Finally, he arrived at his station and took a moment to observe his surroundings while waiting for the start announcement.


    Since there was only one of the three participants from the first group, and since all three had managed to reach this point in the competition, it meant that the other two were also somewhere around.


    It didn''t take him long to spot them, noticing they were not far from him; he spread his spiritual sense.


    He had decided to seize this opportunity to study the skills of these two as well.


    He was capable enough to observe them while continuing to refine the pills.


    Although Ethan took a moment to observe the other participants, he practically ignored everyone else after finding the two participants he was looking for, including his opponent.


    Seeing that the masked boy didn''t even spare her a glance, she shot him furious looks.


    ''Bastard, you''re underestimating me.


    Just wait until the match starts, and you''ll see how I brutally defeat you,'' thought the girl, who was Ethan''s opponent. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Ethan prepared to start refining, in a place not too far from the capital, a figure over two meters tall, completely shrouded in a veil of darkness that concealed its features, furrowed his brow in frustration.


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    In recent hours, he had attempted multiple times to contact one of his subordinates sent near the capital city, receiving no response.


    Yesterday, while he was resting, he was jolted awake when he felt a connection suddenly sever.


    ''Now, that''s strange,'' thought the figure in a low voice, as its form flickered like jelly, shifting from one position to another before returning to his shape, then changing its position once more.


    He pondered for a moment about the current situation.


    he could tell that the formation had been completely set, and now he only needed his demonic minions to confirm, awaiting the moment they would act.


    Until a short while ago, it had been quite calm, but suddenly, he felt the loss of his connection with one of his minions.


    he didn''t know if it had died or something else, but just the fact that he could no longer perceive his minion was cause for concern.


    His worry stemmed not from the lost connection, but from the fact that even if the demonic minion had been eliminated, he would still be able to sense it since the demonic Qi that transformed it into a minion came from him.


    Just as he was contemplating what might be happening, two minutes after losing his connection with his minion, he felt a strong impact that nearly made him lose consciousness.


    "What the hell is happening?" he shouted furiously, as he felt part of his energy vanish into thin air.


    Ethan, absorbing the demonic Qi from the giant, had unintentionally dealt a heavy blow to the demonic creature, which was now furious, searching for his missing subordinate.

 Chapter 176: Hu Xingyan

    .


    Ethan''s opponent was a girl with short, gray-white hair that reached her shoulders.


    She had sharp purple eyes that were currently fixed on Ethan''s bored figure.


    ''Is this prick taking me lightly?'' Experience more tales on m v|l e''-NovelFire.net


    She thought, irritated by the masked boy''s nonchalant behavior.


    Initially, she had been very excited to face someone who had, until now, dominated everyone he''d fought and even bested her in the second part of the theoretical test, taking first place and leaving her to settle for second.


    This only fueled her curiosity about this person who had appeared out of nowhere and proven to be one of the dark horses of this year''s tournament.


    Many of the participants in the expert category were familiar faces, already somewhat famous, but he was one of the few unknown contenders this year.


    She herself was a well-known alchemist, renowned for her high-level alchemical skills despite being under 30.


    This alone placed her among the best of the younger generation, but that wasn''t enough for her.


    She had always been highly competitive and didn''t want to remain just one of the best, she wanted to be the best.


    So she continuously honed her skills, learning from many master alchemists, including her grandfather, who was one of the three Grandmaster Alchemists of the Long Empire.


    This year''s tournament was supposed to be her opportunity to claim first place and assert her superiority over all the other participants in her category.


    Up until this point in the tournament, she had defeated everyone she faced, and none of them posed a real challenge to her.


    She thought she might not need to take things too seriously to secure first place.


    But that changed after the end of the second round of competitions.


    Since the start of the second round, she finally noticed several participants in her category demonstrating performances near her own level.


    One of them even did something she wasn''t sure she could do herself, and that person was none other than the masked boy.


    She had hoped to face him, because, in her mind, she had already marked him as one of the best in this competition, and she was eager for a match against him.


    Who would have thought that when she finally got the chance, the masked boy completely ignored her, as if, to him, she didn''t even exist?


    His attitude shattered her composure and sent her into a frenzy.


    Ethan, who was minding his own business, felt an intense gaze on him.


    Turning, he saw his opponent staring at him with a fierce, clearly angry expression.


    ''What the hell is wrong with this woman?'' he thought, bewildered by this sudden animosity directed his way.


    He was sure he''d never met this woman before, and seeing her look at him like that only confused him more.


    ''Could she be missing a few screws?'' he thought, arriving at this conclusion.


    ''No, the one with a few screws loose is you,'' said Bai Yu, who had by now given up on correcting his erroneous assumptions.


    She had already noticed that, while Ethan was perceptive in most situations, his skill seemed nonexistent when it came to women.


    She still remembered an incident a few days ago when they were exploring the capital.


    He was approached by a woman in the prime of her life who was clearly interested in him and tried to start a conversation.


    He simply brushed her off, assuming she was crazy.


    When Bai Yu asked why he thought she was crazy, he simply responded with something like:


    "Who in their right mind goes around asking people''s names?


    If she isn''t crazy, then she''s definitely up to something shady, and I don''t feel like wasting my time on something like that.


    You have to be careful; this world is full of strange people, like her," he said, as if he were an adult giving advice to a child.


    "..."


    Bai Yu then understood that, when it came to women, Ethan completely lacked any common sense.


    And it was strange because, when he interacted with her, this part of him seemed absent.


    She could only think this was due to his lack of interaction with people, and this theory was confirmed even more in her mind when she thought about what he had been doing since he met her.


    He had spent 90% of his time away from others, cultivating, refining, or training.


    She thought it might be better if he took more breaks, like the recent one he had taken not long ago, more often.


    At one point, she even told him it was time for him to go outside and touch some grass.


    That said, with everyone in their positions, the competition finally began.


    The matches of the third round would set the stage for those who would advance to the quarterfinals, as the tournament was now entering its final phase.


    In the next three days, the final rounds would take place, determining the Top 10 rankings, with prizes awarded to the Top 3. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With Yan Mei''s recent defeat, she was nearly out of the running for the Top 3, but all was not lost.


    Currently, she had already secured a place in the Top 15 of the tournament, and if she won her next match, she would have a chance to make it into the Top 10.


    For a girl her age, participating in this tournament for the first time, already being in the Top 15 was a good ranking, but this position didn''t satisfy her, and so she would give her all and strive to win the next match as well.


    Among their group, only Ethan and Xiang Hua were still going strong, and if they both won their next duels, they would both be in the Top 10, which was already a great result for their team from Sun City.


    As members of one of the three ruling kingdoms of the Long Empire, this was the minimum that would be expected of a team like theirs.


    But none of the three of them worried about this; all that mattered to them was pursuing their individual goals.


    For Ethan, who had primarily come to promote his brand, and for Xiang Hua, who had come to honor her master.


    Positioning their team well to bring honor to their city was only a secondary goal, one that would be automatically achieved if they fulfilled their primary goals.


    That said, with the announcer''s call, the competition finally began, and none of the participants wasted any time, immediately starting their refining processes.


    Like the previous group, they had already planned their strategies and which pills to produce first and last, so when the timer started, everyone was already working on refining the materials.


    Among them, there was only one person who, unsurprisingly, stood calmly, taking his time before beginning.


    Seeing that the masked boy continued to maintain the same attitude he''d shown in previous matches, Hu Xingyan, Ethan''s opponent, became even more irritated.


    ''Let''s see if you can still act so arrogant after this,'' she thought as she moved her hands in the air, and a light blue glow emanated from them.


    Immediately, the materials she had taken out began to move on their own, floating in the air.


    This gesture didn''t go unnoticed, and the commentator immediately spoke in an excited tone.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, Hu Xingyan, the alchemical prodigy of the White Tiger Kingdom, has finally decided to get serious."


    Hu Xingyan, like many others present, was already well-known within alchemical circles as one of the most promising young alchemists in the Long Empire.


    Since she had started at 15, her speed and mastery in alchemy had increased by leaps and bounds, leading her to become a one-star Adept Alchemist before the age of 20, and in another five years, she had already reached the rank of Expert Alchemist.


    This improvement rate shocked many, and only a few other individuals in the young generation could be compared to her.


    But even the number of such individuals was quite small, and they could indeed be counted on one hand.


    Xiang Hua was one of them, but after she withdrew to devote more time to her cultivation, she was almost forgotten, so many were surprised to learn that she would participate in this year''s tournament.


    Many of those present had actually come specifically to see her matches, and there were even those who had unfinished business with her and wanted to defeat her in one of the tournament matches.


    However, none of them succeeded and were brutally defeated by her.


    This alone made it clear to everyone that, though she had taken a break, her skills hadn''t rusted at all and had only continued to improve.


    Hu Xingyan was one of those who couldn''t wait to face off against Xiang Hua, but after seeing this year''s dark horse, she decided to deal with him first.


    So she didn''t hold back, deciding to give her all in their duel.

 Chapter 177: End of the match

    .


    What Hu Xingyan was using was clearly a simplified version of the basic spirit-Qi refinement technique that Ethan had used during his match against Xun Wei.


    This was a technique not well known among adept and apprentice-level alchemists because, due to its high level of difficulty, it was practically impossible for them to use.


    It was also challenging for expert, and master-level alchemists, who, although they could use it, applied it only to a limited extent.


    Many didn''t use it at all because they found they were faster refining without it than with it, due to the fact that two fundamental prerequisites were needed to master the technique:


    first, having a cultivation level of at least mid-stage Qi Refining; and second, practicing it continuously, not for days, weeks, or months, but for several years.


    Many chose to abandon it, as while the technique was very useful once learned, the time required to master it was, for many, not worth the effort.


    Many trained to use it, but only to a limited degree and only occasionally, which made their improvement with it even slower.


    After all, if you want to learn something well and as quickly as possible, you must study and practice it continuously until it becomes second nature.


    It was like training a muscle in your body.


    Only by training it consistently, over a certain period of time, could results be seen.


    Training one day on, two days off would not yield any concrete results anytime soon.


    The main reason she became so famous at such a young age wasn''t because of her rapid progress in alchemy, but rather the fact that, at 25, she could already use this technique with a certain level of mastery.


    Thanks to this, nearly all the competitions where she used this technique were won with relative ease, as it allowed her to speed up the refinement process and perform it with higher precision.


    While the crowd cheered at her impressive display of this technique, the 10 judges who were still seated could only shake their heads at the sight.


    It wasn''t that they were better than her at using it, in fact, many of them were less skilled than she was in this regard.


    The reason they shook their heads was because they knew one participant among those present who had demonstrated a much higher mastery of this technique than she had. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His mastery was so advanced that no one who lacked some knowledge of this technique would have been able to detect its use.


    When they saw him use it and finish preparing 12 entire pills at once, they were shocked to their core, and not only because of the refined pills, which had an exceptionally high degree of purity, but also because they didn''t know of a single master alchemist who could wield the technique at that level.


    Infact, they could only compare his level of mastery with this technique to that of a grandmaster,


    and so, seeing Hu Xingyan use this refinement technique, they could only shake their heads and pity her for ending up against a "monster" of that kind.


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    Ethan, seeing the use of the spirit-Qi-based pill refinement technique, showed no reaction and simply gave her a glance before getting to work.


    He could already guess what the gray-haired girl was aiming for and had to admit that for her age, refining to that level wasn''t bad at all.


    ''Well, if she thinks she can beat me with just that, then she''s sorely mistaken,'' he thought, deciding on how to proceed after analyzing his opponent.


    He prepared the materials, and unlike in the first two rounds, where he refined his Level 2 pills with high purity in no time, he took his time this time.


    Seeing him work calmly, as if he were refining at home, made everyone frown, including the judges.


    They had thought Ethan would crush Hu Xingyan just as he had with his previous opponents, but now what they saw was a young man in a black mask, calmly slicing herbs as if he were preparing a simple stew.


    "��"


    For a moment, everyone wondered if he had given up or if he planned to give his best in the last 30 minutes, but from the way he proceeded for the rest of the three hours, it didn''t seem so.


    The only thing they noticed was that, once again, they couldn''t tell which pill he was making due to his use of a large quantity of different materials that appeared unrelated.


    Even Hu Xingyan, who had already produced several series of high-grade Level 2 pills, became frustrated seeing that Ethan hadn''t produced anything yet, even though they were already halfway through the competition.


    Her previous anger that had dissipated now returned, thinking he was still underestimating her.


    She had produced the first series of pills to meet the minimum quantity requirements, but now that she had over an hour free and most of those requirements met, she decided to use the rest of her time to create the pill with which she would crush Ethan.


    ''Let''s see if you still have that attitude after I finish this pill,'' she thought as she began working on the new refinement materials she had just taken out.


    And so, time passed, and Ethan, who had only worked on a certain amount of materials throughout, finally began opening the cauldron''s lid in the last 5 minutes, moving his hand through the air to send some spiritual Qi into it.


    At the same time, Hu Xingyan also began to take out her pill, which had taken her over an hour to prepare, and seeing this, the whole audience focused their attention on her.


    As she opened the lid, a blast of vapor escaped and lingered for a few seconds.


    While it dissipated, Hu Xingyan used her spirit-Qi manifestation to draw out her pill.


    Within seconds, the pill was out of the cauldron, and she quickly took the prepared vial and placed it inside.


    The pill in question had a greenish hue, with three intense green veins running across its surface.


    Despite the veins, the pill''s surface was still smooth, without any imperfections.


    The judges, seeing the pill and noting the veins on it, couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise.


    "A low-grade Level 3 pill."


    Hu Xingyan had decided to prepare a Level 3 pill as her final product.


    A level of pill that almost no one of the younger generation could refine yet, as it was a level too advanced for them.


    And it was also the minimum criterion to be considered a one-star master alchemist.


    In other words, Hu Xingyan was already at the level of an entry-level master alchemist.


    This news shocked many, as having a master alchemist under 30 was something unheard of.


    Just as she was beginning to enjoy the audience''s admiration, some remembered that the masked boy was also about to reveal his pill,


    and although they now believed he had no chance, they still cast a glance at him.

 Chapter 178: Level 3 Pill

    .


    In a dilapidated palace in the capital of the Long Empire, S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in a vast, dark hall devoid of any living soul, a man seated on a throne at the center at the far end of the hall looked down at an object he held in his hand, with a neutral expression.


    Due to the lack of movement from the figure of the man, an outsider might mistake him for a statue.


    The object the man was staring at was a talisman, specifically one that had just arrived, containing a message sent by Jian Long.


    The emperor didn''t move for a long time after the message ended, continuing to stare blankly, lost in unknown thoughts.


    Then, with a sigh filled with fatigue, he looked towards a point in the throne hall.


    There was nothing there but the wall of the hall, yet he seemed to be looking at something beyond it.


    There, a few rooms away, lay a large master bedroom, intact, and giving the impression that no one had visited it in a long time.


    Even so, the room appeared to be tidy, and no trace of dust could be seen anywhere.


    On one side hung a large portrait depicting a woman who was smiling.


    The woman in the portrait had long black hair that flowed over her shoulders like a waterfall, and a pair of emerald green eyes that captivated anyone looking at her.


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    She wore a gentle smile, which seemed to convey various emotions all at once.


    Each time he looked at this portrait, Long Hao''s mind calmed.


    After an indefinite amount of time, he opened his mouth and spoke.


    "We don''t have much time left," he said in a calm voice, as if speaking to someone, though the nearly empty hall provided no answer.


    "My time is coming to an end.


    Do me a favor, my friend," he said in a weary voice, and again, no sound answered him beyond his own voice.


    "Take care of the two of them after I''m gone," he said, and silence returned to reign in the hall.


    After a few seconds, a shadow behind the emperor''s throne moved, and a voice echoed, breaking the silence in the hall once more.


    "Very well."


    ***


    With Hu Xingyan having just pulled out her final pill, only Ethan''s results remained to be seen.


    After understanding what level of pill she had created, many immediately thought the masked boy no longer stood a chance.


    After all, he hadn''t even produced a single pill in those three hours, while she had already produced several, and with that low-grade Level 3 pill, her victory seemed almost certain.


    Several audience members began to speak as they waited to see the inevitable.


    "Hmph, he acted arrogant throughout the competition, and this is the result," someone remarked.


    "Well, you reap what you sow, and in his case, he''ll reap defeat and the embarrassment of his arrogance."


    "Though he has some skills, he never stood a chance against the White Tiger Kingdom''s genius."


    While there were those who naturally sided with Hu Xingyan, there were also those who still believed that the masked boy might have a surprise in store for them.


    This hope was based on the fact that he had continuously surprised them throughout the competition, from scoring perfectly on the theory exam and landing in the Hall of Fame, to producing 12 pills in one go, all of high purity.


    Many in the audience had already become his die-hard fans, and so, while some mocked him, others cheered him on.


    "Nuyu."


    "Nuyu."


    "Nuyu."


    The examiners, seeing this situation, couldn''t help but shake their heads.


    Whenever a particularly outstanding contestant emerged during the annual tournaments, something like this always happened, though this time, the intensity was slightly higher.


    None of them paid much attention to the audience as they focused on Ethan to see what he had produced after all this time.


    They had already failed once to predict his final result, which, instead of a disaster, turned out to be several high-grade pills.


    Therefore, none of them dared to make a judgment, at least not until they had seen the final result of his work.


    And so, with the sounds of the crowd on one side and the expectant gazes of many on the other, Ethan finally opened the lid, and suddenly, a faint colored glow emerged from the cauldron, illuminating his area for a moment.


    At this phenomenon, everyone, regardless of what they were doing, turned to look towards his station.


    "What is that?"


    "I don''t know, but it doesn''t seem like anything good."


    "Could the cauldron be about to explode?"


    While another wave of conversations started about what might be inside the cauldron, the judges closest to it saw this phenomenon and immediately had one thought on their minds.


    "It can''t be."


    As soon as they thought of it, all their expressions changed instantly, and just as in the last two rounds, they rushed from their positions to Ethan''s station, surrounding it within seconds, as they looked darkly at what was slowly floating out of the cauldron.


    Ethan didn''t concern himself with their actions, and he used a bit of spiritual Qi to draw out what was inside the cauldron.


    Everyone''s gazes were focused on the floating object emerging from the cauldron, and as they finally saw what it was, many wore confused expressions.


    A golden pill?


    What kind of pill is that?


    While many wondered what type of pill Ethan had produced, the judges closest to the station, upon seeing the pill, trembled, their eyes widening more and more at the sight of the pill.


    "No it can''t be�� it''s really that pill."


    "Wait, how did he produce it? Even for us, refining it successfully is a huge task."


    "Stop asking pointless questions and examine the pill first!"


    At these words from one of them, who had just finished examining the pill, the others quickly sent a bit of their Qi into it, and immediately their expressions changed once again.


    "This pill��"


    "It''s mid-grade, Level 3 pill."

 Chapter 179: Worldly Ties

    .


    "I can''t believe it, he really managed to create a pill like this at such a high level?" one of them said, finally understanding why their colleague was so shaken by the pill.


    They had all been shocked when they recognized what pill it was, but this shock grew even stronger when they realized its level.


    A mid-grade Level 3 pill wasn''t something they hadn''t seen before, in fact, many of them were capable of refining pills of that level.


    What shocked them was the type of pill itself.


    This was one of the most feared pills among alchemists, with such a challenging refinement process that even a master alchemist would only have a 10% chance of refining it successfully.


    This pill was known by various names, but the most famous was one particular title:


    "One of the Nine Plagues of Alchemists."


    The difficulty of this pill was such that alchemists unanimously decided it deserved a place among the most problematic pills to refine of all time.


    Its original name was the Nine Revolutions Pill, and it was a miraculous pill that would tempt even a cultivator at the peak of the fourth stage.


    This was due to the miraculous effects it had on the soul of whoever took it, effects too powerful to be ignored.


    Because of the difficulty of this pill, many alchemists refused to attempt refining it, as, aside from requiring a great deal of time and expensive rare materials, the chances of successful production were slim.


    At this point, only grand master alchemists would take on refining this pill, as they had a higher probability of success.


    All of these factors made this pill an almost never-produced rarity, practically unknown to most people.


    Even among expert alchemists, there were only a few who knew of it.


    The fact that he had refined a pill of this kind successfully at Level 3 was already a huge advantage over Hu Xingyan''s pills, but producing it at mid-grade automatically elevated him above them.


    Hu Xingyan, witnessing the scene of the 10 master alchemists acting strangely, felt an unsettling premonition.


    The more she looked at their faces, the more she felt something bad was about to happen.


    ''Could it be that he produced something better than my pills?


    No, that''s impossible. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, he only created one pill;


    setting aside my other creations, just the Level 3 pill would grant me victory," she thought, trying to reassure herself. Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelFire.net


    But reality was harsh, and just at that moment, the judges, who had finally calmed a bit, coughed slightly, and one of them finally stepped forward to announce the result of the match.


    The one who stepped forward was the pink-dressed woman, who, with a look of pity directed at Hu Xingyan, spoke in a moderate tone.


    "The winner is Nuyu."


    As if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on her, Hu Xingyan, who already sensed something was wrong, went into shock, her expression turning blank as she tried to process what she had just heard.


    ''I lost?''


    This was the first time in years that she had lost, and she had become so accustomed to easily defeating all her opponents that the news of her defeat sent her mind into a tailspin.


    Seeing the blank expression on the face of the girl from the Tiger Kingdom, the pink-dressed woman could only shake her head as the thoughts she had at the start of the match returned to her.


    ''Poor thing, she ended up against a monster like that,'' she thought as she watched the masked boy finish placing the golden pill into a specially prepared vial.


    Seeing this, the woman couldn''t help but think,


    ''The news of a successful refinement of a mid-grade Level 3 pill will surely spread like wildfire,'' she thought, hesitating only to imagine how many people would be sent into a frenzy upon hearing the news.


    She sent a mental communication to the other master alchemists present, and after a few seconds, they all agreed on a solution to this issue.


    One of them, who was still close to Ethan''s station, approached him with a smile and asked:


    "Say, would you be interested in auctioning off this pill?"


    Hm?


    Ethan, who was ready to leave, heard these words and couldn''t help but think for a moment.


    Within milliseconds, he came out of his thoughts and nodded, working out the auction details with the elder.


    It didn''t take long for Ethan to understand what was at stake, and in a way, this was what he had hoped for.


    Initially, he intended to refine a few low-grade Level 3 pills to beat the girl from the White Tiger Kingdom, but then another idea came to mind.


    ''I Could use this situation to my advantage,'' he thought, deciding on the pill that would set his plans in motion.


    He had already thought of several ways to increase his fame within the circle of alchemists, and with his level of power and skill, he could push his influence in the market even higher without risking any conflicts.


    Although the number of master alchemists was greater than that of grandmasters, the difference wasn''t overwhelming.


    Therefore, their influence was still relatively significant.


    If he could demonstrate the ability to operate at their level, or even surpass them by a few steps, then his potential competitors in the market would think twice before taking him on.


    The last thing he wanted was to go back and forth with other companies selling alchemical products.


    If he could assert his strength over them right from the start, all the better.


    He didn''t want to leave closed-door cultivation one day only to hear news like,


    ''The Peng family goes bankrupt due to an attack from competing families,''


    or even worse.


    With the money he''d earned over these past two years, he could live more than comfortably, though by this point, money wasn''t a necessity for him.


    He had reached a stage where he could only rely on his own strength to advance further; tens or hundreds of thousands of spirit stones wouldn''t be enough to even cover a tenth of his current level of cultivation.


    Having properties or assets was also pointless to him.


    He had his own minor dimension, which had become like a home to him, where he had everything he needed.


    The mortal world now held less and less importance to him compared to before, and he knew that once he ascended to the spiritual realm, he would be almost entirely detached from it.


    Perhaps the only things he''d still care about then would be his bonds with certain people.


    For now, it was only with Da Shu, but he intended to help the Phoenix Sect before leaving, in case he chose to ascend to the higher heavens.


    He still had a debt to repay to the sect master, and he knew he wouldn''t feel at peace unless he repaid her in some way for her help two years ago.


    He had realized that using force as a threat wouldn''t work forever, so he didn''t adopt that approach. Instead, he decided to make sure they could stand on their own feet if he left in the future.


    For now, he was still uncertain, but he knew that if he wanted to continue growing stronger, he couldn''t remain on the mortal plane.

 Chapter 180: Why dont we have a nice chat ?

    .


    To everyone''s surprise, what seemed like an irreversible situation for the masked boy somehow turned into a victory.


    From what they could tell from the judges'' expressions, the pill produced by the masked boy was particularly difficult, and it seemed to be of a high level.


    Most of the audience didn''t understand exactly what kind of pill it was, but several figures among them did, and they didn''t hesitate to contact some of their connections.


    The Nine Revolutions Pill was too valuable to let others have, so the sooner they acted, the better their chances of acquiring it.


    They already knew that the pill would be auctioned after the competition, as they had overheard the masked boy''s conversation with one of the examiners, so they were already making the necessary preparations for the auction.


    Gathering a large amount of resources wasn''t difficult for them, but doing it quickly was, as even in this world, not all wealthy individuals held the majority of their wealth in cash or precious resources, but rather in land and shares.


    Although the world was different, the economy in this realm functioned similarly.


    That said, even though the pill was rare and hard to obtain, its original price wasn''t astronomical.


    What concerned everyone was the part where they would have to secure it during the auction.


    They knew better than anyone that none of them would let such a valuable piece slip away, especially cultivators at the fourth stage.


    The examiners were aware of this and decided to take the necessary measures; otherwise, there would be too much chaos on the day of the auction.


    With that, Ethan sealed the pill in the vial, greeted the examiners, and left to return to his team.


    Xiang Hua had also already finished her competition, and as expected, she too had won, though with some difficulty this time.


    Seeing him walk nonchalantly after producing a pill of that level, she didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    ''So, he''s already surpassed me,'' she thought, admitting that she couldn''t produce a pill of that level.


    She had made great progress and was already at the level of a master alchemist, capable of producing Level 3 pills, but she knew better than anyone that producing such a problematic pill at that level was something her current self couldn''t do.


    What only she and the examiners had noticed was that he had taken his time to refine it, and during the entire process, he never showed any signs of struggle, proving that this wasn''t just a lucky achievement but something he could replicate without much trouble.


    The examiners thought that someone of his level was too much for the other participants, but it wasn''t as though they could disqualify him. Find adventures on m_v l|-NovelFire.net


    After all, his age had been confirmed, and they couldn''t blame him for being too skilled.


    Even the heavens can only bow before someone with unstoppable talent.


    This was a well-known saying in the cultivation world, but witnessing a genius like that wasn''t an everyday occurrence.


    Many of them wondered where such a prodigy had come from.


    Even Xun Wei, who was seated in the audience, trembled in his seat as he saw the crushing defeat the masked boy had dealt Hu Xingyan.


    ''So that bastard didn''t even take me seriously,'' he thought, becoming even more furious over his loss.


    Losing to Ethan and handing over his blood flower was already too much for him to bear, but knowing that the other side hadn''t even given his all made the taste of defeat even more bitter.


    He clenched his fists in anger, his fingers digging so deeply that they made his hands bleed, but he didn''t seem to care about this.


    And with that, the third round of matches came to an end, and now only the battles between the two groups that had lost their first match of the day remained. S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Among them was Yan Mei, who, although she had already accepted that she was not yet at Ethan''s level, realized after seeing his performance today that the gap between them was far greater than she had initially thought.


    ***


    The day had come to an end, and everyone had retreated to their accommodations, with only a few going out to relax in the various entertainment spots in the capital of the empire.


    Most of the participants chose to rest, as they still had a tournament to face, but not all of them did.


    Many decided to go out and unwind alone or with their teammates.


    In an alley, away from prying eyes, three figures were currently conversing.


    "Hey, it''s been a while since I''ve heard any news from Y��n F��ng," said a man in his forties, frowning.


    "I haven''t heard from him in the past few days either," replied the woman, echoed by the other man.


    "Now that''s strange. Do you think something might have happened to him?"


    "I highly doubt it. After all, he''s not weak. Maybe after finishing placing the inscriptions around the city, he went on another mission. It wouldn''t be the first time he''s done that," the woman said with an irritated tone.


    Clearly, she was displeased with their teammate''s behavior.


    "Perhaps, but it doesn''t hurt to check.


    I confirmed yesterday that the inscriptions were placed at all points, so our mission can be considered nearly complete," he said as he took out a talisman made of reddish-brown jade and infused it with some of his demonic Qi.


    Just as he was inspecting something on it, a voice came out of nowhere.


    "Hey guys, what are you up to in such an isolated place?


    If it''s something fun, why don''t you let me join in too?" said the person as he emerged from a blind spot in the alley.


    Immediately, hearing this voice, all three became alert and turned to see who it was.


    "Wait, you''re that tournament participant," said the woman, noting the appearance of the person who had spoken.


    "Oh, you know me. Well yes, I''m indeed a tournament participant, just like you, right?"


    Said a young man with a black mask, now fully visible.


    The three, seeing him, recognized him immediately.


    After all, why wouldn''t they? The person before them had stirred quite a commotion over the past three days of the tournament, especially today, having produced a mid-grade Level 3 pill.


    They wondered what he was doing there and, more importantly, how much of their conversation he had overheard.


    With this in mind, the man in his forties spoke, ready to act at any moment.


    "How long have you been here?" he asked as his two companions, understanding the meaning behind the question, prepared in secret.


    "How long, you ask? Hm, let me think��


    Ah yes, more or less since you were asking what might have happened to your companion who went around placing inscriptions," he said with a smile, though hidden by the mask.


    As soon as those words left his mouth, all three rushed toward him, ready to eliminate him on the spot, but just as they took a step forward, a heavy pressure fell upon them, pinning them in place.


    ''What?''


    While the three were terrified by the invisible pressure that struck them, the masked boy gave a slight smile as he approached them.


    "Well, now, why don''t we have a nice chat?"


    As soon as they heard those words, a sense of danger overwhelmed them all, and they felt that whatever was about to happen wouldn''t be anything good.

 Chapter 181: Recipe Successfully Created

    .


    In the commercial area of the capital


    Although the night was still long, the streets of the capital were still illuminated, with many people going back and forth, either heading home or taking a stroll alone or in the company of others.


    At this hour, the atmosphere was quite relaxed, as everyone tried to ease the day''s fatigue in one way or another.


    Amidst the people walking down the main street of the commercial area, two figures were strolling calmly.


    One was a man standing just over 180 cm tall, with long jet-black hair tied back, dressed in comfortable robe (hanfu), walking with a slight smile.


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    Beside him walked a woman, slightly shorter by a few centimeters, also dressed in comfortable clothing.


    Both of them were strikingly attractive, enough to cause a commotion wherever they went, but at that moment, it seemed no one even noticed them.


    "You could have gone a little easier on them, you know?" said the woman, continuing to walk forward calmly as she addressed the young-looking man beside her.


    "What are you trying to say?


    I was pretty gentle with them, you know? I only asked them a few questions, nothing more," said the man, with the air of someone falsely accused.


    Bai Yu, however, didn''t believe him, looking at him with a deadpan expression as she recalled what had happened just half an hour ago in that alley.


    "You call that asking questions?


    If I hadn''t intervened and erased their memories, those three would probably have been traumatized for life," she said, shaking her head.


    "Oh, come on, you''re exaggerating too much.


    Besides, the important thing is that now we know exactly where the formation is located, right?"


    Once again, Bai Yu didn''t know what to say.


    ''It seems he''s gotten too used to experimenting on others'' souls,'' she thought, remembering how he had enjoyed creating soul puppets back in the pocket dimension.


    Back then, she had suggested it to help him with his problem; who would have thought this would be the result.


    Although she didn''t care much about those three, or the inhabitants of the mortal plane in general, she thought it was bad for him to develop such hobbies. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the other hand, his mastery of soul manipulation had reached a level that wouldn''t normally be possible in such a short time.


    Although his mastery was still much lower than hers, she knew that at this rate, he would catch up to her in a few more years of training.


    And that was something that would strike fear into even some talented individuals of the celestial realm, as anything related to souls was far too complex to be learned easily and in a short time.


    Shaking her head internally, she then asked:


    "By the way, why are we here?" she asked, unsure why he had decided to take a nighttime walk.


    "I just wanted to take a walk," he said calmly, but Bai Yu didn''t believe him.


    She knew him too well and knew that for a workaholic like him, taking breaks of this kind was not normal.


    One thing was the day off he had taken after so long, and another was this so-called nighttime walk he had suddenly decided to take.


    Seeing that the dragon woman didn''t seem to believe him, he spoke with resignation.


    "Tch, there''s nothing I can hide from you, is there?


    But it''s a surprise, so wait a bit longer. You won''t be disappointed," he said as he slowed down and headed towards a small shop nearby.


    Bai Yu wanted to press him for answers immediately but decided to wait.


    Not that she minded anyway, as she had spent the last two days watching an alchemical competition, which was too boring for her.


    With the new information they had obtained, she was thinking of going straight to the colosseum''s underground to find and neutralize the formation, but it seemed they would have to wait a little longer.


    The shop where Ethan had stopped was an herb store.


    Seeing this, she became more confused.


    Why would someone who had an entire garden with almost every kind of rare herb stop here?


    she wondered.


    Ethan entered and came out within minutes, and then they headed towards his quarters.


    Once there, Ethan transported himself and Bai Yu to his minor dimension, where, upon arriving, he walked towards his wooden platform, which now had an even more refined look, and sat down, motioning for her to join him.


    Once they were both seated, she couldn''t help but joke:


    "What, did you decide to set up a romantic dinner?" she said teasingly.


    By now, they were both used to joking like this, and she never missed an opportunity to tease him a bit.


    Ethan, smiling at her, moved his hands and made two large glass mugs, similar to typical beer glasses, appear.


    And then, infusing his hand with spiritual Qi, he created two rings above the glasses as he said:


    "Better, I''m sure you''ll like it."


    When she heard those words and saw the two glasses, she immediately realized what it was and mumbled:


    "It can''t be that, right?"


    Although she spoke quietly, Ethan heard it but said nothing, smiling lightly as he seemed to press something in the air.


    Immediately, from those 2 cm diameter rings, a sparkling black liquid began to pour directly into the glasses, filling them.


    Seeing this scene, Bai Yu''s breath stopped for a moment as she guessed what it was.


    ''Is this an illusion?'' she wondered, not even questioning where the liquid was coming from.


    In no time, the two large glasses were filled almost to the brim, and only then did the liquid stop flowing.


    Now, the previously empty glasses were filled with that sparkling black liquid, which emitted a faint caramel scent.


    Noticing the dragon woman''s reaction, Ethan smiled and offered her the glass, encouraging her to take a sip.


    Still incredulous, Bai Yu took the glass with some skepticism and brought it to her lips, taking a delicate sip.


    Ethan, watching this scene, couldn''t help but curse mentally.


    ''She''s definitely doing this on purpose,'' he thought, seeing how elegantly she was sipping the drink.


    He had to admit that, although he was used to Bai Yu''s natural beauty, his defenses were not always strong enough against her, but he kept resisting.


    He had his male pride to uphold and wouldn''t let himself be defeated by her.


    As Ethan got lost in his thoughts, Bai Yu, who had just taken a sip of the drink, froze, her eyes widening.


    ''This flavor, so delicate and refreshing, yet sweet and fizzy at the same time.''


    ''There''s no doubt, it''s really that.''


    As her eyes lit up, confirming her suspicions, she started taking a second sip, then a third.


    Seeing this reaction, Ethan smiled, satisfied with himself.


    ''It took time, but I managed to recreate the recipe,'' he thought, remembering the dozens of different combinations he tried in his system laboratory while researching the Cola recipe.


    He had to admit that it had been challenging because there was one ingredient he couldn''t find in this world, so he tried to find alternatives, and only recently did he find a suitable one.


    He didn''t have that herb in his garden because it was too common to bother planting there.


    So, he went to get it from the herbalist, and while he was there, he took some seeds, planning to create a small plot just for them.


    As he watched her finish the large glass in record time, he couldn''t help but wonder mentally how someone like her could fall in love with a drink like this.


    He would understand if it were a fine, strong wine, something both enjoyable to drink and savor.


    He was certain that if it were up to her, she would get drunk just drinking cola.


    And indeed, as soon as she finished the glass, she slammed it on the table and said:


    "Give me another one, now. Ah, it''s been so long since I last had it," she said, with an ecstatic expression on her face.


    "..."


    Ethan could only shake his head as he proceeded to create the rings in the air above the glass.


    These were created using a spatial technique that Ethan had recently learned.


    The technique itself wasn''t complicated.


    He simply thought of the portal he had created the first time he entered his pocket dimension and, using that as a base, made these rings to connect to his storage where the drink was stored once produced.


    He was essentially using an entire slot just to store the beverage.


    And so, the two spent the next few hours in the minor dimension, drinking cola while admiring the garden scenery, which at night created a slightly magical and serene atmosphere.


    Many of the garden herbs had the characteristic of glowing at night, which, combined with the calm inside, created the perfect setting for relaxation.


    The next day, the crowd at the colosseum was even more frenzied as the semifinals of the imperial tournament were finally beginning.


    Given the low number of people in both categories competing that day, instead of many platforms, the number was reduced to three for the novice category and one for the expert category.


    Unlike the novices, who still had a few competitors, there were just over ten people left in the expert category.


    As with yesterday, the day would be divided into two parts: the first for the participants of the novice category, and the second for the expert category.


    Since no one from their group was left in the novice category, the Sun City team only watched and waited for the matches as the first part of the day''s competitions ended.


    Even though they were only participating later, they were still required to attend and be present, as failing to do so would be seen as disrespectful to the other competitors.


    Even Ethan, who thought he could spend this time cultivating in his minor dimension, came to watch.


    As he watched the competitions, he was mentally conversing with Bai Yu, who had snuck into the colosseum''s underground.


    ''I can sense the aura of the formation,'' she said as she moved in her shrunken beast form.


    Hearing this, Ethan nodded mentally and said:


    ''Good, let''s see where you''re hiding,''

 Chapter 182: End of the Semifinals (1)

    .


    While Bai Yu was getting to work, the group of participants in the first category finally concluded their matches.


    With today''s competitions, the finalists of the tournament would be decided, while the positions from the Top 5 upwards were practically already determined.


    The Sun City group no longer had any involvement with the first category.


    With Ethan''s fan managing to secure a spot in the Top 15, they were now focused on the second category, whose matches were about to begin.


    A half-hour break was announced to give everyone time to eat, go to the bathroom, and prepare.


    It was also time for the participants of the second category to get ready.


    After 30 minutes, the competition resumed, and the announcer, still full of energy, continued introducing the semifinalists.


    From Ethan, Xiang Hua, and the girl from the White Tiger Kingdom to the three practically demonic cultivators who, somehow, had managed to make it this far in the tournament,


    two members from the Qilin Kingdom,


    and one from a tribe living north of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Although the last one was from the same kingdom as Hu Xingyan, he was from a different city, so the two didn''t seem to interact.


    The same could be said for the boy from the tribe in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Even though they belonged to the same kingdom, they practically hadn''t interacted, or at least Ethan hadn''t.


    And since he spent most of his time away from others, he didn''t know if they had interacted with him, but he didn''t particularly care.


    Once all ten participants were called, one of the judges proceeded to randomly draw names to form the five pairs that would compete today.


    The judge with the long gray beard approached a floating urn and placed his hand inside it.


    The crowd fell silent, eagerly waiting to see who would compete first.


    The order in which the pairs were drawn would also determine the sequence of the matches, so everyone was curious to see who would go first.


    All of them had delivered high-level performances throughout the tournament, and no one doubted their current standing in the competition.


    Although Ethan had drawn the most attention, the others were not far behind.


    For example, Xiang Hua had earned the nickname "Ice-Hearted Phoenix" due to the ruthless way she defeated her opponents. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hu Xingyan had reaffirmed her title of "Snowstorm" because of how she swept away her competitors one after another.


    Ethan had ended up with several nicknames, from "Nuyu" to "Dark Horse" to "Millennium Genius" and more.


    There were flattering nicknames as well as more derisive ones.


    On this matter, the audience never tired of creating names, it was one of their privileges, after all.


    Ethan ignored all the titles given to him by the public throughout the competition.


    He knew that protesting wouldn''t do any good, so he just insisted on keeping "Nuyu" as his main name and pretended the other nicknames didn''t exist.


    The judge finally moved his arm and drew the first name.


    He took the folded slip and opened it, reading the name:


    "Deng Lin from the Phoenix Kingdom," he said as a young man with short hair and slightly tanned skin stepped forward. Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelFire.net


    The judge then proceeded to draw the second name.


    "And he will face Hu Xingyan from the White Tiger Kingdom." Hearing that the first duel would be between the genius of the White Tiger Kingdom and the boy from a tribe in the Phoenix Kingdom,


    the crowd erupted in cheers, each side rooting for their favorite, although most were supporting Hu Xingyan.


    The elderly judge didn''t linger too long. As soon as the crowd calmed down a bit, he continued drawing names, and one by one, the other four pairs were formed.


    Coincidentally, Ethan ended up against one of the three demonic cultivators he had interrogated the day before, more specifically, the girl.


    Seeing this, Ethan couldn''t help but smile behind his mask as he wondered if he might learn some new refining technique by examining them.


    He had already noticed that they tended to infuse a bit of demonic Qi into their pills, and from what he could see, this Qi was hidden so cleverly that it was almost impossible for cultivators below the fourth stage to detect it.


    Until yesterday, Ethan had wondered what their purpose was for participating in the competition since the core of the formation could be set up by just one of them.


    More importantly, with their third-stage cultivation levels, they were more than capable of sneaking into the underground without attracting much attention, yet here they were, competing in the tournament.


    When Ethan conducted a soul search on them, he discovered that the reason they had decided to participate directly instead of staying in the background was due to the pills they would produce during the competition.


    During the competition, almost all of the pills produced would be sold later through the Alchemist Association, and if a pill was of significant value, it could be auctioned, like what was happening with his pill.


    It was likely that theirs would be sold along with the others as well.


    Their goal, it seemed, was to mix their pills with the others, so that once purchased and distributed, these pills would plant a seed inside the person that would be ready to be triggered when necessary.


    Ethan knew that such methods existed for achieving various outcomes, but he was still shocked to learn what would happen to a person once those seeds were triggered.


    They would become demons.


    He didn''t understand how such a small amount of demonic Qi could turn someone into a half-demon, and indeed, he would have expected that these people would at most go insane, but apparently, the reality was far different.


    These seeds were known as "demonic seeds", containing such a concentrated amount of demonic Qi that they could instantly transform someone from an ordinary being into a quasi-demon.


    In other words, they had decided to spread these pills and infect people to have numerous similar beings in the capital, ready to act when needed.


    Ethan thought there must be more to their plan, but it turned out that each of them only had a part of the information and none knew the complete plan.


    Just like the man captured by Bai Yu had his specific task, so did they, and they only knew what was strictly related to their role, nothing more.


    Ethan realized that at this point, he could only rely on Bai Yu to disable the formation''s core and locate whoever would activate it.

 Chapter 183: End of the Semifinals (2)

    .


    The competition began, and the first participants were already on their platforms, ready to start.


    Both Hu Xingyan and the boy from the tribe in the Phoenix Kingdom wasted no time on unnecessary greetings, and as soon as the competition started, so did they.


    Since part of the day had already passed and there were five matches to be held, the time for each match was reduced from 3 hours to 1 hour and 30 minutes.


    Going beyond that would delay the end of the tournament too much, and no one, no matter how much they wanted to, wished to stay there longer than necessary.


    Even the minimum requirements for the match were reduced to just three, mainly focused on the minimum level and purity.


    For the rest, each participant had absolute freedom regarding the type of pill they wanted to produce.


    As soon as the timer started, both participants began working.


    On one side, the boy from the tribe took out several materials, some very common and others less so, with many appearing particularly exotic.


    Seeing this, the audience in the area couldn''t help but grow curious.


    The boy had defeated all his opponents cleanly throughout the tournament.


    He was one of the few who had managed to reach this stage without causing much commotion in the audience.


    Although his techniques were unique and sophisticated, they were nothing new to the spectators. Nevertheless, he continued to compete and secured a spot in the Top 10.


    Now that the semifinals had begun, he immediately started using various materials unfamiliar to most, sparking some anticipation for him among the audience.


    With fluid yet precise and fast movements, he prepared the materials, and within minutes, he was already adding them to the cauldron.


    Seeing this, one of the examiners commented enthusiastically.


    "Hm, it looks like the boy has decided to prepare a level 2 high-grade pill, and judging by the materials, it seems to be a refining pill."


    The other examiners nodded in agreement as they, too, commented on what they had observed, and thus the competition between the two began.


    Unlike the boy from the tribe, who immediately started refining a level 2 pill, Hu Xingyan took a few extra minutes working on the materials.


    Notably, once again, she decided to use her manifestation of Qi to move and prepare everything necessary.


    What would normally take at least 10 minutes was completed in half the time, and after almost 6 minutes, she, too, began adding the processed ingredients one by one into the furnace.


    Her expression was neutral, but her eyes revealed that she was deeply focused on her mixture, paying no attention to her surroundings.


    Seeing this, the judges understood that she had decided to attempt a level 3 pill once again. Explore more stories at m,v l''-NovelFire.net


    A pill of this level was certainly a strong move, as it alone could offset the advantage that several level 2 high-grade pills might have.


    If she succeeded again, she would already have half the victory in hand and would have once more confirmed her abilities at the level of a master alchemist.


    She was one of four people who had already demonstrated skills on par with a one-star master alchemist, with only one among them surpassing that level and matching a two-star master.


    That person, of course, was Ethan, who by now was considered almost invincible in the eyes of both spectators and examiners. Demonstrating skills on par with a master alchemist was already impressive, but going beyond that was rare.


    It was believed that hardly anyone else could defeat him in this tournament.


    That said, there were still those who thought he had simply been lucky with that pill and might not be able to replicate the feat at that level.


    These were, of course, people who hadn''t fully understood what had happened the day before.


    Only the examiners could confidently say that his skill level was anything but luck.


    The battle between the two was fierce, and neither lost a single moment of focus throughout the allotted time.


    Both were entirely immersed in the refining process.


    At a certain point, both made their final adjustments, and just before time ran out, they placed their finished creations on the presentation table and waited for the judges'' evaluation.


    On one side, there were five high-grade level 2 pills, and on the other, to everyone''s surprise, there were two identical pills that, if correct, were very likely both level 3 pills.


    Seeing this, the judges smiled, silently commending the talent of this prodigy from the Tiger Kingdom.


    The girl had reaffirmed her skills at the master alchemist level, producing two level 3 low-grade pills in just over an hour instead of one, as before.


    Even though they already knew the result, the judges approached and examined the pills anyway.


    And in the end, to no one''s surprise, the winner was Hu Xingyan.


    She had now secured a spot among the finalists, while the other boy would have to compete for a ranking between sixth and tenth place.


    Thus, the first match of the second part of today''s competition concluded with Hu Xingyan''s victory.


    Although many had predicted her victory, the fact that she had produced two level 3 pills in such a short time was not.


    It was evident that yesterday''s defeat had given her the extra push she had been missing since the start of the tournament.


    As they withdrew from their platforms, the area was reset for the next match.


    This time, the competitors were Xiang Hua from the Phoenix Kingdom and a member of the Qilin Kingdom.


    With an impassive expression, Xiang Hua walked to her platform and stood there, waiting for the timer to start. Her opponent, a man in his thirties, also took his place and waited like her. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was Qiang Wei, one of the greatest prodigies of the young generation of alchemists from the Qilin Kingdom.


    Just like the other nine, he had displayed refining skills that had captivated everyone, especially the girls.


    His movements, delicate yet exuding elegance, immediately caught the attention of many young women in the crowd.


    He was what Ethan would describe as the "flashy type" from the novels he read.


    In almost every novel he''d read, there was always someone so attractive that they made every girl faint wherever they went.


    Ethan didn''t expect to encounter such a clich�� character here as well.


    While he was busy labeling people based on his knowledge of novels, Bai Yu, who managed to hear this part of his thoughts, couldn''t help but comment:


    ''If you were to reveal your full charm now, that guy would go from being the flashy type to just another average person,'' she said, shaking her head.


    She usually avoided complimenting him on his appearance, not only because, as a being from the spiritual plane, she had seen people much more beautiful,


    but also because she didn''t want to feed his naturally narcissistic nature.

 Chapter 184: The Eternal Harmony Pill Series

    .


    As expected, all competitions from this point on were highly anticipated by everyone.


    This was because almost all remaining participants in this category were already well-known among the crowd, and everyone was eager to cheer for their favorites.


    In this particular case, both Xiang Hua and Qiang Wei had many fans, and the excitement generated by both sides was enormous.


    The judges, seeing this, could only shake their heads, allowing the crowd to enjoy the event.


    Seeing such scenes during alchemy competitions was rare because alchemy was not typically a profession known for its spectacle.


    Usually, the audience could only wait to see the final product, and for the rest of the time, they either watched calmly or did something else.


    In other words, most of the competition tended to be quite dull, except in special cases, like Hu Xingyan''s or the masked boy''s, which managed to break this monotony and keep the audience engaged throughout the refinement process.


    Although the current competitors didn''t create the same excitement, their popularity among the public was enough to keep everyone awake and prevent them from falling asleep.


    Many questioned the point of organizing such a large event when it could have been done more privately, as half the audience didn''t understand a thing about alchemy and often left disappointed due to the dullness.


    But there were others who believed that a competition as fundamental as this for the Long Empire deserved an event dedicated to it.


    In the end, like it or not, this competition continued to be held every year, having already lasted several centuries, turning it into an annual tradition for many.


    As soon as both participants were ready, the announcer declared the start of the match.


    The boy from the Qilin Kingdom immediately began the refinement, pulling various ingredients from his dimensional ring, many of which were native to the Qilin Kingdom.


    Cultivators from the Qilin Kingdom had a particular affinity for the lightning element, which was abundant in that region of the continent.


    Many of the strongest lightning experts hailed from there, including the most powerful one currently, the head of the Qilin Sect.


    Except for a few cases like the elder of the Phoenix Sect, the rest of the lightning practitioners belonged to the Lightning Sect. Explore new worlds at m,v l''-NovelFire.net S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Qiang Wei had a certain affinity for the lightning element, visible as he started working on the materials he had brought out.


    Sparks began to flow over his body, while his blue-green hair floated slightly.


    His speed increased, and the materials that had been levitated by his Qi manifestation were, in an instant, cut, ground, and processed.


    He did what would take a normal person at least five minutes to accomplish in an instant.


    However, unlike him, Xiang Hua did not rush and took her time choosing and preparing her materials.


    To those who didn''t know her, this calm demeanor might have seemed a poor choice, making them think she''d fall behind and risk losing. But to those familiar with her, this calmness was just the calm before the storm.


    Once she began refining, her finished products would always astonish the audience and leave her opponents defeated.


    Every time, it had been the same; she took her time refining her pills, and in the end, when she presented them, the pills were always a level above those of her opponents, who thought they could best her but were always left stunned.


    Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it came to an end with Xiang Hua''s victory.


    Qiang Wei, with a look of disbelief, couldn''t help but glance repeatedly at the pills she had produced.


    With his skills, he had managed to refine eight high-grade level 2 pills, two of which had purity over 90%, quite a high purity.


    But when he saw the three pills she had created, he couldn''t help but lower his head in defeat.


    The pills Xiang Hua had created belonged to a series known as the Eternal Harmony Pills.


    The Eternal Harmony Pill Series consisted of ten different types of pills, ranging from simple to highly complex ones.


    The three pills she had created were the three most difficult in that series, and the most challenging one in the series, the Eternal Harmony Pill, had been refined at a low-grade level 3.


    In other words, she had completely defeated him, despite his excellent products.


    He could only accept his defeat and prepare to fight once more to secure a position within the Top 10, as a place in the Top 5 was now just a distant dream for him.


    Right after their match, the third round began between the boy from the White Tiger Kingdom and the other member from the Qilin Kingdom.


    The final result was a loss for the boy from the White Tiger Kingdom.


    The fourth round, however, was between two of the demonic cultivators, a coincidence that nearly made Ethan burst into laughter when he heard it for the first time, though he held back.


    Even though they were pitted against each other, both men showed no sign of hesitation and proceeded to compete normally.


    In the end, the winner was the man in his forties, who also produced a low-grade level 3 pill.


    The margin of victory was very small, mainly due to the level 3 pill, as in every other aspect, he was on par with his companion.


    Ethan didn''t know whether they had previously decided who would win or if he truly was the better of the two, but one thing was clear: one of them had secured a place in the finals.


    In other words, it was almost certain that they would have the chance to auction off at least one or two of their pills.


    Finally, after the first four rounds concluded, it was Ethan''s turn to compete against the woman from the group of demonic cultivators.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to see what the woman had in store for him.


    The woman, while walking, almost tripped as a sudden shiver ran down her spine.


    She felt like a rabbit being watched by a lion.


    ''What the is wrong with me today?'' she wondered, as this was the third time she had felt that way.

 Chapter 185: Ethan vs Ling Xue

    .


    Ethan and the woman named Ling Xue took their positions, waiting for their turn to start.


    As soon as the timer began, she immediately got to work, wasting no time, while, unsurprisingly, Ethan calmly took his time to start.


    "There he goes again," someone in the crowd remarked, as murmurs began to rise among the audience.


    Even the judges could only shake their heads, and at this point, none of them dared to underestimate Ethan even slightly.


    If they saw him idling like that, it meant he was absolutely confident he could win.


    Just like in his previous matches.


    While others stopped questioning Ethan''s behavior and focused on the woman, he, who was currently still at his post, was having a conversation with Bai Yu.


    "So, have you finally found the formation?" he asked mentally.


    The two of them could speak at a distance thanks to the Amphora that bound them.


    In a way, they had their own private communication channel, completely unlike the spiritual energy transmissions used by more experienced cultivators.


    This private channel allowed them to interact with each other, no matter how far apart they were, without ever risking that their conversation could be traced or overheard.


    To test how effective this link was within the minor dimension, Ethan sent Bai Yu several miles away, and even from there, they could still hear each other clearly, as if they were standing just a meter apart.


    Though not particularly important at the moment, this discovery made Ethan realize that, in certain situations in the future, one of them would always be ready to listen and possibly step in.


    "Yes, I''ve already neutralized it.


    Now we only need to locate the link that connects it to the one who''ll activate it, and we''ll know his position.


    Of course, you''ll need to wait until the other side makes the first move.


    Right now, it can''t be traced," she said, standing in her human form over an inscription on the ground in the Coliseum''s underground.


    "I see. If nothing happens by the end of the tournament, then I''ll handle locating the individual," he replied.


    Bai Yu had basic knowledge of formations and could only execute a few she had memorized.


    Ethan, on the other hand, was highly skilled in formations.


    He could learn, create, or even modify them as he pleased, as long as they were within his skill level. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, although she couldn''t track the other side unless they made the first move, he could. Stay tuned for updates on mvl


    They just needed to wait until the end of today.


    Tomorrow would be the tournament finals, and the enemy would most likely act then.


    They had already neutralized the formation, so the immediate threat was suppressed for now.


    But that alone wasn''t enough.


    They also needed to capture the person behind this attack.


    At the moment, their options were limited, so they could only wait and see what would happen tomorrow.


    Due to the fragmentary information, Ethan and Bai Yu only knew that the demonic cultivators planned to attack during the tournament and cause chaos in the capital.


    Their ultimate goal seemed to be to harm the empire as much as possible.


    Neither of them for a moment thought the demons intended to assault the castle, as they both knew the emperor resided there, who, as far as Ethan knew, was the strongest fourth-stage cultivator in the empire.


    In other words, he was immune to the effects of the formation and strong enough to withstand a possible attack.


    This was why the two didn''t fully understand the ultimate objective and could only make some guesses.


    Regardless of their goal, their task was to find the enemy and eliminate them before a demonic Qi infection could be unleashed on the capital.


    That would be disastrous, and neither of them would be able to stop it alone.


    Bai Yu nodded at Ethan''s words, then rematerialized into her shrunken beast form and left the spot, leaving behind a Qi clone to watch for anyone entering the area.


    The clone was more like a surveillance device and could only signal the presence of someone nearby.


    Ethan, meanwhile, refocused on the competition, and seeing that half an hour had already passed since the start, he decided to begin his own refinement.


    He had been observing his opponent''s actions since the beginning and could already guess the type of pills, their effects and level, as well as the surprise concealed within.


    He had to admit he was a bit disappointed with the woman''s performance.


    He had thought that, perhaps against him, she might try to win by pulling out a trump card, maybe a new refinement skill or a recipe for a rare, unknown pill, and so on.


    But it seemed the other party had no intention of doing any of that.


    She seemed to limit herself to high-grade level 2 pills.


    Ethan didn''t know whether this was the best of her abilities or if she simply didn''t want to take it seriously, but he knew there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    So, without wasting any more time, he got to work, and just like before, he tossed everything into the cauldron, pulled out a chair, and sat down comfortably to wait.


    By now, people were no longer surprised by his relaxed attitude.


    They knew that if he was calm, he must be confident of winning.


    Just like in previous matches, the examiners eventually gave up trying to guess what kind of pill or pills the masked boy was trying to refine.


    What could have been a fierce competition between the two turned into both of them going about their business while they finished their refinement.


    Neither of them displayed any flashy refinement skills or new methods, making this last match of the semifinals a bit dull for everyone.


    Something nobody expected at this stage of the competition.


    The only good thing about this situation was that the maximum time was an hour and 30 minutes, not three hours as in previous rounds, as they would have otherwise had to endure more than two hours of this scene.


    Not everyone felt this way, but most did, and finally, the time ended, marking the end of the last match.


    To no one''s surprise, the masked boy won once again, producing five low-grade level 3 pills, reaffirming his position above the others.


    Five low-grade level 3 pills in less than an hour, a feat even for two-star master alchemists, let alone those below them.


    Ethan''s opponent, the demonic woman, showed little reaction and quietly withdrew to join her team members after the results were announced.

 Chapter 186: Start of the Finals

    .


    After the competition, Ethan went to the underground area to see if he could locate any connection with the formation.


    Upon arriving, he studied the formation a bit and concluded that it was a level 3 formation, a formation neither too complicated nor too simple. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For Ethan''s current abilities, a formation of this level was comparable to a mid-grade level 3 pill, in other words, something within his reach.


    He examined the formation a bit more and finally infused it with some of his spiritual Qi.


    Bai Yu, who was beside him, didn''t stop him, allowing him to continue with what he was doing, standing by.


    This wasn''t really something she could do, as her knowledge of formations was very basic, and somehow, inferior to Ethan''s, who not too long ago didn''t even know how to create the simplest of formations.


    She had no idea how he had progressed so quickly, surpassing her and reaching a level that would normally be nearly impossible without the guidance of another formation master.


    When she asked him, he said it was thanks to the help of the amphora, and once again, she couldn''t comprehend how the artifact could have such a function.


    She had noticed in the past that her travel companion also learned things more quickly, but she was certain that she had some natural capacity to learn at that speed, certainly not thanks to the amphora.


    This was because almost all of the knowledge she acquired came from books, instructions from others, and so forth.


    On the other hand, Ethan hadn''t done any of that, yet he was reaching high levels for his plane of origin.


    From alchemy to the art of formations.


    She wondered if he tried to learn other professions, would he succeed in mastering them with the same speed?


    As she was lost in her thoughts, Ethan, who had finished examining the formation inscriptions on the ground, withdrew his spiritual Qi and stood up with a frown.


    "Well, this is problematic," he said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "The formation itself is easy to analyze and even modify, but the usual link connecting a formation to a remote user isn''t present in this one.


    Normally, this would mean the formation should be activated here on-site, not remotely, but I highly doubt these three had that in mind, after all, none of them seemed to have received such an order."


    He said while trying to see if he missed anything.


    "What if there was a fifth person?" Bai Yu suddenly said.


    Ethan, hearing her, wanted to shake his head, saying that if there were someone there, he would have detected it instantly, after all, even a fifth-stage cultivator would hardly be able to hide their demonic Qi from his perception.


    But then he stopped as he thought of a detail.


    ''What if the person wasn''t a demonic cultivator?''


    Bai Yu, who seemed to understand what Ethan was thinking, said:


    "The possibility of a fifth person isn''t entirely far-fetched. After all, demonic cultivators have many cards at their disposal.


    It wouldn''t be hard for them to involve someone who isn''t necessarily infected like they are."


    Ethan understood what she meant.


    Indeed, there could be several ways to accomplish something like that.


    From blackmail to mind manipulation and more, the methods were certainly numerous.


    Both understood that the only thing they could do was to disable the formation and leave a trace of Qi to monitor the area.


    For cultivators of their level, it wasn''t difficult to do something like that without being noticed.


    Ethan, to be safe, decided to take some extra precautionary measures and immediately started working for a moment on the formation on the ground.


    Bai yu didn''t know what he was doing, but she could guess the purpose behind it.


    Finally, both, having nothing more to do there, left the place, leaving it in its previous silence.


    ***


    Ethan spent the rest of the night in his minor dimension, where he continued to accumulate Qi through refinement and subsequent cultivation.


    Finally, the seventh and last day of the Imperial Tournament arrived.


    The coliseum was packed as usual, with the crowd more excited than usual, and how could they not be, given that today was the tournament''s finals.


    The best participants from both categories had been filtered out over the previous days, and now they were here, ready to compete for the first place, establishing the remaining four positions for this year''s tournament.


    The audience cheered as the coliseum''s arena, which had been used alternately throughout the competition, was now divided into four arenas.


    Two for each category.


    Just like before, participants from both sides would compete one by one until all positions were filled.


    From the one who would be defeated first twice and would go directly to the fifth position, to the one who would win every time and ascend above all others, claiming first place and becoming this year''s tournament champion.


    All five participants from both categories were currently present in the arena on a stand set up specifically for the occasion, lined up in two groups of five, facing the audience.


    The commentator, who was also present, approached each of them to ask if they had anything to say now that they had reached this stage of the tournament, and aside from the girl from the Qilin Kingdom and Hu Xingyan, the other three decided to remain silent.


    Ethan pretended to ignore the commentator, who stood by him hoping a voice would sound from behind that mask, but it didn''t happen.


    He received an indifferent look even from the 40-year-old man, who ignored him completely.


    Only Xiang Hua didn''t ignore him, but she also didn''t say much.


    The commentator, finally with a defeated expression, had to move away, as staying any longer would only have made the situation more embarrassing for him.


    Your next journey awaits at mvl


    Unlike the expert category, the novice category was much more talkative, with each speaking for at least a full minute, some thanking their masters, others their mothers, and others even announcing that next year they would win in the second category.


    While all this was happening, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in Ethan''s mind as she asked:


    "Didn''t you intend to promote your brand?


    Why not take advantage of such an occasion?" she asked, confused.


    "It doesn''t make sense to do it now.


    There''ll be an opportunity after the tournament, and don''t forget there''s still the auction.


    I still have several occasions to promote myself," he said simply.


    Finally, one of the judges stepped forward, ready to announce some well-known basic rules and the updated requirements for today.

 Chapter 187: An Unusual Request

    .Unlike the one-on-one matches held so far, the final match would be more of a battle royale.


    This last round would determine the first place, while the remaining four would compete in subsequent one-on-one duels to decide the rankings from second place onward.


    With a fifth participant, it was too complicated to proceed solely with one-on-one matches, so they''d opted for this solution.


    Naturally, they could have foreseen this situation earlier, but for reasons unknown to Ethan, no measures had ever been taken regarding it.


    That said, he didn''t particularly mind.


    Whether it was a solo challenge or a group battle, he was confident of his victory.


    The gray-bearded judge stepped forward to announce the final competition rules.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we''ve reached the last day of this year''s Imperial Alchemy Tournament, and just as in previous years, the rules will remain the same.


    The base requirement for pills remains as it was in the previous rounds:


    pills must be high-grade level-2 with a purity above 85%.


    The minimum quantity will be raised to five pills.


    The maximum time for completion is 3 hours, just like the tournament''s initial rounds, and 1 hour and 30 minutes for ranking matches following the first round.


    "There''s no need to remind you that any trickery or attempts to cheat will be immediately detected, and the person in question will be disqualified.


    Likewise, there''s no need to list every rule, at this stage, they should be well-known to you all.


    "Each of you, having reached this stage of the tournament, has proven your skill several times over, so reciting the rules here is hardly necessary.


    However, allow this old man to tell you one thing," he said, turning to the ten finalists.


    "Regardless of the outcome of this match, each of you will have the chance to make one request of us judges, and as long as it''s reasonable, we won''t refuse to fulfill it.


    You''re all more than qualified to be the future pillars of alchemy, and as such, it''s only right that each of you is granted this recognition.


    "Normally, this privilege would be reserved for the first-place winner, but this year, we judges have chosen to make an exception and grant this opportunity to all of you," he concluded, wrapping up his opening address for the final match.


    Winning the Imperial Tournament carried various benefits, from reputation to privileges granted by the Alchemy Association, and more.


    One of these was the opportunity to make a request of the attending master alchemists, who would fulfill it as long as it wasn''t excessive or beyond their abilities.


    This was less enticing to the second-category participants, as they were mostly at or near the level of a master alchemist themselves, if they hadn''t already reached it, as was the case for some in this year''s tournament.


    For them, such perks were simply a bonus.


    Many of them already had high-ranking alchemists assisting them, so half of the offered benefits were redundant.


    To fulfill a request for them would involve not only the judges but also a grandmaster alchemist.


    Among the few grandmasters, at least two were members of the Alchemy Association of the Long Empire, the most prestigious alchemical institution in the empire.


    For participants, the chance to interact with such figures was enough of a prize, even more so to make a request of them.


    Many in the second category who were eligible to participate in the tournament were already at master alchemist level and chose to compete solely for this privilege.


    Everything else was just an added bonus.


    With that, the judge finished speaking and stepped back, leaving the participants to take their places in the two areas prepared for them.


    The two platforms set up for each category were spacious enough to hold over a hundred people each, so there was more than enough room for each contestant to refine their pills without being distracted or hindered by others.


    Additionally, the five stations were already set up, so they only had to reach their stations and wait for the match to begin. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Ethan arrived at his station, he couldn''t help but smile as he recalled the events of that morning.


    In the lobby of the building where they were staying, he had been approached by Xiang Hua.


    Ethan hadn''t understood why she''d come up to him, but he found out soon enough.


    "So, you want me to go all out?" he murmured now at his station.


    In short, she''d asked if he''d been giving his best in the tournament, a question to which Ethan, for a moment, wasn''t sure how to respond.


    It had come so suddenly, but in the end, he decided to be honest and shook his head.


    He was curious about what might be running through her mind.


    Ever since they''d met, she seemed to fixate on him in some way.


    Not directly, but in one way or another, she always ended up with a bad impression of him, first as a disciple of her sect master and then as the masked alchemist.


    Ethan was certain that girls in this world had a few screws loose, but he didn''t dare say it aloud, or else he''d end up being pummeled by Bai Yu during training.


    Previously, their battles were all in his mind, and he could heal himself with a thought.


    But since he advanced to the fifth stage and she regained enough freedom to return to a physical form and a portion of her cultivation, their sparring sessions took place in the real world.


    He could only count the times she had knocked him out during their 25 years of secluded cultivation.


    In the end, the reason Xiang Hua had approached him was to ask him to go all out in the first match.


    The problem was that she''d made her request and left without waiting for him to ask any follow-up questions.


    Ethan wasn''t entirely sure how to interpret it.


    He had no intention of going all out since, in this tournament, and probably this entire plane of existence, there was no one capable of matching him in alchemy.


    He knew that doing so would only bring more trouble, which for him translated to pointless hassles.


    That being said��


    "Well, I can at least try a little harder than I have so far," he muttered.


    Bai Yu, currently using the part of her spirit left in Ethan''s consciousness, saw his smile and realized he had something mischievous in mind.


    ''I just hope he doesn''t bully her too much,'' she thought, shaking her head at Ethan''s behavior.


    She knew that while he was calm most of the time, he didn''t hold back when something piqued his interest.


    She was sure his intention was to teach Xiang Hua a lesson, though he would almost certainly deny it if asked.

 Chapter 188: The Start of the Final

    .The colosseum, along with the stands, had separate rooms for watching the matches in private.


    These rooms were mainly dedicated to VIPs, who preferred their own space to watch in peace without being disturbed by the crowd.


    Usually, as these rooms were limited in number, they ended up being shared by multiple individuals, after all, there was no lack of space inside, and many VIPs came with acquaintances or business partners.


    At this moment, in one of these rooms, an elderly man, not taller than 180 cm, with a slim build and a composed appearance, dressed modestly, was watching the match in silence while stroking his long white beard.


    He was comfortably seated in a single armchair, as a waitress served him a cup of hot green tea.


    He nodded to her, took the cup, and sipped it calmly.


    "This year, there are certainly many high-level talents," he thought, recalling each of their performances, both from the novice category and that of the experts.


    "Especially that Nuyu, I can say that he hasn''t played all his cards yet," he pondered as he contemplated everything he had been told about Ethan.


    He was one of the two grandmaster-level alchemists of the Alchemists'' Association, and this year, he was the one representing it in the tournament.


    His colleague had done so the previous year, so now it was his turn.


    Personally, he would have preferred not to participate at all.


    In previous years when he participated, there was rarely anyone skilled enough to capture his attention, so he expected to be disappointed this year as well, yet against all his expectations, he found several rather skilled individuals this year.


    Among all, the one who stood out the most was undoubtedly the boy with the mask.


    He was certain he had never heard of an individual like that, so he initially thought it was an expert disguised, but upon reconsidering his age, which was under 100, he had to rethink his assumptions.


    He couldn''t understand how someone so young was already at the level of the most talented grandmaster alchemists.


    And if his guess wasn''t wrong, then perhaps he was even a notch above them.


    He intended to see if he would give a better performance than the previous one this time.


    Already producing that level 2 mid-grade pill was a feat, one that even he could not claim to produce with 100% success, and if he pulled off something even more astonishing, then he had considered taking him under his wing.


    "Let me see what other cards you have," he murmured as he waited for the competition to begin.


    It had been a long time since he had accepted a disciple, due to his exceedingly high standards.


    Ethan and two other participants this year were the only ones who had proven themselves skilled enough, and he intended to ask the best among them if they wanted to be his disciple.


    He expected to see a great battle, but what he saw next was something he would never have expected to witness.


    Something that made even a person like him lose his composure.


    ***


    The judge, just after finishing the previous match, looked towards the participants and then officially began the match.


    As soon as the signal was given, the flames under the cauldron of almost everyone ignited, as each hurriedly pulled out a series of materials.


    Clearly, all of them had a clear idea of the pill they wanted to produce, so none of them wasted time.


    This was, of course, expected, but what no one anticipated was to see the masked boy also preparing his items.


    "Well, maybe he doesn''t want to risk losing this match," said one of the spectators.


    "Well, I wouldn''t be surprised, after all, this match is different from the previous one, and all his rivals are people who know their stuff," said another.


    Many speculated on why this time the masked boy had decided to take the situation a bit more seriously, but most thought he was afraid of losing.


    The judges, too, upon seeing this scene, were a bit surprised, but unlike the spectators, they were relieved that this time Ethan was taking the competition more seriously.


    They thought his excessive confidence might have caused him to make a mistake and lose.


    Seeing such a talent lose for such a trivial reason would be too hard to bear for even them.


    That said, it didn''t take long for them to notice something.


    "It seems he has also decided to use the Qi manifestation," said one of them.


    "It''s not just that, look, at the materials he''s taken out," said another next to him.


    At his colleague''s words, the judge shifted his gaze to the materials Ethan was pulling out and wondered for a moment if the other wanted him to guess the pill he might be trying to produce.


    But then he reconsidered.


    By now, they all knew that the masked boy could be unpredictable, and trying to guess what pill he was aiming to produce was pointless.


    But then, just as he was diverting his attention from the masked boy''s refining materials, he noticed something.


    "Hm? That root looks familiar," he thought, trying to identify the material. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For them, all grandmaster alchemists, recognizing ingredients was child''s play.


    Practically anyone at their level knew by heart a good portion of the ingredients used in alchemy.


    And indeed, it didn''t take him long to realize what material that root was.


    "Wait, that''s the root of a Blood flower?!"


    He nearly stood up as he recognized the material.


    He could tell that it was the root of a Blood flower, a very rare herb, difficult to find, and even more so expensive to cultivate, as it required a lot of time and effort, and even then the result would often be some other herb.


    The price of that material was not low at all, and only beings at his level could afford to buy it, always assuming they had the chance to do so, but for him, the surprises didn''t end there.


    Not for him, nor for his fellow alchemists.


    They had also noticed that ingredient, and just like their colleague, they were shocked by the fact that the other side wanted to use such an herb.


    There were many reasons to be astonished, but the main one was that although this herb could be very useful in producing many high-level pills, it was more common to use one of its petals or just a small part of it.


    Cutting its root was like cutting off the possibility of using that sanguine flower for producing another one, something no one would do given the rarity of the material.


    But now they were seeing someone who seemed to have exactly the intention of doing so.


    If it were up to them, they would have rushed to stop him, but they knew they couldn''t do that.


    Ethan was using his personal materials and had not violated any rules, so none of them could intervene;


    they could only watch from the sidelines.

 Chapter 189: Scarlet Essence Heart

    .Just as the judges managed to calm themselves, Ethan placed yet another material on the table.


    At the sight of this new material, the judges once again felt almost tempted to stand up, rush over to Ethan''s station, and stop him.


    This was because the material he brought out was another very rare one.


    An ancient jingshen, and if their eyes didn''t deceive them, it was at least a century-old jingshen, a rare herb to come by due to its significant age.


    All herbs have different stages in their life cycles, and once they reach maturity, they usually wither.


    But there are instances where the spiritual energy of the surrounding environment aligns so well with those materials that they reach the point of maturity and remain there for a long time.


    The longer they stay at this stage, the more effective the herb becomes compared to its normal counterpart.


    A ten-year-old one was already precious; a fifty-year-old one was something only a handful of people possessed.


    A hundred-year-old one was something only a few individuals across the entire continent could claim to have.


    A cultivator, as long as they cultivated and advanced, could live for several centuries, so it wasn''t unusual that someone might eventually cultivate or find such an old herb.


    But even so, the number of people who actually had one was very small.


    The judges could feel the pressure of the competition at this point.


    The participant was supposed to be the one under the most pressure, but here it was the opposite.


    Unlike them, Ethan didn''t even bat an eye as he continued to pull out yet another material.


    By now, he had already taken out four, enough to make most pills.


    Only a few specialized pills required the use of a bit more material, but even then, nothing too excessive.


    Ethan took out a few more materials, and luckily for the judges, these were fairly common, sparing them from another heart attack.


    Just as the ten judges breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that they wouldn''t have to witness the refinement of yet another rare material, Ethan pulled out his final refining ingredient.


    The judges thought they finally had an idea of what type of pill the other party was creating, and this alone made them frown.


    "Well, this is unexpected," many of them thought, wondering if they had guessed right or not.


    The pill they all assumed Ethan was making was the Minor Vitality Pill, a pill capable of giving a boost to one''s body, making an elderly person feel as if they had the energy of a 20-year-old.


    A very useful pill for many uses.


    That said, even though it was not necessarily simple, it was far from what they expected from Ethan.


    Just as they thought it might be a different pill, Ethan pulled out his last ingredient.


    As the others saw the material, they frowned.


    "What material is that?" they thought as they examined it further.


    The material looked like a smooth stone, almost 15 centimeters long. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The material had a somewhat oval shape, but not completely, and showed no physical characteristics that would help identify what it was.


    "Could it be some kind of mineral?" some thought, as the material seemed more like a rare rock of some kind.


    Just as many of them had this intuition, the elderly-looking judge noticed a small detail and immediately widened his eyes, standing up abruptly, ready to dash toward Ethan.


    Seeing this, all the others didn''t waste any time and released their auras to hold the judge in his place, frowning and asking him,


    "Old geezer, have you finally gone crazy?


    Did you actually try to intervene during the tournament?" said the woman in pink, not believing that one of them would attempt such a shameful act.


    Although they had all felt the urge to storm the masked boy''s station several times due to the materials he wanted to use for refining, and perhaps hit him for wanting to use those materials, none of them dared to act.


    But how could they?


    They had a reputation to maintain, and no matter how much they wanted to, they wouldn''t throw their reputation away over some materials, precious or not.


    It wasn''t that they wanted to steal them, but simply that they would have preferred not to see them wasted like this.


    After all, it took only a small mistake to turn a successful blend into a disaster.


    And although they believed that an alchemist of Ethan''s level knew what he was doing, they all knew there was never a 100% success rate for refining a high-level pill.


    Even they could not boast a success rate above 60% for a level 3 pill of medium grade.


    This made them afraid that if he failed, those materials would go to waste.


    This was the only reason they wanted to rush over and stop him, but as mentioned before, none of them dared to do such a thing.


    After all, the materials, whether they liked it or not, belonged to Ethan.


    The old man, who hadn''t expected to be restrained by them all, yelled at them while saying,


    "Idiots, haven''t you figured out what material that is yet? We have to stop him, or we''ll regret it for the rest of our lives," he said, even more agitated.


    The others, hearing him, couldn''t help but look puzzled again.


    ''What is he talking about?'' they thought as they re-examined the material, still unable to understand the old man''s overreaction.


    Then one of them noticed a particular characteristic of the material, and for a moment, he froze in shock as he murmured,


    "A Scarlet Essence Heart��"


    The others, who were all close to him, managed to catch his murmur, and as soon as they did, their expressions also changed as they looked more closely at the material.


    What appeared to be an ordinary red stone with a glassy look actually had a slightly soft surface, almost gelatinous to the touch.


    When Ethan first brought it out, they hadn''t noticed, but now that they had heard their colleague, their hearts raced as they analyzed the material more deeply.


    The first to speak was the one closest to the elderly alchemist:


    "It can''t be that, right?


    It''s impossible, where the hell did he find it?" he said, incredulous.


    "That''s right, how could he possibly have such a material?


    The last time one appeared was over 300 years ago," exclaimed the woman in pink.


    The more they examined it, the more the characteristics of the material started to match what they had read in texts about materials so rare they were nearly impossible to find.


    Even the grandmaster alchemist, who was sipping tea in his VIP room, nearly spat out his drink as he watched in shock at the material Ethan had revealed.


    "Holy sh*t, how the hell did he get his hands on something like that?" he exclaimed, completely ignoring the presence of the servant next to him, who was ready to serve, her face now as shocked as his at what she was witnessing.


    She had had the chance to serve many high-ranking individuals, including alchemists, and in the last six years, she had been assigned to Grandmaster Alchemist B��i Hu�� Sh��n three times.


    From what she had seen, he always maintained a composed and refined appearance.


    But now, none of that could be seen; it was as if the image she had constructed of him over the years had suddenly been torn apart.

 Chapter 190: Mass Heart Attack

    .Gradually, all the judges understood the reason behind the elder alchemist''s urgency, and a similar feeling took root in their own hearts as they contemplated the possibility of losing a material of this caliber.


    Who knew when they would see it again, after all, the material, which resembled a mineral, was, in reality, a fruit.


    One of the most miraculous and sought after fruits of all time, for it could make a person''s fire talent soar to new heights.


    Even someone without any affinity for the fire element could develop one and reach an extremely high level comparable to the strongest experts, for instance, the level of fire affinity possessed by the Phoenix Sect Master.


    More importantly, if an expert who already had such a high level were to consume it, they would stand a good chance of gaining insight into their element and achieving an even higher level in their mastery of it.


    All information the Alchemist Association had on the Heart of Scarlet Essence was thousands of years old. S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And only a few of these details had been confirmed as accurate in recent centuries.


    Three centuries ago, news emerged that a Heart of Scarlet Essence had been born in the eastern region of the Phoenix Kingdom, a desert area with the unique characteristic of having an active volcano deep within the territory.


    The fruit ended up in the hands of a member of a tribe living in that area, and as for the person who consumed it, the current rumor is that he is now the ruler of that region, said to have fire talent comparable to that of the Phoenix Sect Master.


    Beyond that, little else was known of him, but the historical records mark this period as a turbulent time, with various powers from across the continent traveling to the desert of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Only a few know what happened once those powers gathered there.


    This fruit had many other uses beyond enhancing a person''s fire talent, and in that extensive list, alchemy was also included.


    Just imagining the number of high-level pills with extraordinary properties that could be created would send any alchemist into a frenzy.


    Therefore, seeing such a fruit reappear after so long clearly stirred excitement among all who recognized it.


    Just as the judges and the grandmaster were lost in their thoughts, Ethan, who had just finished arranging the materials, wasted no time and began refining.


    He used his spiritual Qi and processed the materials at an incredible speed, starting to place them into the cauldron.


    To the shock of the judges, the first material he worked on was precisely the Scarlet Essence Heart.


    At the sight of the Heart of Scarlet Essence being sliced in half, its contents poured into the cauldron, all the judges and the grandmaster alchemist experienced a collective heart attack.


    In that moment, a woman''s voice could be heard shouting from one of the VIP rooms of the tournament, but Ethan was already fully immersed in his refining and didn''t notice at all.


    With adept movements, he skillfully handled the ingredients, and in less than a minute, all five materials had been processed and placed into the cauldron.


    As he delved into refining, channeling more and more spiritual Qi into the cauldron to maintain control over the materials and the reactions within, not far from the arena, an elderly man could be seen sitting on the ground, tears streaming from his eyes.


    "Bastards, why the hell did you stop me, why did you stop me?


    That damned brat just destroyed what might be the last Scarlet Essence Heart we''ll ever see," he said, beating the ground.


    Although the sight of the old man was pitiful, none of the judges intervened to lift him or offer consolation, because they were in a similar state, slightly less extreme but still enough to temporarily lose the desire to continue watching the competition.


    Time passed, and all the participants continued refining, focusing hard to avoid distractions despite the growing noise around them.


    The audience, which had been waiting for nearly three hours, began to notice the state of the judges, especially the old man still weeping on the ground, whose figure was particularly eye-catching.


    "Hey, is it just me, or does that alchemist look unwell?" one person remarked.


    "Not just him; the others don''t seem well either," another added, pointing toward the other judges, still seated with their heads lowered.


    As everyone began wondering what was happening, the old man on the ground, who had been trembling moments earlier, slowly rose, bringing a sigh of relief to those watching.


    But just as some tournament staff members were about to approach him to offer assistance, the elderly man lifted his head, still lowered, and looked in a specific direction.


    No one paid much attention to where he was looking, as they were more focused on the fierce expression he wore.


    The weeping old man now had a scowling expression, his eyes blazing as he stared at Ethan''s station.


    "Little brat, just let me get a hold of you and��" he muttered, along with other threats like cooking Ethan inside his own cauldron.


    The other judges, also recovering from the shock of what they had witnessed earlier, noticed the old alchemist, seemingly ready to lunge at Ethan.


    Before any of them could approach him to calm him down, he was already gone from his spot. Stay connected with mvl


    "Oh no."


    The others thought collectively as they jumped to their feet, knowing it was already too late.


    The next moment, the old man vanished from his position, and the sound of flesh colliding with something hard echoed.


    Before anyone could even grasp what had just happened, the figure of an elderly man with one side of his face swollen could be seen rocketing skyward from the coliseum at high speed, disappearing within seconds.


    All eyes turned toward the spot where the sound had originated, and there they saw a masked young man who stopped to wipe his hand for a second before muttering something as he resumed refining.


    "Tch, since when have flies gotten this big?"


    The audience: "..."


    The judges: "..."


    Bai Yu: "..."

 Chapter 191: Three-Star Master Alchemist

    ."Did he just send the judge flying?" someone suddenly asked, breaking the silence that had settled.


    "The real question is, why did the judge throw himself at him?"


    "A fly too big?"


    After the initial comments, the crowd started to murmur as everyone began to talk about what had just happened.


    Everything that had happened in those few seconds had been too shocking for them.


    First, the judges who, for some reason, seemed unwell, with one of them even crying, and then, shortly after, a participant who sent the crying judge flying with a simple slap.


    It was not wrong to say that what they had just witnessed was beyond incredible.


    At a certain point, some even began to wonder if what they had seen was real or not, but looking at the expressions on the faces of the judges and even some participants who could no longer control their expressions and had witnessed a judge being sent flying, they knew it was real.


    The main culprit behind all this, however, seemed unaware of all this and continued to perfect in peace.


    After the initial moments of shock, some of the judges immediately left in search of their colleague outside the coliseum.


    The others, meanwhile, inspected what had just happened.


    The reason none of them managed to react in time to their colleague''s outburst was that, unlike them, most of whom were alchemists with cultivation at the third stage, that old man was already halfway through the Fourth Stage.


    He was indeed one of the few thought to have a chance to reach the level of a Grand Master Alchemist in less than 100 years.


    If such a strong being was sent away with a single slap, then did the one who sent him flying not possess a power even greater than his?


    ''Where on earth did such a monster appear from?'' Once again, the image of Ethan in their minds was modified.


    At first, he was considered a talent like the others, then a talent on par with them, and now?


    They thought nothing in this tournament could surprise them further, but only heaven knew how wrong they were, and it wouldn''t be long before they realized it.


    Thirty minutes before the end of the match, a change began to occur at Ethan''s workstation.


    The cauldron provided by the association, which he was currently using for refining, began to emit a lot of heat, and the intensity was such that it was possible to see heat waves radiating from it.


    Just as the judges, who had calmed down and decided not to intervene for the moment, saw this phenomenon, their expressions tightened as they tried to understand what was happening.


    A normal person seeing something like that would immediately think the cauldron was about to explode or something similar, but these more experienced judges could tell that this wasn''t the case at all.


    Using their spiritual perception, they all sensed a vortex of Qi inside the cauldron that seemed to be absorbing all the spiritual energy present inside it, causing its rotation speed to increase even more.


    Upon sensing this phenomenon, their eyes widened as they understood what was happening.


    "It can''t be; is that boy really trying to refine a pill of that level?" one of them said, once again in disbelief at what they were witnessing. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Seriously, how many more hidden cards does he have?


    Is he really one of the younger generation?" said the woman dressed in pink, increasingly doubting Ethan''s age.


    All of them, as soon as they sensed the vortex inside the cauldron, understood what it was. Continue your adventure with mvl


    When a pill reached the third level, its effects were magnified by several degrees, and the higher the grade of the pill, the more miraculous these effects began to become.


    Not many knew, but the third level was a transitional stage, separating the second level from the fourth.


    A seemingly normal thing on the surface, but in reality, it was much more than that.


    All master alchemists who had reached the three-star grade knew that the third level was like a huge chasm that was nearly impossible to fully bridge.


    This chasm was what separated a two-star master alchemist from a three-star one.


    Those at two stars couldn''t bridge the distance created by this chasm, while those at three stars could, to some degree.


    Being able to bridge this distance even to a certain extent was what allowed three-star master alchemists to refine high-level third-grade pills, a rarity in itself, and the reason behind the difference between two and three-star master alchemists.


    Many master alchemists were still unable to surpass this difference, and those who succeeded understood that the remaining distance to reach the next level of alchemist mastery was far greater than they initially anticipated.


    Only upon reaching this point could one truly understand the greatness of those who successfully crossed the chasm and managed to reach the other side.


    These individuals were, of course, known as Grandmaster Alchemists.


    The three-star master alchemists who had only begun to understand how to cross the chasm knew that the remaining distance to the next level was far greater than they initially thought, which is why there were still so few grandmaster-level alchemists.


    Therefore, seeing the vortex inside the cauldron made the jaws of many master alchemists present drop because they could tell that the masked boy''s skills had already reached those of a three-star master alchemist, a grade higher than most of them.


    Only two people among the ten judges had reached this grade, and as soon as they saw this phenomenon, they stood up from their seats, not daring to sit down again.


    Not when in front of them was someone who had revealed themselves to be a notch above them.


    It was a sign of deep respect among them for those who were more skilled in this profession, and none of them dared to sit, for that would have been disrespectful toward a senior of theirs.


    To everyone''s surprise, however, even the two alchemists who had been seated and had reached the level of a three-star master alchemist also stood up.


    One of them was the elder alchemist who had been slapped away by Ethan, and the other was none other than the woman in pink.


    They, too, decided not to sit before someone who apparently was on their level.


    The scene of the judges standing up confused many in the audience, and even the commentator, who was also a master alchemist, couldn''t understand their behavior.


    Being the farthest away, he hadn''t noticed what was happening inside Ethan''s cauldron and therefore couldn''t grasp the reason behind their sudden change in behavior.


    "What on earth is going on today?


    First the initial commotion, then colleague Sheng getting slapped away, and now this?"


    The commentator no longer knew what to think of the situation.

 Chapter 192: Weak Cauldron

    .There were still 30 minutes left, but the judges showed no signs of wanting to sit down just yet.


    Instead, all their gazes were fixed on Ethan''s position as he continued his refinement in peace.


    Just as before, some of the other participants who were still refining couldn''t help but glance over at the ongoing murmurs from the audience.


    The sight of the judges looking intensely in their direction only added to the pressure they were feeling.


    Even a few from the expert category glanced up but quickly returned to finish their last pills, not giving too much importance to what was happening.


    None of them had noticed the moment the old alchemist was slapped away by Ethan because everything happened so quickly that there was no time to even register what had occurred.


    Only Xiang Hua and the demonic cultivator sensed something amiss and looked up at that moment.


    The demonic cultivator was certain he''d heard a loud sound and glimpsed a shadow that had appeared and then disappeared; the same went for Xiang Hua, who couldn''t quite grasp what had happened.


    Seeing that no one had stepped in to stop it, they assumed that the situation didn''t concern them, so both returned to refining their final pills.


    They hurried to add the last touches, and just as the final minutes were ticking away, a trembling caught the attention of all the participants.


    The tremor came from one of their cauldrons, and as they were the closest, they were the first to notice it.


    Everyone looked up and directed their gaze toward the sound, and not far from them was the station of the masked boy.


    They didn''t understand what was happening, but just as they were preparing themselves for anything that might happen, they saw several figures approach the cauldron, maintaining a respectful distance, as if they didn''t want to disturb whatever was going on.


    "What''s going on?" many thought as they saw the judges approach that station.


    Xiang Hua was one of them, and as she watched the scene, she remembered what she had said to the masked boy earlier that morning, and reflecting on it, she understood, to some extent, what it might be.


    "So you weren''t really serious in the previous matches," she thought as she went back to finishing her pill.


    Distracting herself too much would ruin the efforts of the last 40 minutes she had spent.


    She knew that whatever was happening, she could see it after a few minutes since the competition was almost at its end.


    On the other side, Ethan had a slightly annoyed expression as he thought to himself.


    ''Tch, the cauldron is too weak to withstand the formation of a pill of this level,'' he thought, and the judges understood this as well.


    Although they had provided the cauldrons, they had done so thinking that level 3 pills would be rare to see, at most one of low-grade level 3.


    So, for safety, they provided cauldrons capable of handling a medium-grade one, to avoid any problematic situations with pill formation.


    None of them had expected that one of the participants would reach such a high level and be able to refine a pill of this caliber.


    So even they now had their brows furrowed as they thought of how to keep the cauldron intact until the end of the refinement.


    After all, they could also see that the vortex had reached a rotational intensity that the cauldron could no longer contain.


    Just as they were considering various methods to resolve the current situation, Ethan, who was refining, suddenly made a gesture no one would have expected at this stage of the pill''s refinement.


    Read new adventures at mvl


    He threw off the cauldron''s lid, and as the contents spilled out, he immediately used his spiritual Qi to capture it and make it float in the air.


    With great mastery, he held the whirling mixture and ensured that it was contained within a diameter of half a meter while personally accelerating the spiral that had formed.


    Seeing this scene, the judges, who were stunned by what they had just witnessed, immediately understood what he was doing. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "H-he''s trying to refine it using only his spiritual Qi," they thought, their eyes widening.


    It was already known that the technique of refining pills with spiritual Qi was difficult to master, so much so that even some of them still struggled with it.


    So refining a pill already in the cauldron with spiritual Qi was still a feat for most alchemists, but what about refining it in the palm of one''s hand without a cauldron using the same technique?


    This was something none of them had ever seen before, so witnessing it sent them all into yet another state of shock.


    "Who on earth is this monster?" they wondered, realizing they had used this term to refer to him quite frequently.


    They were becoming more and more certain that he might be a disguised expert, yet they still questioned how he could have bypassed the device that detected a person''s bone age.


    At this point, even the grandmaster alchemist had recovered and was observing this demonstration of skill with great interest.


    He, too, knew he couldn''t replicate something like this.


    While he did have a certain level of mastery with spiritual Qi refinement, performing it at this level wasn''t feasible even for someone like him.


    The more he watched Ethan, the more he thought this was someone with alchemical abilities close to his own level, in other words, a grandmaster alchemist, but he still lacked enough evidence to affirm this.


    As time passed, the last few minutes were drawing to a close.


    Ethan, who had controlled the spiral all this time, suddenly closed his open hand, on which the vortex was floating, and it immediately began spinning even faster as its visible dimensions started to shrink.


    Seeing this, all the judges held their breath, understanding that the refinement process was nearly complete, and this final step would determine the pill''s success.


    Unlike the judges, Ethan had no expression on his face as he finished refining the pill.


    He already knew the process would go well, and although he could have refined this pill in half the time taken, he held back and took his time.


    After all, for today''s pill, he had used some materials from his two-star herb plantation.


    He had classified his herb garden into various levels, from three-star, the lowest, to one-star, the highest, where herbs of immeasurable value grew.


    Infact, many of the herbs there were believed by many of the mortal realm to be extinct, and if he ever disclosed this part of his garden, he was certain it would start a large-scale war among all the kingdoms to obtain them.


    That said, even if this situation arose, he knew he could handle them with ease.


    The reason he had decided to use one of the two-star materials was because he wanted to refine this particular pill.


    His intention was to catch the attention of the grandmaster alchemist inside the VIP room, and from what he could see, it seemed he had succeeded.

 Chapter 193: Pill of Eternal Youth

    .Ethan''s display had once again captured not only the attention of the audience but also that of the other participants, who one by one began placing their pills into the glass vials.


    From the demonic cultivator to Xiang Hua, they had all finished with their pills and were now watching this incredible demonstration of skill in Qi control for refining pills.


    Hu Xingyan, who had superior abilities among the group, could not help but sigh in defeat as she realized her level of skill was nowhere near what she was witnessing at that moment.


    Even Xiang Hua, who had previously asked Ethna to show the full extent of his abilities, could only stand in awe at the sight.


    Most of those present weren''t even sure what was happening since it was the first time they had seen someone use Spiritual Qi techniques to refine a pill outside a cauldron.


    If Ethan had known what they were thinking at that moment, he would have laughed, for this was not even close to the full extent of his abilities.


    He was already at a level beyond what could be achieved in the mortal plane.


    If he wanted, he could refine this pill in record time, all in the palm of his hand.


    Only Bai Yu knew what a great monster Ethan had become over those 25 years of training in the minor dimension.


    The vortex had shrunk, and after Ethan closed his palm into a fist, the vortex compressed further, condensing into a small sphere about 3 cm in diameter.


    It was emitting an intense light, and even from a few meters away, heat waves could be felt radiating from it.


    The judges, upon seeing this phenomenon, were even more astonished.


    They were already shocked by the fact that the contestant possessed a level of refinement using Spiritual Qi that allowed him to control when and how specific chemical reactions occurred inside the cauldron.


    Read latest chapters at mvl


    Now, seeing him also control the vortex of energy created by the pill and condense it outside a cauldron into the final product left them speechless.


    All they could do was stand there in silence, wondering if they had ever seen even a grandmaster perform such a feat.


    The answer they found in their minds was the same for all.


    No.


    They didn''t even know one could train their Spiritual Qi skills to such a level.


    When one became stronger, they had larger reserves of Qi, and their control over it improved, but this level of control was typically used to manipulate large objects.


    Doing so with small ones was challenging, and with many small objects, even more so.


    This was because it required tracking every single item controlled with Spiritual Qi; in other words, it was like dividing one''s mind into multiple parts, each dedicated to a specific task.


    This would be possible for them, but doing it with hundreds or, worse, thousands was entirely different.


    The reason Spiritual Qi manifestation was hard to use for refining was that, while floating the ingredients was easy, it became much more complicated once they needed processing since each ingredient required a different treatment.


    It was even more challenging when the ingredients entered the cauldron because that''s where the magic happened, and tracking every individual reaction with one''s mind while simultaneously manipulating elements with speed was almost impossible for them.


    Ethan had done precisely this and had achieved it in an even more impossible manner since so many elements that would usually remain in the cauldron were now suspended, an even harder feat to control.


    With the slightest miscalculation, any of them could have ended up in the wrong place, destroying all the work done so far.


    While the judges pondered deeply over what they had just witnessed, Ethan, who was still refining, paid them no mind and continued undistracted.


    At last, the pill finally took form and gradually stopped spinning.


    Within moments, even the light it emitted began to dim, allowing its contours to be seen.


    Immediately, the judges, who had only just regained their composure, focused their attention on the pill and examined it with their spiritual sense.


    As soon as they did, their expressions shifted, showing a mix of astonishment, relief, disbelief, and confusion.


    The first two reactions were due to the fact that the pill was indeed of the level they had anticipated.


    It was a level 3 high-grade pill, and this alone was considered a success, as pills of this level were challenging to refine.


    As grandmaster alchemists, they knew this better than anyone.


    Upon examining it more closely, they discovered that not only did the pill reach a high grade of purity, but its purity surpassed even that, achieving a remarkable 97% purity, a percentage exceedingly rare.


    None of them, including the two most skilled, could claim to refine a pill of this level with such purity.


    At this point, this pill had already attained a high value in their eyes.


    What remained was to determine what pill it was, and here, they all wore expressions of confusion.


    "I can''t determine what kind of pill this is. Is anyone familiar with it?" asked one of them, looking at his companions.


    Unfortunately for him, when he turned to seek their responses, he saw that they wore similar expressions, none of them seemed to recognize the pill before them.


    This put them all in an awkward position, as it was one thing for the audience not to know the pill, but quite another for master alchemists, experts in the field, to be unfamiliar with it.


    So, while the audience waited for one of them to provide further details on the newly produced pill, they were also waiting for one among them to recognize at least the pill''s name.


    Finally, one of them swallowed his pride, stepped toward Ethan, who had just placed the pill into the vial, and asked,


    "Contestant Nuyu, may I ask, what is the name of the pill you produced?"


    He spoke in a low voice, though the nearby participants could still hear.


    ''What? Did he just ask for the name of the pill?'' thought Xiang Hua in disbelief.


    How could it be that even the judges didn''t recognize the pill created by the masked boy, she wondered, which was the same thought shared by the other participants.


    Ethan, upon hearing the question, didn''t think long and said:


    "Oh, this? It''s called-"


    But just as he was about to reveal the pill''s name, a loud sound of something breaking could be heard, followed by an excited voice.


    "A Pill of Eternal Youth!" S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 194: lost recipe

    .Everyone, including Ethan, turned to look toward the direction from which the voice came, spotting an elderly man in refined clothing standing a few meters from the arena.


    His gaze was fixed intently on Ethan''s station. sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    More specifically, his eyes were on the peculiar-looking pill in Ethan''s hand.


    Before anyone could question him, the old man moved quickly, and appeared before the judges a meter away from Ethan. His eyes were glued to the pill enclosed in the glass vial.


    "The smooth surface, like glass, and those spiral patterns... There''s no doubt, this is indeed the Pill of Eternal Youth," he muttered while continuously examining the pill, mumbling to himself.


    For a moment, silence fell as everyone watched this unexpected arrival who had suddenly started studying the pill.


    While the audience wondered who he was, the judges, who had been trying to determine what kind of pill it was just moments before, were again left stunned by what they saw.


    "G-Grandmaster B��i Hu�� Sh��n," mumbled the judge closest to Ethan, recognizing one of the most renowned figures on the continent standing in front of him. Not just him, but other master alchemists present also broke out of their reverie to respectfully greet him.


    "Let us welcome Grandmaster B��i Hu�� Sh��n," they all said, bowing with hands clasped.


    B��i Hu�� Sh��n, who had rushed here, composed himself and nodded slowly in acknowledgment.


    At this sight, both the audience and participants in both categories were shocked by the revelation.


    "B��i Hu�� Sh��n? That B��i Hu�� Sh��n? Someone pinch me, please."


    "I can''t believe the Grandmaster himself came here personally. I never thought I''d see him today," said another.


    The entire arena began buzzing with whispers, reinvigorated by B��i Hu�� Sh��n''s appearance.


    Even the announcer, just recovering from the grandmaster''s sudden appearance, confirmed his presence, announcing that it was indeed him.


    Ethan, who was directly in front of him, analyzed the man with his spiritual sense, nodding to himself after a moment as he thought:


    ''Not bad. He does indeed have the qualifications to be considered a grandmaster alchemist,'' he concluded, pleased with what he perceived from his analysis.


    For someone at Ethan''s level, he could discern another''s abilities to some extent just by looking at them.


    From this, he could tell that the person before him indeed had some considerable skill in alchemy.


    Of course, he couldn''t fully gauge the extent of the man''s abilities, but he didn''t need to.


    As he finished analyzing him, the grandmaster, remembering why he had rushed to the arena, shifted his gaze back to the pill in Ethan''s hand.


    Looking up at Ethan, he brought his hands together in greeting and spoke:


    "Fellow Alchemist, may this old man ask for your name?" he said with a tone of respect.


    Seeing this, the faces of the judges turned to stone once again as they processed what they had just heard.


    ''Did he just call him "fellow alchemist"?''


    It might seem normal for an alchemist to address another as a fellow alchemist under typical circumstances.


    However, for individuals at the level of master or grandmaster alchemist, doing so was a recognition of the other''s skills, as if placing them on the same level.


    In other words, the judges had just witnessed a grandmaster alchemist acknowledging the masked youth''s abilities and even placing him on equal footing.


    This chain of shocking events had pushed many, especially the judges, to their limit; they felt that one more surprise might make them faint.


    Ethan considered it for a moment.


    He had entered the competition as "Nuyu" and certainly didn''t want to reveal his real name just yet, as, unlike usual cases where a name might go unnoticed, his was rather unique.


    Anyone who knew or had heard of him would immediately recognize him if he revealed his real name now, someone like Xiang Hua, for example.


    After briefly considering his options, he clasped his hands together in a respectful greeting and simply replied:


    "This young one prefers to go by the name Nuyu. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    Upon hearing this, some spectators nearly spat out blood.


    "This lunatic actually chose to call himself Nuyu even in front of the grandmaster?"


    "Maybe he doesn''t know who Grandmaster Bai is."


    "No, that''s impossible. Who doesn''t know Grandmaster Bai, especially if they''re an alchemist? He definitely knows."


    Clearly, Ethan''s decision to use his alias didn''t sit well with the audience, and even some of the participants didn''t know how to react.


    Although Grandmaster Bai maintained a cheerful expression, internally, he was cursing and wondering what sane person would choose to be called "Salted Fish".


    Ultimately, deciding to ignore it, he turned his attention back to the pill in Ethan''s hand.


    "Young friend, if I may ask, this is indeed the Pill of Eternal Youth, correct?" he asked, now nearly certain of its authenticity.


    "Yes, this is indeed the Pill of Eternal Youth," replied Ethan calmly.


    Hearing this, the elderly man became visibly more excited, as did the judges behind him. Finally remembering the pill, their eyes widened as they exclaimed:


    "Wait a minute, this is truly the Pill of Eternal Youth?"


    "But how is this possible? No one has ever managed to create it. Its formula was lost more than a millennium ago."


    The judges were taken aback by this revelation, as the existence of the pill was only known through ancient alchemical texts. No one knew how to refine it, as its formula had been lost long ago.


    All that was known were the effects it had on those who consumed it.


    The Pill of Eternal Youth was a miraculous pill, as it allowed anyone who took it to fully recover their youthful appearance, restoring their body to an age of no more than 20.


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    Not only that, but it was said to extend the person''s lifespan by several centuries.


    And this was just part of its miraculous effects.


    It was capable of curing most diseases and physical conditions, both genetic and those acquired over the years from external factors.


    It was a pill that anyone nearing the end of their life or who knew they didn''t have much time left would wish for, as it would grant them a new lease on life, a second life, so to speak.


    This pill''s formula was one that had been repeatedly attempted to be recreated due to its benefits, but despite many efforts, no one had succeeded in creating a recipe that could rival the original.


    Certainly, pills could be made that provided some miraculous effects, but these always came with side effects, making them unworthy substitutes. Some could even create multiple pills that, separately, could provide these benefits but never combined into a single pill.


    In other words, their attempts to replicate it had always been a disaster, one after another.


    Now, seeing that someone had actually recreated that pill made it clear to everyone that the masked youth likely possessed the original recipe for the pill or at least a recipe close to the original.

 Chapter 195: Friendly conversation

    .Finally, the first round of the finals concluded, and the top-ranked contestants in both categories were decided.


    As no surprise to anyone, the winner of the experts'' category was the masked boy.


    Unlike the others, who had also delivered impressive performances, he had outclassed them overwhelmingly, leaving no doubt for the judges about his victory.


    This was because, unlike them, he had refined a high-grade level 3 pill with an exceptionally high level of purity, whereas most of them had refined low-grade level 3 pills, with two participants managing to refine some medium-grade pills.


    Normally, this result would have garnered much consideration, and these participants, Xiang Hau and Hu Xingyan, would have been praised, but unfortunately for them, this year they had to compete against a genius of this caliber who completely overshadowed their pills.


    His pill received great recognition from all the judges, not only for its superiority over the others but also because it was a pill that no alchemist was known to be able to refine, as no one had yet managed to recreate the pill''s recipe.


    With his first place secured, Ethan was escorted away by the Grand Alchemist, who, to the clear dissatisfaction of the other judges, led him into his VIP room, the walls of which were immediately shut.


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    Currently, in the VIP room, Ethan and the Grand Alchemist were seated around a table with two steaming cups of tea, chatting.


    B��i Hu�� Sh��n, who had just taken a sip from his cup, couldn''t help but widen his eyes as he felt the effects of the tea.


    ''This tea�� it''s rich with the spiritual essence of wood,'' he marveled, enchanted by the tea he was drinking.


    It had been prepared using tea herbs the masked boy had offered him as a gift for their meeting.


    Initially, he hadn''t thought much of it and had decided to brew some tea while he prepared to ask more about the Eternal Youth Pill, but to his surprise, as soon as the tea arrived, its aroma alone immediately captured his interest.


    Once he took a sip, he felt a deeply relaxing sensation and could tell that a rich essence of the wood element was circulating through his body, relaxing and at the same time strengthening his internal organs.


    Even the waitress who had prepared the tea felt its effects from the aroma alone, and she couldn''t help but wish she could taste even just one sip of it.


    But knowing she couldn''t, she resisted while she poured it into two cups and served it to the masked boy and the Grandmaster.


    While she did so, she wondered how he would drink it, given that he wore a mask over his face.


    To her great surprise, when she finished pouring, the boy with the black mask handed her a small pouch, saying it contained some green tea herbs.


    Initially, she wanted to refuse, knowing the herbs inside were certainly not simple green tea herbs, but very likely the same herbs used to prepare the tea they were now drinking.


    However, with the Grandmaster''s approval, she finally accepted.


    This small gesture by Ethan managed to capture the heart of the young waitress, who now had an even better impression of him.


    If Ethan''s system could display the level of affection people had for him, there would no doubt have been a notification showing the rising impression level towards him, going through the roof. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Bai Hu�� Sh��n savored the calming taste and effects of the tea, Ethan raised his hand to his face, about to remove his mask.


    Noticing his action, both the waitress and Bai Hu�� Sh��n looked at him with anticipation written all over their faces.


    After all, the person in front of them was someone who had demonstrated unparalleled alchemical skills, to the point that even an expert like Bai Hu�� Sh��n couldn''t help but acknowledge him.


    And yet, nothing was known about this person, not his real name, his origins, or even his appearance.


    So seeing him take off his mask created a sense of expectation in both of them as they waited for him to reveal his face.


    As soon as he removed it, the face that emerged was that of a young man with delicate features, yet at the same time sharp and well-defined, flawless in every way.


    This was Ethan''s real face, not the one he had kept at age 20 all this time.


    Seeing it, the waitress felt her heart skip a beat, nearly fainting on the spot.


    If there had been a system function to show how impressed others were with him, it would have been maxed out at this point, breaking the meter.


    Needless to say, Ethan had just made another "victim" of his natural appearance.


    Even Bai Hu�� Sh��n couldn''t help but compliment him, saying:


    "Young alchemist, this truly is a revelation.


    Now I understand why you keep the mask on your face," he said, nodding.


    "Ha ha ha, if you went around revealing your appearance, all the women in the city might faint," he joked, gesturing toward the waitress, who kept her head lowered to avoid looking at him, practically swooning.


    Hearing the Grand Elder''s words, she realized he had noticed her reaction, and her face turned red.


    Ethan didn''t make much of this, simply saying:


    "Haha, there''s no need to exaggerate. I''m just slightly above average," he said calmly, as though indifferent, though internally he welcomed the elder''s words, expecting him to continue for a bit longer.


    Seeing Ethan''s shameless behavior, Bai Yu almost felt like smacking him across the face.


    She still remembered when, after breaking through to the fifth grade, he told her it was no problem if she wanted a portrait of him to hang in her room.


    Then she beat him for an hour, making him understand that although he''d advanced, he was still far from having the upper hand against her.


    Bai Yu knew that if this training maniac had seized the excuse to go out with his real appearance, he would probably create an uproar wherever he went, almost certainly making enemies of all the men in the city.


    The worst part was that Ethan had indeed considered doing it during their tour of the capital.


    If she hadn''t threatened to beat him up if he ruined their rest day, he probably would have continued doing so.


    Finally, Ethan and the elder had a bit more conversation, creating a friendly atmosphere between them.


    Even the waitress, who had somewhat recovered and become accustomed to Ethan''s face, wondered when was the last time she had seen the Grandmaster so happy interacting with someone.


    Although the only times she had the opportunity to see him were during tournaments, this wasn''t the first time he''d met someone during these events, and he always maintained a majestic air typical of a scholar dedicated entirely to his profession.


    From what she had heard, it was said that all Grandmaster-level alchemists spent most of their time doing research, experiments, and perfecting alchemy.


    Their level of dedication to their profession always inspired young alchemists and encouraged them to aspire to reach their level.


    Finally, the two returned to the main topic, and Bai Hu�� Sh��n, unable to resist his curiosity any longer, asked directly:


    "Tell me, young friend, may I ask how you obtained the recipe for the Eternal Youth Pill?"

 Chapter 196: To be on good terms

    .Although the pill itself held incredible value, far surpassing the mid-grade level 3 pill that Ethan had previously possessed, its recipe was priceless.


    If Ethan truly had the complete recipe for the pill, then this would be a discovery of great importance for the field of alchemy. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This is because if one studied it and uncovered the principles behind it and how it produced so many miraculous effects on the body without any side effects, the alchemical knowledge of the Long Empire would advance by leaps and bounds, enabling the application of these new principles in other professions and even the creation of new alchemical recipes.


    Needless to say, more than the pill itself, what Bai Hu�� Sh��n was most interested in was the recipe.


    Ethan, taking a sip of the still-steaming tea, said calmly,


    "I indeed have the recipe for the pill, but it''s not the one that was lost; it''s one I created myself."


    At these words, Bai Hu�� Sh��n almost spat out the tea he had just drunk and, with some difficulty, said,


    "D-did you really manage to create the recipe successfully?" he asked, still somewhat incredulous about what he had just heard.


    Ethan simply nodded.


    Bai Hu�� Sh��n''s impression of Ethan''s alchemical abilities reached a new height of admiration.


    If before he had been somewhat uncertain, now he was sure that the person in front of him was much more than a simple three-star alchemy master.


    He wouldn''t be surprised if he were already at his level,


    In other words, a grandmaster alchemist.


    "It seems the fifth one has appeared," he thought, pleased that their empire had finally gained another alchemist at their level.


    Being a grandmaster himself, he knew how difficult it was to reach this rank.


    It had taken him over three centuries of continuous experiments and study to attain this level.


    The thought of someone so young achieving this level made it even harder to believe, but facts were facts, and he could only accept it.


    "Those old folks who are so proud of their rank will be tossing and turning in their beds if they find out about this monster," he thought.


    "There''s no need to tell you how important a recipe of this level is to us.


    You''re probably already aware that attempts were made to recreate this recipe many times in the past, all without success," he said, and Ethan nodded.


    Indeed, during his studies on the level of alchemical knowledge in this plane, he discovered that there had been numerous attempts to recover lost recipes like that of the Eternal Youth Pill.


    Many had failed, with only a few successes, and even those were partial.


    At his level, he was able to create a pill with similar or even better effects, but thanks to his system''s lab, he managed to recover the actual recipe.


    Then he found that this recipe had certain basic flaws that didn''t escape the eyes of an expert like him, and he made adjustments, elevating the recipe to the next level.


    Ethan had experimented extensively with the system''s alchemy lab and had to admit that it had many useful functions; this ability to design and recreate certain recipes was only a part of its effective capabilities.


    Ethan had essentially recovered almost all the lost recipes, even enhancing the effects to make them even higher than before.


    His improved recipe was level 4, but he decided to only use the level 3 one as it was already strong enough for the people of this plane.


    In the end, Ethan agreed to give him the recipe for the Eternal Youth Pill in exchange for a future favor.


    Bai Hu�� Sh��n hadn''t expected the other party to hand over the recipe so easily.


    He had anticipated needing to pay a fortune, yet here it was, given in exchange for a mere favor.


    He could only assume that the favor would be something significant, but for now, it was important to secure the pill''s recipe.


    He was sure he could satisfy most of the requests the other party might make, but considering his level, perhaps it wouldn''t be as easy as he expected.


    But that was a problem for the future.


    He also asked if he could buy the pill directly, but Ethan said he intended to put it up for auction after the tournament.


    Although disappointed, he agreed.


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    He knew that news of the pill had likely already spread and that those other two old folks would show up in the coming days.


    His only consolation was having the recipe, so regardless of whether he could obtain it or not, he would at least have the means to create it.


    Or so he thought, but when he read the section listing the materials, his expression changed instantly.


    Many of the materials listed were rare, though this wasn''t a problem for him as he already had most of them, and he could easily obtain the others.


    However, there was one particular material he could not find: Scarlet Essence Heart.


    "��"


    Reading this material, his expression shifted from joy to despair as he wondered where in the world he could find a Scarlet Essence Heart.


    The recipe indicated that other types of essence hearts could be used, but the problem was that even those were almost impossible to find, and just like the Scarlet Essence Heart, none had been seen for a long time.


    Although obtaining the recipe was already a great achievement, knowing that there was little chance of actually using it to refine was painful for a dedicated alchemist like him.


    In the end, he could only shake his head.


    He had thought of asking the other party if he had another, but then reconsidered.


    Having one was already too much; having two would be something that even an extremely fortunate person couldn''t hope for.


    And in the unlikely event he did indeed have one, what were the chances the other party would part with such a treasure?


    After all these considerations, Bai Hu�� Sh��n gave up.


    He was at the peak of the fourth stage, so he could tell that the other party was someone no weaker than himself.


    He already had a good relationship with the masked boy, so attempting to ruin it over an herb he might or might not possess wasn''t worth it.


    In the end, he decided to act in advance and gather all the wealth he could to ensure he could secure the pill at the auction.


    Too bad for him, as while he emptied his reserves of gold and other materials, Ethan''s herb garden continued to grow a bountiful harvest of elemental essence hearts.


    From scarlet fire elements to all the others, including the rarest ones like lightning and ice.

 Chapter 197:

    .After a one-hour break to give both participants and the audience time to rest and refresh, the competition resumed.


    Finally, with the first place already decided, it was time for the other rankings to be determined.


    Each of the participants would have to compete in three matches, and naturally, whoever won all of them would take the second place, while those who lost one or more matches would take the remaining positions.


    After another round of matches that managed to excite the audience in the colosseum, even the last rankings were decided. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of the remaining four, the demonic cultivator secured the fourth position, while the third place was taken by Hu Xingyan, who narrowly lost to Xiang Hua, who took second place.


    Finally, the last contestant secured the fifth place, and with that, the final rounds in both categories were officially concluded.


    The announcer, seeing the crowd cheering for their favorites, couldn''t help but feel happy inside.


    And how could he not?


    After all, this year''s tournament was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular of the past centuries.


    And all thanks to one person, Nuyu.


    Although the other young generation talents had performed beyond expectations, the one who was always a step ahead was the masked boy.


    From achieving a perfect score in the theoretical test, thus securing a place in the Hall of Fame of the colosseum, to taking first place by defeating all his opponents with a significant margin, he was certainly a dark horse no one expected.


    After giving the crowd time to celebrate, he proceeded to announce the awards ceremony.


    It was time for the top-ranked contestants to receive their well-deserved prizes.


    As he moved towards the stage where this year''s awards would be announced, he paused for a moment, his forehead furrowing slightly.


    ''Hm? Was it just me, or did the ground just shake a bit?'' he thought.


    The tremor appeared and disappeared quickly, leaving him momentarily confused, and judging by the expressions of a few others, it seemed they had noticed it too.


    ''Strange, there are never earthquakes in this part of the continent,'' he thought, hoping it was nothing concerning.


    Ethan, who was on the alignment stage along with the other participants, also noticed the tremor.


    With his heightened perception, he quickly identified the source of the quake, discovering it came from none other than the imperial castle.


    He immediately sent a mental message to Bai Yu to ask about what was happening, and in no time, he received the response.


    ''I see, so it has begun,''


    ***


    A few hours before the tournament''s end.


    In the throne room, the emperor sat with a calm gaze directed forward, where a person was bowing to him.


    The room, aside from the two of them, was empty, even though it was still early afternoon, a somewhat unusual sight, but the emperor had ordered everyone to leave and asked his trusted right-hand man to stay behind.


    He continued to look at the kneeling figure of his counselor , who, seeing that the other party wasn''t saying anything, decided to speak and ask.


    "Your Majesty, is there something troubling you?"


    The emperor said nothing and continued to look calmly at the person in front of him.


    This made the counselor feel slightly pressured.


    As this scene unfolded, the shadows of several figures could be seen materializing in various parts of the room.


    Some behind the numerous stone pillars, others in the arches of the room''s ceiling, and some just a few meters behind the throne.


    As these figures appeared, neither the emperor nor his counselor moved, as if unaware of their presence.


    Finally, after a few more seconds, the emperor''s face showed an expression different from before.


    The advisor, noticing this change, looked at the emperor with a puzzled expression.


    ''A smile?''


    Just as he was wondering what had made the emperor show that expression, he finally opened his mouth and uttered a few words.


    "Just as I expected, you managed to infiltrate the imperial castle despite the barrier surrounding it," he said, his voice still calm, as he moved to stand up.


    "But it doesn''t matter. In fact, it''s better this way; this way, the capital won''t have to suffer any damage," he said.


    And just as the counselor, still a bit confused, was trying to understand the meaning behind the emperor''s words, the emperor took out a scroll from his dimensional ring and, looking at it for a moment with an indifferent expression, he turned to his counselor and said.


    "Tell me, do you know what this is?" he asked, referring to the scroll he held in his hand.


    The counselor, who was still kneeling, looked at the scroll with a confused expression for a moment, but then his eyes widened as a flash of realization struck him.


    Immediately, he stood up, rushing towards the emperor, and in that moment, the dozens of dark figures that had appeared also moved.


    The emperor, targeted from all sides, maintained the smile on his face and clenched his hand, setting the scroll aflame.


    Due to the intensity of the flames, it ignited instantly, and suddenly a sphere of energy emerged from his palm and enveloped the entire hall, engulfing it completely.


    What was once a grand, luxurious hall was now nowhere to be seen, and in its place, there was only an endless dark space, where beneath lay an ashen-gray ground that seemed made of collected ash, and above, what could be called a sky cloaked in black.


    In the middle of this infinite space, twelve figures stood, ten surrounding the other two.


    The ten dark figures, whose features were previously hidden, were now revealed, showing a form that no normal being should ever have to witness in their lifetime.


    Completely black bodies, covered in a layer of black smoke, taller than two meters, with long limbs ending in five pairs of claws.


    Their faces bore no expression, in fact, they had no faces at all.


    What they had was a black mass with two white circles in place of eyes.


    All of them stood motionless, surrounding the two, but their attention was solely on one of them, that is, Long Hao, the emperor. Find exclusive stories on ��??


    While the emperor wore a serene expression on his face, his counselor, who had now abandoned any semblance of composure, looked at him with a crazed gaze and said.


    "How the hell did you manage to get your hands on that?" he asked as black smoke began to pour out from him.


    From his feet to his clothes, and even his hair, which began to rise and twist in the air.


    "Oh, that? It was a gift from my wife. You should know her well, no?


    After all, you were the one who ended her life," he said, as a bluish-black aura also began to surround him, and in his hand appeared a large sword made of black metal and other materials of unimaginable value.


    Hearing the emperor''s words, the counselor lost even the last bit of composure he was holding on to, as his skin, from which black smoke was also emanating, started to crack, revealing underneath only a dark mixture.


    "It seems you already know," he said, as by now his entire ''container'' disintegrated, leaving in his place a figure almost three meters tall, made entirely of thin shadows, with elongated limbs, and two long protrusions growing from his head.


    "That woman has been a thorn in our race''s side for a long time. Who would have ever thought that even after she left this world, she would still create trouble for us?"


    he said, his tone, which previously resembled that of a middle-aged man, now a mix of vibrating voices.


    One could feel all the frustration and anger contained within his words.


    "I don''t know why you decided to join us even in this space, but rest assured, I''ll make you regret doing so," he said, no longer restraining his anger.


    The emperor, who hadn''t said a word until now, paid no attention to the demon before him and simply let out a deep sigh as he tightened his grip on the sword''s hilt.


    "Wait for me just a little longer; soon, I''ll join you,


    but first..."


    With eyes glowing yellow and a deep gaze, the emperor prepared to attack.


    And as if a signal had been given, the ten figures also dashed towards him at incredible speed.


    "I''ll deal with him."

 Chapter 198: Eternal Prison

    .The annual imperial alchemy tournament had finally come to an end, and all that remained was the award ceremony.


    Ethan, initially a bit worried by the slight tremor he had felt, decided not to dwell on it too much.


    If she had told him that everything was under control, then it had to be so.


    After all, there weren''t many figures on the mortal plane who could pose a serious threat to her.


    Even those who could were still far from being able to harm her seriously.


    Though her cultivation level was still in the fifth stage, her skills and experience alone were enough to bring anyone at that stage to their knees.


    Ethan knew this better than anyone, as he had often experienced the full extent of her abilities firsthand.


    Just thinking back to those intense training sessions sent shivers down his spine.


    Though the dragon woman was generally calm and playful, she held nothing back when it came to training him.


    Each time, he ended up bedridden for months afterward.


    If it hadn''t been for his foresight in preparing high-level pills to heal himself in such situations, it would have taken him years instead of months to recover.


    He was skilled enough to craft potent pills that allowed him to recover faster, but relying too much on healing pills would do more harm than good to his body.


    As an alchemist, he understood this fact all too well.


    Although his pills could achieve absolute purity, that didn''t mean there wouldn''t be consequences for continued use. S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Between his body developing a natural resistance to these pills, reducing their effectiveness, and his muscles not always having sufficient time to fully heal, his strength wouldn''t grow significantly.


    As the old saying went: "no pain, no gain." Experience more on ��??


    Though painful, Ethan endured Bai Yu''s brutal training and the subsequent process of natural recovery.


    He was allowing his body''s natural recovery rate to improve, without relying on pills.


    Seeing the results of years of training within his inner dimension, it seemed he had chosen the right approach.


    Though still in the fifth stage, his strength was advancing rapidly, and even at the initial level of the fifth stage, he could already face someone three levels above him.


    At his best, he could even fight opponents up to six levels above.


    Finally shaking himself free from these thoughts, he focused on the awards ceremony.


    Currently, on the grandly decorated stage prepared for the occasion, he and the others in his group, along with the participants from the first category, were all awaiting the judges to finish their closing speeches for the tournament, which could be summarized as follows:


    From thanking the audience for their participation this year to emphasizing that this year''s tournament had been full of expectations for everyone, audience and judges alike. Even Grandmaster Alchemist Bai stepped forward at one point to congratulate some participants who had shown noteworthy performances.


    He congratulated the first-place winner in the first category before moving on to the second, where he congratulated everyone, even expressing his intention to accept a disciple this year.


    Unfortunately for him, the three people he had in mind were unwilling.


    Ethan, because he already possessed an alchemical level probably equal to the grandmaster''s, wasn''t even asked.


    As for the two young women, one was already a disciple of another grandmaster, and the other had decided only to take Feng Huang, the Phoenix Sect''s master, as her teacher and no one else, so she politely declined.


    The Grandmaster, who had expected something like this, simply shook his head, not expecting any of them to accept.


    In fact, his initial target had been only Ethan, but after discovering Ethan''s true level of alchemy, he too had to be removed from the list with great regret.


    The remaining two participants in the second category, seeing they hadn''t even been asked if they wanted to become his disciples, swallowed their disappointment.


    There was no way they could complain. After all, they were speaking about a grandmaster alchemist, whom no one would dare to offend.


    Finally, the closing ceremony of the tournament was almost over, and everyone received their rewards.


    Some made their requests immediately, while others decided to wait.


    Before concluding the tournament, the grandmaster announced that the annual auction of pills would take place in a few days, which pleased many in the crowd.


    The annual auction was one of the most anticipated events after the imperial tournament, because, apart from pills crafted by participants, it provided a chance to see various items for sale, which always managed to capture the attention of many.


    Even more so this year, as two pills crafted by the masked boy had such a high value that many couldn''t wait for the auction to begin, hoping for a chance to acquire them.


    While all this was taking place, a figure of a cold yet elegant woman appeared outside a large entrance decorated with intricate gold engravings.


    The woman was none other than Bai Yu, who, sensing a strange fluctuation coming from the imperial palace, had come to investigate.


    She noticed various layers of formations and barriers protecting the palace, and though she thought they were decent for this plane, they were no obstacle for an entity like herself. Without any trouble, she successfully entered the imperial palace, standing now before the throne room.


    Sensing the throne room''s interior with her spiritual sense, her eyes showed a hint of surprise as she muttered,


    "Now this is something I didn''t expect to see in this plane."


    She decided to hold back from entering through the doors as she initially planned.


    She had sensed the aura of a formation inside the throne room and knew the formation well, so she refrained from any reckless actions.


    She was slightly surprised to see that such a formation was present in this world, as it wasn''t something mortals should have, after all.


    "Eternal Prison Formation, huh.


    I wonder how they managed to get their hands on such a formation."

 Chapter 199: Long Hao vs The Demon

    .The time it took Bai Yu to reach the location after sensing the formation''s aura emanating from the imperial palace was mere seconds.


    Yet, when she arrived, the battle within the created space had only just begun.


    That said, while the battle among the twelve figures started, she, who was outside the formation, had to figure out how to enter it.


    The formation in question was called the "Eternal Prison Formation," and, as its name suggested, it was truly a prison.


    It had the characteristic of trapping its prey inside, and once someone was inside, their fate was sealed.


    In essence, it was a death sentence for anyone caught within.


    The ways to escape this formation were limited, and most depended on someone performing an action from outside it.


    From the inside, however, there was virtually no way out.


    The main issue with this formation was that it served as more than just a link to this dimension, and once destroyed, even the slight possibility of escape vanished entirely.


    In other words, if she wanted to enter, she first had to arrange an escape route for herself.


    After considering her next move for a moment, she made her decision, and immediately closed her eyes as her body became shrouded in a luminous layer of bluish energy.


    Upon the appearance of this energy, the surrounding air began to tremble, and the temperature of the area swiftly dropped by several degrees.


    Within a few seconds, where she had been standing was now a large block of ice, and if observed closely, one could see it contained the figure of a beautiful woman.


    Before acting, she had also cast a barrier around the surrounding area, one that would prevent anyone who was not at least on par with a third-level, fifth-grade cultivator from entering, in other words, an almost unbreakable barrier for anyone currently present in the capital.


    Even Ethan, with his strength alone, would struggle to damage it, although he did have more than just brute strength; he also had a few tricks up his sleeve to counter the barrier.


    With that said, after securing the barrier and encasing herself in this pillar of ice, a light began to shine from within the pillar, and, in no time, an ethereal figure emerged from it.


    This figure was none other than Bai Yu, in her spiritual form.


    Seeing her current appearance, she recalled some scenes from the not-too-distant past when she had used a similar appearance to leave Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    Shaking off these thoughts, she turned toward the throne room doors and, with a slight movement, directed herself toward them, passing through as if they were made of air.


    "Let''s see what''s happening inside," she said, disappearing from the spot.


    While one Bai Yu passed through the doors and entered the space linked by the formation, the emperor, who had already started his fight, was not in a good mood at this moment.


    The solid ground, which previously had no imperfections, was now covered with several craters, many of which contained various figures lying scattered about, some missing limbs, others with their heads severed.


    Despite the gruesome scene, he, who had just torn apart yet another part of the enemy forces, showed no signs of relief.


    On the contrary, he was more cautious than ever as he continued his relentless battle with the towering figure of the demon who had once been his right hand.


    "Tell me, what were you hoping to achieve by sending us to this forsaken place, hmm?


    Even you yourself are almost trapped with us now," the demon said, appearing behind the emperor with his claws aimed at the emperor''s head.


    The emperor, anticipating the demon''s move, wasted no time; with a quick swing of his arms, he blocked the attack with his sword, then twisted his torso to swing the blade and unleash a strike at the demon, who was now within his reach.


    The black obsidian-like blade of the sword glowed with a dark blue light, and from it, a condensed Qi slash emerged, splitting the demon''s figure in half.


    The sword''s slash didn''t dissipate and continued to travel for several miles at high speed before finally colliding with something and producing an explosion visible even from miles away. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, neither Long Hao nor the demon paid any attention, as each was focused on taking the other''s life as quickly as possible.


    The demon, who had been sliced in two, showed no sign of pain and continued to attack.


    Soon, the two divided parts of his body produced several black tendrils, which grabbed the other part and, in less than a second, fused the demon''s body back together. Continue reading stories on M V L


    As the emperor was dealing with the towering figure, the other ten shadowy figures, brutally mutilated by Long Hao''s deadly slashes, also began to tremble as, one by one, they stood up, reattaching various parts of their bodies.


    The figures, with their almost featureless faces displaying only two white circles, contorted, and soon a single horizontal line appeared across them.


    The line stretched from one side of the face to the other, eventually splitting to reveal what seemed to be an exaggeratedly wide mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth.


    Noticing their behavior, Long Hao narrowed his eyes, sensing that something dangerous was about to happen.


    In less than a second, just as his thoughts concluded, the wide mouths of these figures produced a strange black ray that closed the distance between them and Long Hao in milliseconds, reaching him.


    Immediately, a massive explosion ensued, one that would put even nuclear bombs to shame.


    The blast radius was so vast that dozens upon dozens of kilometers of space were affected by it, and the energy wave it generated traveled even further.


    If something of this magnitude had been unleashed in the Long Empire, a third of it would be obliterated instantly, and the remaining two-thirds would suffer the consequences from the explosion''s residual effects.


    The enormous cloud of smoke it created covered miles of space both in height and width, and the ten shadowy figures who were the cause of it now floated in the air, looking toward the explosion with blank expressions.


    Their ''mouths,'' which had opened, were now nowhere to be seen, leaving their faces once again as a mix of darkness and two pairs of circles that served as eyes.


    In front of them, a large shadow materialized, eventually taking form to reach a height slightly over two meters.


    The demon had survived and was currently looking toward the explosion caused by his subordinates.


    Contrary to what one might expect, his expression was anything but pleased as he looked ahead and muttered.


    "Worthy of the strongest man of the human race.


    Even an attack of this caliber wasn''t enough to eliminate you."

 Chapter 200: Beast Form

    .As the cloud produced by the explosion finally began to clear, a blurred figure could be seen emerging from it.


    However, unlike one might expect, the figure was not that of a man; in fact, the figure''s dimensions were much larger than those of a normal person.


    The more the fog cleared, the clearer it became what was there.


    Where Long Hao had previously stood, there was now a giant crater with a radius of thousands of meters, but this was not what held the demon''s gaze.


    What he was staring at in that moment was suspended in the air above the huge crater, a massive elongated dragon, its sharp gaze fixed on the enemy group.


    "So you''ve finally decided to get serious," said the demon with a smile that seemed more like an exaggerated sneer.


    Long Hao, to avoid taking damage from the attack, released his beast form and successfully saved himself from the explosion''s damage caused by the attack.


    Currently in the air, a long, elongated dragon figure covered the skies of this dimension.


    The dragon''s dimensions were several times larger than those seen in the prince Jiang''s beast transformation.


    The elongated body easily spanned several hundred meters with its floating form in the air.


    It had a figure entirely covered in dark blue scales, two horns similar to those of a bull pointed forward, and two pairs of gleaming yellow eyes, with pupils as thin as needles, fixed in the enemy''s direction.


    The emperor''s majestic beast form was suspended in the air as if he were the governor of the heavens, while he cast his gaze upon the enemy, who seemed far from intimidated by his enormous figure.


    The needle-like pupils of Long Hao further contracted, while the scales all over his body began to glow like fireflies in the dark.


    Then, he opened his enormous mouth, and a yellow-white beam shot from it toward the enemy.


    In less than a millisecond, the beam covered the distance of several thousand meters and reached the other side, and a second enormous explosion occurred, once again shaking the calm of this dimension.


    While all this was happening, an uninvited spectator was watching the entire battle scene from the skies of the dimension.


    Bai Yu, who had successfully penetrated the formation, was now in the skies, witnessing the battle scene between the two sides.


    As she observed, she occasionally muttered something to herself as if assessing what she was watching.


    "Not bad. For a human with a flawed cultivation path, his strength is indeed not small.


    I can understand why he is considered the strongest on this continent," she said, complimenting Long Hao for his performance so far.


    "That being said��"


    Though surprised by the emperor''s performance, she, as a member of the dragon race, could instantly spot several issues with Long Hao''s current transformation.


    Although the human had shown great combat experience and skill, he was clearly not using his beast form to its fullest potential, and the reason for this could only be attributed to the fact that he was not originally a dragon, but rather a human, and as such, one couldn''t expect him to fully master his beast form.


    Even more, with his flawed cultivation path, she could tell that the peak of the Body-Soul Integration stage was the highest he could achieve, beyond which there was nothing for him.


    With a simple glance, she could see that while he had established a certain harmony with the beast soul he had fused with, this harmony was more forced than something natural.


    In other words, it did not meet the requirements to attempt a breakthrough to the next cultivation rank.


    This was why, when she led Ethan to the third stage, she guided him and set him on the right path.


    She had immediately noticed the flawed method that the humans of this Plane were using, and although she didn''t know why the correct method was lacking on this plane, it was not something that concerned her too much.


    It was enough for her that Ethan didn''t follow that method and instead took the right one, which eventually proved more fruitful for him than she had initially imagined.


    He not only succeeded in summoning and bonding with a spiritual beast, but the beast in question was something that even she, a superior being of the dragon race, instinctively feared.


    In other words, Ethan had won the jackpot, and she was certain that his future progress would not be any less than what he had achieved up to now.


    As she watched the battle from the sidelines, it continued and eventually reached its climax.


    Both sides gave it their all, and by now, both had played all their cards.


    On one side was a battered Long Hao who could no longer maintain his beast form, and on the other side was the demon figure, who, though not visibly so, was also not in a good situation.


    At this point, Long Hao was completely devoid of any strength, and all he could do was watch the battered figure of the demon as it began to recover.


    He was filled with regret over the fact that he wouldn''t be able to end the demon''s life, and this was because, no matter how hard he tried, the demonic Qi that permeated the demon''s body was not something he could eliminate with his attacks.


    In the end, the result was that the demon''s body was damaged, but its demonic Qi was still there, now working to restore his body.


    His only consolation was that, regardless of whether he had won or not, the other side would not be able to escape from here and would remain sealed in this godforsaken place.


    Just as he was consoling himself with this thought, he heard a faint laugh coming from the other side.


    Confused, he raised his gaze, trying to focus his vision on the demon''s figure, who, though battered, began to grin.


    Soon his grins turned to laughter, and finally, after a few seconds, he stopped and said:


    "I bet you''re thinking right now that I have no way out of here, aren''t you?" he said, finally addressing Long Hao.


    Hearing this, the battered emperor had a bad premonition as he heard the demon''s next words.


    "Normally, that would be the case, but you see, I am not alone," he said, as several presences that had almost vanished before began to re-emerge once again.


    The ten figures that had been nearly wiped out by Long Hao''s attacks began to recover and emerge from the remains of the battle between the two. Read latest chapters at M V L S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this scene, he still didn''t understand what the other meant, but the dangerous feeling he felt in his heart grew as he watched the ten figures undergo a sudden transformation.

 Chapter 201: black sphere

    .Their ghastly bodies began to writhe, twisting as, one by one, they disintegrated, forming a black mist that started to drift toward the demon.


    "Unlike you humans, with your fragile bodies of flesh and bone, ours are made of energy," said the demon as various trails of black smoke reached him, swirling around him fiercely.


    "More precisely, negative spiritual energy, which you might know as demonic Qi.


    No matter how much you destroy our bodies, you cannot eradicate demonic Qi," he continued as the ten figures completely disintegrated, and the black smoke they produced had nearly enveloped the demon, beginning to form a cocoon.


    "We are creations of a single entity, and as such, we can separate into multiple individuals and rejoin into one whenever and wherever we wish," he said as the cocoon began to emit some energy fluctuations.


    The emperor, sensing these fluctuations, realized that something ominous would happen if he allowed the other side to finish what it was doing.


    With a final effort, he summoned his sword, now bearing several cracks running along its blade.


    Clenching his teeth, he used the last remnants of spiritual energy within his body and concentrated it all into a single point, the blade of his sword. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It suddenly began to glow, and within seconds, it gained more and more energy, emitting at a certain point waves of power.


    The emperor knew that after this strike, it would likely be the end for him, but at this point, he knew there was no salvation left for him.


    He had already prepared himself to die when he set his plan in motion and activated the formation that brought all of them to this prison dimension.


    He knew that once this was done, there would be no way back for him, but he had no fear of this.


    He had already prepared his mind for all of this, and with no regrets, he decided to use himself as bait to lure the other side out of its lair.


    At this point, he thought his plan had succeeded, and regardless of which of the two sides would win, he knew there would be no escape from here.


    Your journey continues with M V L


    However, with this new turn of events, he felt that if he did not act now, everything he had done until now would have been rendered useless and in vain.


    So, with the last strength remaining in his body, he positioned himself, and with all the force left in his arm, he launched the sword strike made of condensed Qi toward the cocoon.


    The slash flew at a speed imperceptible to the eye and, in an instant, appeared in front of the cocoon, hitting it squarely.


    Immediately, a powerful explosion formed, completely engulfing the pitch-black cocoon, and along with it, a radius of a kilometer around it.


    Needless to say, the area could not withstand the attack, and another massive crater was created while the impact of the attack could still be felt.


    Seeing this, Long Hao, noticing that the black cocoon was no longer there, almost let out a sigh of relief, while finally, his body, which could no longer support itself, gave way, and he collapsed, exhausted, onto the ground.


    Just as he let out a weary sigh, preparing to spend the rest of his time in this desolate place, he suddenly felt an aura appear behind him, and before he could turn his head to see who it was, his body was pinned by a dark blade that pierced his abdomen and pinned him to the ground.


    The blade in question was none other than his own sword, and attached to its hilt was his arm, which had been severed without him even noticing.


    He felt an immense pain engulf his entire body, and while he held back any sound of agony, he tried to look at the direction from which the attack came.


    Behind him, there currently stood a tall figure completely shrouded in dark mist, looking down at him with glassy eyes.


    The figure in question was that of the demon, who, unlike before, now had twice its previous size, and even its body, once slender and resistant, had now been replaced by a more robust form, still covered in dark mist.


    The undefined head of the demon, which previously had only two thin, long protrusions with a face barely bearing a pair of eyes and a mouth, had now also changed.


    The demon''s head had stretched backward, as if someone had pulled it to shape it that way, and on it could be seen the two protrusions that aligned parallel to its head.


    The demon''s face, already barely visible before, now presented only a sinister mix of something luminous contained within a dark mist that concealed its features.


    The demon who before merely had an appearance that could make a normal person die on sight, now had an aura surrounding it that seemed to bring forth a strange sensation within him.


    A sensation of chaos, impurity, and loss of control.


    As he tried to resist the pain from the blade embedded in his chest that narrowly missed his heart, he heard the demon''s voice resonate, even more distorted than before.


    "Did you really think that with your pathetic strength alone you could corner me?" the demon said, making the blade lodged in the emperor''s abdomen twist with its demonic Qi.


    Argh.


    The emperor felt a new wave of pain, even more intense, as he sensed the sword embedded in him shifting, damaging his organs even further.


    "You humans tend to be overly complacent; did you truly think that this little scheme of yours would prevent me from leaving this place?" he said, showing a row of aligned, sharp teeth as an exaggeratedly wide grin appeared on his face.


    He raised one of his long hands, and in its palm, a sphere as black as pitch began to condense.


    The sphere started to spin slowly, and little by little, it began to pick up speed as the space around it seemed to distort gradually.


    "Although it''s surprising that someone from this continent managed to lay hands on a formation like this, in the end, your knowledge of it is limited only to its use," he said as the sphere gained more and more strength, now emitting thin bolts of lightning.


    "Come, let me show you how I''ll escape from here before killing you," he said as the sphere at this point had begun to float and gain momentum.


    While the demon smiled at this sight, he didn''t expect a figure to appear beside him, and suddenly a voice resounded near him.


    "It seems you''re not the only thing that has appeared here from the celestial plane."

 Chapter 202: Dimensional Sphere

    .The demon, who until a moment ago was in a good mood, upon hearing this voice so close to him, immediately felt a fright,


    while experiencing a sensation of danger that he had never felt before, resonating throughout his entire being.


    In an instant, the demon''s figure vanished from his initial position and reappeared several dozen meters away.


    Once repositioned, his gaze immediately focused on the place where he had previously stood, and there he saw the figure of a beautiful woman with long gray-white hair, standing and gazing curiously at the black sphere floating in the air.


    ''When did she appear?'' he thought, alarmed by the fact that until the other had spoken, he hadn''t even known she was there.


    The mere fact that someone else was in this place besides him and Long Hao was a cause for concern, as it would mean the other party had a way to enter the dimension opened by the formation; in other words, she was no simple figure.


    What''s more, the fact that she could evade his demonic sense was further confirmation that this woman was not someone simple.


    With just one glance, he could tell she was extremely powerful.


    Her body radiated with repressed energy, which sent the danger receptors in his body into even greater turmoil. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more the demon thought about the woman who had appeared, the darker his expression became.


    Finally, he shook off the feeling of danger he was sensing and said: Explore stories on M V L


    "I can tell you are not a human.


    Who are you, and what do you want from me?" he said, detecting the woman''s aura and confirming it was not that of a human being.


    Bai Yu, who was standing near the black sphere that was beginning to distort space around it even more, extended her hand to capture the sphere while saying:


    "What do I want from you, you ask?


    Do not be so full of yourself, demon.


    Even among demons, you are of the lowest rank.


    Aside from your life, I don''t need anything else from you," she said calmly, as if what she had just stated was not an outright threat.


    Seeing the woman''s action to capture the sphere, the demon immediately rushed forward, intending to stop her, but then, hearing what she had said, his mind went blank, and fury rose to his head.


    "I don''t know why you decided to interfere, but now that you are here, leave your life behind," he said, ignoring the sense of danger he felt, throwing himself at her.


    Just as he had vanished from his position earlier, he reappeared there, aiming his enormous claw directly at Bai Yu''s head, intending to eliminate her instantly.


    She, not halting her actions as she successfully captured the sphere, scoffed at this and immediately released a slight wave of her spiritual Qi.


    In an instant, the demon''s claw, now only inches away from her head, froze, and for a moment, nothing happened.


    Then, at a terrifying speed, the demon''s entire body crystallized, and subsequently exploded, leaving behind nothing but shimmering shards of ice.


    The demon, who had given a cultivator at the peak of the fifth stage such a hard time, had just been disintegrated into nothingness by her in less than a single breath.


    Long Hao, who still had a glimmer of consciousness, saw what had just happened and muttered something in disbelief before completely losing consciousness.


    "Who are y-"


    Bai Yu, who paid no attention even as the demon was swept away by her attack, examined the black sphere in her hand for a moment before turning her gaze towards the figure of the emperor of the Long Empire, who lay on the ground, on the verge of death.


    If the people of the empire had seen him in this state, they would have thought they were hallucinating, seeing as he was the most powerful being in the empire, and to see someone like him in this state was not something they considered possible.


    Even the masters of the three governing sects of the Long Empire, if they combined their forces and attacked him, would hardly gain the upper hand; after all, the level difference between them was considerable, and while this disparity could be somewhat ignored at lower levels, in the fifth stage, even a single level difference could determine the victor and the vanquished.


    Only in certain cases would this rule not apply, and in such cases, there would be those defined as anomalies, beings beyond the comprehension of the people, entities like Ethan who, despite being at the first level of the fifth stage, could rival those surpassing him by several levels in this stage.


    Finally, Bai Yu, seeing the pitiful figure of the emperor whose life was visibly slipping away bit by bit, simply shook her head and, with a wave of her hand, extracted the blade of the sword from his body, sealing the wound with her ice.


    With the emperor''s body now floating, she used the black sphere in her hand to open a spatial distortion in this dimension.


    A portal, in other words.


    She recognized this device, and how could she not, since it was something widely used on the celestial plane.


    It was a dimensional sphere, and in simple terms, it acted as a key, allowing entry and exit from certain dimensions.


    Though not an extremely rare object, it was possessed only by certain individuals of a certain standing on the celestial plane.


    As she passed through the portal with the emperor''s unconscious floating body, she could not help but wonder how such an object had ended up in the hands of demons.


    It was one thing for demons to somehow make it to the mortal plane, but another thing entirely for objects like these to appear here.


    Technically, it shouldn''t have been possible unless someone had personally brought it here, but who would do that?


    The few figures capable of such a feat were entities who, under no circumstances, would allow the sphere to fall into the hands of the demonic race, and this only made everything more confusing for her.


    If it were up to her, she would have extracted the demon''s soul and interrogated it, but unfortunately for her, unlike a half-demon, this was, as he had claimed, a product of demonic Qi.


    And as an entity who wielded pure Qi, she was not capable of manipulating demonic energy, hence why she eliminated the demon without hesitation.


    She knew she would not obtain anything useful from him.


    "Haa, it seems that peace on this continent is about to come to an end," she said as she vanished into the portal, which promptly disappeared, leaving the dimension of the eternal prison silent and desolate once more.

 Chapter 203: Teased

    .While this was happening in the imperial palace, a grand celebration was taking place at a luxurious restaurant in the capital.


    The banquet had been organized to celebrate the conclusion of this year''s alchemy tournament.


    All participants who reached the Top 20 in both categories were gathered there, along with their team members, the senior alchemists who accompanied them, and the ten judges who presided over the tournament.


    The tense atmosphere of the tournament was nowhere to be found, and a festive air filled the room as everyone either engaged in conversation or indulged in food here and there.


    Ethan''s team members finally had a chance to unwind and even socialize with other teams, who were no longer their rivals.


    While those in the first category were more sociable, those in the second category were more reserved.


    Most of them still tended to avoid members of other teams, with only a few individuals willing to fully enjoy the party.


    One such individual who wanted nothing to do with others was Hu Xingyan, the girl from the White Tiger Kingdom, who at that moment was focused solely on her lavish meal, paying no attention even to her teammates, who by now knew she was not the easiest person to interact with.


    Hu Xingyan, as she devoured one dish after another, was still frustrated by how the competition had ended.


    As one of the most talented geniuses of her generation, she had expected to outshine all her opponents and secure first place.


    Yet, that position had been snatched away as if it was nothing by someone she hadn''t even known existed until recently.


    The more she thought about her crushing defeat at the hands of the masked boy, the more frustrated she became, eating her food even faster.


    What annoyed her most was that the masked boy had never truly gone all out against her, as proven by his impressive performance in the final positioning rounds.


    Seeing his abilities then was like a bolt from the blue for her, making her realize just how wide the skill gap between them was from the start.


    In fact, the gap was so great that she couldn''t see herself defeating him anytime soon; she felt she might not reach his level even after a hundred years of training.


    This realization depressed her even further, and just like a drunk drowning in alcohol, she was burying her sorrows in food.


    That said, she wasn''t the only one whose pride as a genius took a hit.


    Most of the participants in the second category felt the same, especially the Top 20, who realized that the gap between them and the first-place contestant was something they might never bridge.


    Yan Mei, having come to terms with the situation, wasn''t too surprised at this point.


    Having seen him pull off miracle after miracle, she''d grown somewhat accustomed to it. Even Xiang Hua, to some extent, expected such an outcome.


    But for the proud Xun Wei, witnessing what seemed like the limitless capabilities of the masked boy made him nearly lose his composure.


    On the evening of the tournament''s conclusion, he returned to his family, vowing never to cross paths with that "monster" again.


    The last thing he wanted was to bring the wrath of an alchemist of the masked boy''s caliber down upon his family, which only had a two-star master alchemist as its greatest asset.


    As the geniuses of the Long Empire reflected on their lives and their futures, Ethan, the subject of many of their thoughts, was seated among several mature women who were offering him drinks from all sides.


    These women were none other than the tournament judges and the elder of the Medicine Pavilion who had accompanied his team to the event.


    A handsome and talented man was always appreciated by the opposite gender, and seeing a man like Ethan, whose charm rivaled anyone they''d ever met and whose talent surpassed them all, made him even more appealing in their eyes.


    Although each of them was over 100 years old, they maintained a youthful appearance.


    This was not only due to their high level of cultivation but also because, over time, they had dedicated part of their Qi to preserving their beauty.


    In this moment, where everyone was celebrating and consuming the strongest drinks available in the capital, their usual composure had been thrown out the window, and none of them held back from speaking openly with him.


    "So, tell me, what''s your real name?" asked Shu Ai-Qing, the Medicine Pavilion elder, who had replaced her initial poor impression of him with a much more favorable one.


    "You may refer to me as Nuyu," he calmly replied, unwilling to reveal his true name.


    "How old are you, really?" asked the woman in pink, one of the judges from this year''s tournament.


    "I''m just over 40," he replied, thinking it wasn''t an issue to reveal this detail.


    Hearing this, everyone at the table widened their eyes in shock, and the woman in pink exclaimed incredulously,


    "Only 40? Impossible!"


    He couldn''t believe that someone so young had achieved a level of alchemical mastery beyond theirs.


    The others at the table were just as skeptical, to which he merely shrugged, as if to say they were free to think whatever they wanted.


    Ethan had been naturally invited to the celebration after the tournament, but who would have thought that these master alchemists would practically compel him to join their table?


    They were practically treating him as their equal, which, while not unpleasant, soon made him regret accepting.


    Although the company of these master alchemists was pleasant, he couldn''t help but suffer because of a certain dragon woman who was teasing him in his mind.


    "Come on, look at all these beautiful women surrounding you. Why don''t you take advantage of the situation? Find more chapters on M V L


    Isn''t it time you showed them what you''re made of, even in that regard?" she taunted, emphasizing the fact that he was still a virgin.


    The situation wouldn''t have been so frustrating if it wasn''t for the fact that the dragon lady herself was apparently a virgin.


    When Ethan retorted that she had no right to tease him given her own situation, she replied that, unlike humans, dragons tended to seek someone more powerful and compatible as a mate.


    In other words, she claimed she had never found the right partner, at least, that was the excuse she gave, and Ethan naturally didn''t believe her.


    Bai Yu, who had returned some time ago, was currently nestled in his arms, in her beast form, as she used a portion of her consciousness within Ethan''s sea of knowledge to interact with him. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had promised to explain everything to him once he returned to his quarters since, right now, he was too much of a focal point to slip away.


    He accepted, waiting impatiently for the celebration to end, while mentally noting to teach the dragon lady a lesson in the future.

 Chapter 204: Demonic Heart

    .The celebration continues all night, and Ethan, who had just finished being teased by the women in the group, now finds himself being teased by the men.


    Clearly, they were not happy about the fact that he had drawn the attention of all the women in the audience.


    And this, even though he had restrained much of his natural charm.


    This alone was enough for him to realize that his natural appearance, over time and as his level increased, had reached a point where people in the mortal realm were easily influenced by it.


    This scene reminded him of the first time he met Bai Yu in her human form.


    Even then, he struggled to divert his attention away from her.


    In the end, he drank with them and chatted as if they were all old friends.


    Particularly with Bai Huo Shan, who seemed to have a general fondness for alcohol.


    He treated Ethan as an equal the entire time and ended up discussing various topics with him.


    Ethan also noticed that not only were the women in the group interested in him, but even some of the girls who had been participants in the tournament would occasionally glance at him.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    As a healthy adult man, he naturally appreciated the interest from the opposite sex.


    However, not being used to this situation, he had to admit that he felt a little embarrassed.


    Even Xiang Hua, Yan Mei, and Hu Xingyan cast a few glances his way. Seeing this, he could only laugh while shaking his head internally.


    ''Tch, being too handsome isn''t good for a man''s health,'' he thought, feeling as though he had just uncovered one of the universe''s secrets.


    To this comment, Bai Yu, who resided in his mind, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    Finally, after several hours, the party came to an end, and everyone, drunk or not, left for their respective quarters.


    Ethan, after receiving one or two invitations from some of the women, quickly made his escape.


    He was a firm believer in the saying, "Duty first, pleasure later,"


    And at the moment, his duty was to enter his Minor Dimension and learn more about what had happened that day.


    Bai Yu had already told him about the assassination attempt on the Emperor, but she had left out some details, saying she would explain in greater detail once they were alone.


    So, Ethan reached his quarters and transported himself into his Minor Dimension, where Bai Yu, wrapped around his right arm, emerged from his sleeve and returned to her human form. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the beautiful dragon woman transform, he wasted no time and asked for all the details.


    She explained the formation of the Infinite Prison, a technique often used to trap prisoners in a dimension they could never escape from, something that sent chills down Ethan''s spine.


    She spoke of the demon, its battle with the Emperor, and how it ultimately concluded.


    Then, with a gesture of her hand, she made a strange object encased in a piece of ice, roughly the size of a basketball, appear.


    Seeing it, Ethan couldn''t help but ask,


    "What is this?"


    He struggled to determine what was encased within.


    If it had been ordinary ice, he would have had no problem sensing everything frozen within.


    But this was ice produced by Bai Yu, and as such, it contained her spiritual Qi, which interfered with his perception of whatever lay inside.


    "It''s the demon''s heart," she said nonchalantly, as she made the object inside the ice more visible.


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    Ethan, finally able to see what was inside, was a bit confused.


    Heart?


    No matter how much he looked at it, the object inside the ice was far from being anything even remotely resembling a heart.


    Sure, he didn''t expect every being to have a heart similar to that of a human, but the object in front of him was too convoluted and distorted to be considered even the semblance of an organ.


    "Unlike other living beings who have a body made up of specific organs, demons are more of a product of spiritual Qi.


    As such, their heart is not something completely physical or defined but rather a concentrated mass of demonic energy enclosed in a sort of core," she explained, sharing everything she knew about demons.


    Though she said this, she admitted that the principle behind how their organs worked was unclear to her, as information about demons was limited.


    What little she knew came from some old documents in the Celestial Plane.


    ''So the thing is a mass of demonic Qi,'' Ethan thought.


    Finally, he made a decision and said,


    "Could you defrost it?"


    "You want to try absorbing it, don''t you?" she asked, already expecting such a request from him.


    He had done it in the past, discovering that his special physique was capable of digesting this energy, converting it to strengthen himself.


    Back then, what he absorbed was merely the demonic Qi of a half-demon.


    Ethan wondered what kind of benefits he might gain from absorbing the Qi of a pure demon.


    So, Bai Yu released her ice, and little by little, the object inside began to disintegrate, transforming into demonic Qi that started to escape.


    She was still a bit skeptical about him absorbing the demonic Qi and warned him that if he even had the slightest suspicion that the demonic energy was beginning to overwhelm him, he should stop immediately.


    He reassured her, and they proceeded.


    The demonic energy began to rise into the air, and Ethan immediately felt that familiar sensation emanating from his body, urging him to absorb it.


    This time, he didn''t resist and drew the demonic Qi into himself.


    Just like the last time, it condensed into a concentrated sphere of all the demonic Qi present and was absorbed into Ethan''s body through his chest, specifically where his heart was located.


    As soon as the sphere of condensed demonic Qi entered his body, Ethan felt the same sensation as before, and just like last time, his body began to heat up while black veins appeared on various parts of his body.


    He could tell that the impact of the demonic energy this time was clearly stronger, but it was also true that his body had already adapted to processing this energy to some extent.


    As a result, this time, he didn''t suffer too much, and within minutes, all the demonic energy was digested by his special physique.


    And, of course, the system notifications didn''t take long to appear:


    [You have gained +351 STR]


    [You have gained +315 AGI]


    [You have gained +53 INT]


    Just when he thought it was over, the system notifications didn''t stop and continued.

 Chapter 205: Im Screwed

    .Ethan, upon seeing the statistics he had received this time, felt satisfied.


    Unlike the last time, his gains this round were not insignificant at all.


    In fact, he had earned what he would probably obtain by leveling up another 5 or 6 times in his current stage.


    Just like the previous occasion, his strength statistic was the one that increased the most.


    However, this time, the difference in gains between STR and agility was not too significant.


    He didn''t know why this was the case but had a few guesses.


    He wasn''t sure what kind of demon Bai Yu had encountered, but she had mentioned it was at the peak of the Fifth Stage.


    Therefore, its strength wasn''t low at all.


    Unlike the half-giant demon that had more strength than agility, this one seemed to possess both, so the statistics Ethan gained reflected those traits.


    Although Ethan wasn''t 100% confident in this theory, for now, he had no way to confirm it.


    That being said, just as he thought this was everything, given that the statistics received were the same as before, the system surprised him by continuing to send notifications.


    Soon, more messages arrived.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +36 Soul Strength]


    [Congratulations! You have unlocked the Minor Demonic Physique]


    [Click here for more information]


    "..."


    Seeing these new notifications, which hadn''t appeared the previous time, Ethan froze for a moment.


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    Noticing his odd behavior, Bai Yu, who had been waiting for him to process the demonic energy, couldn''t help but ask, concerned,


    "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine. I just need to check something," he replied absentmindedly while proceeding to open his status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------------


    [Status Screen]


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body and Soul Integration (Lv. 1)


    Qi: 1,950,000/2,000,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    [!]


    Strength: 638 --> 989


    Agility: 575 --> 890


    Intelligence: 551 --> 604


    Soul Strength: 233 --> 269


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 18,204,120


    ------------------------------------]


    .


    Ethan immediately opened his status screen.


    Ignoring the significant increases in strength, agility, and intelligence, his attention focused on his Soul Strength.


    ''Did I just find a new way to increase this stat?'' he thought, ecstatic at the discovery.


    Soul Strength was an important stat for him.


    As such, it was high on his priority list for improvement.


    Unfortunately, methods for increasing it were poor, and while leveling up now provided slightly better gains, it was still relatively slow.


    He knew this stat would be crucial in the future, so if he could, he wanted to raise it as much as possible.


    Until now, he had set aside concerns about this stat due to the lack of effective ways to improve it. But now, seeing this development, he couldn''t help but smile as a thought crossed his mind.


    ''So, all I need to do is hunt more demons, right?''


    Bai Yu, still waiting for an explanation from him, was at a loss for words at the strange smile that appeared on his face.


    For a moment, she considered slapping him to bring him back to reality.


    Unbeknownst to her, Ethan had just found another reason to target the demon race.


    If the demons discovered that someone was not only hunting them but also had the means to do so effectively, they would stop at nothing to eliminate that person.


    Ethan quickly regained his composure and turned his attention to another matter:


    his special physique.


    He immediately noticed a marker next to the name of his special physique and, without hesitation, clicked on it.


    As soon as he did, a new screen appeared before him��one he had never seen before.


    .


    [------------------------------------


    [Secondary Physiques]


    -> Minor Demonic Physique


    ------------------------------------]


    .


    Ethan, upon seeing this new section he hadn''t known existed, focused on the physique the system had just notified him about and opened its information screen.


    .


    [------------------------------------


    [Demonic Physique]


    Grade:


    Minor (1%)


    Description:


    The physique of a low-grade pure demon.


    This physique increases the Host''s affinity with negative spiritual energy, allowing the Host to absorb and process it within their dantian, thereby forming a Demonic Core.


    Forming a Demonic Core will enable your primary physique to digest demonic Qi more efficiently and allow the Minor Demonic Physique to evolve.


    Note:


    Switching from your current physique to the Demonic Physique will alter your appearance accordingly.


    All beings using positive spiritual energy will perceive you as an enemy, while those using negative energy will view you as one of their own.


    ------------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the information displayed on the screen, Ethan didn''t know how to react.


    ''So I can essentially disguise myself as a demon?''


    As this thought crossed his mind, a mischievous smile appeared on his face, and he issued a mental command.


    Suddenly, Ethan, who moments ago seemed lost in thought, clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground.


    The sudden change in the situation left Bai Yu momentarily stunned.


    However, snapping out of her daze, she rushed toward him to assist.


    But just as she was about to reach him, Ethan gritted his teeth and shouted,


    "Stop! Don''t come closer!"


    Seeing this, Bai Yu realized something was wrong.


    Ignoring Ethan''s protests, she tried to approach him, but just as she was a step away, an intense sense of danger made her instinctively retreat and create some distance.


    Ethan, who had stopped convulsing, was now enveloped by a faint dark red aura. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu could clearly see his once healthy skin turning ashen gray, with black veins spreading across his body.


    As the transformation continued, a small protrusion appeared on Ethan''s forehead, growing to about 20 centimeters before stopping.


    A horn.


    It didn''t take Bai Yu long to understand what was happening. Seeing this, she clenched her fists in anguish.


    ''I knew it. I should have stopped him.''


    She blamed herself for not insisting more when he had said he was fine and continued absorbing the pure demon Qi.


    With a heavy heart, she circulated her spiritual Qi into her arm, forming a sharp blue ice sword.


    ''I can only give you a quick and painless death,'' she thought, knowing she had no way to reverse the transformation.


    Seeing how far it had progressed, she believed there was no hope of recovery.


    Just as she was ready to attack and end his life, Ethan, now fully transformed, sensed the danger emanating from Bai Yu.


    Panicked, he turned instantly, intending to shout for her to stop.


    But, unfortunately, his sudden movement was perceived as a hostile action.


    Without giving him a chance to speak, Bai Yu dashed at full speed and appeared beside him, her blade at his throat.


    ''Damn it, this time I really screwed up,'' Ethan thought bitterly.

 Chapter 206: Events of the Past

    .Before Ethan could say anything, Bai Yu''s sword had already reached him. Feeling the imminent danger, he used all his strength to block the attack. Find more chapters on M V L


    In an instant, he was sent flying several hundred meters before finally managing to stabilize himself and stop.


    But as soon as he did, he noticed that the dragon woman was already coming at him with a second strike, and in frustration, he couldn''t help but shout.


    "Stop, crazy woman!" he yelled, but immediately regretted his words as she seemed to grow even more aggressive.


    Over the next few minutes, Ethan endured a level of beating that surpassed all the punishment he had experienced in his 25 years of secluded cultivation.


    He had no idea how many times he had narrowly avoided being decapitated.


    If not for the drastic boost to his stats that he had gained that day, he was certain he wouldn''t have lasted long against her.


    In the end, after suffering several broken bones at her hands, he finally managed to calm her down.


    "Hmph, next time, think twice before playing a trick like that on me," she said with a pout, while Ethan was sprawled against a mountainside, battered and bruised.


    It turned out that the dragon woman had already realized it was him after her initial attacks.


    However, this realization only made her angrier, leading to the subsequent beating Ethan endured in those past few minutes.


    Ethan swore to himself that he would never play such a prank on the dragon woman again.


    The events of the tournament had made him forget just how terrifying she could be when angered.


    Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, Ethan swallowed a few Level 4 recovery pills and soon returned to normal, at least mostly.


    As he dispersed his demonic transformation, he couldn''t help but reflect on their earlier fight.


    "It seems I really can use demonic energy to some extent," he thought, recalling how he had instinctively wielded it as if it were his usual spiritual Qi to defend himself and heal his injuries.


    He had to admit that demonic Qi had its own advantages when countering attacks.


    While Ethan was recovering, Bai Yu, who had calmed down by now, also reflected on their earlier battle.


    She had to admit that Ethan''s strength had increased exponentially.


    Previously, when she fought at full power, he couldn''t last more than a few attacks.


    But now, he had managed to hold his own for several minutes, which was an incredible leap in strength given the short time since his years of seclusion in the minor dimension.


    She thought that if he continued at this pace, he would likely reach the level of power she originally had within a few centuries.


    This fact would undoubtedly put many figures in the celestial plane on high alert.


    Bai Yu''s speed of progress was already considered one of the best, but if someone could rival her progress in less than a thousand years, that person could only be described as a monster.


    She wondered whether this rapid improvement was due to his natural talent or the Seven Sages'' Amphora.


    "Speaking of the amphora, it''s nearly time for the seal to be fully released," she thought, recalling an important detail.


    Once Ethan had fully recovered and promised to make it up to her, their conversation resumed.


    As she had mentioned earlier, she had eliminated the demon, capturing what appeared to be its demonic core.


    After doing so, she also brought the emperor, who had been left near death, out of the prison dimension.


    Using some of her spiritual Qi, she stabilized his condition enough to bring him out of danger.


    Initially, she had planned to leave him in the care of the palace doctors, but she decided to use the opportunity to inquire about certain past events on this continent.


    From the battle she had witnessed between the demon and the emperor, it was evident that the latter seemed to have a deep understanding of the demonic race, almost as if he had encountered them before.


    Her suspicions were confirmed.


    She learned that there had been a great war in the past against the demonic race, which had suddenly appeared on this plane and brought widespread destruction.


    As Ethan listened to her explanation, he picked up on an important point.


    "Wait, what do you mean by different races uniting to fight them? Aren''t humans the only rulers of this continent now?" he asked, puzzled.


    While beasts could develop intelligence at a certain level and even communicate with humans to some extent, such cases were rare, and these creatures lived scattered across the continent. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But from what Bai Yu was saying, there seemed to have been a proper beast kingdom, much like the human one.


    Bai Yu nodded and replied, "Yes. In the past, there were multiple ruling races, and the humans and beasts were the two most powerful.


    From what I''ve heard, the two sides didn''t have the best relationship, and occasional wars between them were apparently common," she said, deepening Ethan''s frown.


    If what she said was true, then where was the beast race now?


    Could it be that they had been wiped out by the demons?


    As a series of questions flooded Ethan''s mind, Bai Yu continued her explanation.


    "The war between humans and the beast race seemed to go on for several millennia, until a third race appeared," she said, and Ethan immediately knew which race she was referring to.


    "The demonic race," he answered.


    Bai Yu nodded. "exactly. A hostile race that appeared out of nowhere and began spreading rapidly, reaching a level of danger that neither humans nor beasts could ignore.


    From what I''ve heard, after several failed attempts to repel them, both sides decided to form an alliance to eliminate the demon race," she said.


    Just as Ethan was about to ask how their initiative turned out, she continued.


    "But they failed. The power of the demons was too much for the mortal plane''s inhabitants to handle.


    Although their cultivation was confined to the mortal realm''s limits, the demons had other means.


    In the end, both races faced the threat of complete annihilation, and that''s when a certain figure appeared and managed to drive the demons back," she said with a smile.


    A smile that Ethan didn''t immediately understand but soon did.


    "It seems she kept herself busy here before ascending," he said.

 Chapter 207: The poor Long Jian

    .It didn''t take long for Ethna to understand who was being discussed.


    Ying Hua, the previous owner of the Amphora of the Seven Sages.


    It seemed she had played a significant role in halting the advance of the demonic race, though Ethan couldn''t understand how she had managed to this in the first place.


    She was a woman shrouded in mystery, and even Bai Yu, despite traveling with her for an extended period, had never learned much about her personal life.


    What was known was that she had ascended from the Mortal Plane and wielded an artifact of unimaginable power, but beyond that, even Bai Yu was unsure about her past.


    Ethan waited patiently for Bai Yu to continue explaining, and what he learned next was far beyond what he had anticipated.


    Nearly two millennia ago, demons began to emerge in the lower planes, and since then, they had caused chaos and destruction wherever they went.


    This persisted for decades until the situation reached a point that the two ruling races at the time, the humans and the beasts, had no choice but to set aside their differences and collaborate to eradicate this common enemy.


    However, despite their efforts, the results were disheartening.


    It was only when both sides were on the verge of losing all hope that a spark of salvation appeared, a woman who had reached the pinnacle of the Fifth Stage.


    At that time, individuals of such caliber were exceedingly rare.


    She managed to resist the demonic advance, something no one had accomplished since the beginning of the struggle.


    This woman quickly became a beacon of hope for both races, who worked together with her to push back the demonic forces.


    But there was a problem.


    That problem was none other than demonic Qi.


    No matter how many demons they killed, the residual demonic Qi could not be eradicated. It remained there, continuously giving birth to new demons.


    In other words, even if they could hold back the demonic tide, they couldn''t eliminate it entirely. Continuing to fight indefinitely would only lead to more suffering.


    In the end, Ying Hua, the most powerful being on the continent at the time, decided to find a solution.


    She set her sights on a distant realm that had only been mentioned in ancient texts, a place said to be home to superior beings.


    The Celestial Plane.


    Throughout millennia, no one had ever breached the Celestial Plane. Yet, she showed unwavering confidence that she could achieve what no one else had.


    Before embarking on this journey, he made a drastic decision, knowing that her absence would leave the mortal plane vulnerable to demons.


    She used a powerful artifact to divide the Great Continent into three parts: one for humans, one for the beast race, and one corrupted and left to the demons.


    The three sections of the once-unified land were then sealed off from one another, ensuring that no race could reach the others while she was away.


    The power of the artifact she wielded was beyond comprehension, enabling her to accomplish such a feat.


    Before departing, she left behind three objects, which Ethan was shocked to discover were cursed items.


    One of these objects turned out to be the wooden sword he had seen during the attack by those clad in black.


    As Ethan listened, pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, especially when he learned the purpose of these cursed items.


    If brought together, these objects could unleash a high-level curse, something that should not exist in this plane.


    According to Bai Yu, they could wipe out the entire population of a continent.


    Specifically, the curse was powerful enough to annihilate all life on the unified Great Continent.


    Ethan wondered why Ying Hua would leave such a dangerous weapon behind, but according to what Bai Yu had heard from the emperor, it was meant as a last resort.


    If Ying Hua did not return in time and the barriers surrounding the three parts of the continent collapsed, allowing the demons to return, the cursed objects would be used to eliminate the threat in one fell swoop.


    In other words, it was a failsafe to completely eradicate the demons.


    Ethan couldn''t help but question why she hadn''t simply destroyed the demons if she possessed such a weapon.


    ''She was probably looking for people infected with Demonic QI,'' he thought.


    While Ethan was lost in thought, Bai Yu, to his surprise, pulled out two of the three cursed items right in front of him.


    One was a wooden sword, and the other was a scabbard seemingly crafted to match the blade perfectly.


    "��"


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    Ethan looked at the two items, then at Bai Yu, his expression unreadable, before he finally asked:


    "Don''t tell me you stole these from the emperor," he said in an accusatory tone. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing this, Bai Yu''s irritation flared, and the serious atmosphere was promptly shattered.


    "What do you mean, stole? I took them because the so called emperor can''t keep them safe! I mean, he was defeated by a single demon, and there are probably thousands of them in the sealed demon continent," she retorted, furious.


    "And for the record, I didn''t take them from the palace, I got them from the crown prince," she added.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but feel a sense of foreboding.


    Far to the south of the human continent, in a snowy forest near the northern border of the White Tiger Kingdom, lay an nearly unconscious Long Jian.


    Surrounding him were shattered trees and the remains of various animals.


    The proud prince''s expression was no longer one of valor but of pure terror as he trembled, not from the cold,


    but from fear.


    "Who the hell was that crazy woman?"


    Not long ago, he had reached the northern border, where he was supposed to seal the two cursed items in a designated location.


    He had endured a long journey and, despite several ambushes by half-demons, managed to bring the items to this remote place.


    However, just as he was about to complete his task, he discovered a large cavern.


    According to his father, this cave was home to the ruling beast of the area, and he was to show the family crest to gain access.


    But who could have anticipated that a woman with an otherworldly presence would appear out of nowhere, take the items as if they were hers, and, when he tried to resist, pummel him like a child challenging an adult?


    The ease with which he was defeated shocked even him.


    He knew that even in his beast form, he would stand no chance.


    This was confirmed when the guardian beast of the cave appeared, only to flee in terror at the sight of the woman.


    The proud prince had witnessed things that day he would never forget.


    An empire''s pinnacle of power, reduced to nothing, and a terrifying guardian beast fleeing for its life.


    Before leaving, the woman told him to return to the capital as quickly as possible.


    Then, without further explanation, she vanished, just as suddenly as she had appeared.


    But after the severe beating he endured, the prince barely had the strength to make his way back.


    "What the hell did I do to deserve this?" he muttered to himself.

 Chapter 208: The Stick and the Carrot

    .Ethan ultimately decided to set aside the matter of how Bai Yu had acquired the objects.


    Together, they agreed to find a suitable place within his minor dimension to safeguard them.


    While they were still searching for an appropriate spot and preparing it to ensure the objects wouldn''t be lost under any circumstances, he would keep them in his dimensional space.


    It was as if they had been locked in an almost impenetrable safe, the location of which was unknown to all.


    Bai Yu knew that Ethan had a dimensional space, so he wasn''t surprised when he stored the objects there.


    Ethan, however, had no idea where exactly this space existed.


    Wherever it was, it seemed tied to the amphora. This made it sufficiently secure, and even she understood that.


    Thus, she had no issues with him keeping the objects there.


    With that being said, the amount of information Bai Yu had given him was hard to digest. If everything she had said was true, many of his future plans would have to change.


    For example, he had been taking his time with his cultivation.


    He had participated in the Imperial Tournament when he could have easily skipped it and secluded himself for further cultivation.


    Even though he possessed all the means, he often diverted his attention to various tasks, which further slowed his progress.


    Of course, his cultivation speed was already far superior to anyone else''s, whether mortal or otherwise. Experience tales at M V L


    However, he hadn''t felt the need to rush before.


    With his minor dimension, where time was abundant, he believed he could dedicate himself to everything he wanted while maintaining a good cultivation pace.


    But now, with the revelation that the seal on the continents was weakening and that the demons had seemingly found a way to cross it, albeit in very small numbers, it put him on high alert.


    Ethan and Bai Yu did not know the full extent of the demons'' power. Thus, caution was necessary.


    The demon Bai Yu had killed was, in her estimation, at a decent level.


    In other words, Bai Yu could have also defeated it with relative ease.


    She could destroy their bodies, but she couldn''t eliminate their demonic Qi. This became evident when she brought back what seemed to be the demon''s core, which contained all its corrupt Qi.


    She could fight them in large numbers but she could not annihilate them completely.


    So if they attacked in large numbers, she would face problems after a while.


    That''s where Ethan came in.


    With the power of his special physique, he was capable of extracting and absorbing demonic energy.


    In other words, he could truly kill them, permanently. Not only that, but he could also strengthen himself in the process.


    Neither of them knew how many fifth-stage beings the demon race had, but they could safely assume there were more than just one or two.


    Most likely, there were at least several dozen.


    If Ethan wanted to face them all effectively, he needed to grow stronger, and quickly.


    Ethan had already planned to retreat into closed-door cultivation after some time. However, now he knew he would have to accelerate some of his plans.


    He decided that by the end of the year, he would enter closed-door cultivation. In the meantime, he would make some initial preparations.


    He still wished to repay his debt to the White Phoenix Sect.


    Alongside that, there were a few minor matters to address, such as his business relationship with the Peng family and the more immediate issue of the auction.


    During last night''s banquet, the ten judges had discussed the matter with him.


    In the end, they decided to hold the auction a week after the tournament concluded.


    Ethan resolved to settle some affairs during this period before focusing entirely on his cultivation until the day of the auction arrived.


    Among the few things he did during this time was capture the three demonic cultivators.


    Rather than kill them, he decided they would be more useful alive.


    he extracted the demonic Qi from their bodies and placed soul seals on them, marks left on a person''s soul to ensure they could never betray him.


    Essentially, they became slaves.


    His initial idea had been to kill them outright.


    He knew they hadn''t been forced to join the demon race but had done so willingly.


    All except the woman, whose circumstances seemed special. But to Ethan''s eyes, even she was no different from a traitor to her own race.


    Although his soul puppets were performing well and growing more intelligent by the year, their overall work was still lacking in some areas. Ethan decided to remedy this by sending the three to his minor dimension.


    With them there, he could always keep an eye on them and know if they plotted anything against him.


    Moreover, with the soul seal in place, they couldn''t disobey his orders. Thus, even against their will, they became Ethan''s personal gardeners.


    Initially, he had planned to simply execute them.


    After all, with their cultivation regressed to the second stage following the extraction of all their demonic Qi, they would only have a little more than a century of life left.


    In other words, they would die in just a year in the real world, as a century in his minor dimension passed in the blink of an eye.


    To solve this problem, he decided to reward them if they achieved good results.


    Essentially, he gave them a cultivation technique to properly reach the third stage and told them to cultivate in that place while tending to the innermost parts of his herb garden.


    He also promised that if they did a good job, he would provide them with many resources to break through to the fifth stage without any problems. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the mention of this, all three seemed pleased and willingly accepted the deal, which they would have had to accept regardless of resistance.


    Ethan didn''t mind having subordinates of this level.


    In his mind, he thought that if he ever ascended, he could leave them behind to take care of his affairs.


    In essence, he was using the strategy of the stick and the carrot.


    Although they bore the soul seal and had no choice when it came to obeying his commands, he planned to reward them gradually over time.


    This way, they wouldn''t feel completely forced but more like employees working in exchange for substantial pay.


    After settling the matter with the three demonic cultivators, he turned his focus to his own cultivation.


    A day before the auction, he made the final breakthrough and stepped into the second level of the fifth stage.

 Chapter 209: Going to The Auction

    .Upon advancing to the second level of the Fifth Stage, Ethan had taken yet another step toward the end of the mortal realm.


    From these first two levels, Ethan understood that the remaining ones would also require a significant amount of time.


    Too much time, in his opinion.


    Of course, if the other cultivators of the Fifth Stage overheard him, they would beat him to death.


    Each of them had needed decades to advance through every level, yet here was Ethan, complaining about just a few months.


    They would have spat liters of blood if they had known Ethan''s thoughts.


    Initially, Bai Yu had been one of those people, but after spending several years with him, she realized that normal people and Ethan lived in different worlds.


    There was no point in trying to instill common sense in someone who, with his cultivation speed, wouldn''t understand it anyway.


    Ethan had almost finished all his business in the capital, so after the auction, he was ready to leave, return, and prepare for secluded cultivation. Explore more adventures at M V L


    He found it somewhat funny that he had just come out of secluded cultivation and, not long after, was already thinking about going back into it.


    Although he wanted to start immediately, he knew it would take at least a few months, if not an entire year, due to the various tasks he had set for himself before retreating into the minor dimension.


    With that said, after completing his breakthrough and taking the time to solidify his new cultivation base, he moved on and finally the day of the auction arrived.


    The locations where auctions were held throughout the year were numerous, especially in the capital, which, as a major city, never lacked events or venues of this kind.


    The tournament auction had been scheduled to take place in a building near the colosseum.


    The building in question, with a majestic appearance, was richly adorned with sturdy wooden pillars crafted from the highest-quality spiritual wood.


    It showcased the advanced architecture of the capital''s edifices and was thus perfect for such an occasion. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The interior of the building was divided into many sections, but the one of most interest to people was the underground hall, where the actual auction was held.


    Contrary to what one might expect, the underground hall was very spacious, featuring a large stage surrounded by rows of seats arranged in a semicircle, capable of seating thousands of people.


    Naturally, in addition to these seats, there were private rooms available for those willing to pay extra for personal spaces to view and participate in the auction.


    Among these were also VIP rooms equipped to meet any needs of the guests staying there.


    Ethan and four other individuals were currently in one of these rooms.


    These individuals were none other than Bai Huo Shan, the judge in pink, and, to Ethan''s surprise, Hu Xingyan and Xiang Hua.


    Ethan had no idea how these two women had also ended up in this room.


    When he sought an explanation, the grandmaster alchemist replied that one had come in place of her grandfather, who was currently busy in the White Tiger kingdom, and the other had somehow obtained a special permit thanks to the master of the Phoenix Sect.


    Ethan nodded, but what he truly wanted to ask was why these women ended up in his room.


    It turned out that the room was large, designed for great figures to gather here.


    The room was divided into three groups of four seats each, and at the moment, along with their group, there were also some other figures in the other seating groups.


    As it happened, these two, unwilling to sit with those people, decided to join his group of seats, which, while distanced, wasn''t too far away.


    Ethan thought the privacy aspect of these VIP rooms had apparently been forgotten.


    He discovered that, the single VIP rooms were already completely booked, so they had to settle for this one.


    Ethan was sure that, with the influence of Bai Huo Shan and the Phoenix Sect master, there would have been no issues in securing one of these rooms, but in the end, he decided to let the matter drop.


    It wasn''t as if he cared much.


    After the auction, he would be leaving, so he could only tolerate this unexpected company.


    Eventually, turning to the pink-clad woman who had seated herself on his right, he asked:


    "Are you planning to participate in the auction as well?" he asked, recalling the reason the woman was here in the first place.


    As it turned out, the woman was none other than Bai Huo Shan''s granddaughter.


    Ethan had learned this during the tournament''s closing banquet when she drank too much alcohol and caused trouble for the old man Bai Huo Shan, who could only surrender to his granddaughter''s whims.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of a woman who had most likely surpassed 100 years behaving like a drunken teenager.


    "Not really, I just came to watch the auction. My grandfather wanted me to accompany him, and knowing you would be here too, I thought, why not?" she said, in a far more composed manner, very different from how she had been on the day of the banquet.


    Ethan had noticed that the woman was already speaking to him as if they were old acquaintances, and he wasn''t sure if this was normal or not, but he ignored it.


    After all, he didn''t mind.


    In fact, he preferred it this way. He didn''t want to spend all his time talking formally like some sort of noble.


    It wasn''t something that suited him.


    Bai Huo Shan had already expressed his intention to acquire the Eternal Youth Pill, and if not for a few particular people present today, Ethan was sure that no one would have even dreamed of taking it from him.


    Ethan glanced at certain parts of the room, not to observe the walls but to take note of the people also in VIP rooms, several chambers away from them.


    In particular, two individuals.


    "They were quick to arrive as well," he thought as he immediately recognized who these two figures were.


    One was a tall man with a somewhat elderly appearance, gracefully dressed, though his slightly aged demeanor masked the fact that he had lived for several centuries.


    The other was a beautiful woman, equally composed and naturally charming as she observed the beginning of the auction.


    These two individuals, who would surely draw attention if not for the fact they were also in VIP rooms, were none other than two of the four grandmaster alchemists.


    Ethan knew the Eternal Youth Pill would bring several individuals out of their dens, but he was still surprised that even the other two grandmaster alchemists had already arrived.


    Not long after, the auction finally began.


    Presiding over it was a woman with short brown hair, dressed in a refined gown, who, despite not wearing any apparent makeup, still captivated many of the attendees.


    With professionalism, she welcomed everyone, and with that, the auction officially commenced.

 Chapter 210: The Auction Begins

    .All the guests had arrived well before the auction''s start, and as the hour struck, the event officially began. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The murmuring among the crowd quickly died down as a graceful, beautiful woman stepped onto the stage where today''s items would be presented.


    She introduced herself as the host of the event.


    For Ethan, this wasn''t his first time at an auction.


    Seeing the familiar scene brought back memories, both bitter and sweet, depending on the perspective.


    Although that time had marked yet another downfall since his arrival in this world, it was also the moment where, in a way, his life had begun to change.


    As Ethan listened to the woman''s brief introduction, he found his thoughts drifting to someone from his past.


    "I wonder how he''s doing now�� What was his name again? Yang Wei?"


    While Ethna tried to recall the name of his cellmate from back then, the auction officially got underway.


    The highlight of today''s event would undoubtedly be the eternal youth pill, but it wasn''t the only items up for bid.


    As was customary, there would also be other objects, some of which were said to be anything but ordinary.


    From what Ethan had heard, some of the items were rare and well-known, while others were obscure or completely mysterious but had unique characteristics that made them stand out.


    When the nature of such items couldn''t be determined, they often ended up at prestigious auctions like this, where various experts might take an interest in examining them.


    The first lot was a set of low-grade Level 3 pills, followed by a weapon forged from rare metals.


    Just from this initial display, Ethan realized this auction was far superior to most he had known.


    Starting with a Level 3 pill signaled that it was among the least valuable items of the day.


    Considering such a pill as "less valuable" said it all.


    As Ethan observed, he finally saw the young lady from the Kingdom of the Tiger making her move.


    Examining the item that seemed to have caught her attention, he couldn''t help but nod in approval.


    "She has a good eye," he thought as he carefully examined the object.


    The item in question was a talisman made entirely of green jade. According to the host, it was a relic from a famous cultivator of the past.


    She explained that the talisman was a recording talisman, often used to store techniques or important messages, especially given the material it was crafted from.


    That said, while the talisman clearly had some value, it wasn''t particularly remarkable for the experts present. They had undoubtedly seen similar objects before.


    However, with his heightened perception, Ethan was able to examine not just the talisman''s exterior but also its interior.


    While its grade was high due to the material, it wasn''t advanced enough to resist his perception.


    As a result, he could determine the information contained within and concluded that Hu Xingyan''s intuition was sharp.


    Following the talisman, several other items were presented, ranging from pills to materials.


    The competition for materials was particularly fierce, far more so than for the other items.


    Even the woman in pink robes and the two other young ladies participated in bidding for some rare alchemical materials,


    materials that were only slightly rare for Ethan but highly prized by others.


    In the end, Hu Xingyan, who seemed to have an endless supply of funds, secured the material.


    Watching her spend so freely each time she placed a bid, Grandmaster Bai Huo Shan could only shake his head and say a silent prayer for his colleague.


    "That old man�� I''m sure he''ll shed bitter tears when he sees how much his precious granddaughter has spent," he said with a tone of mock sympathy for the White Tiger Kingdom''s grand alchemy master.


    Ethan, seeing this, didn''t know what expression to make, but he noticed that the other two young women seemed visibly irritated.


    He had already sensed a tense atmosphere forming earlier, but now he understood where it was coming from.


    "Haha, it''s great to be young.


    Oh, wait until I get my hands on your pill, then I can be young again!" Bai Huo Shan suddenly exclaimed, giving Ethan, who was closest to him, a hearty slap on the back.


    The two young womens shot him angry glares, but he just smiled as if nothing had happened.


    Ethan was sure that if the old man were ever to meet his end, it would undoubtedly be at the hands of a woman.


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    Faced with the situation, Ethan, being a true gentleman, decided to do what he did best: add fuel to the fire.


    "Sister Y��, please allow this humble one to present you with a small gift," he said out of nowhere, pulling out a wooden box.


    Bai Y�� X��n, the woman in pink, glanced at him, thanked him, and began inspecting the box.


    She already had a good impression of this young alchemist, whose level far exceeded hers, which was by no means low.


    For that reason alone, she had wanted to establish a good relationship with him.


    Now, seeing that he was already friendly with her grandfather, she thought it wouldn''t be too hard to strengthen their connection.


    This unexpected gift only confirmed her belief.


    She didn''t overthink the gift itself, considering it more of a gesture than anything else.


    Unfortunately for her, the gift was far from simple.


    As soon as the jade box was opened, a fragrant aroma of medicinal herbs filled the air.


    Inside, she saw a flower, complete with roots, no more than 15 cm long, with gray petals tinged with blue.


    Upon seeing the flower, she immediately understood its significance.


    It was a Dreaming Mist Flower, coincidentally the same material Hu Xingyan had just won.


    At first, she thought this was a gesture to console her for losing the flower to the White Tiger girl, but she quickly realized this flower was far more valuable.


    The Dreaming Mist Flower was a rare alchemical material known to grow only in perpetually mist-shrouded valleys or near stagnant water sources, where sunlight barely penetrated.


    While such places weren''t hard to find, finding one with enough Qi density to nurture this flower was exceedingly rare.


    As a result, whenever a Dreaming Mist Flower appeared at auction, it was quickly taken, sometimes by cultivators, sometimes by beasts.


    The flower previously auctioned had been five years old, already considered rare for such a rare specimen and immediately snatched up.


    To her astonishment, however, this flower wasn''t five years old, it was a 100 years old.

 Chapter 211: We’re Screwed

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    As soon as she examined the Dream Mist Flower and sensed how many years it might have had, she almost dropped it in shock.


    Before she could utter a single word, someone else in the room, caught in a frenzy over the flower''s value, exclaimed,


    "Young Friend, how can you give something like that away so casually? If you have anything else to discard, throw it in this old man''s lap instead!"


    This sudden statement came from Bai Huo Shan, who had noticed the Dream Mist Flower in his granddaughter''s hands and was now glaring at Ethan.


    He wasn''t the only one to notice the flower.


    He was not the only one to notice the flower, and even less was he the only one to know its value,


    but knowing that a figure like him was present in the room, everyone tried to contain their surprise, and chattered in amazement in low voices.


    "Hey, did you see that?


    That boy just pulled out a Dream Mist Flower out of nowhere and gave it to the Grandmaster Alchemist Bai''s granddaughter,"


    "Yeah, and not just any flower. If I''m not mistaken, that flower is far older than the one that was just auctioned off."


    "What? Are you serious? To give something like that away as a gift... Could it be that he''s interested in the Grandmaster''s granddaughter?"


    This simple gesture from Ethan quickly spiraled into a much larger commotion than the earlier bidding war over the auctioned flower, which Hu Xingyan had successfully acquired.


    Even she, who had been happy with her purchase, felt a pang in her heart upon seeing this flower.


    Both she and Xiang Hua were sitting close to Ethan''s table, got a better view of the flower and were able to assess its age.


    The two young women, realizing he had just gifted such a rare material, immediately fell into a state of delirium.


    Just like Bai Huo Shan, many others wanted to say the same thing to Ethan, who didn''t care much and simply said:


    "Oh, this? It was just gathering dust in my ring, so I thought, why not give it to someone who could use it?"


    Bai Huo Shan: "..."


    The two young women: "..."


    The rest of the crowd: "..."


    Bai Yu: "Hmm? Who''s causing all this commotion?" she asked mentally, having woken up in her beast form wrapped around Ethan''s wrist.


    Bai Huo Shan nearly spat blood at Ethan''s reply.


    Even he, a respected Grandmaster Alchemist, couldn''t claim to own such an item.


    And yet, here was someone casually handing it over to his granddaughter as if it were nothing.


    He felt more and more tempted to swoop in on Ethan and see what else he was hiding.


    Meanwhile, Ethan, having successfully poured fuel on the fire, turned his attention back to the auction, unaware of the numerous misunderstandings he had sown in everyone''s minds, especially in those of the young women.


    ''You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?'' Bai Yu remarked, now fully awake.


    ''Who, me? Nah,''


    ''The smirk on your face says otherwise,'' she said, shaking her head.


    Ethan had honestly wanted to gift a less rare flower, something around 20 or 30 years old.


    But unfortunately for him, every herb in his garden was at least 100 years old.


    So, he had picked the youngest one available and handed it to Bai Y�� X��n.


    What he hadn''t expected was that even the experts in the nearby VIP rooms would notice the herb''s presence.


    The two Grandmaster Alchemists identified its aura and almost rushed to the source.


    For a moment, they thought the herb sold moments ago might have been much older than initially estimated.


    But then they realized there were two distinct auras, meaning the new herb wasn''t the one from the auction.


    If not for the fact that a colleague of theirs was present, they would have likely barged into the VIP room themselves.


    Instead, they decided to wait until the auction ended to directly question Bai Huo Shan about the herb.


    Unintentionally, Ethan had caused quite the headache for Bai Huo Shan, who quickly realized it.


    The Grandmaster could only glance at Ethan with a look of regret as the young man ignored him.


    ''You bastard, at least give me one too!''


    Despite the uproar, the auction proceeded without interruption.


    More items and refining materials, as well as pills, were displayed.


    After some time, even Ethan''s mid-grade Level 3 pill was put on display.


    There was no need to say that this pill was one of the most anticipated items of the day. As such, it sparked a bidding war that reached staggering amounts.


    For a pill of this level, the current figures were already astronomical.


    But given the situation, the auctioneer knew the bids wouldn''t end anytime soon.


    And so, the bidding war continued for another 20 minutes before someone announced an overwhelming offer and won the pill.


    Even Ethan raised an eyebrow when he saw the final price.


    Although the sum wasn''t directly his, seeing one of his pills sell for such a price made him reconsider some of his previous sales strategies.


    He thought that if he had done something like this before his isolation, it would have had an even better impact on his pill sales.


    But he quickly shook the idea out of his mind.


    Even so, the effect these pills would have today wouldn''t be minor, especially since he had marked the two most precious ones with his Alchemist''s Seal.


    Zhang Meiling, who had been invited to the annual auction after the tournament, was sitting in one of the VIP rooms. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching the pill fall into a rival''s hands only soured her mood further.


    As she observed the pill being carried away, she noticed it bore the alchemist''s seal.


    She already knew who had created the pill.


    After all, how could she not?


    She had attended the tournament, as such, was familiar with Nuyu.


    If it had been up to her, she would have done everything to recruit such a young and capable alchemist.


    But by the time the semifinals arrived, she realized he was beyond their reach, especially after witnessing his performance in the finals.


    "Let''s at least remember his seal. It might be useful in the future."


    Like many others in the field, she wanted to keep track of his future achievements and, therefore, wanted to memorize his alchemist''s mark.


    Unfortunately for her, the moment she saw the mark on the pill, her world fell apart.


    "N-no way..."


    It didn''t take long for her to recall the mark. In fact, it was almost instantaneous. How could it not be?


    The mark in question was that of a brand that had haunted her and many others in the city''s alchemical sector over the past few months.


    There was no way she wouldn''t recognize that mark.


    "We''re screwed."

 Chapter 212: Elder Sister

    .The auction had been going on for quite a while, and before anyone realized it, nearly two hours had already passed.


    For many, this time flew by unnoticed because they were too engrossed in the auction.


    For others, however, the period felt longer since nothing of particular interest had appeared yet.


    One of these person was none other than Ethan.


    Apart from watching his pills being sold and creating some connections, he didn''t know what else to do.


    Thus, he either sat there and watched the auction continue as he examined each item, or, as he had done previously, he handed out items at random to the woman in pink sitting next to him.


    Needless to say, this caused chaos in the hall multiple times. At one point, even the grandmaster alchemists could no longer hold themselves back and stormed into the VIP room where Ethan and the others were.


    At that moment, their group, which was supposed to consist of four people, now had six. Even the two new arrivals ended up merely watching as Ethan continued his "gift-giving" antics.


    At this point, all three grandmaster alchemists were on the verge of capturing Ethan, tying him up, and squeezing out all the treasures he had, as every gift he revealed was in no way inferior to the Mist Flower.


    Even Bai Yu Xin didn''t know how to feel about this.


    On one hand, she was happy to have acquired such a wealth of treasures, any one of which could have triggered a small war.


    On the other hand, she feared that these treasures would only bring her danger. She tried to tell Ethan that there was no need for more gifts and that the ones already given were more than enough.


    Ethan simply replied that none of those present, even if they wanted to, could so much as lift a finger against her in his presence.


    At this statement, the new arrivals almost became furious. However, the moment they felt a faint trace of dragon aura emanating from him, both were petrified with fear, frozen in place.


    The others didn''t understand their sudden strange behavior, mainly because Ethan didn''t release his aura on everyone, just those two.


    Only Bai Huo Shan knew what they had experienced.


    Although he hadn''t suffered the same fate, he knew them well and was somewhat aware of Ethan''s strength.


    This alone was enough for him to draw a conclusion.


    ''Bah, it wouldn''t be bad to have a son-in-law like him,'' he thought, mistakenly believing that Ethan had a certain interest in his granddaughter.


    Unfortunately for him, reality was far from that.


    After a while, Ethan shifted his gift-giving target from Bai Yu Xin to J��n Y��ng, the grandmaster alchemist woman in the room.


    When she saw her gift, she was stunned for a moment, as she hadn''t expected it, but she immediately accepted it, knowing the value of the herb.


    Unlike before, Ethan had done this as a way to get closer to another grandmaster alchemist.


    Apparently, he had decided to stop giving gifts randomly.


    As he waited for the auction to continue, he began conversing with the other alchemists.


    Although the two grandmaster alchemists were irritated by his favoritism toward women, they held back from saying anything, partly because they didn''t want to beg for those items and partly because they noticed the piercing gaze of Grandmaster J��n Y��ng, warning them to keep their distance.


    Not that it was necessary, among everyone present, the masked youth had proven to be the strongest.


    Bai Yu, who witnessed all the trouble Ethan was causing in the hall, could only shake her head.


    And when she saw him move from one woman to another, she bit his wrist, almost making him curse aloud.


    Only Ethan knew how much willpower it took not to scream in pain.


    The dragon woman, after all, was an expert at fifth stage.


    His high defense wasn''t very effective against her.


    After another 30 minutes, an item finally appeared that caught Ethan''s attention.


    "Hey, do you feel that aura too?" Ethan asked Bai Yu as he examined the newly displayed item with his spiritual sense.


    "Yes, the wood element aura it emits is very strong, and it seems something with an even more intense aura is sealed within it," she replied, perceiving the same energy from the item just placed up for bidding.


    The others in the room, noticing Ethan''s interest, also paid attention to the item. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What they saw was a seed, about the size of a palm.


    Analyzing it, they found nothing particularly special, but they knew better than to underestimate the young alchemist.


    If he found something interesting in the seed, then it surely held something unique.


    J��n Y��ng, seeing that the masked youth was finally interested in something, decided to buy it for him.


    "Fellow alchemist, let this elder sister get that seed for you as thanks for the gift you gave me," she offered, volunteering to purchase the seed for him.


    Hearing how she referred to herself, Bai Huo Shan and the other grandmaster alchemist nearly spat out blood, with the former exclaiming,


    "Old hag, stop being so shameless. Elder sister? More like grandmother!"


    Just as he was about to continue, he was met with a deadly glare from J��n Y��ng.


    That alone was enough for both men to shut their mouths.


    They knew better than anyone how terrifying this woman could be when provoked.


    Ethan could only sympathize with the two men as he watched them being suppressed by J��n Y��ng.


    ''Don''t worry, I understand your suffering. I, too, am mistreated by a cruel woman,'' he thought to himself, trying to console them.


    Unfortunately for him, he forgot that a fragment of that "cruel woman''s" soul resided in his mind.


    He nearly shouted aloud when he felt Bai Yu bite his wrist a second time.


    Finally deciding to put the matter aside, he turned his attention to the mature woman who had offered to buy the seed for him.


    "Elder Sister J��n Y��ng, there''s no need for you to buy it for me.


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    As a man, I couldn''t possibly let a beautiful woman like you spend money on my behalf.


    Don''t worry, it''s just a few spirit stones, nothing I can''t handle myself," he said, causing nearly everyone present to spit a mouthful of blood.


    Even Xiang Hua and Hu Xingyan almost lost their composure at the scene.


    For them, it was the first time seeing this side of the masked youth, and they didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    Only J��n Y��ng was pleased by Ethan''s words and chose not to insist.


    As Ethan prepared to bid, he noticed the two grandmaster alchemists giving him a thumbs-up while murmuring,


    "Well done, brother."


    Ethan had no idea what the two old men were thinking but didn''t dwell on it. Right now, he had an item to win.


    Once the seed was displayed, the auctioneer introduced it and its background.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, what you see is a mysterious seed found in the ruins of an ancient expert''s tomb located in the desert east of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    As many of you may have noticed, it emits a certain healing aura.


    Many of our experts have tried to examine it in recent times without much success.


    In the end, the seed''s owner decided to put it up for auction, hoping that someone who might know more about it would acquire it," she explained, adding a few more words before starting the bidding.


    The initial offer was 1,000 high-grade spirit stones.


    This amount wasn''t excessive for anyone present; in fact, many of them spent far greater sums daily on trivial things.


    That said, no one seemed particularly interested in the seed. Only a few made a bid or two before stopping, thinking it wasn''t worth it.


    In the end, the only one left was a wealthy merchant who decided to participate in a small bidding war just for fun.


    As the auctioneer was about to finalize the sale, a voice rang out from one of the VIP rooms.


    The voice belonged to none other than Ethan.

 Chapter 213: Bidding War

    .Ethan''s participation took many by surprise, especially those currently in the VIP hall with him.


    They had seen this masked young alchemist continuously bring out impressive items but had never seen him actively participate in the auction.


    Seeing the value of his items, many thought that someone with such treasures probably had no need to bid on anything and that he was there merely for entertainment.


    So, when he suddenly made an offer, it caught everyone off guard, including Xiang Hua and Hu Xingyan.


    Their confusion stemmed from the fact that none of them found anything particularly special about the seed.


    Even after hearing its story, they weren''t interested in it. The same was true for most of the other attendees.


    Apart from a few who seemed to be bidding out of sheer competitiveness, no one was willing to waste their money on it.


    The wealthy merchant, who had decided to bid for the seed, smiled when he noticed someone else joining the competition.


    He began to raise the stakes confidently.


    "Let''s see if you can keep up with me."


    This merchant owned one of the wealthiest trade organizations in the kingdom and, as such, had no shortage of funds.


    He had come to the auction for the Eternal Youth Pill.


    Despite his great wealth, his cultivation base remained at the second stage, and due to his low talent, he knew he wouldn''t progress much further.


    He relied on rare medicinal herbs to extend his life.


    Hearing about the appearance of such a miraculous pill, he didn''t hesitate and rushed to the auction.


    Fortunately for him, the auction was being held in a city near the imperial capital, so he managed to arrive within a day.


    Now, he was simply waiting for the pill to be presented.


    In the meantime, he decided to make a few casual purchases, as was his habit.


    By now, he had developed a routine of flaunting his wealth whenever he could.


    With that in mind, he didn''t hesitate as he engaged in a bidding war with Ethan.


    "10,000 high-grade spirit stones," he declared, as if such a sum was trivial to him.


    "20,000," Ethan responded immediately.


    "40,000."


    "80,000," Ethan countered without hesitation.


    Seeing the persistence of his rival, the merchant decided to show him who he was dealing with.


    "500,000 high-grade spirit stones," he declared, causing many to widen their eyes in disbelief.


    "He''s insane, spending so much on an item like that."


    "Some people just have too much money to waste."


    "Well, I''m not surprised. After all, he''s the owner of..."


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    As the crowd continued to chatter about the absurd bidding war, Ethan glanced at the wealthy merchant.


    J��n Y��ng considered stepping in to assist Ethan. S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although she didn''t understand why Ethan was so insistent on obtaining such an item at such a high cost, the gift Ethan had given her earlier far surpassed the value of anything presented at the auction today.


    She figured spending a few spirit stones wasn''t a big deal.


    For an expert of her level, even spending millions of spirit stones was nothing.


    Just as J��n Y��ng was about to intervene, Ethan spoke again.


    "5 million high-grade spirit stones."


    The crowd: "..."


    The merchant: "..."


    The auctioneer: "..."


    Everyone fell silent at the astronomical sum Ethan had just offered for the seed.


    Even the merchant nearly dropped his jaw at the figure.


    The amount itself wasn''t an issue for him, but spending it on an item like that was an enormous waste of money, even for someone of his wealth.


    He couldn''t understand why the person he was bidding against had offered such an exorbitant number of spirit stones, but wisely, he decided to retreat.


    Although he had wanted to outbid Ethan, even for him, spending money so casually wasn''t an option.


    In the end, seeing the wealthy merchant withdraw, the auctioneer finalized Ethan''s bid with an excited expression.


    After all, she would earn a small percentage of each sale, and seeing the sum that had just been spent, she knew her earnings today would be considerable.


    Finally, the seed Ethan had just purchased was brought to him, and he immediately began examining it.


    ''Just as I thought, within it lies a dense amount of spiritual Qi of the wood element,'' he mused.


    Ethan had purchased the item because of the peculiar wood aura it emitted.


    Now, seeing that it indeed contained a substantial amount of wood-element Qi, he couldn''t help but wonder what kind of plant it might grow into.


    Thanks to the system, which provided him with increasing knowledge of plants and herbs as he advanced in alchemical skill, Ethan had a comprehensive understanding of flora.


    Yet even with that knowledge, he couldn''t identify the seed just by looking at it.


    ''This item would definitely be beneficial for a cultivator of the wood element,'' he thought as he put it away.


    Though unsure of the seed''s origins, he planned to plant it in his herb garden.


    Who knew? Something good might grow from it.


    With that settled, while he was lost in his thoughts, the object that everyone was waiting for, the one that had even drawn powerful figures to the auction, was finally unveiled.


    Needless to say, the commotion it caused was immense, and Ethan watched as a fierce bidding war began.


    To his surprise, the three Grandmaster-level alchemists in their group weren''t the only ones bidding.


    Even the two women participated.


    He could imagine that Hu Xingyan was bidding on behalf of her grandfather, who couldn''t attend today.


    However, Ethan was puzzled by Xiang Hua''s participation.


    Although the pill was beneficial for everyone, it had significant effects on people like Bai Huo Shan, who had already spent most of their lives and could use it to regain a significant amount of vitality.


    Their bodies would also be enhanced, allowing them to cultivate further and reach new heights.


    At first, Ethan thought Xiang Hua was bidding for Feng Huang, but then he shook his head.


    Although she had undoubtedly surpassed 100 years, she was far from the midpoint of her life.


    As a cultivator at the fifth stage, she could comfortably live for more than 1,000 years, possibly even 2,000, if she continued cultivating.


    So, that pill couldn''t be for her, could it?


    Ultimately, Ethan stopped paying attention and merely observed the bidding war for the pill, which quickly reached astronomical ammount.

 Chapter 214: Market in Chaos

    .The bidding war for the pill was fiercer than Ethan had anticipated.


    Initially, he thought that aside from the three grandmaster alchemists and perhaps a few other prominent figures, there wouldn''t be many competitors. But he was gravely mistaken.


    The number of affluent individuals who appeared one after another shocked even Ethan, and all of them had statuses rivaling those of grandmasters. Naturally, they didn''t hold back, competing ferociously.


    The pill, which had initially started at a price of 1 billion high-grade spiritual stones, ended up selling for 30 billion, a sum that could tempt an entire kingdom.


    This amount alone was enough to build dozens of mid-to-high-level cities equipped with state of the art infrastructure.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what to do with this wealth, which far exceeded what he currently possessed. In the end, he decided to set it aside and consider later how best to use it.


    He had long wanted to construct a residence in his minor dimension, but there were several issues to address, such as ensuring that news of his possession of such a place didn''t leak out, and ensuring that the builders wouldn''t return visibly aged after entering in the dimension.


    However, even that issue was resolved thanks to his soul puppets, which, as they evolved further, had already begun constructing a small city for themselves.


    What had started as a small village had, by the time Ethan entered again, begun transforming into a small city.


    Ethan wondered what the city would look like in a few more days after all, in just a few short years within the dimension, much could be achieved.


    For now, the number of residences was quite low, as were the current residents themselves.


    Ethan, after having twenty or so houses built, halted construction as there was no need for more. The existing ones were more than sufficient.


    If not for this, with his current abilities, he could have manipulated the workers'' memories or even given them a few more years of life.


    So, if he had wanted to, he could have done it.


    He set aside the wealth he had earned, thinking he would discuss with Da Shu how best to use it. For now, it was time for his group to return.


    With his pill already heavily publicized, he was confident that the effects of such promotion would soon be felt, and he was right.


    Contrary to what Ethan had expected, the effects were already being felt in the Sun City market.


    All the major families and organizations that had been pressuring the Peng family to hinder their growth quickly withdrew.


    To the surprise of many who had not participated in the auction, these powerful entities now sought to collaborate in further expanding the Peng family''s business.


    This was a huge surprise for all members of the Peng family, especially those who held a share in the current business.


    Ethan''s portion of the pills was entirely managed by Da Shu, but the family''s businesses were not, so any increase in those profits directly boosted their own earnings. Continue reading at M-V-L


    The only reason no one in the family tried to pull any tricks on Da Shu was that he could simply sell his pills elsewhere and not through the family''s stores.


    They were already earning substantial profits from selling Da Shu''s products, which were in ever growing demand. It made no sense for them to try to gain even more.


    Though greedy, they knew when to stop.


    So, despite some internal friction, the family''s business never faltered.


    This sudden change in the market startled many of them. And while it seemed like a good thing on the surface, they were cautious.


    Why would the various large organizations that did not need to give themselves a face suddenly ask to collaborate?


    Would this ultimately be more harmful than beneficial to them?


    While everyone was lost in such dilemmas, Ethan, the cause of it all, finally arrived at Sun City.


    His group used a teleportation formation to get as close as possible to the city.


    From there, they traveled aboard a flying treasure belonging to the pavilion elder.


    Ethan, with his current cultivation level, could have arrived sooner by traveling alone.


    But there was no rush or reason to do so, so he enjoyed the journey, sometimes lazing around, sometimes conversing with the pavilion elder, who felt her alchemical knowledge deepen with every interaction with Ethan.


    Upon returning, Ethan planned to visit Da Shu to greet him and get an update on how the business was going.


    But to his great shock, what he discovered upon arrival nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets.


    ***


    In the Imperial Palace


    After a few days, Prince Jian finally managed to return.


    If not for his poor condition, his travel time would have been much shorter. But unfortunately for him, there was no other option, so he could only blame the crazy woman he had encountered.


    He didn''t know who that woman was or why she had attacked him, but he had a nagging feeling that she hadn''t even gone all out against him, a thought that terrified him greatly.


    If it were true, it meant another powerful fifth-stage expert was roaming the empire, unknown to anyone.


    First there was the portal monster, and now there was the woman, no less strong than the demon, he had met a few days ago.


    He wondered why fifth-stage experts seemed to be appearing suddenly from all directions.


    Was it somehow connected to what his father had told him?


    "At least it doesn''t seem like she''s aligned with the demons," he sighed in relief.


    He had already confirmed that the demons had found a way to breach the barrier. But from what little he had learned, they could only do so in small quantities.


    There was still time to prepare for their eventual invasion in the future.


    That said, as soon as he returned, he tried to sense his father''s aura with his dense spiritual sense. In the end, he managed to locate it.


    "Hm? There''s something wrong," he thought, somewhat agitated.


    He already knew something had happened at the palace. When he left on his father''s orders, he had known that something like this could occur.


    Thus, he expected to see anything upon his return.


    And with the words of that woman, he was even more certain that something had happened at the palace.


    Yet, when he returned, things seemed normal.


    For a moment, this gave him some relief.


    But then, sensing his father''s aura, he immediately noticed that it was weak. Moreover... Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed like something was missing.

 Chapter 215: Unexpected Surprise

    .Currently in the Peng family residence.


    Ethan and Da Shu were sitting at a table in the garden, sipping tea while talking.


    After returning to the sect, it had taken Ethan some time to find his friend since he was not at his residence.


    Unsure of where to look, Ethan assumed Da Shu might be out and decided to wait, thinking they would meet later.


    That was when he ran into Lin Huo Li.


    Curious, Ethan asked her about Da Shu''s whereabouts, only to learn that he was staying at his family''s residence to take care of some matters.


    Ethan thought this might be for the best since he had revealed more of his alchemical prowess recently.


    It was a good opportunity for him to plan the sale of more potent pills for the future.


    Ethan personally no longer cared much about the pill business.


    Initially, he had pursued it purely for financial reasons, but now that money was no longer an issue, nor were resources thanks to his minor dimension, his priorities had shifted.


    He continued to run the business to ensure that the Peng family would be able to defend themselves from future enemies, should he ever have to leave.


    With that in mind, he decided to discuss some of his plans with Da Shu, or at least, that had been his original intention.


    ***


    "What?! You got married?!"


    "When did this happen? I''m sure you weren''t married when I left!" Ethan exclaimed, nearly choking on his tea.


    The news hit him so hard he couldn''t process it calmly.


    He had already noticed some peculiar signs earlier, such as Lin Huo Li hesitating when asked about Da Shu.


    Seeing her blush out of nowhere, Ethan had thought the situation was strange, but who would have guessed that the two had progressed this far?


    He couldn''t understand how all this had happened in less than a month.


    Da Shu, already prepared for Ethan''s shock, took a sip of his tea calmly before replying,


    "Well, believe it or not, it all happened so suddenly for me too." His expression seemed to drift as if lost in distant memories.


    Ethan, hearing this, couldn''t help but ask for details, and what he learned was beyond anything he could have imagined.


    After Da Shu confessed his feelings, Lin Huo Li took him to meet her family the very next day.


    Initially opposed to the union, her family eventually agreed after some heated arguments.


    The day after that, the wedding was prepared.


    For some reason, Da Shu''s family also approved of the match as if it were no big deal.


    By the fifth day, the two were already husband and wife, having visited both families to pay respects as tradition demanded.


    They agreed to live together once they reached a certain cultivation level, given their relatively young age.


    What astonished Ethan wasn''t the speed of events but the fact that Da Shu had gone along with it all without resistance, watching the sequence of events unfold.


    He hadn''t convinced Lin Huo Li''s family himself; she had done it.


    According to Da Shu, Lin Huo Li had a fiery argument with her family that nearly ended with severed ties.


    However, she ultimately declared that Da Shu was the wealthy owner of a successful pill business. Upon learning this, her family''s attitude shifted dramatically.


    A similar situation occurred with Da Shu''s family, who, as he later discovered, had accepted the match so quickly because his parents feared he would die a bachelor without ever finding love.


    Grateful to have someone like Lin Huo Li as his partner, his parents wasted no time and wholeheartedly approved of the marriage.


    This was just the beginning of the whirlwind week of events.


    Ethan felt that this sequence of events rivaled the plot twists of dramas from his previous world.


    As he tried to process everything, Bai Yu, in his mind, erupted into laughter.


    In the end, Ethan could only offer his friend some sympathy, telling him,


    "At least you secured the woman you like."


    After discussing Da Shu''s peculiar marriage, Ethan shifted the conversation to business.


    He explained how the tournament and subsequent auction had gone, leaving Da Shu momentarily speechless.


    "Wait, are you telling me you won? Not in the beginner category, but in the expert one?" Da Shu asked, astonished.


    He had always known Ethan was a talented alchemist and expected him to rank highly, but taking first place was something even Da Shu hadn''t anticipated.


    ''I guess I underestimated him again,'' he thought, shaking his head.


    After a moment, something else occurred to him.


    "Well, that would explain the behavior of all those families," Da Shu murmured to himself.


    "Hm? What behavior?"


    "Oh, right, you wouldn''t know since you''ve just returned.


    In the past few days, many of our biggest competitors have stopped putting pressure on our business.


    Some of the larger families have even approached us with offers for collaboration," Da Shu explained, going into detail about recent business developments. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan wasn''t too surprised by this since he had partly expected it to happen, though perhaps not so quickly. Continue your adventure with M-V-L


    "Everything seems to be moving a bit too fast these days," Ethan thought, amused by the irony.


    Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside and got to the point.


    "How long do you plan to be away?" Da Shu asked, hearing that Ethan intended to enter seclusion again.


    It wasn''t unusual for a cultivator to do so, if anything, it was unusual for Ethan to have only stayed in seclusion for a month last time.


    However, what worried Da Shu was that Ethan had hinted that this period might be longer.


    "Probably no more than a year, but that''s not the issue.


    In the future, I may need to leave for extended periods, possibly years or even decades, depending on circumstances.


    I can''t produce enough pills to sustain you for that long, so I thought of an alternative," Ethan explained, outlining his plan to train some of the Peng family''s alchemists.


    Hearing this, Da Shu didn''t complain.


    As a cultivator himself, he understood how important Ethan''s cultivation journey was.


    He was already grateful for all the help Ethan had provided his family, and the offer to train their alchemists to a higher level was more than he could have asked for, so he thanked him sincerely.

 Chapter 216: Meeting

    .The following day, at the Peng family manor, Ethan and Da Shu stood in a large hall before a group of seven people, three women and four men.


    On one side of the hall, the patriarch of the Peng family observed.


    Intrigued by Ethan''s proposal, he had decided to personally attend the gathering.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, Da Shu stepped forward and began the introductions:


    "First of all, let me make the introductions," he said, pointing toward Ethan, who was currently in disguise. Stay updated via M-V-L


    "This is the alchemist who, in recent months, has helped our family sell the high-quality pills that have shaken the market of Sun City," he said, emphasizing key points to give a clearer picture of Ethan''s identity.


    The feats of Nuyu had yet to spread widely among the public of Sun City, and only members of the most powerful factions were aware of him.


    Therefore, it was to be expected that these people did not know who he was.


    The moment Da Shu mentioned that Ethan was a three-star alchemy master, everyone in the room, including the patriarch, was stunned by the revelation.


    The patriarch, who had already recognized Ethan''s extraordinary capabilities, almost spat out a mouthful of blood upon realizing the truth.


    "So all this time, we''ve been benefiting from the assistance of a three-star alchemy master for free?"


    Needless to say, the news of Ethan''s apparent level of mastery shook everyone present to their core.


    Watching their reactions, Ethan wondered how they would react if he revealed that being compared to a great master alchemist would not be an exaggeration. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But observing their current shock, he thought it might even cause heart attacks if he had said so, and therefore chose to keep his thoughts to himself.


    The individuals summoned by Da Shu that day were all novice alchemists.


    Some of them were mere apprentices, while the most skilled among them was only at the expert level.


    Ethan had specifically requested at least one person from each tier because, depending on the alchemist''s level, his teachings would have varying effects.


    For instance, teaching the least skilled alchemist would be simpler in his eyes compared to instructing the most advanced one.


    Because on one hand there was someone highly malleable, whose knowledge was still forming and required solidification, while on the other, there was someone whose knowledge was already solidified, making it challenging to alter within a short period.


    This was because one would take his words at face value, while the other would analyze and compare them with their existing knowledge, which, although not negative, slowed the learning process.


    That said, for his level of alchemy and with the help of some of his skills, Ethan believed it wouldn''t be difficult to teach anyone present.


    He had decided to spend at most a year organizing everything before going into seclusion to cultivate and believed this period was more than enough to transform all present into truly high-level alchemists.


    His goal was to ensure that they achieved perfect mastery, allowing them to in turn train others, thus ensuring that the Peng family would have many more capable alchemists in the future.


    The seven individuals summoned by Da Shu were not chosen at random but rather filtered based on criteria provided by Ethan, which he believed would identify those most suitable for his teachings.


    While Ethan began his initial lessons for the Peng family alchemists, a significant event was unfolding in the capital of the empire.


    In the imperial palace''s conference hall, several figures sat around a large round table with a vacant space in the middle.


    Starting with the emperor, seated in a chair visibly distinct from the others, the lineup extended to the right, where the master of the White Tiger Sect was seated.


    He was a tall and robust man who didn''t bother concealing his toned arms and bare chest, wearing an open, sleeveless shirt.


    His face was angular, his deep gray eyes piercing, and a short beard adorned his chin. Long gray-white hair was tied back behind him.


    Next to him was the master of the Qilin Sect, a man who could be described as the White Tiger Sect master''s opposite.


    Standing no taller than 180 cm, he had a leaner build and a more refined demeanor, with a clean-shaven face that made him appear no older than 30.


    He, too, had long, thick black hair tied back. His gaze was calm, with a faint spark flickering in his dark violet-black eyes.


    Finally, there was the only woman present at the table��Feng Huang, the current master of the Phoenix Sect and Ethan''s mentor.


    Apart from these three and the emperor, Prince Jian sat to the emperor''s right.


    The rulers of all three realms within the Long Empire were present, listening intently with concerned expressions as Long Hao spoke.


    When the meeting was initially called following the alchemy tournament, many of them had doubts about the gathering''s purpose.


    Many assumed the emperor intended to discuss the being that emerged from the portal a few months ago.


    However, when the day of the meeting arrived, they were shocked to see the emperor visibly injured, even missing an arm.


    This sight alone made everyone realize the situation was far more severe than they had imagined.


    After all, Long Hao was the most powerful expert of the fifth stage, and seeing him in this state could only mean that whatever he faced was at a level capable of threatening even him.


    This fact alone made the situation dire, but what they heard next exceeded their expectations.


    "Wait, are you saying the barrier has been breached?" said Jiang Zheng, the White Tiger Sect master.


    "No, but it''s weak enough to allow some of them to cross. In a decade or two at most, it will likely shatter completely," replied the emperor.


    Clearly, this news did not lift anyone''s spirits.


    "Just a decade or two? That''s not much time to prepare. If attacked in our current state, our chances of victory won''t be high," said Lei Jun, the Qilin Sect master.


    Everyone silently nodded at his remark.


    They were all aware of the existence of the demon race and had spent centuries cultivating and strengthening their forces.


    But if what the emperor said was true, they likely still didn''t have enough strength to counter the other side.


    "Is there any chance we can contact


    them


    ?" Feng Huang asked.


    Everyone in the room understood who she was referring to,


    the rulers of the Beast Continent.


    With their alliance, humanity''s chances of resisting the demons would be far greater, something everyone in the room understood well.


    "They are already aware of the situation on our continent.


    From what I''ve learned, they''ve had no attacks from the demons, likely because we hold two of the three artifacts," said the emperor before pausing, reflecting on what his son had told him.


    The discussion among the powers continued for a while longer, as they brainstormed how to make the most basic preparations.


    At the same time, Ethan was engaged in a similar discussion with Bai Yu about the same topic.

 Chapter 217: First Week of Training

    Experience more tales on M-V-L.


    A week had passed since the meeting, and in that time, apart from teaching the alchemists of the Peng family, Ethan hadn''t done much else.


    Teaching the seven members of the Peng family was initially challenging, mainly due to two alchemists, one at the expert level and the other a Three-Star Adept.


    Both were dissatisfied with Ethan.


    While they could accept Ethan''s superiority and respected his rank, when Ethan told them that everything they had learned so far was practically useless, their pride took a serious blow.


    It''s worth noting that being an Adept-level alchemist of the highest rank was a significant point of pride for most, even more so for someone at the Expert level.


    For these two individuals, who had enjoyed a degree of fame due to their status, hearing that their accomplishments amounted to nothing irritated them greatly.


    Although they didn''t openly oppose him, they decided to remain skeptical about everything they would learn from Ethan.


    Ethan could only shake his head at their childish behavior and realized that if these two weren''t brought in line from the start, they wouldn''t learn anything.


    Thus, he made a slight adjustment to his plans and decided to start with them before moving on to the younger, less experienced members.


    Ethan''s teaching itself wasn''t anything extraordinary.


    What set him apart was his deep alchemical knowledge, both in terms of refining techniques and his understanding of materials.


    On the first day, he summoned these two and asked them to refine some pills.


    He told them to produce the most high level pills they could, and what he saw left him far from pleased.


    One managed to refine high-grade Level 1 pills with a purity of 76%, barely above the minimum requirement for that grade. The other, produced low-grade Level 2 pills with a purity not far from the minimum needed for that level.


    Seeing this performance, Ethan realized that the general standard for alchemists of this level was far lower than he had expected.


    He had already noticed their traditional, inefficient refining methods, but seeing that their final products were subpar only made him shake his head further.


    In the end, he decided to rewrite their entire foundation in alchemy and refining techniques from scratch.


    He called the two of them closer. Thinking they had done a decent job, they approached, expecting praise or acknowledgment.


    What they received, however, was something that left them both grateful and terrified at the same time.


    Ethan decided to use a soul-based technique to link with them and directly transfer knowledge into their minds.


    Normally, transferring knowledge wouldn''t require using one''s soul.


    However, during his studies on the soul and its manipulation, Ethan discovered that combining this technique with others would amplify its effects.


    And indeed, it worked just as he expected.


    As soon as the two stood in front of him, Ethan touched their foreheads with his fingers and overwrote their alchemical knowledge.


    Doing something like this wasn''t easy. It was challenging for both the one performing the transfer and the one receiving it.


    The two felt as if they had been struck by lightning for who knows how long, and in the end, both fainted.


    Ethan didn''t worry about it. He simply woke them up with a slap to the face.


    The two were understandably unhappy with the treatment, but when Ethan told them to refine pills again, they had no choice but to obey.


    As soon as they got to work, they immediately noticed something different.


    For some reason, their understanding felt sharper and more precise, and their refining process seemed smoother.


    They didn''t know what was happening, but they decided to go with the flow and refine the same pills as before.


    The results shocked both them and Peng Yu, the patriarch who was observing.


    The purity percentages of both alchemists'' pills had drastically improved, bringing their creations to nearly the next grade.


    With this first demonstration of his capabilities, Ethan gained everyone''s trust.


    They resolved to follow his instructions to the letter, and the results didn''t take long to show.


    In less than a week, the two alchemists made tremendous progress.


    One reached the peak of their current rank, while the other advanced to the next, becoming a Two-Star Expert Alchemist.


    The other five, who were still beginners, were no less impressive.


    Nearly all of them were at the apprentice level, meaning they had some theoretical knowledge but little else.


    Their refining skills were almost nonexistent, but Ethan saw this as an advantage.


    It was easier for him to teach them from scratch.


    Using his soul-transfer technique, he imparted theoretical knowledge to all of them.


    This information was engraved into their minds so thoroughly that they knew it by heart, as if they had studied it for years.


    Afterward, Ethan decided to first work on improving their cultivation levels.


    Since they were still beginners, they didn''t have proper refining methods.


    So he planned to teach them spiritual Qi refinement techniques, but for that to happen, they needed to reach at least the second stage of mortal cultivation.


    For the first month, he focused on raising their cultivation levels.


    With his current abilities, helping them quickly reach and surpass the first stage wasn''t difficult.


    By using some body-strengthening pills and techniques he had devised, he managed to bring all of them to the second stage of cultivation in just over a week. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Normally, something like this would take much longer, but since this involved only the first stage, Ethan could accelerate the process.


    From this point on, they would have to advance on their own. Strengthening the body was one thing, but refining Qi was something he couldn''t do for them.


    Nonetheless, this level was already more than enough.


    Now, with their bodies strengthened and their cultivation bases at the second stage, they could finally sense Qi more clearly, refine it, and even begin to manipulate it to some extent.


    Ethan intended to dedicate the coming months to training both their cultivation and the Qi refinement technique.


    In this regard, the work with these five was more demanding, but it was worth it.


    Seeing the initial results, none of them hesitated or held back.


    They understood that being personally taught by Ethan was an unmissable opportunity.


    While Ethan continued teaching them, Peng Yun, who had just recovered, was once again astonished.


    Not only did he now have two stronger alchemists, but he also suddenly found himself with five second-stage cultivators.

 Chapter 218: Concern for the Future

    .Ethan was currently hovering in the skies above the Phoenix Sect, seemingly waiting for someone.


    As he waited, he couldn''t help but reflect on his recent conversation with Bai Yu.


    Ethan''s initial plan was to provide considerable support to all three realms, hoping their combined strength would grow enough to face the demonic race when the time came.


    However, he eventually realized that the time remaining before the likely invasion wasn''t enough for significant progress in that regard.


    He could provide powerful arrays for both defense and offense, which would certainly help, but it wouldn''t be enough to truly change the outcome.


    The only silver lining was that at least 10 to 20 years remained before a potential invasion, based solely on the barrier that separated the three regions of the continent, keeping them isolated from one another.


    Ethan could sense the barrier''s presence but had little clarity about its nature, proof of its high level of strength.


    At his current cultivation, he could undoubtedly face a peak fifth-stage cultivator head-on.


    Bai Yu could do so even more effortlessly.


    But even that wasn''t reassuring.


    Beyond the risk of corruption from demonic Qi, something only he currently had a solution for, the sheer number of enemies was a concern.


    Ethan was confident he could handle one or even two fifth-stage cultivators at once.


    But more? He wasn''t so sure.


    And he was certain that the demons wouldn''t have just a few fifth-stage beings, they likely had more than the human race, perhaps even more than those of the humans and the beast race combined.


    While that was worrying, it wasn''t the biggest concern.


    What truly troubled him was the possibility of someone who had already surpassed the mortal realm and stepped into the spiritual cultivation realm.


    If even one such being existed, both Bai Yu and Ethan, at their current levels, would struggle to compete with them.


    So, he had asked Bai Yu if it was possible for an entity of that level to remain in the mortal plane.


    "The chances of someone like that being in their ranks are very low, but it''s not entirely impossible," she had replied, confirming his fears.


    Reaching the peak of the fifth stage within the next decade wasn''t an issue for Ethan.


    At that level, even a group of peak fifth-stage cultivators wouldn''t be a challenge for him.


    But beings who had transcended the mortal realm and entered the spiritual realm were a different matter entirely.


    The gap in power between these two cultivation realms was something that even an anomaly like him couldn''t overcome through talent alone.


    This was something he understood all too well, so Bai Yu''s response left him uneasy.


    Thanks to his minor dimension, he was certain he could reach the peak of his current realm, but he couldn''t be sure about progressing to the next.


    That realm was uncharted territory for him, and he couldn''t make any definitive claims about it.


    Another problem was that even if he did succeed in ascending, he would be forcibly drawn to the celestial plane, a situation far worse in his current predicament.


    Bai Yu had already warned him that in her case, she would almost certainly be pulled back to the celestial plane.


    Since she was originally from that plane, her bond with it was far stronger than his.


    Once Ethan reached the spiritual realm, even the last seal binding her would lose its effect, allowing her to recover her original cultivation.


    At that point, it would be impossible for her to remain in the mortal plane unless she deliberately delayed breaking the seal, keeping it intact even after he reached the spiritual realm.


    Ethan had many thoughts about this and realized that if he wanted to be absolutely certain of protecting the mortal plane from the demons before they could invade, he would have to reach the peak and attempt to break through while maintaining a strong enough connection to the mortal plane to extend his stay.


    If he could delay his ascension for even a few years, he might succeed in eradicating nearly all traces of demonic Qi from the demon continent.


    Thus, instead of focusing on marginally improving the forces of the three realms, he decided to focus entirely on his own strength.


    After wrapping up his matters with the Peng family and settling a few debts he felt he owed the Phoenix Sect, he planned to seclude himself in his minor dimension for intensive cultivation.


    His survival in the impending disaster was nearly guaranteed.


    The same could not be said for the mortal plane.


    Though he had reached a point in his cultivation where most mortal ties no longer held meaning for him, certain fundamental principles remained deeply ingrained.


    He couldn''t force himself to sever them.


    From what he''d learned, forcibly breaking such ties might come back to haunt him later in his cultivation journey.


    To cultivate, one needed a heart at peace, unburdened, strong, and unyielding to anything.


    To achieve this, he had to follow what felt right for him now and cultivate with a light heart afterward.


    This was the best path for him, and he knew it.


    So, he resolved to take care of the second thing that weighed on him the most: his debt to the Phoenix Sect.


    Currently, he was in the skies above the sect, and just moments ago, he had released some of his cultivation to signal the sect master.


    She didn''t take long to sense it and immediately ascended to the skies.


    Ethan had decided to take his original adult form.


    Now, he stood calmly in the air without a mask, watching as a beautiful woman dressed in a red robe with golden embroidery appeared 50 meters in front of him.


    Feng Huang had recently returned from the meeting held in the empire''s capital and had been lost in thought ever since, as no real solution to their problem had been found.


    The most they could do was negotiate with the Beast Continent and see how far they could strengthen their forces in preparation for a possible invasion.


    Though she was a battle maniac, Feng Huang knew the demons were not an enemy to be taken lightly.


    Eliminating a few wouldn''t solve anything, especially knowing they could never be eradicated entirely, a fact confirmed after learning the outcome of Long Hao''s battle.


    Lost in various thoughts, she suddenly felt the heavy aura of a fifth-stage cultivator.


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    Alarmed, she quickly tracked the source and rushed to investigate. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She fervently hoped it wasn''t another fifth-stage entity emerging from nowhere to cause trouble for them, as their plate was already full.


    When she arrived in the skies above the sect, where the aura had come from, she was greeted by the sight of a handsome man standing calmly in the air, gazing at her with a composed expression.


    Seeing him, Feng Huang''s eyes widened slightly as a thought crossed her mind.


    "You''re..."

 Chapter 219: Soul Pact

    "You''re..."Although Ethan''s current appearance was quite different from what it had been over two years ago, certain basic features remained.


    Even though he now looked much older and more mature, it didn''t take Feng Huang long to realize that the person in front of her was Ethan, her direct disciple, a young man who, since he had been under her wing, had never asked her for anything.


    No teachings, no help, nothing at all.


    It was as if she wasn''t his sect master at all.


    In the past, she had thought about testing his combat abilities one of these days, but who would have guessed that Ethan would be so elusive?


    As soon as he finished one matter, he would leave for another.


    The last time, he even locked himself up for closed-door cultivation, which, to her surprise, lasted much shorter than expected.


    Normally, cultivators would enter seclusion when they needed time to cultivate insights or inspirations that could help them develop and strengthen their cultivation base, a process that often took months or even years.


    Yet her dear disciple not only stayed secluded for just a month but emerged already at the third stage of cultivation, with a base so well-hidden it couldn''t even be detected.


    Even back then, she had her doubts about his real cultivation base, but now, seeing him floating in the air as if it were nothing, and sensing the aura she had felt earlier coming from him, she understood one thing.


    "So you''ve been hiding your cultivation base this whole time," she said, unsure of how to view the current situation.


    Normally, such a thing would lead one to suspect ulterior motives toward the sect. Find more adventures on M-V-L


    Yet she was certain that when he saved her during the auction more than two years ago, he wasn''t a cultivator.


    The more she thought about it, the more the existence of the man in front of her became increasingly confusing and uncertain, full of contradictions everywhere.


    Seeing the clear confusion on his sect master''s face, Ethan said,


    "Not exactly. In truth, I only recently reached my current stage."


    At first, Ethan had considered presenting himself as the masked figure, pretending to be an old sage returning to settle a debt with the sect.


    But after thinking it over for a moment, he decided against using any disguises.


    Initially, he had done so to keep a low profile, as his strength was still a bit lacking, not high enough to save him from every possible situation.


    After all, as the saying went,


    "The tallest trees are the first to feel the wind."


    He had cultivated in secret for a long time and had now reached a point where he could hold his own against the most powerful forces on this continent.


    Maintaining the same low profile as before would only create more problems than it solved.


    So, he decided not to use his identity as Nuyu and presented himself as he was.


    Although Feng Huang was somewhat cautious about Ethan, she could tell that he didn''t seem to harbor any malicious intent.


    Thus, she accepted his request to move to a more comfortable place to talk.


    In the end, she took him to the highest peak of the mountains where the Phoenix Sect resided.


    From there, Ethan could admire a particularly beautiful view of a lake surrounded by lush vegetation.


    Among the various plants, Ethan could identify many that were relatively hard to find, with some of them even being quite rare.


    Though Ethan already had nearly all the plants present here, he couldn''t help but appreciate the serene aura emanating from the small landscape.


    Near the lake, a tree grew, shading a small table and three chairs.


    Feng Huang led Ethan there, and once they were seated, she asked him for an explanation.


    Ethan knew the list of things to explain was long, but he decided to summarize it into smaller parts and address the most important matter for the moment. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He used the excuse of having a peculiar physique that allowed him to cultivate much faster, a breakthrough that had enabled him to make giant strides in his cultivation and reach his current stage.


    Naturally, this explanation wasn''t enough, and he knew it.


    But he certainly couldn''t reveal all his secrets, or at least that''s what he initially thought while planning his next moves with Bai Yu.


    That was when she proposed a viable alternative, one that would allow him to assist the sect master while also helping the Phoenix Sect.


    "A soul pact? Like the ones used for slavery?" Ethan asked.


    "The basic concept is the same, but unlike slave marks, which are one-sided, this requires an agreement between both parties," she explained, detailing the various uses of such contracts and how they were widely used in the Celestial Plane.


    Ethan took a moment to recall this very conversation he had with Bai Yu, then finally spoke to Feng Huang about it.


    He concluded by saying, "In a decade or two, I''ll leave for the higher plane, but before doing so, I''ve decided to settle some matters on this plane, including the debt I owe to the Phoenix Sect."


    Before she could say anything, he added,


    "With your current cultivation, the peak of the Mortal Realm is the most you can aspire to.


    If you aim higher, I can help correct your cultivation base and ensure that the sect''s disciples are put on the right path for their cultivation.


    Think of it as my way of repaying the sect''s hospitality over the past two years."


    Ethan then raised his right palm, where a stream of light fragments began to gather.


    In a few seconds, they formed a sphere no larger than a tennis ball.


    He extended it toward her and said, "Are you willing to accept a soul pact with me?"


    The sphere of energy formed in his hand was the contract, which, once infused with the spiritual Qi of both parties, would create an invisible bond between their souls.


    Breaking the contract would destroy the violator''s soul, resulting in their death.


    Ethan didn''t mind helping her with her cultivation, but to do so, given his current level, some of his secrets would have to be revealed.


    Thus, the soul pact was the only way for him to assist her.


    If she accepted, Ethan would proceed with the series of plans he had devised.


    If she refused, there was little he could do.


    Had it been someone else, Ethan wouldn''t have gone this far.


    But for the woman before him, who had once saved his life, he wanted to give her the means to preserve her own in the future.

 Chapter 220: Battle Maniac

    .Currently, in the desert east of the Phoenix Kingdom, two figures stood in midair, keeping a measured distance as they stared at each other without breaking eye contact for even a moment.


    These two figures were none other than Ethan and Feng Huang.


    At the moment, Ethan wore a frown as he addressed the woman before him.


    "Is this really necessary?" he asked, clearly displeased with the situation.


    "Of course it is. Do you really expect me to follow the orders of someone weaker than me? I acknowledge your cultivation base, but if you can''t prove you can defeat me in a duel, there''s no point in me following your plan," she replied, her reasoning full of holes Ethan had already pointed out multiple times before, only to receive the same response every time.


    The woman in front of him had declared she would only accept the soul contract and his assistance to correct her cultivation base if he could prove he was stronger than her, in other words, by defeating her in an all-out duel.


    Ethan honestly doubted that a battle between two experts of their level was a good idea, considering even their weakest attacks could cause massive destruction.


    Even if they tried to hold back, it would be impossible to avoid significant collateral damage.


    That''s why they had moved to the desert on the eastern edge of the Phoenix Kingdom, where no innocent bystanders would be caught in the crossfire.


    Ethan would''ve much preferred for her to accept the agreement normally, without resorting to a fight.


    While he had somewhat expected this outcome from a battle maniac like her, he still had a small hope that it wouldn''t come to this.


    But it seemed that whatever deity was out there wasn''t answering his prayers, and here he was, forced to comply with the demands of the beautiful woman in front of him.


    In the end, he gave in, deciding to finish this fight as quickly as possible.


    Before they began, Ethan activated a series of symbols in the air, forming a large formation that covered several miles.


    Seeing his actions, Feng Huang couldn''t help but ask what he was doing.


    He replied without stopping his work,


    "It''s a large-scale formation that will hide what we''re doing here from prying eyes," he said as he made the final adjustments.


    "The last thing I want is to attract uninvited guests to our fight," he added, his tone still a bit disgruntled.


    Hearing this, Feng Huang nodded in agreement, as she too disliked being interrupted during a fight.


    She appreciated Ethan''s gesture.


    Once he was done and stood still, she couldn''t help but ask,


    "You''re not going to use any weapon?" she said, a little confused.


    At the moment, she was holding a long sword with a vermillion blade and a golden hilt engraved with inscriptions.


    Ethan could tell these were runes with various effects that amplified the sword''s power.


    He shook his head and made a gesture with his hand, motioning her to attack, as he said,


    "There''s no need. This fight will end much sooner than you think," he declared with a calm yet challenging expression.


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    Seeing his gesture, she narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased at being underestimated.


    With a crazed glint in her eyes, she attacked without another word.


    Ethan, watching her reveal her warrior side, smiled slightly as he prepared to take her attacks head-on.


    It wasn''t that he was underestimating her, but at his current level, he truly didn''t need to go all out against her.


    He could tell her cultivation base had reached the sixth level of the fifth stage, a level that, for him, was nothing.


    After countless battles against the dragon woman, Ethan was certain he could hold his own against a cultivator at the peak of the fifth stage.


    So what was a cultivator still four levels away from that to him?


    And the next series of events only confirmed his earlier statement.


    At the Peng family residence, in a spacious area, seven people stood in front of a cauldron, fully focused on refining their pills. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No one could tell how long they had been at it, but none of them showed any signs of exhaustion as they continued with impassive expressions.


    Finally, after some time, one of them finished the process, extracted their final pill, and carefully placed it into a vial using their spiritual Qi.


    Not long after, the others began finishing one by one, doing the same as the first person.


    Each of them demonstrated a high level of mastery over the technique of manifesting spiritual Qi, a level that rivaled those of many master alchemists skilled in the technique.


    If one of those masters had been present to witness this display, they would''ve been embarrassed to see these seven people performing at nearly the same level as them.


    After all, none of the seven had an alchemy rank beyond the expert level, and even the most advanced among them was only at the peak of that rank.


    That said, there was no doubt that their proficiency in the refinement technique taught by Ethan was impressive.


    Seeing that their final pills turned out well, each of them could only smile inwardly, amazed at how far they had come in less than a month.


    The most skilled among them were two individuals: one of the two Expert alchemists Ethan had trained first and a girl from the group of disciples who had only been at the apprentice level.


    This girl had now reached the expert rank, a full two ranks ahead of her previous level, and was second only to the other expert level alchemist.


    To everyone''s surprise, including Ethan''s, she had proven to be a genius in alchemy.


    Noticing her immense potential in this profession, Ethan had devoted extra time to training her, and within less than a month, her progress had doubled that of anyone else.


    Even Ethan had to admit that, if not for his system, he might''ve been outshone by this little alchemy prodigy.


    As each of them examined their pills, having them appraised by a three-star expert who confirmed their high purity levels, a slight tremor shook the area for a second before stopping.


    Before anyone could question what had happened, another series of tremors followed, lasting for a full minute.


    The quakes alarmed not only them but everyone in Sun City and the surrounding territories.

 Chapter 221: Helping the Phoenix Sect

    . Find your adventure at M-V-LIn the desert east of the Phoenix Sect''s domain.


    The once calm and desolate area of the desert was now a scene of chaos and destruction.


    The small hills that used to define the landscape had been leveled, the previously untouched ground now marked by craters and massive gashes resembling the slashes of a giant blade.


    At the center of this disorder stood two figures.


    They were none other than the culprits behind all this havoc.


    One of them, a refined and handsome man, floated leisurely in the air, gazing downward at the other figure, a woman.


    Unlike the composed man, the woman was panting heavily, using her longsword as a support while staring at him with a complex expression.


    "I�� was defeated so easily?"


    Feng Huang, who not long ago had boldly challenged Ethan to a duel, now found herself reflecting on the events of the past few minutes.


    From the start, she had given it her all, unleashing her most powerful techniques without holding back.


    But to her shock, none of her attacks had managed to harm Ethan. He remained aloft, casually deflecting every single strike.


    Even when she engaged him in close combat, her sword was effortlessly stopped by the palm of his hand, which seemed less like flesh and more like iron.


    From sword techniques to close combat moves, nothing seemed to faze him.


    In fact, every attack she launched was brushed aside as if it were nothing.


    Halfway through the fight, she decided to release her beast form, transforming into a massive and majestic phoenix in the sky.


    Ethan, watching this transformation, displayed a fleeting look of interest before returning to his usual calm demeanor, as though waiting for her next move.


    Irritated by his nonchalant attitude, she charged at him at full speed, her confidence fueled by her flames.


    If there was one thing she was certain of, it was the strength of her fire.


    Few knew this, but the beast she had subdued had not only granted her its soul but also a rare flame, one so extraordinary that even among mortals, it was a treasure possessed by only a select few.


    This flame had drastically enhanced the power of her beast form, which, being aligned with the fire element, gained an unparalleled advantage from it.


    This alone had established her as one of the strongest fifth-stage cultivators on the continent. With it, she could even outmatch other sect masters who were at a similar cultivation level.


    Only against the emperor, who was at the peak of the fifth stage, did she stand no chance.


    But against any other fifth stage cultivator, she believed she could prevail, at least in a one on one fight.


    Or so she thought.


    Ethan, who had been motionless throughout, simply repelling her attacks, finally chose to counter.


    Just as she closed in on him, he moved his hand, summoning an invisible, overwhelming aura. In an instant, it enveloped her beast form.


    She wasn''t sure what happened next. The moment the aura engulfed her, she lost all control over her beast soul, and within seconds, she was forced back into her human form.


    Before she could even process what had happened, a crushing pressure pinned her to the ground out of nowhere.


    The ease with which he had rendered her powerless made her grit her teeth in frustration.


    Various emotions flickered in her eyes as she stared at Ethan, who had begun descending.


    Surprisingly, none of these emotions were negative.


    Apart from frustration, her feelings ranged from admiration to joy, even excitement.


    "..."


    Ethan, observing her reaction, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    He was certain she was already thinking about their next battle.


    ''As expected of a combat maniac.''


    Ethan had speculated before that the Phoenix Sect Master might be a reckless person who loved fighting and growing stronger. After today''s brief duel, he was sure of it.


    This woman was truly obsessed with battle.


    Though he thought it was risky to associate with someone like her, he also felt it might work to his advantage.


    He had already defeated her, so she wouldn''t refuse to form a soul contract with him. That alone made things much simpler.


    Her relentless desire to become stronger was an added bonus, making it easier to convince her to follow his guidance.


    He had promised to help her correct her cultivation foundation, but "correct" wasn''t entirely accurate.


    It was more like dismantling her flawed foundation entirely and rebuilding it from scratch.


    This meant erasing decades, if not centuries of cultivation, only to repeat the process with an even more complex method.


    No cultivator would agree to something like that easily, but Ethan believed that after seeing how effortlessly he had cornered her, Feng Huang wouldn''t refuse.


    And just as he predicted, she ultimately agreed to form a soul contract with him, as promised.


    The contract''s conditions weren''t overly complicated.


    It essentially stated that he would help her and her sect grow stronger in exchange for her not divulging his methods or information.


    The most critical point of the contract was the confidentiality clause.


    Ethan knew that helping her within a year or two wasn''t feasible.


    At the fifth stage, even minor adjustments required a lot of time.


    So he decided to use the time difference in his minor dimension to speed up her cultivation after the procedure.


    To keep this method a secret, he proposed the soul contract.


    Otherwise, he would have simply aided the sect with a few defensive and enhancement arrays and left.


    But he knew that wouldn''t help the sect much in the long run.


    With this settled, Ethan could finally move forward with the rest of his plans.


    The next step was to assist the sect. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had already provided Feng Huang with a complete and accurate cultivation method.


    This method was designed to adapt to the cultivator''s element and other unique traits.


    After that, he erected several arrays across the entire Phoenix Sect''s territory.


    Many of these were level-three defensive arrays, sufficient to protect the sect from a fifth-stage mortal cultivator.


    He then enhanced the spiritual vein beneath the mountain where the sect was located.


    This spiritual vein, being of the fire element, would primarily benefit fire-aligned cultivators.


    However, Ethan modified his enhancement array so that it could transform the spiritual energy into a more versatile form.


    Once absorbed by the disciples, it would adapt to their element and unique physique.


    So the rest of the month passed in this way.


    By the end, the entire Phoenix Sect noticed a drastic increase in the spiritual energy in the air.


    The commotion was contained by Feng Huang, who, after handling some matters, visited Ethan''s residence.


    Together, they finally departed for his minor dimension.

 Chapter 222: Little Monster

    .Since the day of the battle against Ethan, Feng Huang had been questioning how her disciple had managed to achieve such a high level of power in so little time.


    As someone who had reached the highest cultivation stage in the mortal plane, she was well aware of how difficult it was to attain that level.


    She knew that talent alone wasn''t enough; immense time and patience were also required to cultivate to that extent.


    Feng Huang herself was born with extraordinary cultivation talent, which had allowed her to reach the Fifth Stage in a far shorter time than other Fifth-Stage cultivators.


    In fact, she was the youngest high-stage cultivator among the three reigning sect masters of the empire.


    Although she didn''t show it, she took pride in this accomplishment, but that pride was utterly shattered when Ethan defeated her a few days ago.


    The level of power he displayed wasn''t something one could achieve in a mere two years.


    It wasn''t even feasible to reach such heights in a century, and yet here he was, claiming he had no cultivation two years ago when she saved him.


    Even she knew that was true because back then, she hadn''t sensed any trace of spiritual Qi within him, and judging from his condition, it was hard to believe he had suppressed his cultivation.


    And yet, here he was, after only two years, a Fifth-Stage cultivator.


    To make matters worse, his appearance wasn''t that of someone barely past twenty but rather of a full-grown adult.


    The more she thought about it, the more inconsistencies she found in him.


    In the end, she decided to wait for him to tell her everything as he had promised.


    So, after her defeat, she no longer hesitated and accepted the soul contract.


    When she arrived at his residence, she noticed it didn''t seem like it had ever been used.


    The conditions of the place were akin to those of an abandoned building.


    Dust could even be seen settling on some of the furniture, clearly not just due to a lack of cleaning.


    She didn''t dwell on it for long, and when she finally reached Ethan, he asked if she was ready.


    She didn''t understand the meaning of the question, but as soon as she answered yes, she was struck by a brief sensation of dizziness. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her senses were scrambled, thrown into chaos for a fleeting moment before they returned to normal.


    Although the experience lasted less than a second, it was enough to leave her bewildered, especially when she realized she was no longer in the residence.


    What she now perceived was a completely different place.


    She immediately examined her surroundings and realized they weren''t even within the Phoenix Sect, nor for that matter, within the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Since it was her territory, she would''ve immediately recognized it with her spiritual senses. This wasn''t it.


    A flash of confusion crossed her mind as she began observing more details of the place.


    ''Hm? This concentration of spiritual energy��''


    The first thing she noticed was the overwhelming density of spiritual Qi in the air. It far exceeded anything she had ever encountered.


    Just by breathing it, she could tell that her cultivation had progressed, albeit to an infinitesimally small extent.


    As she grew more puzzled by this mysterious location, Ethan, standing a few meters away, smiled and said:


    "Welcome to my world."


    Another month passed.


    During this time, Ethan mostly stayed at the Peng family residence, helping the group of seven alchemists increase their productivity.


    He spent the first day within his minor dimension, helping Feng Huang adapt to her new environment.


    He also assisted her in expelling all the errors in her cultivation base.


    Naturally, this caused her cultivation to regress. By the end of the process, she was left at the Third Stage.


    Normally, it would''ve been even lower, but Ethan managed to preserve fragments of her previous cultivation while removing all the problematic aspects.


    Even so, she ended up two stages lower than before.


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    Afterward, he taught her the correct technique and helped her find a compatible spirit beast.


    Thanks to his mastery of soul manipulation, he quickly guided her through the proper methods.


    However, he had to admit that with Feng Huang''s talent, she handled most of the process independently.


    To their surprise, the spirit she summoned was a fire elemental in the form of a miniature phoenix.


    Seeing it, Ethan could only conclude that this was likely due to her having assimilated a phoenix beast''s soul in the past.


    Once she was settled and left in the minor dimension to recover her cultivation properly this time, Ethan returned to the outside world to deal with his affairs.


    By the end of the month, the alchemical abilities of the seven had improved dramatically.


    Currently, five of them had reached the rank of Expert, with one of them at the peak of this rank.


    The remaining two managed to advance to the rank of Master Alchemist, an achievement that thrilled everyone, especially the Peng family patriarch.


    One of the two was the alchemist who had doubted Ethan''s abilities. Now, he was nearly at the Two-Star level.


    The other, to everyone''s surprise, wasn''t his colleague, who had already been at One-Star Expert rank, but rather a young woman among the five who had only been an Apprentice at the start of their training.


    The young woman, named Ming Yu, was a member of a Peng family branch.


    During Ethan''s teachings, it was discovered that she possessed an extraordinary natural talent for alchemy, a talent even Ethan had to admire.


    Eager to see how far she could go, Ethan pushed her to her limits.


    To his surprise, she learned three times faster than her peers, and by the end of the month, she had reached the entry-level rank of Master Alchemist.


    If word got out that a girl barely nineteen years old had achieved such a rank, many Master Alchemists would probably die of shock, questioning what they had done with their lives.


    Although she was currently second in skill, the Two-Star cultivator knew it was only a matter of time before she surpassed him, and he was right.


    One month later, she outpaced him, reaching the rank of Three-Star Master Alchemist.


    Ethan praised the young woman and decided to appoint her as the leader of the alchemist group he had formed.


    No one objected to this decision since everyone had witnessed her capabilities firsthand.


    The only person to comment was Bai Yu, who teased Ethan, claiming he was more interested in young girls than in mature and beautiful women like herself.


    By now Ethan had got used to the dragon woman''s teasing.


    Instead of arguing back, he threatened to withhold Coke from her for a month before returning to his lessons.


    The patriarch, proud that his family had produced such a talent, felt he could finally die in peace, but he was approached by Ethan who seemed to have other plans for him

 Chapter 223: Becoming Young Again

    .Ever since Ethan decided to enter secluded cultivation once again, one of the tasks he had resolved to complete beforehand was ensuring that the Peng family could stand on their own, even in his absence.


    Training several skilled alchemists was one step toward maintaining dominance in this side of the Sun City''s market.


    However, Ethan knew it wouldn''t be enough on its own.


    For now, their rivals had retreated, aware that an alchemist of his caliber was backing the Peng family.


    But Ethan understood that as soon as they realized he was absent for an extended period, they would undoubtedly resurface.


    Ethan had already secured the favor of two Grandmaster Alchemists from the empire.


    This alone provided his business with a layer of protection from competing forces.


    However, Ethan knew such favor wouldn''t last forever, and he intended to address this issue.


    "Don''t you think it''s time to start cultivating again?" Ethan asked, looking at the elderly figure of the Peng family patriarch, who stared back with a confused expression.


    "What do you mean?" the old man asked, perplexed by the sudden question.


    He assumed Ethan already knew about his bottleneck, which had kept him from progressing in cultivation.


    Normally, he might have thought Ethan had a solution, but considering his age, the patriarch understood it was likely too late to make up for his lost time.


    Ethan didn''t reply immediately. Instead, he took out a small vial containing a single gray pill with spiral patterns etched onto its surface.


    The patriarch''s eyes widened at the sight of the pill as he immediately recognized what it was.


    "Wait... Is that what I think it is?" he asked, recalling news from a few months back about the miraculous pill that could rejuvenate a person.


    Based on the limited information he had gathered through his contacts, the pill''s creator had participated in the Imperial Alchemy Tournament and sold the final product at auction for an exorbitant price.


    If memory served him correctly, the pill was called...


    "The Pill of Eternal Youth," he muttered in astonishment.


    The longer he looked at it, the more certain he became of its identity.


    "Wait... So you''re the creator of the pill?" he asked, piecing things together.


    The patriarch knew the auctioned pill had already been purchased, but he also knew that the alchemist assisting his family had participated in the tournament and achieved impressive results.


    That had led to the Sun City''s factions ceasing all pressure on the Peng family.


    Although he had found their behavior strange, he lacked the full picture.


    Now, seeing this pill, he realized the truth and understood everything.


    Ethan simply nodded and tossed the vial to the old man, who nearly had a heart attack.


    He leaped up with surprising speed to catch the vial before it could hit the ground.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" the patriarch asked, still bewildered.


    "I''m giving it to you. It''s time you regained your strength and resumed cultivating. After all, the Peng family still needs you," Ethan said nonchalantly.


    The old man hesitated. He understood the value of such an object.


    For him, Ethan''s efforts in training alchemists for the Peng family were already an incredible gesture.


    Accepting this pill left him uncertain of how he could ever repay Ethan.


    Before he could voice his doubts, Ethan spoke again.


    "Don''t worry. Producing more of these pills isn''t a problem for me. I''m giving you this so you can protect your family a little longer.


    That stubborn Da Shu, is still too weak.


    He needs more time to reach a level where he can replace you. Until then, I hope you''ll continue to guide and protect him," Ethan explained.


    Ethan had considered ways to help Da Shu improve more quickly.


    However, unless he sent Da Shu into his minor dimension to cultivate, there was no way for him to advance to the fifth stage in a short time.


    Ethan had already allowed Feng Hang to use his minor dimension and didn''t want to introduce anyone else for the moment.


    Instead, he intended to ensure Da Shu could cultivate quickly in the outside world while he himself retreated for a year of secluded cultivation in the minor dimension.


    That year in the real world was equivalent to almost a hundred years in the minor dimension.


    He estimated it would be enough time to reach the pinnacle of the fifth stage and perhaps even surpass it.


    The true challenge would come after reaching the peak.


    As this was his first time, Ethan wasn''t sure how long it would take to break into the Spiritual Realm.


    He also suspected the system wouldn''t assist him this time.


    Eventually the patriarch gave in and accepted the pill.


    Ethan quickly set up a formation around the area to ensure nothing could disturb the absorption process.


    Once prepared, Peng Yun, now seated in the spacious hall of his manor, took the pill and began the process of absorption.


    Among the many benefits of this pill, one was its ability to grant an additional 500 years of life to its user.


    The patriarch, already over a hundred years old, would not have lived beyond 300 years with his current cultivation.


    However, with this pill, he would regain much of his lost vitality and add several centuries to his lifespan.


    The time required to fully absorb the pill varied between cultivators.


    Typically, it took only a few hours to complete the process, and Indeed, after three hours, visible changes began to manifest.


    The temperature of the patriarch''s body rose as black beads of sweat began forming on his skin.


    These were impurities that had accumulated in his body over the years and were now being expelled. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For most cultivators, impurities ceased to accumulate significantly after the body-refining stage.


    However, due to his stagnant cultivation, the patriarch''s body had continued to accumulate them over time.


    Ethan watched as the process unfolded, from the initial purification to the rejuvenation of the patriarch''s organs, followed by the shedding of old skin to reveal a fresh, healthy layer beneath.


    In essence, the patriarch was undergoing a metamorphosis similar to that of a snake shedding its skin.


    The entire process took seven hours.


    At one point, Da Shu arrived, drawn by the fluctuations in the area, and witnessed the transformation.


    Boom!


    At the end of the seven hours, the patriarch''s stagnant cultivation base surged, leaping several levels to the peak of his current stage, just a step away from reaching the fourth stage.


    He had finally broken through his bottleneck and fully absorbed the pill.


    Where once an elderly man had sat cross-legged on the ground, now stood a youthful figure who appeared no older than thirty.

 Chapter 224: Crazy Women

    .Peng Yun opened his eyes, which now radiated a vibrant energy and an overwhelming sense of presence.


    He had transformed from an old man with only a few decades of life left into someone who had regained his prime years.


    Even his cultivation had surged to the peak of his current stage, just a step away from advancing to the next stage.


    Da Shu, witnessing his grandfather''s rejuvenated appearance, couldn''t help but stand there in shock, mumbling to himself.


    "Hey, Ethan, what the hell did you feed him? Got any of that for me too?" he asked, already imagining all the ways he could use such a miraculous remedy.


    "Sure, I could give you some," Ethan replied nonchalantly, "but then your house would be overrun by fourth and fifth-stage cultivators."


    "Nevermind then."


    While the two chatted, Peng Yun finally stood up and stretched his newly revitalized body.


    Clenching his hand into a fist, he could feel the immense power coursing through it.


    He believed he could now reach heights he had only dreamed of before, heights he never thought he would achieve in this lifetime.


    As Da Shu and Ethan observed the moving sight of the patriarch returning to his former glory, their expressions shifted from joy to bewilderment.


    With trembling hands, Peng Yun grabbed the lower part of his martial robes and peeked inside with a look of expectation.


    "I-it''s alive. The dragon has risen," the old man murmured tearfully. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Da Shu nodded in agreement, Ethan couldn''t help but wonder why everyone in this family seemed to be missing a few screws.


    After restoring the patriarch''s body, it was time to boost his cultivation.


    Although Ethan couldn''t immediately push him to the fourth or fifth stage, he could at least ensure that Peng Yun would have a much easier path to get there.


    He taught Peng Yun the method to bond with a spiritual beast and provided him with a collection of high-grade cultivation materials.


    Considering the lack of spiritual energy in this realm, Ethan created a formation in a section of the training grounds. The formation concentrated spiritual energy in the area, increasing its density significantly.


    A month passed in this manner, and the progress Peng Yun made exceeded all expectations. He achieved in that short time what would normally take more than a year.


    Meanwhile, on the alchemy front, another grandmaster had emerged. Ming Yu, in particular, advanced to the level of a three-star alchemist.


    Ethan believed that by the end of the year, the young girl might even achieve the rank of grandmaster alchemist.


    However, he thought it was equally important for her to improve her cultivation.


    The last thing he wanted was for her to become a target because of her exceptional talent. It wouldn''t be surprising if other factions, unable to recruit her, decided to eliminate her instead.


    Although the Peng family patriarch was steadily reaching higher levels, he wouldn''t always be able to protect her. For this reason, Ethan resolved to help her in her cultivation as well.


    While all this was happening in his smaller dimension, hundreds of miles from his spiritual garden, the earth trembled.


    The volcanic region, silent since its formation, erupted violently, unleashing chaos and destruction across the surrounding area.


    Amid the eruption, a figure could be seen at the heart of the volcano. Shrouded in a red-orange aura, she floated above the lava, seated cross-legged as if unaffected by the heat.


    The figure took a deep breath before opening her eyes, which glowed like twin suns capable of peering into one''s very soul.


    As the woman collected herself, a voice echoed nearby.


    "I see you''ve regained your old cultivation," said a woman''s voice as she appeared at the edge of the volcano.


    It was Bai Yu, who had come to check on the progress of Feng Huang, the woman who had spent the past years cultivating here to recover her former strength.


    Nearly three months had passed since she had moved to this location, almost the same amount of time Ethan had spent on his earlier closed cultivation.


    Unlike him, who only managed to reach the first level of the fifth stage, Feng Huang had not only recovered her fifth-stage cultivation but had progressed even further, reaching the fourth level.


    Her cultivation speed was extraordinary, but the main reason for her rapid recovery was that Ethan had preserved traces of her previous cultivation base. Combined with the abundant fire spiritual energy in the area, her progress had been significantly accelerated.


    Feng Huang could confidently say that, even though she was only at the fourth level, the power she could unleash was enough to suppress most fifth-stage cultivators.


    The only exceptions was the emperor, who was at the peak of this stage, Ethan, whose true strength was still a mystery to her, and the blue-clad woman standing before her.


    During her time here, Feng Huang had gotten to know Bai Yu and discovered that she was the same woman who had killed the demon Long Hao had fought.


    Feng Huang assumed Bai Yu might be Ethan''s master, and while this was partly true since Bai Yu had trained him for several years, it became clear that their relationship was far from a traditional master-disciple relationship.


    She couldn''t explain why, but every interaction with Bai Yu filled Feng Huang with the urge to strangle her.


    Whether it was due to their opposing elemental affinities or something else entirely, the two women couldn''t sustain a single conversation without clashing.


    Ethan had already been caught in the middle of at least two conflicts between these crazy women.


    Accordingly, he made it his mission to keep them as far away as possible. He did not know what was going on in their minds, nor did he care to find out.


    After helping Feng Huang recover her cultivation and providing her with this location to speed up the process, Ethan returned to the external world, where he still had disciples to train.


    He hoped the two women wouldn''t destroy the territory in his absence, though he doubted he could do much to stop them if they did.


    Bai Yu had a playful personality and never held back when provoking the other woman.


    It turned out that Feng Huang also had a mischievous streak, and she always managed to retort, escalating their disputes into full-blown conflicts.

 Chapter 225: Closed-Door Cultivation II

    .After Feng Huang returned to the Fifth Stage, she spent the rest of her time consolidating her cultivation base.


    Since she was still in the minor dimension, she could take her time, as even several days inside would only amount to a few hours in the outside world.


    While she enjoyed Ethan''s small world, another woman was not happy with her prolonged stay.


    "Brat, don''t you think it''s about time you returned to your sect?" said a grumpy dragon woman.


    She had already grown accustomed to using this place as her home, and seeing another woman intruding on her domain didn''t sit well with her, especially since this particular person annoyed her.


    Bai Yu had reluctantly tolerated the presence of the three cultivators, considering them nothing more than Ethan''s servants, bound by his will.


    She thought of them as little more than household pets. However, things were different when it came to the Phoenix Sect Master.


    "Old hag, leave me alone. Can''t you see I''m relaxing?" Feng Huang snapped, unwilling to back down.


    A vein popped on Bai Yu''s forehead as her Qi began to circulate. She was ready to turn the other woman into a living popsicle.


    Before the situation could escalate further, Ethan intervened, whisking Feng Huang out of his minor dimension.


    Feng Huang had been inside the dimension for over 25 years and hadn''t left her isolation to check on her sect even once.


    Though only a few months had passed in the outside world, for her, it had been many years.


    Aside from cultivating, she had spent her final days consolidating her foundation and exploring the various locations within the small world.


    Much to Ethan''s disappointment, number 5 struck again


    The little brat had somehow managed to win over Feng Huang as well, and Ethan was still trying to figure out how.


    Ethan had placed Number 5''s soul into the giant''s body, and now the minor dimension housed a being over three meters tall with the mind of a five-year-old.


    Without Bai Yu noticing, Ethan had secretly applied several seals to the giant''s body to ensure it would never approach his herb garden.


    He knew Bai Yu would disapprove, but his precious herbs were at stake, so he took the risk and managed to do it under her nose.


    Ethan had brought Feng Huang out because he believed it was time for her to check on the Phoenix Sect.


    The increase in spiritual Qi in the air had led to rapid progress in cultivation for many in the sect.


    This rapid progress, however, was not without consequences.


    As the elders went into seclusion one after another to take advantage of the opportunity, the disciples, now under less supervision, had begun to act bolder.


    In no time, this led to problematic situations within the sect.


    To calm the chaos, Ethan appeared as Feng Huang''s direct disciple and suppressed everyone with his overwhelming presence.


    His sudden appearance shocked everyone, especially those who had been searching for the Sect Master''s second disciple.


    Even the proud Zhao Ming, who had been eager to challenge the second disciple, could only cower in Ethan''s presence.


    Needless to say, Ethan''s appearance caused quite a commotion.


    The elders, who sensed his presence, refrained from intervening, as they knew who he was, though they couldn''t understand how he had become so powerful.


    The most astonished of all was undoubtedly Xiang Hua.


    Having recently returned from the tournament, she had gone into seclusion after the Sect Master as well.


    She couldn''t understand how her junior had reached this level of power, and Ethan wasn''t interested in explaining.


    He brought Feng Huang out and told her it was time to restore order to the sect.


    In other words, he dumped the responsibility on her shoulders and left.


    Having finished everything he needed to do here, Ethan was now ready to begin his closed-door cultivation.


    He had already helped the alchemists in his family achieve a high level of mastery, with all of them reaching the Second Stage and two advancing to the Third.


    They were now capable of using spiritual Qi refinement techniques to perfection.


    Even the little alchemy prodigy was on the verge of becoming a grandmaster.


    Ethan had wisely decided to let her take that final step on her own, knowing that his interference would only hinder her progress.


    The Peng family patriarch had made significant porgress aswell, reaching the Third Level of the Fourth Grade, an impressive feat considering it had only been ten months since he reached this stage. S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan hadn''t left Da Shu behind either.


    The man had already reached the peak of the Second Stage, and Ethan helped both him and his wife break through to the next level.


    At their age, the Third Stage was a big achievement, so after teaching them how to successfully navigate the Fourth Stage, Ethan left their residence.


    He knew the Fourth Stage wouldn''t pose much difficulty for the two, as both had extraordinary talent.


    He was confident that Peng Yun would guide them through the next stage when the time came.


    With everything in place, Ethan was finally ready to enter closed-door cultivation.


    While he could afford to spend over a year cultivating in his minor dimension, he knew it wouldn''t be wise.


    Once he broke through the mortal realm, any further cultivation would likely force him to ascend immediately, and he wasn''t ready for that just yet.


    First he had to deal with the looming threat from the Demon Continent.


    Finally settling in his relaxation area within the herb garden, Ethan prepared himself.


    The garden, surrounded by rare and mystical herbs, created a pleasant and tranquil atmosphere, perfect for his and Bai Yu''s drinking sessions.


    As soon as he arrived, he immediately spotted the dragon woman munching on one of his Millennial Ice Essence Fruits.


    "..."


    -2.89 trillion high-grade spirit stones.


    Ancient scriptures stated that a single Millennial Ice Essence Fruit had cost the dragon woman ten years of cola.

 Chapter 226: 100 Years

    .While the other kingdoms were busy preparing for a possible war against the demons within the next decade, things were completely different at the Phoenix Sect.


    The increase in spiritual Qi in the air, combined with the improvement of the sect''s cultivation techniques, brought a drastic boost to the cultivation progress of all disciples. They wasted no time and worked hard to take full advantage of this opportunity.


    It wasn''t just the outer disciples who made progress, inner disciples, core disciples, and even the elders joined in.


    Only one person was exempt from all this effort: Feng Huang.


    After years spent cultivating within Ethan''s minor dimension, she had grown accustomed to its unique environment.


    Returning to her old routines was beginning to bore her more and more.


    The only thing that still entertained her a little was helping her first direct disciple, Xiang Hua, with her cultivation.


    Although Xiang Hua had also planned to use this period to advance her own cultivation, her master had asked her to practice a different technique from the one she was already accustomed to.


    Trusting her master, she didn''t put up much resistance and began practicing it, and before long, she started seeing the benefits.


    Unfortunately for her, the biggest challenge wasn''t practicing a new technique but forging a bond with a spiritual beast.


    Unlike Feng Huang, who had managed to summon a spiritual beast aligned with her element, Xiang Hua faced problems in this area.


    The first beast that responded to her summoning was an ice deer, a spiritual beast of an element opposite to her own.


    Usually, a spiritual beast aligned with one''s element would respond to the summoning.


    However, in her case, beasts with opposing elements continued to appear.


    Perplexed, she sought Feng Huang''s help, and her master quickly identified the root of the problem.


    It turned out that Xiang Hua had a certain affinity for the Ice element as well, something that hadn''t been revealed when she took the elemental affinity test years ago.


    In short, she had two elements, and they were polar opposites.


    This caused no small amount of trouble, and Feng Huang didn''t know how to help her effectively, as there were no techniques suitable for her situation, at least not any that weren''t flawed like her previous one.


    The best they could do was wait for Ethan to emerge from his isolation in a year or two to see if he had a solution.


    However, as luck would have it, someone else intervened.


    Bai Yu, had decided to take a look at the outside world while Ethan was still in seclusion.


    For Bai Yu, although only a few months had passed for Feng Huang, decades had passed for her.


    During this time, Bai Yu hadn''t been cultivating, and with her cola confiscated by Ethan for an indefinite period, the only thing she could do was explore and see if there was anything interesting to occupy herself with.


    Needless to say, the two women hadn''t stopped bickering with each other. Yet, despite this constant friction, Xiang Hua benefited greatly from their interactions.


    While all of this was happening, time within Ethan''s minor dimension passed quickly. The more the years went by, the more changes could be seen.


    From landscapes that continuously shifted to beasts that kept evolving, nothing remained the same during this period.


    Even Zhong Hei continued to advance in rank, eventually reaching the peak of the fifth stage, making him not only the strongest beast within Ethan''s minor dimension but also the most powerful beast in the outside world.


    A beast of this level could rival beings at the peak of the Fifth Stage, something only a few other creatures could manage, and those that could usually took centuries, if not millennia, to reach such a stage.


    For Zhong Hei, however, this was not an issue. Thanks to his mysterious origins, his growth rate was monstrous, second only to Ethan''s.


    The enormous beast had now reached a length of 500 meters and a diameter exceeding 25 meters.


    But his size wasn''t the only thing that had changed.


    His eyes had grown sharper and more intelligent, while the horns on his head had become longer.


    What once resembled a black snake now looked more like a creature evolving into a classic oriental dragon, much like Bai Yu.


    Although Bai Yu had grown accustomed to his presence and even fond of him to some degree, she still felt an invisible suppressive aura weighing on her bloodline.


    She understood that this wasn''t intentional but rather something natural given the disparity between their respective bloodlines.


    She couldn''t help but think that if he ever appeared on the Celestial Plane, many figures would be shaken by his mere presence.


    Time continued to pass, and before anyone realized it, a hundred years had gone by within the minor dimension.


    Even Bai Yu eventually returned.


    After helping Xiang Hua practice a technique she had provided, she wandered aimlessly for a while. Eventually, bored once again, she returned to Ethan''s minor dimension.


    At this moment, in an area not far from the herb garden, a figure hovered in a meditative position, his body beginning to glow.


    Bai Yu stood a few meters away, watching the scene with a worried expression.


    "It''s starting."


    As if her thought had triggered something, Ethan''s glowing figure suddenly began to crack.


    Visible fractures appeared all over his body, from his hands to his feet, even across his face.


    From these cracks, radiant white energy poured out, growing more and more intense as though his body could no longer contain it.


    And then, all at once, it burst free.


    BOOOOOM!


    It was as if an atomic bomb had gone off, unleashing a massive explosion that spanned several miles and reached almost to the skies of the dimension.


    Had such an explosion occurred in the outside world, it would have leveled at least a third of a kingdom instantly.


    Although the dragon woman was within the explosion''s range, she didn''t seem concerned. She remained where she was, her gaze fixed ahead.


    At first, nothing could be seen in the aftermath, but she kept watching, and eventually, something came into view.


    A small white sphere, no larger than a fist, hovered in the air, radiating an intense light.


    Bai Yu didn''t react to the sight of it. She simply continued to watch, her expression still laced with worry.


    The sphere hung in the air for a while without any changes, and then, finally, something began to happen.


    Thin, almost invisible threads of light started to grow from it, spreading and intertwining like roots extending beneath the ground.


    They continued to grow and branch out until, they formed an indistinct figure.


    The threads twisted and wove together, forming a spinal column.


    Once the spine took shape, ribs, a pelvis, and other parts followed.


    Bit by bit, the threads crafted a complete human skeleton.


    Once it was finished, muscles began to emerge, spreading from the head down to the feet, wrapping the skeleton with veins and organs. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gradually, the structure was enveloped in skin that grew alongside it.


    In what seemed like an instant, the radiant sphere disappeared, leaving in its place the tall figure of a man with long black hair that had a dark green hue at the end.


    His face was flawless, with well defined features, and his body was perfectly proportioned.


    His clothes had been completely destroyed during the process, leaving his form exposed.


    Yet he appeared unconcerned as he stood there with his eyes closed, showing no signs of life.


    Then, a faint heartbeat sounded from his chest, growing stronger until it reached a steady rhythm.


    Finally, the man opened his eyes, which now gleamed with a crystalline blue hue, tinged with a faint green around the edges of his iris, as sharp as a needle.


    Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and said:


    "So this is what it feels like to reach the Spiritual Realm." ??

 Chapter 227: Familiar Aura

    .With his successful advancement to the next rank, even the amphora began to undergo changes.


    The seals on it glowed once again, and one of them lost its brilliance, leaving only three remaining,a mere portion of what had been present before.


    Ethan, however, didn''t pay much attention to this change and instead savored the new sensation coursing through his body.


    He could feel an immense power circulating within him, ready to erupt at the slightest movement.


    His senses, too, had reached a new level, allowing him to perceive everything with unprecedented clarity.


    His perception had become not only much broader but also more precise, to the extent that he could sense a grain of sand thousands of kilometers away.


    As he adjusted to his new perception of the world, Bai Yu, who had witnessed the entire process, flew toward him.


    She approached without hesitation, not caring that he was naked, as his clothes had been destroyed during the breakthrough.


    Upon drawing closer, she couldn''t help but notice the changes in his body.


    These were not limited to his physical appearance, although she had to admit that he had reached a new level in terms of appearance, but extended to the natural aura that now emanated from his entire being.


    It was an aura that could only belong to a being who had transcended mortal bonds and ascended to the next rank.


    As she got closer, she heard Ethan speak for the first time since he brokethrough.


    "So, do you like what you see?" he asked, entirely unfazed by the fact that he was exposed in front of the dragon woman approaching him.


    Bai Yu, already being used to Ethan''s shamelessness, didn''t back away.


    She gave him a once over before letting her gaze linger on a particular area.


    "Not bad, truly not bad. But if you let it grow any further, you might end up scaring off the girls in the future," she said with a smirk.


    "Oh, don''t worry. I understand if you''re intimidated," he replied, waving his hand to materialize a white robe on his body.


    "Hmph, what makes you think I''d be intimidated by that?" she replied.


    After dressing, Ethan exited his minor dimension and immediately reappeared in the skies above the Phoenix Kingdom.


    He spread his spiritual sense, and in no time, it encompassed the entire human continent.


    But he didn''t stop there.


    He could feel that he could extend it much farther than that.


    Expanding his perception further, it grew to a magnitude that would shame any fifth-stage cultivator.


    It grew once, then twice, then three times, continuing to expand as if there were no limit until Ethan suddenly narrowed his eyes and spoke.


    "I sense them."


    In Ethan''s mind, images of two vast landmasses appeared, one to the south of the human continent and the other to the west.


    He had managed to sense the two other continents, and just as he located them, he extended his perception even further, enveloping the two additional continents as well.


    At that moment, as he examined the two continents, he sensed two powerful auras.


    They belonged to beings at the first stage of the Spiritual Realm.


    "So there are indeed beings who have transcended the mortal realm in this plane," he thought, not particularly alarmed by their presence.


    He could tell that the two hadn''t noticed him, and given that they were at his level of cultivation, he didn''t fear them at all.


    From what he could sense, both appeared to be in a dormant state.


    He wasn''t sure why this was the case, but he could make an guess.


    While Ethan was aware of the significant difference between a mortal rank and a Spiritual Realm cultivator, he was confident that as long as they weren''t at a higher stage than him, he could fight and defeat them.


    The one on the demonic side was expected, but the second being at the Spiritual Realm originating from the Beast Continent was a surprise.


    Investigating further, Ethan suddenly noticed something.


    "This aura��"


    Ethan turned toward the direction of the Beast Continent and took a step forward.


    Instantly, he vanished from his spot and, within less than a second, appeared above a large city surrounding what seemed to be a colossal tree.


    The tree stretched skyward, almost reaching the clouds.


    Ethan examined the tree and confirmed what he had sensed.


    "So this is where that seed came from," he thought, Recalling the seed rich in spiritual wood Qi, he had planted in his garden. Sear?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The seed had indeed sprouted and, over the course of a hundred years, had grown into a tree twenty meters tall.


    After noticing its growth and confirming that the tree still appeared to be growing, Ethan created a central area in his garden to plant it.


    Though he hadn''t known what kind of tree it was, he had been certain that within another few centuries, it would grow large enough for him to identify it.


    But now, seeing the colossal tree before him, he understood its origins.


    "A Tree of Life��


    I wonder how it ended up in this plane," Bai Yu said suddenly, appearing beside him.


    She had remained in his minor dimension and managed to follow him here.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to, given the barriers cast over the three continents.


    Now that Ethan had broken through to the Spiritual Realm, the seal on the amphora had weakened significantly, and Bai Yu could easily shatter it if she wanted to.


    However, she chose not to, for now.


    She knew that doing so would cause her to ascend automatically, and she wanted to wait until Ethan had finished his business in this plane.


    The presence of the tree was unexpected, but even more surprising was the fact that the second Spiritual Realm aura he was sensing originated from the tree itself.


    Ethan examined the tree more closely and immediately noticed a humanoid figure within it.


    Now that he could get a closer look at the Spiritual Realm being from the Beast Continent, he could make some assumptions about why it was in this state.


    The being he had perceived within the tree wasn''t a beastman nor a member of any other race.


    It appeared more like a spiritm a wood elemental spirit.


    Though it was Ethan''s first time seeing one, he could recognize it instantly due to certain distinctive traits of its existence.


    He theorized that, being a wood elemental spirit, it might have transformed into a tree over time.


    Just from the energy radiating from its body, the surrounding vegetation would have flourished uncontrollably.


    This was already evident from the vegetation that filled the city and the lush vegetation of the surrounding areas.


    Ethan wondered if the being in the Demonic Continent was in a similar state.


    "Well, since I''m here, I might as well tour this continent," he thought.


    He intended to do the same in the Demonic Continent, though he planned far more than just a simple sightseeing visit there.

 Chapter 228: Celestial Tree City

    .When Ethan learned of the existence of another continent, he was somewhat surprised.


    He had always assumed that the land he lived on was the only one in existence, believing it to be a vast, singular landmass.


    After all, Earth itself had once been a single large supercontinent.


    But discovering that this world had already split into three separate continents, and not through natural causes, but because of someone''s actions, was undoubtedly a major shock for him.


    Since then, he had often wondered whether the beast race here resembled the ones he had imagined while reading novels in his previous world.


    Depictions of intelligent beasts, as humanlike as they were diverse, capable of assuming humanoid forms, were not uncommon in the novels he had read.


    He found himself wondering if that was the case here.


    At the moment, Ethan was walking through the streets of the grand city built around the colossal Tree of Life, observing his surroundings.


    He had retained his usual appearance, and although he was walking openly in public, no one seemed to notice him.


    ''


    Hmm, so this is how it is,'' he thought, watching the city''s inhabitants go about their daily routines.


    The city itself resembled those of humans, with the sole exception being the unique features that distinguished its residents.


    They had humanoid forms, all of them bipedal rather than the quadrupeds one might typically associate with beasts.


    Despite their humanlike appearances, they each bore distinctive traits such as tails, fur, long muzzles, large ears, and so on.


    The image of fully human girls with nothing more than animal ears and tails was quickly dispelled, something that disappointed him slightly.


    Bai Yu, who still had part of her soul linked to his, sensed his thoughts and nearly kicked him.


    Currently, just like Ethan, she was walking alongside him, examining the city.


    Unlike Ethan, who was seeing the beast race for the first time, Bai Yu was not surprised.


    Coming from the higher heavens, where a wide variety of races coexisted, this was nothing new to her.


    "If it makes you feel better, there are also beastkin like the ones you''re imagining," she said, shaking her head.


    Ethan feigned indifference, but inwardly he was pleased.


    That said, he began to wonder if such beastkin existed in this place.


    After all, he had no intention of blending in by pretending to be covered in fur, nor could he remain camouflaged forever.


    He expanded his spiritual sense across the entire city to see if there were any other types of beastkin and, to his surprise, he found some.


    Eventually, Ethan decided to cast an illusion spell on himself and Bai Yu.


    With this, the two of them would appear as natives of this continent in the eyes of the city''s inhabitants.


    He had no desire to walk around with a mask again, so he opted for this solution.


    Given his current level, his illusion was flawless and could not be discovered by anyone weaker than him, in other words, no one on this plane could uncover his true identity.


    After some investigation, he and Bai Yu discovered that the city was called


    Ti��n Sh�� Ch��ng,


    meaning "Celestial Tree City."


    It seemed the people of this city revered the giant tree to some extent.


    According to what he had heard, once every decade, the giant tree would bless the city, healing all illnesses and, according to some, even bringing good fortune.


    Ethan could understand the part about curing diseases. After all, the tree was anything but ordinary.


    As for the claims about luck, he was skeptical. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The wood-attributed Qi emanating from the tree could certainly aid in healing, but it had nothing to do with fortune.


    What interested Ethan more was how the tree had ended up here.


    Judging by its size, he estimated that it had been here for millennia, if not longer.


    He had tried asking around, but no one seemed to know when the tree had first appeared.


    It seemed to have always been there, with the city gradually built around it over time.


    Ethan spent the day investigating further and eventually decided to stay at an inn in the city.


    Aside from a few minor details here and there, the city was very similar to a human one, so Ethan had no trouble navigating it.


    Arriving at the inn, he asked for a room for two.


    Though a single room would have sufficed, since neither of them slept and could retreat into his minor dimension if needed, he opted for a room for two to avoid suspicion.


    The receptionist, a rabbit beastwoman, said:


    "Of course, we have several rooms available.


    It will be 3


    fest


    for one night, and an additional 2


    fest


    if you''d like meals included," the receptionist said.


    Hearing the unfamiliar currency, Ethan was momentarily at a loss for words.


    ''Shit, why didn''t I think of this earlier?'' He had spent the entire day exploring but hadn''t once considered that the currency here would be different.


    He had seen some people using what appeared to be silver coins with a distinctive engraving on them.


    He assumed those were the local currency.


    "Dear, did you forget the money at home? If you want, I can lend you some," said the dragon woman pretending to be his companion, clearly enjoying the opportunity to tease him.


    Ethan was tempted to punish her on the spot but restrained himself as he quickly thought of a solution.


    ''Spirit stones should be a universal currency, right?'' he suddenly thought.


    "Do you accept these?" he asked, pulling a spirit stone from his pocket.


    Upon seeing the stone, no larger than a fingernail, the rabbit woman nearly jumped in shock.


    With a panicked expression, she stammered,


    "Esteemed sir, a spirit stone is far too much. I don''t have enough


    fest


    to give you change!"


    It seemed spirit stones were a bit too valuable here, Ethan thought.


    "There''s no need for change; you can keep the rest," he said and finally headed to his room.


    Upon entering, they found a slightly spacious room with a double bed, a table with what appeared to be a lamp, and a window on the left side that offered a view of the city''s darkened streets.


    It was already nighttime, so aside from a few lights, there wasn''t much to see.


    Unlike some human cities, the inhabitants here didn''t seem to stay up late, at least not in this part of the city.


    "What are you planning to do with him?" Bai Yu asked as she threw herself onto the bed.


    "Eh, I was thinking of waiting a bit longer to see what his intentions are.


    But maybe it''d be faster to ask him directly," Ethan replied, vanishing from where he stood.


    "Don''t bully him, or you''ll have to deal with me." Bai Yu warned.

 Chapter 229: Guo Tao

    .In a small shop on the outskirts of Ti��n Sh�� Ch��ng, a boy no older than 15 was sweeping the shop''s floor.


    His name was Guo Tao, and he was a native of this city.


    After the death of his parents several years ago, he and his sister were the only ones left.


    To provide for her, he decided to take on any odd jobs he could find in the city, earning just enough for both of them.


    Although life was difficult, he managed to overcome adversity one way or another,


    until two years ago, when his sister fell ill.


    Unable to afford any treatment, even the doctor he had tried so hard to convince to see her admitted that he had no idea of ??her condition.


    Despite his despair, Guo Tao had been tirelessly searching for medicines that might cure her ever since.


    At the moment, his sister''s condition was stable, but only to a certain extent.


    Confined to her bed, he constantly feared that something might happen to her every time he left for work.


    Because of this, he always tried to finish his tasks quickly so he could rush home, buying whatever little food he could afford along the way.


    Today was no different from any other day.


    As soon as his work was done, he received his daily wage and headed to a nearby grocery shop to buy some bread before returning home.


    He had been fortunate to find a job after so long, working at an antique shop, where the elderly owner decided to take him in to help with cleaning and other small tasks.


    This allowed him to earn a modest daily wage, not much, but just enough for him and his sister.


    The mere fact that he now had a somewhat stable job was already a vast improvement compared to his earlier years.


    Back then, he had to scrape together odd jobs around the city daily.


    At least now, the days when he had to skip meals because he earned nothing were gone,


    and that was already a lot for him.


    This also meant he could dedicate some time to searching for a cure for his sister.


    Though he had failed in recent years, he never gave up.


    Guo Tao believed the doctor he had brought back then wasn''t skilled enough, and he thought that if he could save enough money, he might be able to bring in someone more qualified.


    This belief was what gave him the strength to endure his daily hardships and persevere.


    Just as he passed by the grocery shop, his gaze caught sight of a pair of people walking along the city''s main street.


    At first glance, the pair seemed ordinary and unremarkable, drawing no attention,


    but to Guo Tao, they were anything but ordinary.


    "Who are they?"


    He knew of another race besides their own, the humans.


    However, to his knowledge, humans had their own territory far from the city, and they weren''t allowed entry here.


    The thought that this pair might be humans didn''t even cross his mind. Instead, his eyes widened as an idea struck him.


    "C-could they be...?"


    It was common knowledge that once someone reached a certain stage of cultivation, they could assume a more refined bipedal form, one similar to humans, but more elegant.


    This was the first time he had ever seen anyone so strikingly beautiful, especially the woman walking beside the man.


    He could confidently say that he had never seen anyone as beautiful in his entire life,


    and this only solidified his suspicion that they were high-level beings of their race.


    "Maybe they can help me."


    Thinking that beings of their level might have a cure for his sister, Guo Tao decided to deviate from his usual route and began following them, keeping a safe distance.


    By nature, he was skeptical of others, and his recent years had only heightened his caution toward strangers.


    Harsh realities had forced him to mature faster than a boy his age should.


    The more he tailed the pair, the more bewildered he became at how no one seemed fazed by their presence.


    He couldn''t understand why everyone treated the pair as normal people.


    Even in their brief interactions around the city, the reactions were entirely ordinary, something that felt strange to him.


    After all, it was well-known that even a small offense to someone of high standing could ruin a person''s life. Everyone typically maintained a respectful demeanor toward such figures,


    but he saw none of that here.


    After nearly an hour of tailing them, Guo Tao found himself in an alley in front of an inn.


    Seeing the two enter the building, he grew even more confused. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Why would people of their stature stay at a place like this?


    He began to think that perhaps asking them for help wasn''t a good idea.


    Everything about this situation felt too strange, and if there was one thing he had learned in recent years, it was to avoid troublesome situations.


    But the thought that there might be even the slightest chance to cure his sister was hard to ignore.


    "What if..."


    Just as he was debating whether to leave, a calm voice sounded beside him.


    "Are you lost?"


    Hearing the man''s voice, Guo Tao jumped in fright, taking a few steps back as he instinctively became alert.


    "When did he get behind me?"


    He was horrified at the fact that the man he had just seen enter the inn was now suddenly behind him.


    Ethan, observing the boy''s reaction, noticed something.


    Just as Guo Tao was about to come up with any excuse, Ethan spoke.


    "You can see my real form, can''t you?"


    Guo Tao wasn''t sure what he meant but shook his head, thinking it was better not to reveal he had been following them.


    But then he realized something.


    If these two were truly who he thought they were, it wouldn''t have been difficult for them to notice him.


    With this thought, his expression darkened, his mind racing to find a way out of this situation.


    Seeing the boy remain silent, Ethan took a step toward him and said,


    "Why don''t we have a little chat?"


    Guo Tao felt a chill run down his spine at the man''s smile.


    He turned and ran for his life.


    Unfortunately for him, he was far too slow, and inevitably, Ethan caught him.

 Chapter 230: Eye of Clarity

    . S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.For Guo Tao, the following sequence of events happened far too quickly.


    Somehow, his ordinary day had turned into being abducted by a stranger.


    Now, in the room where Bai Yu and Ethan were staying, Guo Tao sat trembling in front of Ethan, who stared him down with piercing eyes.


    "Well, are you finally ready to talk?" Ethan asked in a low, menacing voice.


    Under Ethan''s intimidating gaze, Guo Tao was shaking, wondering if he could escape this situation at all.


    He wanted to ask for their help to cure his sister, but at the same time, he feared that making such an abrupt request might bring trouble upon himself.


    Seeing the boy tremble, Ethan was about to speak again when,


    Bump!


    Bai Yu smacked him on the head as she approached the frightened boy.


    "I told you not to scare him,


    Don''t worry, he''s just teasing you" she said as she approached him, smiling warmly.


    Witnessing the scene, Ethan thought in frustration


    ''Woman, why do you make me look like the bad guy?''


    Feeling more at ease with the blue-eyed woman, Guo Tao decided to take a chance and, with great difficulty, said:


    "I-I just wanted to find a cure for my sister."


    Hearing this, an invisible question mark seemed to appear above both Ethan''s and Bai Yu''s heads.


    "My sister�� It''s been years since she fell ill.


    The doctor who examined her doesn''t know what disease she has, so now she''s bedridden.


    When I saw you two, I thought maybe you''d know something about her illness," Guo Tao explained.


    "Hmm? What makes you think we could help? You don''t even know us," Ethan responded coldly.


    Bai Yu nodded in agreement.


    "Well, it''s because you''re strong��?" Guo Tao answered hesitantly.


    "��"


    "��"


    ''What kind of logic is that?'' Ethan thought as he was about to say something but was stopped by Bai Yu''s gaze.


    She turned to the boy and asked gently, "Why do you think we''re strong?"


    "Because of your complete human forms," Guo Tao replied, somewhat confused.


    Bai Yu and Ethan exchanged puzzled glances.


    Then, noticing something unusual, Bai Yu asked,


    "Wait, can you see our true forms?"


    Guo Tao nodded uncertainly, not understanding why the question was significant.


    Ethan couldn''t fathom how the boy could see through his illusion spell, but then an idea struck him.


    ''Wait, I might be able to use that.''


    When Ethan broke into the spiritual realm, he unlocked new system features, one of which was an intriguing item in the system''s shop.


    He opened the system interface and navigated to the shop section.


    ''There it is.''


    He selected the item he was looking for and issued a mental command.


    ''Analyze the boy in front of me.''


    As soon as the command was given, a familiar sound echoed in his mind, and a screen appeared before him.


    Ding!


    Ding!


    [Analysis of the beastman in progress...]


    [Analysis complete.]


    [Information is ready to be viewed.]


    [Cost: 100 Sp]


    Without hesitation, Ethan paid the price, and a status screen listing Guo Tao''s information appeared before him.


    .


    [---------------------------------


    Name


    : Guo Tao


    Age


    : 15


    Cultivation


    : N/A


    Description


    : A boy from the White Wolf race, originating from Ti��n Sh�� City.


    ...


    Abilities


    :


    > Eye of Clarity (lvl. 1)


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    Aside from the boy''s basic information, there wasn''t much else to see until Ethan checked the abilities section and noticed he had one.


    ''Eye of Clarity?''


    One of the system''s functions allowed him to "Analyze," an ability to discern detailed information about living beings or objects.


    So far, Ethan hadn''t found much use for it, but now he decided to test its effectiveness, and the results didn''t disappoint.


    He wondered if this ability was what allowed Guo Tao to see through their illusion spell.


    Ethan selected the ability, and another screen appeared before him:


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Eye of Clarity]


    Level


    : 1


    Description


    : This ability grants the user the power to pierce through illusions and deception, revealing the hidden truth behind any facade.


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the description, Ethan couldn''t help but be impressed.


    ''What a broken ability,'' he thought, imagining the various uses for such a skill.


    However, he wondered how a boy with no cultivation base could possess such an ability.


    Judging by their earlier interaction, it seemed Guo Tao didn''t even know he had this skill and considered it a normal trait.


    Ethan was confident in this assessment, as his current cultivation level made it easy to detect lies or inconsistencies in others.


    When the boy said he could see their true forms, Ethan could tell he genuinely didn''t know about the illusion spell Ethan had cast on himself.


    The illusion spell wasn''t particularly powerful, and Ethan had thought it sufficient for their needs.


    But now, reconsidering the situation, he thought he should have strengthened it a bit more.


    In an unfamiliar territory, even a simple stroll through the city could lead to exposure.


    Not that it was a huge problem, but Ethan preferred to avoid unnecessary complications.


    With that in mind, he asked the boy,


    "I don''t know what made you think we could help, but even if we could,why would we?


    What''s in it for us?"


    His tone was serious.


    Personally, Ethan wasn''t too interested in the situation.


    Apart from his curiosity about the boy''s unique ability, nothing else drew his attention.


    He might feel a bit of sympathy for the boy, but that was all.


    Ethan knew firsthand how harsh the world could be, but that didn''t mean he''d go around helping everyone in need.


    His harsh demeanor toward Guo Tao was also a way to teach the boy a lesson, that running to strangers for help could lead to trouble or even death.


    Hearing Ethan''s serious tone, Guo Tao felt a heavy pressure descend on him, making it hard to maintain eye contact.


    Clenching his fists, he struggled to push away the fear.


    He was certain these people could help his sister.


    To him, they were high-level cultivators, perhaps even members of a noble family.


    Surely, they had access to better doctors who could cure his sister.


    Gathering all his courage, he kept his gaze fixed on Ethan''s eyes and said:


    "I-I''m willing to do anything to save my sister," tears streaming down his face.


    "Anything, you say? What if I asked for your life?"

 Chapter 231: Guo Lan

    .The Beast Continent was divided into five kingdoms, three of which were similar to the Human Continent, not in terms of race, but in name.


    In fact, three of the five kingdoms were the Kingdom of the Dragon, the Kingdom of the Phoenix, and the Kingdom of the Qilin.


    To these were added the fourth and fifth kingdoms: the Kingdom of the Tortoise and the Kingdom of the Wolf.


    Ethan wasn''t certain why this similarity existed, but from the little he had learned, not all the inhabitants of these kingdoms necessarily belonged to the main race of the kingdom.


    This wasn''t due to a diverse population, but because the original citizens of the kingdoms didn''t have a completely pure bloodline.


    Only the royal family of each kingdom possessed such a lineage and, as a result, could exercise dominance over their people.


    Guo Tao had mentioned that, although he was originally from this city, his parents were not.


    They came from the Kingdom of the Wolf, which bordered the Kingdom of the Dragon, the kingdom they were currently in.


    The city of Ti��n Sh�� was a large city spanning dozens of miles.


    It was the capital of the Kingdom of the Dragon.


    Thanks to the presence of the Celestial Tree at the center of the city, it had become the most prosperous city on the continent.


    Consequently, it had also been the cause of various conflicts in the past, all of which ended with the Kingdom of the Dragon proving its supremacy over the others.


    Of course, if the other kingdoms were to unite, defeating the Kingdom of the Dragon wouldn''t be impossible.


    but the various divergences between the kingdoms made this almost impossible.


    That said, despite being prosperous, the great city had its darker sides.


    Some areas on the outskirts of the city, over time, filled up with all kinds of people, from those who were running away from the law to those who could not afford to live in the city, and therefore took refuge there and lived each day as if it were their last.


    Near one of these areas was Guo Tao''s home.


    He was fortunate that his parents had managed to secure a small house near the city''s outskirts, a buffer zone between the city and the slums.


    The house itself was nothing special and lacked many daily necessities, but for Guo Tao and his younger sister, Guo Lan, it was more than enough.


    Given the distance to his workplace, Guo Tao spent at least half an hour commuting back and forth every day.


    Currently, within Guo Tao''s modest home, a small girl with white wolf ears lay on a thin mattress, covered by a blanket barely warm enough to keep her comfortable.


    She wasn''t older than ten, but malnutrition and her worsening physical condition due to illness made her look far less healthy than a girl her age should.


    From the moment she was born, she had been lovingly cared for, first by her parents, then by her older brother.


    The death of her parents had brought her immense pain, but it had also been a heavy blow to her brother, who always tried to hide his pain and remain strong in front of her.


    She had always been a perceptive child, so she understood their situation and tried her best not to be a burden on him.


    Even though she was too young to work, she had always tried to be helpful at home. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But after turning eight, even the small contributions she could make to ease her brother''s burden vanished.


    Now, her days were spent battling an unknown illness that made even small movements a challenge.


    She had gone from feeling unwell and constantly fatigued to being almost entirely immobile. Now, apart from slight movements, she could do little else.


    ''Hm?''


    It was nearly midnight, and her brother, who usually returned in the evening, was nowhere to be seen. This made her a bit anxious.


    Although it wasn''t the first time he had been late, he usually informed her in advance or was at most an hour or two late. Yet now, it was nearly midnight.


    Despite her anxiety, she tried to remain optimistic as she struggled to open her eyes.


    She hadn''t yet told her brother that her condition, which had seemed stable, was beginning to worsen again.


    Even opening her eyes was becoming a challenge.


    Still, no matter how hard it was, she kept trying, fearing that if she gave up, she might never open them again.


    As she tried once more, she heard the sound of the door opening and footsteps entering her home.


    Normally, she would assume it was her brother, but this time, it didn''t sound like just one person, it sounded like several, though she couldn''t tell how many.


    ''Is someone breaking in?'' she thought nervously, struggling harder to open her eyes.


    ''No, not now... please, open!'' She tried forcing her eyes open, but they felt heavier, as if someone had placed weights on her eyelids.


    The footsteps drew closer, and with them, she heard faint voices.


    ''That voice... is it big brother?'' she thought, barely able to recognize her brother''s voice.


    The illness hadn''t just affected her body but also dulled her senses, from her sight to her hearing, everything was growing weaker.


    Minutes passed, but nothing happened. Even the voices had stopped in the meantime.


    This only made her more anxious. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but at that very moment, a strange sensation washed over her body.


    Like water flowing through a dry riverbed, something hit her body, immersing her in a comfortable sensation.


    ''What''s happening to me?''


    The more she felt this strange sensation spreading through her body, the more she got used to it.


    She wasn''t sure what it was, but it was comforting.


    It gave her the same warm, relaxing feeling she remembered from her mother''s hug.


    Slowly, without realizing it, she gave in to the sensation and let herself drift away.


    As she did, her pale complexion began to regain its healthy color.


    Her emaciated features gradually returned to normal as she was surrounded by a faint greenish light.


    She was healing.

 Chapter 232: Healing

    .Ethan, under the sharp gaze of the dragon woman, eventually agreed to help Guo Tao.


    He asked where Guo Tao lived, and with his speed, they reached his home in the blink of an eye.


    From the surroundings alone, Ethan could tell this wasn''t the safest place for children their age, though it was still better than the area beyond this part of the city. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, the house they lived in was small, just big enough for a small family of three, maybe four people.


    From the exterior condition of the house, it was evident that it was quite old and definitely in need of some repairs here and there.


    But that wasn''t the most important thing right now.


    With his spiritual sense, Ethan had already detected the figure of a small wolf girl lying in a room at the back of the house.


    Noticing her frail figure with his spiritual sense, he couldn''t help but furrow his brows.


    "Hm? This is..."


    Scanning the girl''s body with his spiritual sense, he quickly determined her current state and realized it was far from stable.


    At this rate, the girl would likely cease breathing completely in no more than three months.


    He could feel the disease spreading through her body, which was already 90% covered.


    She certainly wouldn''t survive much longer.


    The nature of the illness made Ethan think of several diseases, but he decided to examine the girl''s condition more closely before drawing conclusions.


    Without wasting any time, he entered the house and headed straight to the small room where the girl was resting.


    Guo Tao, seeing that his sister still hadn''t woken up, immediately feared the worst and tried to wake her, but Ethan stopped him. Instead, Ethan released his spiritual energy to probe the girl''s physical condition.


    His energy enveloped her entire body, allowing him to examine the illness spreading within.


    "Hm?"


    Ethan frowned as he found this illness somewhat familiar.


    "Is this... Demonic Qi?"


    Thinking he might have made a mistake, he rechecked the disease, but the more he examined it, the more it seemed similar to Demonic Qi.


    "A variant? How did she get infected by this?" he wondered, his frown deepening.


    Ethan thought the Beast Continent was yet to encounter demons, but seeing this, he was forced to reconsider.


    He planned to examine the continent once again, but for now, he focused on purging the Demonic Qi from the girl''s body.


    With a mental command, his Qi within the girl''s body began to move, covering all traces of the disease. With another command, it started to flow toward a single point.


    The girl''s body began to convulse slightly, and seeing this, Guo Tao became alarmed and agitated.


    "Sister! What''s happening to her?" he asked Ethan in a panic.


    If it weren''t for Bai Yu stopping him and reassuring him to trust in Ethan''s healing abilities, Guo Tao would have rushed toward him.


    Bai Yu herself had noticed the Demonic Qi within the girl and could tell it was more like a virus originating from Demonic Qi that had infected her.


    She, too, wasn''t sure how it had appeared here, but one thing was certain: if this virus was circulating within the Beast Continent, there was likely a source somewhere. In other words, demons had already arrived on this continent.


    She thought it was highly likely that the same thing could happen in the Human Continent if she and Ethan hadn''t eliminated the demons there in time.


    Bai Yu wondered how many such cases there were, as Guo Tao''s sister was the only infected person they had encountered so far.


    Although she couldn''t track down all traces of this virus or its source, she was convinced that Ethan could. So, she waited until he was finished before investigating the virus''s origin.


    Ethan''s spiritual energy directed all of the disease within the girl''s body toward her mouth. As her body continued to convulse, black smoke began to pour out of her mouth.


    "W-what is that?"


    Seeing this, Guo Tao couldn''t help but ask in worry.


    "That''s your sister''s illness," Bai Yu replied simply.


    "Illness?"


    Realizing that Ethan was treating his sister by extracting this black smoke, Guo Tao finally understood that these two people might truly be able to help his sister.


    This realization hit him hard, and his eyes started to water. But he held back his tears and watched anxiously as more black smoke continued to pour out.


    In just a few seconds, a small sphere, about the size of a fingernail, appeared in the air. With a slight motion of his hand, Ethan absorbed it into his body, where his physique refined it immediately.


    Ding!


    [You have gained a small amount of STR.]


    Noticing the slight strength he had gained, Ethan wasn''t particularly surprised.


    He hadn''t expected to gain much from such a small amount of Demonic Qi, it was almost negligible compared to what he had absorbed before.


    He also noted that the system didn''t specify how much strength he had gained, only that he had received "a small amount."


    It was likely that the amount of strength was too small to even register as a single stat point.


    Ethan didn''t dwell on it too much. After purging all traces of the disease, he channeled some wood-element Qi into the girl''s body, and a visible change immediately occurred.


    Her skin, which had been slightly shriveled and pale, regained its color, becoming healthier and more vibrant.


    The dark circles under her eyes disappeared, and even the silvery fur on her wolf ears regained its luster.


    Guo Lan finally managed to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Ethan''s handsome face, which was currently the closest to her.


    With some effort, she sat up, still a little confused about the situation. She looked at the handsome man beside her and murmured, "So, this is heaven?"


    Hearing her murmur, Ethan gave her a gentle smile and replied,


    "No, it''s still too soon for you to visit that place."

 Chapter 233: Han Lei

    .Guo Tao had imagined countless times the day his sister would rise from that bed completely healthy, just as she once was.


    So, when he saw that what he was witnessing was real, he rushed towards her and gave her a tight hug.


    Guo Lan, still coming to terms with the fact that her body seemed to have healed, saw her brother rushing over and wrapping her in a hug.


    Although the sight of his siblings was touching, Ethan didn''t pay much attention.


    He was lost in thought.


    Bai Yu, on the other hand, was happy.


    Noticing Ethan''s lack of attention to the scene, she nudged him lightly on the side, giving him a sharp glance.


    ''What?''


    He wasn''t sure why the dragon woman was throwing him such looks.


    Finally, Guo Tao broke away from the embrace and turned to Ethan, and said:


    "I... I really don''t know how to thank you. I''m willing to do anything to repay this debt I owe you," he said in a humble tone.


    Seeing her brother addressing the handsome man so respectfully, she realized it was him who had healed her.


    Struggling to get up, she prepared to thank him as well.


    "Don''t worry about it. It wasn''t anything too difficult," Ethan said, gesturing for them to remain seated.


    It was true, it hadn''t been particularly complicated to eliminate the demonic Qi in the girl.


    Besides, he knew that if he dared ask for anything in return, he''d likely have to face an angry dragon woman.


    After scaring him a little, Ethan eventually agreed to his request for help and had set off with him to his home.


    In truth, there wasn''t anything the young man could offer him, and it didn''t cost Ethan much to help him, so he accepted without much fuss.


    And, well, Ethan could tell Bai Yu had a soft spot for children. He knew she would have forced him to accept even if he tried to refuse, so one way or another, he would have ended up curing the girl.


    Although, he had to admit this small incident turned out to be useful in a way. He had now discovered the presence of demonic Qi even on this continent.


    Ethan was certain that demons had managed to infiltrate here as well, which was a cause for concern, as the Long Hao still believed the Beast Continent was safe.


    What confused him was the fact that Lon Hao seemed to be certain that there were no demons in the Beast Continent, and that was because his contact with this continent had assured him that there were none.


    Ethan didn''t know if they were unaware of the demons'' presence or if they were simply trying to hide it, which he found highly unlikely, but it was still a worrying matter.


    Initially, he had only planned to make a brief visit here before heading to the Demon Continent.


    But now, with this discovery, he realized he needed to deal with the situation here first. Otherwise, eliminating the demons on the Demon Continent wouldn''t be enough.


    Within a few years, the Beast Continent would become completely corrupted.


    ***


    Meanwhile, to the east of the capital, in a mountain range, stood a grand palace that would shame any structure on the Human Continent.


    The palace was imposing, built entirely of white marble that reflected the light with a faint golden glow.


    Its towers soared into the sky, solid and well-defined, while the broad staircases led to a monumental entrance adorned with dragon-shaped carvings.


    Inside, the space was vast, with large columns supporting the high ceiling and intricate engravings that echoed the theme of the royal dragon family.


    Currently, in the palace''s main corridor, a man dressed regally was walking alone through the expansive hall.


    The man stood out due to the two small horns on his head and his reptilian-like eyes.


    He was Han Lei, the third son of the current king of the Dragon Kingdom.


    As he walked, he heard a voice reach his ears:


    "Young Master Lei, the curse has been cast on the surrounding kingdoms.


    In a few years they will all be ready to be conquered," the voice said.


    Han Lei didn''t turn around or stop. He continued walking at a moderate pace, a grin forming on his face.


    "A few more years, you say?


    No, I''ve already waited far too long. At this point, it shouldn''t be a problem to unleash the curse and subjugate the five kingdoms with ease, right?" he said, displeased with the news.


    "..."


    The voice didn''t respond immediately, remaining silent for a few moments before finally saying:


    "It is possible, but this would be no different from ruling over a pile of corpses, Young Master.


    Are you truly fine with this?" the voice asked, attempting to persuade the third prince to reconsider his approach.


    The speaker was Han Lei''s personal servant and mediator between him and the demons.


    Due to a demonic contract, the servant was incapable of refusing Han Lei''s orders, let alone betraying him or revealing his plans to the king.


    Thus, he could only try to steer Han Lei towards the least destructive path for the kingdom.


    Although he believed someone like Han Lei wasn''t suited to rule, it was still better than seeing the kingdom completely consumed by flames.


    For the time being, his options were extremely limited and he tried to exploit every little opportunity that came his way. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, he soon realized he had underestimated the madness of the third prince.


    "So what?


    They are our subjects, and as such, they should be honored to contribute to my cause.


    Losing a few lives isn''t that important. The important thing is to successfully dethrone my father," Han Lei said, his eyes glinting with unstable light.


    A maid passing through the corridor overheard his words and, terrified, tried her best to avoid meeting the prince''s gaze as she continued on her way.


    She knew that what she had heard could very well be fatal to her, so she tried not to draw attention to herself in front of the crazed prince.


    Unfortunately for her, luck was not on her side today.


    "Hey, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?" Han Lei suddenly said, no longer in the corridor but right behind her.


    The maid felt a chill of dread run through her body. Struggling to turn around, she bowed deeply.


    "Y-your Highness, I was just taking the dirty laundry to the castle''s laundry room," she said, trying to appear as composed as possible.


    She didn''t want him to realize she had heard what he said, though it was hard to avoid, given how loudly he had shouted those things.


    "Oh, really? That''s a relief. After all, what would we do if we didn''t have clean clothes when we needed them, right?" he said with a smile, motioning for her to go.


    Thinking she had escaped unscathed, the maid bowed and continued, trying not to appear in a hurry.


    The farther she walked, the lighter the weight of fear pressing on her heart became.


    Just as she neared a side corridor leading to the castle''s laundry, she suddenly froze, her body going rigid.


    A hand gripped her shoulder, and before she could even flinch, Han Lei''s voice resounded once more.


    "By the way, did you happen to hear what I said earlier?" he asked.


    "N-no, I swear I didn''t hear anything," she replied.


    Han Lei nodded, then, leaning closer to her ear, he whispered:


    "I see. Then tell me, why is your body trembling?"

 Chapter 234: Babysitter

    .In the capital of the Dragon Kingdom, the sun was finally rising.


    At that moment, on the roof of a tall building, two figures were sitting and chatting.


    "Let them stay in my minor dimension? Woman, do you think that''s an orphanage or something?" said Ethan, not understanding the sudden idea of the dragon woman.


    "Well, why not? After all, you basically have an entire unused world.


    If we leave them like this, they risk getting into trouble sooner or later.


    We might as well let them stay there so they can live in peace. I don''t think they''ll mind," she said.


    Ethan could only shake his head.


    "That''s not the point. You can''t just pick up random people and toss them into my minor dimension like it''s nothing.


    We''ve already helped those two more than enough. They''ve been living on their own for a couple of years now, and continuing to do so won''t be too hard for them.


    There''s no reason to bring them into my minor dimension, where at most, in a century or two, they''ll die," he said, reminding her that time there passed much faster.


    "We can teach them the cultivation," she said, refusing to back down.


    Ethan really didn''t know how to handle this woman.


    In terms of maturity, she should surpass him, yet here he was, reasoning with her over something so simple.


    He wondered how she had managed to surpass the mortal realm when she still harbored so many worldly emotions.


    Having them wasn''t wrong, but letting them cloud your judgment was.


    "Why not just teach them to cultivate out here? With our help, it won''t take long for them to reach a decent level of strength to survive on their own, not that they need it, anyway," he said.


    "Tch, and you say you always indulge my wishes. Look at you now; you can''t even do something this simple?" she said, pouting.


    "��"


    Something simple? Since when had babysitting become simple?


    Ethan was really tempted to punish the dragon woman for all the trouble she was causing him.


    "And it would be good for you too. After all, the brother isn''t the only special one;


    the girl has a unique physique as well.


    If properly cultivated, she could reach the peak of the Spiritual Realm in a little over a thousand years," she said, referring to a discovery they had recently made.


    After Ethan finished healing her, he tried to inspect her and discovered she indeed had a rather unique physique,


    the White Orchid Physique.


    The system classified the physique as rare, but since he didn''t know much about it, he could only turn to Bai Yu, who was more experienced in this field.


    She, hearing the Physique''s name, was amazed, and immediately rushed to examine Gao Lan''s body.


    She confirmed that it was indeed the White Orchid physique, an extremely beneficial physique for females.


    According to her, there were two versions of this physique, one for each gender.


    From what she had heard, people who had this physique in the past showed extraordinary progress in cultivation, and almost every one of them who lived long enough reached the peak of the Spiritual Rank,


    the level of a superpower in the Celestial Plane.


    Ethan wasn''t as shocked to learn more about the physique as he was by the fact that they had encountered two people with rather rare physiques and abilities.


    He wasn''t sure if it was just a coincidence or something like divine providence, but that would imply someone''s hand in all this.


    As absurd as it sounded, if it were true, it meant someone had their eyes on him or on the events involving him and those that might involve him in the future.


    Needless to say, none of these possibilities reassured Ethan, but for now, he had a more immediate problem to deal with, convincing Bai Yu.


    In the end, he sighed and said,


    "I really don''t understand why you''re so determined to gather every talent you meet, but if you decide to personally take care of them, then I suppose I can agree." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu, who had been pouting, was happy upon hearing this and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.


    Ethan was certain that if it had been someone below the fifth rank, they would''ve definitely broken a few bones at best.


    At worst��


    Initially, he had planned to say something like, "You''ll have to give up cola in exchange for this," but he had a feeling that would get him into trouble with her in the future.


    Letting those two roam his minor dimension wasn''t really a big issue.


    What bothered him was that if he did, he''d inevitably end up taking care of them in some way.


    A sense of responsibility.


    And he knew he didn''t have time for that, nor would she in the future once she ascended.


    He simply thought that there was still some time before he and she ascended to the Celestial Plane, and during that period, those two brats would grow enough to start walking their own path.


    In the end, he left the task of asking them if they wanted to travel with them to Bai Yu. The two, though hesitant, accepted.


    With that settled, Ethan also decided it was time to investigate this continent further.


    He intended to eliminate all hidden threats, and to do so, he would have to start here before moving to the other continent.


    He also knew he had to check the Human Continent.


    For all he knew, he might have unwittingly been unaware of the presence of this strange demonic Qi virus.


    Just in case, he planned to check the Human Continent after finishing his work here.


    With that, he moved into the skies above Ti��n Sh�� City and once again released his spiritual sense over the entire continent, this time focusing all of it solely on the Beast Continent.


    An infinite stream of information flooded his mind, which his brain processed at an incredibly high speed.


    At his current level, processing billions of pieces of information in seconds wasn''t too complicated.


    While cultivators didn''t usually examine every single detail that entered their perception range, Ethan had decided to do so, as he wanted to detect even the smallest particle of demonic Qi in the air.


    The process continued, and after a few seconds, he stopped, his gaze turning toward the Tree of Life at the center of the city.


    "Is it just me, or did it just react to my spiritual sense?"

 Chapter 235: Infestation

    .Ethan''s perception had already detected many auras tainted with traces of demonic Qi, far more than he had expected. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he made this observation, he noticed that the elemental spirit within the Tree of Life seemed to react to his persistent spiritual sense.


    Opening his eyes, he gazed at the towering tree and, with a swift movement forward, appeared next to it.


    Raising his hand, he placed it on the trunk''s surface, closed his eyes, and sent a small amount of spiritual energy into the tree.


    "Hm, it looks like he responded. Could it be that it''s waking up?"


    He asked himself as he continued to send Qi into the tree.


    The elemental spirit was certainly not an enemy.


    In fact, one could say it was the natural nemesis of demonic Qi due to their opposing natures.


    And as the saying goes, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.


    That said, it wasn''t as though he truly needed its help, but he was definitely interested in how it had ended up here in the first place.


    After all, this Tree of Life shouldn''t even exist in the mortal realm to begin with.


    Just as Ethan was attempting to see if he could awaken the elemental spirit within the tree, several figures darted toward his location. In no time, he found himself surrounded by numerous beings, each at the Fourth Stage or higher.


    "Who are you, and how dare you fly above the skies of the city?


    Don''t you know it''s forbidden to fly near the royal capital?" said a beastkin, half Ethan''s height, stepping forward from the group.


    The beastkin wore what appeared to be armor, complete with a helmet, the visor of which was lifted, revealing his distinctive features, a long snout and two rounded horns protruding from holes in the helmet.


    Ethan, who had already sensed the presence of the guards, did not pay attention to them, and continued his work, noting that the pure Qi he was transmitting was being absorbed by the elemental spirit within the tree.


    ''It seems to be low on energy,'' he thought as he observed this.


    He wasn''t entirely sure why the spirit was in a dormant state, but he could tell it lacked the strength to awaken.


    It was like it was in a coma.


    Ethan wondered why its body hadn''t automatically absorbed natural energy from its surroundings all this time.


    After all, this was something a spirit''s body would do instinctively when depleted of energy. Yet here it was, now feeding on his pure Qi.


    The guard, seeing that he was being blatantly ignored, was clearly displeased. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a golden spear into his grasp.


    "I don''t know who you are, but since you''ve violated the kingdom''s rules, you will be judged accordingly.


    Surrender peacefully, and don''t resist, or else..."


    Just as the guard was finishing his sentence and preparing to approach Ethan to apprehend him, he was struck by an invisible force.


    In an instant he lost consciousness and fell from the sky.


    At the sight of this, the others became alarmed and some rushed to capture their fallen leader.


    As they did, the remaining guards drew their weapons and aimed them at Ethan, all on high alert.


    It seemed that Ethan''s threat level had risen significantly in their eyes.


    Just as they hesitated to act, Ethan, who had been ignoring them, suddenly spoke.


    "If you value their lives, you''d best retreat immediately. I''m not in the mood for games," he said calmly, yet in a voice that all the guards could clearly hear.


    They exchanged glances, trying to determine who he was suddenly addressing.


    Just as they were about to question if they had misheard, a figure appeared before them.


    The figure faced Ethan, who didn''t even flinch at the presence of the newcomer, continuing his actions undisturbed.


    "Who are you, and how did you manage to perceive me?" asked the imposing figure of a man dressed in regal attire, gazing at Ethan with a hint of caution.


    The man in question was none other than the eldest son of the current king of the Dragon Kingdom, as well as heir to the throne.


    He was the Crown Prince Han Yu, Han Lei''s elder brother.


    He had been nearby when he noticed the commotion in the air and decided to investigate the situation.


    Unfortunately for him, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t discern the cultivation level of the other party.


    Seeing Ethan''s appearance, he couldn''t help but think he was human, though he quickly shook his head.


    After all, while there were humans on this continent, none had reached a stage higher than the Third.


    This was primarily due to the lack of resources to take the next steps in their cultivation.


    Thus, he speculated that Ethan might be a high-level beastkin, which could explain why he couldn''t determine his cultivation.


    This, however, was even more surprising since Han Yu himself was currently at the peak of the Fifth Stage of cultivation.


    Anyone stronger than him would essentially be at the peak of this realm, a feat achieved only by his father and the rulers of the other four kingdoms.


    Knowing all four rulers personally, he was certain Ethan wasn''t any of them, which only made the situation more suspicious.


    Now that his presence had also been detected, he felt even more certain that the other party wasn''t someone ordinary.


    He could only hope that Ethan wasn''t a threat to them. After all, a conflict between Fifth Stage powers was far from ideal for the kingdom, especially in the royal capital.


    So he tried to gather information about the other side to see what his intentions were.


    Unfortunately for him, Ethan couldn''t care less about making a small talk with him.


    Without even glancing at him, Ethan continued what he was doing, while saying:


    "You know, when I came here, I thought the Beast Continent was in a better state than the Human Continent. But it seems your situation is even more chaotic than ours.


    Even your king is in a weakened state, and demons are roaming this continent as if it were their own home, yet you don''t even seem to notice."


    He spoke, clearly dissatisfied with the other party.


    When he had first extended his perception to find traces of demonic Qi, he had immediately noticed many things.


    The more he observed, the more astonished he became at how much worse the situation was on this continent compared to the Human Continent.


    Basically, two of the five kingdoms were already fully infected, while the others were in the process of being infested.


    At this point, all the demons needed to do was activate the virus they had spread, and more than 60% of the Beast Continent would fall into their hands.


    Needless to say, their chances of escaping this situation were far from good.

 Chapter 236 Dormant State

    .Hearing Ethan''s words, everyone''s eyes widened, while the crown prince, standing further ahead, narrowed his eyes.


    ''How does he know about my father''s condition, and more importantly, did he just say he''s from the human continent?''


    In those few words Ethan uttered, there was simply too much to process.


    The matter of the demons roaming the continent was already a matter of the utmost importance, and this, coupled with everything else that could be deduced from the man''s words, raised the seriousness of the current situation by several notches.


    Gesturing toward the guards, the prince made a sword appear in his hand and said as he pointed it at Ethan:


    "I have no idea who you are or whether what you''ve said is true, but I must courteously ask you to come with me."


    Ethan, once again, paid little attention to them and simply said,


    "If I were you, I''d be careful who you point that weapon at," he remarked while releasing a small fraction of his power.


    Unfortunately for them, that small fraction of power was like a tsunami that overwhelmed them all.


    All the soldiers suddenly vanished, falling unconscious, while the crown prince barely resisted, though he was scarcely conscious.


    ''T-This pressure... Who on earth are we dealing with?'' he thought, completely alarmed.


    From what he understood, the other party seemed to come from the human continent, but as far as he knew, humans had power levels similar to theirs, perhaps even slightly inferior. Yet here stood someone who, without even moving, had knocked nearly all of them out. Continue your journey with empire


    He knew this wasn''t the power of someone at the peak of the Fifth Stage; it was something that went beyond that stage.


    Although the first interaction with them wasn''t peaceful, in the end, the prince had to bow his head and courteously escort Ethan to his family''s royal palace.


    Ethan, too, didn''t cause further trouble for these people and told them to lead the way.


    From that brief interaction, he had already noticed that they seemed aware of the existence of two other continents, though they didn''t appear to know about the demons who had already invaded their continent��something he had hypothesized before and now had more or less confirmed.


    He wanted to see what the rulers of this continent were up to, and more importantly, he intended to deal with a small problem in this particular kingdom, which was why he headed to the royal palace.


    As they walked, Prince Han Yu couldn''t help but ask, S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If I may, esteemed guest, could I ask you a question?" he inquired with a 180-degree change in attitude.


    Initially, he thought Ethan was strong but not too difficult to handle, at least not for him, one of the most powerful beings on their continent. But after being sort of slapped in the face by Ethan, he realized he was nothing more than a frog in a well.


    What he thought was the pinnacle of their world apparently wasn''t at all, and this realization left him feeling conflicted.


    On one hand, he was glad to know there were higher power levels beyond the Fifth Stage, but on the other hand, he was terrified by the fact that almost no one seemed to be aware of this.


    He thought perhaps his father might know something. After all, he wasn''t just the king of this kingdom but probably the most powerful among the rulers of the five kingdoms.


    Ethan merely nodded and said nothing, signaling to the other party that he could speak.


    "You said demons have already started invading our continent. Is that true?" he asked cautiously, trying not to offend him. After all, he was questioning what Ethan had previously stated.


    "Yes, and your father''s condition is also related to this. But let''s not discuss this now. First, take me to him," Ethan replied, and after that, the prince dared not ask any more questions.


    Seeing the submissive behavior of the prince, the guards stationed at the castle couldn''t help but exchange confused looks.


    "Who is that person walking with the prince, and why does the prince seem to treat him so well?"


    "I don''t know, but I''m sure he''s not one of the other four rulers of the kingdoms. I''ve seen them, and none of them even remotely resemble him."


    The guards were baffled by what they had witnessed and could only look at each other in confusion.


    Unlike the few who had gone to the Tree of Life to see who had dared to break the kingdom''s rules, these guards had stayed inside and were thus unaware of what had happened moments ago.


    In no time, Ethan, escorted by the prince, finally arrived before the throne room''s doors, and the prince stepped aside to let him enter.


    The throne room''s doors were 10 meters tall and entirely made of a rare mineral resembling gold.


    They were richly adorned with intricate carvings depicting various scenes and rare gemstones, but none of this interested Ethan.


    With a faint sound, the doors began to swing open, and after a few seconds, Ethan finally took a step inside.


    As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a gigantic hall, which seemed more like a large cave carved into the mountain, decorated like a royal hall.


    At the far end of the hall stood a massive platform raised just two meters above the hall''s floor, with a series of steps leading up to it.


    The platform was very wide, and currently on it lay a gigantic black dragon, seemingly immersed in a deep sleep.


    Seeing the great figure of this kingdom''s ruler, Ethan couldn''t help but compare it to Bai Yu''s beast form, and he had to admit it was nothing special in comparison to her.


    Shaking his head to dismiss such thoughts, he scanned the body of the great black dragon.


    ''It seems the infection has already spread to almost his entire body,'' he thought, recalling the condition in which he had found Guo Tao''s sister.


    She had been very close to succumbing entirely to the infection, but the dragon before him was already at that stage, with only a thin thread of life remaining in him.


    Ethan could tell that the infection within him was much stronger than that in Guo Lan, which was why this Fifth-Stage being before him was already in such a state compared to her.


    As he confirmed the dragon''s condition, Prince Han Yu, standing behind him, saw his father''s current state and sighed in sadness as he said,


    "He began feeling unwell about a year ago, and since then, we''ve kept it a secret while searching for a cure for his illness. But not knowing what it was, we couldn''t treat him properly, and in the end, he ended up in this state," he said, frustration clear in his voice.


    He had summoned all the most skilled doctors and alchemists to examine his father''s condition and find a cure, but none of it helped since none of them could identify the problem, and as a result, none could find a suitable cure.


    In the end, his father gradually lost more and more control over his body and ended up in this dormant state, which was a way to preserve the last traces of life within him.


    Han Yu knew this wouldn''t last forever, and he had to find a remedy before even those last traces of life disappeared. So, he searched far and wide but ultimately failed.


    When today he heard that this powerful individual knew the cause of his father''s illness, that flame of hope, which had almost completely gone out, reignited, and so he didn''t hesitate to bring him here, hoping for a miracle.

 Chapter 237 Mother and Daughter

    .In the corridor leading to the royal hall of the castle, a beautiful, mature woman was walking alongside another slightly younger woman who resembled her somewhat.


    The mature woman was Han Ling, queen of the Dragon Kingdom and mother to Han Yu and Han Lei.


    The slightly younger woman walking beside her was Han Fei, Han Yu''s younger sister and the third-born child of Han Ling.


    Currently, mother and daughter were making their way to the throne room to check on the condition of Han Wei, the king.


    By now, these visits had become routine, yet neither of them ever tired of going regularly.


    Although it was painful for them to witness Han Wei''s increasingly grave condition, they still hoped to one day see the mighty dragon, who had ruled the continent for millennia, return to his former glory.


    Just like Han Yu, they too had done everything they could to find a cure for the illness, but they also ended up empty-handed.


    As they walked, Han Fei couldn''t help but ask with a thoughtful expression. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mother, I heard that someone dared to fly over the city today, and that Big Brother personally went to capture them," she said, recalling some chatter she overheard from the servants.


    She asked for details and learned that someone had violated the kingdom''s rules, which surprised her. After all, for centuries, no one had dared to do such a thing, knowing full well it would only lead to death.


    Aside from the royal family or the kingdom''s guards, no one was allowed to fly in the skies above the city. This rule was not only for security reasons but also out of respect for the dragon royal family and the gigantic tree that had brought prosperity to the kingdom for millennia.


    Hearing that someone had done such a thing piqued her curiosity, and she wondered who could be bold enough to attempt it in broad daylight.


    "Yes, but don''t worry, your brother will take care of it," Han Ling said, shaking her head.


    She knew what was going through her daughter''s mind and couldn''t help but wonder when she would finally mature.


    Han Ling knew her daughter very well and was aware that one of this young woman''s favorite hobbies was seeking trouble.


    She wouldn''t have been surprised if she had heard that Han Fei had personally gone to the site of the incident to watch the capture.


    With that, mother and daughter finally arrived at the throne room.


    Seeing that the grand doors of the hall were open, they wondered if Han Yu had already returned and had come to visit his father.


    After all, apart from the second-born of the family, all of them frequently visited here.


    Expecting to find Han Yu inside, the two women entered the hall. What they saw next, however, left both of them in shock, unable to move as they stood frozen by the sight before them.


    "Dear," Han Ling couldn''t help but cover her mouth in astonishment as she looked at her husband standing upright, completely restored, as he once had been.


    How many times had she imagined seeing this scene in recent months? Yet she knew it was something that would never come to pass.


    And yet, here she was, witnessing her husband, who should still have been on his deathbed, awake in his human form, with no signs of illness whatsoever.


    With tears in her eyes, she was about to move toward him when a second wave of shock struck both her and Han Fei.


    Han Wei, who was now standing in his human form, lowered his head, knelt, and murmured:


    "This humble king welcomes the esteemed guest to his humble palace," he said in a voice devoid of any superiority, filled instead with what seemed to be reverence.


    He was not the only one to do so. Everyone in the hall, the guards at the sides and even Han Yu, knelt as they echoed the same words.


    The two women were stunned by this incredible scene, and both turned their gazes toward the figure seated on a grand throne made of finely sculpted, precious marble.


    Seeing the figure of the handsome man gazing neutrally at Han Wei and the others, both women felt something stir within them.


    They didn''t know why, but as they looked at the man''s figure, both felt an urge to bow before him.


    Han Fei, in particular, found herself completely captivated when she looked into his crystal-blue eyes, losing herself in them as she admired the sight of the unknown individual currently seated on her father''s throne.


    While mother and daughter remained stunned by the sight before them, Ethan, who was currently sitting on the king''s throne, observed the scene with a neutral expression.


    After being brought to the throne room by Han Yu and seeing the condition of the king of this kingdom, he immediately understood the cause and made a gesture toward him to draw out all the demonic Qi invading the great black dragon''s body at once.


    With his slight movement, several black smoke tendrils began to emerge from the king''s sleeping figure, quickly condensing into a small sphere, which Ethan then absorbed.


    Unlike when he had cured Guo Lan, this time, he gained one strength stat point and one intelligence stat point.


    It was clear from this that the Qi that had invaded the king of this realm was far denser than the one that had infected the wolf girl, and consequently, the power he gained was greater, though still insignificant compared to when he had absorbed the Qi of the demon and the half-demon.


    It was evident that the individuals who were merely infected by this demonic Qi carried only small amounts within them, which made sense given the method by which they were being infected.


    Most likely, only after a victim had been completely taken over and transformed into a half-demon would the amount of Qi within them increase drastically.


    With that, the process was swift, and in a short time, it was completed, leaving behind the body of the great dragon, which, now free from the effects of the virus, began to heal.


    Seeing this scene, Han Yu, who was standing behind Ethan, widened his eyes as he realized that the black sphere of energy extracted from his father was undoubtedly what had been afflicting him. This awareness made him understand that his father had just been cured by this mysterious individual as though it were nothing.


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    He could also tell that his father''s condition was quickly improving, which was a huge relief for him.


    Unfortunately, just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, something happened.


    His father, who had been in a dormant state, suddenly opened his eyes and began to rise slowly.


    What alarmed him, however, was not this but the madness he saw in his father''s eyes.


    "Oh no."

 Chapter 238 Reverence

    .Han Wei, who had sealed the last traces of his life to preserve himself for as long as possible, finally felt his consciousness awakening as the malignant energy that had continued to invade and weaken his body began to rapidly dissipate.


    ''What is happening?''


    He wondered, as he finally felt his body immersed once again in pure spiritual energy that began to circulate within him, filling his meridians and flowing throughout his body, eventually reaching his core, which had been completely depleted for some time.


    ''W-what�� am I finally recovering? But how? Is it possible I''ve been cured at last?'' he thought, his consciousness still in the process of awakening, leaving his thoughts slightly confused and slow.


    He tried to open his eyes, and with some effort, he finally managed to open them slightly.


    Although his vision was blurry, he could make out a bit of his surroundings. In his field of vision, a humanoid figure stood a little distance away, alongside someone else.


    He didn''t know who they were, and with his vision still unclear, he couldn''t discern the two people properly.


    But this didn''t stop him from momentarily perceiving a faint trace of energy familiar to him emanating from the person in front.


    ''Wait, this energy...''


    His eyes widened as memories of a painful past suddenly flashed through his mind.


    ''A Demon,''


    Recalling what that energy represented, he was struck by a sudden wave of rage.


    With the little strength he had just recovered, he stood up and glared menacingly at the figure of the man standing before him.


    With his mind still clouded, he failed to distinguish Ethan or his son, who stood slightly behind.


    Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and focused the meager energy he had just accumulated into it.


    "Oh no."


    Han Yu, standing behind and seeing the madness in his father''s eyes, realized something bad was about to happen. But just as he moved to stop him, something shocking happened in front of him.


    "Down."


    Ethan, unshaken by the sudden attack of the black dragon, gave a simple command.


    The command carried an unimaginable pressure for Han Wei, who suddenly felt his body lose control before... Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thud.


    He was suddenly crushed to the ground and his size shrinking rapidly.


    In just a few seconds, the mighty dragon was replaced by the figure of a middle-aged man, panting on the floor, his mind gripped by profound terror.


    "What on earth just happened?" he murmured, his body trembling uncontrollably.


    Moments earlier, he had sensed the energy of a demon and was preparing to attack.


    But out of nowhere, his entire being had been struck by an invisible force, and before he knew it, he was in his human form, pinned to the ground.


    He didn''t know what was happening, but he felt his entire being submitting to the figure of the man who continued to look at him with a neutral expression.


    Tap, tap, tap.


    As he began to catch his breath, he heard footsteps approaching him and immediately knew it was likely the man from before.


    ''Who on earth have I just offended?'' he thought, still terrified by the oppressive sensation he had just felt.


    The man''s footsteps continued until he stopped beside him.


    But before Han Wei could even lift his head to see who it was, the man walked past him and continued forward.


    Huh?


    It wasn''t just Han Wei; even Han Yu, who wore a mortified expression while witnessing everything that had just occurred, noticed Ethan''s movements and tried to see where he was headed.


    ''Wait, he''s not going to...'' And just as he suspected, Ethan reached a white throne made of marble and other precious materials, seated himself on it as if it were nothing, and cast a glance at the father and son.


    Seeing that look, both of them froze, realizing something.


    ''Those eyes�� why do I feel this sensation?''


    Han Yu didn''t know why, but he felt an inexplicable urge to prostrate himself before the gaze of the mysterious figure.


    He wasn''t the only one feeling this way. Even Han Wei and the guards within the hall felt a similar sensation as they stared at the figure seated on their king''s throne.


    Han Wei, now regaining some clarity, recognized those eyes and felt the sensation emanating directly from his bloodline. He suddenly recalled something.


    ''Only someone with a bloodline purer and stronger than mine can make me feel this way,'' he thought, piecing everything together as his eyes widened.


    ''Could it be that he comes from there?'' he pondered, almost certain of his hypothesis.


    And as he realized this fact, he knelt on the ground and said:


    "This humble king welcomes the esteemed guest to his humble palace," he said.


    His voice lacked any tone of superiority, replaced entirely by what seemed like reverence.


    Seeing this scene, even those who had already been struggling to resist the oppressive gaze of the mysterious figure also knelt, saluting him respectfully.


    Han Yu could form an idea of what was happening, but the guards didn''t understand and didn''t care.


    The fact that they felt this was the right thing to do and saw that even the emperor dared not show disrespect toward this person was enough to make them bow.


    Ethan, sitting on the throne in a relaxed manner, said nothing at this sight, continuing to look ahead.


    He had expected something like this to happen. After all, his bloodline was directly inherited from Bai Yu, one of the most powerful dragon races in the celestial plane.


    This, combined with the bloodline of Zhong Hei (his spiritual beast), made it natural for beings still trapped in the mortal realm to be unable to resist the command imposed by their own bloodlines.


    The scene continued for a while longer until Ethan decided it was time talk about the main reason for his visit to the palace..


    He had no intention of wasting more time on all this and only wanted to deal with the troublesome situation in this continent before heading to the demon continent.


    "You may rise," he said calmly, noticing that two other figures had just entered the hall.


    From their appearance alone, he could deduce who they were, but he didn''t care and directed his attention to Han Wei.


    "Tell me, do you have any idea what illness afflicted you, leaving you in that state?" he asked, deciding to see if Han Wei knew anything.

 Chapter 239 The Disappeared Demonic Seed

    .The king, hearing the sudden question, shook his head as he replied in a composed tone:


    "No, unfortunately not. Before ending up in that state, I sought answers from numerous skilled alchemists and court physicians, but none of them were able to understand what it was or how to cure it.


    This eventually led me to go into hibernation to preserve my life as long as possible," he explained, not dwelling too much on the details.


    He knew that the other party already had some understanding of the situation, so he didn''t elaborate on everything in detail.


    Ethan nodded in agreement.


    "You were infected by a demonic Qi seed," he said without delving into what a virus was or explaining the mechanics of infection.


    Simply referring to it as a seed, a spiritual seed, was enough to convey the idea and make people of this world understand the concept.


    Hearing Ethan''s words, both Han Wei and the others widened their eyes in shock.


    Just as Ethan had expected, the people of this continent were aware of the existence of demons.


    He wasn''t sure whether everyone knew or only those of a certain status, but it didn''t matter.


    As long as they understood who the demons were and were aware of the threat they represented, their conversation would progress more smoothly.


    And, just as he had thought, Han Wei grasped the situation and said: Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So someone implanted this demonic seed in me, but that shouldn''t be possible, after all, the demons are still seal-"


    Only then did his eyes widen in realization.


    He had been conscious when he heard the news of some demons invading the human continent.


    In fact, he had personally confirmed whether their barrier had been compromised or not.


    After all, he held one of the three cursed objects left behind by their savior two thousand years ago.


    Thanks to it, they could sense the state of the barrier, just as they could open a portal between the three continents, the beast continent and the human continent.


    It was also possible to open one to the demonic continent, but he didn''t know where the third object was.


    After all, two of the three had been entrusted to them, and the third, as far as he knew, had been lost somewhere.


    He would have never imagined that this object had already been found and was now in Ethan''s hands.


    Ethan, too, had already noticed a bracelet with a violet pearl embedded in it on Han Wei''s wrist. He could immediately tell that it was the third cursed object.


    He planned to take it with him once this matter was resolved. After all, it was far too dangerous to leave it in the hands of a mortal realm individual, and he was fully aware of this fact.


    Although the conflicts between the two races had ceased long ago, there was no guarantee that once the demons were eliminated, the conflicts would resume.


    Even so, Ethan had made preparations for such an eventuality.


    But that was a matter for later; for now, he had more urgent things to address.


    So he said:


    "It''s just as you imagine. The demons have already set foot on this continent, and not only that.


    Unlike the human continent, your continent could already be said to be almost half lost," he stated without sugarcoating his words.


    Clearly, hearing such grave news, everyone''s eyes widened in terror as they stammered:


    "N-no, how is that possible? I''m certain the other kingdoms are still intact; I checked them personally before entering my dormant state," Han Wei said, struggling to believe that part of their continent was already doomed.


    "Whether you believe it or not, this is the reality. But don''t misunderstand my words," Ethan interrupted their thoughts before they could spiral.


    "I said


    almost


    .


    As of now, the same disease that afflicted you has already infected more than half of the people on this continent. It just needs the activation signal before it spreads completely among these individuals," he explained.


    ***


    In another part of the Dragon Kingdom''s capital, a figure was speeding through the air at high velocity when something caught his attention.


    "Hm?"


    Pulling out an object from his dimensional ring, he discovered it was the communication talisman used by his family in case of emergencies.


    Seeing it, Han Lei frowned as he held it in his hand, contemplating.


    ''Return to the palace immediately?''


    Han Lei wasn''t sure what had happened, but for his family to send a message via the talisman, requesting his immediate return, was definitely no trivial matter.


    Tch.


    With an annoyed expression, he put the talisman away and headed towards the mountain range where the royal palace resided.


    Given his cultivation base, it wouldn''t take him more than 30 minutes at most to reach the palace, so he sped towards it.


    As he flew, his thoughts drifted to the meeting he had a few hours ago.


    One of his subordinates had informed him that one of the various traces of the demonic seed present in the capital had suddenly disappeared.


    Although tracking every infected individual was an impossible task for them, monitoring a few in a city still in the early stages of infestation wasn''t too difficult. As such, they had been able to detect that one of the vessels for the impending infestation had vanished.


    Although the matter itself wasn''t overly alarming or significant, Han Lei had no intention of leaving any variable that could interfere with his plans unchecked. Hence, he had personally gone to investigate.


    He didn''t know the identities of those who were vessels for the infestation, but he could identify them through special means. Thus, he discovered that the last known location of the vessel was in an area near the city''s outskirts.


    Unfortunately for him, upon reaching the site, he couldn''t find any trace of the vessel or the infection.


    It was as if it had completely disappeared, which should have been impossible. After all, even if the host were to die, the demonic seed would not.


    But he found no trace of it, which made him feel uneasy.


    He had intended to contact the demons and personally inquire about the progress of the plan, but this sudden call forced him to postpone it.


    He didn''t know what had happened at the palace, but he hoped it wasn''t anything too problematic.


    He had already made all the necessary preparations, and the plan was close to beginning.


    He couldn''t wait to see everyone''s expressions when he finally claimed the throne.


    With this in mind, he sped toward the castle, unaware of what awaited him there.

 Chapter 240 A Change of Plans

    .Han Lei finally arrived at the castle and immediately noticed a strange aura enveloping the place.


    Hm?


    He wasn''t sure what it was, but his sense of foreboding seemed to be on high alert. However, seeing no immediate threat, he didn''t give it much thought.


    His sense of foreboding was weak at first, and being a powerhouse at the fifth stage, he believed nothing could put his life in danger.


    He headed straight to the royal hall, and upon arrival, he noticed his entire family was present, which only piqued his curiosity further about the nature of the emergency.


    The foreboding feeling that had been faint earlier now grew stronger with each step he took toward the hall.


    As he entered and looked around, his gaze naturally fell upon the throne, and in that moment, his expression froze, surprise evident in his eyes.


    Sitting on the throne was a man with long black hair and crystal blue eyes, looking calmly in his direction.


    Han Lei wasn''t sure who the man was, but seeing him sitting on what was rightfully his throne, he was clearly displeased. Yet, he had no time to dwell on that of the because two other figures flanked the man.


    One was his elder brother, who wore a serious expression, but it also seemed conflicted for some reason.


    Han Lei was confused by this, but once again, he had no time to process it because the figure of the man on the other side of the throne left him in shock.


    ''How is this possible?''


    He trembled internally as he looked at the figure of his father, standing and appearing completely healthy, gazing at him with a serious yet slightly peculiar look.


    Seeing his brother and the man sitting on the throne was strange enough, but seeing his father, who should have been on the verge of death, standing there looking healthier than ever filled his mind with dozens of thoughts.


    ''What in the world is going on? Why is he here? Shouldn''t he be on the verge of death?''


    Only at this moment did he realize something was very wrong with this entire situation.


    Just as he was about to speak and ask what was happening and who the man on the throne was, he heard the unknown man''s voice addressing him.


    "A demonic contract, hmm? I see. So, you''ve decided to sacrifice your people for a measly bit of power," the man said with calm eyes that gave the impression they could pierce through a person''s body and directly examine their soul.


    Hearing the unknown man''s words, Han Lei''s sense of alertness skyrocketed, and an astonished expression appeared on his face.


    ''


    What... How does he know?''


    While all this was happening, far to the north of the Dragon Kingdom, in the royal palace of the Wolf Kingdom, two figures were engaged in conversation. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One was a nearly two-meter-tall man with a burly build, standing by the window and gazing out at the scenery.


    What stood out about him wasn''t just his height but his unique appearance.


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    From his ash-gray skin tone to the two imposing, curved horns on his head, everything about him made it clear he was far from a member of the Wolf Kingdom''s royal family.


    Seated on the sofa near where the man stood was the second figure, a woman casually sipping what appeared to be a glass of dark red liquid.


    The woman swirled the liquid in her glass a bit before speaking with a bored expression.


    "He requested a meeting, and yet here we are, and he''s still not," she said as she finished the last sip of the crimson liquid.


    The man by the window remained silent, continuing to gaze outside with a serious expression.


    Receiving no response from her companion, the woman couldn''t help but add,


    "We''ve been on this continent for two years now, and yet the number of times I''ve heard you say anything can barely be counted on two hands.


    Don''t tell me you''ve lost the ability to speak since your transformation," she said, trying to provoke a reaction.


    However, to her disappointment, all she got was a snort and nothing more.


    Seeing this, the woman shook her head, reached for the bottle, and was about to pour herself more of the liquid when she paused, considered something, and then put the glass away, deciding to drink straight from the bottle instead.


    "Speaking of which, I heard something interesting," she said, pausing her movements for a moment as she recalled a recent event.


    The man showed no curiosity, but that didn''t stop the woman from continuing.


    "I heard that in the northern area of our continent, a portal appeared for a brief time," she said, taking a sip.


    The man, who had until now shown no interest in her words, finally displayed a hint of attention.


    And how could he not?


    After all, the appearance of a portal was no small matter, especially considering the continents were still bound by barriers that prevented spatial coordinates from connecting a portal to another continent. This was only possible with one of the three cursed objects.


    "They''ve confirmed the portal wasn''t triggered by anyone from our continent but from another. Guess which one?"


    She turned toward the man again.


    "The Human Continent," she answered herself.


    "It seems someone else has gotten their hands on one of the objects.


    I really wonder what those we sent there are doing. Could it be they let someone from that continent snatch the object? I told you they should''ve sent us instead," she muttered as she drank, grumbling to herself.


    At this point, even the man, whose attention had been piqued for a moment, returned to ignoring her.


    In that moment, as the situation remained calm enough to let both of them be relaxed, a familiar energy fluctuation was suddenly detected by both, causing them to vanish from their places and appear in the skies above the city.


    "This... Tell me this isn''t what I think it is," the woman said, her previously carefree demeanor replaced entirely by seriousness.


    The male demon nodded his head as if confirming her thoughts, and for the first time in a long while, he opened his mouth:


    "It him,"


    Both could tell the energy wave had been triggered by none other than Han Lei himself.


    This wave was a signal to initiate the infection and begin transforming people into demons. However, the problem was that their plan hadn''t intended for this to happen so soon.


    Clearly, something had gone wrong, which put both of them on high alert. They exchanged a glance before nodding to one another.


    "It seems we''ll have to speed things up a bit."

 Chapter 241 Trapped

    .The trigger signal was too sudden for both of them, and naturally, this threw them both into confusion.


    They realized that the one who had sent the signal was none other than Han Lei, which made the situation even more serious.


    After all, he had been the one to summon them for a meeting, and now this.


    Clearly, something had gone wrong, and both sides understood that they needed to change their original plan.


    Thus, they also decided to take action and initiate the transformation in the other two infected kingdoms.


    Although everything was too sudden, their plan was already at an advanced stage, so they could still make adjustments.


    Just as they were about to send the trigger signal themselves, a shiver ran down their spines as a voice echoed behind them.


    "Well, this is disappointing. I expected there to be more of you."


    Both of them immediately reacted, disappearing only to reappear dozens of meters away from their initial positions.


    With panicked expressions, they turned and looked back to find, near where they had just been standing, a man with blue eyes staring at them with what appeared to be disappointment on his face.


    ''When did he appear there?'' they both wondered as they immediately heightened their vigilance.


    Although they hadn''t been paying close attention, at their level, it was nearly impossible for anyone to evade their detection.


    Thus, seeing someone not only elude their senses but also appear so close to them without their notice made them both cautious.


    Ethan, calmly observing the two demons, couldn''t help but feel disappointed.


    After Han Lei was summoned back to the castle, the situation unfolded rapidly.


    The subsequent sequence of events moved swiftly, as the second prince, realizing he had been exposed, did not try to make excuses. Instead, he acted decisively and unleashed a wave of negative spiritual energy.


    Ethan, seeing what he was doing, understood that it was likely some kind of trigger. Without giving the other party a chance to escape, he neutralized it immediately.


    Pulling him toward himself, Ethan absorbed every trace of demonic Qi from him, eliminating his demonic powers.


    Then, with a single gesture, he dispersed Han Lei''s cultivation base, destroying not only his dantian, but also making its meridians useless.


    He could have eliminated him with a single strike, but after removing his demonic Qi, he decided to leave him in the care of his family.


    Normally, Ethan would kill any enemy to avoid future retaliation. Find exclusive stories on empire


    However, in this case, even if the other side wanted revenge, he wouldn''t truly be able to harm him. Thus, after paralyzing the prince, he left the palace.


    Now that the demons present on this continent had revealed themselves, there was no longer any need for him to stay here.


    Tossing aside the proud prince, who had an expression of utter despair on his face, Ethan disappeared from his position and immediately reappeared at the spot where he sensed the aura of the two demons.


    From their auras, Ethan could tell that both were at the peak of the fifth rank. He wondered how they compared to the one Bai Yu had fought.


    That said, he had expected to see more of them, but It seemed they had only sent these two to do the job.


    ''Hmm, although the barrier has weakened over time, it is still strong enough to prevent too many of them from passing through,'' he thought, understanding more or less why their numbers were so low.


    In the end, he simply shook his head as he looked at the two. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, let''s see how many stat points I can gain from these two," he thought.


    The two demons, seeing Ethan looking at them in such a way, felt another shiver as they realized that being captured by this being would end very badly for them.


    Without hesitation, they both sped off in opposite directions, taking something from their spatial rings and crushing it in their hands.


    Ethan watched as both demons were enveloped in a strange black aura, their speed doubling.


    He didn''t move to chase them but instead calmly observed as they fled in opposite directions.


    Clearly, both of them had realized that the being in front of them was far too strong, so they opted for escape.


    Ethan honestly found the situation a little amusing.


    Apart from half-demons and demonic cultivators, he had never really encountered any true demons to fight against before, so he was curious to see them in action.


    Who would have thought that upon his first encounter with them, they wouldn''t even try to fight but would instead immediately flee?


    Watching the two flee into the distance, Bai Yu, who was wrapped around Ethan''s wrist, appeared in her human form beside him and asked:


    "Aren''t you going to eliminate them?" she asked, a little confused by what he was doing.


    Ethan smiled and simply said:


    "Wait and watch," he replied.


    Bai Yu didn''t understand, but just as she was about to speak again, she immediately noticed something.


    Eh?


    The two demons, who had already traveled several miles away, reappeared in their original positions, confusion written all over their faces.


    Just like Bai Yu, they were unsure of what had just happened and could only dart off again.


    Moments later, they reappeared once more in the same spot, this time no longer confused but terrified.


    Although they didn''t know what was happening, they could at least tell that they were trapped, and this realization terrified them both.


    Bai Yu, who had been observing the entire scene, thought for a moment before realizing what was happening. She asked:


    "So you''ve sealed this area in a formation," she said, understanding the situation.


    Although she was certain that the demons stood no chance against Ethan, that didn''t mean they had no means of escape.


    Setting up this formation had essentially eliminated their escape route.


    She had already told Ethan about the black sphere and her fight with the demon at the imperial palace on the human continent.


    Thus, Ethan already knew that these demons not only had the means to cross the barrier but also possessed items from the celestial plane.


    The last thing he wanted was for them to use such items to escape from him repeatedly. Hence, he had devised this formation, which trapped the area in a loop.


    Escape was impossible unless the formation master was defeated or the formation itself was destroyed.


    Ethan was confident that he could eliminate anyone as long as they were in the fifth rank. Now, even those at the early stages of the Spiritual Realm were within his reach. That said, this didn''t always guarantee he could succeed on the first attempt.


    This might give his opponents enough time to escape, something he couldn''t necessarily prevent.


    He may have ascended to a level where no one on this plane could face him, but that didn''t mean he would let it go to his head.


    In the end, seeing that the two demons had given up trying to escape and instead seemed ready to attack him, Ethan looked at them and decided not to waste any more time.


    It was time to start cleaning up this continent.

 Chapter 242 Difference in Strength Between Cultivation Realms

    .Currently, in the skies above the royal castle of the Wolf Kingdom, Ethan floated as he finished absorbing the demonic Qi of the two demons.


    He had to admit that defeating them had been much easier than he anticipated.


    It was as if a Fifth-Stage cultivator of the Mortal Realm were fighting a First-Stage one.


    At first, he wanted to see what the two had in store for him, but after a short while, he got tired of their failed attempts to overpower him and decided to end the fight.


    Once done, he wasted no time and absorbed all their demonic Qi. As he did, he noticed how their bodies began to disintegrate into particles, which were subsequently absorbed by him as well.


    This only confirmed what he had heard from Bai Yu, that these beings were products of negative spiritual energy.


    As such, their entire essence was negative energy that he could absorb, leaving behind practically nothing.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +231 STR]


    [You have gained +200 AGI]


    [You have gained +115 INT] Explore more stories with empire


    [You have gained +72 Soul Strength]


    He had to admit that this method of gaining stat points wasn''t bad at all, and if he were still in the Mortal Realm, this stat increase would be equivalent to dozens of levels.


    Unfortunately for him, this wasn''t the case in the Spiritual Realm.


    While this amount of stats was good, considering all the changes in strength he had experienced during his ascension to the Spiritual Realm, it no longer seemed that significant.


    Ethan opened his status screen to check the percentage increase in his demonic physique.


    After all, this was the only known method to improve it, so he needed to get an idea of how much it could grow by absorbing two low-level pure demons.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (Basic)


    QI: 23M / 50M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 9890 �� 10121


    Agility: 8900 �� 9100


    Intelligence: 6040 �� 6155


    Soul Strength: 269 �� 342


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 518 M


    -------------------------------]


    .


    All of Ethan''s stats had increased almost tenfold after ascending, which was a considerable boost to his power.


    Right after finishing his ascension to the Spiritual Realm, he had immediately noticed the explosive strength contained within his body.


    He could confidently say that a normal punch of his could most likely kill a Fifth-Stage cultivator of the Mortal Realm, something that was previously unimaginable for him.


    He could only wonder how strong Bai Yu would become once she restored her previous cultivation base, which was much higher than his current level.


    That said, he had noticed that the only stat that hadn''t increased when he ascended was his Soul Strength.


    He wasn''t sure why, but if even ascending to the next realm didn''t increase it, he wondered how cultivators who had reached the Divine Realm had managed to do it, considering it was an important component for ascending to divinity, or at least that''s what he had heard from Bai Yu.


    However, even she seemed to know very little about it.


    He had asked her some time ago how beings in the Spiritual Realm increased their Soul Strength, and she explained that they had to continuously absorb rare materials and spend decades cultivating to strengthen their souls, something he managed to achieve simply by leveling up.


    In fact, Bai Yu had vented to him about how, due to the Amphora, he had an enormous advantage in this aspect.


    He wanted to say that high-level creatures like her had naturally much stronger souls than humans, but he decided not to rub salt in the wound.


    From what he understood, unlike the Mortal Realm, which had five cultivation stages, the Spiritual Realm had six. Instead of being divided into ten levels, it was categorized by levels of comprehension.


    Ethan was still new to this realm, so his understanding of how it worked was minimal.


    If he remembered correctly, instead of ten levels, there were comprehension grades ranging from basic to high for each stage.


    He was currently at the first stage, and his progress within this stage was only at the basic grade, meaning he was still at the very beginning.


    Ethan planned to take some time after this to further stabilize his new cultivation base and explore this new realm of cultivation more thoroughly.


    Switching to the screen that displayed his secondary physiques, he saw that the percentage of his demonic physique had increased by 0.2%.


    "..."


    "Well, I guess it''s better than nothing," he thought, closing the system screens with a hint of disappointment.


    He had been expecting an increase of about 1% or 2%, yet he hadn''t gained much at all.


    He wondered how high he could push it after dealing with the Demon Continent.


    He didn''t know how many demons were present on the continent, but he was certain that a significant portion of the population consisted of half-demons, individuals infected by demons.


    He only hoped that the actual number of demons wouldn''t be too low.


    That said, with his spiritual sense still covering the entire continent, he could sense that the infection hadn''t been fully unleashed yet, which was a good sign.


    Raising his palm, he condensed a series of symbols materialized using his pure spiritual Qi.


    The symbols appeared one after another until what seemed like a luminous disk formed in his palm, with the symbols arranged in various points across its surface.


    Bai Yu, who was nearby, couldn''t help but ask upon seeing the formation:


    "Is that a formation?" she asked uncertainly.


    From her knowledge, formations could vary greatly, but they generally required a certain base and specific anchor points to sustain them.


    The disk in Ethan''s hand seemed to encapsulate those points within a circular ring, something she had never seen before.


    Hearing the dragon woman''s question, Ethan simply replied as he allowed the formation to float upward.


    "Yes, it''s a bit different from the usual ones, but its function is similar to those you''re familiar with," he said.


    He had been inspired by the magic circles often seen in novels and manga from his previous world. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He chose this form because he found it most suitable for the task the formation would perform.


    He knew he couldn''t go from individual to individual to extract traces of demonic Qi from them, as doing so would take an eternity.


    Clearly, this wasn''t the most efficient method.


    So he came up with this formation, which was basically a simple formation that produced rain and manipulated the air in the environment to condense it into water droplets.


    He modified and upgraded it from a Level 2 formation to a Level 4 one, making it powerful enough to handle the task he needed it to perform.


    As the formation floated higher, it began to spin slightly while its size visibly increased.


    Its diameter grew from 10 cm to 1 meter, then to 10 meters.


    It kept expanding, and within a minute, its size covered the entire continent.


    Bai Yu had to admit she hadn''t expected this, but she still didn''t understand how it would help them get rid of all the demonic Qi.


    Just as she was about to ask Ethan for further explanation, she sensed a slight change in the environment.


    "This��"


    ***


    In the Dragon kingdom , at the peak where the royal castle stood, Han Wei sat on his throne with a disappointed expression, wondering what he had done wrong to end up being betrayed by his own son.


    He had struggled greatly to accept the fact that his son was not only a traitor to their race but also wanted to eliminate his family for the throne.


    For him, this betrayal had been a much harsher blow than he had anticipated. Yet, despite this, he suppressed his personal feelings and ended Han Lei''s life with his own hands.


    As the ruler of the kingdom, he had responsibilities toward his citizens but also toward his family.


    He could tell that the hatred his son harbored, now that he had been turned into a cripple, was not something that would fade with time.


    He knew there was truly no possibility of redemption for him, so he decided to end his life in the most painless way possible.


    The discovery of Han Lei''s betrayal had not only been a severe blow for him but also for the rest of the family, especially for Han Ling, the queen.


    She was in an even worse state than he was.


    As he was lost in his thoughts, he was momentarily distracted as he raised his gaze upward with a confused expression.


    He had suddenly felt an enormous spiritual power in the air and tried to determine what it was.


    He appeared directly above his castle, and that''s when he saw it.


    "In the name of the heavens, what in the world is that..."


    He murmured, stunned by the incredible sight of the enormous formation that seemed to stretch for miles.


    He couldn''t even see its end, and this realization terrified him even more.


    He wondered whether another calamity was about to strike their continent.


    Just like him, the entire population of the continent witnessed the majestic sight of the enormous formation that covered the entire sky of the continent.


    Whether they were from the dragon kingdom or the other Kingdoms, everyone could see this shocking phenomenon.


    Needless to say, this created widespread panic everywhere. However, the cause of this phenomenon couldn''t have cared less.


    As Ethan saw that the formation was finally set, he activated it and began watching the grand spectacle that was about to unfold.

 Chapter 243 Disinfecting the Continent

    .While everyone was still confused and even a little frightened by the phenomenon in the sky, the formation that had just finished positioning itself above the skies of the beast continent began to illuminate.


    A vast amount of pure Qi was being absorbed into it.


    A significant portion of that Qi came directly from Ethan, while the rest was drawn from the surrounding environment.


    Seeing the object in the sky begin to shine, many started to panic, but before anything could escalate,


    Tic.


    A drop fell to the ground, dampening the earth, which had been quite dry just moments earlier.


    It didn''t take long before more droplets began to fall, one after the other, and seeing this, people started to wonder why it had suddenly begun to rain.


    "Hmm, is this rain?" a beastman said as he tried to taste the droplet that had landed on the palm of his hand. Stay tuned with empire


    Others followed his lead, and strangely, the water tasted sweet.


    Before anyone could even begin to question this, a refreshing sensation spread throughout their bodies.


    An elderly beastman, feeling this rejuvenating energy, showed an expression of ecstasy as he muttered things like,


    "The heavens have decided to grant me a few more centuries of life."


    While the inhabitants of the entire continent were still coming to terms with this strange phenomenon, the beastmen with cultivation levels at the second stage and above realized that these droplets weren''t water at all but rather condensed Qi.


    "Holy sh*t, this Qi is incredibly pure. With just one drop, I can feel my cultivation improve slightly," said one of them, immediately recognizing the composition of the droplet that had fallen on his muzzle.


    Just like him, many others noticed this as well, and their initial fear turned into joy. Many began to meditate, preparing to refine these drops of Qi.


    Unfortunately for them, before they could take any action, the drops of pure Qi began to move.


    As if time itself were reversing, they suddenly started to float before flying back up into the sky.


    The droplets of Qi, which had covered nearly every surface, both external and internal, across the continent, began to ascend slowly.


    Even places like the interiors of houses or underground caves weren''t spared.


    Once absorbed into the ground, the droplets traveled quickly, penetrating to depths of thousands of miles.


    Essentially, Ethan had programmed them in such a way that no trace of demonic Qi, whether present in the air, inside any living being, or within objects, would be spared.


    Now that the first phase was complete, these Qi droplets began returning to the air.


    Many cultivators, witnessing this scene, wore horrified expressions as they desperately tried to snatch even a small trace of the pure Qi that had rained from the sky.


    But too bad for them, the owner of this energy was too powerful for them to steal the fruits of his hard work.


    The droplets rose, gathering near the formation, and then, as if they had a will of their own, they converged toward a single point, the center of the formation.


    Just as quickly as they had fallen, in mere seconds, the droplets returned, merging into a single point.


    They formed a small sphere of light, within which appeared to be a reddish-black core.


    As the particles of pure Qi returned, the massive formation that had amazed many began to swirl and shrink continuously until it reduced to the size of a disc, just slightly larger than the palm of a hand.


    The only difference was that this time, the formation contained the sphere of pure Qi floating comfortably above it.


    Ethan, who had calmly waited for everything to finish, gave a slight command.


    The disc, along with the sphere of Qi above it, moved toward his palm, and upon landing, the disc-shaped formation dispersed, leaving only the slightly transparent sphere that revealed the reddish-black core within.


    Seeing this, Bai Yu, who had been silently observing everything alongside Ethan, couldn''t help but ask,


    "So, this is how you intended to retrieve all traces of demonic Qi?" she said as she stepped closer, examining the luminous sphere in his hand.


    Ethan nodded simply. With a light squeeze of his palm, he reduced the sphere''s size to that of a pill with a diameter no larger than three centimeters.


    Without hesitation, he swallowed it.


    Watching this, Bai Yu could only shake her head.


    If this had been in the past, she would have strangled him while trying to make him spit out the sphere containing traces of demonic Qi.


    But after all this time, she had come to understand that Ethan was truly immune to the corruption brought by demonic Qi


    In fact, his body could absorb and refine it, something no positive spiritual energy cultivator could achieve.


    DING!


    [You have gained +23 STR.] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have gained +13 AGI.]


    [You have gained +9 INT.]


    [You have gained +1 Soul Strength.]


    Seeing the meager amount of stats Ethan had gained, he wasn''t particularly surprised.


    In truth, he had expected to gain even less than this.


    After all, when he healed Guo Lan, he hadn''t received a single stat point, and the increase in power he felt was almost nonexistent.


    So multiplying that amount by a few billion people would only yield such a small gain.


    He didn''t dwell on it much. In the end, he decided to probe one last time to ensure he hadn''t missed any traces of Qi left in the air or hidden in some particularly secluded areas.


    After a while, he finished probing and confirmed that all traces had been eliminated.


    Naturally, with this, his little trip to the beast continent came to an end, and it was finally time to head toward the demonic continent.


    Using his spiritual sense, he had already gotten a general idea of the place''s situation, but he was curious to see the continent''s current state in person.


    From his previous examination, he had already sensed several things in the demon continent, and by doing so he had been able to get an idea of ??the power level of the inhabitants there.


    He had confirmed that a good part of them were more or less at the same level as the humans and beastmen, but he had detected several fifth-stage auras, including about ten at the peak of fifth-stage .


    This was without including the one killed by Bai yu and the two killed by him.


    It was quite clear that the overall strength of the demon continent was already a step higher than the other two continents.


    He was certain that if they were to go to war now, excluding the possibility of winning, even resisting for too long would not be possible for them.

 Chapter 244 End of the Slumber

    .In a vast land, hundreds of miles away from the Beast Continent, a desolate landscape stretched out.


    The ground was dry, cracked by countless fissures that snaked like wounds.


    A hissing wind stirred up clouds of gray dust, and the very air seemed burdened with an invisible oppression that would suffocate any normal person.


    The sky above this barren land was completely covered by a vast blanket of dark clouds, making it almost impossible for any beam of light to penetrate and strike this dead land.


    Toward the northern center of this vast land, there was an irregular depression, a wide rift that stretched for who knew how many miles.


    Here, the earth was darker, as if it had been stamped with large amounts of ink.


    In the depths of this rift, in an area where visibility was completely absent, the sound of a faint heartbeat echoed.


    The sound of the heartbeat broke the silence that had permeated this place for who knows how long, but it lasted only for a second before stopping.


    The place returned to silence, as it was before, until a second heartbeat echoed, this time a little louder, followed by another.


    It was as though something buried deep within the earth was finally beginning to awaken.


    Various beings, scattered across different parts of this vast land, sensed this change in the great rift as they turned their gaze toward it.


    To the east of this large depression in the land, a mountain tens of thousands of miles high began to tremble, and in an instant, the summit of the mountain exploded, sending large amounts of debris and smoke everywhere.


    And while all of this was happening, a large silhouette of several meters could be seen where the summit had once been.


    Before even a few seconds passed, the silhouette turned its head toward the rift and mumbled something incomprehensible before shooting at an incredibly high speed toward it.


    While all this was happening, in the Beast Continent, in the skies above the Wolf Kingdom, Ethan, who had just finished absorbing the demonic Qi and was ready to leave, turned his head toward a direction as if sensing something.


    His expression was impassive as he kept his gaze fixed in that direction before giving a slight smile and saying:


    "It seems to be waking up."


    He said, and Bai Yu, who was next to him, could get an idea of what was happening.


    "Well, isn''t it time to take this lady to our next destination?" she said jokingly.


    "Certainly, milady, but first allow me to settle another matter quickly," he said as he turned his gaze toward the direction of the Dragon Kingdom.


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    Bai Yu, noticing his gaze, also shifted her attention toward it, and only then did she realize something.


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    "It''s about time you showed yourself, don''t you think?" Ethan''s voice resonated behind her.


    In the city of Ti��n Sh��, the population, which had just started to calm down, was shocked once more as they saw something that none of them would have ever expected to witness.


    The massive tree that had towered over the city for thousands of years was now glowing, as an intense greenish aura enveloped its entire surface.


    The people nearby could feel a sensation of warmth emanating from the tree, and for some reason, their entire being felt revitalized.


    While this sudden phenomenon attracted the attention of the people once again, Han Wei, who had just recovered from what he had witnessed earlier, sensed this immense aura suddenly coming from the giant tree at the center of the capital.


    Being at the peak of the moral realm, he could perceive an immense force enclosed within this aura, and instinctively he couldn''t help but compare it to the figure of that unfathomable being who had visited their realm not long ago, and who was also most likely the cause of that enormous luminous disc that had appeared in the sky.


    "Just, what the hell is happening today?"


    He asked, a little overwhelmed by the continuous series of shocking events that were happening one after another.


    First the discovery of the invasion, then his son''s betrayal, then that enormous phenomenon, and now this.


    He wondered if this was a sign that the end was coming for their race.


    He never would have expected the tree they had revered for many generations to emanate such a terrifying aura.


    While everyone was immersed in the beauty of the giant tree glowing, it began to tremble, and several green particles began to fly away from it.


    From the delicate leaves to the branches of the tree, these particles of green light flew out in large quantities, and in a few seconds, the green glow that had covered the entire tree began to fade until it returned to its original state.


    As the tree returned to normal, the green particles flew into the air, reaching several miles in height, before beginning to converge into a single point.


    Gradually, the particles condensed until they formed a large cocoon of light, which began to crack open as a figure, curled up in a fetal position, began to be glimpsed from within it.


    With a slight movement, her eyelids fluttered before she finally opened her eyes.


    The cocoon of light, which had previously enveloped the woman, was now almost completely disintegrated, and in its place stood the slender figure of a woman with long green hair and eyes like two emeralds, fixed on a distant point.


    There, miles away, her eyes met another pair of crystal blue eyes that emitted a strange force of attraction toward her.


    With a soft step, she disappeared from her position, and in the next instant, she was already standing in front of Ethan, looking at him with a curious gaze.


    Seeing the woman with green hair appear suddenly in front of Ethan, Bai Yu narrowed her eyes as she muttered.


    "Wouldn''t it be better if you put something on?" she said, noticing that the woman''s entire being was exposed.


    But as if she hadn''t heard her, the woman ignored Bai Yu and continued to examine Ethan as if he were some rare species.


    A vein appeared on Bai Yu''s forehead as she saw the woman ignore her.


    She was almost tempted to turn her into a living popsicle, but before she could say anything.


    The woman, who had been examining Ethan for a while, finally opened her mouth and said:


    "Zaril no''mek thavna, osa''drin kul fehara," she said in a soft, melodious voice.


    Hearing this voice, Ethan didn''t understand what language it was, but for some reason, he felt he could understand what she had just said.


    This realization made Ethan recall the first time he had set foot in this world, and although he didn''t know the language of the place, he was still able to speak and understand.


    He tried to replicate the sensation he had felt that time and linked it to what he was perceiving now, and said:


    "Venar do''thal zir, en''kai nor valen."

 Chapter 245 Amnesia

    .At the sight of Ethan, who not only seemed to understand but also spoke the language, both women were shocked.


    On one side, Bai Yu stared at Ethan in disbelief because of what she had just witnessed. She knew this was the language of the elemental spirits, a very ancient language that only a few non-elemental beings had managed to learn.


    It was a language she herself didn''t know, and the same should have been true for Ethan.


    Yet, against all expectations, he not only knew how to speak it but was very fluent.


    On the other side, the green-haired woman was stunned for a moment before her eyes sparkled with joy as she spoke:


    "You can understand me! What a relief! But wait, you''re not a spirit, how are you able to speak my language?"


    She asked, delighted to have found someone to converse with, yet also curious about how the man standing before her, clearly not a spirit, could understand and even speak her language.


    Ethan opened his mouth again, trying to replicate what he had done before, focusing on the sensation he felt when he spoke, and said:


    "I''m not entirely sure why, but it seems I can understand you, and apparently, I can also speak your language. But leaving that aside for a moment, why aren''t you wearing any clothes?"


    He said this while awkwardly looking away.


    Though he was over a hundred years old now, some things didn''t change easily.


    After all, the situation was becoming somewhat uncomfortable, and he could feel the piercing gaze of the dragon woman, who didn''t seem pleased with the whole scene.


    The green-haired woman looked at herself and then at him, confused, and asked:


    "Why should I wear clothes? They''re bulky and useless. We spirits aren''t used to wearing them, you know?"


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    Ethan almost choked upon hearing this.


    ''Do they all walk around naked or what?'' he wondered, realizing this might become a headache in the future.


    In the end, after some effort, Ethan managed to convince her to wear something. Now her body was covered by a simple white robe as soft as silk, modest in its design.


    Once that was settled, Ethan had to deal with the dragon woman, who seemed to have her fair share of questions for him. He assured her they would discuss things calmly later. S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn''t waste too much time on this issue, as there was another spiritual realm being awakening, requiring his attention.


    Ethan''s massive formation had been enough to awaken the consciousness of the two beings who had been asleep.


    The green-haired woman''s consciousness had already been in the process of awakening due to the pure Qi Ethan had injected into her some time ago.


    So, when the rain of pure Qi fell upon the Beast Continent, she was able to fully awaken.


    The other entity present on the Demonic Continent, however, had most likely sensed the enormous amount of pure Qi, which Ethan assumed had triggered its awakening.


    He could tell the being hadn''t fully awoken yet, so he didn''t want to dwell on the matter any longer.


    Although he was curious to know why an elemental spirit of her level was in this plane, he had to postpone the inquiry because an unexpected problem had arisen.


    "So, you don''t know how you ended up in this plane?" Ethan asked with a frown, watching the green-haired woman look around to figure out where she was.


    "And you also don''t know who you are or what your name is, correct?"


    "Yes," she replied, nodding vigorously.


    Ethan didn''t know what to think about the current situation.


    He had wanted to awaken her from her slumber out of curiosity about how she had ended up here and possibly to gain some information about the war from two thousand years ago.


    After all, that Tree of Life had existed for several millennia, so it must have been around during the that period.


    But it looked like none of that would happen, as she seemed to remember very little beyond being an elemental spirit and a handful of other things.


    Ethan glanced at Bai Yu to see if she had any suggestions on what to do about this situation, to which she responded with a shrug.


    Ethan had transferred to her the knowledge of the common language used among the various races, so their brief conversation could also be understood by Bai Yu.


    In the end, Ethan could only shake his head as he prepared to leave.


    "Well, it was brief, but it''s time for me to go. I wish you the best of luck," he said, thinking there was no point in lingering on this issue.


    The woman was strong enough to protect herself, at least from anything in this plane.


    He could also tell she wasn''t a malicious being, especially since she was a wood elemental spirit.


    Bai Yu had told him that such spirits were inherently calm and friendly by nature. From their brief interaction, he could confirm this information.


    He was sure that she wouldn''t cause any trouble, so since there was nothing else to do he prepared to leave.


    Bai Yu transformed into a smaller version of her beast form, coiling herself around his neck and resting on his shoulders.


    Seeing him ready to depart, the green-haired woman became agitated, floating immediately closer to him and saying:


    "Hey! You''re not going to leave me behind, are you?" she asked in a voice tinged with panic.


    Hearing her, Ethan turned toward her and said:


    "Well, yes. Why not?" he asked back.


    He had no further business with her, so it didn''t make sense to stay, nor did he have any free time. He had a whole continent to purify after all.


    "What do you mean, ''why not''?


    You woke me from my slumber, and now you think you can just run off as if nothing happened? It''s your fault that I''m in this situation, so you need to take responsibility"


    "..."


    "..."


    ''What do you mean it''s my fault you''re in this situation?''


    Ethan didn''t know what to say about the woman''s twisted logic, and even Bai Yu looked at her as if she were crazy.


    In the end, thinking that amnesia wasn''t the only thing afflicting this woman, they both ignored her. With a deliberate step forward, Ethan disappeared from his position.


    "..."


    ''Did he just abandon me?''


    Furious, she also moved forward in the direction Ethan had gone and vanished.


    As a spiritual realm being, traveling at high speed was a natural ability for her.


    However, she soon realized there was a problem.


    ''He''s faster than me,'' she thought, sensing that her body hadn''t fully recovered yet.


    After all, she had been asleep for who knows how long, and her body needed time to regain its full strength.


    Although she had managed to recover a significant portion of her powers thanks to Ethan, she was still far from her optimal state.


    This left her speed much inferior to Ethan''s, who at that moment had already appeared in the skies above the Demonic Continent.


    ??

 Chapter 246 You Talk Too Much.

    .Near the great rift in the vast demon continent, a towering figure several meters high appeared in the air, its gaze fixed downward.


    The tall figure had no discernible features, as its entire being was shrouded in a dark mist from which tendrils occasionally emerged and then disappeared.


    The entity, whose form was not entirely stable, continued to direct its gaze downward.


    "The Lord is awakening," a raspy voice echoed from the figure, though no mouth could be seen anywhere. Experience exclusive tales on empire


    The only visible feature where its head should have been was a swirling vortex of black and white.


    While the massive demon figure hovered in the air, staring at the gigantic fissure in the ground, it sensed the presence of other figures. One by one, they appeared in an instant, completely surrounding the rift.


    Each of these figures had unique appearances.


    Some, like the towering figure, lacked distinct features, while others had recognizable characteristics.


    From those with horns onto their heads or foreheads to those who bore tentacles instead of limbs, they were all varied in form.


    All of them floated in the air, their gazes fixed on the rift.


    These were the ten ruling beings of the demon continent, the ten entities at the pinnacle of the mortal realm of cultivation.


    They had all felt the demonic Qi fluctuations emanating from this place and had rushed here without delay because they all knew what it signified.


    Their ancestor, who had gone into seclusion more than two thousand years ago, was finally awakening once more.


    One of the rulers, a black skeleton engulfed in flames and cloaked in a mantle, broke the silence, saying:


    "The ancestor''s awakening is happening much earlier than we expected. Could something have gone wrong?" he asked, finding the situation a bit odd.


    "No, that shouldn''t be possible. After all, when the ancestor entered seclusion, he had already reached the peak of the mortal realm. Could it be that he has already broken through to the spiritual realm and is now awakening?" another replied.


    The ancestor''s awakening was an event none of them had anticipated happening so soon. Consequently, they were all a bit uncertain about the situation.


    That said, they could sense that the ancestor had reached a new level of strength, which alone was a cause for celebration, as it meant their race would become invincible on this plane of existence.


    "If that figure from back then dares to show himself again, I''d like to see how he''ll repel us this time," one of them said, recalling how they had been confined to this continent.


    The hatred they bore for that being was immense, and all of them could hardly wait for the barrier that had trapped them on this land for so long to finally shatter, allowing them to invade the territories that the being had so desperately sought to protect.


    The conversation between the various entities continued as they felt the presence at the bottom of the great rift grow stronger.


    All of them could tell that their ancestor was nearly fully awakened, and none of them wanted to miss the moment.


    As all this unfolded, none of them noticed a figure high in the sky observing the scene with a curious gaze.


    Seeing that they didn''t seem to perceive him, he couldn''t help but comment.


    "Well, it''s certainly crowded here," he said, quickly estimating the combined strength of everyone present.


    He could tell that these were the top powers of the demon continent and, as such, could affirm that they were undoubtedly stronger than those of the other two continents.


    One of them, in particular, seemed to be slightly ahead of the others at the peak of the mortal realm of cultivation.


    Hearing the sudden voice from above, all ten rulers raised their gazes, alarmed by the fact that they hadn''t detected the presence of the figure at all.


    "Who the hell-"


    The black skeletal figure in the mantle was about to ask who it was when he noticed the man''s features and immediately realized something.


    "A human."


    Just as he did, the others also identified Ethan, and upon seeing that the being was none other than a human, they were all shocked.


    After all, there were no human beings on their continent, and it was hard to believe that he had crossed the barrier.


    They themselves had had to make considerable efforts just to send a few of their own through it.


    Surely, the barrier that covered the three continents was still strong enough to prevent easy travel between them.


    For a moment, they thought their eyes were deceiving them, but soon one of them rose into the air and appeared at a reasonable distance from Ethan.


    "Who would''ve thought that a rat could sneak into the continent? I wonder, though, why you chose to come here to die instead of staying hidden in some hole," said a ruler resembling a centaur.


    It wasn''t that he underestimated Ethan, just the fact that this human was here in the first place suggested he had some abilities.


    That said, demons inherently viewed themselves as superior to others, particularly humans, whom they often regarded as the weakest race, whether in this celestial plane or here.


    He was curious to know where this human had come from and intended to toy with him for a bit before eliminating him.


    Hearing the demon''s words, Ethan smiled and replied.


    "And why shouldn''t I?


    Who should I fear, you?" he said in a calm voice.


    Hearing this, a vein bulged on the head of the demon, who resembled a minotaur.


    "You''ve got quite a sharp tongue, haven''t you?


    Fine, let me see where all this confidence comes from," he said, raising his hand.


    A black cloud formed above it, twisting and elongating into what appeared to be a massive hammer.


    "I usually don''t use my weapon to kill weaklings like you, but I''ll grant you the honor of dying by it since you managed to get this fa-"


    Before the demon could finish his words, his body exploded, and within less than a second, every trace of him was completely disintegrated.


    "Tch, why do you talk so much? If you''re going to attack, just do it."


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 Chapter 247 Overwhelming Power

    .The death of their companion was so sudden and swift that the remaining nine rulers took a moment to process what had just happened.


    "What... I didn''t even see him make a move," one of them thought, but similar thoughts filled the minds of the others as they tried to comprehend what they had just witnessed.


    On the other hand, Ethan paid them no attention. He simply absorbed the sphere of demonic Qi he had condensed from the demon he had just slain.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +331 STR]


    [You have gained +110 AGI]


    [You have gained +75 INT]


    [You have gained +50 Soul Strength]


    Observing the disparity in the stat points he had gained, Ethan could roughly deduce the demon''s abilities.


    Not that he needed to. Even a brief inspection had already told him much about it.


    Seeing the low INT statistic he had acquired, he thought the demon was probably all brawn and no brains.


    While immersed in absorbing the demonic Qi, the other rulers, initially caught off guard, quickly regained their composure. Without hesitation, eight of them launched a combined attack at the figure above.


    Earlier, they might have underestimated this unwelcome spectator. However, after witnessing such a grand display of power, none dared take him lightly.


    With a nod, all but one of them charged at him, unleashing their most potent attacks.


    None of them held back, nor could they afford to.


    They weren''t sure what had happened to their companion, but if the other party could eliminate one of them with such ease, then it was best to eliminate him as swiftly as possible, leaving him no chance to counterattack.


    BOOOM!


    The combined force of eight beings at the peak of the mortal rank was no small thing. In an instant, a massive explosion erupted, obliterating everything within a radius of several leagues.


    The power of this attack was akin to that of a large-scale nuclear bomb. The explosion''s radius spanned several miles, with the shockwave propagating at least another dozen miles.


    Needless to say, any living being near the area was instantly annihilated by the attack. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The eight demons, hovering in the air and observing the aftermath of their combined assault, couldn''t help but frown. One of them asked with a serious expression:


    "He should be dead, right? There''s no way anyone could survive an attack like that," said the demon resembling a black skeleton clad in a cloak.


    The others nodded, thinking the same thing. Then, one of them, frowning deeply, glanced in another direction and asked:


    "Gu�� Y��n, why on earth did you stay back?" He clearly wasn''t pleased with the ninth demon ruler, who had refrained from joining the attack.


    The demon named Gu�� Y��n didn''t look at the speaker. Instead, he directed his gaze toward the area where the attack had been launched and calmly said:


    "Because none of us are strong enough to fight him, so there''s no point in me attacking," he said with a steady voice, as if what he had just declared was nothing alarming.


    Hearing his words, all eyes turned toward the explosion site, as if searching for something, or, in this case, someone.


    None of them doubted what their colleague had said, as among them, he was the strongest, second only to their ancestor in terms of power.


    If he said they were no match for the human, then they likely weren''t.


    Seeing no one, they wondered if Gu�� Y��n had been mistaken. The demon who had spoken before said:


    "Maybe. But there''s no way he can escape that attack unscathed, right?" he asked, but his colleague remained silent, continuing to stare in the attack''s direction.


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    At that moment, while they all wondered whether or not they had succeeded, a calm voice sounded from behind them.


    As soon as they heard the voice, a chill ran through them. They turned their gazes toward it and there he was.


    The human they had just attacked now stood in midair with the same bored expression as before, calmly looking at them.


    No matter how they examined him, they couldn''t find a single injury, not even a scratch. Coupling this with what Gu�� Y��n had just said, all of them lost their fighting spirit.


    "H-How is this possible? He can''t be this strong, can he? Unless..."


    Realization dawned upon them one by one as they began looking at the human with terror on their faces.


    "Could it be..."


    All of them simultaneously wondered if the human before them had already severed his mortal ties and ascended to the spiritual rank.


    This realization hit them like a bucket of cold water. They understood their situation was far worse than they had anticipated.


    Even if they were mistaken, based on what they had already seen, it was clear that none of them stood a chance against him.


    At this point, they could only hope their ancestor would awaken soon. Unfortunately for them, fate wasn''t so kind.


    "Well, I wasn''t expecting much, but your attack was rather disappointing," Ethan said as he looked at the eight demon rulers in the air, as if they were already walking corpses.


    Hearing these words, none of them wasted any time. They immediately tried to flee. However, the moment they made even the slightest movement, they felt their entire beings freeze in midair, as an oppressive force struck all of them.


    "Why is it that every one of you always tries to escape after the first attack? Do you really have such low self-esteem?" he asked with a displeased tone.


    Even the two demons he had encountered on the beast continent had opted to flee the moment he arrived. And now, these ones too.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand why, but knowing how these creatures had caused chaos and destruction in the celestial plane for so long, he had expected more from them. Yet, so far, every demon he had met was more cowardly than the last.


    Hearing Ethan''s words, the demons wanted to cry, thinking:


    ''Low self-esteem? What else are we supposed to do against a monster like you?!''


    The demon resembling a black skeleton in a cloak, realizing how precarious their situation had become, hesitated no longer and immediately channeled his demonic Qi toward his forehead.


    ''Who would''ve thought I''d have to resort to this so soon,'' he thought.


    On his forehead, where there had been nothing before, Some symbols began to appear.


    As they absorbed the flow of demonic Qi, they started to glow, and in an instant, the demon''s entire figure disintegrated.


    Seeing this scene, Ethan''s expression lit up as his gaze shifted toward a certain direction.


    "What an interesting technique," he thought, as his vision instantly spanned hundreds of miles and locked onto what appeared to be a cave.

 Chapter 248 The Awakening of Mo Yan

    .In a dark space where no light could penetrate, a creaking sound echoed, followed by the heavy thud of something falling.


    Thud.


    Inside what seemed to be a rectangular container made of a black, pitch-like stone lay the figure of a skeleton.


    It bore no particularly distinctive features, except that all the bones in its body were as black as coal.


    After what appeared to be the lid of the container, resembling a coffin fell, nothing else happened, and the environment returned to its previous silence. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within the coffin, the figure of the black skeleton, which had remained there for who knows how long, finally showed some sign of life.


    The eye sockets, empty just moments before, now contained a dark blue flame burning within them as a series of symbols appeared on the forehead of the skeleton''s skull.


    Suddenly, it began to move its body, and with some difficulty, it sat up in place.


    "I need to leave here before he finds me," it murmured, feeling its body enveloped by demonic Qi.


    Suddenly, a cloak similar to the one it had worn before self-destructing materialized on its form.


    If it was true that the human was already a being who had ascended to the spiritual reakm, then it was certain that it wouldn''t take him long to find him.


    Thus, the skeleton moved, seeking to take advantage of the vast distance between them to gain some margin and escape to a more remote place where it could hide until its ancestor was fully awakened.


    Now, it could only place its hopes in its ancestor to defeat that human.


    With that, it dashed at high speed, and in no time, it reached the entrance of the cave.


    As soon as it exited, ready to speed off in a specific direction, it felt a sudden pressure pinning it to the spot.


    Before it could even allow panic to set in, its body was moved, and in the next moment, it found itself exactly where he had been before he had self-destructed.


    What��


    The scene of their companion using a technique to escape, only to be brought back here, surprised the others who were still immobilized.


    Clearly, the most shocked of all was the skeletal demon himself who, realizing that he had returned to his previous position, was struck by immense disbelief.


    ''H-How did he do it?'' he wondered, never expecting to be captured so quickly.


    With this failed escape attempt, even the faint glimmer of hope it had for freedom was extinguished, and it knew its death was imminent.


    On the other hand, Ethan, after his initial surprise, recomposed himself, ready to put an end to the lives of these eight demons.


    He had been momentarily startled because, although his prison formation was active, the other party had managed to destroy its physical body and transfer its soul into another, already prepared body through a special technique.


    Though he hadn''t anticipated something like this, he didn''t dwell too much on it.


    He immediately recaptured the demon and, with a mental command, adjusted some symbols within the formation to make it harder to breach.


    Ethan knew his formation was far from perfect, so he would continue to improve it over time.


    ''Maybe it''s time to upgarde my skills,'' he thought.


    He had initially intended to play with them a bit, to see if they had anything interesting to show him.


    But aside from the skeleton that had almost managed to escape, the others hadn''t done anything particularly remarkable, in his opinion.


    At this point, in Ethan''s eyes, the only thing that distinguished them from spiritual energy cultivators was the fact that unless one had methods to eliminate demonic Qi, they wouldn''t die easily.


    Unfortunately for them, Ethan had such a method, and it was one that benefited him greatly.


    He could sense that the being slumbering deep within that rift in the ground was almost fully awakened, so he decided to end this pointless battle.


    With little effort, he eliminated them all instantly.


    And at the sight of their companions being annihilated as if they were nothing, even the demon who had refrained from attacking Ethan initially, knowing he was far stronger than them, was left stunned by how effortlessly they were eradicated.


    But this was something he had expected.


    The next thing to happen was that his companions were disintegrated, only to transform into pure demonic Qi that Ethan absorbed, just as he had done with the first one to attack him.


    This, of course, terrified him, but it was reassured by the thought that he wouldn''t meet the same fate as its companions, because it could sense that his ancestor was almost fully awakened and would surely perceive the situation here.


    He believed that his ancestor wouldn''t stand idly by while their race was being eradicated by this strange human.


    At least that''s what he thought, but who could have predicted that the reality would be very different from all this.


    In the depths of the rift in the ground, the figure of a large black cocoon could be seen.


    The cocoon, which until not long ago had begun to show signs of life, was now glowing faintly, with a reddish-orange light emanating from it.


    Scccrrriiitch... rrriiiip...


    With a sickly yet somehow sinister sound, the elastic surface of the cocoon, which seemed to be formed from countless small fibers, began to tear apart as what appeared to be long, thin fingers gripped the edges of the tear and widened the opening further.


    Effortlessly, the surface of the cocoon was ripped apart, as two pairs of skeletal arms emerged from within, clutching the sides for support as the rest of the enormous body was pulled out.


    "Haa�� finally," a slightly hoarse voice echoed in the deep cavern of the rift where the cocoon had been.


    Following the voice, a towering being nearly ten meters tall finally rose, gradually regaining all its senses.


    "At last, I have reached the spiritual rank��" the figure said, as black mist began to appear around it and slowly enveloped its entire form.


    Gradually, the mist began to condense into black garments, and with a gesture of its hand, part of the mist started to mold and extend, transforming into what appeared to be a long scepter.


    Where once stood a torn cocoon and a thin, towering figure, now stood nothing but a black-robed form hovering above the ground.


    The figure had no flesh, and the only distinguishable features were its long skeletal limbs protruding from the black robe and what seemed to be a large red-and-black orb visible in its chest area, surrounded by what looked like multiple sets of ribs.


    The lower half of the body lacked legs, and the upper half featured only a black hood. Inside the hood was pure darkness, where any normal person attempting to look inside risked being swallowed by it.


    Mo Yan, who had gone into seclusion for over a millennium, had finally awakened.

 Chapter 249 Run away

    .He, basking in the immense power that coursed through his entire being, finally extended his senses to observe how the world had changed in his absence.


    He was certain the barrier imprisoning his race on this fragment of land was likely still there, but he believed that with his newfound strength, he could finally break it.


    He wanted to see the state of his race, and as his spiritual sense expanded beyond the rift''s space, he immediately perceived several figures at the peak of the Mortal realm.


    He recognized all of them. Upon seeing that they were still alive and that some had even become stronger, he felt a sense of satisfaction.


    "It seems that they have not been idle in my absence," he thought.


    But his happiness was short-lived. Not long after, he sensed nearly all of them being eliminated by an individual who displayed no trace of demonic Qi.


    Upon perceiving this, his rage surged.


    He was prepared to intervene and personally deal with this being, but what he saw next left him shaken.


    "Him�� it can''t be."


    Initially, he hadn''t sensed the full power of this figure, but it didn''t take long for him to gauge his cultivation level.


    The realization sent him into shock.


    Another being had reached the spiritual realm, just like him.


    He had believed that once he ascended, it would only be a matter of time before his race could conquer this plane.


    Yet, he hadn''t expected to encounter another being at his level, and not just one.


    He sensed the presence of yet another individual in the spiritual realm approaching this location, shocking him further.


    Since when had beings of the spiritual realm become so common, he wondered. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But his surprise didn''t end there.


    He then observed his subordinates, who had just been eliminated, unable to reconstitute themselves using demonic Qi.


    Instead, they had been captured and absorbed by this being.


    This was the final blow, not of rage, but of fear.


    If there was one thing demons were confident in, it was their inability to truly die.


    As manifestations of demonic Qi, they could reemerge from it after death, with small traces of consciousness allowing them to return over time.


    For this reason, killing them was nearly impossible, a trait that had caused significant trouble for the beings of the celestial plane.


    Yet here he was, witnessing a being devouring his race as if it were nothing, erasing their existence entirely.


    He could tell that the being had grown stronger by absorbing his kind, and this realization terrified him.


    He struggled to believe what he had just witnessed.


    He had thought that with his newfound strength, nothing could threaten him.


    Yet, not only had he encountered two other beings at his level, but one of them was capable of completely eradicating his kind.


    ''I must ascend immediately,'' he thought, realizing he could no longer remain in this plane.


    All his plans for conquest had gone up in smoke. He knew that to survive, he needed to ascend and regroup elsewhere.


    ''I must contact them as soon as possible,'' he thought, disappearing from his position and reappearing dozens of miles away in the sky. His body began to glow with a black light.


    "I can sense it," he murmured.


    But just as he focused to deepen his perception, a voice rang out from behind him.


    "Now, I really want to know if running away is a trait of your race, "


    ***


    Ethan, having successfully killed the eight demons and absorbed their demonic energy, immediately felt his strength increase significantly.


    DING!


    [You have gained +1431 STR]


    [You have gained +1350 AGI]


    [You have gained +875 INT]


    [You have gained +589 Soul Strength]


    His stats had increased by at least 10%, with some even improving by 20%.


    Seeing this boost in power, Ethan grew increasingly certain that hunting demons was the best way to rapidly grow stronger.


    The sheer amount of Soul Strength he was gaining from killing them was far from insignificant.


    He checked his Demonic Physique and was finally pleased to see that it, too, had improved by a considerable margin.


    .


    [------------------------------


    [Demonic Physique]


    Grade: Minor (27%)


    Description: The physique of a low-grade pure demon.


    This physique increases the Host''s affinity with negative spiritual energy, allowing the Host to absorb and process it within their dantian, thereby forming a Demonic Core.


    Forming a Demonic Core enables the primary physique to digest demonic Qi more efficiently and allows the Minor Demonic Physique to evolve.


    Note: Switching from your current physique to the Demonic Physique will alter your appearance accordingly.


    All beings using positive spiritual energy will perceive you as an enemy, while those using negative energy will view you as one of their own.


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Ethan had honestly expected to surpass 50% easily with all the demons he had just absorbed, but reality seemed less generous than he had anticipated.


    He wasn''t sure why it took so much to improve the percentage of his Demonic Physique.


    After all, it was a physique similar to that of the demons he had just killed, which would make him a low-grade pure demon in their eyes.


    Yet, even after absorbing nine of them, he couldn''t make significant progress in this regard.


    In the end, he could only shake his head, thinking that it was still better than nothing.


    After all, the Demonic Physique wasn''t currently of much use to him, so he didn''t feel irritated about it.


    That said, he turned his attention to the demon who had remained on the sidelines the entire time.


    Seeing that the other party hadn''t made a move throughout, he couldn''t help but ask:


    "I can sense you''re clearly stronger than all the others I just killed, yet you haven''t made a single move this whole time.


    Is this your way of throwing in the towel before even trying to fight?"


    Ethan could guess what the demon might be thinking, but he wanted to hear it directly.


    The demon, having just sensed his lord fully awaken, spoke with a joyful voice.


    "Of course, I know I can''t fight someone of your level, so it''s pointless for me to make a move.


    After all, even if I had joined the attack, it wouldn''t have changed anything, right?" he said.


    But Ethan didn''t respond, calmly staring at him.


    "Don''t worry about me; you should worry about our ancestor instead," the demon continued.


    Though his expression couldn''t be seen, as he lacked a face, Ethan was certain he would be smirking or something similar if he could.


    Seeing how confident the other party was, Ethan finally smiled, pointed in a seemingly random direction, and said:


    "Oh, really?


    Then why is your so-called ancestor currently fleeing in that direction?"

 Chapter 250 Ethna vs Mo Yan

    .Ascending from one plane to another was no simple matter, and any being who had broken their mortal bonds to reach the spiritual realm knew this very well.


    This was because, once they arrived at this realm of cultivation, their connection to the mortal plane would grow fainter while a bond with the celestial plane would begin to manifest.


    This first part was the easiest since beings would instinctively feel a connection forming slowly with the celestial plane. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, it was a challenge to fully perceive and consolidate this connection, especially correctly, so that it could be used as a path to reach the higher plane.


    It was this part that was the most problematic because if one didn''t make the proper preparation, they risked ending up in some spatial fracture. Stay updated through empire


    In the best-case scenario, they might save themselves but end up in some remote dimension. In the worst-case scenario, they would die.


    Mo Yan, who had already started perceiving the existence of a higher plane, tried to consolidate his connection with it as quickly as possible and attempt ascension.


    He knew that doing so under these circumstances was far from ideal, but if he didn''t act now, he risked ending up fighting two beings of his level.


    This would either leave him seriously injured for a long time, unsure if he''d ever recover enough to attempt ascension again, or cost him his life at their hands.


    Having few options at his disposal, he decided to attempt ascension now.


    Unfortunately for him, luck was not on his side today.


    Hearing an abrupt voice, he had to interrupt the process and immediately be on guard against the human who had appeared out of nowhere.


    Although ascension required time, he had thought he could start the process and leave, adjusting the coordinates once he was out of this plane. At least this way, he wouldn''t risk being interrupted. However, it seemed even that was no longer an option.


    Seeing the human who had appeared, he frowned and said,


    "Human, I spared you even when you wiped out my subordinates. Don''t make me regret that decision."


    He understood he no longer had any real way to escape.


    Having only recently awakened, his powers had yet to fully stabilize, making a fight risky at this point.


    His chances of victory weren''t high at the moment, which was why he hadn''t gone to save his subordinates first and instead decided on a tactical retreat, attempting to ascend much earlier than planned.


    But now, seeing the other party had already caught up to him, he knew he had no choice but to muster as much strength as he could and fight.


    "Spared me? Strange.


    I could have sworn you were just running away a moment ago," Ethan replied, unfazed by the thought of confronting the demon.


    He had already sensed the demon''s condition when it awakened and had understood its intentions when he saw it flee.


    Just like the demon, Ethan also felt an invisible connection to another place, and to him, that place was undoubtedly the celestial plane.


    He wasn''t sure how to use that connection to ascend, but he had decided not to dwell on it for now.


    He would ask Bai Yu about it after dealing with this demon.


    Although he believed the demon, if discovered in the celestial plane after ascending, would be eliminated immediately by its powerhouses,


    he didn''t want to risk sparking an infestation of demonic energy as had happened millions of years ago.


    More importantly, he didn''t want to lose his free source of stat points.


    Thus, he immediately erected several formations to seal the area within tens of miles.


    The last thing he wanted was for the other party to take their battle elsewhere, or worse, to another continent.


    Seeing the other party had no intention of letting him go, the demon sighed and prepared to fight.


    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you," the demon said, deciding to go all out.


    He knew he wouldn''t come out of this battle unscathed, but he didn''t believe he would lose if he gave it his all.


    With that, he channeled demonic Qi into his scepter, and immediately, a curtain of smoke began to spread from it.


    The smoke enveloped the area instantly, and seeing this, Ethan didn''t take it lightly and readied himself.


    After all, his opponent was not a being of the mortal rank but one at his own rank.


    Thus, he dared not be careless in this situation.


    With another wave of the scepter, the black smoke that had filled the area began to swirl, and soon, several condensed spheres of smoke formed in the air, trembling and changing shape.


    The spheres transformed into what appeared to be several beings entirely made of shadow.


    The only distinguishing feature they had was that each had a different shape, and all bore only a mouth on their face and nothing else.


    They were like living shadows, and from their aura, Ethan couldn''t determine their level of strength.


    "Let me show you the true power of our race," the demon said as his black robe began to flutter with various streams of demonic Qi surrounding him, emanating a heavy aura throughout the environment.


    "Well, it seems you''ve decided to give it your all right from the start," Ethan thought as his eyes began to shine with a blue light.


    His pupils narrowed further, becoming thin as needles, while a terrifying and menacing aura began to radiate from his entire being.


    He hadn''t had a chance to unleash his full strength since his ascension, so he wasn''t yet aware of the full extent of his power.


    That said, he could feel a great strength within him and thought this was the perfect moment to test it.


    Mo Yan, sensing the terrifying aura, couldn''t help but frown as he thought,


    "This aura... it''s not that of a human."


    He was certain the other party was human, yet he could tell this aura was more akin to that of a beast rather than a human.


    Not just any beast, but a dragon.


    In the past, he had fought against experts from the human race and even those from the beast race, but none of them had ever emanated an aura like this.


    This confused him for a moment, but he didn''t dwell on it too much.


    Seeing that the other party was also ready to attack, he intensified the power in his scepter and commanded the creatures he had summoned to advance.

 Chapter 251 The Anomalous Human

    .As the battle between the demon and the human began, another spirit realm level entity finally reached the demon continent.


    Arriving there, the green-haired woman, now with an angry expression, slightly twisted her face while examining the corrupted land of this continent.


    ''Why is this air so impure?'' she thought, instinctively wrapping her nose in a thin layer of wood-element spiritual energy.


    She didn''t know what this place was, but she didn''t like it at all.


    "That despicable man, how could he abandon a woman in distress and leave as if nothing had happened?" the green-haired woman muttered angrily, looking forward to teaching Ethan a lesson as soon as she met him.


    But just as this thought crossed her mind, her attention shifted to various energy fluctuations emanating from a spot not far from her location.


    ''Hm? It seems like someone is fighting down there,'' she thought, deciding to take a look.


    She believed that she might also encounter that man there, so she headed in that direction at full speed.


    From the energy fluctuations, she could tell that the two beings battling were very strong, likely at her same level.


    She knew that the man who had awakened her had a strength similar to hers, so she thought he might be there.


    With her speed, which was at the early stage of the spiritual realm, it didn''t take her long to reach the battle site.


    But just as she was getting closer, her eyes caught something, and she immediately halted her advance, disappearing from her position, only to reappear several miles away.


    There, she saw a stunning woman dressed in blue, floating gracefully as she watched in the direction of the battle.


    The green-haired woman couldn''t help but approach her, saying:


    "You''re the woman who was with that human, right?" she asked, recalling Bai Yu.


    Bai Yu, who had already sensed the presence of the green-haired woman, paid her no attention and continued to gaze ahead.


    To the eyes of an ordinary observer, it might seem as if she was staring into the void.


    But to the eyes of high-level cultivators, an enormous battle was taking place much farther ahead, one that would shake the hearts of many if they witnessed it.


    Ethan had decided to move Bai Yu into his minor dimension, but she had refused, stating that she wanted to watch the battle.


    Not wanting to involve her in the crossfire, he had left her at a location far enough from the battle site.


    At her current cultivation level, she was just a step below the beings at the early stage of the spiritual realm and would risk severe injuries if she participated in the fight.


    Ethan was sure that at her true cultivation level, she could wipe the floor with the demon easily, but for now, her cultivation base was still sealed at the spiritual realm, so he could only leave her in a relatively safe place.


    Meanwhile, as the dragon woman ignored the elemental spirit, Ethan and the demon had already been fighting for some time, gradually escalating the intensity of their attacks with every passing second.


    Initially, there had been several black figures, but now there were strange, shadow-like creatures surrounding the area, each possessing a level of power similar to that of a being at the early stage of the spiritual realm.


    Ethan was initially surprised by this discovery, but he soon realized that summoning these creatures had put a strain on the one who had summoned them.


    He could tell that the demon wouldn''t be able to sustain their summoning for too long, so he decided to make things as difficult as possible for him.


    With a wave of his hand, Ethan conjured several sparks in the air, which quickly multiplied from tens to hundreds, then to thousands.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see that these sparks all took the form of blue-colored petals.


    The demon, seeing this, suddenly felt a sense of foreboding and murmured:


    ''Is that... a rare flame?'' he thought, but there was no time to confirm, as in the next instant, Ethan unleashed his attack.


    The demon wasted no time and condensed his spiritual energy into various symbols in the air, forming seven thick layers of barriers around him.


    Ethan, seeing this, smiled as he murmured:


    "You''ll need something more strong than that to survive this attack."


    As if his words had become reality, the petals rained down like thousands of lights upon the demon and his summoned creatures, and as soon as they struck the barrier''s surface, they exploded.


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    BOOOOOOM!


    Like a chain reaction, the entire area was instantly illuminated by an intense light as a devastating explosion shook the ground.


    Although the explosion was contained within the barrier, the energy fluctuations it caused were enough to damage the surrounding environment.


    The ground was leveled, and large cracks began forming on its surface, while the seismic waves generated by the explosion spread far and wide, reaching various parts of the demonic continent and causing chaos everywhere.


    While the rest of the continent plunged into chaos, inside the formation, Ethan, who had just unleashed a wave of destruction upon the demon, did not relax.


    He raised his right hand to the side, condensing a sword made entirely of pure wood-element spiritual energy.


    Without hesitation, he slashed downward, and suddenly, the enormous explosion enveloping the space within the barrier was split in half.


    In the space created by the cut, the battered figure of the demon could be seen, who had managed to dodge the blow just in time, but had lost two limbs in the attempt.


    Unlike him, however, the creatures he had summoned weren''t so lucky.


    All those within the trajectory of the attack were hit directly and eliminated on the spot.


    That attack carried a potent wood aura, enhanced by Ethan''s pure Qi. It had been enough to obliterate the creatures formed from demonic Qi.


    Mo Yan, witnessing this scene, was momentarily stunned.


    While avoiding damage from the previous attack, his instincts had warned him of grave danger, and without hesitation, he had thrown himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the full brunt of the attack.


    He wasn''t sure why he felt this sense of mortal danger, but now, seeing his creatures being annihilated, he understood the reason.


    "What on earth is that aura?!"


    He could sense the strong wood element within it, but that alone wouldn''t have been enough to destroy demonic Qi, and he knew it.


    Yet he could feel that there was something else in that attack, something that even demonic Qi couldn''t withstand. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Watching his subordinates be eliminated and their essence absorbed by this being, Mo Yan had already realized that this human was an anomaly.


    At that moment, he had felt Ethan''s strength increase significantly, something clearly related to his physique.


    After all, special physiques were not uncommon in the mortal or heavenly planes. Even demons could develop certain unique physiques.


    But it was one thing to have such a physique; it was entirely another to launch attacks that could eliminate demonic Qi.


    In the demon''s mind, the level of danger posed by Ethan had risen to an entirely new tier.

 Chapter 252 Demonic Language

    .The battle between Ethan and the demon went on for hours, with neither side managing to gain the upper hand, or at least, that''s what the demon thought.


    But soon, he realized it wasn''t because the human was unable to gain the advantage in their fight.


    Instead, it seemed the human was using him as a test subject for his various attacks.


    Obviously this realization makes him a furious.


    "You little bastard! Don''t think you can underestimate me!" he bellowed in anger while raising his scepter.


    Several symbols began to form in the air.


    Ethan, who had just destroyed yet another zombie-like creature with a punch infused with his pure Qi, saw this unfolding scene.


    However, he didn''t stop his opponent. Instead, he turned his gaze to the symbols that were beginning to spread in the air.


    The symbols were written in an unknown language and were primarily composed of red energy.


    Although Ethan had never seen these symbols before, that didn''t mean he had no way of deciphering the language.


    In fact, as soon as he began analyzing the symbols in the air, a familiar sound resonated in his mind, and a blue screen appeared before his eyes.


    DING!


    [Unknown formation detected.]


    [Analyzing...]


    DING!


    [Analysis completed successfully.]


    Ethan wasted no time in absorbing the information.


    While he believed he could gain the upper hand against the demon in front of him, that didn''t mean he would underestimate him.


    Indeed, throughout their entire fight, Ethan had maintained a certain level of caution toward his opponent, all while testing his abilities on him.


    He had found an opponent of the same cultivation realm and didn''t want to miss the opportunity to test his newfound strength.


    And he had to admit, his power so far had not disappointed him at all.


    He was certain that if he wished, he could obliterate the entire continent with a single attack.


    Essentially, he was a god in the mortal realm.


    He understood why beings who ascended from the mortal realm to the spiritual realm were eventually forced by the will of the heavens to ascend.


    Allowing a being of his level to roam freely in this plane was akin to condemning it.


    A single whim of his could cost this plane dearly.


    As soon as he accepted the information from the system, he felt a sudden wave of knowledge flooding his mind.


    Immediately, a new status screen appeared before him.


    .


    [-------------------------------


    [Formation of the Thousand Calamities]


    Level: 4


    Description: A summoning formation written in the ancient language of demons, capable of summoning one of the thousand demonic calamities.


    NOTE: The summoned calamity will be random, and the summoning time will vary depending on the amount of demonic Qi of the summoner.


    [Price: 2.000.000 Sp]


    -------------------------------]


    .


    [Do you wish to learn the formation?]


    [Y/N]


    Seeing the information, Ethan understood what the demon was trying to do and couldn''t help but snort.


    Although he was confident in his ability to defeat the demon, he didn''t know what these demonic calamities were. Judging by the level of the summoning formation, however, he could tell it was nothing good.


    Thus, without hesitation, he absorbed the knowledge about the formation. The moment he assimilated the information, he opened his eyes, and a bluish-green light radiated from them.


    He raised his hand and a dark green energy began to condense on it.


    With a gesture of his hand, he materialized a faint symbol in the air.


    Mo Yan, who had been busy setting up the summoning formation, thought he had enough time to complete and activate it.


    After all, he still had a few creatures protecting him from the human in the meantime. But just as he was halfway through the formation, an abrupt sense of danger struck him.


    His gaze darted toward his opponent''s position, and as soon as his eyes focused on him, they narrowed, and he murmured in disbelief.


    "T-That... that''s a demonic rune!" he stammered, shocked at the sight of a symbol as large as a palm floating above the human''s hand, radiating a dark and sinister aura.


    He didn''t know what kind of energy the green aura was, but simply recognizing the symbol and understanding its meaning terrified him.


    He couldn''t understand how the human knew the ancient demonic language, but seeing him use one of the runes needed to erect formations of his race left him speechless.


    Even more so because the rune in question was the primary rune of his formation.


    This made him realize that not only did the human know the demonic language, but he also understood the formation he was building.


    In other words, the human knew exactly what he was trying to do.


    This, clearly, was not a good thing for him. It meant the human would interfere with the formation, not by attacking him directly but by sabotaging the formation itself.


    "Damn it, how the hell does he know our language?" he asked himself in frustration.


    He knew that Setting up the summoning formation would now become more problematic, and he wondered if his beasts would manage to prevent an attack on the formation.


    But just as he was pondering what to do, he saw the core rune of the formation that the human had created begin to tremble, and soon other runes appeared around the central rune.


    "Huh? What kind of formation is that?"


    He wondered, perplexed by what he was seeing.


    At first, he had thought that the other party had created the central rune of his formation to stop his formation.


    However, seeing that instead of using it now that it was fully formed, the human created other different runes, he became confused about his intentions.


    Even more so because he couldn''t determine the purpose of this runic formation.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this,'' he thought as he began to speed up the process of setting up his formation.


    He could tell that whatever it was, it wasn''t good news for him, and he had no intention of waiting to see what would happen.


    What he needed to do now was finish his formation, after which he could take care of that human.


    So, he focused on his formation while mentally commanding his creatures to attack the human.


    If he could interrupt the other party''s formation, or perhaps even ruin it, it would only be a good thing for him. Thus, he decided to use the rest of the three creatures that he had left for a combined attack.


    After all, he knew that these creatures were no longer much help to him, and as such, there was no point in spending further energy to maintain them.


    The giant, contorted creatures, receiving their master''s command, let out a loud roar as they charged at Ethan, who was also in the process of erecting a formation.


    Ethan continued to create runes, paying no attention to the creatures closing in, and in an instant, they had already reached him, ready to attack.


    Just as a giant shadow creature, over ten meters tall with three pairs of arms, was about to attack him, a green light burst forth, and before the creature could even make a move against him, it was eliminated instantly.


    But it didn''t stop there.


    The source of the intense green light, revealed to be a formation made up of the dark green runes created by Ethan, shot upward and soon reached Mo Yan''s formation.


    Mo Yan, who saw that he was nearly done with his work, was already celebrating.


    Just as he was about to complete the formation, he felt that something was wrong and looked in a direction where he saw a strange disc made of various symbols and geometric figures. It had reached the same level as his formation, invading it with relative ease.


    "What is that-"


    And just as he was asking himself what it was, the disc began to rotate.


    Soon, various green lines emerged from it, and in what seemed like an instant, they spread like a spider''s web, covering the entire invisible surface of Mo Yan''s formation and striking every point where the various symbols that maintained his formation were located.


    Mo Yan couldn''t react in time and immediately felt the connection to the formation he had almost finished creating break.


    Before he could do anything, all the runes he had created died out, forming three rings around him.


    And before he could even try to escape the encirclement or break the rings of runes, a green sphere materialized around him, engulfing him inside.


    "What?"


    Bam, bam, bam!


    Mo Yan, clearly panicking due to the sudden chain of events, immediately tried to strike with all his might against the green walls of the sphere in an attempt to damage it and escape.


    However, he quickly discovered that no matter how hard he struck, he couldn''t make even a scratch on the slightly transparent walls of the green sphere.


    "What the hell is this thing? human, let me out of here!" he roared as he continued his attempts to break the sphere.


    "It''s useless," Ethan''s voice echoed.


    He approached the large sphere, several meters in size, and positioned himself at eye level with the demon, who was considerably tall.


    "I must admit, your formation techniques aren''t bad at all," he said with a smile directed at Mo Yan.


    "Look, I even managed to create this little masterpiece," he added, glancing at the points where the three rings made of runes were anchored.


    The demon couldn''t follow what the human was saying, but that didn''t stop him from continuing his curses.


    Seeing this, Ethan smiled and made another gesture with his hand.


    "If I were you, I''d make myself comfortable," he said as the sphere began to tremble, and its size gradually started to shrink.


    "you''ll be staying there for quite a while.," he added, grabbing the green sphere that had now shrunk to the size of a tennis ball. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 253 Spiritual Contract

    .Although the battle between the demon and Ethan seemed to have gone on for hours and hours, the total time didn''t even exceed 30 minutes.


    Bai Yu and the green-haired woman, who had witnessed the fight, only saw a lightning-fast series of attacks back and forth, with no real interruption in between.


    On one hand, Bai Yu wasn''t surprised by a battle of this magnitude, as she was used to seeing much longer and more destructive ones.


    On the other hand, the green-haired woman, though also a being of the spiritual rank, without her full memories of the past, could only marvel at the clash between these two spiritual realm beings. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even more so seeing that Ethan was not only able to counter the demon but was effectively eliminating all the demonic energy thrown at him.


    As a wood elemental spirit, she felt an instinctive repulsion toward demonic Qi and could tell that this energy was anything but simple.


    Even she wasn''t sure she could completely eliminate the traces of this energy successfully, and yet here he was, a being of her same level, who wasn''t even an elemental spirit, doing it as if it were nothing.


    She had already experienced Ethan''s pure Qi firsthand and could tell it was special because not only did his Qi give her a lot of energy, but she could also feel it was beneficial to her body.


    She was certain that if she could absorb such pure Qi every day, she could advance her cultivation without much difficulty.


    And this, in her eyes, was yet another reason to follow this human.


    Without memories of her past, she honestly didn''t know what to do now that she was awake, so she thought it best to follow this intriguing human.


    Who would have thought that the human would ignore her as if she were nothing and leave without her?


    Now that she had caught up to him, she had sworn she wouldn''t let him get away so easily again.


    After defeating the demon, it was finally time to cleanse this land, corrupted for so long.


    Ethan knew that this time wouldn''t be as simple as it had been with the beast continent because, unlike them, who had merely been affected by demonic Qi, all the creatures of this land were already completely corrupted and were now half-demons.


    Not only was he supposed to purify this land and eliminate every trace of demonic Qi, but he was also supposed to restore these people to normal.


    At first, this task would have been much more difficult and would have required some time for him to devise a large scale formation capable of effectively purifying and restoring the people of this place, but luckily, he wouldn''t have these problems now.


    And that was because he had now learned the demonic language.


    When Ethan had studied the formation made with runes written in the demonic language, he could see the potential of this formation.


    He was confident he could devise an effective way to purify the beings of this continent more efficiently.


    So he wasted no time and prepared to purify this continent, but first, he had another problem to face.


    "Hm? You want to form a soul contract?" he asked with a somewhat confused expression, looking at the green-haired woman in front of him.


    "Yes, let me follow you on your journey, and in exchange, I will offer you my soul contract," she said as if it were a great privilege to enter into such a contract with her.


    Ethan honestly thought the woman before him would only be a source of trouble, and he didn''t see any real reason to enter into a soul contract with her, so he was ready to refuse, but he stopped when he heard a mental communication.


    ''If I were you, I''d accept,'' said Bai Yu.


    Hearing this, Ethan looked at her with a confused expression, as if asking for an explanation.


    ''You see, the soul contract she is proposing is not the same as the one you formed with that woman,'' she said, and Ethan understood that she was talking about Feng Huang.


    "Hm? What do you mean it''s not the same contract?" he finally asked.


    He was certain that if Bai Yu was telling him to accept the contract, there must be a good reason behind it.


    ''You see, elemental spirits are rare even on the celestial plane, and even rarer is one offering their soul contract to someone.


    It may not seem like much to you, but in reality, many would kill for such an opportunity because the soul contract of elemental spirits is highly beneficial to anyone aligned with the spirit.


    Among the many benefits you could gain, the most important one is that your mastery of the Wood element would increase exponentially, reaching the same level as that of elemental spirits.


    For the record, they are the beings with the highest elemental affinities of all,'' she said, and Ethan finally understood.


    Although he had discovered that he had an affinity with all elements and that these affinities were at a good level, he could tell they were far from perfection.


    For example, Bai Yu''s affinity was with the Ice element, a fairly rare affinity, made even rarer because her mastery over it was very high.


    In their fights within his sea ??of ??consciousness, and even in the minor dimension, he had never won against her using only the Ice element, and this wasn''t just because she had more experience than him but also because her Ice was much stronger than his.


    Elemental strength couldn''t simply be increased by cultivating and becoming stronger.


    So, hearing that he would effectively reach the highest possible level of affinity with an element through a contract with an elemental spirit made him realize why they were so rare.


    He could already imagine many beings hunting them to capture and form a contract with them.


    Even though he still had little knowledge of the celestial plane, he could tell that certain things wouldn''t change regardless of which plane of existence one was on.


    And greed and the thirst for power were one of them.


    Just as he was thinking that perhaps accepting the soul contract wasn''t such a bad idea, Bai Yu''s voice echoed once more.


    ''And one more thing, these contracts are a bit different from the soul contract, where both parties decide the terms and share a degree of mutual risk.


    These, in our plane, are more commonly known as spiritual contracts, and unlike what you might think, these contracts are no different from handing over one''s life.


    Essentially, if you were to die, so would she.''


    Eh? ??

 Chapter 254 Stipulating the Contract

    .Hand over her life? Die if he dies?


    Ethan was caught a bit off guard by this information and couldn''t help but glance at the elemental spirit, who seemed to be waiting for his response.


    Seeing her serious expression, Ethan couldn''t help but ask:


    "Just one thing, do you understand what it means to hand over your contract to me?" he asked, thinking that perhaps the green-haired woman might not fully grasp the consequences of such an action.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if she didn''t know. After all, she had lost her memories, so for all he knew, she might not understand the significance of doing something like this.


    Or at least, that''s what he had assumed, but to his surprise, she nodded her head and said,


    "Yes, I''m binding myself to you," she said as if it was nothing.


    Seeing this, Ethan was left speechless once again.


    ''Woman, why do you say it like it''s no big deal?'' he thought, shaking his head.


    "Do you realize we''ve only known each other for less than a day?" he asked, trying for a moment to reason with her.


    A contract with a spirit was tempting even for him, especially now that he knew its benefits, but he felt that accepting it so hastily was like he was tricking the spirit.


    She nodded again without saying a word.


    "And you''re truly okay with giving your contract to someone you barely know?" he asked, unsure of how to get his point across.


    For a moment, he thought the spirit lacked common sense here.


    But to his surprise, the green-haired woman said,


    "Of course I wouldn''t give my contract away as if it were nothing to just anyone," she said with a pout.


    Before Ethan could say anything else, she continued,


    "I can sense that you''re a good person, so you won''t harm me if I give you my contract. And more importantly, I feel that it would also be very beneficial for me to bind myself to you," she said.


    ''Beneficial for her?'' He wasn''t entirely sure what exactly would be beneficial for her.


    He had a rare physique that not only helped him cultivate much faster but also could endure much more than one rare flames, and it could apparently even absorb demonic Qi and metabolize it, giving him the power to transform into a demon himself.


    He also had the anfora, which brought several benefits for him, but none of this seemed to be anything that could help an elemental spirit.


    ''Maybe my special physique has some other function I don''t know about,'' he thought, remembering that both his and Bai Yu''s knowledge of it was very limited.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if there was indeed something like that.


    In the end, he decided to accept the contract.


    Considering everything he had learned, this contract would only benefit him, and he couldn''t see any downsides to it. So he didn''t think too much about it and agreed.


    He raised his palm, ready to form a soul contract, but then remembered that this wasn''t a soul contract but rather a spiritual contract.


    ''How does one stipulate a spiritual contract?'' he asked Bai Yu uncertainly.


    Hearing this, Bai Yu realized he had decided to accept the elemental spirit.


    Just as she was about to explain how it worked, the green-haired woman, who had heard Ethan agree, became excited and dashed toward him.


    Huh?


    Bai Yu, who was just about to explain the process, stopped when she saw the green-haired woman happily throw herself at Ethan.


    Just as she was about to ask what she was doing, her mouth fell open when she saw the woman''s next action.


    She wrapped her arms around Ethan''s neck, who didn''t immediately resist, pulled her face close to his, and to the surprise of both him and Bai Yu, kissed him on the lips.


    ''What?''


    Bai Yu, who witnessed this scene, was stunned for a moment by the green-haired woman''s sudden action.


    Soon, a burst of anger erupted in her as she rushed toward her.


    But before she could even get close and grab her, the green-haired woman''s body began to glow intensely with a soft green light, and in the blink of an eye, she crumbled into countless particles of green light that entered Ethan. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


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    A symbol resembling a delicate leaf appeared on Ethan''s hand, where he felt a burning sensation for a moment, but it soon faded as the symbol silently disappeared, just as it had appeared.


    Ethan didn''t have time to process this when he felt a sudden surge of power within him, and a faint green hue began to surround him.


    At the same time, he could feel his cultivation base slowly rising, and not only that.


    He began to feel invisible connections forming throughout his being as his senses seemed to expand.


    ''This...''


    He wasn''t certain, but he could feel several signs of life deep within the land of the demonic continent and beyond.


    He also felt a strong concentration of these life signs coming from two specific directions.


    More precisely, from the direction of the beast continent and the human continent.


    Ethan immediately realized what it was and couldn''t help but murmur:


    "I can feel all beings with spiritual wood Qi."


    Ethan was now certain that he could sense the presence of all plants and even, more generally, any being that contained spiritual wood Qi.


    He could say he felt his affinity with the wood element had risen to entirely new heights, reaching levels he hadn''t even known existed.


    He felt these points of life as though they were part of him.


    It was as if he could tell what was happening to them and, in a certain sense, was sure he could even communicate with them.


    But then he remembered the green-haired woman who seemed to have dissolved into particles, and he wondered what had happened to her.


    Ethan, who like Bai Yu, had been caught off guard by the elemental spirit''s sudden action, was left bewildered by the following series of events.


    But now that he had calmed down a bit, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he slowly turned his head to the side.


    There he saw the dragon woman standing in the air with a clearly displeased expression.


    "What?" he asked, uncertain about the situation.


    He didn''t know why, but he felt that the days ahead would not be peaceful for him.

 Chapter 255 Overwriting

    .In the demonic continent, within a forest entirely populated by the remains of withered trees and rotting logs, a figure no taller than 180 centimeters wandered aimlessly.


    The being had no truly distinctive features, apart from being entirely shrouded in a black mist.


    If someone were to see it, they wouldn''t think it was something material, and its sinister appearance would cause any normal person to either flee without looking back or faint on the spot in sheer terror.


    This entity, which seemed to stagger forward in a single direction without any apparent goal or destination, suddenly stopped.


    It froze in place, standing like a statue for several seconds.


    Its head, which lacked a nose or any mouth and displayed only two white circles where eyes might be, began to tremble. The head jerked violently toward one direction, then to another, and then yet another, as though scanning its surroundings.


    It was as if the head were a separate entity from the rest of the body, moving independently. After its frantic movements in every direction, it finally tilted upwards, still shaking slightly.


    The eyes, which had long since been devoid of any emotion, now seemed to reflect a hint of fear.


    Unlike before, it wasn''t only the head that vibrated now. The entire body began to tremble violently, and for a moment, it seemed as though it might dissolve into nothingness.


    But this being wasn''t the only one to experience such a sudden change.


    All the other entities scattered across the continent began to react strangely as well. Some collapsed to the ground, letting out intense, guttural cries of pain, while others seemed to lose their minds entirely, moving about erratically.


    Even the half-demons, who retained a certain level of consciousness, visibly trembled as they gazed at the sky. Their eyes reflected an instinctive fear that rooted them to the spot, unable to move.


    ''W-what''s happening to me?'' he wondered, while his now completely black eyes reflected the image of the sky, while a strange phenomenon was taking place.


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    ''Is it because of that�� thing?'' he wondered, struggling more and more to maintain some semblance of clarity in his mind.


    Just like him, many others had the same questions swirling in their heads as they witnessed the incredible sight: streaks of green light flashing across the sky in every direction.


    At a quick glance, these beams of light seemed to contain countless smaller lights, numbering in the thousands, at least in the areas visible to those on the ground.


    If someone could examine these beams up close, they would realize that the lights were none other than green symbols, traveling through the air as though imbued with a will of their own.


    These symbols, each larger than an elephant, were inscribed in a language that neither humans nor beasts could decipher.


    The symbols traveled in predetermined directions, and finally after some time, they all arrive at a certain point in the air and stop floating in place.


    If these various symbols could be observed from above, a large circle formed by them would be visible.


    Soon, the symbols began to rotate, some clockwise, others counterclockwise, like the hands of a clock ticking forward, pausing briefly at each second. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a few moments, one of the symbols began to glow brightly, emitting a faint light in front of it. It moved forward, immersing itself in the light.


    One by one, the other symbols seemed to find their correct positions and followed suit, merging into spheres of light that appeared before them.


    In no time, all the symbols had settled into specific positions and entered their respective spheres of light. Once the final symbol merged into its sphere, a visible change occurred in the sky.


    An intricate formation, radiating an intense yellow light, appeared suspended high above the continent.


    The formation, composed of numerous symbols, seemed to grow brighter and brighter, while beams of yellow light shot up from various locations across the land, converging toward the formation in the sky.


    First one beam, then another, and soon many more.


    Before long, a dome made of yellow light engulfed the entire demonic continent.


    This was the protective barrier that, a long time ago, had been cast over the three continents, a barrier designed not only to shield them from external threats but also to prevent internal dangers from escaping to attack the others.


    Now, this ancient barrier, which had lain dormant for two millennia, was once again coming to life, illuminating the entire continent.


    Although the beings of the continent did not know what was happening, they could sense that something was about to occur, and their instincts told them it would be nothing good for them.


    And just as they feared, the barrier began to change.


    At the base of the yellow light beams, where the sources that sustained the barrier were located, a faint green tint began to spread.


    The green hue quickly enveloped the bases and started to rise along the pillars connected to them.


    The symbols that had been absorbed into these sources now appeared to be overwriting the barrier, and in less than a minute, all the light beams had turned a pale green.


    The beams now emanated an aura of vitality, a stark contrast to their previous appearance.


    Even the formation hovering above the dome of light reacted to this change, losing its intense yellow glow, which was replaced by the green hue.


    ''Formation overwriting complete,'' thought Ethan, the one responsible for this transformation.


    With a smile, his eyes glowed a vibrant green, brighter than anything around him, and as if obeying his will, the symbols within the barrier''s sources began to shine intensely.


    Immediately, a new phenomenon swept across the demonic continent.


    "W-what''s happening?" a half-demon stammered as he watched black mist seep out of his body, and not just his, everything around him was affected.


    From the ground to the plants, even the beasts and water sources, everything seemed to emit black mist and particles, which began to rise into the air.


    The purification of the demonic continent had begun.

 Chapter 256 Sense of Danger

    .Ethan initially planned to target small scattered areas across the demonic continent and proceed to purify them, particularly those containing numerous half-demons and other life forms.


    Once he finished with them, he intended to launch a large formation to eradicate all remaining traces of demonic Qi on the continent.


    This process, however, would have taken considerable time, at least months, if not years.


    But he had no faster or more efficient method to purify this land and all the living beings residing on it.


    This changed when he learned the demonic language and the formation techniques based on it.


    He discovered a new way to overwrite formations and command them as he pleased.


    Therefore, he decided that instead of following his initial plan, which would have taken a long time, it would be quicker to overwrite an existing formation and modify it to assist with his task.


    Overwriting formations was nothing new to him.


    He had known how to do it before; after all, anyone who studied this profession would have also known how to modify already completed formations.


    What he gained from learning the demonic language was not a new method of overwriting formations but the properties of this language.


    Unlike spoken language, there were certain ancient and miraculous linguistic forms in the celestial plane that allowed specific effects to manifest merely by being used.


    These were essentially autonomous forces that, when formulated in a certain way, could produce some type of reaction.


    It turned out that the demonic language was one of these, and when Ethan learned the summoning formation of the thousand demonic calamities, he discovered an interesting fact.


    He could effectively manipulate demonic energy through it.


    One of the core principles on which that formation was based was a principle that allowed demonic energy to be summoned, and this principle was also what enabled the summoning of these demonic calamities, which were heavily infused with demonic energy.


    When he learned about this principle, he studied it and soon discovered some applications of it.


    He decided to attempt applying it to the protective barrier that had been left on this continent by Ying Hua, the previous owner of the artifact in his possession.


    He formulated a series of runes based on this principle and placed them at the core of the formation sustaining the barrier over the demonic continent.


    Then, he activated the symbols and overwrote the barrier, incorporating this principle along with some other modifications. The result was that it worked.


    Several black smoke particles began drifting through the air, attracted by something, and they all attached themselves to the walls of the dome.


    While this was happening, the beings affected by this formation were writhing below. Some had already lost consciousness as the black smoke continued to seep out of them, while others began to disintegrate entirely as particles of demonic Qi continued escaping from their bodies.


    Clearly, these were beings directly created from demonic Qi, and as such, nothing remained of them as they gradually vanished.


    Soon, among the beings that were not disintegrated, visible changes began to appear as their appearances started to shift.


    From the half-demons, who felt their skin regain a healthier tone and their forms shrink to a certain degree, to the shadowy figures writhing on the ground as the black mist enveloping them gradually retreated, leaving behind human figures. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The demonic continent did not only contain beings of the human realm but also those of the beast realm. Soon, all these creatures, which previously had diverse forms and appearances, returned to their former shapes.


    The process, which initially would have taken a long time, concluded in less than a day, by the end of which the barrier was now entirely coated with black particles of demonic Qi.


    Ethan issued one final command to the barrier, which, after more than two thousand years, began detaching itself from the continent, leaving it free as it once was.


    The various beams of light forming the dome-shaped barrier started curling and shrinking, and after some time, where once stood a giant dome now remained only a sphere roughly two meters in diameter, appearing to contain a black, tar-like substance.


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    Ethan, seeing this, was not very surprised.


    In a way, he had expected it.


    After all, the corruption on the demonic continent was far greater than that of the beasts. Consequently, its size was naturally many times larger than the small sphere of demonic Qi he had collected at the end of the purification on the beast continent.


    Ethan was unsure how much he would gain from this dense amount of demonic Qi, but he could tell it would be more than enough to provide him with a significant boost in stats.


    Without hesitation, Ethan placed his hand on it and immediately began absorbing it.


    Soon, black veins started spreading across his arm, originating from his hand and extending to cover part of his face.


    While this was happening, a certain elemental spirit hidden within Ethan''s dantian space sensed this malignant energy invading his body. It couldn''t help but feel alarmed as it rushed to exit Ethan''s body and see what was happening.


    A ball of light emerged from Ethan''s chest and quickly materialized into a green-haired woman. As soon as she appeared, she saw the scene of Ethan seemingly absorbing the demonic energy as if nothing were wrong.


    At first, she didn''t understand what the black sphere was, but soon she could tell it was demonic energy.


    Now, seeing her "master," so to speak, she couldn''t help but feel alarmed as she rushed toward him.


    "Hey, what are you doing? That thing is harmful, don''t absorb it!" she shouted.


    But before she could reach Ethan and try to pull him away from the black sphere, which was shrinking smaller and smaller, she felt someone grab her shoulder.


    A chill ran down her spine.


    Alarmed by the sudden sense of danger, she was ready to act, but soon she heard a calm voice, which carried an undertone of coldness she had never felt before:


    "So, you''ve finally decided to come out of hiding. Good, very good... Come now, let the two of us have a nice little chat."


    The sense of danger intensified more and more, and she felt that whatever was about to happen to her would not be anything good.

 Chapter 257 Unexpected Bottleneck

    .DING!


    [You have gained +18670 STR.]


    [You have gained +13000 AGI.]


    [You have gained +9000 INT.]


    [You have gained +1000 Soul Strength.]


    Ethan already anticipated that the number of stat points he would gain would be quite significant, given that the corruption on the demonic continent was at an extremely advanced stage.


    In a sense, it was a continent entirely corrupted, with its inhabitants, vegetation, and land all affected.


    This was evident from the amount of demonic Qi he managed to extract at the end.


    Even at a glance, one could estimate it to be hundreds or even thousands of times greater than what he had gathered on the bestial continent.


    Now, seeing the massive number of stat points he metabolized from all that demonic Qi, Ethan had to admit he was a little surprised.


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    Almost all his stats had increased by 100%, with some even exceeding that threshold.


    Even his most difficult stat to increase ,the Soul Strength, had received a substantial boost, and Ethan could feel it rising several levels.


    His physical strength had more than doubled, and the same applied to his agility and intelligence. Although they had improved slightly less than strength, as usual, they had still increased significantly.


    ''Hm?''


    While savoring the sensation of overwhelming power coursing through his body, Ethan immediately perceived something unusual.


    ''It feels as though I''ve hit a bottleneck?'' he thought, comparing the sensation to when he had previously encountered bottlenecks in his cultivation. S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this was strange, he should still have a long way to go in the basic tier of the first stage of the spiritual rank.


    With this doubt in mind, he opened his status screen to see how it had changed and to possibly identify the source of this feeling:


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (Basic)


    QI: 23M / 50M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 11,906 �� 30,000 (+576)


    Agility: 10,573 �� 23,573


    Intelligence: 7,114 �� 16,114


    Soul Strength: 982 �� 1,982


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 518 M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing his updated stats, he had to admit they were not bad at all.


    "And to think I used to be happy with just an increase of a few dozen stats not too long ago," he thought.


    Compared to the days when his stats grew by tens or even hundreds, this increase was far more significant.


    He became increasingly convinced that hunting demons was one of the fastest ways to grow stronger, at least for him.


    If the beings of the celestial plane heard this, they would undoubtedly spit out several liters of blood.


    They were glad the demons were sealed away somewhere, as they lacked proper means to eliminate them, and for them, demons were a major headache.


    On one hand, there were beings who wanted nothing to do with demons anymore. On the other, there was Ethan, who, if he could, would hunt demons for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.


    That said, Ethan immediately noticed his strength stat.


    Seeing that it had reached a level where any additional points were stored separately, he couldn''t help but think of one thing.


    ''It''s just like back then when I couldn''t surpass the initial bottleneck,'' he thought, recalling how his cultivation journey had begun.


    Back then, due to his unawakened physique, he had to endure the frustration of his cultivation base never increasing directly and instead being stored.


    He wondered if there was some specific requirement he had to meet this time to continue increasing his attack power.


    "I wonder if this is the limit for the other stats as well," he pondered.


    He began to suspect that perhaps 30,000 was the strength limit for the basic tier of the first stage of the spiritual rank. In other words, he might have to advance to the intermediate tier before he could hope to increase his strength again.


    Although this discovery was a bit unexpected, he didn''t dwell on it much.


    Judging by how much his strength had increased upon ascending, he could already estimate how strong someone at the basic tier of the first stage should be. His fight with the demon Mo Yan had only confirmed this.


    He was confident that he was already at the peak of this cultivation tier, perhaps even slightly beyond it.


    Though he wasn''t entirely sure why, something told him he might even be able to take on others at the peak of this cultivation tier with ease.


    In the end, he simply shook his head, closed the status screen, and prepared to assess the state of the demonic continent, which had now been restored to normalcy as it once was.


    But just as he shifted his attention away from the system, he sensed the auras of two women nearby.


    Hm?


    He was certain that the green-haired woman was in his core when he began absorbing the demonic Qi, yet now she was outside and not only that, she was with Bai Yu.


    At first, this wouldn''t have seemed so strange. After all, they were both women, and it was normal for them to meet and talk or do something else together.


    But after the incident of the previous day, Ethan was sure that Bai Yu would have transformed the elemental spirit into a living fairy-like ice statue if she had had the chance.


    He had to promise 200 liters of cola and a date to the dragon woman to calm her down.


    He was certain that if he hadn''t done so, his future would have been bleak, very bleak.


    He vanished from his position and reached a grove below him, where under a tree the two women were sitting around a table, as if they were having a typical friendly chat.


    Ethan might have thought that everything had gone well and that the two had managed to get along, but the rest of the frozen grove prevented him from thinking that.


    He approached the two women and, deciding not to mention the disaster they had caused in the surrounding area, he said, gesturing to both of them to stand:


    "Ladies, would you like to take a look at the continent with me?"


    ***


    Ethan traveled far and wide with both women to visit the now purified demonic continent, to see how the place looked now that every inhabitant residing there had finally returned to normal.


    With Bai Yu, in her rounded beastly form curled around his neck, and Yao Hua, he explored every border of this continent to observe the current situation of the place. He had to admit, it was better than he expected.


    A couple of hours had already passed since he finished purifying the continent, and during that time, it seemed that the people who had finally regained their senses had realized they had returned to normality and had even begun to accept the situation to a certain degree.


    What Ethan thought as he witnessed the touching scenes of different races, mainly humans and beasts, reuniting, and some even celebrating, was that all these beings were inhabitants of this plane from two thousand years ago.


    At first, when he thought about purifying this continent, he wondered what would happen to its inhabitants. After all, most of these people were individuals who had lived more than two thousand years ago and since then, in the form of half-demons and other corrupted creatures, had roamed this continent.


    He wondered if time would catch up to them and they would eventually die after being freed from the demonic energy, or if they would remain the same, as if time had not passed for them.


    And now, seeing that they were all alive and well, with no one seeming to exhibit any anomaly, he understood that his second assumption was correct.


    Although this was, in a sense, a reason for joy, he wondered how these people would interact with each other from now on.


    After all, he intended not only to eliminate the demonic race from this plane but also to reconnect all the continents by creating transportation arrays.


    This would have led the people from the other two continents to arrive here and eventually meet the inhabitants of this continent.


    At first, he had thought that perhaps it was better to keep the three continents separate, so they could continue developing as they had for all this time, allowing the people of the newly purified continent time to recover and restore some order.


    But then, he reconsidered.


    In the end, he stopped overthinking this matter and decided that it was more of a problem for the people of this plane of existence.


    He had a feeling that the conflict between the two races wouldn''t start as it had in the past.


    On one hand, there were those who had already joined forces and perished together, and on the other hand, there were those who, although separated, had communicated and prepared together against a possible demonic invasion in the future.


    Moreover, Ethan had had the chance to meet the main rulers of both continents and had already ensured that the past would not repeat itself.


    Therefore, he didn''t dwell too much on this matter and decided to make an inspection of the human continent, where he intended to check if any traces of demonic Qi remained, as well as to visit an acquaintance he hadn''t seen in several years.

 Chapter 258 Wei Ling I

    .Teleportation devices were nothing new in the mortal plane.


    As long as one had the funds and necessary resources, they could build as many as they wanted and use them as much as they wished.


    In the Long Empire, for example, several teleportation points were scattered across the empire, connecting all the important locations, from large cities to kingdoms, and so on.


    Although their range was limited, even the weakest of these arrays could make a difference when it came to saving some time.


    Of course, the costs of using one were by no means low, but for those who had the means and needed to be in different places due to their business or other matters, these costs were reasonable.


    A bit like private jets in Ethan''s previous world.


    While owning one, constantly refueling it, and covering its year-round maintenance costs could make having one expensive,


    for all the wealthy individuals who had business back and forth in various locations, these jets saved a lot of time, and consequently, the costs were not considered a waste in their eyes.


    Ethan knew that the teleportation arrays of the empire were very underdeveloped, and their maximum range was just a few hundred miles.


    Ethan was aware that the cause of this was the locals'' limited knowledge of arrays and, well, their limited understanding of all professions in general.


    Even he wouldn''t know much if it weren''t for the system.


    That said, what he needed was a teleportation array that could be several times more powerful than what was used in this plane.


    More precisely, an array that had a minimum range of tens of thousands of miles.


    This was because, from an approximate estimate Ethan had made, the distance between the continents was at least over 10,000 miles, a distance that, Ethan could say, was increasing due to the continents not being fixed in place.


    It seemed that something akin to plate tectonics also existed in this plane, which at this point was no longer accurate to call a "plane" but rather a mortal world situated within the mortal plane.


    If it were merely something like a tower with different levels, then once one reached the peak of the mortal rank, it would have been easy to perceive the celestial plane and consequently attempt the ascension, even if the cultivation method they used was flawed.


    But instead, one had to find the presence of the celestial plane and form a connection that would guide the cultivator, already at the spiritual realm, to travel and try to ascend to the higher plane.


    The matter was still a bit confusing for Ethan, but he had never delved too deeply into it due to the fact that, until now, he was far from even being able to perceive the existence of a higher plane.


    That said, Ethan had already used a teleportation array once, and on that occasion, he had had the chance to examine it closely and memorized the formation schema used to construct it.


    He then used his spiritual Qi to generate a sort of light in his fingers and drew in the air the teleportation formation of the human continent. Sear?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had already developed an upgraded formation model that would ensure that the teleportation''s range wouldn''t have a maximum limit but would work as long as both ends remained intact.


    In other words, even if the continents were to drift a bit further apart in the future, the teleportation would still function.


    In the end, he upgraded the formation from a level 3 one to a level 4, and this level of formation was already considered more than sufficient for this plane of existence.


    He used an entire area as large as a major city to set up this formation. Once it was done, he took a step toward the Beast Continent and, in an instant, appeared at its borders, in the air.


    "Alright, now where should I place it?" he thought, searching for a suitable spot to position the second end of the teleportation array.


    He had decided on the Beast Continent because he was more or less done with his affairs on this continent. Hence, he would find a good spot to set up the teleportation formation here and then immediately move on to the Human Continent.


    It took Ethan a total of about forty minutes to set up the formations across all three continents.


    Thirty minutes were primarily spent setting up the formations on each continent, while the other ten were mostly used to handle a few matters on the Beast Continent, including notifying others about the purpose of these formations.


    Although sooner or later, the rulers of the three continents would discover these formations on their own, he wasn''t sure what they would do.


    He had to ensure that none of the three would attempt anything drastic once he was gone.


    The Human Continent was settled in this regard, as was the Beast Continent.


    The newly purified continent, however, didn''t yet have a true ruler, as its population was a mix of beasts and humans.


    They had only recently recovered, and it would take time to establish some form of order and hierarchy.


    After this, Ethan flew calmly south of the Phoenix Kingdom, where a fairly prosperous trade town stood, allowing its citizens to avoid living in complete poverty.


    This was the city of Oston, as well as the first place where Ethan had set foot when he arrived in this world.


    In the countryside of the town, amidst the vast fields, several people were working hard.


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    The day was still long, and the afternoon sun beating down on the lands below made working in the fields even more difficult.


    But despite the unbearable heat, the people who had worked here for most of their lives were already used to it, and apart from a few grimaces, no one wasted time complaining about the weather.


    On the contrary, many were happy because this season would make their crops grow faster and more abundantly.


    Putting up with some hard work in exchange for a good harvest was nothing to them,


    or at least, to most of them.


    A young woman, who was no more than 25 years old, was incessantly hoeing the soil, preparing the ground for the next seeding season.


    She had woken up at the crack of dawn, and since then, she had completed several chores, from taking care of her old and sick father to helping other farmers with small tasks, and finally to working the fields, which was one of her main duties of the day.


    With every strike of her hoe against the ground, she couldn''t help but mutter something in an irritated voice.


    Thud!


    "If only I had an ox, I wouldn''t have to do all this work myself."


    Thud!


    "That stingy old man, would it have killed him to lend me his for a few hours?"


    Thud!


    "At this rate, I''ll never finish in time."


    The woman kept complaining as she continued to tirelessly hoe the ground.

 Chapter 259 Wei Ling II

    .She knew that slowing down would only delay her work further, and if she delayed finishing her share of plowing the field, it would delay the planting and, consequently, not only her tasks but also those of the others.


    The week before, she had already made this mistake and ended up losing half of her weekly wage.


    She really couldn''t afford to lose even a single copper coin, or she would feel the consequences in the coming days.


    As she continued plowing, her thoughts wandered, ranging from the most trivial matters to her actions in the past.


    She was currently replacing her father in the fields, as the previous year he had fallen ill and was no longer able to work.


    Before her father''s illness, she used to spend her days leisurely, idling around the city along with a young heir of a well off merchant family from the city of Oston.


    Thanks to her natural beauty, which was slightly above average, she had managed to gain the favor of this young master and hoped it would pave the way for her to change her status from the daughter of an ordinary farmer to the wife of a wealthy merchant.


    But reality had never been too kind.


    Shortly before her father fell ill, she was cast aside by the wealthy merchant, who, apparently bored of her, told her to return to where she came from and forget about him.


    She did not protest because, over time, she had learned that this young master had a rather twisted personality and would get angry even over small matters.


    Knowing she would only meet a bad end if she tried to forcefully win back his favor, she never approached him again.


    She had spent almost an entire year going out with this young master, but during that time, she had managed to maintain her chastity.


    She thought that perhaps it was because she had never allowed the young master to make a move on her that he grew tired of her and, in the end, abandoned her. Ultimately, she could only grit her teeth and accept the situation.


    By then, she was already 22 years old, and normally, girls her age were already married, with some even starting families of their own.


    It would normally be difficult for a girl to get married at this point, as being unmarried for so long was not viewed favorably by anyone, and only girls from wealthy families could afford to marry even at that age without much trouble.


    That said, while marrying at her age might have been difficult, it wasn''t yet a major issue for her, as she still retained her natural charm.


    Many young men in her neighborhood, seeing that she was still unmarried, had proposed to her, only to be rejected without much consideration.


    Having had a taste of wealth while with the young master, she did not want to lower her standards, and thus she ended up remaining unmarried, which caused her no small amount of trouble.


    To make matters worse, her father fell ill a few years later, and his condition worsened to the point that he could no longer provide for himself or his daughter.


    This was like a bucket of cold water that forced Wei Ling to confront reality and wake up.


    Although the idea of marrying another farmer was still something she couldn''t accept, she no longer wasted any time.


    She decided to help her father with his work as best as she could, and although he was reluctant, he agreed, teaching her his trade.


    As memories of the past ran through her mind, the youthful and somewhat handsome face of a boy she had met just over two years ago surfaced in her thoughts.


    At the thought of the boy, she couldn''t help but shake her head while murmuring:


    "I wonder where he is now."


    The person in question had been a wanderer her father decided to help. S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the boy seemed ignorant of many common matters, he had proven himself to be a hard worker, assisting her father greatly with fieldwork and easing his burden.


    Though the boy had a slightly above average appearance, to the version of herself back then, who was still involved with the wealthy young master, he was no different from the rest of the farmers.


    As such, she never truly showed him any courtesy, even when her father scolded her for her attitude.


    The boy had stayed with them for nearly a whole year, and just before she was cast aside by the rich young master, he disappeared without leaving any note or explanation.


    She remembered how, back then, she cursed him, saying he had run off after taking advantage of her father. Continue reading on empire


    That was one of the rare times she saw her father visibly disappointed in her for the words she spoke.


    She could tell her father had grown attached to the boy in some way, and she wouldn''t have been surprised if he had given her hand in marriage to him.


    Just thinking about it, she couldn''t help but shake her head.


    Now that she herself was in his exact position, she could admit that the boy had truly been a hard worker and had indeed helped her father far more than it seemed.


    "I wonder why I''m thinking of him only now.


    Well, wherever he is, I hope he''s living well, at least better than me," she muttered as she continued plowing.


    Finally, after another five hours, evening fell, and she somehow finished her share of the work.


    In the end, she gathered her things, and with the sun beginning to set, leaving an orange trail on the horizon that illuminated the fields, she started walking back to her nearby home.


    Although she hated working in the fields, she had to admit there was a certain sense of satisfaction in seeing her work completed.


    ''Who would have thought I''d be happy about something like this,'' she thought as she relaxed in the calmness brought by the evening, drawing ever closer to her home.


    Her house wasn''t very large; in fact, it was just big enough to hold at most three people.


    With her mother''s death, only she and her father lived there, so even that small house was spacious enough for her.


    After walking for about ten minutes, she finally arrived at her home, and as she approached, she noticed that the house was lit from within.


    "Hm? Father lit some candles?" she thought, a bit confused.


    She knew her father would be awake at this hour, but there was still light outside, and he avoided wasting the few candles they had when it wasn''t necessary.


    So, she quickened her pace slightly and reached the door, taking out the key to open it, only to notice something.


    The door wasn''t locked.


    This increased her confusion and sparked a sense of unease as she hurriedly entered.


    "Father, I''m home," she said, announcing her arrival as she stepped inside, but received no reply in return,


    which only heightened the foreboding feeling growing inside her.


    She quickly closed the door and made her way to her father''s room, thinking something might have happened to him.


    And once she got there, she saw the door to his room slightly ajar.


    Without hesitation, she entered, unprepared for the sight that was about to greet her.

 Chapter 260 Wei Jun

    .Wei Jun slowly woke up, his body now too fragile to perform even the simplest actions.


    The morning light faintly filtered through the window, and as every day, the silence of his home felt oppressive.


    He struggled to rise from his bed, his breath short and labored. He didn''t need to glance at the clock to know that it was likely already nine or ten.


    His daughter, now an adult, had long since left the house for work.


    She had been taking care of him ever since the illness had taken everything from him, forcing him to give up his job.


    Last year, everything had changed. Wei Jun could no longer do anything, not even lift the tools he worked with, nor move with the same agility as before.


    Each day seemed like another step away from the life he had known, a life of hard work, sweat and toil, which gave him purpose. Find more to read at empire


    Now, everything was gray and monotonous. Each morning, he would wake up, eat the food his daughter prepared, and wonder if this was his life now, a routine repeating endlessly.


    The illness that afflicted him, according to the doctor, was normal for a man of his age. His bones had weakened, and his muscles no longer responded as they once did.


    The strength he had once thought unshakable was gone. He could no longer work the fields, and seeing his daughter take his place pained him deeply.


    His mind refused to accept that it was now her responsibility to carry on.


    He had never been wealthy in his life, and the little money he had saved was nearly depleted, spent on small treatments that allowed him to remain alive.


    If it had been up to him, he would have closed his eyes and embraced death with an open smile, after all, he did not fear death.


    He was a man who had lived a long life full of experiences, both joyous and painful.


    His only regret, and the sole reason he clung so desperately to the faint flame within his body, which every day risked being extinguished, was his desire to see his daughter happy and married, with someone good who could love her and provide for her in his absence.


    Since the death of his beloved wife, Wei Ling was the only loved one he had left, and as a father, it pained him to see her take his place while he slowly withered away.


    "Haa..."


    Currently seated on a rocking chair outside his house, he could not help but shake his head as he thought about how, in the past, he had tried multiple times to find a suitable companion for his daughter, only for her to dismiss them each time.


    Sometimes he wondered where his daughter had gotten this attitude.


    He had always been a humble man, finding joy in the small things life gave him, and his beloved, now departed wife had been the same.


    Thinking about how his daughter had changed over the past two years, solely to help him as the illness weakened him further, made his heart ache.


    He gazed at the clear and bright sky of the day, unable to stop himself from reminiscing about his life, the happy experiences he''d had, such as meeting his wife or purchasing a small home to build their nest and raise their little girl. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He remembered how happy he had been when she was born, and although many men believed it was better to have a son first, as they could lend a hand when they grew older, he had never thought it was a misfortune that a daughter had been born instead.


    He had his fair share of troubles raising her, but upon reflection, he admitted in his heart that if he could, he would live through those troubles once more, gladly.


    She was his little pride and always had been.


    He then shook his head regretfully, recalling how she had changed after her mother''s death.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, his now weak ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, growing louder.


    Assuming it was a neighbor coming by to say hello, he glanced up to see who it was.


    ''Hm? Who is that man? I''m certain I''ve never seen him before.


    Probably not from around here,'' he thought, turning his gaze away from the man wearing a conical bamboo hat.


    Although it wasn''t common to see strangers passing through, it wasn''t too rare either.


    After all, the agricultural area of the town of Oston had several paths connecting it to small villages or even other towns.


    It wasn''t unusual for someone traveling from those areas to lose their way and end up wandering into this farming region.


    Thinking about wandering strangers, he couldn''t help but recall the face of a certain young man who had stayed at his house a little over two years ago.


    Remembering it, he couldn''t help but shake his head in regret as he wondered what had happened to him.


    He still remembered that while he was waking up early one morning to go to the fields, the young man had left for the city, saying he had found a merchant who was interested.


    From what he''d been told, the merchant seemed very interested in buying his produce, so that morning, Wei Jun had also woken up earlier than usual to sell the freshly harvested goods.


    Who would have thought that he would never see the young man again after that morning?


    In the end, he shook his head yet again as he tried to rise and go back inside to rest.


    It was already afternoon, and he had been outside for nearly two hours.


    Although he was used to the intense summer heat, staying outside for too long would only harm him further.


    Not wanting to endure another scolding from his daughter for staying out too long, he decided to return indoors.


    Mustering his strength, he rose slowly from the chair to head inside. But just as he took a step toward the door, a sudden wave of fatigue hit him, and he lost his balance.


    ''No, not again,'' he thought as the sudden wave of exhaustion struck him, causing him to faint and leaving him unable to break his fall.


    But just as he was about to collapse, a hand appeared beside him, catching him before he could fall and hurt himself.


    Had he still been conscious, he would have realized that the hand belonged to none other than the stranger he had noticed just moments earlier.


    Ethan, who had just passed by to check on old Wei, couldn''t help but sigh as he carried the unconscious man back inside.


    Nearly an hour after he had fainted, Wei Jun slowly opened his eyes as his vision focused on the familiar ceiling of his home.


    "Eh? When did I come back inside?" he thought, his mind still a bit hazy.


    As he mumbled to himself, he unconsciously tried to sit up in bed.


    And as he was doing this, he suddenly noticed something.


    "This... doesn''t hurt anymore," he murmured, a bit astonished, as he sat up in bed.


    At his age and with his illness, it had been impossible for him to make even the slightest movement without feeling pain in his bones, a pain that grew stronger depending on the intensity of the motion.


    For a while, he had taken medicine to help with the pain, but those had run out long ago, and he hadn''t bought more due to their cost.


    But now, that pain had suddenly vanished. Not only that, but he also felt, for some reason, that his vision was clearer and his body a bit more energetic.


    It was as though, after an exhausting day of work, he had gone to sleep and woken up feeling rejuvenated, full of energy.


    What would normally be a regular sensation for others was extraordinary for him, as he hadn''t felt such strength in his body for years.


    For a moment, he thought he might have died after fainting and was now in paradise.


    But then why did paradise look so much like his home?


    While he was caught off guard by this sudden and unexpected cover, he failed to notice the figure of the man with long, black hair tied behind him and crystal-blue eyes, who was watching him while sitting just beside the bed.


    Seeing that Old Wei had woken up and seemed lost in some thought soon after, the man offered a light smile and said,


    "Old man, time passes, but you never change," he said in a calm voice.


    Hearing the sudden voice coming from his side, Wei Jun, who had momentarily lost himself in happiness, couldn''t help but be jolted out of his thoughts as he turned his gaze to the side, his expression a mixture of confusion and surprise.


    ''This voice... why does it feel so familiar to me?'' he wondered as his eyes fell on the figure of a handsome and refined-looking man sitting beside him, watching him with a small smile.

 Chapter 261 Meeting

    .Wei Jun, seeing this unknown man for the first time, had the feeling for a moment that he had seen him somewhere before, and for a moment he compared him to the figure of a boy who had stayed at his house a little more than three years ago.


    But upon seeing the apparent age of the man before him, he had to dismiss these thoughts.


    That said, the more he looked at this person, the more he felt that he knew him in some way.


    He wondered what that person was doing in his house, but then it occurred to him that he might have been the one to bring him in.


    That said, although he wanted to thank the man immediately, he couldn''t help but notice a detail in what the stranger had just said.


    ''Does he know me?'' he thought.


    Seeing the confusion on the old Wei''s face, Ethan smiled and said:


    "Old man, you worked me like a mule for an entire year, and now you''re pretending you don''t even know me, tch,


    seems like your illness has hit your brain as well," Ethan said, shaking his head as if he were disappointed.


    "Problems with my head? You''re the one with problems in your hea-" He almost instinctively gave him a response, but then stopped when his brain finished processing the words, and immediately his eyes widened as he murmured.


    "E-Ethan, is that you?" he said as he rose from the bed.


    Ethan nodded.


    At first, he had only planned to stop by and check how the old man was doing, but seeing that he was alone at home, and on top of that seemed to be ill, he decided to pay him a visit.


    Who would have thought his condition would be so much worse?


    He could immediately tell that the old man''s body was weakened, and this was not only because of his age but also due to several diseases that seemed to have developed over the last few years.


    One of the most obvious, which he had immediately noticed, was osteoporosis, which is a reduction in bone density, and this wasn''t really very rare, especially among the elderly after a certain age.


    Adding to this the other small issues his body seemed to have, it could be said that he was slowly withering away


    Unlike the demon Qi infection, or any other rare disease, this wasn''t really hard to treat, at least not for him. Your adventure continues at empire


    Seeing that the old man had fainted outside the house, he picked him up and carried him inside to his room.


    And while doing so, he gave him a quick treatment.


    He hadn''t really done anything special.


    He had only strengthened his body using his spiritual Qi, and had used the wood element in his Qi to eliminate some minor ailments and revitalize his organs so that his body could protect itself to some extent from diseases and other issues.


    In essence, he had made the old man a very healthy elderly person.


    He could live the rest of his years in peace without facing the various physical and mental issues that one encounters at his age.


    Wei Jun was clearly very surprised to see Ethan, and immediately couldn''t help but ask how he was doing and what had happened in the last few years.


    Ethan didn''t go into too much detail about what had happened, simply saying that he had been recruited by a sect, where he had lived for the past few years, and only recently had the chance to leave training.


    Wei Jun, hearing this, was extremely happy for Ethan.


    After all, being recruited by a sect meant becoming a cultivator, and even the weakest cultivator was stronger than an average person, and consequently, enjoyed special treatment.


    Knowing that he was well and had become a cultivator, Wei Jun was happy for him.


    He might have known Ethan for barely a year, but to him, it felt as if he were a member of the family.


    When he disappeared, he went searching for him in the city, and after asking around for a few days, he eventually gave up.


    He wasn''t sure where he had gone or what had happened to him, but as long as he was fine, that was enough for him.


    The two chatted for a while, and Ethan also learned what had happened in the last two years.


    ''Well, I can''t say I didn''t expect this,'' he thought when he heard about the old Wei''s daughter.


    Ethan had to admit that he had hated that woman back then for how she treated him, but that was a matter of the past, and he no longer felt any resentment or sympathy for her.


    He had had his fair share of experiences, and with everything he had been through in the last almost three years, he truly didn''t have the time to think about her, nor was there any reason to.


    Although back then he had thought that she was slightly above average in terms of looks compared to the average girl, after meeting women like Feng Huang, Bai Yu, and even recently Yao Hua, she was no different from an ordinary person.


    Although he didn''t feel any sympathy for that woman, at least he could admire her for deciding to change, and it seemed like she was changing for the better.


    Three years ago, he would never have thought that she would start working personally in the fields of her own will, and yet here she was doing it to support herself and her father.


    In the end, the old Wei, who had smiled more today than in the last two years, couldn''t help but ask Ethan,


    "What plans do you have for the future?


    Apart from cultivation, you must have other things in mind, right?


    Look at you, barely three years have passed, and yet you''ve already become a real man and handsome.


    You must have already courted a disciple or two by now," he said, taking a sip from a cup of wine that Ethan had brought.


    Seeing the old man''s current appearance, Ethan almost compared him to Da Shu and for a moment thought that the two would definitely get along if they ever met.


    He knew that the old man liked to drink every now and then, and decided to get him one of his own wines from his minor dimension.


    Although he wasn''t a big fan of alcoholic beverages, that didn''t mean he had never drunk them, and with a great connoisseur like Bai Yu with him, it was hard not to have any.


    Having said that, he thought about the question the old man asked and couldn''t help but think for a moment before answering.


    "The path of a cultivator is long, and it requires a lot of time, but despite this, I think I''ve been fortunate to have had someone accompany me on this path," he said calmly while taking a sip of wine himself.


    The old Wei might not see it, but Bai Yu was still in her beast form, resting on Ethan''s shoulders.


    She had simply used her powers to hide herself, and although she had said she was going to take a nap, Ethan could feel the subtle pressure around his neck, which didn''t give him a sensation of pain or suffocation, but more like a soft and warm embrace.


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything else, understanding that Ethan had truly changed a lot in these last years, not only in appearance but also as a person.


    He made a toast, and the two talked a bit more before he said goodbye and left on his way.


    The old Wei had asked if Ethan wanted to stay for dinner, but he politely declined, saying that he had some matters to attend to.


    Although brief for Ethan, this small reunion was more than enough.


    It could have been more than 140 years for him since he had last seen him, and although he had severed most of his mortal ties and ascended to the spiritual realm, he still kept many things in his heart, and this person, who to any other cultivator might seem like a simple farmer living at the margins of the realm, was one of them.


    Although he was not a generous person, or at least didn''t consider himself one, he always repaid the kindness he received.


    It might not seem like he had done much for Wei Jun now, but only fate knew what great gift he had given to the old man that day.


    In the minor dimension, in a place a few miles away from Ethan''s herb garden.


    A transparent glowing sphere was floating in the air.


    Inside the transparent sphere, one could see the thin and tall figure of Mo Yan, who, after having tried everything, had already given up and remained in the same spot without moving, giving the impression of being just a pile of old, lifeless bones.


    Unfortunately for him, his prison, which had lasted several days, was about to end, but not in the way he had hoped.


    Suddenly, the figures of Ethan and Bai Yu appeared in the place, standing near the sphere as they watched the poor spiritual realm demon.


    He also noticed their appearance and felt a premonition that something unpleasant was about to happen to him.


    And as if to confirm his premonition, Ethan, who had just arrived, walked towards the sphere, giving a mental command to the three rings formed entirely of runes, rotating around the spherical barrier, and said:


    "Well, why don''t we have a nice chat?" sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he said calmly, smiling at the demon, who found the smile anything but reassuring.

 Chapter 262 Invasion Plans

    .Mo Yan wasn''t sure what the other party wanted to know, but just because he had been captured didn''t mean he would cooperate with them.


    At least, that was his intention. However, who would have thought that Ethan wouldn''t even bother asking him questions and would instead decide to directly scour his soul for information?


    ''Heh, do you really think extracting information from me will be that simple?'' he thought.


    Even though his cultivation had been sealed and his strength limited, it didn''t mean he had no tricks left to play.


    He couldn''t wait for the other party to try probing his soul, for that was the moment he planned to strike.


    Ethan had opened the sphere, transforming the three rune-formed rings into chains that bound the demon in place.


    Approaching him, Ethan was ready to use the soul-searching technique.


    A secretive smile appeared on Mo Yan''s face upon seeing this, and just as he was about to feel pleased, Ethan also smiled at him.


    Ethan raised his right hand and placed it on Mo Yan''s head.


    The demon, who a second ago was rejoicing inwardly, thinking he had caught the other party in his trap, felt a sudden chill as his mind was abruptly invaded by an overwhelming force.


    ''What��''


    The demon, who a moment ago thought he had outsmarted his opponent, suddenly found his vision blurred, and all his thoughts vanished as if they had been swept away by a torrential wave.


    The proud demon, who had not even had the chance to put his plan into action, died at that moment, without any chance to counterattack.


    He had thought that once the human entered his mind, he could use demonic Qi to trap Ethan''s soul and corrode him from within. But who could have expected that the other party wouldn''t even give him the chance to fight back in the first place?


    The soul force of the human, usually the weakest aspect, was so overwhelming that Mo Yan''s mind was obliterated instantly, leaving behind only an empty body.


    Her soul, fully exposed, was ready for Ethan to examine.


    Ethan searched the demon''s soul in an instant. During this time, he managed to obtain a ton of information, which his mind classified and examined individually, eventually saving what he needed and discarding the rest.


    Finally, the demon, now no different from an empty shell, was also absorbed by Ethan and converted into stat points.


    [You have gained +12,000 STR] Find exclusive stories on empire


    [You have gained +10,500 AGI]


    [You have gained +6,000 INT] Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have gained +3,000 Soul Strength]


    Seeing the enormous stats he had just received, Ethan could only sigh as he felt his overall strength skyrocket once again.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (Basic)


    QI: 23M / 50M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 11,906 �� 30,000 (+12,576)


    Agility: 23,573 �� 30,000 (+6,427)


    Intelligence: 16,114 �� 21,114


    Soul Strength: 1,982 �� 4,982


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 518M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    He immediately sensed a new bottleneck arise after this increase in strength, and just as he thought, when he opened the status window, he saw that his AGI stat had also reached its maximum limit, which, coincidentally, was exactly 30k.


    For being at the basic stage of the first realm of the spiritual rank, these stats were surely too high. But unlike what he had thought in the past, it seemed that even total power increases had certain limits at each stage.


    He hadn''t noticed this before because he had never reached the maximum limit of the mortal realm in terms of stats, only in cultivation.


    As a result, he had mistakenly believed he could grow infinitely stronger at any stage. But looking back now, such an idea was far too absurd in the first place.


    His physique was dependent on his cultivation, and as such, he could only support a certain level of power. Thanks to his dragon lineage and special physique, that level was much higher than normal.


    Putting that matter aside, he instead turned to the bit of information he had gotten from the demon and his expression was a bit thoughtful as he examined it.


    Bai Yu, who had witnessed the entire process from a distance, approached him. Seeing him deep in thought, she couldn''t help but ask what he had discovered.


    "It seems there are others like him in this plane," he said.


    In itself, this wouldn''t be a problem. After all, Mo Yan was strong, but Ethan was stronger and had defeated him fairly easily, especially after mastering the demonic inscription technique.


    Not to mention the drastic increase in strength he had gained after absorbing the demonic Qi from the continent and subsequently from Mo Yan himself.


    Bai Yu could feel the overflowing power in him and was certain that no one at the same stage as him could match his strength.


    As someone who had originally almost reached the peak of the spiritual realm herself, she could tell Ethan''s power was increasing far too quickly.


    This was a good thing, as it meant that when he eventually ascended, he wouldn''t be easily crushed by others stronger than him.


    But even considering all of this, if Ethan still wore such an expression, it meant the matter wasn''t as simple as it seemed. When he transferred the information to her using the mental transfer technique, she, too, understood why and her expression grew serious.


    When Ethan filtered the information obtained from the demon, he had specifically searched for how their race had managed to arrive in this plane.


    That was when he learned that Mo Yan had come with five other demons. Unlike Mo Yan, who was in the ascension phase, they were already spiritual realm powerhouses, with two of them at the high level of the first stage.


    It turned out that, to avoid alerting this plane''s consciousness, which would detect beings of their level, four of them had gone into hibernation, leaving Mo Yan with the task of conquering the plane.


    Their plan was to take control of the mortal plane and then be awakened by Mo Yan to prepare for an assault on the celestial plane.


    The plan seemed bold and reckless, especially considering the existences in the celestial plane and even worse in the divine plane. However, it appeared their mission was to gain successful access to the celestial plane to reopen the dimensional rift sealed millions of years ago by the gods of the divine plane.


    Ethan thought he would finally have a moment of peace now that he had eliminated the demonic Qi from this plane. Instead, it seemed his workload had only increased even more after this.


    He could only shake his head, thinking that the peaceful life he had hoped to achieve by becoming stronger would have to wait.


    Now that he had discovered the resting place of the other four demons, he could only prepare to deal with them and see if their plans could be nipped in the bud.


    ***


    It had been just over a year since Ethan had last visited the Peng family, and in that time, many things had changed.


    Peng Jun had successfully entered the fifth stage, and the overall strength of his family continued to grow steadily.


    By now, even the alchemists trained by Ethan had made significant progress and had already established a name for themselves, elevating the Peng family''s influence to unprecedented heights, heights that none of its members could have dreamed of reaching before.


    Practically speaking, their family had become one of the most prominent in the Phoenix Kingdom and was highly regarded throughout the Long Empire.


    Many were astonished to witness the Peng family''s sudden rise, achieving such a level in such a short period.


    Their surprise grew even more when they discovered that not only did the family boast numerous master alchemists, but they also had a Grandmaster Alchemist who, to everyone''s amazement, was under 50 years old.


    It goes without saying that this caused quite a stir. Even other Grandmasters decided to personally visit the Peng family to meet this young prodigy who had risen to their level.


    Normally, such a meteoric rise would arouse suspicion, and many would be tempted to make a move against them.


    But, unfortunately for those harboring such thoughts, before they could even grasp the situation, the Peng family had already reached a point where no one could afford to offend them, let alone provoke them.


    The merchants who had struck business alliances with the Peng family after witnessing Nu Yu''s demonstration could only sigh in relief, grateful for their foresight.


    Those who hadn''t taken the opportunity, however, could only lament in a corner, realizing they would never get another chance like this again.


    While all of this was happening, in a room of the Peng manor, an elegant-looking woman, who appeared to be just over 25 years old, gently stroked her slightly rounded belly with one hand.


    Seated by the window, her loving gaze was directed toward a figure outside, who was training intensely, unaware of the affectionate look the woman was sending him.


    That figure was none other than her husband, who was also the future patriarch of the Peng family.

 Chapter 263 Soul Awakening

    .In the minor dimension,


    to the west of Ethan''s great herb garden, there stood a modestly sized town.


    With a population not exceeding 30, and only a few houses without any true public attractions, it was the small village built by the soul puppets that Ethan had created to tend to his herb garden. Find more chapters on empire


    Unlike a short while ago, when these puppets barely knew how to properly carry out the tasks assigned to them, now these beings had developed to a level of consciousness equivalent to that of a human adult.


    Along with their increasing intelligence, various personalities also began to manifest within them.


    There were those who loved to spend their time studying the various animals in the Beast Forest to the east of the herb garden, and those who preferred to lounge on a rocking chair reflecting on their existence.


    Among these countless beings that had achieved a decent level of existence, there was one who seemed to have always remained the same,


    Someone who, from the moment he was created, had caused various problems, someone who managed the impossible feat of gaining the protection of two Goddesses, someone who almost ended up being roasted alive by the very fire he himself had ignited, at the hand of his own creator.


    This someone was none other than Soul Puppet No. 5, the puppet that had the privilege of obtaining a true body made of flesh and bone.


    Currently, this being was in what appeared to be a park while two figures with long furry ears and two white tails ran swiftly around him as he tried to catch them.


    "Come on, No. 5, try a bit harder. You''re so big; it should be easy for you to catch me," said a feminine voice as she dashed past him, whispering something before quickly running off.


    Before No. 5 even had a chance to glimpse the feminine figure, another figure blocked his path and said:


    "No. 5, stop playing. You still have to complete your part of the daily task. If you don''t, the master might actually cook you alive," said the male figure, a young beastkin who stood before him with a worried expression. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No. 5, who over the years had finally learned a bit of the language, replied:


    "Don''t worry. The master almost never comes here. Skipping a day or two isn''t a problem," he said, completely ignoring the wolf boy''s advice.


    Hearing this, the boy could only shake his head while helplessly trying once more to persuade him to do his part of the task.


    But just as he raised his head to speak to No. 5 again, his eyes widened, and without a moment''s hesitation, he bolted away.


    No. 5, noticing this sudden change, scratched his head as his gaze shifted toward Guo Lan, who also seemed to have vanished without a trace.


    Just as he wondered what had happened to the two of them, a voice rang out from behind him:


    "Oh Really? So skipping a day or two won''t cause any problems, right?" said the voice.


    "Well, yes, as I said, the master won''t..."


    No. 5, still confused, instinctively replied, but just as he was about to finish his sentence, the words got stuck in his throat.


    Trembling, his gaze slowly shifted behind him toward the figure of a black-haired man who had appeared out of nowhere and was now watching him with a slight smile on his face.


    The smile that had stolen the hearts of countless women at this moment seemed like the grin of a devil to No. 5, who stammered:


    "M-Master, I..." Just as he was about to finish his sentence, a gust of wind was heard, and in the next instant, a large figure could be seen flying through the air, headed straight for a specific spot in the herb garden.


    Ethan, who had just finished giving No. 5 a lesson, turned to the side where a dragon woman was looking at him with a displeased expression.


    Seeing her face, he couldn''t help but say:


    "This is your fault. He''s become even more useless than he was before. You need to stop spoiling him, or he''ll keep taking advantage of your kindness," he said discontentedly.


    "Tch, he''s just a child. Let him play a bit. It''s good for him."


    Ethan, hearing this, wanted to argue that this "child" was over a hundred years old and that his peers had already reached a maturity level many times beyond his.


    But in the end, he simply shook his head and shifted his attention in another direction. There, just over a mile away near a tree almost 50 meters tall, a green-haired woman could be seen floating in the air, moving joyfully from one place to another around the tree.


    Seeing this scene, Ethan decided not to disturb Yao Hua and instead looked at Bai Yu, saying as he began to ascend into the air:


    "I feel like I''ve reached the limit of strength I can achieve at this stage. It''s time I devoted some effort to developing my World Seed. Can you please keep an eye on everything here while I''m away?" he asked.


    Though he didn''t specify what exactly she should watch over, she understood and nodded.


    Seeing that the dragon woman was understanding, he nodded in return and flew eastward, quickly soaring over the Beast Forest, which had now grown to a size comparable to the Amazon rainforest of his previous world, an area of over 5.5 million square kilometers.


    The forest''s size wasn''t the only thing that had increased; its flora and fauna had also drastically expanded, presenting increasingly diverse species of animals and plants, each more dangerous than the last.


    If a cultivator at the fifth stage of the Mortal Realm were to venture deep into it, they would have an 80% chance of being eaten by some creature dwelling there.


    The number of beings that had reached a power level surpassing these experts of the fifth stage was by no means small.


    If all these beasts were to be released on the human continent for any reason, it was guaranteed that the human race would be wiped out in no time.


    Even Ethan had to admit that he hadn''t expected such a high level of development in just over a hundred years. However, the development had undeniably occurred, and personally, he liked it that way.


    He was pleased to be the owner of such a small world, which now had its fair share of inhabitants and wonders.


    That said, none of this mattered to him for now.


    In an instant, he flew over the forest and, in no time at all, reached a distance of tens of miles away from the herb garden.


    The place he arrived at was a vast stretch of desert, with only a few hills scattered here and there and nothing more.


    It was essentially the desert of his minor dimension.


    Sensing that there weren''t many living beings around, he made a gesture with his hand, and three Array circles materialized above it. With another gesture, the circles flew off, each positioning itself in a different place.


    One settled below him, serving as a floating platform; another went even lower, sinking into the sandy ground of the desert; and the third rose into the air, ascending hundreds of meters before stopping.


    Once the arrays were in position, he issued the start command, and they lit up. The two arrays at the extreme points above and below him expanded in size until they reached a diameter of 500 meters.


    Immediately, the environment began to change, as what appeared to be glowing blue particles began to form and move toward the third circle, which acted as Ethan''s platform.


    Seeing that everything was ready, he sat on the suspended platform and immediately immersed himself in meditation.


    What he had just done was set up a spirit-gathering array, more specifically, a formation designed to locate and draw toward him all the souls of living beings that had died for some reason.


    These beings, most of which were beast souls, no longer had a proper consciousness to guide them. As such, they wandered aimlessly, invisible to the eyes of others.


    This phenomenon occurred not only within Ethan''s minor world but also in any place inhabited by living beings.


    Wherever life existed, there would also be these wandering spirits of dead beings.


    The reason these spirits no longer had any consciousness was mainly that that part of their soul had entered the cycle of reincarnation, which purified them and sent them back among the living, where they would be reborn as new living beings.


    However, this only applied to mortal living beings.


    For those who had ascended from the mortal realm and successfully reached the spiritual realm, there was another option:


    forming a World Seed.


    This step was a critical milestone for any cultivator at this stage, as the way this process was carried out would determine how good, or bad the subsequent stages of cultivation would be.


    The World Seed would cultivate their soul and ensure that even if they were to die, they would have the chance to reconstruct their physical body as long as they could preserve their soul.


    The first stage of the spiritual realm consisted precisely of creating a spiritual vessel for one''s soul.


    In essence, Ethan was creating a second life within himself at that moment, a life that would sustain him if he ever met his end.

 Chapter 264 World Seed

    .Unlike the mortal realm, which was divided into 5 stages, each of them having 10 levels, the spiritual realm was divided into 6 stages, each split into three phases: basic, intermediate, and advanced.


    These stages were not about the level of strength or cultivation achieved at that stage, but rather the level of understanding and creation.


    If in the mortal realm one trained the foundation to elevate their cultivation and make their body more in tune with their soul,


    in the spiritual realm, the focus shifted to elevating the soul to a higher level.


    This was because, after all, in the mortal realm, the soul couldn''t live without a container,the body, and the body was useless without a soul.


    This fact made every cultivator dependent on either one or the other, leaving them with too many weaknesses.


    If the soul were gravely wounded, such an injury would be no different from death.


    If the body were instead gravely injured, then the soul, though present, wouldn''t be able to do anything, being trapped in a broken container.


    Essentially, the two were too tightly bound to one another, and eliminating either would be enough to destroy a cultivator.


    This, however, changed once one managed to sever their mortal ties and ascend to the next realm of cultivation, the spiritual realm.


    In this stage of cultivation, a cultivator had the opportunity to address the problem of their dependence.


    This solution essentially involved focusing on the primary component of their existence,the soul.


    As long as the soul could be preserved in a certain state, it would be possible to rebuild the body from scratch.


    This would give the cultivator an additional card to play in dire situations, allowing them to preserve their life for longer.


    This card could already be acquired in the first stage of the spiritual realm: the Soul Awakening stage.


    Ethan, at this moment, was slowly gathering the particles of soul remnants from the dead present in his small world and refining them to form his World Seed, which would also become the core of his soul in the future.


    Just as the body had its organ for storing spiritual energy, the soul could also develop one, and this would allow the soul to survive even without the body.


    Forming one''s spiritual core was not simple and required at least two of the six stages of the spiritual realm to complete.


    In the first part, one would lay the foundations on which to construct the astral body, which would allow the soul to exist even independently.


    Within this astral body, one would continue building the spiritual core, which would become the foundation for everything else that would come in the subsequent phases.


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    According to Bai Yu, this process would normally take centuries, as refining a large amount of soul residue was far from a simple and quick process.


    it was like gathering spiritual energy to cultivate, it required a lot of time, which could vary depending on the person and their talent.


    Bai Yu told him that being one of the most talented beings of her race, it took her just over a century to reach the peak of the first stage, an incredible feat,


    at least, that''s what she claimed.


    She believed that, given Ethan''s talent and special physique, he too would take a similar amount of time, or perhaps even a bit less, to achieve it. Thus, Ethan entered his minor dimension, activated the formation that aided cultivators in this stage to gather scattered soul fragments from the environment, and immediately began forming his astral body.


    He wasn''t sure how long it would take, but now that he had halted the demons'' threat, it was fair to say he had earned a lot of time. This time was amplified by at least a hundredfold in this dimension, so he no longer worried and got straight to work.


    He immersed himself more and more in the sensation of the soul particles provided by the formation, and without realizing it, little by little, his body began absorbing them, directing them straight into the depths of his being, where his soul resided.


    Once there, these particles didn''t stop but headed directly into his soul, entering it effortlessly as if nothing stood in their way.


    Gradually, these particles accumulated, and soon a second phenomenon occurred.


    At the center of his soul, an invisible vortex seemed to attract these particles, pulling them all towards it and beginning to converge them into a single point.


    First, one particle entered, then two, and then three.


    The process continued for a while, and finally, after hundreds upon hundreds of particles converged at that point, a faint light began to radiate.


    This light emanated from a tiny millimeter-sized sphere that appeared solid in form but was far from tangible to material hands.


    Around the sphere, a faint layer began forming over the entire outer surface of Ethan''s soul, which, after who knows how long, fully enveloped it and eventually fused with it, rendering the consistency of his soul clearer.


    Ethan had successfully created his astral body and fused his soul into it.


    In other words, he had finally taken the second step towards awakening his soul, successfully advancing to the intermediate level of the first stage of the spiritual realm.


    Although Ethan had entered the intermediate level, he didn''t stop and continued advancing with his formation, as his spiritual core, which had just started to take shape, was becoming increasingly radiant.


    What he was working on creating was the seed of his world, and this World Seed would eventually give rise to his spiritual core in the future.


    When Ethan first heard about the various phases of the spiritual realm, he couldn''t help but ask why this glowing core, which would later become his spiritual core, was called the World Seed. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu replied, explaining that the manifestation of one''s power, their domain,


    could only be formed if the cultivator had a World Seed within them.


    The domain Ethan had previously thought of as merely creating a space where one was stronger turned out to be the so-called inner world he had heard Bai Yu mention in the past.


    In essence, this World Seed was literally a seed of a world that he would develop within himself.


    He had always believed that a cultivator''s inner world resided in their dantian, but it seemed it actually resided in their spiritual core, or more precisely, would be moved there after a certain refinement phase in their dantian.

 Chapter 265 Improvements

    .Ethan, having completely lost himself in his meditation, did not notice the passage of time, which continued to flow as it always did.


    In less than half a century, he had already reached the intermediate phase of the first stage and had begun working on the advanced phase.


    This phase, unlike the initial one, was no easy walk. In contrast to the earlier phase, where he simply needed to gather fragments of the soul, convert them into his body, and absorb them into his soul to condense a world seed, this stage posed a much greater challenge.


    In this phase, he had to strengthen the connection between the nearly fully formed world seed and his soul, reinforced by the shell needed to awaken the latter and finally make it completely independent, in other words capable of existing even without its physical body.


    He had to admit that this phase turned out to be more difficult than he initially thought. Although it took him roughly the same amount of time to complete as the previous phase, the effort he had to exert was twice as great.


    Finally, after almost a century of continuous soul acquisition, condensation, and the successful creation of the invisible bonds that would incorporate his newly formed world seed into his soul, he reached the peak of the first stage.


    Although it felt to Ethan as if only hours had passed, nearly a century had gone by in his minor dimension, and the changes that had taken place during this period were not insignificant.


    From the ever evolving ecosystem of his small world to Bai Yu, who appeared to have subdued the elemental spirit, things had progressed in his absence.


    Ethan finally exhaled a breath of air as his face, still as a statue for so long, finally showed signs of life.


    He slowly opened his eyes, feeling his entire body as stiff as stone.


    Although his external appearance remained the same as before, his aura was completely different. He now exuded a new sense of oppression and majesty, which would involuntarily cause any cultivator below the spiritual rank to kneel before him.


    He took his time savoring the new sensation of his soul, which felt reborn, and eventually stabilized his condition as the natural presence his body emanated was suppressed by his will.


    Without wasting any more time, he disappeared from his spot with a single step, finally returning to his herb garden.


    When he learned of the existence of other demons at the spiritual realm, he didn''t worry too much.


    As long as they were still in the first stage, he was confident that he could handle them.


    That is, provided those he faced were at the early stages of the first stage.


    If those in the advanced phase of the first stage were involved, things would become somewhat problematic even for him.


    After all, they were still high level beings, and while he had considerable strength relative to his current cultivation level, he did not yet consider himself invincible or at least not until he, too, reached the peak of his current stage.


    Now, he was certain he could defeat any of them with relative ease.


    The creation of his world seed led him to reflect on various matters, ranging from the most trivial to the most profound, and among these, the most intriguing were undoubtedly his insights into the natural laws. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Currently, he had only just started to grasp the basics of these laws, and it would take much longer before he could make real progress. Still, even the little understanding he gained while creating his world seed gave him ideas for some new combat techniques he was excited to try out. Continue reading stories on empire


    Thus, he spent some more time in his minor dimension, stabilizing his new foundation of understanding as well as consolidating the cultivation progress he had achieved.


    At this point, Ethan found himself in a situation where, although the refinement of pills remained his best source of Qi, the high number of pills he had created and stored had become excessive.


    For instance, the last time he secluded himself for a century, he had produced tens of thousands of pills of various types, which now sat idly in his storage.


    He had no idea what to do with such an exaggerated quantity of pills, especially since the highest level among them was level 3, a level that was equivalent to a level 1 pill for a cultivator at the fifth stage, in other words, practically useless.


    At his level, only pills of level 4 and above could have any meaningful effect, which is why he has decided to dispose of most of its stockpiles of level 3 and below pills, donating them all to the Phoenix Sect.


    He was certain they would be far more useful in their hands than in his, so he didn''t give it much thought.


    That said, it was still true that if he wanted to cultivate like others, he would have to spend a great deal of time accumulating Qi from the surrounding environment.


    Alternatively, he needed to find new sources of Qi, which, for the time being, were scarce, at least in the mortal plane.


    The longer he remained here as a spiritual realm being, the more he understood that, while he was practically an invincible god in this realm, there were not many opportunities to grow stronger.


    Thus, in one way or another, if a cultivator wanted to progress, they had to ascend.


    Well, every cultivator except him, as he still had one card left to play: the high-level pills.


    Now that he had accumulated hundreds of millions of SP, he increased his skill level to 5, spending nearly 50 million SP in total.


    The cost of upgrading his abilities from level three to level four had been only hundreds of thousands of SP, but going from level four to level five required millions.


    Currently, he had only a few abilities, and the main ones he upgraded were alchemy and array formation.


    For the time being, none of his other abilities required immediate improvement.


    By doing so, he gained access to higher-level pill recipes, and when he reached level 5 pills, he finally saw their true advantages.

 Chapter 266 Interference

    .A level 4 pill on its own would be a godsend, while a level 5 pill would be like a living legend manifesting here in the mortal plane.


    According to the knowledge provided by the system and what he had learned from Bai Yu, level 5 pills were highly regarded even in the celestial plane.


    This was because only three-star grandmasters could actually attempt to produce them.


    Below that rank, it was impossible to even try, as the control over the mixture and the chemical reactions was something that mere master alchemists or even newly advanced grandmasters could not manage, inevitably leading to the pill''s failure.


    When Ethan refined a low-grade level 4 pill for the first time, he noticed that although it took almost an entire day, the rewards were far from meager.


    Even for a low-grade pill, one could gain a total of 1,000 SP, which was still within Ethan''s expectations, and 1,000 QI, which, although it seemed small, was a drastic increase considering that a perfect-grade level 3 pill provided only 70 QI.


    This was a significant jump, and it didn''t end there.


    For the subsequent grades, the value increased tenfold, reaching a staggering 1,000,000 QI at the perfect grade of level 4.


    This alone was enough to make it clear that level 5 pills would be nothing short of extraordinary, and for Ethan, who had now reached a level of mastery sufficient to produce pills of this caliber, there were few opportunities to do so.


    This was because producing such high-level pills required equally high-level materials, and for now, he only possessed materials suitable for producing high-grade level 4 pills.


    That said, this level of pill was more than sufficient for Ethan, as the amount of QI he needed could be filled by these pills.


    Now that he was at the peak of the first stage, it was time for him to head to the place where the four demons were slumbering.


    Bai Yu had told him that, before the opening of the separate dimension, demons had never been discovered in their world.


    Therefore, when the gods of the divine plane sealed the rift they had opened, they were fairly certain that none of the demon race would remain alive, especially after a thorough cleansing of the celestial plane.


    It might not seem like it, but the dimensions of the celestial plane were vastly larger than those of the mortal plane.


    According to Bai Yu, the celestial plane was so vast that there were still many unexplored areas, and this was due to various factors, including climatic conditions.


    Intrinsic natural laws made certain regions difficult to traverse, risking death if one was not cautious, while others were protected by abominations, beings neither monsters nor humans with power levels at the peak of the spiritual rank, making it challenging for anyone to venture into their territories.


    Of course, one could certainly form expedition squads to confront them together, but merely assembling a team with so many experts at the peak of the spiritual rank was a challenging task.


    All experts at this level were true powerhouses who had their own territories to manage and would prefer to cultivate and attempt the celestial tribulation in hopes of ascending to divine realm rather than reducing their chances of continued cultivation by hunting a monster on the other side of the world.


    These powerhouses tended to remain in isolation, dedicating themselves entirely to their cultivation, and would not emerge unless a significant event involving them occurred, such as the destruction of their sect or the appearance of a high-grade object, and so on...


    When Ethan heard about the existence of these places, he wanted to ask why they hadn''t considered that some demons might have hidden there, but then he decided not to ask.


    From what he had learned, the gods themselves had participated to some extent in the elimination of the demon race.


    It was impossibile that these so-called abominations could have survived against their power. Therefore, if any demons had managed to infiltrate one of these places, the gods would have surely been able to detect them.


    In the end, from the little information he could gather on this topic from the demon Mo Yan, they had used an ancient artifact to open a second rift.


    Ethan was not sure why, as the demon named Mo Yan did not seem to be someone important in their insurrection group. Consequently, his knowledge on the matter was limited. Still, Ethan could form an idea since he also knew a thing or two about the element of space.


    Although the matter was extremely difficult to actualize, if it were true that the demons had some kind of ancient artifact related to the element of space, then it was possible they had reconnected the spatial coordinates left from the first rift opened by the gods of the divine plane.


    Of course, this was only a conjecture, but with the limited information, there was really little else he could think of.


    In any case, he didn''t dwell too much on the matter, because in the end, he would have to eliminate these remaining demons as well.


    And it was certain that he would obtain important information from them.


    Therefore, after stabilizing his cultivation and training his new combat techniques, he finally left the minor dimension, ready to travel to where the demons resided.


    Ethan had wondered why he had not been able to sense the presence of these beings when, after ascending to the spiritual realm, he had scoured all three continents.


    Indeed, he had even ventured a bit further in the hope of finding other lands, but he found nothing. The only clear traces of demons were primarily from the demonic continent.


    Those on the beast continent, however, were too faint to notice back then, especially because he had not expected any to be there in the first place.


    As such, his attention was not as sharp then. But after he visited and encountered the Guo brothers, he learned of their presence.


    He initially believed that perhaps he had failed to perceive these four demons of the spiritual realm because they had entered a state similar to Mo Yan''s, hidden enough not to be detected by the consciousness of the celestial plane.


    However, the fact was that the consciousness would have only detected them if they had unleashed their power on this plane.


    And then he would have identified any high-level formations with his spiritual sense, yet he did not, and the reason for all of this was that the demons had hidden in the one place no one would have immediately thought of.


    A place everyone had avoided, even those at the peak of the mortal cultivation realm. A vast location that seemingly covered most of the mortal plane''s surface.


    The ocean.


    At Ethan''s current level, he could travel from one continent to another with just one step in that direction, reaching the location in an instant. Yet, to arrive at the exact spot where the demons were hiding, he had to take several such steps. Finally, in the middle of nowhere, he appeared in the air.


    No matter where one looked, there was only the great expanse of water, teeming with creatures of all kinds.


    After just a quick and rapid glance, he could identify dozens of beings at the fourth and even the fifth stage within a radius of only a few miles.


    This alone made it clear that the sea was by no means lacking in terrifying beings that lived and ruled there comfortably.


    He understood why no one ever returned alive after traveling a certain distance from the continent.


    If the number of marine creatures at this stage was so great, there was no way anyone could realistically travel long distances in complete safety.


    Even more so because he could sense the presence of several creatures at the peak of the mortal realm, some of them even close to reaching the spiritual realm. S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling the presence of these beings, which seemed to have noticed him, he couldn''t help but shake his head.


    '' Truly a good place to hide,'' he thought as he looked down and sent a spiritual wave into the water.


    Even though he had arrived at the exact location based on the demon''s memories, he couldn''t sense the presence of those four demons. So he decided to explore the ocean depths to confirm if they were really there.


    The spiritual wave traveled at high speed, and in no time, it had already reached a depth of several miles. Yet, despite all this, he could still say there was a long way to go before reaching the ocean floor.


    He continued descending with his spiritual wave, and after a full 20 miles, he finally sensed something. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he finally detected the presence of something below. Find your next adventure on empire


    Normally, he would have been able to see what lay even at this depth. Yet, for some reason, his perception of the place was slightly distorted, as if something down there was interfering with his understanding of the environment.


    He didn''t know why, but he suddenly had a certain premonition.


    This wasn''t just due to his instincts but also because a certain object within his sea of consciousness had finally started showing signs of activity after remaining silent for more than a century.

 Chapter 267 The Demons Awaken

    .In Ethan''s sea of consciousness,


    An object floating high in the sky of his sea of consciousness was emanating faint waves of energy, while a new sequence of runes on it began to glow faintly.


    Observing this phenomenon were Ethan and Bai Yu, who had used part of their consciousness to transfer themselves here.


    Both were unsure what had triggered this sudden change, but from what they could see, it didn''t seem like anything would happen for the moment.


    Ethan thought the cause of this phenomenon was likely his proximity to the location where the four remaining demons on this plane of existence resided.


    After all, it was logical to assume they had something to do with it because after he ascended to the spiritual rank and felt his control over the seal that captured Bai Yu''s soul become more solid, he hadn''t noticed any other changes.


    In fact, the amphora had remained silent since then, floating in the air in his sea of consciousness.


    Ethan still didn''t know much about this artifact, and neither did Bai Yu, but he could sense that the bond connecting him to it was becoming deeper and deeper, and now he could use it to some extent.


    For example, freeing Bai Yu from the final traces of the seal was one such ability, and he also felt that he could utilize the artifact''s power to a certain degree to strengthen his soul in certain challenging situations.


    The more he learned about it, the less he seemed to actually understand the artifact.


    It was clear that he had barely scratched the surface of the artifact''s true capabilities, but it wasn''t as if he could uncover all its secrets overnight, so he could only be patient and discover more about it gradually over time.


    That said, seeing that apart from illuminating a new sequence of runes, the amphora didn''t seem to present any other changes, he could only set the matter aside for now.


    He had already asked Bai Yu if she had any idea what it might be, but even she could only shake her head and reach the same conclusion,


    that something in this place was triggering this phenomenon in the artifact.


    Ethan could only hope that whatever it was, it wasn''t anything too troublesome. But on second thought, anything capable of even causing a reaction from the artifact couldn''t be something simple at all.


    He thought that perhaps it might be the spatial artifact used by the demons to open the rift in this plane, but even this theory wasn''t very credible. sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the end, he could only shake his head as his body, which had remained suspended in the air, finally moved, descending further and further.


    In no time, he had passed from the sky to the ocean and was now speeding downward at a moderate pace while using his perception to get a better sense of the environment, more precisely the area where the four demons were located.


    He could tell that the demons were sealed in some kind of formation that seemed similar to a sealing formation, but it was more of a "lite" version, with the possibility for the sealed party to manipulate it and leave if they wanted.


    He could tell they were in a dormant state and didn''t know when they would awaken.


    If it was true that there was a demon at the peak of the Soul Awakening stage, then there was a possibility that sensing the presence of someone at Ethan''s level would cause this entity to awaken.


    In fact, Ethan was certain it would, as he could already sense a spiritual sense heading in his direction.


    If this had been a hundred years ago, he would have set up a formation to hide and taken advantage of the fact that the demons were also dormant to eliminate them and avoid unnecessary trouble. But now, at his current level, he didn''t need to resort to such methods, so he allowed the spiritual sense to examine him. And just as he thought, he soon felt movement in the depths of the ocean.


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    He had descended for only a few minutes yet had already covered much of the distance separating him from their resting place.


    From this distance, he could perceive the area below much more clearly, and even that invisible interference that had disrupted his perception earlier seemed to have grown stronger.


    Though not strong enough, as he could now form a clear image of the place.


    ''Now, this is interesting,'' he thought as he analyzed the information his spiritual sense had just gathered.


    From what he had perceived, in the depths of the area, on the ocean floor, was imprinted a massive formation, at least a mile wide. And at what seemed to be the center of the formation, floating just above the seafloor, were five spheres of a reddish-black hue.


    One sphere was at the center, and its size was slightly larger than the other four.


    The other four surrounded it and were roughly the same size,


    roughly because, visibly, two of them were slightly larger, but still smaller than the central one.


    From those four spheres, he could sense a consciousness awakening, so he could deduce that these were indeed the four demons that had originally arrived on this plane with Mo Yan.


    But as for the sphere at the center, he couldn''t determine what it was.


    He could tell that it wasn''t alive in the sense that there wasn''t the consciousness of a living being within it, so it definitely wasn''t a demon, or at least it didn''t seem to be. But for some reason, he felt a certain attraction to this sphere, and most importantly, he noticed that the luminous intensity of the new rune pattern on the amphora had slightly increased.


    Seeing this change, he could say that whatever this sphere was, it was certainly what was causing the amphora to react.


    He immediately became alert because whatever it was, it was with the demons, meaning it was something to be cautious of, especially if it could cause the amphora to react, which alone was enough to prove that it wasn''t something to take lightly.


    For now, Ethan couldn''t say anything about the sphere other than the fact that it hadn''t reacted to his arrival, only the demons had.


    And seeing how the four spheres were beginning to writhe, it seemed that they were finally awakening from their slumber.

 Chapter 268 And what if I am?

    .The sea has always been a mysterious place, hiding countless unexplored secrets and unknowns.


    This fact held true both for the old world of Ethan and the new one, where currently the peace that permeated the ocean floor had been disrupted by an abrupt and invisible pressure that had started manifesting everywhere.


    The more seconds passed, the more this pressure grew. Enjoy more content from empire


    At a certain point, the surrounding area, where numerous creatures had been wandering just moments ago, was completely abandoned.


    All these marine creatures, regardless of their strength, sensed an imminent danger and fled as far away as possible from that place.


    While all this was happening, the spheres, sources of this danger, began twisting more and more, changing their spherical form from something undefined to shapes of various creatures that were finally starting to take form.


    The process itself did not last long, and within moments, in the place where five relatively large spheres had been floating, only one sphere remained.


    It was no longer surrounded by the other four but rather by four figures, each more menacing and imposing than the others.


    The four demons had finally awakened from their long and deep slumber.


    As three of them were fully stabilizing their condition, the fourth, who was slightly stronger than the second demon at the peak of the first stage of the spiritual realm, raised its head, gazing toward a human figure above.


    This figure looked down at them with a calm gaze, devoid of any surprise or panic.


    This human figure was none other than Ethan, who had finally reached the ocean floor and was now witnessing the awakening of the four demonic figures.


    Seeing them, he had to admit that demons always had very diverse appearances.


    There didn''t seem to be any predefined physical traits among them.


    Starting with the demon Mo Yan, who resembled a giant skeleton clad in a cloak and holding a scepter, even the others were creatures with completely different forms.


    For instance, the demon who currently had the weakest cultivation base among the present ones was a massive and monstrous being with a hybrid body that seemed to be a mix of various types of animals and other creatures unknown to Ethan.


    Its head resembled that of a deformed wolf, with three irregular yellow eyes that moved independently of one another. Its shoulders were covered with a mane of sharp spikes, while the rest of its body was a tangle of muscles and red scales. Its arms ended in claws, and finally, a long, venomous serpentine tail swayed constantly, ready to strike.


    Then there was the second demon, still in order of ascending strength, who in particular appeared to be a human with altered characteristics.


    Its skin was ash-gray, covered in pulsating veins of a toxic green color. On his face was a single large mouth full of sharp teeth, while in place of eyes there were only two empty, dark chasms.


    He had four slender arms that, despite their fragile appearance, Ethan could feel as if they contained an immense power.


    That covered the two weaker demons.


    Moving on to the stronger ones, who were at the peak of the first stage, one appeared to be made entirely of black smoke that didn''t leave any concrete details except for two white circles that seemed to serve as eyes.


    It was like a living shadow made solely of black smoke, very similar to some species of demons he had encountered on the Corrupted Continent.


    The last one, however, who also had the highest cultivation level, was strangely the most normal looking of them all in terms of appearance.


    It was essentially a humanoid figure, nearly three meters tall, with a robust body and ash-gray skin. Its only distinctive feature, apart from its skin color, was a long black horn on its forehead.


    For a moment, Ethan couldn''t help but think of his own demonic transformation, though back then, he hadn''t reached a height of three meters, and his body had a slightly reddish-black hue.


    That being said, as he examined the four demons, they too, having already detected his presence, were observing him.


    The demon with the wolf-like head and three eyes couldn''t help but let out a slight growl before opening its mouth to speak:


    "A human at the spiritual realm?" it said with a slightly uncertain tone.


    It wasn''t hard to tell that in this plane of existence, beings beyond the mortal realm couldn''t remain here. Consequently, seeing one who had not only reached such a level but was also still here made the situation somewhat strange.


    Although the demons'' power system was a bit different from that of others, they too followed the three basic realms of cultivation. However, how these realms were achieved and the various stages within them were different for demons.


    Even so, he could estimate the other party''s power, and from what he had perceived, the human had a power level similar to its own, which irritated him for some reason.


    Just like him, the other demons had also realized this, but unlike the wolf-headed demon, who seemed annoyed, the other two demons remained silent, waiting for their leader to give an order.


    The leader in question was none other than the humanoid demon with the horn, who remained silent with an unchanged expression throughout the entire time as he continued examining the human in front of them before finally speaking.


    "So, you are the one who has been interfering recently, with our plans," he said in an unfamiliar language, which Ethan managed to understand. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the same language used for the creation of the demonic formation cast by Mo Yan, which Ethan had learned thanks to the system.


    Thus, he was able to comprehend what the demon had said.


    He raised an eyebrow as he noticed a certain detail.


    "It seems he isn''t just talking about the extermination of his race on the Corrupted Continent," he thought.


    It was clear that the demon was also referring to the purification Ethan had carried out on the Beasts'' Continent and the Human Continent. Realizing this, Ethan could tell that the demon seemed to be aware of all this even while in a dormant state.


    He wasn''t sure how it knew, but it didn''t really matter.


    At most, he could look into it himself once he had defeated them.


    With a slight smile, he looked directly into the demon''s eyes and spoke in a provocative tone.


    "And what if I am?"

 Chapter 269 Physics Lesson

    .Needless to say, Ethan''s response did not please the demons at all, especially the one with a wolf like head, who immediately seemed to grow enraged as he reacted:


    "Certainly, courage is not something you''re lacking, is it?


    But it seems you''ve overestimated yourself a bit too much. Do you really think that little power you''ve acquired will save you from us?" said the wolf like demon, ready to make a move.


    Clearly, the news about their race being eradicated had not pleased any of them, especially since they never expected something like this to happen in the first place.


    They had gone into this dormant state only after confirming that there was no being capable of posing an actual threat to them, leaving the task of conquering this plane to their subordinates, led by Mo Yan.


    And yet, who would have thought that when they finally woke up, they would find themselves in a scene like this?


    It was hard for them to believe that the weak beings of this plane could have triumphed over their race, and yet one of these beings had done so, and that being was right in front of them now.


    Just as the wolf demon was ready to charge at Ethan, who still gazed at him with an indifferent expression, he was stopped by their leader, who cast a sharp glance at him before saying:


    "If you really want to attack, I won''t stop you, but let me tell you, that human is stronger than all of you," said the leader.


    Then he turned his gaze toward Ethan and said:


    "For a mere human, you certainly have some abilities, but your decision not to leave immediately after ascending to the spiritual realm and instead remain here and cause trouble for us was not exactly the wisest move," he said.


    Hearing the demon''s words, Ethan couldn''t help but chuckle a little as he said:


    "Oh? And why is that?" he said, clearly not taking the demon''s words too seriously.


    Although he seemed calm and indifferent, he never let his guard down.


    He might have been slightly provocative now, but it was more a way to probe the other side, and he had to admit that compared to his previous encounters, this one was at least leading somewhere.


    He was still vigilant toward them, not because there were four spiritual realm entities, but because his Seven Sages Amphora was still reacting, and that was a cause for concern for him.


    He didn''t know if this reaction from the amphora would lead to something good or bad, so he had to be careful.


    The demon, seeing the other side still calm in front of them, said nothing and gave the signal to his subordinates to attack.


    Ethan could tell that the other side didn''t seem in the mood to talk, and from what he could see, it seemed that even if the leader had stopped his subordinate before, he was still underestimating him a bit.


    Did he really think that if the three of them joined forces, they would have the upper hand against him?


    No, they couldn''t, and the ensuing battle proved it.


    The wolf demon, who seemed to be the most impatient, wasted no time the moment he saw his leader give the go ahead and immediately lunged at Ethan, appearing in an instant behind him with his arm raised and claws ready to claim the other side''s head.


    Ethan, seeing this, made no move and stayed in his place, but just as the other side launched its claw toward him, a gelatinous substance appeared in the middle, stopping the attack from the three eyed werewolf like demon.


    "What-"


    But before the other side could even wonder what it was, the gelatinous substance, which had just absorbed the impact of the blow, lit up as its core, which had been deformed backward, shot forward, bouncing against the claw that had just struck it.


    The wolf-like demon, who a moment ago had attempted to attack, suddenly found the arm he had attacked with missing.


    "ARGH!"


    He howled loudly as he immediately distanced himself from the other side while turning his head toward his missing arm. There, just ahead, he saw a mix of flesh, bone, and blood quickly floating away in the water.


    ''What the hell was that?'' he thought as he suddenly felt fear permeate his entire body.


    The other two demons, who had also acted after the wolf demon, saw this scene and immediately became alert, halting their attacks for a moment.


    They didn''t know what had just happened.


    A moment ago, their companion''s attack had been stopped by some strange substance, and the next moment, their companion had lost an arm.


    All of this had happened in a matter of milliseconds, so fast that they couldn''t understand how the other side had counterattacked while still remaining in the same position as before.


    In fact, he hadn''t even shifted his gaze from them, as if he hadn''t even noticed what had just happened.


    Ethan, seeing the confusion of the two demons, who had stopped their actions, glanced to the side where the gelatinous, transparent substance was floating and said:


    "Oh, this? Don''t be afraid of it. It''s just the product of a small experiment I conducted some time ago," he said, as if that explained everything.


    Clearly, the demons didn''t give a second thought to his words, because the so-called thing they weren''t supposed to fear had just destroyed the arm of a spiritual realm entity.


    There was no way they wouldn''t be on guard against that thing.


    Ethan, seeing them, couldn''t help but shake his head, but it''s not like he blamed them or anything.


    When he created some techniques based on his newfound understanding of the laws of nature, this understanding particularly helped him in his manipulation of the elements.


    Thanks to his special physique, he had a certain affinity with all elements, but to enhance this affinity, simply raising his cultivation level wasn''t enough. He needed to deepen his understanding of the natural laws related to these elements.


    So, he used this little bit of new understanding he gained to create some combat techniques and other things, and this was one of the products of that. S��ar?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He utilized his water element combined with the properties of the earth element to create this gelatinous substance.


    The idea came to him after he remembered the slimes from his previous world, not the slimes seen on TV, in anime, and so on, but rather natural slimes.


    The so called non Newtonian fluids.

 Chapter 270 Absolute Suppression

    .Ethan remembered a physics lesson he had in high school in his previous world, where the professor talked about these gelatinous substances that were liquid to the touch when no force was applied to them and became solid when pressure was exerted.


    From what little he remembered at the time, these substances were made from a mix of solid particles suspended in a liquid.


    When left undisturbed, the particles moved freely within the fluid, making the substance soft and malleable.


    However, when force was applied, the particles interlocked, forming a temporary, more solid structure.


    The example used during the lesson was that of water and cornstarch, and Ethan tried to see if he could create something similar based on this knowledge.


    He manipulated the element of water and earth to create a similar situation, and after dozens of simulations he conducted in his mind, he managed to create this substance, which he made more lethal by making some adjustments with his Qi.


    The result he obtained was better than what he expected, and what he had done out of curiosity now turned into something extremely lethal.


    Of course, if a mortal being had done the same, they would have obtained a product that had much less force than his own, because his was characterized by the presence of her Qi, which made the substance far more lethal.


    It was in situations like these that Ethan understood the importance of some of his knowledge from his previous world.


    That said, the two demons who had been on guard for a moment because of the strange substance swirling around Ethan finally decided to act again. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This time, even that small trace of underestimation towards him was gone, and he could see that they were now seriously trying to defeat him.


    The area that had become desolate and silent due to the awakening of the demons was suddently chaotic, with waves starting to form in the ocean, growing larger and larger until, at some point,


    Boom!


    With a loud crash, a huge amount of water rose, while three figures shot through the air, showing no sign of stopping.


    These figures were none other than the demons, who at that moment were all three in poor condition, covered in damage from all sides.


    Even the shadow demon showed visible damage, as the intensity of the shadows forming it had been reduced to a minimum.


    That said, none of the three had a good appearance, and even the wolf demon, who had condensed his strength in his other arm using demonic Qi, seemed worse than he had been before.


    Soon, another figure emerged from the water, but unlike the demons, this one rose slowly, as if taking its time, and soon came close to where the three demons stood.


    Seeing it approach with the same calm expression as before, the three were clearly not happy, and the wolf demon, who had been the most damaged so far, couldn''t help but growl in frustration:


    "How the hell is it so strong? It''s just a clone!"


    Exactly.


    What was before them wasn''t Ethan''s real body but a clone he created to deal with these three, while the original remained deep in the ocean, facing the demon leader, who, after seeing his subordinates being beaten with ease by the human, had to intervene.


    And while the battle between the three demon and the clone was far from calm, the one taking place deep in the water was on a much larger scale.


    Only from the strong impacts that could be seen forming on the surface of the water could one determine how powerful the attacks of these two entities at the peak of spiritual rank were.


    After all, both were still several miles deep, and even if they could create all this chaos up to the surface of the ocean, the intensity of their attacks would have been felt much more strongly in the depths.


    And indeed, it was so.


    Amidst a mix of water, bones, flesh, and blood from various sea creatures, two beings were clashing fiercely.


    The intensity of both sides was the same, and as of now, neither side seemed to be on the verge of giving in.


    On one side, there was the demon leader, who now no longer had the humanoid form he had before but a much larger, more threatening one, standing at six meters tall, with two more horns on his head and two large black wings, similar to those of a bat.


    It was clear that the demon had decided to give his all from the start, and the brief clash so far could attest that his choice had been the right one.


    The demon who had kept a calm expression throughout, as if everything was under control, now wore a frustrated look as he watched the human figure in front of him, who didn''t seem at all tired from their combat.


    Certainly, the clash barely lasted a few seconds, but within this small span of time, the number of strikes exchanged between the two was by no means small.


    Even more so when considering that the one most damaged by this small battle was undoubtedly him.


    ''Who the hell is this monster? Is he even human?'' thought the demon, not understanding how the other side could be so powerful.


    What amazed him even more wasn''t the fact that the opponent could counterattack with the same intensity of force, but the fact that his demonic Qi wasn''t doing anything at all.


    Normally, no matter how strong someone was, if they came into contact with too many demonic Qi based attacks, they would inevitably be damaged or corrupted to some degree, yet the other side had resisted his attacks with nothing more than bare arms, making it clear that he had no effect at all.


    It was clear that the other side had a method to resist completely against the corruption of negative spiritual energy, and this realization only further pressed the demon, who finally began to understand how the other side had succeeded in the task of eliminating his race from this plane of existence..


    Seeing that the other side made no move, Ethan, who until now had only repelled the attacks, said:


    "It seems that it''s my turn to attack."

 Chapter 271 Recruitment Proposal

    .Before the demon could even register Ethan''s words, his entire body alarmed, and without hesitation, he moved to the right as fast as he could, narrowly avoiding a punch infused with what seemed to be blue flames.


    Without wasting any time, he immediately put some distance between them. sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But just as he was about to pinpoint Ethan''s location, he noticed that, once again, the latter had disappeared.


    This time, he felt there was no time to block the attack, so he instinctively raised his arms to his side, where not even a second later, he took a blow strong enough to leave him momentarily stunned.


    Boom!


    Even though both were fighting underwater, where the immense depth meant the pressure above was incredibly strong, the force of their blows was in no way suppressed. Each strike unleashed enormous waves of energy, waves that traveled far and wide, killing any creature within a one-mile radius.


    At this point, all creatures still near the area had either successfully fled or had failed to do so and now floated as lifeless chunks of flesh and bone mixed with seawater, carried further and further away by each successive wave.


    The demon had already understood that the other side was anything but weak, especially since just his clone had given trouble to three spiritual realm entities, including one at the peak of the first stage, like himself.


    Thus, he gave it his all from the very beginning.


    But who would have thought that even this wouldn''t be enough against such a monstrous opponent?


    The two previous strikes would have been lethal enough to severely injure him if taken directly. And while he had successfully blocked the first, he hadn''t been so lucky with the second.


    Now, he found himself with the bones in his arms completely pulverized.


    That being said, he paid no attention to his injuries. Instead, he looked seriously at the figure of the human, standing not far from him, who still maintained that carefree attitude from earlier.


    Even though he had used his arms to block the lateral strike to his head, he had still suffered some amount of damage.


    With a few movements, the demon readjusted his head, which had been slightly dislocated from his spine, and used his demonic energy to immediately repair his shattered arms.


    Ethan, watching this, made no move and let the other party recover.


    By now, he had already formed a clear idea of the power levels of all four demons present and could confidently say that his decision to go into seclusion to cultivate before coming here was indeed the right choice.


    If he had ventured here earlier, he would have almost certainly risked death. Even though he had been very strong for his current stage back then, he was certain that he would have struggled to handle the three demons.


    If their leader had joined the battle, his chances of survival would have been zero.


    He was glad he had trusted his instincts and Bai Yu''s advice, who was currently watching everything unfold from the sidelines.


    Ethan would have preferred for her to remain in the minor dimension, where she would be safer.


    But she seemed confident in her ability to protect herself against these demons, even at her current cultivation stage.


    Ethan personally thought that it was time for her to release the final seal and regain her strength. However, according to her, the forced ascension process for her would be nearly instantaneous.


    In other words, as soon as she regained her cultivation base, the consciousness of this plane would automatically expel her, sending her back to the celestial plane.


    Thus, she had told him to wait before doing so.


    First, they needed to deal with these four demons and figure out what exactly the object resonating with the Amphora, was.


    Ethan didn''t bother asking the demon directly, knowing full well that no sane individual would reveal their plans, especially when they were losing.


    The stereotypical villains in novels who delivered long, detailed speeches about their plans were unfortunately nowhere to be found here, or at least, not on this plane.


    So, to get the answers, he had no choice but to rely on a soul searching that he would do after the fight with these four.


    That being said, the demon finally finished recovering and looked at Ethan for a moment before speaking.


    "I must admit, never in my life did I expect to be put at such a disadvantage in battle against someone at the same cultivation level as myself, let alone at the hands of a human," said the demon. but Ethan showed no reaction to his words.


    He had long since understood that humans were considered one of the weakest races in the celestial plane, and he knew that even demons held them in low regard.


    Not that he couldn''t understand why.


    After all, he had already cultivated the standard human cultivation method and could confirm that, compared to methods like Bai Yu''s dragon based cultivation, it was vastly inferior and impractical.


    But it was what it was.


    There wasn''t much he could do about it.


    His only consolation was the fact that even among humans, there were experts strong enough to rival the powers of other races, it was just that their numbers were significantly smaller.


    The demon didn''t wait for any response from Ethan and continued:


    "A talent like yours is wasted if you continue along your current cultivation path. Why don''t you join us?


    If you embrace our energy within your body, you''ll be able to reach far greater heights in the future. And the treatment for talents like you within our ranks is far from trivial," the demon said.


    Ethan had to admit that he hadn''t expected such a proposition.


    Who would have thought that the demon who had just been taking a beating from him would decide to recruit him?


    ''How shameless can you be? Are you even in a position to make me such an offer?'' thought Ethan, unsure whether to laugh or cry.


    Ethan could only shake his head as he finally responded:


    "It seems that hit to your head earlier knocked a few screws loose.


    Come, let me give you some free treatment," he said, raising a hand, where a faint blue spark began to form.


    Soon, the spark dimmed slightly, revealing a petal of a blue flower burning like a flame.


    The moment the demon saw the spark in Ethan''s hand, he immediately went on high alert, sensing a certain danger emanating from it.


    Without hesitation, he condensed his demonic energy to defend himself from the imminent attack.


    He wasn''t foolish enough to turn his back on his opponent and attempt to escape.


    He knew that in a battle between experts at their level, attempting to flee was one of the most useless things to try, as there were countless ways for the opponent to exploit such a move.


    In these situations, life-saving treasures were far more useful.


    As he condensed some demonic Qi, the demon tore what appeared to be a paper talisman.


    Soon, the condensed Qi began to writhe and transform into two skeletal figures, both holding a massive, completely black shield.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, couldn''t help but wonder what exactly the demon had just torn apart.


    But he didn''t dwell on it too much. Instead, he pointed the petal at the demon and said: Find more chapters on empire


    "Bloom of the Blue Lotus, First Stage"


    [N/A: Still deciding if this is a good name for the attack. Open to suggestions.]

 Chapter 272 Fireworks

    .As soon as the words resonated, the petal, simple yet refined in appearance, shot forward like a bullet.


    Even though it was traveling underwater, its speed did not seem to decrease, on the contrary, it was increasing further.


    In the blink of an eye, the attack reached the demon, striking its large shield directly.


    Boom!


    As soon as the attack hit the shield, an enormous explosion erupted underwater, spreading in all directions and quickly reaching a radius of nearly a kilometer.


    The explosion, which on the surface would be no less destructive than a nuclear bomb, was suppressed by the immense mass of water present at this depth in the ocean. In contrast to the released energy''s power, it began creating oscillations within the sphere of damage caused.


    The sphere, continuously suppressed by the overwhelming water volume, expanded and contracted repeatedly. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the immense amount of energy released by it was rapidly dissipated into the water.


    Yet, this was not enough to fully contain the power of the attack.


    The waves of energy unleashed by this explosion propagated in all directions, destroying everything within a radius of several miles.


    Your next chapter awaits on empire


    They created small tsunamis on the surface, which traveled in different directions for quite some time before losing their force and dissipating into the water.


    Ethan, who was the primary cause of this attack, remained in place, while the area around him was protected by an invisible barrier of condensed Qi.


    As he witnessed the power of his attack, he could only marvel at its might with a deep sigh.


    He knew the attack''s power was not to be underestimated because he had already tested it a couple of times in his minor dimension when he was still in the mortal realm.


    Back then, the power of the attack''s first phase had been enough to level the entire mountain of the Phoenix Sect, which, for the record, was a very large and sturdy mountain due to the spiritual vein running beneath it.


    Ethan tested the attack again after ascending to the spiritual realm and had to admit that the damage power reached entirely new levels, as he ended up obliterating several kilometers of territory, leaving nothing behind but a massive, deep crater.


    In fact, that day, Ethan''s small world trembled, and the earthquake caused by him was felt far and wide, creating many disasters along its path.


    Even Bai Yu had not expected the attack''s power to be so immense and told him he should avoid using it there, as it risked overturning his minor dimension if the attack became even stronger.


    This was only the first phase of the attack, and Ethan could say that he could create subsequent stages as well.


    The oscillations of the explosion bubble continued for a while before being extinguished by the surrounding water. Nevertheless, it had done its job.


    Where the demon had once stood with what seemed to be a defensive talisman, now there was nothing left.


    At first glance, it might seem that the demon had been eliminated. However, Ethan did not think for a moment that this was the case.


    Infact, he shifted his gaze back to the sphere positioned on the seabed and saw the demon''s battered figure there. It was breathing heavily, with an entire part of its body missing.


    "Well, it resisted better than I expected," Ethan thought as he moved and reappeared near the sphere.


    Ethan was well aware of how lethal his attack was, and he was certain it was powerful enough to eliminate even experts of the spiritual realm''s first stage.


    That said, he certainly did not believe he would always succeed with this attack. After all, experts at his level had their own hidden cards to play, just like him. Therefore, his goal with this attack was to inflict as much damage as possible on the other party.


    If the enemy managed to survive the attack, then so be it. But if not, that was fine too because they would certainly sustain some damage.


    Indeed, the half-dead demon had undoubtedly suffered significant damage from it.


    While the battle between Ethan and the demon was reaching a turning point, the fight between Ethan''s clone and the other demons was also coming to a conclusion.


    In the area where four figures had once been clashing, only two now remained.


    Ethan''s clone, although having taken a few hits, appeared relatively unscathed, and the spiritual realm demon at the peak of the first stage, the shadow demon, was in much worse shape, far worse than the clone''s condition.


    Both were in a mid-air stalemate, staring at each other, ready to make the next move.


    The shadow demon, who was in the worse condition, became increasingly frustrated as it saw how relatively unscathed its opponent remained. It recalled how the clone had killed the other two demons one by one.


    The first to fall to the human''s hands was the demon that resembled a werewolf.


    It had lost its life miserably after being chopped into tiny pieces by the other party. Before it could even begin regenerating using demonic Qi, the other party didn''t give it the chance.


    With a mere wave of his hand, the pieces, which had transformed into demonic energy, were sealed within a sphere inscribed with various symbols, which then disappeared from the sight of the other two demons.


    This alarmed both of them, and they tried to overwhelm the clone with their abilities, but they failed miserably. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They ended up losing the second spiritual realm demon as well, leaving only the one at the peak of the first stage behind.


    To this last demon, it was clear that winning against the human before him was impossible.


    Seeing the fate of his two teammates, he knew he didn''t have much chance of victory. Thus, he decided to take a drastic approach, one he would have preferred not to use unless on the brink of death.


    ''You''ve forced me,'' the shadow demon thought in frustration as its energy level suddenly began to rise.


    Along with it, the mist that surrounded it, which had mostly lost its intensity, started to grow larger and more ferocious, as though the demon had regained its previous strength.


    A mouth appeared on the demon''s face, where there had previously been only shadows and two white circles.


    Immediately, black particles began to accumulate within it. In just a few seconds, the particles condensed further, forming a ball about the size of a basketball.


    The demon, having completed its attack preparation, was about to aim when it froze.


    The human, who had been about 500 meters away a moment ago, now stood literally a step away from him, looking at him with curiosity.


    Before the demon could react, the human spoke:


    "Friend, do you really think I''d just stand here quietly while you prepare your attack in peace?" he said, raising his hand.


    Before the demon could do anything, a dark aura enveloped the human''s hand. Seeing this aura, the demon''s eyes widened as it recognized the energy.


    "How-"


    But before it could even think about the impossible thing it had just witnessed, the human directly grabbed the black ball of energy the demon had condensed with his hand. Without hesitation, he shoved it directly into the demon''s mouth.


    The shadow demon was immediately overcome with fear and tried to resist, but the human immobilized him with his aura.


    Having just used up its last reserves of energy for the attack, the demon was no longer able to resist, and it could only tremble on the spot.


    "Has no one ever told you that if you keep your mouth open, a fly might get in?" Ethan said, his words more of a death sentence for the demon as he directly pushed its own attack into its mouth and sealed it with his aura.


    Then, he put some distance between himself and the demon, which tried everything to reopen its mouth, and watched as the fireworks began to unfold.

 Chapter 273 A Last Desperate Attempt I

    .As soon as the battle in the sky ended, Ethan could feel his clone dissipate and return to his body, bringing with it the demonic Qi of the three demons he hadn''t completely destroyed.


    He had sealed them and sent them directly to the minor dimension, a suitable place to hold them while he finished his battle here.


    He had to admit that the other side was quite persistent.


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    The fight between the two continued for a while longer, and during this new exchange of blows, Ethan repeatedly pushed his opponent to the brink of death. Yet, every time, the latter managed to partially recover his energy.


    Ethan had noticed that this seemed to be due to an artifact his opponent was carrying, and he was curious to know what it was.


    After all, it had saved him so many times.


    If he could acquire it and use it himself, it would be like having extra lives.


    But he could tell the artifact came at a heavy price, and from what he could observe, the other side could no longer use it.


    He prepared to finally put an end to this battle.


    It had been a good fight, as it had allowed him to test some of his new techniques as well as his recently acquired strength.


    Now he could say with absolute certainty that unless the other side had some strange and powerful artifact, as long as they were in the spiritual realm''s first stage, it was impossible for him to lose.


    Even more so after his stat limits had increased twice, reaching a very high point even for him.


    Although he hadn''t yet reached the high-level limit of the first stage, he was certain he''d get close to it after absorbing these four demons.


    With that in mind, as Ethan was ready to make his next move, the other side, who at this point also realized they were nearing the end of the line,


    looked toward the human who had pushed him to this state.


    Finally, gritting his teeth, he couldn''t help but say:


    "Who would''ve thought that I, Yi Tiao, would be brought to this state, and by a mere human no less," he said, frustrated.


    But he didn''t care if the other side heard him and added:


    "Since we''ve come to this point, let me leave you a parting gift. I''m sure you''ll appreciate it," he said as a dark red aura began to emanate from him.


    A cold presence began to spread from him, and with a deadly calm, the demon raised a hand.


    His skin started tearing along the surface of his flesh, causing black, pitch-like blood to spill out.


    The blood mixed with the surrounding water, creating a visible distortion in the current.


    Each drop dispersed into the water, emitting a faint flame visible even in the darkness of the ocean depths, where no light could reach.


    Seeing this scene, both Ethan and Bai Yu, who was at a safe distance, felt a bad premonition.


    Bai Yu, in particular, narrowed her gaze as she noticed a detail. She quickly sent a mental communication to Ethan to warn him of the danger:


    "Ethan, we need to stop him immediately! We can''t let him comple-"


    Unfortunately for both of them, her warning came too late, as Yi Tiao, with a decisive move, drew dark symbols in the water with his own blood.


    The marks floated and intertwined, forming an ancient seal that pulsed with an unsettling power.


    Each symbol created concentric waves that expanded across the vast sea, like ripples on a calm surface but with a force that shook the depths.


    Then, with an agonizing scream that echoed in the darkness, the demon chanted an ancient spell, and the surrounding water began to twist and boil.


    A deep tremor shook the ocean depths, and the marine currents froze, while the formation around him exploded into a vortex of purple energy.


    The waves went wild, rising higher, and the demon, with a powerful gesture, directed his demonic essence toward the series of symbols he had created.


    They quickly began forming a new sequence, and soon a beam of red light shot downward from them.


    ''Oh no.''


    Directly beneath the area where the demon had erected the formation was the black-red sphere, which, struck by the beam, began to pulse with energy.


    Soon, reality itself started to fracture around it.


    Ethan, seeing all of this, immediately asked Bai Yu what was happening, only to notice that she seemed to have vanished.


    And by vanished, he meant completely disappeared.


    ''Wait, what?!''


    He usually wouldn''t panic in a situation like this because he and Bai Yu shared a mental bond that allowed them to sense each other even if they were on opposite sides of the world.


    Yet, in this moment, he couldn''t feel her presence or that bond at all.


    Just as he was wondering what was happening, the cracks that had spread further and further from the black sphere finally fractured, revealing what lay behind them.


    "In the name of the heavens, what the hell is that?" he murmured as an almost unsettling sight unfolded before him.


    The entire area, which moments ago had been filled with cracks, no longer showed the view of the ocean''s deep waters but rather complete darkness that seemed to expand endlessly in every direction.


    The demon Yi Tiao, who had now been almost entirely consumed by the formation he had just created using himself, spoke before even the last part of him was completely obliterated:


    "Hahaha! If I were you, I''d get comfortable," he said, laughing like a madman who had lost his last shred of sanity.


    "Now that the portal is open, both you and this plane are doomed," he said as the rest of him disappeared, leaving behind only his laughter, which echoed for a while before fading away as well.


    "The portal? That lunatic actually activated the portal directly in the mortal plane!"


    Ethan immediately realized that the situation was far more problematic than he had expected.


    He had wondered what that thing was and why the amphora reacted to it.


    It turned out that the sphere was precisely the means by which the demons intended to attack. And unfortunately for him,


    the sphere had been activated right here in the mortal plane.

 Chapter 274 A Last Desperate Attempt II

    .Ethan knew that if even one of those beings beyond the first stage of the spiritual rank were to cross the portal, it would mean the end for the mortal plane as well as for him.


    Although he was worried about Bai Yu''s sudden disappearance, he decided to first address the more immediate problem: the sphere. Read exclusive content at empire


    The sphere, which had previously remained dormant on the seabed, was now releasing more and more energy, feeding the formation that the demon had erected before disintegrating.


    The formation was fracturing reality at an incredible speed, and if it continued at this pace, it was certain that the portal would open completely and become much larger.


    He wasted no more time and immediately summoned five talismans in the air, each with a different set of symbols on it. Without hesitation, he released these talismans while infusing his Qi into them.


    Soon, all five began to glow, each with its own distinct color.


    The talismans started to move as if they had a will of their own and soon positioned themselves in a circle, while luminous lines began to emerge from each of them, intertwining with one another.


    Each intersection of the lines formed a series of small formations, and these small formations, arranged in a certain way, in turn formed larger ones, ultimately creating a greater circular formation.


    The process, which seemed as if it should take several minutes, was completed in just a few seconds.


    Seeing that the formation had been successfully erected, Ethan activated it immediately. Large quantities of spiritual Qi from the surrounding environment began to accumulate within it.


    Soon, a small luminous shape appeared within the formation. It grew larger and larger, revealing itself to be a radiant white sword of light.


    Without hesitation, Ethan made a gesture with his hand, and the sword, now several meters in size, rose into the air. Its blade was soon aimed at the black sphere.


    Without wasting any time, Ethan made another gesture with his hand, and the sword vanished from its position, streaking forward at an imperceptible speed.


    This was a technique he had learned from Bai Yu during one of their training sessions.


    It was a sword formation based on the five elements of nature, designed to generate a powerful attack.


    At Ethan''s current level, it was strong enough to kill even a cultivator at the second stage of the spiritual rank. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan didn''t know how strong the sphere was, so he didn''t bother launching a series of attacks.


    Instead, he immediately opted for one of his most powerful techniques:


    the Five Elements Sword Formation.


    In an instant, the sword appeared before the black sphere. Immediately after, a powerful explosion could be heard, one that far surpassed the one generated by his earlier Blue Lotus Flame attack.


    The explosion, which should have been strong enough to reach even the water''s surface several miles above, strangely did not occur.


    "What?"


    Ethan, who had even prepared himself to withstand the explosion from his attack, was stunned when he saw that the sword, which had struck the luminous sphere directly, not only failed to destroy it but didn''t even leave the slightest scratch on its smooth surface.


    Before he could even consider his next move, he watched as the sword suddenly disintegrated, and in an instant, the pure energy particles it had generated were absorbed by the sphere, which now seemed slightly brighter.


    ''Did it just absorb the energy of the attack?'' he thought, somewhat shocked by what had just happened.


    He had hoped to destroy the sphere with that attack, but not only had it done no damage, it had been absorbed, further accelerating the process.


    Needless to say, this only increased the pressure on Ethan, who was now watching as the cracks in reality expanded ever more rapidly upwards.


    At this point, the portal''s size had grown to nearly a mile wide, and at this rate, he could tell it would soon reach the water''s surface in no time.


    ''Damn it, the situation is getting out of hand,'' he thought, frantically searching for a way to destroy that thing.


    Finally, an idea came to him, and his eyes widened for a moment as he thought:


    ''This�� this might actually work,''


    Without wasting time, he immediately darted toward the sphere, appearing right next to it in an instant.


    ''Let''s hope this works,'' he thought as he placed both hands on the sphere.


    He wasn''t sure what the sphere was made of or how to break it, especially since even his strongest attack had failed against it.


    However, he could tell that the sphere contained an enormous amount of highly concentrated demonic Qi, a concentration unlike anything he had ever felt before.


    If he were to compare it to the amount he had received from Mo Yan when he had absorbed it, he could estimate it would take more than a thousand Mo Yans to condense such an amount of demonic Qi.


    Even that estimate was likely very conservative, the actual amount could be far greater.


    His idea was to use his physique to absorb as much demonic Qi as possible to weaken the sphere and then try to destroy it once again.


    After all, the Five Elements Sword Formation was still active, and he was already preparing the next strike.


    The reason he hadn''t considered absorbing all of the Qi at once was because he knew that no matter how good his ability to absorb and metabolize demonic Qi was, there was no way he could handle such a vast amount in such a short period of time.


    He knew that his physique seemed to store the excess Qi for later when he was ready to absorb it, but he was certain that even this had a limit, and that limit was almost certainly far too small for the amount of Qi contained in the sphere.


    ''Yes, I can feel it,'' he thought with relief as he used his energy to draw out the demonic Qi within it.


    Although he couldn''t affect the sphere''s surface, he had noticed that transferring energy into it was possible.


    In other words, if energy could enter, it could also exit.


    What he needed to do now was create a bridge through which he could absorb the demonic Qi, or at least, that was the plan. But what happened next was, once again, completely outside of his expectations.


    It seemed that his contact with the energy sphere had triggered a certain object within his spiritual sea.


    Before he could even begin the process of extracting the demonic Qi, the Amphora of the Seven Sages reacted violently.


    Various runes on it began to manifest, and soon after, it released a massive wave of energy that quickly spread in all directions within Ethan''s spiritual sea.

 Chapter 275 The Amphora Takes Action

    .The occasions in which the amphora had directly helped Ethan throughout the time he possessed the artifact had been very few. Yet, every time the amphora acted, something extremely dire was about to happen to him.


    This time as well, the amphora stepped in to save him once again.


    The sphere of energy unleashed by the amphora instantly enveloped his sea of consciousness, but it didn''t stop there.


    It continued to expand, and before Ethan could even attempt to absorb the demonic Qi within the sphere, a glowing dot appeared on his forehead, which soon spread to cover his entire body.


    Before he could comprehend what was happening, the layer of yellow light surrounding Ethan''s body expanded furiously outward, engulfing the reddish-black sphere in front of him, and continued to grow, spreading farther and farther in every direction.


    ''Why is the amphora acting?'' he thought, confused but also on high alert.


    He could tell that the amphora did not act for trivial matters, and based on his past experiences, he understood that if it was acting, it was doing so for a good reason, most likely related to him.


    The expansion of the yellow energy sphere continued at high speed in all directions, and at a certain point, it even reached the black darkness of the portal, which had been advancing relentlessly.


    Soon, the sphere exceeded its initial range, and before long, it swallowed even that.


    Just as Ethan was uncertain about what the amphora was trying to accomplish, the yellow energy sphere that had expanded so massively finally began to slow its progress once it had completely enveloped the ever-growing darkness.


    In just a few more seconds, it stopped altogether.


    To Ethan''s surprise, it wasn''t just the expansion of the energy sphere that halted.


    The opening of the portal itself, upon reaching the edges of the sphere, stopped and could no longer expand further.


    "Is it trying to stop the portal''s opening?" Ethan murmured, confused yet slightly relieved to see that the portal had finally been halted.


    He wasn''t sure if this was the amphora''s intent, but he felt comforted knowing that whatever it was doing, it was working.


    Now the question remained: what to do about the portal?


    Should he continue with his plan and take advantage of the time the amphora had just bought him?


    Thinking this was the best course of action, he prepared to absorb the demonic Qi, but once again, before he could begin to do anything, the energy sphere that had halted the portal''s expansion began to tremble and started to shrink.


    Along with it, the darkness also began to compress. But unlike before, when the expansion had been rapid yet required several seconds, this time it was much faster.


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    In a moment, the energy sphere collapsed inward, taking with it both the darkness and the black sphere.


    To Ethan''s surprise, those two weren''t the only things taken away by the energy sphere, he too was pulled in, or more precisely, he was sucked into the compressed darkness.


    "Wha-"


    Ethan didn''t have time to process what had just happened because everything occurred literally in an instant.


    In that instant, the darkness that had begun to engulf the seabed disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind but the desolate ocean floor as it had been before, with the sole exception that in a radius of several miles around this area, there were no living creatures.


    ***


    Within Ethan''s sea of consciousness,


    deep beneath the infinite water mirror, a figure was floating.


    The figure showed no sign of consciousness as it drifted, immersed in this spiritual sea of consciousness.


    Ethan, who was floating deep beneath the water mirror, finally showed some sign of life.


    His eyebrows furrowed slightly before they slowly began to open.


    He didn''t know how long he had been unconscious, but finally, as he regained his senses, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.


    For a moment, he felt disoriented, his vision somewhat blurred, but he immediately recognized that this was his sea of consciousness.


    ''How did I end up here?'' he thought, still very confused, as he began to stabilize himself slowly.


    The last thing he remembered was being sucked into the energy sphere released by the amphora.


    He didn''t expect to wake up, not in the physical world, but rather in his sea of consciousness.


    More importantly, he wasn''t even on the surface but deep beneath the water mirror, a place he hadn''t even known he could reach.


    Though he was in spirit form, he felt a slight headache. Having been used to not experiencing such effects for centuries, he had to admit it was unsettling.


    After the early stages of the mortal realm, headaches and other minor conditions like this ceased to exist.


    Experiencing them again after so long was unexpected, though nothing he couldn''t endure.


    Finally regaining both mental and visual clarity, he was able to fully perceive his surroundings, though there wasn''t much to perceive in the first place.


    After all, he was in his sea of consciousness, where there wasn''t much aside from himself, the amphora, and Bai Yu.


    "Wait, Bai Yu��"


    He suddenly remembered her and quickly tried to sense the soul trace she had left sealed within him, allowing her to remain in the mortal realm, as well as providing a means of communication with him.


    "It''s gone��"


    Ethan tried sensing it multiple times but found no trace of her soul. Worse still, he couldn''t even detect the aura of the seal.


    "What the hell is going on?" he thought, preparing to return to the surface to check on the amphora.


    He needed to see if Bai Yu''s seal runes were still active. After all, there were still three remaining, and if they were still functioning, it would mean she was still here somewhere.


    Just as he expanded his perception to locate the direction in which to head, his senses detected something.


    "What are these presences?" sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Deep within the spiritual sea of his mind, Ethan had no sense of what was up or down.


    His orientation was compromised, so he needed to reestablish it. But as he expanded his perception to get a sense of the place and determine where to go, he immediately detected the presence of something nearby.


    "This feeling�� it''s the same as back then," he thought, a bit relieved but also confused.


    The first time he encountered Bai Yu was when she was still in the form of a beast sealed beneath his spiritual sea, and back then, he could feel her presence in the depths.


    The sensation he was experiencing now was the same, but this time, it wasn''t a single presence, but three.

 Chapter 276 Lost Team Mates

    .The three presences he had detected were very close, and it only took him a few moments to reach the location.


    He was currently wandering in complete darkness, much like when he was deep underwater before, unable to see much due to the lack of light in the area.


    The situation here was the same, except that when he was in the ocean, he could still see something thanks to his improved eyesight and highly developed senses, which gave him an idea of ??his surroundings.


    Here, he had none of these advantages, so he could only follow his perception and float in that direction at a moderate speed. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He arrived at the place very quickly, and just like before, the sight in front of him was no different from before.


    All black.


    The only good thing was that here, his perception was clearer, as he was now closer to the presences he had detected.


    "Wait, what..."


    He immediately began to probe the three presences now much closer to him.


    They were at a proper distance from each other, with one behind him, another to his left, and the last directly in front of him.


    As soon as he began to probe them, he started to get an idea of what they were, since in his mind he could reconstruct what his perception was examining, and the more he continued to examine, the more shocked he became.


    He didn''t know what these presences were, but whatever they were, he hadn''t expected them to be this large.


    Maybe the word "large" wasn''t adequate.


    Huge, they were extremely huge, and this was just the beginning.


    The more Ethan perceived their shapes, the more stunned he became, because he had finally started to form a partial image of what they were,


    or in this case, who they were.


    "Wait, these could be..."


    As soon as Ethan analyzed the figures, he discovered that the three figures were actually three gigantic beasts, and they were in a very similar condition to Bai Yu when she was regaining part of her strength.


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    These three beasts were huge, to say the least, and now that Ethan could perceive them clearly, he felt like an ant standing before them.


    The figure on his right was that of a gigantic phoenix, its wings spread as if it were ready to take flight at any moment.


    To his left was the elegant but imposing figure of a Qilin, its body relaxed with its legs slightly bent, and its head slightly lowered, which didn''t hide the pair of long antlers, while like the phoenix, it was in a dormant state.


    Finally, the most massive figure, if not the most bizarre in Ethan''s eyes, stood before him.


    It was what appeared to be a mix of a bull and a turtle, due to its back, which resembled an enormous shell similar to that of a turtle.


    Ethan instinctively compared it to a Xuanwu, but then noticing that it lacked the typical snake-like tail that should rest on its shell, he reconsidered, but none of that was important at that moment.


    The problem was that in his spiritual sea there were now three awe-inspiring beasts, each of which exuded an otherworldly aura.


    He didn''t know what level of cultivation these beasts possessed, but he could tell it was far superior to his own.


    Just being near them made him feel small.


    At first, he didn''t know who they were or how they had appeared here, but then remembering that Bai Yu was in a similar situation, he thought they must have been sealed in the amphora in the past as well.


    Even more importantly, he remembered what Bai Yu had told him when he first met her:


    "She said that she and her companions had been sent into the amphora by Ying Hua."


    This realization made his eyes widen as he began to understand who they could be.


    "A Qilin, a phoenix... yeah, probably, it''s really them," he thought, remembering a conversation she had with him a long time ago.


    He had then asked her how her former traveling companions were. and she told him that their group had been made up of just five members in total, herself, Ying Hua, and three others.


    He was sure these three were the rest of the group she had traveled with, but at this point, he couldn''t help but wonder,


    why now?


    He already had a certain control over the amphora, and with his soul strength now very high, he should have noticed the presence of these three a long time ago.


    Yet, until now, he had no idea they existed.


    He only knew that she had been sealed along with others, but where these others were, he didn''t know, and even she, who had once thought they were sealed somewhere here just as she had been, had begun to doubt this.


    For all he knew, they could have already been freed before her, but this also seemed unlikely. After all, for that to happen, the amphora would have had to activate, just as it did when he acquired it.


    She had immediately sensed it back then, so it was impossible that she hadn''t sensed any previous activation before that.


    "So it turns out they were just hidden here all this time?"


    He wasn''t sure what exactly was happening, but he could only get a vague idea of the situation.


    ''The amphora decided to reveal them only now, but why?'' he thought, growing more and more confused.


    He still didn''t know why he couldn''t wake up, and now this... everything was becoming too confusing for him to make sense of his current situation.


    Just as he was thinking about what to do next, a change, almost imperceptible, occurred in the surrounding environment.


    Hm?


    Ethan wasn''t sure what it was, but soon the three figures, which had been in a dormant state until just a moment ago, began to emanate a slight pressure.


    The pressure gradually increased, while an aura of different colors surrounded each of them, covering all three.


    Ethan wasn''t certain what was happening, but he used his mental strength to protect his soul from the increasing pressure he felt, while looking ahead and noticing that even the environment, which had been completely dark, was beginning to light up, allowing him to see the full appearance of these three enormous figures with his eyes.


    He had to admit that now that he saw them a little more clearly, their appearances were even more majestic, and they emanated a natural aura of sovereignty.


    He didn''t know how to describe it best, but the more he felt the pressure increase, the more he struggled to resist.


    Soon, he noticed a visible change in all of them, as these three figures, which until just a moment ago had been sleeping, all began to open their eyes.


    Or at least, that''s what he thought. But instead of seeing their eyes, he only found three pairs of yellow lights in their eye sockets, while their bodies began to glow brighter and brighter.


    The phoenix was soon covered by an orange-red aura, emanating a powerful fire element aura.


    The Qilin, on the other hand, was enveloped by a bluish-green aura, which emitted a sensation of freshness,


    and finally, the enormous figure, which seemed to be a mix of a bull and a turtle, emitted a brown-yellowish aura that seemed to reflect the element of earth.


    These auras, which covered the figures of all three, exploded in power, while the figures of all three became less and less visible,


    and before he could even get used to the constantly changing situation, the three auras moved, speeding upwards, taking the three beasts with them.


    Ethan was stunned by the entire situation, but he immediately followed the three auras.


    He wasn''t at their speed, but somehow, he was still able to follow them to some extent.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed, but at one point, a light began to appear.


    ''That... could it be the surface of the spiritual sea?'' he thought as he saw the three figures emerge into the light and disappear immediately.


    Seeing this, he accelerated and moved closer and closer to the light, finally arriving near it.


    Without hesitation, he didn''t stop and plunged in too.

 Chapter 277 Unknown Place

    .With a sudden jolt, Ethan finally wakes up.


    Just a moment ago, he was following the three beasts that were heading upwards, toward what he initially thought was the surface of the water in his sea of consciousness, but it seemed he was mistaken.


    As soon as he reached the place, he opened his eyes and appeared to have woken up in the real world, or at least so he believed.


    He didn''t know why, but just the act of opening his eyes seemed like an extremely difficult task.


    "Am I injured?" he wondered as he tried to get up, but he felt a searing pain throughout his entire body.


    He wasn''t sure what exactly had happened in the outside world while he was unconscious, but it seemed that somehow, he had been severely injured.


    While lying down, he could feel a hard and rough surface beneath him.


    Even though Ethan''s body was injured, he could still use a bit of spiritual energy and could tell that he was lying on a rocky surface.


    He wasn''t sure how he had ended up here, but it was still better than remaining unconscious on the seabed.


    That said, he initially thought he might be on an island or something similar near the site of the incident, but instead, he found himself in a completely unknown place.


    He had barely regained a bit of visual clarity, and the first thing that appeared in front of his eyes was... the void.


    "Where the hell am I?"


    he thought, unable to see absolutely anything.


    For a moment, he thought he had gone blind, but he soon dismissed that thought.


    Although his vision only showed complete darkness, in his peripheral view, he could notice something.


    However, lying motionless as he was, he couldn''t determine what it was.


    With effort, he circulated some spiritual energy from his dantian to let it flow through his meridians and repair his damaged body, but just as he began to circulate it, he encountered his second problem.


    "This can''t be happening," Ethan thought, frustrated as he felt every single meridian in his body was unusable.


    It seemed that his meridians had also been damaged, and from their current condition, he could tell they needed external medicines and treatments to be repaired before he could start the internal process.


    He summoned the system, and luckily for him, the screen appeared.


    With everything that had happened recently, he wouldn''t have been surprised if the system had also stopped responding.


    At this moment, he was even struggling to perform an internal scan and couldn''t access his spiritual sea.


    If he could, he would have checked immediately to see if anything had changed within the amphora, but it seemed that for now, he''d have to do without that.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (advanced)


    QI: 100M / 100M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 30,000 �� 42,576


    Agility: 30,000 �� 36,427


    Intelligence: 21,114


    Soul Strength: 4,982


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 468M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    Looking at the information on the status screen, he didn''t see any apparent changes, although he was certain that if there had been an HP statistic, it would currently show a massive drop in health.


    Wasting no more time, he pulled a couple of Level 4 healing pills from his storage and swallowed them without chewing, ingesting them directly.


    Doing so would hurt him more than help, as in optimal conditions, his body would be capable of metabolizing the pill and digesting its healing properties where they were needed. But in his current state, he couldn''t afford to do that.


    He would have to swallow the pill as it was and then gradually consume it from within by using his spiritual Qi and directing it personally to where it was needed.


    Needless to say, this was the process low-level cultivators usually underwent when using healing pills or pills that helped gather Qi a bit faster.


    It was something that took time, and Ethan, who was currently unable to move, had only this to do so he proceeded.


    The medicine''s effects, though slow, were quite effective, and finally, after a couple of hours, he recovered enough to move his body without having to endure a sea of pain.


    He stood up and found a nearby boulder to climb onto to gain a slightly broader view of the place.


    He didn''t know why, but for some reason, even though his health had somewhat recovered, he still couldn''t use his spiritual sense.


    It was as if the ability to do so was still there, ready to be utilized, but the moment he tried, the Qi he used to sense would vanish into thin air.


    Ethan was somewhat puzzled by this, but for now, he had more immediate problems to deal with.


    "I need to fully recover first," he thought as he attempted to enter his spiritual dimension once again.


    Earlier, he had been unable to do so, even though the system seemed to be functioning, and he wasn''t sure why that was.


    But now that he had recovered, he felt that he might be able to, so with a mental command, he teleported and entered his minor dimension.


    Within the minor dimension, on a circular platform with a cone-shaped roof, two people were seated, seemingly having lunch. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One was a young man who didn''t look older than twenty, and the other was a charming girl who bore some resemblance to the boy.


    The two were none other than the Guo siblings.


    After remaining in the minor dimension for such a long time, both of them had now reached an age well over 100 years, yet their appearance still looked very young.


    This was because, during this period, they had not only advanced in age but also in cultivation.


    In fact, both siblings had reached a very high level of cultivation for their age.


    Guo Tao had reached the peak of the mortal realm and was close to ascending to the spiritual realm.


    He was just one small step away from ascension.


    Had it been up to him, he would have taken that step long ago, but Ethan had told him to take his time to stabilize his cultivation properly and prepare adequately before ascending.

 Chapter 278 The Guo Siblings

    .This is because, unlike his sister, Guo Tao had a cultivation talent that was very average, and it was not wrong to say that if it weren''t for Ethan''s help,


    who had provided him with all the resources necessary to walk his cultivation path smoothly, he would still be at the fourth or, worse, the third stage of the mortal realm.


    Thus, Ethan told him to take his time and do all the steps properly to avoid ending up with weak foundations that would only hinder his future progress.


    That said, unlike Guo Tao, his sister, Guo Lan, had not remained in the mortal realm and had already advanced to the spiritual realm several years ago.


    Although the cultivation of the two siblings had progressed hand-in-hand up to a certain point, Guo Tao''s cultivation needed to stabilize properly toward the end, while Guo Lan''s did not.


    This was due to her special physique, which allowed her to cultivate comfortably without encountering too many difficulties, even more so because she had been taken under Bai Yu''s wing, who personally guided her.


    This further accelerated her cultivation base, which ultimately reached the spiritual realm.


    At present, she was very close to reaching the intermediate level of the first stage of cultivation, and in this sense, she was very near to Ethan.


    However, if one were to consider not cultivation but strength, then Ethan was still several steps ahead, enough to suppress her as if she were still in the mortal realm. This, of course, was due to his rich arsenal, which ranged from his special physical body to his dragon bloodline, and so on... Enjoy more content from empire


    If someone were to see them now, they would think they had an easy path because they had lived in a secure place and cultivated under the guidance of beings at the level of Bai Yu and Ethan. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But only the two of them knew what torturous training they had to endure to get to where they were now.


    Guo Lan, in particular, being taken as Bai Yu''s direct disciple, had been the one most tortured...


    Cough,


    trained, of the two.


    From being thrown into the Beast Forest for several years, where she had to learn to survive while honing her combat techniques, to successfully passing the ice trial that Bai Yu personally prepared to train her element, she had her fair share of experiences.


    But if she had to choose to do those things again, she would gladly do them because, in the end, the results were nothing short of exceptional.


    And so the two siblings enjoyed their dinner before each returning to their respective tasks.


    Or at least, that was their plan, but...


    Swish.


    Soon, next to the wooden platform with a cone shaped roof, a figure of a person appeared.The two, having an idea of ??who he might be, rushed to welcome him.


    They expected to see the familiar figure of Ethan, accompanied by Bai Yu, but what they saw shocked them both.


    ***


    Ethan, who had just arrived in his minor dimension, wasted no time and immediately began the process of healing his body.


    He was glad that his body wasn''t irreparably damaged because, in some cases, he would have had to destroy it and rebuild it from scratch, just as he had done when he ascended into the spiritual realm, a process that would have taken some time this time, since he didn''t need to ascend but rather rebuild himself and restore his cultivation base to its original state.


    In other words, he had to start all over again.


    The only advantage in all of this was that, unlike before, when there were specific steps to be taken for each stage of every realm, this time, he would only need to cultivate, something at which he was an expert,since just making a few level 4 pills would be enough to restore his cultivation to its previous state.


    But fortunately for him, he didn''t have to do that .


    "How did you end up in this state, and what happened to Bai Yu? Why can''t I sense her presence?" asked Yao Hua as she finished repairing Ethan''s body.


    Thanks to her high affinity with the wood element, she was the most skilled in this field, and indeed, she managed to restore Ethan in less than an hour.


    That said, she had to admit that, although it didn''t take too long overall, she had to do her best since Ethan''s body was severely damaged.


    Ethan''s condition, coupled with the fact that Bai Yu the person who was practically always present when he was here, wasn''t around, caused some concern.


    Even the Guo siblings, who had found Ethan in this condition earlier, were there, waiting silently for him to recover and give an explanation of what had happened.


    However, the three of them were not the only ones here. Another person was also present, someone who had become Ethan''s subordinate some time ago.


    Chen Yixue, the woman from the group of three demonic cultivators who had become Ethan''s subordinates.


    Ever since they had submitted to Ethan, the three had worked and cultivated in the minor dimension the entire time, and only recently did they have the chance to leave.


    They had practically remained in this dimension for more than two centuries now, and at this point, their cultivation bases, which had been slightly above that of a cultivator at the fourth stage, had now reached the spiritual realm.


    Once they reached this level, Ethan decided to position them on the three continents to ensure that, while he was away, they would prevent any wars from breaking out among the continents.


    He had sent the two male cultivators to the human and beast continents, while Chen Yixue was supposed to be assigned to the continent recently purified.


    However, she hadn''t had the chance to do so as this situation arose before she could leave.


    Thus, among the three, she was the only one who remained here. And currently, like the Guo siblings and the elemental spirit, she was also waiting for Ethan to finish being healed.


    "Thank''s Hua," said Ethan as he finally felt his body brimming with energy, just like before.


    He then looked at the expressions of everyone else and took a deep breath as he said:


    "I assume you all have questions for me."

 Chapter 279 Too Many Unanswered Questions

    .Ethan summarized what had happened before and after the incident with the four demons of the spiritual realm, explaining how he ended up in that state.


    They knew that Ethan had gone to deal with those demons, so they immediately assumed that these demons might have been too powerful, and as a result, Ethan ended up in that condition. However, after his explanation, they understood that this was not the case. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Naturally, Bai Yu''s absence worried everyone, especially because even Ethan himself was unable to contact or perceive her, which was a cause for concern for all.


    Guo Lan, in particular, had already grown very fond of Bai Yu, and although they had a master-disciple relationship, to Ethan''s eyes, they seemed more like sisters.


    Ethan could tell that the wolf girl had started to see Bai Yu as an older sister, and personally, he thought this was a good thing.


    Clearly, the two siblings had their fair share of difficulties after their parents'' death. Thus, seeing them now healthy and strong, capable of standing on their own two feet, made Ethan feel that perhaps it wasn''t such a bad idea to have taken them in.


    That being said, he naturally omitted the part where he had ended up in his spiritual sea, as well as the matter of the three beasts, whose whereabouts even Ethan himself had no idea of.


    He had thought of taking a look at his sea of consciousness after recovering, and now that he had, he figured it was the right moment to do so.


    So, after explaining the situation and calming the others, he materialized in his sea of consciousness.


    ''Let''s hope to find some answers here,'' he thought as he raised his gaze to locate the enormous amphora suspended in the sky of his sea of consciousness.


    "Wait, isn''t that..."


    Ethan had expected to see some changes in the amphora, more specifically in the runes on it, but he certainly hadn''t anticipated the sight of what was floating beside it.


    Due to the series of events that had unfolded, Ethan had almost forgotten about the reddish-black sphere, which, just like him, had been absorbed by the amphora.


    Who would have thought that the thing would end up in his sea of consciousness?


    ''It seems like the amphora has sealed it,'' he thought as he observed a large rune surrounded by thin inscriptions forming chains wrapped around the black sphere.


    Ethan studied the rune and discovered that it was written in the ancient language of the demons.


    "Seal of the Heavenly Prison."


    Ethan naturally managed to read the characters used, and he had to admit that the naming sense for these sealing techniques was rather peculiar.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what this "Heavenly Prison" referred to, but he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the Celestial Plane.


    That said, he could tell that while the seal was very powerful, he would have been capable of releasing it, though he had no reason to do so at the moment.


    Although the large amount of demonic Qi to absorb was tempting, he had a more pressing matter to attend to.


    He shifted his gaze toward the enormous body of the amphora and immediately located the section of runes representing Bai Yu''s seal.


    "The runes... they''re missing."


    He had a vague idea of why Bai Yu might have suddenly disappeared, but he didn''t want to believe it. After all, they had agreed to resolve the matter on the mortal plane and ascend together afterward.


    He had the feeling that she hadn''t deliberately released the seals. After all, though the situation had been problematic, it wasn''t so dire as to force her into making such a decision.


    Moreover, there was the matter of the other three beasts that had been awakened in his sea of consciousness.


    He immediately noticed that, along with the runes that formed part of Bai Yu''s seal, several others were missing. He could tell that those were most likely the runes that represented the seals on the other three beasts.


    But now the question arose spontaneously.


    Why were all four completely freed? And why during that particular incident?


    He knew that the amphora was an extremely powerful artifact, perhaps one of the most powerful of all time. Thus, he was sure it had its own consciousness,or at least a level of awareness substantial enough to make decisions, such as releasing Bai Yu''s companions as well.


    But if it had done so, then it must have had a reason. And what that reason was, Ethan didn''t know.


    "Haa... I don''t think I''ll find answers here," he thought.


    Even though his bond with the artifact had grown stronger, he still couldn''t understand its intentions, much less communicate with it.


    He could tell that it could perform small actions, like releasing the seal that had remained on Bai Yu, but aside from these minor things, there wasn''t much else he could do at the moment.


    So, he didn''t waste any more time and exited his sea of consciousness.


    Now that he had recovered, it was time for him to figure out what kind of place he had ended up in.


    Yao Hua had asked if she could accompany him, saying she could be of help, but he refused.


    He had his means to save himself in case of extreme danger, but he wasn''t sure if he could save her as well.


    He was in an unfamiliar place, most likely brought here by the previously semi-open portal. As such, danger could very well be lurking around every corner.


    So, he took no further risks and set off alone.


    He reappeared on the boulder he had climbed earlier to get a better view of the area.


    Once there, he expanded his spiritual sense again, trying to see if this time it would work. Unfortunately for him, he failed once more. Continue your journey with empire


    "It''s as if the medium to expand it is missing," he thought.


    Usually, spiritual sense could take various forms.


    From the kind where he perceived the surrounding auras emitting invisible waves he could detect, to the one where he emitted an imperceptible wave of spiritual energy to scan the area he could cover, but none of this was working.


    Or, to be precise, the waves of spiritual energy he tried to release dissipated immediately, as if this place itself did not allow their existence.


    It was as though they refused to function here, but in a more metaphorical sense.


    He reflected on this for a while, then decided to try something else.


    "Let''s see if this works."


    This time, he didn''t use his pure Qi. Instead, he released his demonic energy and attempted to launch a spiritual wave.


    "It works."

 Chapter 280 An Elf?

    .Ethan had simply thought that if his spiritual sense based on positive energy wasn''t working, perhaps the one relying on negative energy might work.


    After all, the sensation he was experiencing felt as though spiritual energy wasn''t in its usual sphere of influence, which made it impossible for him to use it here.


    He wasn''t entirely sure how to describe the situation, but trying wouldn''t hurt.


    Even if it didn''t work, that would be fine; after all, he still had his own strength. He could fly, explore the area, and so on.


    What was initially just a guess turned out to be correct. Ethan could immediately perceive the vastness of this land.


    His demonic sense, as he decided to call it, traveled rapidly in all directions, covering an increasingly wide radius.


    One mile, two miles, three... six miles.


    At first, Ethan expected that the place he had ended up in was a part of a continent or something similar.


    But soon, he realized that the total dimensions of this so-called piece of land were only six miles, and not uniformly so.


    It was six miles in length and a little over four miles in width.


    The shape of the landmass was irregular for obvious reasons, but the issue was that this piece of land didn''t have anything else beyond itself.


    In the sense that there was no sea not ahead, not around it, not even underneath.


    It was as though this piece of land was floating in a void, and he said "void" because he could literally perceive nothing else.


    "What kind of place have I ended up in?" he thought as he continued to expand his sense to see if he could detect anything else. And then...


    ''Are those... chains?''


    Ethan kept expanding his sense and soon discovered that the piece of land to the east of where he was located was connected to what appeared to be gigantic chains stretching forward for several miles.


    He wasn''t sure what was at the other end of these chains, but he decided to try and find out.


    At that moment, as he was expanding his sense further and further, an oppressive presence seemed to notice his spiritual sense. The moment Ethan sensed the existence of this entity, he stopped immediately.


    ''That thing is stronger than me,'' he thought, instantly perceiving the vast difference in power between himself and the presence he had just felt.


    He knew that, unlike the stages of the mortal realm, where even if the gap in strength was significant, it was nothing compared to the disparity between stages in the spiritual realm.


    In fact, even within the first stage, the increase in power between grades was substantial, and according to Bai Yu, the difference between stages was even greater.


    It was so vast that even for an anomaly like Ethan, who could fight against someone one or two stages higher than him, it would now be problematic to do so.


    The presence he had just felt possessed a level of power many times greater than his. Even though he wasn''t sure precisely what level it was at, he could tell it wasn''t just stage three or four.


    ''did I just risk dying?'' he thought, acknowledging his mistake. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had thought that probing the area with his spiritual sense wouldn''t be anything too dangerous, but he had forgotten that he was no longer in the mortal realm but in the spiritual realm instead.


    He still knew too little about this cultivation realm, and this, combined with the fact that he was in an unknown land where demonic Qi seemed to be the functioning energy, made it easy to understand that this place was extremely dangerous.


    He wasn''t sure if the other party had pinpointed his location, so he decided to move away from here while suppressing his presence to avoid being tracked.


    He disappeared and reappeared in a small grove a few miles away from where he had been before.


    He had decided to come here because earlier, while examining the area, he had discovered that there was a small town nearby. So, he decided to head directly there and see what he could learn about this place. After all, even though the place seemed to be floating in a void, it still contained life. He might be able to discover something about this place and perhaps even find a way out.


    From then on, he walked, as he had sensed the presence of what seemed to be guards near the town.


    When he had first noticed their presence, he hadn''t paid much attention, as he had been scanning the area as a whole and hadn''t bothered to examine every detail. But now that he felt their presence again, he could tell that these guards were all at the third stage, and some were even at the fourth stage of the mortal realm.


    "For a town, they certainly have a lot of high-level experts," he thought.


    He would have expected this level of security only in a high-level sect.


    In fact, not even high-level sects in the mortal realm had guards of this level.


    At most, they would have cultivators at stages one and two. But stage three and above? That was too strong for mere guard duties. Yet here, it seemed that these power levels weren''t given much significance.


    ''I really need to find time to deal with those three,'' he thought, recalling that he might be able to gain a better understanding if he took care of the three demons defeated by his clone, who were currently sealed and stored in his minor dimension.


    Just as he was a little over a mile away from the town''s entrance, Ethan sensed presences approaching his location.


    He had already felt these presences some time ago but had ignored them since they weren''t on his path. He did, however, wonder why their movements were so irregular. Now, it seemed that they had ended up heading in his direction.


    He didn''t bother changing direction and continued walking forward.


    Finally, after a few more seconds, he heard noises coming from one side of the forest, and soon a small figure emerged.


    When Ethan saw the small figure, he couldn''t help but notice her rather poor condition. He could tell that she was a young human girl, probably no more than fifteen years old.


    ''Hm? she''s not human,'' he thought, noticing a particular detail he had almost overlooked earlier.


    The slim figure, slightly malnourished as though she hadn''t been properly fed for some time now, had silver hair cascading over her shoulders, a small, delicate face that was slightly gaunt with dark circles under her emerald-like eyes, and most importantly, on the sides of her head, she had two long, pointed ears.


    Ethan recalled that even Bai Yu had slightly pointed ears, but he knew that was one of the traits of her human form.


    He remembered almost mistaking her for an elf once.


    But this girl was clearly not from the beast race.


    "Is she an elf?"

 Chapter 281 Hunt

    .In the forest near the town of the Red Moon, a girl with a skinny and malnourished appearance was running desperately.


    Her name was Lin Yu, and she was a slave originally from the town of the Red Moon.


    Unlike most of the slaves who had been captured after their worlds had been attacked, she was born here, so she had never had the opportunity to see the world from where her parents came.


    She had been raised and protected by her parents, and although in a military town like this, where the treatment of war slaves wasn''t exactly the best, she had been fortunate enough to live in safety.


    At least until she was 10 years old, after which hell began for her.


    From the sudden disappearance of her parents to being captured by a slave trader, her life seemed marked.


    But she had been fortunate to catch the attention of a female commander, who decided to buy her and have her work in a mess hall for soldiers so that she could grow up safely and earn a living.


    She lived like this for three years, and although her living conditions were not the best, she was still able to endure and continue living, always trying to stay out of trouble.


    She knew very well that just because she worked in a military mess hall didn''t mean she was safe, even more so because, unlike her, some other slaves who worked here hadn''t had anyone protect them, and had experienced the cruelty of this place.


    The only reason she was safe was because the person who bought her was a commander, and no one dared to do anything bad to her, but that changed when the owner of the mess hall changed, and one of the first things this new person did was sell her to a group of soldiers who had set their eyes on her.


    She thought she would be saved by the commander who had bought her, but the commander had never shown up, most likely on a mission.


    She knew that nothing good would come her way if she resigned to her fate again, so at the first opportunity, she took off and managed to escape the town safely.


    She was able to hide for a few days.


    Just as she thought she might finally be safe and that no one was following her, she was targeted by an arrow that barely missed her heart.


    She wasn''t sure who the attacker was, but she knew it wasn''t anyone good, so she kept running.


    The blood loss, combined with the fact that for the past few days she had been hiding without having eaten anything or having the chance to rest properly, was a heavy blow for her, and in fact, the further she went, the more she felt her strength failing, just as the attacker kept getting closer.


    "No, I don''t want to die,"


    At this point, she didn''t even know where she was running, she only knew that if she stopped, it would be the end for her, so she kept moving forward with the little strength she had left in her body.


    Swish


    A rush of wind echoed, and the next second, she found herself on the ground with another arrow, this time in one of her legs.


    The arrow appeared like a silent death sentence, taking away the last spark of hope within her, and unable to endure the pressure from the pain in her chest and the lack of strength due to the great amount of blood she had lost, she passed out right there.


    Her consciousness was slowly dissolving into nothingness, while the regret of not having had the chance to thank the female commander who had saved her that time haunted her, and it accompanied her in what seemed to be her last breath.


    ***


    Ethan, who had seen the elf girl emerge from the forest and keep running, couldn''t help but notice her condition and feel a little concerned.


    "As the first encounter with an inhabitant of this place, it''s quite unusual," he thought to himself while watching the terrible condition of the elf girl, who hadn''t noticed him and kept running forward.


    He had already noticed the arrow sticking out of her back and also saw the other two incoming arrows. S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He made a small gesture with his hand, and one of the two arrows that were coming was deflected a little, which made the girl fall to the ground due to the second arrow.


    He had changed the trajectory of the first arrow because he could tell it was aimed at the girl''s head, and before intervening too much, he wanted to assess the situation.


    A few seconds later, the attackers finally emerged from the forest.


    He didn''t worry about hiding and simply looked in their direction, examining them.


    "Demons."


    He already had an idea of what kind of place this might be, after all, the portal that had brought him here, along with the fact that only demonic energy could be used here, were more than enough clues for him to form an idea of the type of place this could be.


    The attackers were two demons, each wearing armor, with one of them holding a bow and the other wielding what seemed to be a crossbow.


    Ethan could tell they were both cultivators, and judging by their strength, neither of them exceeded the second stage of the mortal realm.


    '' It seems like they''ve used this girl as prey for their hunt,'' he thought.


    The elven girl was clearly not a cultivator, and in fact, there were no traces of spiritual energy or even demonic Qi in her body.


    Ethan wondered why she hadn''t been infected by demonic Qi,


    after all, she had been living in an environment surrounded by demons. It was hard to believe she was still immune to it.


    That being said, he didn''t dwell on it too much and looked over toward the demons who had just emerged, and who had now noticed him.


    "Your hunting skills are getting worse. Look, you can''t even aim at the slave''s head properly," said the one with the bow.


    His companion, who held the crossbow, spat on the ground while pointing it at Ethan.


    "Are you blind or something? It was clearly that guy who deflected the shot," he said, directly addressing Ethan.


    "You, how dare you interfere in my hunt? Do you have a death wish or something?" the demon said, clearly upset about missing the shot.


    At the demon''s accusation, Ethan said nothing and continued to stare at him with a curious look, as if observing a rare species.


    The demon, seeing this, grew even angrier, and his companion, still laughing at him, couldn''t help but pat him on the shoulder and say:


    "Come on, don''t complain. At least now we have an extra prey," he said while turning his gaze toward the elven girl lying unconscious on the ground.


    "It seems like she won''t be able to entertain us anymore, let me finish her off and then I''ll help you with the new prey," said the demon as he raised his bow and materialized an arrow on it.


    Ethan could tell that the arrow had been taken from some kind of spatial object, so he wasn''t surprised.


    He observed these two while thinking to himself.


    He had initially thought of using his demon form to wander around the city because, although he could conceal his presence, doing so in a city where other beings of the spiritual rank most likely resided was not exactly the best choice.


    His only concern was how to blend in among them without being discovered.


    He didn''t know how demons lived with each other, and even though he could rely on his strength to handle most situations, he was sure that an aggressive approach would have only led to his discovery more quickly.


    But looking at these two now, he thought of something.


    ''Well, I could use these two,'' he thought, and as he did, he saw the arrow shoot from the demon''s bow and fly directly toward the elven girl.


    The demon who had shot, put his bow away with a smile on his face, confident in his aim, but just as he did, he heard a rustling sound, followed by a slight pain in his chest.


    ''What?''


    He barely had time to lower his head and see what had struck him before falling to the ground lifeless.


    The demon with the crossbow, who had witnessed his companion''s shot traveling, saw the shot vanish and soon heard the sound of something falling next to him.


    He immediately turned his gaze and saw his companion dead, with his own arrow embedded in his chest.


    ''This aura... what is this?'' he asked himself, trembling in fear, as he sensed a strange aura emanating from the arrow.


    He didn''t know what it was, but if it was strong enough to kill his companion, it couldn''t be anything good.


    With his body trembling, he didn''t even bother to look in the direction of the human and, without hesitation, ran in the opposite direction, knowing full well that the attack had most certainly been the work of the human.


    ''Where the hell did someone like him come from?'' he thought as he used demonic Qi to accelerate his speed and race toward the city.


    ''I have to warn the guards,''


    He knew that whoever it was, wasn''t an opponent he could beat, so he immediately fled the scene, knowing that his only chance now was to reach the city and warn the guards.


    Unfortunately for him, he didn''t even have time for that, because shortly after, he found himself completely drained of strength, and before he could understand what had happened, his vision went dark.

 Chapter 282 The Elf wakes up

    .Ethan wasted no time and, with another gesture of his hand, he completely destroyed the bodies of the two demons, transforming them into spheres of demonic Qi that he took and absorbed.


    He had ensured that their souls were not damaged, so the two spheres, if freed from the seals placed on them, could have completely reconstructed themselves and returned to life.


    But now that they were in Ethan''s hands, they no longer had that possibility and could only accept their fate in silent.


    Ethan didn''t need the entire timeline of their lives, only the part related to this encounter. Therefore, he conducted a quick search of their souls and soon discovered several things.


    Having finished, he could finally focus on planning his next moves.


    He then looked toward the unconscious elf lying on the ground, now drenched in a pool of her own blood.


    It was obvious that if she wasn''t treated soon, she would die on the spot.


    Ethan stared at her a little longer before shaking his head and walking toward her.


    ***


    In a room of an old building, an elven girl was sleeping.


    The building in question had a dated appearance, and anyone passing by wouldn''t think for a second that this was an inn.


    Outside, above the wooden entrance of the building, hung a large sign with the name of the inn: "The Dead''s Haven."


    When Ethan saw it, he immediately thought he was in the wrong place, but according to the information he had extracted from the souls of the two demons, this was a relatively frequented inn by soldiers, offering an environment that was, in a sense, peaceful, and most importantly, away from prying eyes.


    If it weren''t for this last characteristic, he would not have chosen such a place.


    He still remembered how the plump receptionist at the inn''s counter didn''t concern herself at all with the unconscious elf girl on his shoulders, simply asking him what he needed and handing him the key to a room.


    Ethan didn''t have the currency of this place, and while spiritual stones were, in a sense, a universal currency in the mortal plane, they didn''t seem to hold the same value here.


    He had discovered that this place had a counterpart to spiritual stones: demonic stones.


    That said, he used some of the money he found on the dead demon guards and booked the place for a month.


    At the moment, he had just finished healing the elf girl and was absorbing the demonic Qi from the two mortal realm demon soldiers.


    Now that he had time, he could absorb it safely without risking being caught.


    Of course, his minor dimension would have been better for this task, but it wasn''t necessary to go there just to absorb such a small amount of Qi, so he stayed here and quickly absorbed the two demons.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +211 STR]


    [You have gained +150 AGI]


    [You have gained +95 INT]


    [You have gained +32 Soul Strength]


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (advanced)


    QI: 100M / 100M


    Physique: Minor Demonic Physique


    Strength: 42,576 �� 42,787


    Agility: 36,427 �� 36,577


    Intelligence: 21,114 �� 21,289


    Soul Strength: 4,982 �� 5,014


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 468M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    Ethan quickly absorbed the two demons, and just as he thought, the number of stat points gained from the two demons was relatively low, much less than the demons of the mortal rank he killed when he was on the beast continent. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn''t unexpected, after all, the two were much weaker than those demons, so he didn''t pay too much attention to this small increase in strength.


    He shifted his gaze from his status panel and directed it toward the sleeping elf girl, who now had a much healthier complexion.


    Even the wounds on her leg and the one caused by the arrow that struck her back, nearly grazing her heart, had completely disappeared.


    The elven girl, at this moment, had a slightly furrowed brow, and her eyelids were trembling faintly.


    Ethan thought she might be having a bad dream or something, so he didn''t concern himself too much.


    He had used his wood element to heal the girl, and strangely enough, her body had responded very well to his treatment.


    It seemed she had a certain affinity with the wood element.


    The elf girl''s eyelids trembled a little longer before finally opening.


    Slowly, she opened her eyes as her senses began to return bit by bit.


    ''What happened to me?'' she thought as she gradually regained consciousness.


    She didn''t know where she was, as her vision was still coming into focus, and the only thing she could say for certain was that she was lying on something comfortable, warm, and very soft, similar to a bed.


    But she involuntarily dismissed the thought because she had never had the luxury of affording a proper bed before.


    What she usually slept on was more of a makeshift bed, lacking a mattress or any soft surface, made instead from long leaves woven together to form a net capable of supporting her.


    While those things were not bad, left visible marks on her body, and she often woke up with her back slightly aching due to the uncomfortable position in which she slept.


    Bit by bit, her memories of what had happened began to resurface.


    ''Am I... dead?'' she wondered, recalling what had happened to her, before she lost consciousness.


    She was sure she had been struck by two arrows and had fallen to the ground, fainting.


    It didn''t seem possible that the two demons had let her go just like that, so now, noticing that she felt no pain and even felt much better, as if she had been reborn, she thought perhaps she had died.


    Just as her thoughts were spiraling further, a voice interrupted them.


    "You are not dead."


    Hearing the sudden voice, the elf girl jolted, almost falling out of the bed as she shifted her gaze toward a figure sitting on a chair a few meters away from her.


    ''What a handsome... wait, no, what am I thinking? Who is he, and why is he here? Have I been captured by someone again?'' she thought, starting to panic for her life, which she had just discovered she hadn''t lost.


    Ethan, seeing the elf''s reaction, didn''t know whether to laugh or sigh. Before she could plunge into another series of thoughts, he interrupted her.


    "Calm down, you''re safe here."

 Chapter 283 10 Billion Sp

    .Although he had spoken calmly, the elf girl instinctively fell silent, as if that had been an absolute order.


    He realized that he had involuntarily activated an ability of his demonic physique, so he immediately dispelled its effects, and the elf girl, now a little terrified, no longer spoke and tried not to look at him.


    Ethan had to admit that there were still things about his demonic physique that he did not fully understand, and this involuntary suppression ability was one of them.


    He had had the chance to test his demonic physique a bit in the past with Bai Yu, but certainly, that was very different from using it constantly in a demonic society, no less.


    He was sure there were other things he still didn''t know, but for now, he didn''t have time for that.


    He looked at the elf, who seemed to remain silent, and said:


    "What''s your name?" Ethan asked, deciding to start with introductions.


    The elf girl, though still a bit scared, tried to gather her courage and said:


    "M-my name is Lin Yu," the elf said.


    Hearing the name, Ethan nodded and replied calmly:


    "Nice to meet you, I''m Ethan. I found you injured on the path outside the city, near the forest.


    You were hurt, so I decided to bring you here.


    Can you tell me what happened to you?" he asked.


    Honestly, if it had been up to him, he would have avoided getting too involved with the inhabitants of this small town, but he knew he couldn''t avoid it forever, not if he wanted to blend in as one of them and safely search for a way out.


    While it was true that he had picked up the elf just to help her, he had also done it for another reason.


    Lin Yu, hearing the words of the handsome demon, lowered her head slightly as the memories of how her days had been in the past week surfaced in her mind.


    Ethan could tell she didn''t seem comfortable talking about it, so he said:


    "If you don''t want to, there''s no need to say anything.


    I was just asking in case you wanted to return to your family or someone you know," he said.


    Hearing Ethan''s words, the elf girl''s body trembled slightly, and clutching her blanket a little tighter, she said:


    "I... have no parents."


    He knew she was a slave, and thanks to the demons'' memories, he could get an idea of the kind of life she must have had before.


    From what he had learned, the two demons had bought her from the owner of a mess hall for soldiers, a few alleys away from this inn, and that she had later escaped from them.


    Beyond that, he didn''t know anything else about her.


    Silence fell in the room as neither of them spoke.


    Eventually, Ethan nodded and moved to get up as he said:


    "I see. Well, it''s time for me to leave, but you can stay here if you want. This room is rented for a month, and meals are included, so you should be fine for now," he said as he approached the door, ready to leave.


    The elf girl was now in good health, and the little he could do for her, he had already done.


    As for the rest, that depended on her.


    He intended to check out a few places in this city, especially one in particular he had discovered by probing the souls of the two demons.


    ''If that thing turns out to be what I think it is, then maybe there''s a chance to get out of here,'' he thought as he reached the door, ready to open it.


    Seeing the demon who had saved her about to leave, the elf girl panicked, quickly getting out of bed, ready to stop him.


    As she moved, she was momentarily surprised that her body didn''t hurt at all.


    At first, she thought he had only superficially treated her and that she wasn''t fully recovered, but now seeing that even quick actions like these didn''t cause her pain, she was momentarily stunned.


    However, she didn''t pay too much attention to it, as her mind was occupied with another thought.


    "Sir Demon, wait," she said, quickly approaching Ethan, who had stopped upon seeing her rush toward him.


    When she saw he had stopped, she approached and forced herself to speak.


    "Can I ask to follow you?" she said with a determined expression.


    ''What?'' Ethan wasn''t sure what he had just heard, so he said:


    "What do you mean you want to follow me?" he asked.


    The elf girl hesitated a bit before saying:


    "You''re not from around here, are you?" she said cautiously.


    Hearing the elf girl''s words, Ethan, for a moment, thought he had been discovered, but then, remembering something, he asked,


    "Oh? And what makes you say I''m not from here?"


    The elf, hearing that Ethan didn''t seem angry, continued:


    "You don''t have the same aura as the people from this place."


    ''Just as I thought.''


    Ethan had initially wondered why she hadn''t been corrupted by the demonic Qi.


    After all, if one lived among so many individuals who were a product of it and also used it, it was difficult for the people here not to be affected by it, even if only slightly.


    In fact, when he was approaching the inn, he had seen many others like her from other races and could tell that although they appeared normal on the surface, they had slight traces of demonic Qi within them that were harmful, some more, some less.


    So, thinking that the elf girl wasn''t yet infected, the matter intrigued him, and he couldn''t help but use the Analysis function on her to see what was special about her.


    And indeed, she did have something special, but he didn''t know what it was.


    And this was because: sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Signs of a universal law detected within the individual]


    [Law detected: Law of the Harmony of Primordial Light]


    [State: Dormant]


    [Price: 10,000,000,000 Sp]


    When he first tried to analyze her, apart from her basic data such as her name, age, and some other personal information, there wasn''t much else, except for this law.


    He knew that laws could be learned, and he himself was starting to learn them more and more, but seeing someone who already had a law was something new for him, even more so since, although the law was sealed, just to know more about it, he would have had to pay an astronomical amount of Sp.


    Ethan was certain he had never seen so many zeros in his life.


    Even with centuries of effort, he had managed to save just over half a billion Sp, and yet just to learn more about this law, he would have to shell out an astronomical amount of Sp.


    He had no idea what kind of law it was, but the cost alone was enough to tell him it was nothing simple.

 Chapter 284 Jing Xia

    .Ever since she lost her parents, Lin Yu had relied heavily on her instincts to save herself from any kind of trouble.


    After being assigned to work in the soldiers'' mess hall, she continually trusted her instincts to stay out of harm''s way, and those instincts had saved her countless times, far more times than she could remember.


    She wasn''t sure if it was just luck or if this instinct of hers was truly some sort of ability, but she didn''t care. The only thing that mattered to her was knowing she was safe.


    Even on the day when the new director arrived, she felt that this person would bring nothing but trouble. Thus, she tried her best to stay away from him.


    However, due to a small incident, she ended up drawing the attention of those two soldiers, who eventually bought her from the director.


    At that time, she wasn''t able to make good use of her premonition. Now that she was feeling that same instinct react to this person once again, she didn''t want to stand by idly and see how things would unfold for her.


    She felt that if she stayed with this person, she would be safe. So, she had to do whatever she could to make sure he took her with him.


    Seeing the determined look on the elven girl''s face, Ethan couldn''t help but compare it to Guo Lan, the wolf girl.


    Just like Bai Yu, he had taken it upon himself to train the two siblings. He vividly recalled a time when Guo Lan told him that, once she became stronger, she wanted to follow him on his adventures.


    Honestly, he didn''t care about these matters and simply told her that when he thought she was capable enough, he would let her follow him.


    At that time, he didn''t even know what to make of the situation. After all, the girl was already over a century old.


    In other words, she had already become a proper adult, and a strong one at that.


    At that point, all he could do was let her move forward with her life.


    Once they reached the upper realm, his intention was to let the two siblings explore the world on their own.


    While strength was important, experience was even more so.


    Having been beaten multiple times by Bai Yu during their sparring sessions, he understood this very well.


    That being said, as he now looked at the expression on the elven girl''s face, he couldn''t help but associate it with the look he had seen on the wolf girl.


    Shaking his head internally, he thought:


    ''If she were here, she would have taken in a talent like this without even asking me.''


    The girl already possessed a law and had a strong affinity for the wood element.


    She was like a budding seed, full of potential and ready to bloom.


    All she needed was the right guidance.


    ***


    To the north of the inn where Ethan resided,


    in a very large hall, an enormous crimson portal appeared, and one by one, a series of individuals began to step out.


    They were demon soldiers of various shapes and sizes, led by the individual at the head of the group, who was none other than their squad commander.


    The relatively good appearance of the soldiers suggested that they had participated in a relatively simple mission, as apart from the various weapons stained with blood of every color, and a long line of beings resembling human like squids, chained one after the other, they had nothing else.


    Some of them were happy with their mission, while others kept to themselves, but overall, the mission they had participated in was relatively a success.


    Waiting for this team was a demon, two and a half meters tall, with violet skin, black eyes, and not a single hair on its head.


    Seeing the commander of the team approach, the demon made a half bow forward and said:


    "Commander Jing, pleased to see that you have returned safe and sound," said the demon politely.


    The commander in question was Jing Xia, commander of the second army of the general of this legion.


    Although the armor and protective helmet hid the figure of the commander, some feminine features were still visible, such as figure of her slim body or the ponytail left loose behind her helmet.


    The female commander directed her gaze towards the demon offering his greetings and stared at him for a few seconds without saying anything.


    The demon, who had shown a confident and friendly facade, now felt an invisible pressure weighing down on him, caused more by the silence than by the commander''s own aura.


    Finally, after ten seconds had passed in this manner, the demon could no longer resist and slowly straightened himself while saying:


    "Would you like me to accompany you immediately to the general to report, or would you prefer to do so at another time?"


    The demon knew the character of this commander, but as per procedure, certain things had to be asked.


    The female commander, seeing the demon in difficulty, walked forward and passed beside him while saying:


    "No, I''ll go now," she said without saying anything else.


    Seeing that she had gone, the demon let out a sigh while complaining internally:


    ''That old bastard really had to send me to welcome her?


    Why is he torturing me like this?'' he thought to himself, cursing his superior who had assigned him the task of greeting Commander Jing Xia''s army.


    Many, just like him, tended to avoid the female commander, not because she had a bad personality or anything, but because anyone who had to deal with her ended up in these suffocating situations.


    She was mostly silent, and unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn''t say a word.


    Dealing with her was difficult for all of them, so they always had to fight to decide who would go to receive the mission report and so on...


    Everyone had tried to converse with her, with many having courted her more than once in the past, but all of them eventually gave up.


    Although her appearance was attractive, her personality made it difficult for anyone to deal with her.


    As the demon with the shaved head stopped complaining and went to record the mission data, the female commander headed towards the general''s castle to report.


    Usually, unless it was something extremely important, like an enemy attack, an important discovery, and things like that. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the commanders took their time to rest before going to report directly to the general, but Jing Xia was one of those who preferred to finish her task before taking a break.

 Chapter 285 Portals

    .As she was walking towards the castle, the visor of the helmet she wore magically disappeared, revealing a beautiful feminine face, with slightly dark skin and a pair of ruby-red eyes.


    Her face showed no obvious expression while she walked calmly. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was as if she were in her world, isolated from the noisy surrounding environment.


    As she walked, Jing Xia''s thoughts could not help but wander, as the face of an elven girl she had bought a little over three years ago came to mind.


    At that time, she had participated in that auction by chance, intending to see if she could find something interesting.


    Although she didn''t appreciate the sale of slaves, she also understood their necessity.


    Among the various bad uses that other demons might have for them, slaves, although considered at the bottom of the food chain in this place, were also a driving force for their army since many of the small tasks were done by them, and even on missions, they could be useful depending on the type of slave.


    Some were from races very skilled at detecting certain types of presences, others had infallible memories, and some who could command the elements to a certain extent, something their own race couldn''t do because demonic Qi was the opposite of the source of these elements.


    All these factors made slaves very useful in battle for demons, and consequently, it was normal to hold these slave auctions to see what they had to offer, to check if the fellow commanders from other squads had found good products or not.


    It was at one of these auctions that she met the elven girl.


    Back then, she saw no use for the girl either for herself or for her group in battle, so she almost ignored her.


    But then her eyes met the elven girl''s gaze. A shiver ran down her spine.


    There was something in those eyes, something unbearably familiar. For a moment, the world around her went silent, leaving her alone with that face and a memory she thought was dead.


    Was it pity? Was it guilt? She wasn''t sure.


    She had spent the last half of her life this way, surrounded only by battles and destruction.


    At this point, anything else other than these two things didn''t exist for her, but at that moment,


    seeing that innocent, but at the same time familiar sparkle in the elf''s eyes,


    she couldn''t resist, so she bought her.


    She knew that if she ended up in the hands of someone from her race, it wouldn''t necessarily be a good fate awaiting her.


    That was also the first time in a long while that she did something that seemed pointless and would bring her no benefit,


    and that was also the moment when she began to think that the world was not all black and Red.


    ***


    Ethan had taken his time to explore the information about the two demons, so he didn''t overlook any detail regarding this city and the people who lived there.


    From what he had discovered, the city was called the City of the Red Moon, a floating city that also served as a base for the legion of one of the Demon Kings of the demonic race.


    At first, Ethan didn''t know what a Demon King was and what it meant for this city to be a demonic stronghold.


    After all, he could feel a great presence of the Void element everywhere, which meant that this place was most likely some kind of dimensional rift.


    And indeed, it had been discovered that it was.


    This was one of the dimensional rifts of the demonic race that served as a bridge between their dimension and all others.


    Infact, the demons apparently weren''t just a threat to the three heavens from which Ethan came, but they were a threat to the entire universe.


    Needless to say, the news was quite shocking for Ethan.


    He had often discussed with Bai Yu whether there were other worlds beyond the celestial planes or not, and she said that the mortal plane was more like a step where all worlds that couldn''t surpass a certain power level existed,


    the so-called mortal worlds.


    But unlike these, the celestial plane was a single, vast world, still unexplored in its entirety.


    She told him that she didn''t know if there were other similar worlds , like the situation with the mortal plane,


    but it was assumed that there were, even though, as far as she knew, no one had ever come into contact with them.


    Needless to say, when it came to the divine plane, things became even more uncertain, as only a few beings had managed to ascend to that plane, and those beings were none other than the so-called deities of the celestial plane''s inhabitants.


    Ethan took things as they were because the arrangement of a world into planes was one of the most common things he came across in the novels he read in his old world.


    But it was precisely because he was from a different world that he had imagined the various planes of existence were not composed of just a single world.


    And now, with the discovery of these demons who were a universal threat, it seemed his assumption was correct.


    As for the power system, demons had a hierarchy very similar to the military one from his past life, with some additions and modifications.


    For example, the lowest rank wasn''t that of a soldier, but rather a slave, and in this category, not only were those captured and exported from other worlds included, but also half-demons, like those who had been transformed through demonic Qi, or through relations between demons and other races.


    These people were considered slaves in the eyes of demons, slaves who were not only used for reproduction but also for use in battle.


    The idea of reproduction seemed strange to Ethan at first because although demons could be lustful, the fact that they paid attention to the reproduction of their race didn''t seem normal, especially when considering that all pure demons were supposed to originate from the same source.


    Ethan later discovered that even the offspring of demons born from relations with other species had certain ranks among them, and depending on these ranks, the being born could be considered a slave, or one of their own race.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how exactly this worked, but personally, it didn''t concern him.


    What mattered to him, however, was the part about how this floating land contained various teleportation stations that allowed travel to other dimensions.


    And for Ethan, who was currently stuck here, something like this was exactly what he needed to return.

 Chapter 286 Demon Ranks

    .At the moment, Ethan had no idea how he would use the portal to transport himself to the mortal plane because he had no clue how it worked.


    He didn''t know if some sort of coordinates were required, as depending on the method used, he might or might not be able to return immediately once he had the opportunity to use it. S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, for now, the important thing was that there was a way out, and for the moment, he only needed to figure out where it was and how to use it.


    Everything else would come later.


    At first, he had thought of breaking into the place where the portal station was located, but he had to reconsider this option for several reasons, one of which was that this place turned out to be far more dangerous than he had expected.


    As mentioned earlier, the base was a military base and housed an entire armed legion.


    As far as he knew, there was only this city of the red moon, and no other places existed in this floating land.


    But that didn''t mean it could be underestimated.


    And this was because the ranks of the demonic army corresponded directly to their strength.


    If Ethan had to compare it to the cultivation system of beings based on spiritual energy, the following ranks of strength would emerge:


    Slaves: As previously mentioned, they were generally all beings captured from other races or children from relations with other races.


    After them came the Soldiers.


    These were essentially demons who had a cultivation level within the mortal realm.


    These soldiers, in turn, had a further classification ranging from one-star soldiers to three-star soldiers.


    The one-star soldiers were those who had not surpassed the second stage of the mortal realm, which was the Qi Refining stage.


    These soldiers were also called common soldiers because of their high numbers in every army.


    The two-star soldiers, on the other hand, were those at the third and fourth stages of the mortal realm, and these soldiers were called soldiers with potential, to differentiate them from the common ones due to the fact that they were closer to the peak of the mortal realm.


    After them were the three-star soldiers, or all soldiers with a cultivation rank equal to or greater than the fifth stage of the mortal realm.


    These were considered the cr��me de la cr��me and were called high-level soldiers.


    They were essentially those closest to becoming commanders of an army.


    The rank of a Commander was indeed the next on the list.


    Commanders were essentially the leaders of armies, each assigned a certain number of soldiers.


    They could be divided into different types of commanders depending on the needs, and each had a specific number of soldiers, which varied, but essentially every commander was required to lead their soldiers into battle, complete missions, participate in battles, and make them stronger.


    Depending on their performance, the commander was in turn ranked on a performance list.


    Jing Xia was currently in the Top 5 of the most capable commanders, not only because of her personal strength but also due to the performance of her army over time.


    They themselves were a backbone force of the army as a whole because each of them had at least a strength level at the first stage of the spiritual realm.


    All of these commanders were tasked with managing a small group of soldiers each, and they reported directly to a General.


    As far as Ethan knew, this base currently had only one general, and he didn''t know whether a base could have more than one or not, but that wasn''t the important part.


    Even having just one general at the base was a problem for him because these demonic generals were all beings with at least a strength level equal to or greater than the fourth stage. In other words, any one of them could crush him to death with their intent alone.


    Ethan had not yet encountered a being of this stage personally, but he knew that at this point in the spiritual realm, cultivators had already developed their inner world for the most part and consequently had a domain.


    According to what he had learned from Bai Yu, domains were not to be underestimated.


    A single cultivator with a domain could annihilate all others who didn''t have one, no matter if they were at the first stage of the spiritual realm or the third stage of the spiritual realm.


    Bai Yu once simulated a domain in his sea of consciousness to show him what it was like, and he was eliminated in an instant, even when he was located several miles away from her.


    According to what she had said, this was just a taste of the true power of a domain.


    Therefore, Ethan didn''t dare take beings of this level lightly.


    Ethan was certain that the entity that had almost detected him earlier was most likely the general of this base.


    He had been lucky to notice in time; otherwise, he would have been captured almost instantly.


    That said, Ethan knew that there were other ranks beyond the general, but unfortunately for him, his knowledge of these demons was very limited, as the knowledge of the two dmeons he had absorbed was limited


    And this particular point was also the most troubling for him.


    This was because, apparently, this base in particular also had a Demon King.


    Although the presence of a demonic general alone was already a cause for concern for him, he still thought he could trick him and escape successfully.


    However, the existence of someone even above this rank was an individual he could not deceive in any way for now, and this existence was precisely the Demon King of this base.


    He didn''t know if it was bad luck or just pure coincidence that had led him to one of the few demonic bases that also had a Demon King, but the fact remained that he was already here, and all he could do was complain about it, and nothing more.


    Ethan wished he could curse his bad luck.


    A Demon King was an existence that he couldn''t even dream of confronting, let alone escaping from.


    They were beings who had reached the pinnacle of the spiritual rank; in other words, they were beings who had their own complete domain and had comprehended their own law.


    Unlike other races based on positive spiritual energy, demons were very limited in the number of natural forces they could use.


    In fact, the basic elements were already beyond their comprehension because they were opposed to them.


    But this didn''t mean that they didn''t have their own laws.


    There were many, starting with the law of the void, which was a law common to both demonic energy and positive spiritual energy.


    Then there were some counterparts of the elements of positive spiritual energy, like dark ice or demonic flames.


    Then there were elements exclusive to demons, such as blood, poison, and so on...


    Ethan thought that there were likely subcategories of these "exclusive" elements also present among beings who cultivated using positive spiritual energy, with spiritual beasts being an example of this.


    After all, they could use poison since it was characteristic of them.


    He could only attribute this gap in knowledge to the lack of information o the two demons, but that wasn''t what was important.


    What mattered was that a being who had likely already comprehended their law was in this place, and if that being even slightly sensed him, it would be the end of him.


    Ethan eventually shook his head as he set this issue aside for now.


    He knew that continuing to dwell on it would only depress him further.


    ''It seems I won''t be able to use part of my powers for the foreseeable future,''


    He knew he was currently safe thanks to his demonic form, and as long as he didn''t use his spiritual energy, he would remain safe.


    However, he also knew that he would have to live in this place with the constant feeling of a knife at his throat, ready to end his life at the slightest mistake.


    He wasn''t even sure if using his minor dimension would be a good idea within the base because, as far as he knew, spatial fluctuations might alert that being at the pinnacle of the spiritual rank.


    He wasn''t sure why that being hadn''t targeted him yet. After all, he had already used his minor dimension once, but something told him it was just a coincidence.


    For now, his intention was to gather as much information as possible and wait for the right moment to attempt an escape.


    That was all he could do for now, apart from, of course, staying out of trouble,


    although the second part seemed a bit difficult at the moment, and the reason was none other than the elf girl.


    He glanced to his side, where the elf girl was walking, and he couldn''t help but have a somewhat defeated expression on his face as he looked at what she had around her neck.


    A collar.


    Yes, that''s right.


    Ethan was sure that if Bai Yu were here at this moment, she would accuse him of having strange fetishes or something, but there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    The reason why she was wearing a collar wasn''t because he had wanted to put it on her.


    it was quite the opposite.


    The one who had suggested putting it on was the elf girl herself.


    [N/A: Before you let your imagination run wild, just know that there''s a reason for this, and you''ll find out in the next chapter,]

 Chapter 287 Slave

    .Ethan found the situation rather peculiar.


    He was aware that slaves were treated in a certain way in this place, and from the knowledge he had absorbed from the guards, he more or less knew what they could do and what they couldn''t.


    Slaves, depending on their master, also held a certain degree of importance.


    For example, if an ordinary soldier was walking around with a slave, they were required to put a collar on the slave to indicate that they were of a certain level.


    This was because if, instead of a soldier, it was a commander or a general, the treatment of the slave would be slightly different.


    In this case, the slave wouldn''t have a collar but rather a tattoo on the back of their hand.


    The tattoo could vary, from being a generic design for slaves to a personalized one that identified the demon household the slave belonged to, or anything else.


    The important thing was that it was a slave tattoo, a mark that any demon could identify, thanks to a particular scent that only their race could detect.


    The position of this tattoo didn''t necessarily have to be on the back of the hand. Some had it on the side of their neck, others had it stamped on their forehead, and still others in far less accessible places, and so on.


    Among the many other functions of a slave tattoo, the difference between a slave tattoo and a collar also indicated the status of the owner.


    Lin Yu, although purchased by a commander, had never received her slave tattoo, and the reason for this was known only to the commander who had bought and helped her at the time.


    That being said, since that commander was no longer here, and she couldn''t walk around without having one of the two on her, she had arranged for a regular collar to wear.


    Ethan, despite understanding all these things, had to admit that the situation was a little uncomfortable for him S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As far as he could recall, never in his life had he ever walked around with someone wearing a collar.


    From his previous world, where such practices would earn him a one-way ticket to prison, to this world where, by some strange twist of fate, he himself had ended up as a slave and was about to be sold to a madman.


    Looking at the elf girl walking beside him with the collar on as if it were nothing, he asked:


    "Are you sure you want to keep walking around with that thing on?" he asked her once more.


    Hearing his words, she gave him a confident look and replied, nodding her head:


    "Of course. It may not seem like it, but it''s common for slaves to wear these. It''s really not a problem for me to have it on," she said as if it were nothing.


    ''That''s not what I meant.''


    Ethan could only shake his head at the elf girl''s carefree response.


    In the end, when she asked if she could accompany him, he decided to agree.


    Although he wasn''t truly a talent scout like Bai Yu, who sought out talents left and right, he could see that having her around might bring benefits in the future.


    Taking her along wasn''t really a problem, and in fact, it was useful because, although he had absorbed the memories of the two demons, those alone wouldn''t be enough for him to live in this place normally.


    Therefore, her presence could help him in certain problematic situations.


    That said, he didn''t let her join him so readily.


    He set a few general conditions, two of which were the most important.


    1. Don''t ask questions if he does something out of the ordinary.


    2. If others ask, he has amnesia and doesn''t remember who he is.


    The conditions might seem strange to an outsider, but despite that, the elf girl accepted without hesitation.


    Normally, he would have placed a soul contract or something of the sort to ensure the other party''s word, but he felt there was no need in the case of this girl.


    Clearly, she didn''t want to stay in this place either, and as to why, he had no interest in knowing.


    That said, the two of them walked toward a large building in the center of the city.


    The building was large enough to be seen even from a few miles away, and this wasn''t just because of its imposing structure but also due to its rather peculiar shape.


    Ethan, seeing the building in front of him, couldn''t help but frown as the image of a bean came to mind.


    ''What an unusual shape,'' he thought.


    From the city''s architecture, he had assumed the style of buildings here was similar to what he was used to, but now seeing a gigantic black bean-like structure made him reconsider that assumption.


    He knew nothing about the architectural style of demons, nor did he care to. For now, he just wanted to get a closer look at the place he would have to use to escape from here in the future.


    ***


    Meanwhile, as Ethan and the elf girl explored the city, Jing Xia, having just finished reporting to the general, decided to visit the soldiers'' mess hall to check on the elf girl.


    The building where the soldiers dined was a two-story structure, relatively large on the inside and spacious enough to accommodate more than a thousand soldiers at once.


    The number might seem a bit low, considering the actual scale of the demonic army, but it had to be taken into account that those eating here were mainly low-ranking soldiers, specifically those at the one-star level.


    This was because, unlike high-level soldiers who had already reached a point where their bodies no longer needed nourishment from food and could instead sustain themselves directly on the ambient energy, soldiers in the early stages of mortal cultivation didn''t have that luxury, so they ate here.


    Certainly, not everyone came here just to eat. After all, there were plenty of places to eat scattered throughout the city, but this particular place was used by many of them to stay in touch and meet with one another from time to time.


    The competition between the various commanders'' squads was fierce during missions, but when it came time to have a meal here, they all put those matters aside.


    At this moment, as many demonic soldiers were enjoying a peaceful meal, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of something breaking as a heavy pressure fell on the building, causing it to tremble suddenly.


    Boom!


    With a loud noise, one of the walls on the second floor of the building was destroyed, and the figure of a person shot out, flying several dozen meters before crashing to the ground.


    The person who had just been sent flying was none other than the new owner of the soldiers'' mess hall, who, still conscious, was trembling as he looked in fear at the hole on the second floor.


    [IMPORTANT NOTICE ??]

 Chapter 288 The Mad Demon

    .Having a solid background is always useful, especially in a society where the strong rule, and the weak endure. sea??h th�� n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This is an undeniable reality, and in demon society, where strength is the utmost priority, this reality is the norm.


    For the new manager, who, through his family connections, had successfully become the owner of the soldiers'' mess hall, living in such a place was like living in paradise.


    Thanks to the fact that his family had a commander at the second stage of the spiritual realm, he had been able to live a carefree and obstacle-free life.


    With his strength at the peak of the mortal realm, he was qualified to join one of the most renowned squads in Red Moon City, but for an ambitious man like him, that alone was not enough.


    For someone like him, who had always grown up looking down on others, being under someone who at most had one or two stages above his family''s commander was unacceptable, so he decided to take his time to ascend , and create his own squad.


    Given his current cultivation rank, this wasn''t feasible, but he knew it wouldn''t take more than ten years for him to successfully break through to the next realm.


    Meanwhile, his plan was to forge connections and get in touch with as many promising soldiers as possible so that he would already have an army ready when he attained the position of Commander.


    And where better than the soldiers'' mess hall to find such promising individuals?


    He had tried to negotiate peacefully with the previous owner, but the latter refused.


    Being someone unaccustomed to receiving a "no" as an answer, he naturally didn''t take it well, so he made a call, and a week later, he received the mess hall from the same previous owner.


    Seeing the scene of the person who was so firm in their decision earlier, bowing their head and surrendering without protest, made him happy, so he decided not to make the other party ''disappear'' as he usually did.


    That said, he wasn''t someone who would dirty his hands managing something as lowly as a mess hall, so he hired some staff to take care of everything, firing the existing personnel without a second thought.


    The only exceptions to this were the people working in the kitchen.


    That was one aspect of the mess hall that didn''t interest him. As long as those people didn''t cause him any trouble, he wouldn''t pay them any attention.


    At least, that was his plan. But when one of the promising individuals he identified, and to whom he offered a spot in the squad he was creating, asked for a slave who worked in the kitchen in exchange for their loyalty, he didn''t think twice. He personally went to the kitchen to take that slave and hand her over to the soldier.


    At the time, he didn''t think much about the matter because the person in question was a slave, and moreover, one without any kind of mark.


    This could only mean that she was a slave with a low-level master, in other words, a slave he could claim as his property and do with as he pleased without worrying about the consequences of his actions.


    After all, what could her owner do? Thank him personally for taking her without permission?


    He had then mocked the matter, putting it aside without much thought.


    But now, lying on the ground with several bones in his body broken, trembling as he looked toward the figure in front of him, he cursed himself internally for that decision.


    ''Damn it, why her of all people?'' he thought, cursing himself for the umpteenth time.


    Having a strong background had allowed him to do whatever he wanted without worrying too much about offending someone, because even if he did and that person turned out to have some power, he could always negotiate to save his life, as he always had.


    But this only worked if the other party was someone at an equivalent level.


    Like a high-ranking commander at a level similar to his family''s protector.


    Unfortunately for him, this time fate wasn''t on his side, and not only was the other party someone more powerful than his family''s protector, but they were also the person no one would ever want to deal with.


    The commander of the second-strongest army unit in Red Moon City''s base.


    The Mad Demon, Jing Xia.


    She, who usually always had a neutral expression no matter the situation, at this moment had a cold look as a murderous intent emanated from her.


    The pressure from that gaze alone was enough to make any cultivator below the fifth stage faint. For a place filled primarily with low-level soldiers, this murderous intent was too overwhelming, knocking out everyone within a hundred-meter radius.


    The killing intent emanating from her at this moment was highly concentrated and was primarily directed toward the person at her feet.


    Had it not been so, by now half the city would have been on the ground fighting for their lives.


    Some other commanders nearby felt this pressure and were ready to intervene to stop whatever commotion was about to start, but as soon as they saw who was the source of this disturbance, they all turned on their heels and walked in the opposite direction, pretending not to have seen anything.


    Everyone in the city knew Jing Xia, and while many held a very serene image of her, as someone who avoided interacting with anyone and minded her own business, they also all knew that this commander was not someone to provoke.


    This was because, currently in the base, no one below the rank of a General could confidently claim to have the upper hand against her in battle.


    This was because she had already reached the peak of the third stage, and many believed she was very close to reaching the fourth stage, an impressive feat considering her age and her nearly nonexistent background.


    She was someone not only feared but also highly respected among all the demon commanders, so no one wanted to get on her bad side,


    knowing that even if they tried, the only thing they would encounter would be the blade of her sword and a spot on her endless list of kills.

 Chapter 289 The Demon Kings Absence

    . Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Jing Xia did not concern herself with the chaos she had caused and focused her attention on the person in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak.


    Seeing the usually silent figure, who normally acted rather than spoke, say something, the manager thought he might still have a chance to save himself. Unfortunately for him, reality is not always so kind.


    "Who?" she said simply, leaving the manager, who was prepared for anything, slightly confused.


    "E-excuse me, I don''t think I understand what you mean," he stammered, choosing his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to say something that would seal his fate.


    Jing Xia showed no reaction and repeated her question once more.


    "Who was it?"


    This time, he understood immediately what she was referring to and, without hesitation, responded:


    "Oh, the person who bought the slave? Yes, I know who they are, and don''t worry, I know exactly where to find them," the manager said, offering to personally escort her to the soldier in question.


    He was even prepared to grovel at her metal boots if it meant she would spare him, so he had no objections to leading her there himself.


    He desperately hoped this would be enough to at least calm her down a little, but when he met her gaze, he realized it was all an illusion.


    In that moment, he understood that the moment he sold that slave, he had already sealed his fate.


    On the opposite side of the entrance to the Red Moon City, atop a hill that towered over the city, stood the castle of the Demon King of this city.


    The castle, built on the hillside, was grand and majestic, surrounded by numerous spires.


    If Ethan were here, he would have involuntarily associated it with the Gothic architectural style of his previous world.


    Inside, in a chamber, a man sat on a throne made of obsidian-like stone. With his head resting on the fist of his hand, and his eyes closed, he listened to what the counselor was saying.


    He was M�� Li��, the general of this demonic base.


    Currently, in the absence of the Demon King, it was his duty to manage all matters concerning the army, ranging from hearing mission reports from various teams to handling resources for both the city and future expeditions, as well as approving or rejecting a final report to be sent to their homeland about the state of affairs at this base.


    For him, doing all this was nothing new because even if the Demon King were at the base, it would still fall on him to handle these tasks.


    The Demon King, being a prominent figure, could only be disturbed for matters far more significant than hearing simple reports about the outcome of a low-level mission.


    Thus, these tedious matters always fell to him, and unlike the Demon King, he could not delegate these tasks to someone else.


    So here he was, hearing the same things for the umpteenth time.


    Or at least, that''s what he would have wanted.


    But while outwardly he maintained a calm expression as he listened to the counselor''s mission reports, internally, he was a bit unsettled by a recent event.


    "And speaking of casualties, I believe you should see this," said the advisor, handing over a talisman.


    Hm?


    M�� Li��, upon hearing the counselor''s words, slowly opened his golden eyes and focused his attention on the talisman, made of a reddish-black material, floating before him.


    ''This is...''


    He examined the talisman, and his eyes widened slightly as he turned his gaze toward the counselor, who immediately spoke:


    "This morning, we detected that the life-detection talisman of one of our demon commanders sent on a mission had been deactivated," he said, pulling out a document.


    "The talisman belongs to Yi Tiao, the nephew of the King," the advisor said, clearly uneasy.


    And why wouldn''t he be? After all, they were talking about the death of the Demon King''s nephew.


    Clearly, the news was nothing good for them because ultimately, the King''s fury would first be unleashed on them before moving on to whoever had killed Yi Tiao.


    While the counselor reached his own conclusions, M�� Li��, who had calmly listened to the report, now showed a look of realization as he understood the reason behind the Demon King''s absence.


    He had been somewhat troubled earlier because the sudden departure of the King was unusual.


    Normally, he remained in his castle, cultivating behind closed doors and further stabilizing his foundations for his eventual divine ascension.


    But a few days ago, he had left without notifying anyone, leading M�� Li�� to think something significant had happened for the King to act personally.


    Now, hearing the report of Yi Tiao''s death, he realized this was most likely the reason.


    He could only shake his head as he set the talisman aside.


    Given the different dimensions, communication via talismans arrived with a certain delay, so it was normal for them to have learned of Yi Tiao''s death only today.


    On the other hand, it was a different matter for a Demon King, who was already at the peak of the spiritual rank.


    For him, learning of this matter would have been much more immediate because he could have felt the connection through their bloodline sever the moment it happened.


    Therefore, it was understandable that he had left immediately rather than waiting to check whether his nephew''s life-detection talisman was active or not.


    M�� Li�� could only shake his head as he pondered how to proceed from here.


    The least he could do at this point was to gather information on the location of Yi Tiao''s death.


    This was not only to prepare an invasion force to complete the task Yi Tiao had failed to accomplish but also to better understand the circumstances of his death.


    If he recalled correctly, Yi Tiao had been sent on a relatively safe mission, and he himself had chosen this mission for him because he didn''t want him to end up killed somewhere.


    After all, he was well aware of Yi Tiao''s reckless nature, and the last thing he wanted was for him to die on a mission that was too difficult.


    Now that he was dead, M�� Li�� had to face his share of responsibility.


    Knowing full well he could not avoid it, he decided to prepare for what was to come.


    The counselor, understanding what the general intended to do, did not wait for orders and immediately handed over the documents regarding the location where Yi Tiao had gone on his mission.


    The counselor also had another life-detection talisman linked to another member who had gone on the mission with Yi Tiao. But seeing that the general was not interested in knowing about him, he set it aside for the moment.


    It so happened that the other member of the expedition was none other than the general''s son, Mo Yan, the first demon of spiritual rank killed by Ethan.

 Chapter 290 Lack of Information

    .Ethan entered the massive building, shaped like a black bean, to see what it was like inside.


    The building was, in every respect, a teleportation station, but unlike what he expected to see, there were no platforms or anything else to indicate that it was one.


    ''This is supposed to be a teleportation station?''


    He thought as he looked around at the large, paved area, completely empty, with no platform or anything remotely resembling a teleportation device.


    He would have asked Lin Yu, but the girl knew even less than he did.


    Apparently, even though she was born here, she still didn''t know all the places in the city, including this area.


    According to what she told him, she had been a slave, and after her parents died, she spent her time either working in the mess hall or returning to the accommodations provided for her. These were nothing special but enough for her to at least rest.


    Needless to say, those accommodations clearly lacked various daily necessities, but she made do with what she had and in fact, managed to live relatively well. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, her routine of going back and forth between her quarters and the mess hall hadn''t given her many opportunities to explore the rest of the city properly.


    Even on the few occasions when it was her turn to buy some supplies that were running out, she didn''t venture far from her usual spots.


    So her knowledge of the city was very limited, and Ethan had the impression that the informations he received from the two demons were much more than what she had.


    But even that wasn''t particularly helpful, because one of the two soldiers was a city guard who had never been on a mission due to his low rank and his fear of dying in one of them.


    The other, who did have the opportunity and a decent cultivation base for his age, hadn''t gone on any missions yet because he had only recently enlisted, and his first mission wouldn''t be for at least a couple of months.


    In short, neither of them had any concrete information about the teleportation station.


    The only good thing in all of this was that Ethan, with his cultivation suppressed to the fifth stage of the Mortal Realm, had managed to convince the guard to let them in.


    But that was all.


    Ethan could only shake his head, thinking that he needed to find some time to absorb one of those Spirit Realm demons.


    They surely knew more about this place.


    Even though he couldn''t return to his minor dimension due to the risk of alerting the Demon King of this place, extracting one of those demons was another matter, something he could do even from outside.


    In the end, he thought this was all he could do for the moment; it wasn''t like he was short on time, after all. He was certain that without some coordinates, he wouldn''t get anywhere, and perhaps these demons might actually have the coordinates?


    After all, they had activated the portal in the first place to get here, so surely one of them had to know, right?


    Ethan had already thoroughly examined Mo Yan''s soul and could say that this demon didn''t know much about coordinates or related matters.


    Ethan only thought that maybe he should have preserved the rest of his soul to get more information about this place, but there was no point crying over spilled milk.


    "Come on, let''s go," he said to the elf girl, and the two of them headed outside the building.


    Getting in could be a problem if you didn''t have permission or something to prove you were a soldier, but getting out wasn''t, so they simply exited, ready to head back.


    As they did, Ethan wondered what he should do in the meantime.


    His primary goal was to find a way home, but he knew well that this wasn''t something he could achieve overnight.


    He knew he would remain here for a while, and depending on the circumstances, that "while" could range from weeks to months, if not years.


    Ethan intended to blend into this society, and he had to figure out how to do it.


    He had initially considered becoming an alchemist or array master here, but from the knowledge he had gained, these professions, while they existed, were very rare among demons, and those who practiced them were well-known by everyone.


    He realized that he would attract the attention of the general or, worse, the Demon King if he stood out in this way.


    So, he needed to find something more suitable, something that would allow him not only to live here safely but also to learn more about the place, something that would give him the opportunity to escape at the right moment.


    "Master, why don''t you join a squad?" Lin Yu said when he asked for her opinion.


    Ethan didn''t pay attention to how she referred to him, as the explanation she gave was the same as the collar''s, namely, that if she wanted to pass as his slave in front of others, she would have to act like one.


    And this was one of the things she had to do, at least in public.


    "A squad? Like those that go on missions?" Ethan asked, immediately understanding what she meant.


    "Yes. All demons are allowed to participate in the admission exam.


    From what little I know, the only requirement to join the demonic army and be eligible to join one of the many squads led by commanders is to be at least at the end of the Body Refinement stage.


    The higher the rank, the better the squad you can join.


    With your strength, I''m sure you can join one of the strongest squads in the base," the elf said with excitement, and Ethan, seeing her reaction, couldn''t help but doubt her so-called limited knowledge.


    "Little monster, how do you know all this?" he asked the elf girl, who, not long ago, had claimed to know little about the city.


    "Who are you calling a monster?" she instinctively replied, but then, realizing she had to play the part of a slave, she adjusted her words:


    "Hmph�� I mean, it''s common knowledge in the city. Even slaves like us know it. In fact, some of us who are more inclined toward combat can even attempt to join a squad.


    Of course, our position would still be lower compared to others regardless of our strength, but even this is possible as long as our master allows it," she said, clarifying his doubts.


    "Oh? Then why don''t you join as well?"

 Chapter 291 Spiritual Qi Pearl

    .When Lin Yu heard it for the first time, she glanced at Ethan with an expression that seemed to say:


    Isn''t it obvious why? S��ar?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But who would have thought that Ethan wouldn''t care, and instead, the next day, they found themselves outside the city in a small clearing in the nearby forest, with her holding a sword and him standing calmly in front of her, looking at her with an expression that sent chills down her spine.


    "Wait, you don''t mean I have to take the test too, right?" she asked in a slightly trembling voice, fearing what was probably about to happen.


    "Well, yes, isn''t it obvious?" he replied as if it were no big deal.


    "I know I said I''d follow you, but there''s really no need for me to take the test, you know?


    The team allows the participation of slaves who will do the work of porters or material gatherers. There''s really no need for me to go to such lengths," she said, thinking that Ethan hadn''t considered this alternative.


    But unfortunately for her, it didn''t seem like she had a choice.


    "You asked to follow me, and in exchange, you agreed to follow my instructions. I can''t take you around and have to take care of you every time.


    It''s time for you to start cultivating and becoming stronger.


    You can''t always rely on others to save your skin," Ethan said, noticing the elven girl''s childish behavior.


    Due to her mature demeanor, he often forgot that the girl was still very young, but he was glad to see that her childish side was still present.


    He might not have gone through her life experiences, but he had faced his fair share of problems as a young man when he was still a student, and his parents had passed away.


    Back then, he had learned that it was better to grow up quickly if one didn''t want to be swallowed up by the rest of the world.


    Seeing the elven girl now, he couldn''t help but compare her to his younger self, so he decided to help her, even if just a little.


    The girl had all the potential to become a powerhouse that would stand out compared to many others.


    The only thing she lacked was resources, and Ethan, who had the means to help her, decided to do so,


    at least enough for her to stand on her own two feet without having to seek help from others, as she had done so far.


    Relying on others wasn''t a problem, but he knew that continuing to do so was unsustainable, and in many cases, it would do more harm than good. It was better to make her understand this as soon as possible.


    "Cultivate? Me?" she said in a low voice, thinking about it for a moment.


    The elven girl had, in the past, thought about secretly cultivating and becoming strong enough to escape from here, but there was one problem.


    In this place, there wasn''t any positive spiritual energy to use for cultivation.


    Since she wasn''t a demonic being, she couldn''t use demonic Qi for cultivation, as doing so would slowly corrupt her body. She would end up becoming a being without a mind, driven entirely by her primal instincts.


    A brainless beast, so to speak.


    Given this, she thought it was better to remain a slave and wait for another opportunity rather than risk cultivating in these conditions and dying by absorbing demonic Qi.


    So hearing the other party say that she had to cultivate brought her neither joy nor anything else.


    She was about to tell him that she couldn''t cultivate because she wasn''t a demon like him, but just as she was about to do so, she heard a rustling sound and saw something small flying toward her.


    Instinctively, she caught it.


    The object''s speed wasn''t too high and it hadn''t been thrown with too much force, so she was able to see it and catch it quite easily.


    Huh?


    She opened her palm and saw a small round object, similar to a bead.


    The object had a smooth and durable surface, as if it were made of transparent glass. Inside, there was a strange white light that seemed to be contained by the outer layer, preventing it from emitting any rays of light externally.


    As she observed it, she felt a faint aura emanating from it, and for some reason, it had a strange effect on her.


    ''I feel�� refreshed?''


    She was a bit confused by this object and looked at Ethan, who had thrown it.


    "That''s a Spiritual Qi Pearl. It will help you by providing refined spiritual Qi, ready to be absorbed into your dantian," he explained as if he already knew what she was thinking.


    "What? This is refined spiritual Qi?" She realized that this was likely condensed spiritual Qi in the form of this bead.


    This explained the refreshing effect it seemed to have on her, just from inhaling its faint aura.


    Naturally, she didn''t know that spiritual Qi could be condensed into something like this, but that wasn''t what surprised her the most.


    What astonished her was the fact that the demon before her possessed such an item.


    She could have guessed that it was something he might have collected during a journey to another dimension, but why keep it with him?


    After all, it was known that spiritual energy and demonic energy were like the poles of two magnets.


    They repelled each other, and it was impossible to assimilate both because they were opposites.


    Just as she was about to ask more about the pearl, she stopped herself.


    She knew the other party had a mysterious background, and although he was a demon, he was very different from others she had encountered.


    His knowledge of this place itself was too limited, something that shouldn''t have been possible, even if he were a soldier from another demonic base.


    But all of this didn''t matter to her then. What mattered was the fact that her instincts told her that following him would benefit her, and from how he had treated her during this short period, it seemed she hadn''t been wrong.


    She naturally had her doubts about him, but she didn''t dare to ask.


    She understood that the other party had his secrets, and it wasn''t wise to meddle too much in other people''s affairs, or she might risk being abandoned by him.


    She might still have her slightly childish side, but she had also developed a level of maturity over the past three years. So she tightened her grip on the pearl and gave a slight bow to Ethan, saying:


    "Thank you, Master."


    This time, however, the word "Master" didn''t mean "owner," but more like a teacher who had decided to help her become stronger.

 Chapter 292 Tūnshì Shēnyuān

    .Ethan did not need this refined spiritual Qi pearl because, although the amount of Qi contained within it was not insignificant, for someone like him who was already beyond the mortal realm, that quantity was far too small, almost negligible.


    It was like a drop of water in an ocean. Too little for his current level.


    He had designed it to help the two Guo brothers when they were still in the early stages of their cultivation.


    As is well known, cultivation consists of gathering Qi from the surrounding environment and using it to refine one''s body.


    In the early stages, this Qi is used to strengthen the body and establish the foundation upon which the rest of one''s cultivation is built.


    The process of gathering Qi had always been something Ethan could skip thanks to the system, which would supply him with the Qi needed simply by producing a couple of pills. All he had to do was allocate the Qi to establish his cultivation foundation.


    Naturally, things changed as he progressed further, but for the first two stages, this method was highly efficient and fast.


    From the third stage onward, he needed to put in his own effort to prepare the core, assimilate a spiritual beast, fuse his soul with it, and so on...


    However, even at higher stages, the process of gathering Qi, which he had skipped thanks to this "cheat," remained an essential step.


    He was now doing a very similar thing by creating this pearl of spiritual Qi that not only gave the ready-made amount of spiritual Qi to the user, just as he received it from the system, by creating the pills, but it was also refined, in other words ready to be used.


    Ethan asked the elven girl if she knew how to assimilate it.


    After all, she might not necessarily have a cultivation technique suited for the mortal realm. Indeed, she had no idea how to do so.


    Consuming the pill and absorbing the refined Qi naturally could make one stronger, but there was a reason cultivation techniques existed.


    Doing it naturally was fine for beasts, which didn''t need techniques or other tools.


    Their bodies automatically handled the rest. However, it was different for humans and similar species, including elves.


    While they could naturally absorb Qi, and since this Qi was already refined, it wouldn''t harm her and would help to some extent, without a proper cultivation method, there was no way she could progress very far.


    Thus, Ethan decided to provide her with a technique himself. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn''t give her the standard one he had received from the Phoenix Sect but instead tailored one specifically for her, basing it on the anatomy of elves, which was not too different from that of humans, though it had its unique distinctions.


    After mentally receiving the cultivation technique from Ethan, the elven girl immediately sat cross-legged and began cultivating, while Ethan secured the surrounding area by slightly expanding his demonic Qi intent.


    The effect was immediate, as the moment he released it to a certain degree, all the beasts within a mile radius scattered and fled.


    While all this was happening, Lin Yu, who had just started absorbing the refined Qi in the pill, didn''t perceive anything and immediately immersed herself in her cultivation.


    Thanks to Ethan''s pill, her cultivation would progress much faster, not to Ethan''s level, but fast enough for her to break through to the Body Refining stage in less than a day, a feat that was difficult even for elves, who had slightly higher cultivation talent compared to other races.


    Thus, while Ethan instructed the elven girl, not only helping her with cultivation but also later with basic combat techniques, both unarmed and armed,


    Elsewhere, someone else was losing their mind over recent events.


    ***


    After confirming the information in the possession of the soldiers'' mess hall owner, Jing Xia wasted no more time with the now half-dead owner and swiftly severed his head without hesitation.


    What seemed like a quick death to ordinary people, however, was far from it to those who knew her.


    Everyone who knew Jing Xia and her achievements on the battlefield understood that what she had just done to the mess hall owner was far worse than death.


    Not only had she extracted all the information directly from his soul, but she had also fed the remnants of his soul to her sword, an artifact very few knew was a demonic soul weapon.


    The real reason why no one wanted to cross her wasn''t that they feared losing, but because they dreaded ending up as food for her sword.


    That demonic sword had another name, and just hearing it made everyone shudder.


    T��nsh�� Sh��nyu��n (������Ԩ)


    This was the name of the weapon, which meant "Devouring Abyss."


    This weapon was a demonic artifact naturally forged in a source of highly condensed demonic Qi, said to have been produced from the corpse of a demonic emperor, a rank above that of a demon king.


    In other words, a demon who had ascended to divinity, becoming a true demon god.


    Many demons had attempted to wield this sword in the past, but all of them were inevitably devoured by it over time.


    This fact alone discouraged all demons in the spiritual realm from trying to claim it.


    However, there was one exception to this rule, and that exception was none other than Jing Xia, who had not only managed to resist the sword''s power so far but had also subdued it to some extent, making her one of the most formidable beings in the spiritual realm.


    She might still be at the peak of the third stage, but thanks to this sword and her natural strength, which was far superior to others at her level, she could be a threat even to fourth and fifth-stage beings if she unleashed the full power of the sword.


    The terror of this weapon was deeply imprinted in all who knew it, and they sympathized with the fate of the soldiers'' mess hall owner, whose soul had been fed to the sword.


    This was also why Xu�� Sh��, the protector of the Xu�� family, the same family to which the new owner of the soldiers'' mess hall belonged, was now trembling with anger.

 Chapter 293 The Fury of Xue Sha

    .Xue Sha had just returned from one of his expeditions and had spent the past few months in seclusion while consolidating his cultivation, which had now reached the peak of the second stage.


    He was very close to ascending to the stage of Domain Expansion, the stage where the spiritual core was finally completed, thus beginning the creation of one''s inner world.


    In other words, the start of one''s domain.


    This stage would elevate him even higher in the ranking of commanders, and he would finally enter the Top Ten of the strongest commanders of the base.


    It might not seem like much, but it was already a point of pride to be a commander in the top 15.


    This meant that you were several levels higher than the other commanders, and consequently, your influence in the base was also greater.


    In fact, within the base, there were many squads, but those with a commander at the spiritual rank numbered slightly less than 50.


    Most of these commanders were at the first stage, with a few near or already at the second stage.


    That said, these were still the majority.


    The minority consisted of those at the peak of the second stage and even the third stage.


    In fact, only 30 people were at the peak of the second stage, with only 10 at the third stage and one at the fourth.


    Beyond this, there was the direct promotion to general of an army of commanders, and such a person would be sent back to their home planet to be reassigned to another base as a general.


    Currently, the Top Ten was entirely composed of commanders at the third stage of the spiritual rank, with those at the peak of the third stage making up the Top Five, among whom Jing Xia held the second position, second only to the commander who had reached the fourth stage.


    Although many believed that in a life-or-death battle between the top two, Jing Xia had a greater chance of winning, it was also true that the first commander had hidden cards up his sleeve, so no one could be truly certain. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That being said, the first commander had at least four soldiers at the first stage of the spiritual rank in his squad, whereas Jing Xia had only one, and for this reason, she was ranked second.


    Naturally, whether she was first or second did not really matter to her. After all, she relied solely on her strength, not on the prestige and influence that came with her position.


    Xue Sha, who was now on the verge of entering the third stage, would finally enter the Top Ten, and this would make him much more influential in Red Moon City.


    But who would have imagined that just as he was rejoicing over this fact, the news of the death of a promising member of his family would reach him?


    And not just any promising member, but the most promising one in his family.


    The one closest to becoming another squad commander.


    This almost sent him into a rage, destabilizing his cultivation base, which was at a critical point.


    "Tell me who the hell dared to kill a member of my Xue family. I will personally skin him little by little, and then kill all his relatives in front of him, and then feed them to my demon hounds," he said, furious, almost causing the entire Xue family manor to tremble.


    He was currently in seclusion when a servant arrived to deliver the news.


    He could barely contain himself.


    He never would have thought that someone would dare do such a thing in Red Moon City.


    This was not only an affront to the Xue family but also to him, a commander of one of the most powerful armies in the base.


    To him, it was no different from spitting in his face, and this naturally did not sit well with him.


    The servant standing before him, trembling from the suppressive killing intent, was struggling to remain conscious.


    Straining to hold himself together, he spoke with difficulty and said:


    "P-Protector, the person... who killed the young master was Commander Jing Xia."


    The servant struggled to resist the overwhelming killing intent and, in the end, couldn''t finish his words properly, collapsing unconscious.


    But although he couldn''t say it clearly, the other party managed to understand whom he was talking about, and as soon as he heard it, all the anger he had displayed just moments ago vanished, replaced by fear as he cursed.


    "How the hell did he manage to offend that person?" He knew very well who the second commander of the Red Moon City base was, and as such, he was also aware of her strength.


    He knew that if she wanted, she could destroy his entire family, including himself, without too much effort. Thus, he was terrified by the news.


    That being said, he still had a glimmer of anger remaining.


    He knew that if the other party hadn''t made a move yet, she most likely wouldn''t destroy the entire family.


    ''That woman might be worse than a demon in battle, but she doesn''t dirty her hands more than necessary,'' he thought, knowing well how Jing Xua usually was.


    Everyone knew this, but that didn''t mean they were any less cautious when dealing with her.


    After all, everyone has a limit, and if pushed beyond that limit, there''s no turning back.


    No one wanted to make her reach that limit, and Xue Sha knew that this time, the member of his family had come very close to it.


    Although the death of the family member was a cause for anger, it was even more infuriating that he was powerless against her now, and he knew full well that he would remain so even after advancing to the next stage.


    Bam!


    He punched the ground out of frustration, causing cracks to appear all over the floor, spreading across its entirety.


    The floor was paved with tiles made of a very durable material, yet a single punch had caused them all to crack quickly.


    But this didn''t matter to Xue Sha, who continued to ponder what to do for a while before finally making a decision.


    With his expression still dark, he stood up and, looking in a certain direction, took a step, disappearing silently.


    He had no intention of accepting this humiliation with his head bowed, but he also knew that if he went to bother her, it would only lead to the end of his family, and no one would help them. Therefore, he had to resort to another way to seek his revenge.


    A way he would prefer not to use under normal circumstances.

 Chapter 294 New Information

    .The day passed, and finally, the next day, both Lin Yu and Ethan found themselves in the recruitment area, which was located in the eastern part of the city.


    Upon arrival, they saw that there was already a long line of demons waiting for their turn, and seeing them, Ethan couldn''t help but wonder what time they had arrived.


    It was still early morning, even though the sky was always dark here, so it didn''t make sense to talk about morning or evening in the first place.


    He eventually shook his head and lined up with Lin Yu, calmly waiting for his turn.


    He thought that this was also a good opportunity to examine those who went before him, just to get an idea of what the test would be like.


    While waiting, Ethan took his time to assess the strength of the other participants and discovered that the average cultivation base of everyone was at the second stage, with some at the first stage and a few at the third.


    He had to note that there were no demons at the fourth or fifth stages, and for a moment, he wondered why.


    But then, thinking back to the demon ranking, he could form an idea.


    Soldiers within the second stage were considered common or weak soldiers, even cannon fodder for some.


    In contrast, soldiers at the third and fourth stages were promising and were considered two-star soldiers.


    Here, although the third stage was included, it wasn''t as highly regarded as the fourth.


    Therefore, it was normal to see demons at the third stage attempting to take the test here, unlike those at the fourth stage, who were usually recruited fairly quickly because of their strength and didn''t need to come here.


    This was especially true because those at the fourth stage were usually demons who had already been part of a squad much earlier and had risen in level over time through missions.


    The few exceptions of those not yet in squads were rare cases.


    Needless to say, the situation was very similar for those at the fifth stage, so it didn''t make sense to look for one here in the first place.


    He continued to assess the overall strength of everyone, and in the end, he made his decision.


    He had examined the strength of everyone not only to get an idea of the average strength of the participants but also to decide at what level to lower his own strength so as not to draw too much attention.


    Now that he had seen that the third stage was the highest present here, he decided to lower himself below the third stage and go directly to the middle of the second stage.


    Slightly above average, but not too much, thus staying in a safe zone.


    For now, he just wanted to see how things worked, and once he had done so, he could decide to switch to a better squad.


    This was a possibility granted to everyone because forcing a demon to stay in the same squad even after becoming much stronger would only harm their growth, and for the demonic army, where the soldiers'' strength was crucial, doing such a thing wasn''t beneficial in any way.


    At this point, Ethan had a much better understanding of this place, thanks to the fact that he had finally absorbed one of the three demons yesterday.


    After Lin Yu began cultivating, he took that time to deal with the matter of the three demons in his minor dimension.


    Devouring them all was feasible, but he couldn''t do it with the same ease he usually did, and this was because he was in this place, where the slightest mistake could get him caught. Therefore, he took the weakest of the three and absorbed its energy in small quantities.


    The demons were still alive, with their souls still intact, so he could still make good use of them.


    First of all, he took the soul of the demon and performed a deep inspection, this time not overlooking details as he had done with Mo Yan''s soul.


    Back then, he had done so because, although his brain could process information at an astronomical speed, the amount of information was also not low, considering that Mo Yan had lived several centuries before going into hibernation to ascend.


    Thus, instead of examining every single piece, he had directly focused on what interested him. But now he needed to know everything he could, so he spent the entire day and night carefully examining the information, starting with finding out who the demon was and their connection to this city, and then moving on to everything else.


    He discovered that the demon was one of Yi Tiao''s subordinates, the demon who had caused the portal to open.


    He learned that Yi Tiao belonged to a prestigious family of demons in their homeland, which was a dimension much larger than this one, according to the information, far larger than the mortal plane.


    Yi Tiao had come to this place due to a custom of the demons. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In simple terms, young demons, young being relative, as it referred to those under 1,000 years of age,


    were required to perform mandatory service at one of the bases scattered throughout the universe once they reached the spiritual rank.


    For demons, this was an honor because the better results they achieved, the more prestige they would bring to their household.


    Although it was mandatory, it was rarely necessary to enforce it, as all demons, noble or not, willingly went into battle, each for different reasons, which ultimately contributed to their race.


    In this aspect, one could say that demons were a united race, though they still had their fair share of discrimination among their kind.


    That said, the demon was a subordinate of Yi Tiao, raised by his household to assist Yi Tiao in the future, as in this case when he had set out for the military base.


    He was one of his most promising subordinates, as he had also managed to reach the spiritual rank very early.


    Alongside him, there were only three others, making up Yi Tiao''s squad.


    He learned that their squad had always consisted of five people and had never accepted anyone else, even if they were at the spiritual rank.


    The requirement Yi Tiao had set for joining his squad was to be at least at the second stage of the spiritual rank.


    Being at the first stage might have worked for some, especially since Yi Tiao''s grandfather was the demon king of this base. Thus, even if they were at the first stage of the spiritual rank and could form their own squad, joining Yi Tiao could bring more benefits in the future.


    However, seeing that Yi Tiao wasn''t satisfied with people at the first stage, no one really bothered to join him; after all, at that stage, they could achieve good results on their own.


    It didn''t make sense to join him, and Ethan shared a similar opinion on this matter.


    So, he simply thought the demon was the typical young master who had gotten too full of himself and kept examining the demon''s soul.

 Chapter 295 Beginning of the Test

    .Ethan was initially hopeful about discovering more information about the Demon King, but unfortunately for him, this subordinate had never seen him before, and Yi Tiao''s soul was lost, so there was nothing he could learn from him either.


    That said, the information obtained from Yi Tiao''s subordinate was still very useful, especially regarding this base and, most importantly, the functionality of the portal.


    He had discovered that the large space at the center of the teleportation station was an area where portals could be opened.


    A separate platform wasn''t necessary for each portal.


    That large area sufficed, where, depending on the coordinates entered into a device, portals could be opened.


    These devices, however, were only the property of demon commanders and were assigned to them upon their appointment.


    As for the coordinates, the demon didn''t know them, but Ethan learned that perhaps the shadow demon, the second strongest in Yi Tiao''s squad, might know them, as he was Yi Tiao''s right-hand man.


    Ethan, therefore, decided he would also absorb that demon after recruitment.


    That said, although the demon was the weakest in the squad, he wasn''t useless and provided Ethan with a lot of useful information, as well as many stat points.


    Moyan, who had only recently advanced, had given Ethan a considerable amount of stat points, so when Ethan absorbed the demon of the spiritual rank, he expected something a bit more��and indeed, he was right.


    [You have gained +14,000 STR]


    [You have gained +12,500 AGI]


    [You have gained +5,000 INT]


    [You have gained +4,000 Soul Strength]


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (advanced)


    QI: 100M / 100M


    Physique: Minor Demonic Physique


    Strength: 42,787 �� 56,787


    Agility: 36,577 �� 49,077


    Intelligence: 21,289 �� 26,289


    Soul Strength: 5,014 �� 9,014


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 468M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    As usual, Ethan''s stats didn''t increase uniformly.


    From the strength and agility stats, which, as usual, were the ones that saw the largest increases of well over 30%, to the intelligence and soul strength stats, which, as always, had the smallest increases among the four, rising by 20% and 80% respectively.


    The soul strength might seem like the stat that increased the most, but over time, it would revert to being the lowest of all, for obvious reasons.


    For now, the stat was already low, so such a large boost appeared significant, but it obviously wouldn''t always be like this.


    That said, even so, Ethan had gained a quantity of soul strength that would take others tens of thousands of years to accumulate.


    According to him, he would reach the quantity of soul strength necessary for divine ascension long before reaching the sixth stage.


    If Ethan had wanted to estimate his power before and after this increase, he would have noticed that his overall total strength had increased by 33%, a significant boost, considering that all he had done was feed the weakest of the four demons to his special physique.


    Needless to say, Ethan couldn''t wait to absorb the remaining two demons, but for now, he would make do with this one. S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He regretted a bit the loss of the demon named Yi Tiao, as he was certain it would have been the one to provide him with the highest number of stats.


    He had always believed that demons were the fastest way to increase his strength, and now he was more certain of it than ever.


    Ethan could form an idea of the average statistics of a demon at the peak of the first stage of the spiritual realm and could say that they wouldn''t exceed 30k.


    Meanwhile, he had already reached that limit during the initial phase of the first stage of the spiritual realm.


    At the moment, he wasn''t certain of his maximum limit for this stage, but for now, it didn''t matter.


    He still had a long way to go and still had that condensed demonic energy sphere inside his sea of consciousness.


    He was certain that the amount contained within it would be high enough to allow him to reach the stat limit for this stage very quickly.


    That said, he wasn''t the only one who received a power boost.


    Next to him, the elf girl, who now appeared much healthier, had also undergone her fair share of improvements.


    Just by looking at her, one could tell that her physical form was much better, as if she had been training her body for years, and the same could be said about her cultivation.


    At this moment, she had reached the peak of the body-refining stage, just one step away from entering the next stage.


    Ethan told her not to advance.


    Although her body could withstand such a rapid advancement, it wouldn''t benefit her in the long term, even more so because she wouldn''t have time to adapt to her newfound strength. Therefore, he told her to stop at this stage for now.


    Experience exclusive tales on empire


    Although Ethan had also helped her learn some basic combat techniques, both armed and unarmed, she was still at a very early stage.


    That said, he had to admit that despite it being her first time, she learned very quickly.


    He was certain that if he sent her to train in his minor dimension, she would surpass the Guo brothers in no time.


    This was because not only was the concentration of spiritual Qi there extremely high, but she would also have more opportunities to improve in terms of experience.


    Currently, his small world had grown enough and was populated with enough beings to be considered a true world, with various species, both intelligent and less so.


    If he were to throw her into the middle of the forest, as he and Bai Yu had done with the Guo brothers, he was certain that she would not only survive but also grow stronger at a very rapid pace.


    He wasn''t sure if all elves had such a high talent for cultivation, but she certainly did, and he intended to help her make full use of her talent.


    Ethan wondered how Bai Yu would react when they met again next time.


    He was certain that she would want to train the elf girl personally.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, the line of participants continued to dwindle until, after several hours, it was finally Ethan and Lin Yu''s turn.


    By this point, Ethan already had an idea of how the test was conducted, and it was exactly as he had heard.


    The test itself wasn''t anything complicated or something that required too much time.


    In short, to put it simply, they would first examine the cultivation base of the participants and then give them the opportunity to fight for 5 minutes against someone of their same level.


    If they managed to hold out, they would pass; otherwise, they could try again next time.


    Ethan had noticed that, unlike for those at the first rank, those at the third rank were given a choice of whether or not to fight, as their cultivation level was already high enough to be accepted into any squad.


    That said, although many were given this choice, none decided not to fight, and this was because there was an audience watching the tests, and this audience consisted precisely of officials and, more importantly, squad commanders.


    Although the commanders of the top 10 squads weren''t present, that didn''t mean there weren''t other famous commanders there.


    In fact, there were several, ranging from those in the top 50 to even some from the top 20.


    All the participants intended to perform their best in this demonstration of their abilities, hoping to catch the attention of one of them.


    Especially after seeing that the commander holding the 17th position had already recruited one of the cultivators from the third stage of the mortal rank.


    This event had raised everyone''s expectations.


    Many knew they wouldn''t have the same opportunity as that participant, but they hoped to at least receive an invitation from a strong squad, even if it wasn''t in the top 20.


    For soldiers of their level, even those in the top 30 were already significant, so after that participant, the subsequent examination became a bit more intense, and everyone anticipated seeing some good performances.

 Chapter 296 Weapons Consciousness

    .The streets of the Red Moon City were bustling at every hour, from morning till evening.


    Although there wasn''t really a sun to indicate day and night here, the inhabitants of this base had adopted their own schedule, which was very similar to that of their homeland.


    At this moment, it would be evening, and if there were a sun, one would see it setting on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of yellow, orange, and red.


    But for now, all that could be seen was the emptiness of space within this in-between dimension.


    In this atmosphere, where everyone tended to relax their nerves and alleviate the fatigue of the day, a person was walking along the slightly crowded street.


    The person in question was a young woman with white hair and red eyes, seemingly dressed in a mix of armor and casual clothing.


    Although the individual herself was quite attractive, what particularly made her stand out wasn''t these details but the heavy aura that surrounded her.


    From nearby passersby to animals with peculiar appearances, no one dared approach her at this moment.


    Their instincts told them that certain death awaited if they did, and while this wasn''t necessarily true, none wanted to take their chances by crossing her path.


    The woman in question was, of course, none other than Jing Xia, who had just finished raiding a residence.


    Judging by her unhappy mood at the moment, it was clear that she hadn''t been successful.


    As she continued walking along the main street of the city, her thoughts wandered to what she had discovered after visiting the residence of the soldier who had purchased the elf.


    Upon her arrival, she had directly broken into the residence, not only because she didn''t really care about basic courtesies at that moment but also because she could sense that there was no one home.


    There could have been several reasons why the soldier was absent, so she didn''t waste time searching for him around the city but instead decided to rely on an object in her possession.


    She entered the house after forcing open the door and used her demonic sense to scour various corners of the place for anything of value.


    She soon found what she was looking for and, with a step, arrived directly at the spot.


    The item in question was nothing more than a thin red strand, almost invisible to the eyes of an ordinary observer who wouldn''t notice it immediately unless specifically searching for it. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A hair, most likely from the demon he was looking for.


    She didn''t bother picking it up with her hands but instead used her demonic energy to capture it and bring it close to her.


    Then, pulling out an object from her dimensional storage, something akin to a small pouch attached to her waist, she materialized what appeared to be a normal mirror, slightly smaller than the palm of her hand. Experience more on empire


    With a movement of her hand, she brought the red strand close to the mirror, which, upon sensing the presence of the hair, began to glow faintly red before pulling the strand into itself.


    In the blink of an eye, the hair was fully absorbed into the reflective surface of the mirror, as if it had been submerged in it.


    Jing Xia, watching the whole process, she didn''t show any expression and just waited.


    After a few seconds, the mirror, which had stopped glowing, lit up once again, but this time, the light was no longer red, it was black.


    Seeing this, Jing Xia''s eyes sharpened slightly as she observed the strand that had been absorbed by the mirror being expelled.


    The strand fell like a light feather, twisting in the air as it descended.


    The mirror floated in the air briefly before she sent it back into her dimensional storage.


    The object she had just used was a locator that all the commanders of the base possessed.


    It was an enchanted item that allowed the user to locate individuals, provided they had something tied to that person.


    From everyday objects to simple body hairs or blood, anything worked as long as it had a connection to the person in question.


    The object would light up in three different ways:


    Red, to indicate that the material used was valid for locating the person.


    Green, to signify that the person had been found, in which case another function could be used to pinpoint their exact location.


    And finally, black, to indicate that the person in question couldn''t be found.


    In these cases, several reasons were possible:


    The simplest being that the person was in a location too distant to be detected, such as a dimension too far away.


    Or more complex reasons, such as the individual being dead.


    That said, in either case, she currently had no way of tracking down that demon. And what was even more frustrating was that she wouldn''t be able to trace the elf girl either, as the object was effective only for the demon race and not so much for others.


    She had already toured the elf girl''s quarters and hadn''t found anything that could help her attempt to locate her. Hence, here she was, clenching her fists in frustration as she walked through the city.


    "It seems you''ve grown attached to that elf," said a feminine voice coming from nowhere.


    Although the voice was clear, no one nearby heard it, no one except Jing Xia herself, who showed no expression upon hearing it.


    "There''s no point dwelling on the matter. If something were to happen to her, it most likely has already happened. Why continue wasting time like this?" the voice continued, but once again, it received no response from her.


    Even though she hadn''t said anything, she tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword at her right side.


    The feminine voice didn''t sound again for a while before speaking once more:


    "Ah, I told you to leave a slave mark on her. At least that way, no one would have dared take her from you," the voice said again, but as she finished her words, it abruptly stopped, and Jing Xia''s footsteps also came to a halt as her gaze shifted in a particular direction.


    ''Hm? What was that?'' Jing Xia thought as she immediately felt her weapon react strangely.


    The voice from earlier was the consciousness of her weapon, which had started communicating with her from the moment she became its wielder.


    Although she was a person of few words, she occasionally liked conversing with the weapon''s soul consciousness.


    This was because they were in the same boat, and in a way, she trusted it, paying close attention to its words.


    Soon, the feminine voice, which had been silent, resounded again, but this time it wasn''t as calm as before:


    "There''s something strange over there... Quickly, take me there," said the agitated voice as Jing Xia felt the weapon being drawn toward that direction.


    It was as if an unknown force was pulling it that way, and since she was bound to it both physically and spiritually, she too could feel this pull.


    Her earlier fury over the elf girl''s disappearance had vanished for the moment, replaced by this sudden situation.


    Without hesitation, she disappeared from her spot, heading directly toward the location where this pull originated.

 Chapter 297 One-Star Soldier

    .When Ethan''s turn came, he stepped forward without hesitation toward the examination area and positioned himself in the center of the field.


    There, in front of him, stood a black-red stone pedestal upon which rested a pitch-black sphere.


    The sphere had a smooth, glass-like surface, and while it seemed plain from the outside, Ethan could immediately sense that the object in front of him was anything but ordinary.


    ''Interesting''


    He could perceive a series of inscriptions within the sphere, and through his senses, he was able to discern their structure and arrangement, easily deducing their purpose.


    The inscriptions in question formed a mechanism designed to absorb demonic energy and, based on its intensity, categorize it into specific grades.


    Ethan had already figured out that this was how the demons precisely determined someone''s cultivation level.


    For someone inexperienced in the art of inscriptions, it would be difficult to bypass the sphere''s control over demonic energy and, consequently, lower their actual ranking.


    Unfortunately for the demons, Ethan was not only a level-4 Array master but also a human with a unique physique.


    These two traits not only allowed him to manipulate the inscriptions within the sphere but also dilute the concentration of demonic Qi in the energy he channeled into it.


    On the opposite side of the sphere stood a demoness with a simple appearance.


    She had short, dark pink hair that barely reached her shoulders, violet skin, and, Oddly enough, despite her small frame and cute face, she had a certain charm.


    Ethan, while not particularly skilled at judging the beauty of demons, could still appreciate a beautiful woman when he saw one.


    That said, in his eyes, the demoness''s charm was only slightly above average.


    Having been surrounded by a certain dragon woman for nearly two centuries, he had become immune to such levels of allure.


    The demoness glanced at him, unable to resist giving him a second look before gesturing toward the sphere and nodding as she said,


    "You may begin whenever you''re ready. If you don''t understand any part of the test, feel free to ask." Her tone was teasing yet kind.


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    The other demons nearby, seeing this treatment, were infuriated as they recalled that none of them had even received so much as a single glance from her, let alone the chance to interact.


    "Damn it, where did someone like him come from?" muttered a demon resembling a minotaur, complete with bat-like wings and a snake-like tail.


    "Tch, the world is unfair. Even weaklings like him can get by just because they have a pretty face," sneered another demon with a skinny figure and a donkey-like face.


    "Speak for yourselves. Just wait until it''s my turn. You''ll see her fall at my feet with a single look," boasted another demon, who was immediately mocked by those around him.


    Ethan''s presence undoubtedly drew attention, and even among the spectators, many cast envious and admiring glances his way.


    While a series of murmurs spread, Ethan simply nodded in acknowledgment and placed his hand atop the black sphere.


    Immediately, those who had been gossiping fell silent as an inexplicable chill swept over them, causing goosebumps to rise.


    The sensation lasted only a moment, but it was enough to silence everyone present as they looked around in search of the source.


    Even the demoness administering the test glanced around, caught off guard by the sudden feeling.


    ''What was that just now?'' she wondered, as bewildered as the others.


    Everyone was confused, but no one noticed the expression on Ethan''s face as he let out a sigh of relief while channeling his dark aura into the sphere.


    ''That was close.'' He felt fortunate to have suppressed his aura in time.


    As he released his demonic energy, believing he had sufficiently diluted it, an invisible pressure radiated from him. It wasn''t linked to the concentration of demonic energy but rather to his unique demonic physique, which emitted that sensation.


    Ethan hadn''t seen that coming and was caught off guard too.


    It seemed that his demonic physique had a suppressive effect on others of the same race.


    He wasn''t sure if it was the same ability that had activated when he first met Lin Yu, but for now, that wasn''t important.


    He could only breathe a sigh of relief as he hurried to complete the examination of his demonic Qi.


    He didn''t want any more incidents like this to happen.


    Soon, the pitch-black sphere began to emit a faint yellowish aura that surrounded it. The aura lingered briefly before gradually fading away.


    Ethan wasn''t entirely sure what the phenomenon indicated, but he had a guess.


    ''Yellow stands for the second grade?'' he thought, turning his attention to the demoness.


    The demoness, now out of her temporary daze, had written something on a rectangular stone tablet in her hand.


    She then looked up at Ethan with a smile and said,


    "Peak of the second stage cultivation. You''ve passed the examination," she announced, congratulating him.


    Needless to say, even this treatment was something reserved solely for him, and seeing it, even participants at the third stage struggled to maintain their composure.


    ''You can congratulate him but not me, even though I''m stronger?'' thought a few third-stage demons bitterly.


    Ethan paid no attention to any of them as he stepped aside to make way for the elven girl behind him.


    He intended to introduce her as his servant and request her evaluation as well, but just as he turned to speak to her, he noticed she was looking at him strangely.


    ''Could she have...'' He wasn''t sure, but recalling her unawakened law and affinity for the elements, he began to form some speculations.


    As expected, the elven girl, unlike the demons, had been able to determine that it was Ethan who had emitted that aura.


    However, knowing that he was hiding things, she didn''t dwell on it and stepped forward when he made way.


    Ethan, realizing Lin Yu wouldn''t question him about the matter, set it aside and addressed the demoness.


    "I''d like her to take the examination as well."


    The demoness didn''t ask any questions and simply nodded as she pulled out a different object and handed it to Lin Yu.


    Ethan could tell they were going to use a tool designed for spiritual energy to measure her cultivation level, as the earlier sphere was clearly unsuitable.


    Lin Yu''s examination concluded quickly, and though slightly surprised, the demoness congratulated Ethan for having such a young servant already at the peak of the first stage.


    She handed both of them gray badges marked with what appeared to be a single red star.


    These were proof of their status as one-star soldiers, the minimum requirement to join the demon army and gain the opportunity to join a team for missions. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without it, using the portals would attract unwanted attention.


    Ethan glanced at the simple-looking badge.


    He had finally taken the first step toward leaving this place.

 Chapter 298 Ethans Turn

    .Ethan, although he had obtained a one-star soldier badge and technically should have participated in the physical test to demonstrate the extent of his abilities, had the option to skip this part.


    This was because, although he was at the second stage, he had already reached its peak, and that alone was enough to show that he had a minimum level of skill to participate in missions.


    Of course, this didn''t provide any indication of Ethan''s actual combat abilities, but for demons, this wasn''t particularly significant.


    What mattered was that the individual possessed strength and knew how to wield a weapon; the rest would fall into place naturally.


    Thus, when both finished receiving their badges, the demoness asked Ethan if he wanted to skip the practical test.


    Ethan, who hadn''t expected this option, had to think for a moment before making his decision.


    While participating in the practical test could give him an advantage when it came to being selected for a team, it was also true that he could simply let the examination center find one for him.


    After all, that was part of their job.


    It was very similar to leaving one''s r��sum�� and contact information, and then being contacted if a team had an opening or required him after reviewing his credentials.


    Honestly, he had no issue doing either, as in any case, he would gain access to those portals, and that was the most important thing to him.


    He reflected for a moment before saying:


    "No, I''d like to participate in the practical test," he said.


    The demoness''s eyes seemed to sparkle a bit more as she nodded with delight and marked something on the object in her hand.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what that object was, but he assumed she had put him on the waiting list for the practical test, so he didn''t dwell on it.


    He was escorted by her, along with Lin Yu, to the waiting area for practical test participants. After chatting with him briefly, the demoness had to return because she would delay the examination of the others if she lingered.


    She was clearly irritated by the demon who had told her to return and examine him, and she shot him a deadly glare upon arriving, for interrupting her moment.


    Although the demoness wasn''t a high-level cultivator, she still had a cultivation level at the second stage, so her glare gave a slight chill to the demon, who was only at the early second stage.


    Ethan paid no attention to any of this. Instead, he watched the small arena in front of the waiting hall, where a participant''s practical test was underway.


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    Unlike him, who was asked whether he wanted to take the practical test, Lin Yu had not been given the same option. This wasn''t because she was at the first stage and thus automatically required to take the test, but for another reason entirely.


    That reason was that she was Ethan''s property, and so she could only join teams chosen by him.


    She couldn''t go to the small arena and fight because it wouldn''t make sense since Ethan made decisions for her, and as per common practice, most slaves joined the same teams as their masters.


    Of course, not as members but merely to follow their masters.


    For Lin Yu, this was a relief. Although she had made tremendous progress in just one day, experience and confidence in her abilities were things that couldn''t simply be gained in a day or two.


    For that, she would need to gain real combat experience on the battlefield or during missions in other worlds.


    Even her badge was different from Ethan''s. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She didn''t have a one-star soldier badge like him but instead had a one-star support badge with Ethan''s name written as her owner.


    It was clear that the demons tended to make a distinct separation between master and slave, no matter the context, but this didn''t matter to Ethan, nor to Lin Yu herself.


    He watched the clash unfolding before him and had to admit it was far more boring than he had expected.


    Every encounter would last 5 minutes, and the ultimate goal was to endure against the other side, which would have a similar level of strength, until the time expired.


    Of course, there was also the option of defeating the examiner, but 99% of the time, that wasn''t possible.


    Therefore, participants tended to do their best to give a good demonstration of their abilities while also trying to make the battle last until the time limit.


    Even at this moment, the opponent was just someone at the second stage of the Mortal Rank, launching attacks against the examiner. The examiner, however, clearly wore an expression of pity toward the demon.


    Ethan could only shake his head.


    He could tell that the demon had a good cultivation base, but lacked experience and, even more so, proper techniques suited for the weapon he was using.


    In short, the sparring before him was anything but exciting.


    A few minutes into the match, it seemed that even the examiner had grown tired of the participant.


    With a perfect display of skill, the examiner parried the other side''s attack and delivered a powerful blow to the participant''s abdomen.


    The participant didn''t even have time to register the examiner''s movements before being thrown directly out of the arena.


    Needless to say, the other side had miserably failed the test.


    The demons around burst into exclamations, some mocking the participant and others eagerly waiting for their turn to step into the arena.


    No one pitied him, and that was because no one here wanted to be pitied in the first place.


    For demons, that would have been even more shameful.


    Ethan paid no attention to the defeated demon and walked forward to enter the small arena.


    He had waited for quite some time, and now it was his turn.


    As he climbed up, Lin Yu was moved to the spectator area.


    Leaving her in the waiting room with the other participants would inevitably create unnecessary trouble, as many tended to target the weak.


    Of course, they wouldn''t directly attack or anything, but they would definitely cause her discomfort.


    While Ethan had the right to deal with anyone who harassed his slave in such situations, it was also true that if he could avoid such problems, why wouldn''t he?


    Attracting trouble meant drawing attention, and that was the last thing he needed at the moment.


    He stepped onto the small raised platform made of gray stone tiles, which were incredibly hard and impact-resistant.


    Just by walking on it, Ethan could feel the texture of the rock beneath him. He could tell it was certainly a mineral not found on the Mortal Plane.


    Thanks to his affinity with earth, he could determine the composition of the rocks, so he could verify whether or not this stone beneath him existed in the Mortal Plane.


    That said, he was only curious for a moment before shifting his focus back to the person in front of him.


    It was still the same examiner from earlier, but this time, his strength was at the peak of the second stage of the Mortal Rank.


    Ethan could tell that the actual strength of the person in front of him was at least at the third stage.


    Most likely, the examiner adjusted his strength based on the participant, so as not to make the battle too unbalanced.


    Of course, there were other factors to consider, such as experience and combat techniques, but those didn''t matter much here.


    After all, no one had ever said it was necessary to defeat the other side, just to endure a battle and simultaneously demonstrate one''s skill.


    As Ethan stepped onto the platform, the examiner naturally assessed him and adjusted his cultivation base to match Ethan''s level.


    That said, while doing so, the examiner couldn''t help but notice the movements of the other side.


    At first glance, there didn''t seem to be anything special about him, but in the eyes of a veteran of many battles, the examiner could tell that this person was anything but ordinary.


    ''It seems someone with actual skill has finally stepped up.''

 Chapter 299 Weak Recruits

    .The examiner was a demon nearly 2 meters tall, with a stocky build and well-defined muscles, fully exposed by his attire, which consisted solely of pieces of armor protecting his arms, chest, and legs.


    He didn''t wear any helmet, and it was clear that his armor wasn''t complete.


    Most likely, he didn''t feel the need to fully equip himself for the examination of the new recruits.


    That said, he was a demon at the third stage of the spiritual rank, making him one of the most powerful individuals at the moment, excluding the various team commanders present.


    He had been assigned to the examination field for this time of the year, and initially, he was curious because he thought he might meet promising recruits who would become the future pillars of the demonic army.


    But, to his great disappointment, this was not the case.


    He hadn''t expected much from the new recruits in the first place, knowing that almost none of them had likely seen any real battle experience. Therefore, he anticipated they would be very weak, both in terms of strength and combat techniques.


    Unfortunately, his expectations were surpassed, and not in a good way.


    In recent years, every time he examined new recruits, he had seen a decline in performance.


    In the earlier years when he had been an examiner, at least the recruits could still show some low level of skill, but now it was as if they didn''t even know how to hold a weapon properly, which clearly disappointed him.


    So, whenever he saw a completely ignorant recruit, he would defeat them without hesitation.


    He now knew that five minutes were wasted on them, so if he saw they had nothing to show, he would eliminate them without thinking twice, just as he had done with the last recruit who was sent flying by him.


    Now, however, when he saw the next recruit step into the arena, he immediately noticed something.


    ''Not bad.''


    Thanks to his long experience, he could determine a certain level of skill just from the posture and the way a person moved.


    At that moment, just by examining how the recruit walked, he could tell they had some ability.


    This made him a bit curious and, at the same time, a little hopeful.


    He truly hoped this one wouldn''t turn out to be another disappointment like the previous ones he had examined today.


    Even the third-stage recruits were far from satisfying, so he still had some skepticism. That said,


    30 seconds later...


    Huh?


    He, who only moments ago had been sure of a good fight with the other side, found himself sent flying by the other side with a single blow.


    It might have seemed like only a few seconds had passed, but for an expert like him, that time was more than enough to make several moves, and indeed, that was the case.


    Initially, he noticed the other side wasn''t using a weapon, so to make things fairer, he decided to do the same, even lowering his cultivation to the peak of the second stage.


    He expected the other side to attack, but to his surprise, unlike the other participants who rushed at him recklessly, this demon didn''t.


    Instead, they took a simple defensive position.


    Seeing this, he was somewhat disappointed, especially since he could spot a few openings in the defense.


    Thinking it was a good moment to expose these openings, he decided to attack.


    One strike, then another, and another.


    In less than five seconds, he delivered several blows, but to his surprise, none of them landed.


    He realized that what he thought were openings turned out to be traps, and in fact, at the previous moment, he felt a slight sense of danger. So, he instinctively increased his strength to the third stage and tried to dodge, but even then, it wasn''t enough.


    The recruit didn''t even give him time to understand where the attack was coming from before he felt a pain in his abdomen, and in the next moment, he was sent flying out of the arena.


    This sequence of events was too sudden for him, and not only that, even the audience, who just a few seconds ago had been cheering for yet another participant to be beaten, found themselves speechless.


    Then, as if to break the brief silence, an examiner at the first stage of the spiritual rank spoke:


    "That recruit... just sent the examiner flying with a single blow?" he said, clearly astonished.


    He had been able to watch the entire battle easily, so he was surprised because he had noticed how easily the recruit executed the attack while avoiding the examiner''s strikes.


    Just like him, other commanders nearby thought the same thing, and immediately, some of them decided to recruit this recruit.


    Even Lin Yu, who was now in the audience, was cheering.


    She knew Ethan was stronger than he let on, but seeing him send the examiner flying so easily still excited her. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the crowd suddenly came alive, Ethan, who had just sent the examiner flying, had a grim expression on his face.


    ''How the hell did he not see the attack?'' he thought.


    He had drastically lowered his strength and speed, so he expected the other side to be able to see and resist his attacks, but that wasn''t the case.


    The examiner, though experienced, was still very inexperienced in Ethan''s eyes, who easily blocked his attacks. Instinctively, he wanted to push him back, but he held back and prepared this weak attack in hopes that the other side would finally take advantage.


    But to his surprise, the other party not only didn''t avoid it, but took it head-on, ending up being thrown out of the arena.


    Being thrown out of the arena meant an automatic defeat, so at this moment, he found himself unexpectedly being the winner of the sparring match.


    Just as he thought that the demons here were too weak, he felt a sudden sensation as his gaze shifted in one direction.


    There, positioned on the high wall of the examination area, was a female figure, who, at that moment, was looking directly at him.


    ***


    Jing Xia, as soon as she felt that invisible sensation, immediately rushed toward the area from where it came.


    Although the issue with the elven girl troubled her, this sudden event was something that caught her attention, especially because it involved her soul weapon.


    This was a very powerful soul weapon, and in fact, for a long time, no one had been able to subdue it.


    She, too, had encountered her fair share of difficulties in successfully controlling it.


    And precisely because she had managed to control it successfully and had used it for decades now, she knew how formidable it was.


    So, when she felt the reaction of the weapon to the aura she sensed from that direction, she grew curious.


    She knew that whatever it was, if it had managed to get such a reaction from the weapon, it was most likely not something simple.


    With her speed, she covered the distance between her and the location in no time, and in the blink of an eye, she was on the walls of the examination area for new recruits.


    The fact that her weapon felt drawn to this place intrigued her even more, and now that she was here, she used the attraction her weapon was feeling to pinpoint the source of her reaction.


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    Just as she managed to pinpoint the likely source of her weapon''s reaction, her eyes caught sight of a certain figure in the crowd of participants watching.


    And when she focused her sight on that figure, her eyes immediately narrowed.

 Chapter 300 Absolute-Zero (End)

    .Ethan initially sensed a presence staring at him, so he shifted his gaze toward the source.


    However, as he saw who it was, he felt a sensation coming from his sea of consciousness a feeling somewhat familiar to him.


    The amphora was reacting.


    ''It''s started reacting again?''


    This came as a bit of a surprise to him. After all, the amphora had gone dormant again after its last activation.


    But now, it had awakened once more, and the vibrations it was emitting were the same as the last time.


    Ethan was still unaware of many things about the amphora, but he knew one thing: whenever it reacted, it was always to something of considerable importance, just like before.


    But one thing stood out. The vibrations it emitted were never the same.


    They differed each time because the situations were always different, yet at this moment, the feeling it gave was identical to when the portal was opening.


    ''Could it be that the sphere wasn''t its target?'' he thought, realizing something.


    Was it possible that the amphora was reacting to something beyond the portal rather than the portal itself?


    Ethan wasn''t sure, but the appearance of this woman and the amphora''s reaction hinted at something like that. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, he decided to set this thought aside for now as he noticed the woman shifting her gaze from him to the audience.


    Following the trajectory of her gaze, he noted where she was looking.


    ''Hm, she''s looking at Lin Yu?''


    He thought for a moment, then shook his head, thinking he might be wrong.


    Just as Ethan had noticed the woman''s appearance, so too had several others. When some recognized her, panic immediately began to spread as they murmured:


    "That woman, why is she here?" said a commander at the first stage of the Spiritual realm as he recognized the figure standing on the wall.


    Like him, others also recognized her and, just when they were starting to panic due to the recent incident related to her, a strong pressure suddenly covered the area.


    Jing Xia, who had been on the wall a moment ago, now appeared in the area reserved for the audience.


    Seeing this, Ethan immediately noticed where she had positioned herself and quickly realized that she was indeed targeting Lin Yu.


    He wasn''t certain why she would be interested in a slave, but then a thought crossed his mind as he recalled what Lin Yu had told him a few days ago:


    ''Could she be the female commander who bought her?'' he wondered, trying to probe the woman''s aura.


    ''I can''t determine her strength,'' he thought grimly, though he could tell that this person was far stronger than him.


    As the crowd descended further into panic due to the sudden pressure, Ethan heard some murmuring a name.


    ''Jing Xia? Could it be her?'' he thought as fragments of memories from the demons he had recently absorbed came to mind.


    While Ethan began piecing together the situation, Jing Xia, who had appeared near Lin Yu, cast a clearly angry look at her and said:


    "Who dared to put that collar on you?" she asked in a low but sharp voice, loud enough for the elven girl to hear.


    Unlike the others present, Lin Yu didn''t feel the sudden pressure, so she was a bit confused by their reactions.


    However, she didn''t dwell on it for long, as in the next moment, the figure of a woman she knew well appeared before her.


    It was the woman who had saved her back then, the one who had ensured she could live until now.


    It was the female commander she hadn''t seen for some time.


    Lin Yu had never had the chance to properly thank her, so seeing her now made her a bit happy.


    Just as she was about to say something, she stopped when she saw the woman''s clearly displeased expression.


    As she wondered why the woman seemed in such a bad mood, she heard her voice and immediately realized something.


    ''Oh no,'' Lin Yu immediately understood that things could have taken a bad turn if she had said she had become Ethan''s slave.


    She felt a little panicked, unsure whether to tell the truth or not.


    Under normal circumstances, she would have told the truth, but now was definitely not the right time.


    After all, Ethan needed to keep his strength a secret, and if it were revealed that she wasn''t truly his slave, she wasn''t sure how this might affect his recruitment as a soldier.


    Clearly, this put her in a bit of a difficult position, and soon she began to figure out the most effective way to get out of this situation.


    Seeing the elven girl clearly hesitating, Jing Xia''s anger grew stronger as she mistakenly assumed the girl was being forced to stay silent on the matter.


    She raised her gaze from the elven girl to the surrounding crowd.


    With a fierce look, she said:


    "Who is this slave''s master?" she asked, her voice not particularly loud, but still heard by everyone.


    Thud!


    The moment she uttered those words, several weaker demons fainted instantly, while many others visibly struggled to remain conscious.


    She was a powerhouse at the peak of the third stage of the spiritual rank, and even though she wasn''t releasing her cultivation at the moment, Just her aura alone was enough to knock everyone out.


    Thus, those seemingly innocuous words had a disastrous effect on many of those present.


    Several demons fainted, and others were on the verge of doing so.


    Only the commanders present were still standing, albeit barely, and seeing that the situation was taking a bad turn, one of them, aware of the recent events, managed to connect Jing Xia''s words to that matter and said:


    "C-Commander Jing, the owner of that slave it''s right there," said the first-stage commander, pointing at Ethan.


    Jing Xia shifted her gaze from the commander who had just spoken and looked in the direction he was pointing.


    The moment she noticed who he was indicating, her gaze narrowed as she thought,


    ''Is it him?''


    She had already confirmed that the reaction her weapon was having was due to that person, but thinking that he was also the one who had placed the collar on the elf girl made her even more curious about him.


    She immediately tried to probe the other party and soon discovered she couldn''t.


    Hm?


    She could sense a second-stage mortal rank aura from him, but she could tell that was merely his apparent cultivation.


    She was certain his true strength was greater than that.


    This fact made things even more suspicious in her eyes, and soon, she turned towards him while placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.


    Ethan, seeing how quickly the situation was getting out of control, mentally cursed himself for allowing Lin Yu to put on the collar.


    ''Haa... I knew putting that thing on her would cause trouble,'' he thought, frustrated by the situation as he prepared for what was about to happen.


    His only consolation in all this was that the situation was still manageable, although he could tell that his next words might either make things more or less chaotic.


    ***


    While Ethan was getting his welcome into demonic society, elsewhere, light-years away from that dimension, someone else was also receiving a warm welcome.


    "How did they manage to discover me?" thought a ten meter tall demon, frustrated by the situation.


    He was none other than the demon king of the Red Moon City base, Yi Hei, the grandfather of Yi Tiao.


    A few days ago, he had sensed the death of his grandson, and it had infuriated him.


    He used a forbidden technique to try and determine the circumstances that led to his grandson''s death and soon discovered that his grandson had been cornered by a human and had chosen to sacrifice himself to activate the formation that would trigger the mechanism to open the portal.


    Clearly, this didn''t please him at all, but he managed to put aside his frustration as he focused on the more important matter.


    His grandson had successfully opened the portal.


    The mission was to open the portal without alerting the consciousness of that world, so Yi Tiao and his team had been cautious in their movements upon arriving in that plane.


    There were various ways to achieve this, but the most effective was to sacrifice a being of spiritual realm, in other words one of their demon commanders.


    Although the death of a commander wasn''t too concerning to him, they considered it a waste of resources for a world like that, so they opted for the plan that would take more time but was just as effective as sacrificing a commander from their base.


    He had thought the mission was of medium difficulty, not requiring a massive army, so he had allowed his grandson to go there.


    He knew the beings of that place didn''t even reach the spiritual realm, so they wouldn''t pose a threat to his grandson''s team.


    But things had gone terribly wrong, and in the end, his grandson had used himself to open the portal successfully while simultaneously preventing it from alerting that world''s consciousness.


    He was enraged, so he immediately rushed to the location to personally capture the human who had caused his grandson''s demise.


    Or at least, that''s what he thought, but something interfered while he traveled through the portal he had connected to that place with his energy, and soon he found himself being forced to change course as he was transported to a higher realm tied to that world.


    He was shocked by the fact that someone powerful enough to do such a thing existed in that world, and for a moment, he thought it might be the consciousness of the place, but he quickly dismissed that thought as he focused on the force that had altered his path.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you interfere with me?" he said, frustrated, as he unleashed his power and tried to suppress the opposing force dragging him to a different place.


    Soon, he realized the other party was no simple entity, and just as he considered releasing his domain to escape the situation, he was ejected from the spatial tunnel and found himself in a familiar place.


    He immediately stabilized himself, dispersing the effects of the spatial tunnel he had been traveling through, and soon got a clearer view of the place.


    "This place... could it be that realm?" he thought as he immediately sensed his surroundings.


    He could feel a dense concentration of spiritual Qi permeating every corner of this place, and no matter where he looked, he couldn''t sense any trace of demonic energy.


    He was able to determine a few things about this place right away, and soon, a certain location described in fragments of consciousness left by members of his race in the past came to mind.


    They were fragments of a superior realm that their race had discovered a long time ago, a realm that disappeared from their radar and that they had been trying to track down for many years.


    It was precisely the realm the mission carried out by Yi Tiao''s team had aimed to help them reach once more.


    The Celestial Plane.


    He was shocked that he had managed to reach this place, but he didn''t pay too much attention to it while realizing that his situation was somewhat difficult.


    In the previous counterattack, he had been able to determine the strength of the other party, so he could tell that he had been targeted by someone at a level similar to his own.


    Most likely, someone from this realm.


    He didn''t know if he could face them successfully or not, so he decided to disperse within this area to hide. As soon as he could, he would transmit the coordinates of the location to his base to call for reinforcements.


    Just the thought of this made him happy, and for a moment, he thought that his nephew''s sacrifice had not been in vain after all, because he had managed to find the realm they had been searching for some time.


    Unfortunately for him, things weren''t so simple.


    He didn''t even have time to react when he immediately felt the presence of the entity that had forced him to deviate from his original destination appear once more.


    If it had been just that, things would still have been manageable for him, but soon he felt the presence of three other beings with a cultivation level close to his own.


    "Damn, I can''t stay here," he thought, realizing that his situation was more serious than he had imagined.


    Just as he was about to scatter himself across the area, he immediately felt the surrounding environment begin to change.


    Soon, the sky was torn apart as three enormous pillars of light appeared and struck the ground in three separate locations, all surrounding the area where Yi Hei stood.


    The three enormous pillars encircled a vast area spanning several hundred miles, and each of them emanated an oppressive aura.


    Earth, wind, and fire,


    three particular elements stood out prominently from these pillars as massive figures began to emerge within them.


    Seeing these pillars appear, he immediately understood what was happening as he roared:


    Read new adventures at empire


    "Do you really think that weaklings like you can trap me so easily?" he shouted, releasing an enormous wave of energy that expanded outward like a bubble in all directions.


    "INFERNO!"


    As if that single word possessed a mystical effect, the expanding energy bubble began to distort reality, surging ever more violently in all directions and targeting the three pillars of light.


    Every area engulfed by the energy bubble became dim as a suffocating aura spread everywhere it touched.


    The surroundings, distorted by the energy, began to wither as visible cracks formed on the ground, radiating intense heat from the fissures.


    Yi Hei''s domain was manifesting.


    Just as the domain continued to expand rapidly, nearing the three pillars of light, another change occurred in the environment, and soon Yi Hei''s domain began to slow down.


    A feminine voice echoed through the surroundings, and soon a chilling aura descended upon the area.


    "Absolute Zero."


    As if those simple words had triggered something, an overwhelming pressure descended on the area, and Yi Hei''s domain, which had already begun to slow, was immediately suppressed.


    Before the demon had time to react, the surrounding temperature began to drop at a dizzying rate, while a thin layer of ice began to cover the surface below.


    Yi Hei sensed danger from the spreading ice and moved away quickly, directing his attention upward.


    The ground started trembling as the layer of ice spread even into the cracks of the fractured earth.


    Soon, with several loud explosions, the earth shattered, and massive pillars of translucent blue crystal emerged one after another. Yet none of this drew the demon''s attention as much as what he saw above.


    "So, you''ve decided to reveal yourself at last," he said, looking with a complex gaze toward the sky.


    As the temperature of the area continued to plummet, transforming the surroundings into a frozen wasteland, another phenomenon struck the area,


    a new rift formed in the sky.


    The section of the sky where the rift had opened fell like pieces of shattered glass, and faintly among the fragments, a humanoid female figure descended.


    To an ordinary person, the figure would be indistinct and blurry, but to the eyes of beings at the level of those present, the female figure could not have been clearer.


    She was a little over 170 cm tall, wearing a classic white robe adorned with blue decorations.


    Her long white hair fluttered slightly, while her piercing crystal-blue eyes, with pupils as thin as needles, fixed intently on the demon below.


    Although her expression was impassive and emotionless, it radiated a coldness far greater than the chilling aura that spread in all directions.


    Yi Hei, watching the appearance of the being that had forced him to change his course, began to feel an overwhelming sense of foreboding.


    He could tell that the woman was at the stage of spiritual ascension, at a level comparable to his own.


    But the more he felt her presence intensifying, the more a realization he had been trying to ignore began to surface:


    his death was drawing near.

 Chapter 1 - 1: Ethan

    .


    The city of Oston, situated on the edge of the Phoenix Kingdom, was a bustling hub of trade and culture.


    Surrounded by tall stone walls, the city opened to the world through its main market, a vast open space teeming with life and activity.


    The market was the beating heart of Oston.


    Along the cobblestone streets, stalls were neatly lined up, each adorned with vibrant cloth canopies fluttering in the light summer breeze.


    The high sun bathed the scene in its warm light, casting playful patterns of shadows across the displayed goods.


    The atmosphere was vibrant, a blend of smells, sounds, and colors. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vendors shouted their offers from their stalls: fresh, juicy fruits, vegetables of all kinds, rare spices, and fine fabrics from distant lands.


    The scent of freshly baked bread mingled with the aroma of roasted meat and savory soups, enticing the appetites of passersby.


    The chatter of customers haggling over prices mixed with the laughter of children running between the stalls, making the environment even more lively.


    Amidst this multitude of voices, in a less frequented corner of the market, stood a young man trying to sell his harvest. Ethan was trying to sell his modest crop in the crowded city market.


    His table was laden with various vegetables he had painstakingly grown, although he was not entirely sure which ones were of good quality.


    He proceeded by trial and error, and his latest attempt at a transaction had failed.


    "I''m sorry, these carrots are too bitter," a customer said, frowning and walking away.


    Ethan sighed, looking at his goods.


    He had been at the market for several hours now, yet he had sold almost nothing. If he continued like this for more days, the harvest would spoil, and he would have to throw it away.


    Sighing again, he thought about how beautiful and carefree his life used to be.


    A year ago, he would never have imagined finding himself in this situation. He was a university student, focused on his studies and his future.


    But everything had changed in an instant.


    One evening, as he was heading home after a night class, a strange event occurred.


    A shimmering portal had appeared before him, glowing with an otherworldly blue light.


    Before he could react, he was sucked in. The next thing he remembered was waking up in this strange world, surrounded by dense forests and unfamiliar landscapes.


    When he first arrived, everything seemed ancient and out of place.


    The people he saw were dressed in styles reminiscent of historical dramas he had seen on TV, and their way of speaking was also strange.


    At first, he thought he had stumbled upon a large-scale cosplay event, but this illusion was shattered when a colossal shadow passed over the market.


    Curious, Ethan had looked up.


    His eyes widened in shock when he saw a huge vermilion bird, several meters long, soaring over the market.


    And atop the bird was a person, sitting as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Any doubts he had about where he was dissolved in that instant.


    Now he was sure, this was not his world.


    Since then, Ethan had struggled to adapt to his new reality. He had no money, no place to stay, and no knowledge of the land.


    He quickly learned that survival here required skills and knowledge he did not possess.


    For several days he wandered around the city like a vagabond, trying to understand how he had ended up there and, possibly, how to get back.


    One thing that amazed him was that he could understand the language they spoke.


    He could tell that the language they spoke was unlike any language from his world that he knew.


    When he tried to speak in his native tongue, he discovered that the words coming out of his mouth were in a different language than they should have been.


    And so, overwhelmed by the growing number of questions, he continued his wandering in this new world.


    He found refuge with a kind farmer named Wei, who took pity on him and offered him a place to stay in exchange for work.


    Old Wei, as he called him, was a farmer native to the Phoenix Kingdom.


    He was a man who had spent his entire life working these fields to provide for himself and his family.


    Currently, he lived only with his 18-year-old daughter.


    From what Ethan had learned from him, his wife had passed away several years ago.


    Ethan felt admiration for this man, who, despite having to endure many hardships, continued to go on with his life.


    The daughter, unlike her father, had a completely different personality.


    Thanks to her natural beauty, which was slightly superior to most people, she managed to attract the attention of a rich young master.


    Over time, her personality worsened, to the point where she despised all common people, especially him, who in her eyes was nothing more than a kind of slave working for her family.


    If it weren''t for the fact that she was old Wei''s daughter, he would have long stopped tolerating her.


    And so, time passed, and before he knew it, more than a year had gone by, and he gradually learned more and more about this world.


    Over time, Ethan learned to work the fields, take care of the livestock, and navigate the market. Despite his efforts, selling his produce proved difficult.


    The locals were demanding and not easily impressed by his offerings.


    His lack of knowledge in agriculture often resulted in poor harvests, making it hard to earn a decent living.


    As Ethan packed up his unsold goods, he couldn''t help but feel a twinge of frustration.


    He missed his old life, the simplicity of modern conveniences, and the certainty of his routine.


    Here, every day was a struggle, and the future seemed uncertain.


    At that moment, a familiar voice reached him.


    "Hey, Ethan!" Turning towards the voice, Ethan glimpsed a person waving happily, approaching him.


    This was someone he had known for quite some time,


    someone he had befriended,


    someone who, in the not-too-distant future, would be his downfall.


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I''m still new to all this, so bear with me a little.


    I''m trying to get better with each chapter, and hopefully, in the not too distant future, I''ve gotten good enough to cook up something interesting for you, and satisfying for me.


    Feel free to comment in the comments section.


    Criticism, advice, or simply conversation?


    everything is welcome.

 Chapter 2 - 2: Garret

    .


    "Hey, Ethan!" called a familiar voice.


    He turned to see Lina, a local girl who had befriended him, waving happily. She was a beacon of hope in his difficult days, always cheerful and ready to help.


    "Hi, Lina," he responded, managing a slight smile.


    "Not much luck today, huh?" she asked, glancing at his unsold vegetables.


    "Not really," he admitted. "I''m still trying to figure out which ones are good and which are not."


    Lina laughed, her eyes bright. "You''re getting better. It just takes time. Let me help you sort them out."


    Together, they went through his produce, separating the good from the bad.


    Lina''s knowledge of agriculture and produce was invaluable, and Ethan was grateful for her help.


    Even though he enjoyed Lina''s company, Ethan always had a strange feeling when he was with her.


    He couldn''t describe it, but it felt like something was off.


    He had tried to ignore it over time, after all, he had known her for a while, and she seemed like a cheerful and good person, but this feeling was like a tune in his head that wouldn''t go away.


    "You know," Lina said as they worked, "I heard there''s a new merchant in town looking for suppliers. Maybe you should try talking to him."


    Ethan perked up at the suggestion. "Really? Do you think he''d be interested in my produce?"


    "It''s worth a try, right? His name is Garret. He''s set up near the main square. Why don''t you go see him?"


    Encouraged by Lina''s suggestion, Ethan decided to give it a shot. He packed up his remaining vegetables and headed toward the main square.


    The market was even more crowded here, with merchants shouting their wares and customers haggling over prices.


    Near the center of the square, he noticed a new stall with a large sign that read "Garret''s Goods." The man behind the counter was tall and sturdy, with a friendly yet shrewd demeanor.


    "Hello," Ethan greeted, approaching the stall. "I''m Ethan. I heard you might be looking for new suppliers."


    Garret, who was working behind the counter, turned and scrutinized him, his eyes appraising. "Ah, you must be the newcomer I''ve heard about. Let me see what you have."


    Nervously, Ethan unpacked his vegetables, laying them out for Garret''s inspection. The merchant picked up a few items, examining them closely. After a moment, he nodded.


    "These aren''t bad," Garret said.


    "A bit inconsistent, but I see potential. How about this? I''ll buy all your stock today and see how it sells. If it does well, we can discuss a regular arrangement."


    Ethan''s heart lifted at the proposal. "Thank you! That would be fantastic."


    "Don''t thank me yet," Garret said with a smile. "Let''s see how it goes first. Bring your best products next week, and we''ll talk again."


    And so, thanking Garret once more, Ethan headed towards Old Wei''s house.


    As he walked, he couldn''t help but think about how much his life had changed in the past year.


    Since the day of the accident, he had been searching for a way back to his home world.


    He had even asked around if anyone knew of another world, but every time he was dismissed as a madman and chased away.


    After a few months, he stopped trying.


    He was stuck in this place, and for now, he knew he couldn''t do much, so he focused more on his daily tasks, making sure to sell enough each day to repay Old Wei for his hospitality.


    He knew that in his current situation, he had no strength, neither economic nor physical.


    His idea was to save up some money and purchase a cultivation technique in the future, allowing him to build a strength he could rely on, which would help him survive in this world.


    Time passed, and before he knew it, a week had gone by, and the day of the meeting with Garret arrived.


    Ethan, walking through the city''s alleys with his cart, arrived at the agreed-upon location from last week.


    It was early morning, and the place was still quite deserted.


    People usually went out at this hour to go to work, but this area of the city seemed to be a spot where few passed through.


    Ethan looked around, searching for Garret, but couldn''t find him.


    "Maybe I''m too early," he wondered, deciding to wait for a while.


    After about fifteen minutes, Garret arrived, and seeing Ethan already there, he couldn''t help but say:


    "You''re here earlier than I expected," he said, approaching him.


    Ethan, seeing him approach, stood up and greeted him.


    "Good to see you. I didn''t want to risk being late, so I set out a bit early this morning," he said, lifting one side of the tarp on his cart.


    "What do you think of these?" he asked, showing his produce.


    Garret, seeing it, couldn''t help but smile.


    "Not bad, really not bad. They seem fresh and ripe," he said, taking a few and examining them. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, putting them back in the cart, he said to Ethan, "Come, let''s go to my shop, which is nearby, to finalize the deal."


    Ethan nodded, covered the produce with the tarp, and began to follow him.


    They walked for a few minutes until they stopped in front of a building.


    Ethan looked at the building and couldn''t help but think it looked nothing like a shop.


    Garret, seeing his look, said as he approached the building:


    "I know, it''s not much of a shop, but I didn''t want to rent a fancier one at a higher price. After all, I don''t tend to stay in one place for too long.


    It''s fair to say this shop is more of a warehouse than a shop," he said, unlocking the doors.


    Ethan nodded and understood his reasoning. Indeed, the goods he wanted to sell, he sold directly in the town square, so for an itinerant merchant like him, renting a more expensive shop was a waste of money.


    After a few seconds, the lock opened, and Garret motioned for Ethan to enter.


    "Come in, make yourself at home," and with those words, he entered.


    Ethan followed, successfully maneuvering his cart. The warehouse entrance was wide enough for about five people to pass through simultaneously, so Ethan had no trouble getting his cart inside.


    Once inside, Ethan set down his cart and looked around.


    The area inside the warehouse was almost completely dark, with only a few rays of light managing to pass through the closed windows.


    Ethan could see the warehouse was quite full.


    Everywhere he looked, he saw large and small containers, covered with cloths, grouped in orderly rows.


    Ethan was curious to know what the nearly two-meter-tall containers held, but he didn''t want to be rude, so he refrained from peeking inside.


    Just as he was about to turn back in search of Garret, a slight sound came from one of the containers near him.


    Ethan didn''t know what it was, and for a moment he thought it was a mouse that had made its way into the warehouse.


    Just as he was about to lift the cloth and check inside the container, he heard the sound of the entrance door closing.


    He turned toward the entrance and saw Garret, who was finishing closing the sliding door of the entrance.


    Though this seemed suspicious, Ethan didn''t worry immediately, but as soon as Garret locked the door from the inside and turned around, everything changed.


    Near the entrance, a smiling Garret closed the door and turned toward Ethan.


    His expression seemed to change by the second, as a disturbing smile formed on his face.


    Seeing him, Ethan became alert, beginning to sense that something was wrong here.


    He remembered the earlier sound, and for a moment a thought crossed his mind.


    ''Wait, could it be...''


    But his thoughts were interrupted by Garret''s voice.


    "What''s wrong, did you see a ghost?" he said jokingly, but seeing that Ethan didn''t react, he paused for a second, extending his hand toward his face.


    Then, as if he understood what was happening, he said, laughing a bit.


    "It seems I couldn''t hold back any longer."


    And then he continued, starting to walk forward, toward Ethan.


    "Too bad, but this will do.


    Come, let me show you my goods."

 Chapter 3 - 3: Feng Huang

    .


    Along a mountain path, a group of horse-drawn carts moved steadily towards their destination.


    On each cart sat two people: one held the reins, guiding the horses, and the other sat with a serious expression.


    Many of the seated individuals were armed. Some carried whips, others swords, and a few had axes.


    It wasn''t a large group; there were only six carts in total, each transporting two large, square containers.


    These containers were covered with brown veils, secured to the carts by ropes.


    Occasionally, faint noises and whispers could be heard from some of the containers.


    "Bastards, let me out of here!"


    Suddenly, a voice erupted from one of the containers. From the tone, it was clear the person inside was quite desperate, continuing to shout and bang against the covered container.


    One of the men sitting on the cart struck the side of the container hard with his hand and spoke in an irritated voice.


    "Stop making noise," the man said. "If I hear your voice again, I swear I''ll skin you here and feed you to the wolves," he threatened.


    The voice inside the container fell silent.


    The man, seeing that the person inside was no longer making noise, turned back and continued to look ahead.


    "Seems like we''ve got a noisy one this time," said the man holding the reins.


    "Yeah, but what can you do? It''s not the first time we''ve had a noisy one," said the armed man.


    Then, with a smile, he continued,


    "Once we reach our destination, we''ll see if he still has the courage to make a sound," he laughed, making sure the person inside could hear him.


    And so, the group of carts continued their journey, this time in peace.


    ***


    At the center of the Phoenix Kingdom stood a grand city, surrounded by tall and majestic walls.


    This was the City of the Sun, the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Within the walls, the city sprawled out in an intricate maze of stone-paved streets, lined with elegant buildings and towers that soared into the sky.


    The city''s streets were always bustling, full of merchants displaying their goods in markets, street performers entertaining passersby with music and dance, and nobles being carried in golden palanquins, followed by their servants.


    The air was filled with the scent of exotic spices and fresh flowers, and everywhere the lively voices of the inhabitants could be heard as they haggled, laughed, and conversed.


    At that moment, in the Vermilion Phoenix Sect to the west of the City of the Sun, an elegant woman was walking down a corridor.


    The woman exuded confidence and refinement. She wore a traditional dress in shades of red and orange that subtly accentuated her natural curves.


    A few steps behind her followed a young girl who seemed to be struggling with whether to speak or not.


    After a moment of hesitation, the girl spoke to the woman: "Sect Master, why don''t you send some of our elders there? There''s no need for you to personally attend to such a trivial matter," she said hesitantly.


    The young girl''s name was Xiang Hua. She was an orphan taken in by the Vermilion Phoenix Sect''s leader, Feng Huang, the woman walking ahead of her.


    Seeing talent in her, the sect leader had taken her under her wing and personally trained her until she entered the second stage of Qi refinement at the age of 17, proving her rare cultivation talent.


    Xiang Hua was grateful for the opportunity the sect leader had given her, so she worked diligently on her cultivation, striving to become strong enough to repay her master in the future.


    At this moment, Xiang Hua was trying to change her master''s mind, knowing that her presence at such an event would cause a stir and lead to unnecessary trouble.


    She knew her master was stubborn and once she made a decision, it was nearly impossible to change it, but she still wanted to try, despite knowing it wouldn''t be successful.


    At that moment, a light and calm voice came from the woman: "There''s no need to send any of the elders. I will go myself.


    It''s been a long time since I''ve left the sect, and I want to take this opportunity to stroll through the capital," said the woman ahead of her.


    Then she continued: "And don''t worry, I''ll make sure no one notices my presence," she said. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Xiang Hua did not insist on convincing her master further and continued to follow her in silence.


    After some time, they arrived at the sect''s gates.


    The guards at the gate, seeing the woman approach, recognized her and quickly offered their greetings.


    "We greet the sect master," said both guards in unison, as if they had practiced it for a long time.


    The woman nodded calmly, unsurprised by the guards'' behavior, and with a light step, she walked out of the sect.


    The guards did not look up or try to stop her. Who could stop her? They knew that if she wanted to, she could incinerate them both with a snap of her fingers.


    Of course, it wasn''t just for this reason that they said nothing but also because she was the sect master, and they were not in a position to question her actions.


    She was a respected and admired person due to her charisma and strength.


    Upon exiting the sect, the woman, with a gesture of her hand, made a small floating boat appear out of nowhere, large enough to hold three people.


    Both of them boarded, and with a command from the woman, the boat moved toward the capital at an accelerated pace.

 Chapter 4 - 4: New Home

    .


    Nightfall descended upon the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom, and the bustling streets began to quiet down.


    While many retreated to their homes, others awoke to enjoy the nightlife in taverns and other establishments.


    Inside a nondescript building, a young man was unceremoniously thrown into a cell.


    Thud


    With a sound reminiscent of a sack of potatoes hitting the ground, the boy landed hard on the cell floor.


    "Ouch, my backside," he groaned, his voice tinged with pain.


    The two individuals who had thrown him in paid no heed to his complaints. They simply shut the cell door and walked away without a word.


    Ethan, after finishing rubbing his sore rear, listened as the guards'' footsteps faded into the distance. Once the sounds disappeared, he calmed down and began to survey his surroundings.


    The room he had been thrown into was filled with cells. Some were occupied, others empty.


    Ethan quickly noticed that the prisoners were of various types, from men of different ages and builds to women, and even a few animals.


    From the conversations he had overheard during the journey here, he had deduced that they were slave traders transporting him and the others to an auction that would be held in this place.


    All he knew about this location was that it was somewhere in the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom, a place he had not expected to visit anytime soon.


    He was frustrated by the whole situation.


    "F*ck," he muttered, frustrated as he thought about how he had ended up in this predicament.


    A few days ago, while he was selling his goods to Garret, he had been knocked out by the latter after entering the warehouse.


    Apparently, Garret was a cultivator, and as such, Ethan, who was still a mortal, had no chance against him.


    Ethan had the feeling that all this had been orchestrated by Lina and Garret.


    ''I knew there was something off about her,'' he thought, further frustrated by the situation he found himself in.


    He knew he had to find a way to escape from here as soon as possible because if he were sold, they would put a restriction seal on him that would prevent him from escaping in the future.


    While Ethan was immersed in his thoughts of escape, a weak and hoarse voice sounded from behind him.


    "Boy, it''s all useless. Whatever you''re thinking, rest assured it won''t work."


    "Aaah!"


    Startled by the voice, Ethan turned abruptly, raising his hands defensively.


    In a corner of the cell, crouched on a pile of dirty straw, was a middle-aged man who looked like he hadn''t eaten in who knows how long.


    His skeletal figure was wrapped in tattered rags, and every bone protruded under his taut and pale skin.


    His eyes, sunken and dark-ringed, moved slowly, observing Ethan with a mixture of suspicion and resignation.


    His face, lined with deep wrinkles, was covered by a scraggly, gray beard, a sign of weeks, if not months, of neglect.


    The man, seeing Ethan jump, laughed.


    "Hehehe... cough," but the laugh quickly turned into a cough.


    After he finished coughing, he addressed Ethan.


    "Don''t be afraid, boy, just like you, I was also captured," he said, raising his arms in a gesture of surrender.


    Ethan noticed that, unlike him, the man had iron shackles bound to both his hands.


    The man, noticing Ethan''s gaze on the shackles, laughed.


    "Oh, these? Don''t worry about them."


    He said to Ethan, but Ethan didn''t respond, continuing to watch him warily.


    "These are enchanted shackles with restriction runes on them. In other words, they are used to seal my cultivation," the man said, glaring at the shackles.


    "You''re a cultivator?" Ethan asked, somewhat surprised.


    Since ending up in this world, Ethan had rarely interacted with any cultivators.


    He lived among ordinary people and, although he knew of the existence of cultivators, he had never met one in person.


    He knew that the boy old Wei''s daughter was seeing was also a cultivator, and a talented one at that, according to what she claimed while teasing him.


    "Yes, why, surprised?" the man asked, but before Ethan could open his mouth, he continued:


    "Well, I can''t blame you. From what I see, you''re not a cultivator, so you probably haven''t had much interaction with other cultivators, right?"


    Ethan nodded and then, a bit hesitantly, asked:


    "You don''t seem to be in good shape. If you''re a cultivator, how did you end up here?" he asked.


    "You know, even cultivators can fall victim to slave traders. In fact, even more powerful cultivators than me can be captured for the right price."


    "In my case, I''m doing it to repay a debt," he said, and then fell silent.


    Ethan could tell that the man didn''t seem inclined to elaborate, so he didn''t press further.


    Not that he was particularly interested, as he was more concerned with his own situation.


    Silence fell in the cell, with neither of them speaking.


    After a few seconds, the middle-aged man spoke again.


    "By the way, my name is Yang Wei, and you?"


    "Ethan," he said without adding anything else.


    "Ethan? That''s quite a strange name. Are you a foreigner?" Yang Wei asked, somewhat intrigued by the unusual name.


    "Something like that," Ethan replied.


    Once again, silence fell between the two.


    Yang Wei didn''t know what to do. He had spent a lot of time in this cell alone, without much interaction with the other prisoners.


    Seeing a new arrival, he thought that conversing a bit might help pass the time and distract him from his impending future, but it seemed the new arrival wasn''t very talkative.


    And so, two days passed.


    During this time, Ethan and his cellmate didn''t have many interactions. Yang Wei tried to start a few conversations, but each attempt failed.


    After a while, he gave up and stopped trying.


    All the while, Ethan thought of various ways to escape from here, but none of them were feasible.


    He even considered helping the middle-aged man remove his shackles, hoping he could assist in the escape, but this idea was also discarded.


    The man told him that even a third-stage body refining cultivator couldn''t break these chains, let alone Ethan, who wasn''t even a cultivator.


    He also said that even if he somehow managed to free him from the chains, it was impossible for him to help as he didn''t have the strength to attempt an escape, having been in this condition for too long.


    With this, even Ethan''s last hopes were dashed.


    A few more days passed, and Ethan, having found no way to escape, had resigned himself to his fate. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, after nearly a week of imprisonment, the two men who had thrown him into the cell arrived. One of the men opened the cell door and said with a smile:


    "Get up, today is the big day."

 Chapter 5 - 5: The Beginning of the Slave Auction

    .


    In a building located far from prying eyes, a clandestine auction was taking place. S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the building was a hall resembling an amphitheater, with rows of seats arranged in ascending order, forming a semicircle that converged on a wooden podium situated at the center of the lower level.


    Every detail was designed to facilitate the spectators'' view and maintain an exclusive and mysterious atmosphere.


    The walls were draped in red velvet, muffling any echoes and making the place feel even more oppressive.


    The dim lighting from enchanted crystals created a play of shadows that made it difficult to distinguish the faces of the other participants, enhancing the sense of anonymity and secrecy.


    Everyone in the hall wore a mask to cover their face, a custom that allowed participants to remain anonymous and attend without fear of repercussions.


    The masks varied in style and material: some simple and made of leather, others elaborate and decorated with precious stones.


    The air was filled with a mixture of tension and anticipation as the seats quickly filled.


    In one of the central rows, two women sat side by side.


    They wore masks that covered their entire faces, hiding any emotions and only revealing their eyes.


    One of the women wore an elaborate mask, inlaid with phoenix motifs in gold and red.


    She was Feng Huang, the Master of the Vermilion Phoenix Sect.


    Next to her, her disciple Xiang Hua wore a simpler but equally elegant mask, with floral designs that reflected her love for flowers.


    The two women observed the scene calmly, Feng Huang with an air of detached confidence, while Xiang Hua showed slight tension, her dark eyes scrutinizing every movement in the hall.


    When her sect master had said she would disguise herself well, Xiang Hua had thought of some technique to change their appearance or something of the sort.


    She never would have thought that she would simply wear a mask depicting a vermilion phoenix. It was as if she was announcing her identity to everyone.


    "Master, are you sure we shouldn''t wear some other type of mask?" Xiang Hua asked, her voice barely a whisper behind the mask.


    Feng Huang didn''t take her eyes off the podium. "Don''t worry, these masks are sufficient."


    "But..."


    Just as she wanted to insist more, the hall fell silent.


    Noticing the strange atmosphere, Xiang Hua stopped her words and turned her gaze towards the stage.


    The figure of a woman stepped onto the podium, drawing the attention of all present.


    The woman wore an elegant blue dress that did nothing to hide her feminine charm and also wore a mask to conceal her face.


    Although the woman''s face was hidden, many of the spectators could tell that she was very beautiful.


    With a theatrical gesture, the woman raised a hand to request silence.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I will be presiding over the auction for you today," the woman said professionally.


    "You are busy people, so I won''t waste your time with unnecessary pleasantries. I am sure everyone here is already aware of the auction rules," she said, looking at the audience in front of her.


    Seeing that no one spoke, she nodded and continued.


    "Very well, without further ado, let me present the first lot of slaves!" she announced, her voice echoing in the hall.


    Moving to the side, she indicated to her right, where a large iron cage was being dragged by some men. Inside the cage, three girls could be seen crouching, dressed in rags, looking around in panic.


    "Today we have some unique pieces with us. What you see here are three girls from one of the tribes of the Jade Forest," the woman said, raising an eyebrow in surprise at some of the participants.


    The Jade Forest was a forest located in the northern region of the Phoenix Kingdom. It was a vast place full of various vegetation, home to several tribes.


    These tribes preferred to live isolated from others and were very wary of strangers.


    Interacting with them was quite dangerous, as they were born with supernatural strength that increased exponentially the higher they cultivated.


    It was known how difficult it was to hunt even one of them, so seeing three of their members here surprised many.


    Xiang Hua, seeing this scene, felt a lot of anger and disgust, which she managed to contain, towards these people who treated human lives as merchandise.


    She knew what she would see coming here, so she didn''t want to come. She tried to restrain herself from acting.


    She didn''t want their cover to be blown because of her.


    The only comfort she had at this moment was the knowledge that they would capture these people in due time.


    Unlike her disciple, Feng Huang seemed indifferent to this sight.


    She had been in the cultivation world for a long time and had seen her fair share of atrocities in life.


    She knew how cruel this world could be, so she didn''t let this sight affect her.


    The auction officially began, with many starting to make their bids.


    The woman on the podium continued to describe the lots with a professional tone, praising the physical qualities and potential of the slaves as if they were precious merchandise.


    Each time a bid was made, her gaze quickly shifted among the participants, mentally noting each proposed amount.


    Meanwhile, Xiang Hua carefully observed the reactions of the other participants. Despite the mask, she could sense the emotion and greed in their eyes.


    She tried to remain calm, but each new bid made her blood boil.


    Her hand clenched into a fist under the mask, but she remained silent, aware that any rash movement could compromise their mission.


    After a few minutes, the first lot was sold to a man sitting in the front rows.


    The cage was quickly taken away and another was brought onto the stage.


    The process repeated, with new lots of slaves presented and sold to the highest bidder.


    Each new auction was accompanied by a murmur of excitement as the participants competed to secure the prisoners.


    At one point, a particularly young girl was brought onto the podium. Her eyes were full of fear and despair, and her body trembled visibly.


    The woman on the podium introduced her as an orphan from a village destroyed by a band of raiders.


    The girl, barely a teenager, had attracted the attention of many for her young age and apparent innocence.


    Xiang Hua could no longer contain her indignation. "Master, we must do something," she whispered urgently.


    Feng Huang gave her a calm but firm look. "It is not yet the time. We have a plan, and we must follow it."


    "But she is just a child!" Xiang Hua insisted, her voice almost breaking with emotion.


    "I know," Feng Huang replied with a softer tone. "Don''t worry. The slaves are delivered at the end of the auction, so we must be patient. Haste could ruin everything."


    Xiang Hua closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself. She knew the master was right, but the sight of that girl broke her heart.


    With a deep breath, she forced herself to focus on the scene again, determined to follow Feng Huang''s instructions.


    After the girl was taken away, the next slave was brought out.


    As soon as the slave entered, Feng Huang, who had remained calm throughout, felt a strange sensation.


    "This feeling..."

 Chapter 6 - 6: An Expert Housekeeper ?

    .


    Feng Huang didn''t know exactly how to describe this sensation, but it wasn''t the first time she had felt it.


    In fact, when she met Xiang Hua, she felt something similar.


    ''Could he also be a rare talent?''


    She wondered, as for the first time since the auction began, someone caught her attention.


    Feng Huang had a certain talent for recognizing other talents.


    She didn''t know when she had acquired this ability, but thanks to it, she had managed to elevate her sect to one of the strongest in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    So seeing that this young man gave her a similar feeling to what she experienced when encountering people with rare talents, she couldn''t help but become curious about the background of this slave.


    Ethan, who had finally been taken out of his cell, found himself in a smaller one, this time exposed like a collectible in front of this sea of people.


    He didn''t know how to feel about it.


    He had tried everything in recent days, but failed every single time.


    From gnawing on the bars with his teeth to sneaking the keys away, hoping not to be seen.


    Once, he was even whipped by the guards who had grown tired of hearing him curse them for twenty-four hours straight.


    At some point, he stopped trying and awaited his fate in peace.


    Now he understood how his cellmate felt.


    The auctioneer, upon seeing him, couldn''t help but show a look of disgust, or at least that''s what Ethan perceived from her expression.


    ''Seriously? Am I that ugly?'' Ethan couldn''t help but feel like an arrow had pierced his heart at this sight.


    The woman didn''t waste any time, composing herself, but this time gave a rather simple presentation.


    "And here we have our next... product," she said, trying to maintain a serious face.


    For a moment, the entire hall fell silent. No one knew how to react to those unexpected words.


    Even Xiang Hua and Feng Huang were taken aback by this presentation.


    Especially Feng Huang, who had expected to hear something interesting about this young man, couldn''t help but be surprised.


    Even Ethan, who had resigned himself to his situation, couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    ''Woman, what the hell are you saying?


    An expert in household chores?


    Good at chopping vegetables?


    Can you at least leave me with the shred of dignity I have left?''


    Ethan thought, glaring at the woman with a resentful expression.


    The silence continued, and the auctioneer, not knowing what to do about this situation, thought it best to replace him with the next product.


    At that moment, however, the hall erupted in stifled laughter.


    The tension that had momentarily formed dissipated.


    Seeing this, the auctioneer seized the opportunity and continued with an almost comical tone.


    "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this gentleman here is a true prodigy of housework.


    From the kitchen to the laundry, he can do it all! And that''s not all," she continued, her tone amused.


    "He chops vegetables like a real chef and dusts with the precision of a watchmaker.


    Who wouldn''t want such a talent in their home?"


    The audience laughed harder, the absurdity of the situation providing an unexpected relief from the grim atmosphere.


    "Who wouldn''t want such a talented individual in their home?" she continued, her voice dripping with irony.


    "Imagine the conversations at your dinner table. A true entertainer!"


    By now, the audience was thoroughly entertained, some even lightly applauding for the amusement. The auctioneer stepped back, hands on her hips, and made one last flourish.


    "So, shall we start the bidding at... oh, I don''t know, a silver coin?"


    She didn''t know what price to set for this young man, so she decided to start with something extremely low, just to get rid of him.


    She didn''t know why her suppliers had brought someone like him here, but it wasn''t the time for such questions.


    She had an auction to run and could worry about these details later.


    The audience, who had finally calmed down, didn''t continue to speak.


    Although the auctioneer''s presentation had been effective, the fact remained that the slave was still useless to people like them. No one was willing to spend any money on someone like him.


    At that moment, a fat man, sitting in one of the rows closest to the stage, raised his hand.


    "Two silver coins," he said with a smile that was anything but friendly.


    Seeing him, Ethan began to get a little agitated.


    He felt he wouldn''t meet a good end if he ended up in that man''s hands. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Come on, make another bid,


    it''s only three silver coins,'' Ethan started to pray in his mind as he looked at the others with wide eyes, hoping to move someone.


    This, however, had the opposite effect, and some started laughing again.


    Seeing this, Ethan cursed all their generations, even daring to curse the ancestors of these people in his mind.


    He didn''t dare do it out loud, fearing he might be beaten to entertain the crowd.


    Seeing that no one else was bidding, the auctioneer decided to end it, without doing her usual countdown, as she deemed it unnecessary.


    Just as she was about to confirm, a sweet voice from the central row of the boxes made an offer.


    "Five silver coins."


    The fat man, seeing that someone wanted to take his goods, couldn''t help but turn around to see who dared to bid when he had already made one.


    "Who dares-"


    But the words caught in his throat when he saw who had spoken.


    It was Feng Huang.


    Seeing Feng Huang''s beauty, the words that were about to come out of the man''s mouth stopped.


    Although she wore a mask to cover her face, the man could tell she was a real beauty.


    After a few seconds, he spoke again, this time with a calmer voice.


    "I wanted to take this slave as a jester for my house, but seeing that the lady here is also interested in him, I will withdraw," he said very formally, as if to impress the woman, and then sat down, lost in his world.


    Feng Huang, seeing this, could tell what the man was thinking, and she didn''t care.


    The moment this man tried to play any dirty tricks on her, she would burn him alive.


    Seeing that the situation had changed, Ethan couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    ''I hope she doesn''t have some kind of fetish,'' he thought, relieved that he wouldn''t end up in the hands of the fat man.


    The auctioneer, seeing that no one else made a bid after the woman, concluded the purchase and proceeded with the next one.


    Feng Huang, who had seen enough, also stood up, deciding that it was no longer worth continuing.


    At this, Xiang Hua, who had held back for all this time, nodded happily and prepared to leave.


    And so, as Ethan returned to his cell in preparation to be handed over to his buyer, chaos erupted in the auction hall.

 Chapter 7 - 7: Phoenix Sect

    .


    The Phoenix Kingdom was a vast territory of the Long Empire, located in the southern part of the continent.


    Situated in the Vermillion Phoenix Mountains, there stood the Vermillion Phoenix Sect, a millennia-old sect that rose proudly and imposingly.


    As one of the three ruling sects of the Long Empire, it was known far and wide, attracting many each year who flocked to its gates to participate in the exam to become disciples.


    At this moment, near the entrance to the outer area of the sect, there was a young man with black hair and brown eyes lying on the ground, panting heavily.


    Around the boy, other individuals could be seen suffering the same problem. Some were still standing, walking slowly toward the entrance; others were sitting on the ground, recovering; and yet others could be seen crawling toward the end of the long staircase.


    "Haa, haa, who the hell had the idea to build the sect so high up?" said the panting boy, cursing the one who had constructed the sect so high.


    "I''ve probably done more physical activity today than in my entire life," thought the boy as he tried to stand up.


    With some effort, he finally stood up. The boy was none other than Ethan.


    He was completely sweaty, his legs still trembling, threatening to give out at any moment, and with his energy almost entirely drained.


    It had taken him five whole hours of climbing to get here.


    He didn''t know how the sect disciples moved back and forth from this place, but he knew he would find out soon.


    Today was the day the sect held the exam to become a disciple.


    Although Ethan was initially reluctant to join a sect and start his cultivation path, the events of the last few days had given him much to think about.


    ***


    A couple of days ago, while he was locked in his cell, waiting to be taken away by the one who had bought him, he heard a great commotion coming from the auction hall.


    He didn''t know exactly what had happened. Everything happened so quickly.


    The next thing he remembered was that he was already outside the auction building, or rather, what was left of it, standing in front of the same woman who had bought him.


    The woman''s face was no longer covered, and upon seeing her, Ethan was mesmerized for a moment.


    Her beauty surpassed even that of the models seen on TV or in magazines in his old world.


    She was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.


    He was still a bit confused by the whole situation and why someone like her was approaching him, but the next thing she asked him snapped him out of his daze.


    "Would you like to join my sect?" said the woman.


    Ethan didn''t immediately accept her offer, saying he would think about it.


    The woman, although she had bought him, didn''t seem intent on keeping him as her slave.


    In fact, after hearing his response, she nodded as if nothing had happened, saying that if he decided to join the sect, he could come to the Vermillion Phoenix Mountains, then left.


    ***


    Having finally regained some of his strength, Ethan walked towards the entrance, where two guards stood with stoic expressions on their faces.


    Ethan approached them and asked, "Hello, can you tell me where the exam to become an outer sect disciple is being held?"


    One of the guards, hearing him, didn''t bother to answer verbally and simply raised his arm to point in a direction.


    Ethan followed the direction of his hand and saw a sign near the inner courtyard of the sect that said: "Testing Area."


    Thanking the guard, Ethan entered through the gate and reached the test site.


    Arriving, he saw other people already there, gathering in a group in front of a wooden platform.


    Ethan joined the group, looking around.


    He wasn''t sure what they were doing, but he could only assume they were waiting for the test to begin.


    As far as he knew, the test was supposed to start in the afternoon, and looking up, he could see the sun high in the sky, indicating it was almost time for the test to begin.


    For Ethan, it was the first time he was taking the test to become a disciple, so he didn''t know how the whole process worked.


    As he looked around, he noticed people of different ages. There were some like him who seemed to be almost 20 years old, as well as some younger ones that Ethan thought were around 16 or 17.


    According to what he had heard before coming here, there weren''t many requirements to participate in the exam.


    As long as a person was under 30 years old, they were eligible to participate; whether they passed or not depended on other factors. sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, like everyone else, he waited, and after about 10 minutes, an elderly man finally appeared on the platform.


    The man, though elderly, walked straight and composed, as if he were in the prime of his life.


    His long white beard swayed with the wind, while his calm gaze scrutinized the crowd that had gathered for the exam.


    The old man was Ch��ng h��zi, an elder of the sect who had been chosen to conduct the exam to become a sect disciple.


    The man had had many such experiences in the past, so he could tell at a glance if a person had talent or not.


    "It seems that even this year, we will only have a few good seedlings," he thought after quickly glancing at everyone.


    The old man was a bit disheartened by the situation. He had noticed in recent years that each year, the number of talents seemed to decline a bit.


    He wondered if this was due to natural factors or because people preferred other sects over the Phoenix Sect.


    Shaking off these thoughts, the man turned his gaze back to the crowd and said in a loud voice that one wouldn''t expect from someone his age.


    "Well, now that everyone is here, let''s start the test," he said, nodding to the guards at the entrance.


    The guards, noticing, understood what they had to do and sprang into action.


    They each took one of the two doors and began to close them.


    The few people outside, who had just managed to climb up and were catching their breath, were alarmed at the sight of the entrance doors closing.


    Shocked and desperate by this turn of events, they all started running frantically toward the door.


    "What?"


    "Wait, let me in at least."


    "F*ck, my mother will surely skin me alive if I don''t get in."


    They all ran like mad, pushing each other to get into the remaining space between the doors.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, didn''t know what expression to have at that moment.


    "Thank goodness I made it in time," he said to himself as he watched those poor people running frantically toward the door, using energy they didn''t even know they had in their bodies.


    Several people managed to get in, while others were still behind, doing everything they could to move forward.


    THUD


    With a loud sound, the doors closed, leaving those outside to lament and making those who had managed to get in sigh with relief.


    The old man, who didn''t seem to care about the complaints coming from outside, said calmly.


    "Good, now, the test officially begins."


    ------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR: well, as usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms/ERRORS on the novel.

 Chapter 8 - 8: The Beginning of the Test

    .


    "Good, now, the test officially begins," said the man, raising his hands theatrically.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Chan Huzi, one of the ten elders of the Phoenix Sect, and I will be presiding over the test," he said, composing himself.


    "Although many of you already know how the test works, let me repeat it for those who are new to all this.


    "The test is divided into three parts, each focused on an aspect of you.


    "The first test is the test of strength.


    This test will gauge how much force you can exert with your current cultivation.


    The minimum requirement to pass this test is to reach at least 50 strength points," he said, pausing to see if everyone understood.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but sweat a little. He had never trained much, neither in his previous world nor in this one.


    He didn''t know how much strength someone who hadn''t started cultivating could exert, but he had a feeling it would be difficult to reach 50 points.


    Seeing that no one had any questions, he continued explaining:


    "Now, we don''t expect all of you to have already started cultivating, so you won''t be eliminated immediately if you fail this test.


    To be disqualified from the exam, you must fail at least two of the three tests." S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The elder could see that at the mention of these last words, many had breathed a sigh of relief.


    Seeing this, he shook his head and then, with a wave of his hand, made a strange wooden machine appear beside him.


    The machine was a nearly two-meter-tall rectangular wooden container with what looked like a circular brown cushion in the center and a small pointer at the top of the container with a thin wooden wheel behind it.


    The wheel was numbered from 0 to 500, and the pointer was currently at zero.


    Ethan, seeing how the elder made this device appear, was a bit surprised.


    "Could it be one of those legendary storage rings often mentioned in cultivation novels?" he wondered, noticing that he wasn''t the only one surprised by this sight.


    "This gadget here is what we will use for the first test," he said, pointing to the machine next to him.


    "What you need to do is simply punch the circular cushion as hard as you can, and the wheel above will spin and show your score."


    "Now, line up, forming a single file, and approach one by one to take the test."


    With these words, he moved to the side of the stage, leaving the space in front of the wooden machine empty.


    The crowd wasted no time and immediately moved to get as far ahead as possible.


    Ethan, who was at the back of the group, seeing this scene, wisely decided to take a step back and wait for the line to form first.


    The last thing he wanted at this moment was to be in the middle of this frantic group and end up getting hurt.


    After a short time, everyone lined up.


    Seeing that the group was finally ready, the elder signaled the first person in line.


    Seeing the examiner''s signal, the person stepped onto the wooden stage and positioned themselves in front of the measuring device.


    The one who stepped onto the stage was a young and tall boy who didn''t seem to be more than 18 years old.


    He had dark blue hair, almond-shaped eyes, and a confident expression on his face, as if he already knew he would pass.


    The boy assumed a fighting stance, focusing his gaze on his target. Then, with a quick hand movement, he punched the device''s cushion hard.


    TING!


    The device''s wheel immediately began to spin rapidly.


    The boy who had just thrown the punch composed himself and calmly awaited the result.


    Even Ethan, who was almost at the back of the line, tried to see what the first score would be.


    After a few seconds, the wheel began to slow down until it finally stopped.


    Everyone leaned forward a bit to see the score, and upon seeing the value indicated by the pointer, a few gasps echoed from the crowd.


    The number displayed on the device was ''153''.


    "153, that means he''s already in the first stage of body refinement," said someone in the crowd incredulously.


    "First stage of body refinement? No, friend, he''s almost halfway to the second stage," said another near the first speaker.


    "Heavens, to be already halfway to the second stage of body refinement at such a young age. He must be a genius from some prestigious family."


    "Now that you mention it, I think I''ve seen him somewhere before. Oh yes, he''s the third son of the Zhao family, Zhao Ming."


    "Wait, are you talking about that Zhao family that runs the Zhao Auction House in Sun City?" said someone hearing what the boy in front of him had said.


    "Of course, I''m talking about that family. Do you know any other Zhao families?"


    The crowd buzzed with comments about the young man''s result.


    Zhao Ming, who was still on the stage, hearing the crowd''s comments, smiled slightly as he descended from the platform.


    The examiner, seeing the result, wasn''t very surprised. He indeed expected such a value from someone of the Zhao family.


    Wasting no time, he called the next person.


    The next was a tall and robust boy with short hair who walked arrogantly onto the stage.


    "Hmph, what are you surprised about? Let me show you real power," he said, assuming an attack position and, without wasting time, delivered a punch to the cushion.


    TING!


    As before, the wheel started spinning quickly. This time it seemed a bit faster than before, and people noticed.


    "Isn''t that Li Qiang?"


    "Yes, it''s him, without a doubt."


    "It seems that many members of prestigious families of the Phoenix Kingdom have shown up for the exam today. We''re in for a show," said someone while looking at some others in the crowd, eager to see how other competitors from prestigious families would score.


    After a few seconds, the wheel stopped, with the pointer pointing to the number 161.


    "161! He surpassed Zhao Ming''s score."


    "Incredible, that means he''s also halfway to the second stage of body refinement."


    Once again, the crowd exclaimed in surprise.


    Zhao Ming, who had stopped at the side of the line, seeing that someone had immediately surpassed him, seemed a bit displeased but tried to hide his emotions.


    Li Qiang, having composed himself, descended from the stage with a victorious smile on his face.


    And so, one by one, everyone began to step onto the stage and record their scores.


    Ethan, who was at the back of the line, seeing everyone''s scores one by one, couldn''t help but think:


    '' I''m definitely screwed. ''


    ------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR: well, as usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms/ERRORS on the novel.

 Chapter 9 - 9: Haa, Maybe Ill have more success as a housekeeper after all.

    .


    Time passed, and the long line of people began to shorten even further.


    Individuals continued to ascend the stage, and various scores continued to be announced.


    With each person that took the stage, it felt like a dagger to Ethan''s heart.


    69


    121


    79


    Each score comfortably surpassed the minimum threshold to pass the first test.


    Ethan could tell that not everyone here had reached the first stage of body refinement, yet almost all of them had scored over 50 points.


    At this point, he was certain that he would be the worst performer in this test.


    Time passed, and after about an hour, it finally came to Ethan''s turn.


    "Haa, well, how bad could it possibly go," he muttered to himself as he took a deep breath and walked towards the wooden stage.


    He ascended the stairs and finally stood before the dreaded measuring machine.


    Without much thought, he assumed a somewhat hunched attack position and prepared to throw the strongest punch he could muster.


    Swish


    Extending his arm forward quickly, he aimed the punch at the pad.


    TING


    The machine''s wheel started to spin.


    From the speed of the wheel, it was evident that Ethan''s score wouldn''t be too high, but he still hoped it wouldn''t be too low.


    "Come on, let it be at least close to 50."


    Unlike others, this time the wheel didn''t spin for long. It began to slow down, and within a few breaths, it stopped completely.


    21


    "..."


    Everyone who had gone before Ethan fell silent upon seeing this result.


    No one expected someone to score so low today.


    Even Ch��ng h��zi, who could tell at a glance that Ethan was not yet a cultivator, was somewhat surprised by the result.


    It would make sense if a 13 or 14-year-old without cultivation scored 21 points. But for someone nearing 20, scoring so low was surprising.


    It was known that a normal person could easily score over 30 points, and a trained person could even surpass 50 points.


    Once they became full-fledged cultivators, this score would surpass 100 points, so everyone was surprised to see such a low score.


    Ethan, who didn''t know this, could tell from the atmosphere that his score was worse than expected. Indeed, at that moment, a voice from the crowd rang out:


    "21 points? Holy cow, even my little brother scored more than him," said a boy from the crowd.


    "Goodness, one must have a certain talent to score so little," said another person.


    "And here I thought he''d be stronger," muttered yet another.


    And so a debate ensued in the crowd, each person presenting someone they believed could outperform Ethan in strength.


    They went from cats to mice, and even ants.


    Ethan had a grim expression at this moment as he kept his head down.


    "Just wait until I get stronger, then I''ll come for each of you," he thought inwardly, memorizing their faces.


    The examiner, seeing the situation getting out of control, decided to interrupt them and continue the examination.


    He didn''t know how someone could score so low, but he hoped Ethan would make up for it in the next test.


    "Ahem, ahem, alright, now that everyone has their score, let''s move on to the next test," he said, wasting no time in leading everyone to another area, this time in front of the doors of a hall.


    Stopping in front of the hall''s doors, he said:


    "As with the first test, which was meant to assess your current strength, in this test we will examine the meridians of your body.


    As you know, our body has several meridians through which we gather energy from the surrounding environment and circulate it within our body."


    The quality of these meridians, as well as how many of them you can effectively use, enhances a cultivator''s chances of progressing quickly to the next stages.


    Entering this hall, there will be someone evaluating your meridians by injecting Qi into them.


    Depending on how well your meridians manage the Qi injected, you may proceed to the next test or not."


    He said and wasted no time, as before, he brought everyone into the room one by one.


    Ethan, who still didn''t know much about cultivation, wondered how this would go for him.


    If the first test depended entirely on his strength, passing this test would depend on his meridians.


    From what he understood, a person was born with certain types of meridians, so he had little control over how well or poorly this test would go.


    Time passed, and every three or four minutes, the door opened to let the next examinee in and closed.


    Those who entered hadn''t yet come out, so he couldn''t tell if anyone had passed or not.


    "I suppose everyone will pass this time too," he thought, but just then the door opened and a boy who had entered just three minutes ago came out.


    From his gloomy expression, it seemed things hadn''t gone well.


    Ethan recognized that boy.


    How could he not recognize him? After all, like him, the boy in the previous test had not reached the minimum requirement to pass.


    Even though he hadn''t passed, he had still done much better than Ethan, scoring a respectable 47.


    Seeing that the boy was the only one to come out, Ethan deduced he had been eliminated from the test.


    "So those who passed, or those who didn''t pass but still have another chance, are being kept inside?" he wondered, thinking his guess was likely true.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how to feel about it.


    He knew that just because the boy in a similar situation to his had been eliminated didn''t mean the same fate awaited him.


    But thinking about the fact that he wasn''t originally from this world left him quite uneasy.


    In his understanding, if Qi was indeed in the surrounding environment, then the people of this world had come into contact with it since birth, adapting their bodies accordingly.


    For him, not being native to this world, his body shouldn''t have been suitable for cultivation. Or at least that''s what he thought, considering he had only heard about cultivation in novels.


    "Haa, maybe I''m really destined to become a housekeeper."


    ---------------------------------- S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Well, as usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms on the novel.


    And while you''re at it, also jot down some ideas about how the plot might develop in the future. a little healthy inspiration never hurts.

 Chapter 10 - 10: Ramifications

    .


    Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, two more candidates who hadn''t scored 50 in the strength test were eliminated, their disappointed expressions evident on their faces.


    Once again, Ethan didn''t know how to feel about it.


    In total, there were seven of them who hadn''t passed the previous test, including him, and three had already been eliminated.


    Although some of them managed to pass, Ethan didn''t believe it was purely luck. After all, most of them had scored very close to 50 in the previous test.


    For this reason, as the line grew shorter, he felt increasingly anxious.


    After almost half an hour, it was finally his turn.


    Standing in front of the entrance to the second test, Ethan couldn''t help but tremble a little.


    The white-bearded man, who was still standing near the entrance, didn''t rush him.


    For the man, this sight had become familiar.


    Every year, it was always the same situation.


    Except for a few who turned out to be real talents, the others either failed or passed only to become one of the many outer disciples who wouldn''t achieve much.


    If the sect hadn''t established some rules to manage this situation, it would have been full of such individuals by now.


    The white-bearded man had almost lost hope for these types of disciples and was content with those who managed to stand out.


    After all, they would be the pillars supporting the sect and maintaining its prestige in the years to come.


    Ethan knew there was little he could do in this test and that it would all depend on his luck.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself and opened the doors, stepping through without hesitation.


    As he entered the room, he realized it was dark. He couldn''t distinguish much, except for a table in front of him with a person sitting behind it.


    The figure was visible only thanks to the light coming from the open doors behind him.


    SBAM


    With a sound, the doors closed automatically, almost making Ethan jump in fear.


    ''Seriously, why do they have to make everything so creepy?'' he thought, recalling how the white-bearded man always seemed to have something depressing to say before the tests began.


    "Boy, don''t waste my time and come closer to the sphere," said the figure, his voice slightly irritated by Ethan''s hesitation.


    With a mix of hesitation and determination, Ethan did as he was told.


    As he approached the table, he noticed it was made of dark, heavy wood, engraved with runes and symbols he couldn''t decipher.


    The sphere, in the center of the table, appeared to be made of transparent glass but had a strange internal luminescence, as if it contained a latent energy ready to be released.


    Once he was close enough, Ethan stopped and awaited further instructions. The man, who seemed to be elderly, perhaps a bit younger than the man outside the chamber, began explaining how the test worked.


    "What you need to do is simply place your dominant hand on the surface of the sphere, and then you can leave," the man said hurriedly, without adding anything else.


    Ethan was a bit annoyed by the man''s attitude but said nothing, mentally putting him on his blacklist.


    Ethan did as he was told, placing his right hand on the cold, smooth surface of the sphere, waiting for something to happen.


    The tension was palpable.


    He could hear his own breathing, slow and heavy, filling the silence of the room.


    He wasn''t sure how long the test would last, but he remembered that the door to the test chamber remained closed for no more than five minutes each time someone entered.


    He had observed the previous candidates and knew that the times varied: some lasted three minutes, others four, and some even two.


    He recalled that for the three eliminated candidates, the test had lasted only two minutes. He hoped his would last longer and possibly with a positive result.


    He waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened.


    The transparent glass sphere seemed indifferent to his touch.


    Ethan looked up from the sphere to address the man, but at that moment a thin thread of light began to appear inside the sphere.


    The thread of light grew like a plant from the point where Ethan was touching the sphere, and gradually began to branch into two threads, then three, and then four.


    Ethan didn''t know what these luminous threads meant and, seeing that the man seemed calm and not inclined to say anything, he waited patiently.


    In almost a minute, the number of branches had already reached ten.


    The man, seeing how many threads had formed, seemed a bit curious about how things would progress from there and paid more attention to the sphere.


    At this moment, the growth of the threads began to slow down.


    After a few more seconds, an eleventh branch grew, and finally, the process stopped there.


    Ethan felt confused and a bit anxious. The silence of the room heightened the tension.


    Finally, the man spoke.


    "Very well," he said in a deep, reassuring voice, this time without the irritated tone from before.


    "Your test is over. Eleven branches are a good result. You have passed."


    At these words, Ethan couldn''t help but sigh in relief as the tension in his body eased.


    ''Good, only one more to go,'' he thought to himself, happy that he had passed.


    The man didn''t seem to care about this and, returning to his previous tone, pointed in a direction with his hand.


    "Now you can go. That door will take you to the place where the third entrance test will be held."


    Ethan didn''t need to be told twice and, with a slightly quickened pace, reached the door and left the room.


    At that moment, Ch��ng H��zi, who was waiting outside the door, noticed that more than three minutes had passed since Ethan had entered the room.


    Noticing this, he couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised.


    ''It seems the boy managed to pull through this time,'' he thought.


    He didn''t have high expectations for Ethan. In fact, he was almost certain that, like the other three, Ethan would be eliminated from the test.


    He didn''t expect him to pass.


    ''Oh well, luck is also part of one''s talent. I hope he saved some for the final test. He''ll need it,'' he thought as he prepared to retire to his personal quarters. S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His task here was done, and seeing that the sun had begun to set, painting the sky a beautiful orange color, he set off.


    "This year will be a bit turbulent," he said to himself, remembering some individuals who had taken the test.


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    With this chapter, I''m finally ready to request the contract.


    Fingers crossed, and let''s hope it goes well. I''ll see you tomorrow, or maybe tonight with the next chapter (depending on whether I will have enough time to write).


    As usual, don''t hesitate to leave comments/criticisms on the novel.

 Chapter 11 - 11: The Dao Heart

    .


    After leaving the room of the second trial, Ethan found himself witnessing a peculiar scene.


    Once again, he was in a room, but this time it was much larger, almost five times the size of the previous room he had been in.


    This room had a strange atmosphere surrounding it, an almost mystical ambiance.


    It was adorned with various murals and ornaments, and at the far end, a large statue could be seen.


    The statue was over three meters tall and depicted none other than a phoenix, tall and majestic, towering over all those who stood before it.


    What truly astonished Ethan was not the statue itself but the group of people who were in a meditative position in front of it.


    It was a large group, consisting of at least fifty people.


    It was obviously the group of disciples who had taken the entrance exam to the sect with him.


    He thought this might be the third trial, but he didn''t understand exactly how it would unfold.


    One thing he had noticed, looking at the group, was the number of people that composed it.


    "Is it just my impression, or are there people missing here?"


    Indeed, the group that had passed the second trial was much larger, and seeing that some were missing, he couldn''t help but wonder if they had been eliminated.


    He didn''t have to wait long to get the answer to this question, because the next moment, a boy in the group suddenly fell to the ground, writhing a little.


    "What the hell..."


    Ethan said, taken by surprise.


    He wanted to run over to him to see if he was okay, but at that moment, two shadows shot out of nowhere and appeared standing next to the boy.


    One shadow took him and disappeared, as if teleported.


    Ethan, witnessing this scene, didn''t know whether to be excited by this demonstration of skill or disconcerted by the whole situation.


    The other person who had appeared didn''t leave but instead remained there, turning his gaze to Ethan.


    Ethan, feeling his gaze, tried to ask,


    "Senior, I''ve just arrived here after the second trial, so I don''t know what''s happening here. Is this the third trial?"


    He asked, getting straight to the point.


    There was no need to ask what had happened to the boy before, why he had fainted.


    He was certain it was part of the trial, so he thought it was better not to waste time.


    For all he knew, there might be a maximum time limit to participate in the trial.


    The person in front of him was a boy, perhaps a few years older than him, wearing a robe with a phoenix in a spiraling position, engraved on the left side of his chest.


    Probably a disciple, Ethan thought.


    The presumed disciple, hearing how Ethan had addressed him, couldn''t help but have a slight smile on his face.


    "This is indeed the third and final trial to enter the sect. This is the trial of the Dao Heart," he said calmly.


    "The Dao Heart?"


    This wasn''t the first time Ethan had heard this term; indeed, in every cultivation novel he had read, the Dao Heart was mentioned.


    The Dao Heart wasn''t something concrete that could be touched or seen but rather something abstract.


    As far as Ethan knew, the Dao Heart was the sum of the mental, emotional, and spiritual qualities that a cultivator had to develop and maintain along their path.


    It was what the cultivator believed in, the values that fortified their determination to continue the arduous and often solitary path of cultivation.


    The sect disciple then pointed to the group of people sitting on the ground and said:


    "See, they are currently in an illusion that severely tests their Dao Heart.


    The longer they persist, the better it will be for their future cultivation."


    "To pass the trial, each person must persist for at least 10 minutes.


    As for the maximum limit, well, there isn''t one.


    One can stay there for as long as they can manage.


    Many of your companions who have passed the trial have stayed here for several dozen minutes, with some of them remaining for more than half an hour, and one of them coming very close to breaking the record of 64 minutes,"


    he said with a bit of astonishment on his face.


    Ethan realized that not everyone missing from the trial had been eliminated, which, in hindsight, was normal since it had taken almost two hours for his turn in the second trial to come.


    Nodding to show he understood, Ethan asked another question:


    "I see. So, to start the trial, do I have to go sit near the statue?"


    "Yes, find an empty spot nearby and get into a meditative position.


    You''ll automatically enter the illusion.


    Well, it''s time for me to go. Good luck with the test," sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he said and then disappeared from sight.


    Ethan, seeing it happen again, couldn''t help but think,


    "I wonder how long it will take me to do the same."


    Finally, shaking his head to clear his mind of various thoughts, he found a spot near the group of people and got into a meditative position.


    "Good, now we wait," he thought as he closed his eyes and prepared for whatever might happen to him.


    At first, nothing happened, and Ethan couldn''t help but think he was doing something wrong, but without realizing it, little by little, he had fallen into a dream.


    He opened his eyes and was a bit disoriented by the place where he found himself.


    Ethan found himself behind the counter of a small convenience store, surrounded by shelves filled with products: snacks, drinks, household items, and everyday essentials.


    The fluorescent lights dimly illuminated the environment, giving the store a familiar yet surreal atmosphere.


    It was the same store where he had worked for years, earning just enough to cover household and university expenses.


    "Good evening, Ethan," greeted a voice coming from the entrance of the convenience store.


    "I see you''re doing the night shift again today."


    Still a bit disoriented, Ethan nodded and said, as if he had repeated these lines many times before:


    "Good evening to you too, Violet," he said, addressing the girl who had entered the store.


    "Looks like you''ll be having a sleepless night too. "


    -----------------------


    FRANK-LEE-JUNIOR:


    Sorry for the absence of chapters yesterday.


    As you know, the commitments never end.


    I should be able to publish another chapter within the day, so, see you later.

 Chapter 12 - 12: VIOLET

    .


    In the tranquil moments of Ethan''s life before he was transported to another world, he found solace in the rhythm of his routine.


    Every morning, he woke up early to do some physical exercise.


    Then, after settling for a meager breakfast, he left for university.


    Once back home, he rested for two hours, usually revising the material from the previous day''s lecture, and finally headed to his part-time job, where he worked until the evening, sometimes even pulling night shifts.


    This was a routine Ethan had followed for almost two years, a routine he had built to achieve his goals.


    A routine that had helped him avoid recalling the hard moments in his life,


    a routine that had helped him not to succumb after losing the last dear person in his life.


    ***


    The girl who had just entered was someone Ethan knew very well.


    After all, how could he not? S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was Violet Roberts, the daughter of the owner of this convenience store.


    Ethan had started working here almost two years ago, and since then, he had had several occasions to meet her.


    The owner''s house was just a stone''s throw from the store, so she occasionally visited her father.


    Over time, he had befriended this girl. She was friendly and radiant, always with a smile that could enchant people.


    Even Ethan, who believed that girls were only a source of trouble and distraction, couldn''t help but be interested in her.


    For him, who firmly believed that money is power and anyone who says otherwise doesn''t know what they''re talking about, having a girlfriend or going out with friends was a waste of time.


    He knew that only by working hard now could he enjoy a life of luxury later, so he dedicated himself to learning more and more new things to build a lucrative career.


    The only person who had obstructed him in this path was this girl, who, for some reason, was interested in him and never left him alone.


    Ethan thought she was enchanted by his natural beauty (which was average), which had made some girls faint in the past.


    Over time, he got used to her presence, and little by little, he interacted with her more.


    Time passed, and one day, when he was in his third year of university, an accident occurred.


    At an intersection not far from the store, an oil tanker had crashed into some cars.


    This accident had caused a lot of commotion then because the explosion of the truck caused a lot of damage, and several lives were lost.


    He remembered that day at the store and only knew about the accident from a phone call from his boss, who asked him to close the store for the day.


    The usual tone of the boss, with which he used to talk, had disappeared, replaced by a somewhat choked voice, as if he was holding back tears.


    At that time, he still didn''t know what had happened, but later he found out that one of the victims of the explosion was Violet. The same girl who was now standing in front of him.


    Ethan had wondered how the trial would evaluate his Dao heart.


    Since this was his first experience of the kind, he could only imagine what he would face in the illusion, and although he had prepared for everything, this had caught him off guard.


    According to an old saying, the past haunts a person until their death. Ethan felt he was about to learn the meaning of this saying the hard way.


    "Haa, Screw my bad luck."


    ***


    Time passed, and one by one, the number of people undergoing the trial began to decrease.


    Some passed, and others didn''t, but the pace at which people were coming out of the illusion was constant enough that every minute or two, disciples appeared to assist these people.


    At one end of the hall of the third trial, five people stood watching the dwindling group of people sitting in front of the phoenix statue.


    It was the group of disciples assigned to assist the participants in case something went wrong.


    One of these disciples was none other than the boy Ethan had met upon arriving here.


    His name was Sun Hao, a member of the Sun family, a family that had grown wealthy through commerce. It was one of the important families in the city of the sun.


    At this moment, Sun Hao stood with his companions, all of whom were inner disciples of the sect, waiting for the trial to end.


    The Dao Heart trial was a test that severely challenged a person''s determination.


    The importance of the Dao Heart for cultivation was very high, so in almost all sects in this world, this was one of the trials that a person would have to face sooner or later.


    Many had failed because of this trial, and as dangerous as it could become, the sects ensured that people wouldn''t be too shaken.


    There were indeed several ways to recover from the trauma that could result from this test.


    As dangerous as it was, the sects continued this method because those who successfully faced this trial had a greater chance of achieving great things in the future.


    The success rate of this trial was very low, so low that only one in ten people passed the trial successfully, and only one in a hundred passed with good results.


    This year, the number of people who passed was much lower than the previous year, but Sun Hao didn''t seem unhappy about this.


    In fact, he seemed quite satisfied with this batch of people because four people had already passed the trial with excellent results. Last year, there were only two.


    Although he was a bit jealous of the results of those four, he knew that if the sect prospered, he would prosper along with it.


    He couldn''t wait for this test to end so he could interact more with them and build some kind of connection with them, after all, three of them were from important families, more important than his.


    At that moment, only two participants remained in the hall. One was a boy with long black hair tied in a ponytail, who had a tired expression on his face.


    It was clear that he was close to giving up, and indeed, one of the five inner disciples was already ready to intervene.


    The other, however, was the boy Sun Hao had met a few minutes ago.


    Seeing him still sitting, eyes closed, and without any expression on his face, Sun Hao thought he might pass the trial.


    It had been almost seven minutes since he had started, and usually, most people taking the trial began to give up after the first five minutes, so he thought maybe he would pass the trial.


    According to what he had heard, the boy had a terrible result in the first trial and a barely acceptable result in the second, so this was his last chance to pass.


    Personally, Sun Hao didn''t expect much from him and was sure he would give up after the first ten minutes.


    ''Well, at least it seems he will pass. One more disciple is always better than nothing,'' he thought, noting that the ten minutes were almost up and preparing to assist him at any moment.


    Unfortunately for him, that moment wouldn''t come too soon.

 Chapter 13 - 13: Thirty-Five Minutes

    . S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After ten minutes passed, Sun Hao, who was ready to retrieve Ethan at any moment, stayed there waiting.


    He waited one minute, then two, and then three.


    After another two minutes, he started to get irritated.


    The fact that Ethan hadn''t fainted after the first 10 minutes was already good, but 15?


    This was something he hadn''t expected, especially because from the calm expression on his face, Sun Hao could tell that Ethan could keep going for a while longer.


    "Well, this is unexpected," he thought as he looked at Ethan.


    "It seems he''ll join the group that lasted almost double the time in the illusion," he told himself, recalling that only 23 people had passed the trial by lasting almost 20 minutes.


    This group of people could be considered decent, as they were a notch above the regular disciples of the sect.


    Indeed, recruits were divided into groups in the third trial.


    Depending on how long they lasted in the illusion, they would enter one of these groups:


    The 10-minute group, which was the lowest group, barely able to pass the trial, and this group consisted of the majority of the participants.


    The 20-minute group, which had passed the trial with decent results, comprised only 45% of the participants.


    The 30-minute group was considered good. This group was even smaller, with only 20% of the participants.


    Then there was the 40-minute group, considered excellent, with only 3 people who had lasted up to this point.


    These individuals were highly sought after by various sects, as they had a bright future ahead of them, provided they survived to the end.


    And finally, there was the group of talents that appeared only occasionally over the years.


    It was the 50-minute group. Those who reached and surpassed this point were considered true ranked geniuses.


    In the history of the Phoenix Sect, only 5 individuals had reached this point. One of them was the sect master, who had set the record of 64 minutes, a record that had remained for more than two decades.


    Another person who reached this category was Xian Hua, who lasted for 55 minutes, becoming one of the sect''s emerging talents.


    And this year, a new person had been added to this list, even managing to mark 61 minutes.


    It was certain that this person would almost certainly become a core disciple of the sect.


    Indeed, everyone started as external disciples and then climbed the hierarchy, but there were exceptions to this rule.


    For those who had lasted more than 45 minutes and had only passed 2 of the three trials, they could have the chance to become internal disciples of the sect.


    Instead, those who had passed all three trials would definitely become internal disciples.


    Therefore, Sun Hao couldn''t wait to interact with these 4 disciples.


    After the first 20 minutes passed, there was finally a slight change in Ethan''s expression.


    Seeing this, Sun Hao prepared to intervene at any moment, but once again, the minutes passed, and nothing happened.


    At this point, even the other four internal disciples couldn''t help but glance at Ethan.


    "It seems we''ll have another good one this year," said one of them.


    "Maybe, but there are still three minutes left. He might give in before then," said another.


    But even after three minutes, Ethan didn''t give in.


    "Okay, you were right, but let''s see how long he can last from here on. I bet he won''t last more than another 3 minutes," said the second one who spoke.


    "3 minutes? Nah, he can definitely last at least another 5 minutes," replied the first.


    "You guys are giving him too much credit. He got a bit lucky and nothing more. He surely won''t last more than another 2 minutes," said a third.


    And so, a betting competition started among the four disciples who had come with Sun Hao, who, hearing them, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "These idiots," he thought, but he wasn''t entirely in disagreement with them. Getting to this point was already good enough for this participant.


    Although he believed Ethan wouldn''t last much longer, he didn''t want to say it for sure.


    He had learned his lesson and wouldn''t make the same mistake of standing there like an idiot waiting for Ethan to give in to the illusion.


    Too bad for him that he was wrong once again.


    After about 36 minutes, Ethan''s body finally fell to the ground.


    Since no one had prepared to catch him this time, he fell unconscious directly onto the floor.


    Sun Hao and the other four internal disciples, seeing this, didn''t move immediately.


    They looked at this scene with frowns, thinking that maybe their imagination was playing tricks on them.


    Then, as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on them, they all snapped out of their stupor and quickly rushed to Ethan to help him.


    "Damn it, hurry up," shouted Sun Hao.


    They all moved so fast it seemed as if they had teleported.


    If Ethan were awake and had witnessed this scene, he would probably have asked them to teach him this technique.


    Fortunately for them, he was not conscious at the moment.


    All five arrived in a flash next to Ethan.


    They were so taken by surprise that they forgot that only two people were needed to carry him to the infirmary.


    Not that they could be blamed for this.


    All five knew how dangerous this test could become for a person if they weren''t helped in time.


    In recent years, there hadn''t been any cases of people being mentally injured by this trial precisely because the sect took this test very seriously and made sure that no one got hurt.


    If someone was treated immediately after the trial, then there were no problems, but if not, then it would be a problem.


    Sun Hao hoped that their little delay hadn''t caused any issues because otherwise, they would be severely punished by the sect for not doing their job well, not to mention the fact that they would become the laughingstock in the eyes of the other internal disciples.


    But, neither Sun Hao nor his companions, in their hurry, noticed one thing.


    That Ethan was not convulsing.


    When a person ended the trial and didn''t fall to the ground convulsing, it meant only two things:


    Either the trauma sustained was such that it forced the subject into unconsciousness, which would pose serious risks since the body would stop any form of protection against the trauma;


    Or that the person had managed to exit the illusion.

 Chapter 14 - 14: Waking Up

    .


    Since a young age, Feng Huang''s ability to evaluate a person''s talent had never been wrong.


    It was like a sixth sense for her, reacting whenever she encountered someone special.


    This person didn''t necessarily have to be a genius in cultivation.


    Her ability wasn''t limited to that but extended to any kind of talent.


    From the best chef to the best strategist, these were talents she could perceive.


    But only perceive, nothing more. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The specific type of talent these individuals possessed could only be discovered over time.


    But she didn''t mind.


    Thanks to her ability, Feng Huang surrounded herself with talented people and nurtured them, leading her to become the next sect master of the Phoenix Sect at only 30 years old, making her the youngest sect master ever.


    Since she ascended to power, the Phoenix Sect had continuously risen, and its position, which had started to waver as one of the top three sects in the empire, was reestablished by her.


    Therefore, she was so sure that the boy she had found at the slave auction was special.


    At this moment, Feng Huang was in her study, reading the results of this year''s entrance exam.


    Reading them, she was very pleased.


    Although the number of people who turned out to be good seedlings was lower than last year, there were some very good talents.


    In fact, one of them even surprised her when she read that he had lasted 61 minutes in the third trial, coming very close to the current record held by her.


    Reading about these recruits, she couldn''t help but have high expectations for the boy she had saved some time ago at the illegal auction house.


    She was very curious about his scores in the various trials, but her expectations were crushed when she read his results.


    "First trial: 21 points - Rating: failed"


    "Second trial: 11 branches - Rating: mediocre"


    "Third trial: 35 minutes - Rating: above average"


    Reading these results, she couldn''t help but sigh, shaking her head slightly in disappointment.


    ''Could I have been wrong?'' she wondered.


    Although her ability had almost never made a mistake in evaluating a person, seeing these results, she couldn''t help but doubt it.


    "Haa, maybe he''s just not suited for cultivation," she said to herself, thinking that perhaps Ethan''s talent lay elsewhere.


    At that moment, however, she remembered something, and her expression changed to a strange one.


    "Could his talent truly lie in domestic chores?"


    ***


    In the infirmary building, in a room, there was a boy asleep on a bed.


    The boy lay with his eyes closed as if he were sleeping, and around him, a girl with a wooden cart was the only other person present.


    The girl was an outer disciple of the Phoenix Sect, working in the infirmary.


    She had become a disciple just last year, and since then, she hadn''t made much progress in her cultivation, so she decided to be more useful to the sect by working in the infirmary, where work was never scarce.


    Every day she treated various injured individuals. From those with minor injuries to those with severe ones that, if they surpassed a certain threshold, more experienced disciples than her would take over.


    After working here for almost a year, she had to admit that she liked it very much here.


    Even though there were days when she went crazy due to the number of people arriving for treatment, like yesterday, the day of the entrance exam for the sect.


    Just remembering having to run from one person to another the entire time gave her a headache.


    At that moment, she was preparing to administer medicine to this disciple, who had been one of the victims of the third trial, when he suddenly opened his eyes.


    "Haaa" The girl was startled and almost dropped the medicine.


    Ethan, who had just woken up, calmed down and sat up, looking around.


    "Where is this place?" he asked as he looked around, searching for something to tell him more about where he was at the moment.


    Finally, his gaze settled on the girl, who was looking at him a bit annoyed, as if he had done something to her.


    "Um, excuse me, but can you tell me where I am?" he asked, trying to ignore the irritated look of the girl.


    She, hearing him, calmed down and then spoke to him.


    "You almost gave me a scare.


    Currently, you are in the sect''s infirmary," she said.


    Hearing her, Ethan remembered what had happened before he fainted.


    ''Right, I was taking the entrance exam for the sect,'' he thought as he calmed down, remembering what had happened, but then his expression changed.


    ''Wait, if I fainted then, maybe...''


    "Don''t worry, you passed," said the girl as if reading his mind.


    "You, how..." Ethan didn''t know what to say.


    How on earth did she know what he was thinking, he wondered.


    ''Could she have used some kind of technique?'' he wondered, excited at the thought that there were indeed all kinds of techniques in this world.


    But just before his imagination could run wild, the girl brought him back to reality.


    "It''s because of your face. Almost everyone who wakes up after the trial has a similar expression," she said as if she was used to it by now.


    "I see," Ethan said, a little disappointed.


    "Then, can you tell me what I should do from here on?" he asked, as he wasn''t sure what he was supposed to do now.


    "For today, you will stay in bed. Although you were the last one to be brought here, you were the first to wake up," she said, recalling the group of five disciples who had rushed in with Ethan on a stretcher.


    From the way they were in a hurry, she thought the patient they had brought was at death''s door, but upon checking his condition, she noted that he was simply unconscious.


    If it hadn''t been for the fact that they were inner disciples of the sect, she would have scolded them.


    "Since the others have yet to wake up, the entrance ceremony will be held tomorrow morning, so until then, you will stay here," she said, handing him the glass with the medicine she had in her hand.


    "Thank you, what is this?" he asked as he looked at the greenish liquid inside.


    "A medicine, drink it quickly, it will do you good."


    And so Ethan stayed there, and one by one, throughout the day, the other exam participants began to wake up.


    Ethan chuckled a little at the sight of the girl from before, going back and forth explaining the same things to everyone.


    ------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    as usual, feel free to leave a comment, or a suggestion about a text error or other things below.

 Chapter 15 - 15: Entrance Ceremony

    .


    The next day, in an area of the sect, a group of disciples was gathered, waiting for the sect master to arrive.


    Today was the admission ceremony for those who had successfully passed the trial.


    Everyone in the crowd was eagerly anticipating the start.


    After all, they were about to be officially welcomed into the Phoenix Sect, one of the best sects in the Long Empire.


    The admission rate each year in the sect was so low that if someone managed to enter successfully, it was certain they would have a bright future.


    Even if one didn''t achieve great results, just being able to enter the sect was considered a significant achievement because it meant you were a notch above the rest.


    Ethan, standing in the middle of this group of people, couldn''t help but compare them to a group of frenzied fans who were happy to have gotten tickets to their favorite stars'' concerts. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, this didn''t apply to everyone.


    There were some, like him, who maintained their composure, but as for the rest of the group, they continued to chatter excitedly.


    After waiting for another quarter of an hour, the crowd finally quieted down.


    A small group of people, young and old, walked slowly towards the stage.


    Once on the stage, they lined up, leaving the center empty, which was filled by another person who came up last.


    Ethan, seeing who it was, couldn''t help but say,


    "It''s the woman from that night."


    He had recognized her immediately, and how could he not, since the woman had left a deep impression on him that time.


    He didn''t expect the famous master of the Phoenix Sect to be her.


    ''I actually met the sect master, and what''s more, I was invited to join directly by her,''


    he thought, surprised and at the same time a little proud of having attracted the attention of such a being.


    Feng Huang, now finally in front of the new disciples, looked at them for a moment.


    Her gaze paused for a moment on Ethan, but then moved on.


    In the end, seeing that everyone seemed to be there and had finally calmed down, she spoke:


    "Good morning, everyone.


    I am Feng Huang, the current master of the Phoenix Sect.


    Today, the elders of the sect and I are gathered here to welcome you to the sect.


    Each of you is here today not by chance or luck, but because you possess the potential and determination to walk the path of greatness," she said, addressing the crowd.


    "Our sect is built on the pillars of wisdom, perseverance, and unity.


    For centuries, the Phoenix Sect has flourished, rising from the ashes of adversity to soar to new heights.


    This resilience is not just a characteristic of our symbol, but a quality that each of us must embody.


    In the coming years, you will face numerous challenges.


    The path of cultivation is arduous and full of obstacles, but it is also incredibly rewarding.


    You will encounter trials that will test your determination, your Dao heart, and your ability to work together as a united group.


    Today is only the beginning of your journey.


    Every step you take will bring you closer to realizing your true potential.


    As you progress, always strive to learn and grow, not only as cultivators but also as individuals," she said, pausing to see if everyone had understood.


    Seeing the passionate gazes of some disciples and the looks of others trying not to cry, she internally complimented herself for her eloquence and then continued.


    "This year, several of you have stood out in the three exams, and I hope that those who haven''t had the chance yet will have the opportunity to do so in the near future.


    Each of you will now receive a robe indicating that you are members of our sect, and along with the robe, you will be given the sect''s rulebook and the number of your lodgings, where you will reside from now on," she said, and with a final line, concluded her entrance speech, leaving the elders of the sect to take care of the rest.


    The disciples all lined up and gradually received the materials they were given. Ethan didn''t know if it was fate or just a coincidence, but once again he was the last in line.


    In no time, everyone had finished collecting their things and dispersed to find their lodgings.


    Ethan had just learned that the sect was divided into three areas, starting from the outermost area, which was where the sect''s outer disciples and workers lived.


    Then there was the inner area of the sect, where the core disciples resided, as well as the elders and the sect master.


    Ethan wasn''t surprised by this arrangement.


    He was sure it was designed to encourage the outer disciples to work harder and the inner ones to maintain their positions.


    As they say, a little healthy competition never hurts.


    At this moment, Ethan was in the outer area of the sect and was standing in front of the doors of a small building.


    "So, this is my lodging?" he asked himself, moving closer to knock on the door.


    Inside, he heard some footsteps, and after a moment, the building''s door opened, revealing the figure of a tall boy who looked at who had knocked.


    The boy was thin, very thin, and tall.


    ''What the hell did his parents feed him to make him grow so much?'' he wondered as he looked at him.


    Ethan was 179 cm tall, which was a bit above average, but in front of this boy, he couldn''t help but feel a bit smaller.


    The boy, noticing who was outside the door, examined him, and seeing the robe in his hand, opened his eyes as if he had realized something.


    "Oh, you must be the newcomer, right?" he asked.


    "Yes, I''m Ethan, nice to meet you," Ethan said.


    "Ethan, what a strange name. Well, nice to meet you. I''m Da Shu."


    ''Da Shu? And he has the nerve to say I have a strange name, tch, young people these days,'' thought Ethan, shaking his head internally.


    "Come on in, I''ll show you around," Da Shu said, entering, followed by Ethan.


    And so, his life as a disciple finally began.


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Well, I''d say it''s time to ramp up the plot.


    The initial introduction is over, so it''s time to get into the heart of the novel.


    I hope you''ve enjoyed the novel so far.


    As always, don''t hold anything back and let it all out in the comments section.

 Chapter 16 - 16: Cultivation problems.

    .


    A year had passed since Ethan joined the sect, and many things had happened during this time.


    After moving into his lodgings, which he shared with Da Shu, he began to learn more about the sect and its rules.


    First of all, the daily routine of the disciples.


    It wasn''t much, as most of the time, everyone spent cultivating or training in the designated areas of the sect.


    During the remaining time, they either attended some classes held by seniors or elders of the sect or spent their time doing small chores here and there to earn contribution points.


    Yes, in the sect, the external world''s currency was not used but contributions.


    Everything from the buying and selling of items to attending various knowledge seminars held by the seniors was paid for with contribution points.


    These contribution points could be earned by doing tasks, chores, or accepting the sect''s missions.


    One could also obtain contribution points without working, through the monthly stipend that the sect provided to each of its disciples.


    This monthly amount was not very high; it was only the minimum necessary to prevent disciples from starving.


    After all, it happened that due to an injury, a disciple might be bedridden for a long time, and in these cases, they wouldn''t be able to earn enough to meet their daily needs.


    To remedy these situations, the sect had established a basic monthly payment that all disciples would receive.


    The same applied to resources.


    Every weekend, the sect would distribute low-grade Qi cultivation pills to all disciples, so they could accelerate, even if only slightly, their cultivation.


    The remuneration that the disciples received varied according to their rank. It was low for the outer disciples of the sect and a bit higher for the inner ones, and so on. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was one of the reasons why people wanted to be part of a sect.


    Not only did they provide accommodation and an area suitable for cultivation, but they also provided materials to improve one''s cultivation, materials that, although they could be procured from the market, were expensive.


    An average person couldn''t afford to spend so much on cultivation materials, even those of low level.


    Another thing Ethan learned by reading the sect''s regulations was that each year, the disciples would be tested to assess their progress.


    According to what the sect had established, if within a year a disciple had not yet entered the Body Refining realm, they risked expulsion.


    Body Refining was the lowest level of cultivation. It was the first stage that cultivators had to face in their cultivation journey.


    According to what Ethan had learned, each cultivation level was divided into 10 grades.


    The first level was Body Refining, the level where the body was refined and the foundations for future cultivation were laid.


    Following Body Refining were:


    - Qi Refining


    - Dantian Expansion


    - Soul Cultivation


    - Body and Soul Integration


    Currently, the top experts of the Long Empire had all reached the Body and Soul Integration level, and the master of the Phoenix Sect was one of them.


    The emperor of the Long Empire, on the other hand, had already reached the ninth grade, becoming the strongest known living cultivator.


    According to what Ethan had read in some books in the sect''s library, there had been a cultivator in the past who had managed to surpass this level, but there was little information about him.


    Personally, Ethan didn''t care much about knowing if such a cultivator had existed in history.


    At the moment, he was more concerned with his own situation.


    There was only a month left until the evaluation, and Ethan had not yet entered the Body Refining level.


    Ethan initially thought there was a problem with his cultivation technique, but then learned that the technique given to him was the same basic technique that was given to all disciples who joined the sect, and these disciples did not have had problems using it, so the problem was not in the technique, but perhaps in him.


    This issue had been stressing him out in the past few months, because no matter how hard he tried to cultivate, he didn''t seem to be getting anywhere.


    It was as if there was a barrier preventing him from accumulating enough Qi to reach the first level.


    At that moment, Ethan was walking through the crowded streets of Sun City while on an errand for the sect at the Medicine Pavilion.


    The Medicine Pavilion was where doctors, better known in this world as Alchemists, worked.


    The Medicine Pavilion was also the association that promoted alchemists, and to become one of them, you had to pass a difficult exam that, according to what Ethan had heard, only 10% of people managed to pass.


    He had been tasked with collecting some pills that had been requested to be prepared at the pavilion, and now that they were ready, he had been sent to pick them up.


    Ethan had gladly accepted this errand, even though the pay was low, because he had heard that the alchemist profession was very lucrative.


    For a money lover like Ethan, going to see a place where these people worked was a must, so he accepted this mission because he wanted to take a look around.


    He wanted to know more, and if he saw that it was feasible, he would study to become an alchemist.


    If there was one thing Ethan was good at, it was studying.


    According to Ethan, if you learned alchemical recipes and the basic theory behind them, it was possible to create them easily.


    It was precisely because he was driven by this idea that he was eager to see how these masters of alchemy worked.


    After some time, he finally arrived in front of a large, dilapidated building.


    Above the entrance of the building, it was written in large letters on a sign: "Medicine Pavilion."


    Confirming that he was in the right place, Ethan crossed the entrance and entered the pavilion.


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here is the second chapter of the day. If I can, I''ll try to upload another one within the day.


    So see you later, or tomorrow.


    And as always, if there are any errors of any kind, please report them, and I will try to correct them as soon as possible.

 Chapter 17 - 17: Yān Méi

    .


    The Medicine Pavilion was one of the most important institutions in Sun City.


    As those who promoted and often trained Alchemists, they were quite a famous institution.


    The value of an alchemist was very high.


    Just think that even the lowest-level alchemist could earn enough to live comfortably.


    Of course, their reputation was also important, which was often closely tied to their success rate in pill creation.


    As long as the success rate in creating a pill was above 50 percent, it could be said that the alchemist was good.


    This value obviously varied from alchemist to alchemist, and also from the grade of the product they had to refine.


    But overall, it was still a fairly lucrative profession.


    The only problem was that it was very difficult to become one.


    The test to become an official alchemist was held by the Medicine Pavilion, and it was a very difficult test, with a very low admission rate each year.


    It was difficult to become one not only because of one''s skill in refining pills but also because of the amount of money spent on refining materials, which was too high.


    Without materials, an alchemist could not train their refining skills, and without good skills, one could not hope to become a well-known alchemist.


    This was a harsh reality that everyone knew, so many people preferred to choose other professions, and only those who had some talent or a good family background to support them decided to become one.


    Yan Mei was a person who belonged to both of these categories.


    She was born into a wealthy family that already had a master alchemist among them, so for her, following this path was easier than for others, especially because she also had a good talent for alchemy, a talent that led her to become a one-star adept alchemist at the age of 18.


    There were five stages that an alchemist could reach, and each of them had three basic levels to achieve before moving on to the next.


    These levels were represented in the form of stars, which essentially indicated how skilled the alchemist was at their current stage.


    The five stages were:


    Apprentice: one who was still learning the basics of alchemy, such as studying herbs, alchemical techniques, or flame regulation, and so on.


    Once one passed this stage, they were promoted to Adept Alchemists.


    Adept Alchemists were those who had mastered the basics of alchemy and were ready to refine pills.


    This was the stage where one could be called a true Alchemist.


    Subsequently, depending on the success rate in refining and the grade of the product that an alchemist could refine, they could receive the title of Expert Alchemist, Master Alchemist, and finally Grandmaster Alchemist.


    Currently, the number of alchemists who had reached the Grandmaster stage could be counted on the fingers of one hand.


    Their importance was such that even the emperor himself had to show them some respect if they appeared.


    Just successfully becoming an Adept Alchemist could take several years, so those who managed to reach this stage at such a young age were considered alchemy talents.


    Knowing this fact, Yan Mei had gradually started to look down on all her peers who were still at the beginning stages.


    Currently, she was in one of the refining rooms of the Medicine Pavilion, preparing to create a pill.


    Just as she was about to light the fire under the alchemy cauldron, a knocking sound came from the door of the room.


    ''Tch, who dares to knock at the door,'' she thought as she got up a little irritated and went to open the door.


    ''Seriously, don''t they know not to disturb someone when they''re refining in the refining room?'' she thought as she prepared to give a few words to whoever had knocked. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Opening the door, Yan Mei saw that the person who had knocked was a worker from the Pavilion.


    The worker, seeing her, said somewhat hurriedly:


    "I apologize for disturbing you, Lady Yan, but the person who was to pick up the pills you were commissioned to make is here," he said, handing her a slip of paper.


    Taking the slip from the worker, she glanced at what was written on it.


    Confirming the validity of the slip, she told the worker to wait a moment here and re-entered the room.


    After a few seconds, she returned with a small glass bottle containing some pills and handed it to the worker.


    "Here are the pills."


    Taking the pills, the worker thanked her and left.


    Seeing the worker leave, Yan Mei re-entered the room and placed the slip inside the dimensional ring on her finger.


    "I really should get myself an assistant, so at least I can avoid ending up in these situations," she said, a bit annoyed by the sudden interruption, as she returned to her workstation and prepared to refine a pill.


    Meanwhile, in the waiting room of the Medicine Pavilion, Ethan, who was supposed to be there to pick up the pills for the sect, was nowhere to be seen.


    The worker, who had gone to fetch the pills, had just returned only to find the room empty.


    "Ehm? Where did the boy who came for the pills go?" he wondered as he started to look around outside the waiting room to see if he could find him.


    Unfortunately for him, Ethan was not there at that moment.


    In the inner area of the sect, which was mainly dedicated to expert alchemists and master alchemists, one could see a boy wandering from room to room.


    Ethan, who had decided to look around while waiting, ended up getting lost and was now trying to find the waiting room.


    "F*ck, where the hell did I end up," he said frustratedly, not knowing where he had come from anymore.


    .


    -----------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I know, it was more of an informative chapter than anything else, but I thought it was better to give a basic idea of the levels of alchemy now, to have more flexibility in the following chapters.


    I wanted to include something about the pills as well, but I think it''s better to wait for the next chapters for that.


    If I can, I''ll try to upload another chapter by the end of the day.


    Let me know what you think of the novel so far.


    I know, we''re practically at the beginning, so there''s not much to talk about, but if you can give me feedback on the text itself, that would be great.


    I ask because English is neither my first nor my second language, so I might make some mistakes in the text.


    Report any errors you find.


    Ciao.

 Chapter 18 - 18: The Small Stone Cauldron

    .


    The Medicine Pavilion was divided into two sections:


    The outer section and the inner section.


    The outer section was primarily dedicated to transactions and was also where apprentice and adept alchemists mainly worked.


    They had their study rooms and refinement chambers there.


    The inner section, on the other hand, was where expert and master alchemists primarily worked.


    This was the heart of the Medicine Pavilion .


    Only individuals with a certain status could come here and commission work from the alchemists.


    It was a place where not only the top experts of the Medicine Pavilion worked, but also where various ancient relics and legacies of ancient master alchemists were kept.


    It was a place of alchemical history and culture, which only a few had the opportunity to visit.


    In this place, in one of the rooms, a certain object began to glow.


    It was a small refining cauldron.


    In fact, it was so small it could fit in the palm of a hand.


    This stone cauldron was an object that the researchers of the Medicine Pavilion had found in a ruin where it was said that a grand master alchemist once lived.


    Unlike the other valuable objects the explorers had found in the ruins, this stone cauldron did not seem special in any way.


    Initially, the explorers thought it best to leave it there, but some of them, admirers of great figures of the past like this alchemist, decided to take the small stone cauldron as a collectible item.


    The object was evaluated by many experts, but they all said it was just a simple stone sculpture of a cauldron.


    Thus, the small cauldron ended up being set aside in the Pavilion.


    The cauldron, which was starting to glow with a blinding light, transformed into a ball of white light and flew away from the place where it had been kept for centuries. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In another area of the Medicine Pavilion, Ethan, who had been wandering back and forth for the last half hour, couldn''t help but curse:


    "Who is the incompetent who designed this place?


    Damn it, it''s worse than a maze.


    And would it have cost so much to put up some signs to make navigation easier in this place?" he said, calling one of the richest associations in Sun City poor.


    Fortunately for him, no one was there to hear him, because otherwise, he would probably have been beaten to death by the locals.


    He was currently in a corridor with several rooms on either side.


    Ethan had tried knocking on all the doors of the rooms, but received no response from any of them.


    He had even tried forcing some of them open, but without success.


    These doors, covered with various protection inscriptions, did not budge an inch under Ethan''s assaults.


    Seeing that everything was futile, Ethan continued to walk in a direction that he believed was the one he had come from.


    ''Come on, this will be the one,'' he told himself, for the umpteenth time, as he hurriedly walked towards a corridor.


    At that moment, he heard a strange sound coming from behind him.


    He didn''t know what it was, but whatever it was, it was approaching him quickly.


    Just as he turned to take a look, a ball of intense light hit him square in the face, sending him flying several meters into the air.


    By chance, the point where Ethan was flung was right at the exit of the inner section of the sect.


    The attendant, who had been tirelessly searching for Ethan for a while, happened to pass by and saw Ethan coming in his direction.


    "Ah, here you are. How could y��"


    Just as he was about to complain to him for disappearing from the waiting room, he noticed that Ethan was not stopping.


    When he was closer, he saw that Ethan was facing away and flying towards him.


    "Damn, stop," he said, but it was no use.


    Swoosh


    The attendant didn''t have time to get out of Ethan''s trajectory and ended up being hit by him.


    Both fell to the ground, rolling for a bit before crashing into the door of a room, which was destroyed due to the force of the impact.


    Ethan, who had fainted after being hit by that ball of white light, didn''t know the trouble he had gotten into.


    In fact, inside the room, there was someone who was finishing refining a pill.


    It was an extremely complicated pill for the person, but after several hours, she had finally managed to complete the refinement.


    Few seconds were left, and the person would have created the pill that would pave the way for her''s second adept alchemist star.


    Just as a few seconds were left for the refinement to be completed, the door of the cultivation room was blown open, and two shadows streaked past her view.


    The person didn''t immediately understand what had just happened.


    Everything had been too fast.


    Before she could register what had happened, the boiling cauldron containing the pill disappeared from her sight.


    "Huh?"


    That was all that came out of her mouth as she turned to see the spot where the two figures had crashed.


    To the side, towards the wall opposite the door of the room, two people were lying on the ground with a cauldron that now had a large dent in it, overturned beside them.


    The contents of the cauldron had spilled only on the figure that was on top of the other figure.


    Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the boiling liquid had only partially soaked the top figure.


    Too bad that the soaked part extended to the waist of the figure''s body.


    The attendant of the Medicine Pavilion, who had been hit by Ethan, was lying on the ground unconscious, foam coming out of his mouth, and his eyes tearing up.


    --------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter. Sorry for the delay in uploading, but I didn''t have a chance to write it this morning as I spent most of the day on the highway, driving back and forth between cities.


    If it weren''t for the fact that I''m trying to be consistent with releasing the chapters of my novel, I''d probably be asleep right now.


    Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and if you have any complaints, error reports, or comments, feel free to leave them below.


    Good night. ????????

 Chapter 19 - 19: Unexpected Encounter

    .


    After dismissing the attendant, Yan Mei got back to work.


    It had been several months since she had become a one-star adept, and she thought it was time to move to the next step: creating a mid-quality grade one pill.


    To become a full-fledged alchemist, one needed to be able to create at least a low-level grade one pill. Grade one pills were the simplest to create.


    Every alchemist, to advance from apprentice to adept, had to be capable of creating at least one low-level grade one pill.


    Pills were divided into grades, and each grade was subdivided into three levels, indicating the purity of each pill.


    Low-level pills had to have a purity of at least 25%, mid-level ones at least 50%, and high-level ones had to exceed 75%.


    Creating a pill while trying to eliminate as many impurities as possible was challenging.


    The higher the grade, the more difficult it became.


    Eliminating the impurities contained in the ingredients was no simple task.


    In fact, the highest purity percentage that alchemists had managed to achieve, even with grade one pills, was 99%.


    No one had yet succeeded in creating a perfect pill.


    Only masters and grandmasters could reach purity percentages exceeding 95%.


    For anyone else, creating a pill that even remotely approached this value was already a source of pride.


    Yan Mei, who had always considered herself extremely talented, intended to surpass this percentage and achieve perfection in a pill. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, she did not hesitate to use her family''s substantial resources to practice alchemy every single day.


    Today, for her, would be a day when she would take a step forward on the path that would one day lead her to her goal, a step that was interrupted by these two individuals.


    She stared, stunned, at the chaos these two had created.


    Recognizing one of them as the attendant from earlier, she could not help but say angrily,


    "You... I hope you have a good explanation for me; otherwise, I''ll make you both regret being born,"


    she said menacingly, looking straight into the eyes of the attendant, who was getting up.


    The attendant, still coming to terms with what had happened, felt a chill down his spine hearing the threatening voice from behind.


    While the attendant was about to face Yan Mei''s wrath, the true culprit of all this was still unconscious.


    ***


    In an unknown place, devoid of anything, a boy lay.


    The surface on which the boy was lying seemed to be a thin mirror of water, covered by a transparent layer preventing his body from sinking.


    At that moment, the boy, who had been lying there for who knows how long, began to wake up.


    Ethan, after being knocked out by the strange ball of light, finally woke up.


    Struggling to get up, he carefully looked around, only to fail to recognize the place where he currently was.


    "Where am I?" he wondered, trying to recall what had happened.


    His head still ached a bit, and no matter how hard he thought, he could not remember a place like this or how he had ended up there.


    At that moment, a voice echoed in the place. "I see you have finally woken up, human," said the voice.


    Startled by the sudden voice, Ethan jumped in surprise and horror, quickly looking around for the speaker, but as before, he saw only an endless white, empty space.


    ''Maybe I imagined it?'' he wondered as he began to calm down a bit.


    "You didn''t imagine it.


    Look below you," the voice echoed once more.


    Ethan, who had just calmed down, stiffened again and slowly lowered his gaze to the mirror of water he was standing on.


    At first, he saw only his blurry reflection, but when he tried to look more closely, he saw something that completely shocked him.


    Beneath him, beyond the invisible layer preventing him from sinking, a gigantic eye was staring at him.


    The iris of the eye was a deep, luminous blue, as if the sky was contained within it.


    The large eye had a long, sharp slit in the center that opened slightly.


    It was so large that it surpassed Ethan''s size. It was the pupil of the creature''s eye.


    The eye blinked once and then moved, disappearing gradually as a large white surface full of scales moved in the depths.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, was petrified with fear. He began to sweat profusely, imagining the size of the rest of the creature''s body.


    ''Yes, this is definitely a dream.


    Wake up, Ethan,


    wake up,


    FAST!'' he told himself as he slapped his face hard.


    But when he finished, he saw that he was still in that place.


    "Boy, I don''t know what mental problems afflict you, but calm down.


    I won''t eat you, not that I could, as I am trapped here," said the voice of the figure.


    Hearing what the creature had just said, Ethan began to calm down a bit but was still on guard.


    Ethan did not know who this creature was or where this place was, but seeing that the creature had not made any move against him the entire time, he tried to calm his racing heart and attempted to speak.


    "Trapped? How did you get trapped here, and what place is this?"


    He asked, hoping to finally get some answers about where he was and possibly how to leave.


    The figure was no longer visible after retreating into the depths of the water, but its voice still echoed in the place when it spoke again.


    "What place is this, you ask? Do you really not know where you are right now?" the creature asked.


    Ethan was unsure why the white creature was asking him this.


    He was certain he had never been in such a place in his life, so shaking his head, he replied, "No, where are we?"


    The creature did not respond immediately, and for a moment, Ethan thought it had left.


    Then, after a few seconds, the creature spoke again.


    "We are currently in your sea of consciousness."


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter. I hope you like it.


    As usual, feel free to comment, criticize, or point out any errors present in the text.


    See you later.

 Chapter 20 - 20: Amphora of the Seven Sages

    .


    The sea of consciousness?


    This was another of those terms with which Ethan was quite familiar.


    Often, in the Xianxia novels he read in his previous world, he encountered this term.


    As far as he remembered, the sea of consciousness was a spiritual place within a person''s mind.


    In the novels he had read, this place reflected a person''s talent and could only be accessed once a certain level of cultivation was reached.


    Ethan had never paid much attention to these concepts while reading.


    He read solely for pleasure, and seeing certain concepts repeated across different novels he had read, he began to ignore them and focused more on the plot itself and the actions of the MC.


    He was one of those people who followed multiple novels simultaneously, so he tended to remember only the interesting, funny, etc., points of the novels he read.


    He had reached the point where he had started ignoring even the characters'' names because they were often similar, and he ended up confusing various characters.


    He only remembered their actions or what had happened to them, so his understanding of the sea of consciousness was very limited.


    So, after thinking for a moment, he said: S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, this is my sea of consciousness? But how did I enter, and more importantly, is it normal for you to be in here too?"


    Ethan for a moment thought that the luminous thing that hit him might be this being, but then recalling that the being had said it was trapped in this place, the pieces didn''t add up.


    The creature''s voice resounded once more, and it said:


    "No, it''s not normal for either of us to be here," it said in a somewhat displeased tone.


    "Originally, a being can enter their own sea of consciousness if they reach a high level of cultivation, and it''s usually not possible to store creatures or objects.


    But this situation is a bit particular. See that object floating above you? That''s the cause of all this."


    ''Object?'' Ethan, not understanding what it meant, tilted his head upward to look, and only then did he notice it.


    ''What the heck is that?''


    Like the sun, visible high in the sky during the afternoon, a strange luminous object was currently floating very high in Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    Ethan was astonished not only by the presence of this object but also by its size.


    At this moment, it seemed very small, but considering how high it was currently, one could get an idea of how large it should be to still be visible from below.


    ''A cauldron?''


    Ethan thought this whole situation was starting to get out of hand. First, he was hit by a ball of white light, then somehow ended up in his sea of consciousness, an impossible feat for his current level of cultivation, and finally, inside his sea of consciousness, there was a gigantic sealed creature and a strange massive cauldron-shaped object suspended high in the sky?


    ''I must definitely be dreaming,'' he told himself, trying to calm down.


    "What you see is the Amphora of the Seven Sages," said the creature.


    ''Amphora of the seven sages? what a strange name, and I''m pretty sure it''s a cauldron,'' Ethan thought.


    The being, ignoring Ethan''s thoughts, continued its explanation.


    "It''s a unique artifact that allows one to enhance their spiritual power.


    Due to certain circumstances, I have been trapped in this artifact for several centuries now.


    Now that it has chosen you as its owner, I have naturally been brought into your sea of consciousness," it said with a hoarse and resentful voice.


    ''An artifact capable of enhancing a person''s spiritual power?''


    It was known that spiritual power was very important for a cultivator.


    If a person had very high spiritual power, they were less likely to succumb to mental attacks from other cultivators or even spirits of some artifact.


    Spiritual power directly strengthened a person''s soul, allowing the cultivator to progress in their cultivation more easily over time.


    Infact, at a certain point in one''s cultivation path, one had to cultivate and refine their spiritual power to strengthen their soul and prepare it to enter what is currently the highest stage of cultivation, the Body-Soul Integration stage.


    "Wait, you said the cauldron chose me? Does that mean it''s alive?"


    "In a sense, it is. Artifacts of this level, over time, gain their own will."


    "I see," he said, lost in thought for a moment.


    Honestly, Ethan understood little of this situation, and he sincerely did not want to have anything to do with this entity or this strange artifact.


    Although the idea of possessing such an object was enticing, it was also true that he did not have the strength to own and protect this object.


    He was sure that if the world learned of an artifact capable of enhancing one''s spiritual power, he would be in danger.


    As a great man once said: with great power comes great responsibility.


    Ethan was not sure if it was worth having this artifact.


    From how the white creature made it sound, this object was invaluable and gave its owner great power.


    He wasn''t entirely sure how powerful this artifact could be, but the fact that it could enhance a person''s spiritual power was already significant.


    Ethan believed that perhaps with this artifact, he could finally enter the realm of body refinement.


    ----------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I apologize for my absence in the past few days.


    From this chapter onwards, I will need to accelerate some things and establish some foundations to support the plot for the upcoming chapters, foundations that I noticed still lacked a lot of work, so I had to stop and work on them for a while.


    I should be able to resume uploading at least one chapter a day, and hopefully, no new problems will arise in the near future.


    I want this novel to do well, and I want to dedicate all the time I can to it, so I am rechecking some aspects of the power system of this novel to avoid making a mess later on.

 Chapter 21 - 21: What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

    .


    Ethan decided to set aside the problem of the cauldron and the trouble it might bring him.


    It had been a few minutes since he found himself in this place, and he didn''t know how long he had been unconscious before waking up.


    Ethan had fainted in the Pavilion of Medicine, and he didn''t know if anyone had found him yet.


    So he was worried about what might happen if he delayed further.


    The last thing he wanted was to be expelled from the Pavilion for wandering around without permission, and worse, to lose his few remaining contributions in the sect for failing such a simple mission.


    After all, his performance over the past year had not been the best, and he felt every day that the day of his expulsion was drawing near.


    Shaking his head, he pushed away these dark thoughts. He wasn''t sure how to leave this place, but he knew whom to ask for help.


    Looking down again, he couldn''t see the giant being he had seen before, but he was sure it was still there somewhere.


    Just as he was about to address the creature, he realized a problem.


    He didn''t know how to address the being.


    In the confusion of the moment, he hadn''t bothered to introduce himself or ask more about the creature, so he was a bit unsure of how to proceed.


    He decided to go with something standard.


    "Um, senior, I would like to stay here a bit longer to talk to you, but my situation does not allow it.


    Would you be so kind as to tell me how to leave this place?


    As soon as I have time, I will try to return here," he said calmly and courteously, trying not to hide his thoughts.


    From his previous interactions with the creature, he had understood that it could read his thoughts to some extent, so he tried to keep his thoughts under control.


    Shortly after he spoke, he heard the creature''s voice resonate in the environment.


    "Boy, you are still too inexperienced to deceive me.


    Do not worry, as I said before, I am trapped in this place, so even if I wanted to, I couldn''t do anything to you," it said in its calm voice. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan''s expression almost crumbled upon hearing this, but he still didn''t lower his guard.


    "This is your sea of consciousness, so it only takes a thought for you to leave and enter from here," it said.


    Although the process was a bit more complicated than that, the being understood that it was pointless to explain everything to Ethan because it was useless for him to know all this.


    With the Amphora of the Seven Sages in his possession, certain knowledge became quite obsolete and unnecessary.


    Ethan, hearing this, thanked him and, without wasting time, thought of leaving this place.


    As if by magic, his body became transparent until it dissolved into nothingness, leaving the sea of consciousness empty and silent once again.


    Under the surface of the water''s mirror, in its dark depths, two large blue eyes were silently watching upward.


    No one knew what the being was thinking, but its gaze seemed to grow deeper as it observed the Amphora of the Seven Sages, which continued to float in the air.


    Time passed, and the creature continued to stare at the Amphora until it spoke.


    "I don''t know why you chose that human as your new owner, but with his current talent, he won''t go very far," it said, as if talking to the object, but it did not seem to respond.


    Slowly closing its eyes, it spoke again:


    "I just hope he is able to free us all from this prison once and for all," it said, completely closing its eyes.


    ***


    Ethan, who had managed to leave his sea of consciousness, found himself witnessing a rather peculiar scene.


    He was currently in an unfamiliar place, where, for some strange reason, he was lying slumped headfirst against a wall.


    If that wasn''t enough, a few meters away from him, two people seemed to be arguing about something.


    Perhaps arguing wasn''t the right term, because one of the people was sitting on the ground with his head lowered, while the other person, who seemed to be a girl, was standing in front of him, furiously saying something.


    Ethan, still dazed, couldn''t understand what the girl was saying.


    With a lateral push, Ethan pulled himself together and stood up, struggling.


    For some reason, his body seemed a bit sore.


    Now that he had somewhat recovered, he noticed that the boy sitting on the ground with his head lowered seemed a bit familiar.


    ''Isn''t that the attendant who went to get the pills??'' he thought, wondering what was happening here.


    Yan Mei, who had been lecturing the poor attendant for five whole minutes, noticed that the other culprit seemed to have recovered.


    Shifting her angry gaze towards him, she examined him from head to toe.


    Seeing that he didn''t seem to be from the Pavilion of Medicine, she asked in an irritated voice:


    "Who are you, and how did you dare to break into my refining room?" she asked, still angry.


    Just thinking about the whole situation made her boil with rage.


    She was almost about to create her first mid-level grade one pill when these two appeared out of nowhere, destroying the door to her refining room and ruining her hours of effort in refining the pill.


    She was holding back from flaying these two alive.


    "Breaking into your room?"


    Ethan, who had just recovered, heard the girl''s question and didn''t understand what she was talking about.


    He looked around and noticed that he was indeed in a room.


    Seeing the destroyed entrance of the room, Ethan wondered what had happened.


    He wasn''t sure how he ended up here, but from what the girl had just said, it seemed like he had something to do with all this.


    ''What the heck happened while I was unconscious?''


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    As usual, if you have any comments/criticisms/errors to point out, don''t hesitate to write them down here, and while you''re at it, let me know what you think of the novel so far.


    See you next time.

 Chapter 22 - 22: Bruise on the Forehead

    .


    Ethan''s head was starting to ache because of all this.


    He kept ending up from one place to another, without stopping.


    It was as if today the goddess of misfortune had woken up with the desire to mess with him a bit.


    He wasn''t sure how he ended up in this situation, but he was certain that simple apologies wouldn''t be enough to get him out of it.


    He didn''t even know how he ended up here in the first place.


    Just as he was about to say something to calm the girl in front of him, footsteps echoed outside the room. sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking toward the door, Ethan noticed a man had appeared.


    The man was dressed in a long green robe, embroidered with golden edges and white symbols on it.


    He had a long white beard on his wrinkled face, and a perplexed expression as he examined the room.


    Yan Mei, who also turned to see who had arrived, said in surprise:


    "Grandpa, what are you doing here?"


    ''Grandpa?'' thought Ethan.


    Indeed, the man at the door was Yan Mei''s grandfather.


    He was Yan Qingshui, one of the elders of the Pavilion of Medicine.


    He was passing by when he heard a commotion coming from his granddaughter''s room and decided to check it out.


    When he saw that the door to the room was smashed, he couldn''t help but ask what had happened.


    If it had been some other disciple, he would have thought they might have blown up the cauldron during refining, a rather common occurrence for beginners, but this was his granddaughter''s refining room.


    Since he had taught her refining, she had never blown up a cauldron, so he was confused about what was happening.


    Upon entering the room, he saw that it was a mess inside too.


    When he heard his granddaughter addressing him, his gaze shifted to her and he asked:


    "I noticed a commotion while passing by. What happened here?" he asked while looking at the attendant still kneeling on the ground and the unfamiliar boy.


    Yan Mei then explained how she was interrupted by Ethan and the attendant, specifying that she was at a crucial point in her refining process.


    Yan Qingshui, hearing the account, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    Unlike his granddaughter, who by nature got angry easily, he was calmer.


    Having understood what happened, he asked the attendant to explain himself.


    "Elder Yan, it''s all his fault," he said, pointing at Ethan, who, seeing this, made a face like, Why are you accusing me of something I didn''t do?


    "This morning the boy came to pick up a commissioned pill order from Lady Yan Mei for his sect, and I was the one who went to get it for him.


    Upon my return to the waiting room, the boy had disappeared, so thinking he was nearby, I went to look for him.


    Only after a while did I manage to find him, and just as I was about to ask where he had gone, the boy, for some reason, hurled himself at me.


    Pushed by him, I was thrown backward and ended up crashing into Lady Yan''s chamber," he said.


    The attendant himself was unsure why all this happened.


    His day had started well as usual, only to turn into a nightmare because of this boy, so he felt a bit resentful towards him.


    Yan Qingshui and Yan Mei, hearing the entire account, couldn''t help but turn to Ethan, who stood there with a somewhat surprised expression.


    ''So that''s what happened,'' he thought as he pieced together some parts of the incident.


    ''Although I didn''t throw myself at him, but rather, I was pushed by the luminous ball, how should I explain this to them?'' Ethan wondered, shivering under the gaze of the two people.


    Yan Qingshui had a strange expression as he asked Ethan,


    "Boy, who are you, and why did you attack the pavilion''s staff?" he asked, still uncertain about what to think of all this.


    Although there had been some cases where a person, dissatisfied with the result of a commission they made, took it out on the staff, this was the first time someone had dared to attack one.


    Especially a person who clearly hadn''t even entered the realm of body refinement.


    Ethan knew he was about to jump from the frying pan into the fire, so he tried to justify himself as best he could.


    "Honorable elder of the pavilion, it was not my intention to attack anyone in your pavilion.


    As the attendant said, I came to pick up some pills.


    But while waiting, I needed to use the bathroom, so I tried to find one, but I ended up getting lost.


    During my search for the right way back, I was attacked by someone.


    I don''t know who it was, but the attack was strong enough to send me flying to this point.


    As you can see from my face, I still have the bruise that formed because of that attack," he said, pointing to his face.


    Ethan had noticed that he still had a bruise on his forehead.


    The bruise had formed because Ethan was the one who collided with Yan Mei''s cauldron.


    Ethan didn''t know this, but he had noticed it thanks to his reflection, visible on the liquid on the ground that hadn''t dried yet.


    He couldn''t say that an ancient artifact had decided to hit him as a sign of choosing him, so he decided to rely on what he could at the moment, and the bruise came just in time.


    He was sure the bruise wasn''t created by the artifact colliding with him, because apart from being pushed by it, Ethan hadn''t felt any pain and had been conscious for the first few seconds after the impact.


    He fainted only after colliding with the attendant.


    He knew his excuse wasn''t the best, but there was little he could say to get out of this situation.


    The other three people looked at his forehead and saw that Ethan indeed had a bruise on his forehead.


    "Are you saying someone attacked you?" Yan Qingshui asked, even more uncertain about the situation.


    "I believe so. The attack was sudden, so I didn''t see who or what attacked me," Ethan said, still with a respectful voice, trying to seem like a victim as well.


    He hoped they would buy his excuse because he really had no idea what to do otherwise.


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Honestly, I would have liked the events to unfold differently, possibly in a more natural and comedic way, but my inexperience didn''t help.


    Oh well, I''ll improve over time, at least I hope so.


    As usual, if you have comments, criticisms, or suggestions, leave them below.


    Have a good day.

 Chapter 23 - 23: Routine

    .


    In the mission hall of the Phoenix Sect, W��ng Y��ng was currently dozing comfortably, leaning on the work table.


    From his appearance, he didn''t seem to be older than 25.


    His job was to manage the missions of the mission hall.


    From assigning them to receiving confirmation of their completion, everything was handled by him.


    Completing missions often took from a few hours to a few days, so he always found himself fairly free during the day, thus he took the opportunity to take a nap every now and then.


    He had been in the Phoenix Sect for a while, and after reaching a bottleneck in his cultivation that he couldn''t overcome, he decided to find a job in the meantime, to support himself.


    After all, he didn''t have enough resources to sustain himself while waiting to overcome his bottleneck.


    He had been working here for less than a year, and over time he realized that this job was quite simple, so he continued doing it.


    As long as he did his job without mistakes, no one said anything to him, so he wasn''t afraid of being punished if he took a few breaks during the day.


    Today, as usual, he didn''t have much to do, so he decided to take his afternoon nap.


    While he continued to wander in the meanders of the dream realm, a tinkling sound from the entrance door of the Mission Hall woke him up.


    Waking up, he opened his eyes and looked towards the entrance to see who it was.


    Seeing that it was simply an outer disciple, he sighed slightly and asked in a somewhat bored voice:


    "Are you here to accept a task or report the completion of a task?" he asked, knowing that outer sect disciples were rarely given difficult missions.


    ''Most likely he had a commission or something like that,'' he thought as he planned to quickly deal with it and return to his imaginary paradise.


    "To report the completion of a task," said the person who entered, handing W��ng Y��ng a slip of paper and a small bottle containing pills.


    W��ng Y��ng took the slip, and after confirming it, he nodded and said:


    "Alright, please hand me your sect badge for a moment so I can record your contribution points."


    The boy nodded and took out from his pocket a round badge, about the size of a coin, with the engraving of a phoenix wrapped around itself, and handed it to W��ng Y��ng.


    The sect badge was given to every disciple when they joined. It was like an identity document that contained the disciple''s information, as well as their mission records and contribution points tally.


    Each medallion, upon delivery, was bound to the owner by a technique that involved dripping a drop of their own blood onto it.


    This served not only to facilitate transactions within the sect but also to prevent any cases of theft of contributions and so on.


    After a few seconds, W��ng Y��ng returned the badge to its owner and prepared to sleep again, not bothering to ask the other person if he needed anything else.


    The latter didn''t mind W��ng Y��ng''s clearly rude attitude and left the Mission Hall.


    Exiting the mission hall, Ethan walked towards his lodging.


    ''And with this, I should be set for the next week,'' he said to himself as he walked.


    Now that he had enough contribution points to sustain himself for the next week, he finally felt a weight lifted off his mind.


    As he passed some buildings, he couldn''t help but think about the events of that morning.


    After explaining his situation, Yan Qingshui, thinking it made no sense to escalate the matter unnecessarily, decided to let Ethan go with a small reprimand.


    Ethan was glad that his half-truth had worked because otherwise, he wouldn''t have known how to handle the situation.


    Yan Mei was clearly not happy with the outcome and would have liked to teach both the attendant and Ethan a lesson, but hearing her grandfather, she decided to set the matter aside.


    After a while, he finally arrived at his lodging.


    This time he didn''t knock on the door but used his key to enter.


    Once inside, he closed the door and headed to his room.


    It was quite quiet here, and seeing the door of the room next to his closed, Ethan understood that Da Shu was probably cultivating, so he made sure not to make any unnecessary noise as he closed his own room''s door. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The lodging that the sect had assigned to him was fairly average.


    Apart from a bathroom and the bedroom, there wasn''t much else.


    Showering here was done in specific spaces that were present in the sect.


    As for cooking?


    One could prepare meals for themselves if they wanted to, buying all the necessary ingredients, but most disciples preferred to eat in the sect''s canteen.


    As the sect was divided into the outer sect, inner sect, and the central zone, there was a canteen for each section.


    Most disciples didn''t know how to cook, and why would they?


    After all, they came here to cultivate, and learning things like cooking or other skills was deemed unnecessary.


    Cultivation sessions could comfortably last from several hours to several days, so not many bothered to learn things like cooking.


    Of course, they had a minimum knowledge of how to cook meat or prepare simple dishes, just in case they needed to eat while traveling.


    For them, this was more than enough.


    Ethan was one of the few exceptions to this.


    Having lived on his own in his previous world, he had some basic cooking skills, so he always kept cooking supplies in his room for the times when he wanted to eat some dish from his world.


    It was almost evening, and he was already feeling a bit hungry, so he prepared a quick meal in his room and consumed it.


    Once finished, he washed his cooking utensils and prepared to cultivate.


    He got into a meditative position on the carpet in the center of the room and slowly closed his eyes.


    "Haa, now that I''ve got that off my mind, it''s time to deal with the other matter," he said as he calmed his mind and thought about entering his sea of consciousness.


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter.


    As usual, don''t hesitate to leave any comments, critiques, or error reports below.

 Chapter 24 - 24: Bai Yu

    .


    As if by magic, Ethan''s body materialized in his sea of consciousness.


    Once the transfer was complete, he opened his eyes and looked around.


    The sea of consciousness was empty and desolate, and as before, he could only see an infinite expanse of a surface similar to a mirror of water.


    Raising his gaze, he saw that the majestic luminous cauldron was still suspended high above.


    Seeing it, Ethan felt a sort of connection to it.


    He still didn''t know much about it, nor how to use it, but he knew who to ask.


    He had come to this place to clarify this matter and see if this object could help him in some way in his cultivation.


    At that moment, while lost in his thoughts, staring at the cauldron, the voice of the being that lived beneath the mirror of water echoed in the area.


    "Human, you have returned sooner than I expected," it said, clearly not expecting to see him so soon.


    It had perceived how cautious Ethan still was, so the creature was sure it would take some time before he decided to visit this place again.


    Hearing the voice, Ethan lowered his head to look towards the mirror of water, preparing to be startled once more.


    However, unlike last time, he did not see the giant eye of the creature; in fact, he did not see it at all.


    He sighed in relief, thinking it would take some time to get used to this guest in his head. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, didn''t I say I would return after handling some matters? Here I am," he said confidently, hoping it hadn''t noticed his fear of it.


    "I understand," said the creature, and then it fell silent.


    Silence reigned once again, and Ethan felt the pressure of it.


    He tried to start a conversation, after all, he had come to learn more about this rather peculiar situation.


    "I didn''t have a chance to properly introduce myself before. I am Ethan, and I am a disciple of the Phoenix Sect," he said.


    "Phoenix Sect? Do you mean the Primordial Phoenix Sect?" it asked, with a voice that was somewhat surprised but also doubtful.


    ''Primordial?'' thought Ethan, trying to remember if he had ever heard this term associated with his sect''s name. He hadn''t.


    "No, just the Phoenix Sect," he replied.


    The creature didn''t respond for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "


    Can you tell me which plane we are currently in?"


    "Plane? What is that? We are currently in the Phoenix Realm, in the Long Empire," he said, a bit confused.


    "You don''t know about the planes existence, this explains everything. So, we are in the mortal plane," it said as if it had understood something.


    "Mortal plane?" Ethan became even more confused.


    The more he interacted with this being, the more it seemed they were speaking different languages.


    He wasn''t sure what it meant by its last words.


    The creature, noticing Ethan''s confusion, sighed and explained:


    "You see, there are two planes of existence, one mortal and one celestial.


    I come from the latter, and there everyone knows about the existence of a lower plane.


    So, either you have lived under a rock all this time, or you are from the mortal plane," it said in a calm voice as if instructing a baboon.


    For some reason, Ethan felt mocked, but he quickly brushed off this feeling and focused on what the creature had just said.


    ''So, there is a place called the celestial plane, huh'' thought Ethan.


    Normally, people would be shocked by this revelation and think that whoever said it was imagining things, but for Ethan, it was a bit different.


    He was quite familiar with these types of worlds, thanks to his knowledge of novels from his previous world.


    In fact, Ethan was starting to think that those who had written these novels might have come from other worlds because, according to him, it wasn''t possible that they had perfectly nailed plots that apparently seemed real in other worlds.


    The creature, seeing that Ethan didn''t seem too surprised, couldn''t help but think:


    ''Maybe we are not really in the mortal plane? No, it''s not possible.


    Hardly anyone of his age would still be at this level of cultivation if they were in the celestial plane.''


    It decided to introduce itself: "I am Bai Yu, a dragon from the celestial dragon race."


    ''Bai Yu? So, it''s a she. And to think I have been addressing her informally all this time. But wait, she said she''s a dragon?!''


    Although Ethan had already prepared himself for anything, seeing how big Bai Yu was, hearing that she was a dragon was still surprising.


    It''s not that he had never heard of dragons.


    In fact, according to what he had heard, the royal family of the Long Empire actually had a dragon, which was the mount of the current emperor of the empire.


    He didn''t know what kind of dragons celestial dragons were, but he could make an assumption about it.


    ''Most likely, they are a race from the celestial realm,'' he thought, then addressed Bai Yu.


    "You said you were trapped in the amphora and couldn''t free yourself. Why were you trapped?" he asked.


    This was one of the questions that had been buzzing in his head since that morning.


    If a being like her, who was almost certainly extremely powerful, ended up being sealed in this artifact, then something was wrong.


    Maybe she was a criminal who was imprisoned in this place, or maybe an enemy decided to lock her up because she was too dangerous.


    There were too many possibilities, and Ethan didn''t want to overlook anything that could endanger his life.


    Bai Yu did not immediately respond to the question.


    She had already sensed Ethan''s distrust from the beginning and could understand why he was so cautious towards her.


    Although she didn''t want to recall those painful memories, she knew that if she wanted any chance of being freed in the future, she had to rely on this human.


    She let out a slight sigh and then spoke.


    "You see, hundreds of years ago, when I was still wandering the celestial realm, I met a woman.


    Her name was Y��ng Hu��, and she was the previous owner of the Amphora of the Seven Sages."


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    As usual, don''t hesitate to express yourselves below about whether you are enjoying the novel or not, and please point out any errors you find in the chapter.


    Thank you.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 25 - 25: Yīng Huā

    .


    The previous owner of this artifact? Now this is interesting,'' thought Ethan, wondering who this person was.


    Bai Yu continued her story.


    "She was a peculiar person, strange in some ways.


    We met under not-so-good circumstances.


    At that time, in the territory of the dragon race, a civil war was raging, which ended up involving other races, humans included.


    We clashed, and although she was clearly weaker than me in terms of cultivation, she still managed to defeat me.


    She didn''t kill me but instead asked me to become her traveling companion.


    And so the years passed, and our group of two people was joined by other beings.


    I discovered that she came from the mortal plane, and it was quite surprising because almost no one had managed to ascend to the celestial realm in the last millennia."


    ''A person who managed to ascend to the celestial plane? Then why have I never heard of her?'' wondered Ethan.


    Of course, he had only been in this world for no more than two years, and although there were still many things he needed to learn, he thought that a being of this woman''s caliber, who had managed to ascend, should have been quite well-known here.


    Bai Yu could sense what Ethan was thinking at that moment and couldn''t help but shake her head.


    Although she had traveled with Y��ng Hu�� for a long time, she almost never spoke of her life in the mortal realm, so she was as much in the dark about this as Ethan.


    Seeing that Ethan had digested what she had said, she continued:


    "The Amphora of the Seven Sages has always been one of the most contested artifacts among the superpowers of the celestial realm.


    And this is because it was one of the few artifacts that had survived since the primordial era of the universe.


    But no one had ever found even a trace of it, until Y��ng Hu�� appeared with it.


    Thanks to the amphora, our small group grew in strength very quickly, bringing us to the top of the celestial realm in just a few years.


    I never understood the reason for her quest for power, but my life now belonged to her, so I followed her, just like the others in our group.


    Everything was going well until the news that she had the Amphora of the Seven Sages was leaked by one of our companions.


    This disrupted the order of the celestial realm, which was still recovering from the last large-scale war.


    After several years, the various powers managed to corner us, and it was then that Y��ng Hu�� decided to make a desperate move.


    She used the power of the artifact to seal us inside it and bring us to safety.


    I don''t know what happened since then, as my consciousness remained dormant, and I only woke up in the last century," she said.


    Ethan didn''t know how to handle this situation.


    He could feel a tinge of sadness in the voice of this entity, but at the same time, he was also full of information that was poured on him one after the other.


    He took a moment to reorganize his thoughts and calm himself.


    Then he addressed Bai Yu:


    "I understand your situation, and if I could, I would help you get out of here, but I have no idea how to use this artifact, nor do I know if I will be able to use it correctly," said Ethan.


    He had understood that for her, he was the lifeline since the artifact had chosen him, and being the owner, perhaps he could free her, but the problem was that he didn''t know what to do.


    Bai Yu could hear the sincerity in Ethan''s words and breathed a sigh of relief in her mind.


    ''Maybe there is really some hope for me to be freed,'' she thought and said:


    "To use it, you must first bind it to your soul, but even once that''s done, you won''t be able to fully use its powers," she said.


    "Your strength is too lacking; currently, you are no different from an ordinary person," she said calmly, but for Ethan, it was like an arrow piercing his pride.


    ''Why do you have to rub salt in the wound,'' thought Ethan, trying to eliminate the depressing thoughts that came to mind whenever he thought about his cultivation level.


    Bai Yu, ignoring the forced expression he made, continued: "Currently, the power of the artifact is sealed, and it will gradually unlock as you become stronger.


    This is a protective measure of the artifact because if it were completely unsealed now, you would explode due to the immense power that would be infused into you from the artifact," she said calmly, as if she hadn''t just said something alarming.


    Ethan, hearing her, couldn''t help but thank that the artifact was weak.


    "So there''s no point in thinking about this now, let''s first think about binding it to you."


    "Okay, but how should I do it?" asked Ethan.


    "We are in your sea of consciousness, so you have some control over reality here. You need to create a spiritual bridge between yourself and the artifact.


    Try to think about connecting to it, and the artifact will do the rest."


    Ethan closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.


    He imagined a thread of energy coming out of his body and heading towards the luminous cauldron.


    After a few moments, a soft light began to form around him, connecting to the suspended cauldron.


    He felt a connection forming, a bond that seemed to go beyond mere physical perception.


    Suddenly, a sensation of warmth began to spread through his body.


    It was a strange energy, almost supernatural, that seemed to pulse in sync with his heartbeat.


    Ethan felt a wave of power flow through him, and for a moment, his entire being seemed to vibrate in unison with the artifact. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the light became more intense, Ethan felt his mind waver.


    The artifact, high in the sky, began to release a vibrant light.


    Bai Yu, who was witnessing this scene, couldn''t help but furrow her brows.


    ''Something is wrong,'' she thought and tried to remember if Y��ng Hu�� had ever told her anything about this phenomenon.


    Normally, a thread of consciousness was created to connect to the artifact, and it would react to this attempt at connection or not, but in this case, clearly, the artifact not only accepted it but was trying to send something to Ethan.


    Ethan, who was in a sort of trance at that moment, began to have convulsions.


    The energy was too powerful, too overwhelming to be contained in his still weak body.


    This lasted for a few seconds, and then, as if someone had finally cut the power, everything went dark, and Ethan lost consciousness.


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I''ve been waiting a week to write this chapter, and I finally did it.


    I admit that the conversation between the two could have been handled a bit better, but honestly, I didn''t know how to improve it, so I did what I could.


    In a few days, if I don''t have other commitments, I''ll start uploading two chapters a day.


    So I''m keeping my fingers crossed, and I hope no one ruins my plans for next week so I can have more time to write.


    As usual, if you have any questions or doubts, write them down here, and if you find errors or inconsistencies in the chapter, let me know and I''ll fix them as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 26 - 26: System

    .


    Ethan woke up in his room, his head pounding insistently.


    The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting dancing shadows on the walls.


    With an effort, he sat up and tried to focus his thoughts.


    After a few seconds, he finally recovered and looked around to understand what had happened.


    ''What happened to me?'' Ethan wondered, massaging his aching temples.


    Slowly, the memories began to resurface.


    He remembered attempting to bind himself to the artifact in his sea of consciousness and being overwhelmed by a powerful energy that caused him to faint.


    Gradually, his headache eased, leaving his mind clear to think.


    "You could have told me it would be this painful," he said, feeling a bit resentful towards Bai Yu.


    ''I suppose the saying "no pain, no gain" applies quite literally here.''


    Apart from the headache that had somewhat subsided, Ethan felt no other pain.


    He thought it might be better to return to his spiritual sea. He prepared to close his eyes and concentrate, but at that moment, a metallic sound echoed in his ears, making him jump.


    The noise didn''t seem to come from any specific direction; it was almost as if it was in his head.


    Ethan opened his eyes to see if it had been produced by something or if it was just his imagination, and that''s when he saw it.


    When Ethan looked up, he was faced with an incredible sight: a thin blue rectangular screen floating in the air in front of him.


    The blue rectangle emitted a soft light, and in the center was written: "The system has been successfully installed."


    "W-wait, what?" Ethan stammered at the surreal sight before him.


    ''This can''t be what I think it is, right?'' he thought, pinching himself to see if he was imagining it.


    "That''s a system message," he said incredulously.


    Ever since he ended up in this world, he had tried to see if he had obtained some sort of special power that would help him in this world, but he hadn''t found anything.


    He had no powerful background to support him, no special abilities or talents, and none of the ultimate tools of all MCs in the isekai novels he had read, namely the system.


    He had come to accept that those things were just the product of the perverse imagination of writers and had resigned himself to finding a way to get home with his own strength.


    Obviously, he had failed.


    So, of all things, he didn''t expect to see this familiar blue screen.


    ''Has life finally started to smile on me?'' he wondered, but suddenly a thought calmed him and brought him back to reality.


    "Wait, this appeared after I tried to connect to the cauldron. Could it be that this is part of its powers?" he wondered in vain.


    He knew he couldn''t find any answers on his own, so he decided to ask the person who knew more about this artifact than he did.


    Ethan was also curious to try something.


    If what Bai Yu had said about the sea of consciousness and his control over it was true, then he could converse with her mentally, without transferring into his mind each time.


    So he tried to see if it worked.


    "Senior Bai, can you hear me?" he asked mentally.


    After a moment of silence, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind, calm and serene as always.


    "Yes, I can hear you. I see you''ve finally recovered. How do you feel now? You''ve been unconscious for the entire night," she said with a slight hint of concern.


    She was worried about what had happened because it didn''t seem normal. Although she didn''t know much about this artifact, she knew, thanks to her vast knowledge, how the process of connecting with an artifact usually went, and in none of them had this kind of event ever occurred.


    At first, she thought that perhaps it was different for primordial artifacts like the Amphora of the Seven Sages, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong.


    She decided to ask Ethan directly what had happened.


    "What happened while you were connecting to the artifact?" Bai Yu asked.


    Ethan described the overwhelming sensation and the message he had seen on the blue screen.


    "I''m not entirely sure. I felt a strange energy spreading through my body, and I could perceive a subtle bond with the artifact, but then, this energy intensified, and I couldn''t bear it. You know what happened next," he said, hesitating whether to mention the system or not.


    "Indeed, that event was a bit unexpected. It''s normal for the artifact to send some of its energy to create a stronger bond with it, but the energy being so overwhelming that it overpowered you was a bit unexpected.


    Perhaps it''s because you''re still a mortal and haven''t even reached the first level of body refining, that even with the artifact sealed, you were still overwhelmed?" This was the only explanation she could think of for this phenomenon.


    Ethan decided to explore the system.


    He thought of the most obvious command: "status". Immediately, the blue screen changed, displaying a series of information:


    ------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Mortal.


    QI: 99/100


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames (sealed)


    Strength: 5


    Agility: 4


    Intelligence: 6


    Soul Strength: 100


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 0


    ------------------------------- Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s really how I imagined it to be," Ethan murmured.


    The screen was similar to those in the novels he had read, but with a difference: instead of a level, there was cultivation, and instead of EXP, there was QI.


    And seeing his QI value, Ethan confirmed his doubts.


    His QI was stuck at 99, just one point short of breaking through.


    He had felt this sensation for a long time, that he was on the verge of breaking through but couldn''t due to something.


    He thought it was a bottleneck, but discovered that normally no one has a bottleneck before entering the first grade of cultivation.


    He wasn''t sure what the cause of this was, but seeing the next statistic, he got an idea.


    "Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames, sealed"


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    After 26 chapters, I''ve finally managed to introduce the system.


    I know, it arrived a bit late, but I didn''t want to start right away with him waking up with the system in front of him, explaining in two words who he is, what happened to him, and why he''s here, and so on...


    It seemed too rushed that way, so I decided to draw a line that explained how he came to obtain it, although I admit, I drew a longer line than I initially thought.


    Anyway, here''s the chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, and if you have comments, criticisms, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 27 - 27: Special physique

    .


    "Sealed?"


    Ethan had no idea what kind of constitution this was.


    From the name, it seemed to be something exceptional, but seeing that it was sealed, he couldn''t help but furrow his brow.


    "Maybe I should ask Bai Yu?" he thought, nodding to himself.


    Being from a higher plane, she would surely know more about it than he did.


    Ethan was almost entirely sure that the reason he couldn''t enter the first stage of cultivation was because of this physique.


    "Senior Bai, do you know anything about a physique called Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames, sealed?"


    "Hmm?"


    Bai Yu immediately reacted to the mention of this name and hastily asked,


    "Where did you hear about this physique?" she asked with a slight agitation in her voice.


    Hearing the subtle agitation in her voice, Ethan couldn''t help but think that she indeed knew about this physique.


    Thinking this, he replied, "When I connected to the Anfora of the Seven Sages, some information about myself was transferred into my head.


    And it seems I have this physique, but it appears to be sealed."


    He thought this explanation was sufficient to explain how he knew about certain things.


    From her previous reactions, she didn''t seem to know about the system''s existence or how this artifact worked in detail.


    If the system was really like the cheat code that usually helped MCs in the novels he had read in his previous world, then it was his ace in the hole to protect himself from future dangers.


    Although he had lowered his guard towards Bai Yu, he was still a bit cautious in interacting with her.


    "Sealed?" Bai Yu was alarmed to hear the name of this physique, but hearing that not only did he have it, but it was also sealed, she couldn''t help but wonder if Ethan was lucky or unlucky.


    Composing herself, she explained to Ethan, "You see, the Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames, sealed, is a special physique considered one of the rarest in both planes.


    Only one person in a billion would have the chance to be born with such a physique," she said, holding back her astonishment.


    "Due to its rarity and the benefits it provides, this physique is classified as a mythical grade physique, a grade that only a few physiques in history have reached."


    "Mythical grade?" Ethan thought, a bit confused.


    He was sure he had never heard of this grade.


    He knew about the existence of special physiques, not only because of his past knowledge but also because even in this sect, people with special physiques were highly regarded.


    For example, Li Qiang, the disciple who had scored well in the strength test, had a special constitution called the "Earth Turtle Physique."


    It was a rare physique named for its properties, which allowed the person''s body to be as hard as a turtle''s shell.


    Ethan knew this because, being from a prestigious family famous for its combat techniques, they had spread the news of a new talent''s birth in their family.


    This news had caused a stir, and Ethan had heard about it from other disciples'' conversations during the test.


    From what he had learned, there were various types of special physiques a person could be born with.


    The percentage of people born with special physiques was low, and it became even lower depending on the physique''s level.


    The highest level of a physique ever recorded in history was the epic level, a physique level that appeared many centuries ago.


    Therefore, hearing that his was a mythical grade physique, he didn''t know how to react.


    At that moment, Bai Yu continued, "In the past, there was a person who reached the pinnacle of cultivation. He was remembered as the God of Alchemy.


    According to some accounts about him, it was believed that he possessed the Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames."


    She stopped for a moment, as if thinking about something.


    "When I awakened in your sea of consciousness, I couldn''t perceive any special constitution in you.


    I thought the reason you were still a mortal who hadn''t entered the first stage of cultivation was because you had no talent, but if what you just said is true, then there is some chance for you to start your cultivation path."


    Hearing these words, Ethan felt elated.


    He was running out of options, and there were only three months left for the annual exam of the external disciples.


    He wasn''t sure if he would ever find a way to break through and enter the first stage of cultivation, but hearing these words, the small flame of hope in him rekindled, brightening his mood.


    "What do I need to do, Senior Bai?" Ethan asked eagerly.


    Bai Yu, hearing how excited Ethan was, couldn''t help but shake her head and said, "You see, when we talk about a special physique, it refers to a state in which the person''s physique is dormant.


    It is normal for a high-level physique to be dormant, especially in your case, where the physique''s level is very high."


    "Over time, various methods have been developed to awaken a dormant physique, and depending on the physique, these methods vary."


    "The most common method would be to take an Awakening Pill," she said.


    "Awakening Pill?" Ethan had never heard of this pill, but thinking that this was due to his lack of knowledge, he decided to ask.


    "Is it possible to find such a pill in the mortal plane?" he asked, doubtful.


    As far as he knew, the pills that could be found in the celestial plane didn''t necessarily exist in the mortal plane.


    After all, from what little he could deduce from Bai Yu''s information, there was a significant difference in power and knowledge between the two planes.


    Hearing Ethan''s question, Bai Yu couldn''t help but say uncertainly, "I''m not sure if it exists in the mortal plane, but this pill is quite common in the celestial plane, so it should be possible to find it here as well."


    "Even its grade is not very high, so it should be easy to obtain it here," she said after thinking.


    "If you can''t find an Awakening Pill, then you''ll have to opt for a different method."


    "What method?" Ethan asked.


    He wasn''t sure if such a pill existed in the mortal plane, but knowing that there were other ways to awaken his physique, Ethan calmed down a bit.


    "Personally, it would be better to avoid this method because it''s quite problematic," she said, unsure whether to tell him or not.


    "In what sense?" Ethan asked, feeling that he wouldn''t like the method.


    "Well, the Awakening Pill is the most common method, but there are specific methods for each constitution, and they vary depending on the type of constitution and its level."


    "In your case, you would need to find a rare flame and absorb it."


    "Rare Flames ?"


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter.


    It was a chapter with a lot of information, and I can understand that it might seem heavy, but don''t worry, the following ones will be lighter and more fluid.


    As usual, if you have comments or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 28 - 28: Spiritual Wood

    .


    "Rare flame? What is that?"


    "Just like artifacts, there is also a special category of entities that can be created or found in nature.


    Rare flames are one of them.


    They are energetic entities that are difficult to find even in the celestial plane.


    These are very important for those with elemental fire-type physiques, but they are also useful for other types of physiques.


    These flames are highly sought after, especially by alchemists, who can improve their talent through them.


    There are indeed methods to create slightly inferior versions of these flames, but they are well-guarded secrets by each organization," she said.


    Hearing this, Ethan felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him.


    With a trembling voice, he said, "What are the chances that such flames exist in nature in the mortal plane?"


    "The formation of these energetic entities requires a special environment with a high level of fire-type spiritual energy.


    Considering that here in the mortal plane, the level of Qi concentration in the air is much lower than in the celestial plane, I would say the chances of finding a rare flame here are very low."


    At this point, Ethan could only find some time to visit the Medicine Pavilion and inquire about the awakening pill there.


    Just as he was preparing to explore the system further, the light sound of knocking on the door interrupted him.


    From the door came a voice quite familiar to him.


    "Hey Ethan, are you awake already?"


    Ethan, hearing this, responded.


    "Yes, I''m already awake. Do you need something?" he asked, wondering why Da Shu had come to call him.


    Usually, he went out in the afternoon, as he was either cultivating or lost in sleep, and usually didn''t wake up before the afternoon.


    "Today, I have to go to the Spirit Forest to gather spiritual wood. You told me you would help me complete the mission. Did you forget?" he asked.


    ''Spirit Forest? Oh right, I had forgotten,'' thought Ethan and then said,


    "No, I didn''t forget. Wait for me outside, I''ll get ready quickly and come out," he said and hurried to prepare. S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spiritual wood was a special type of wood found only in certain special places.


    The Phoenix Sect, which was built on the mountain peaks, south of the Phoenix Kingdom, was located near some spiritual veins.


    These allowed the sect to live in an environment rich in pure Qi, which was good for the cultivation of its disciples, as well as influencing the surrounding environment.


    The Spirit Forest was one of these environments.


    It was located at the foot of the mountain where the sect resided and was characterized by a vast flora and fauna.


    The spiritual wood was harvested directly from the spiritual trees that grew in this forest.


    It was very difficult to cut, but being infused with spiritual energy, it had various uses.


    From the construction of sturdy buildings to the creation of talismans or even pills, it was widely used.


    Da Shu had accepted a mission from the mission hall that required procuring a certain amount of wood for the sect.


    Although his stature was enormous, it was still difficult for one person to transport this wood, so he decided to ask Ethan for help and would share the profit with him.


    After a short time, Ethan came out of his room, wearing his disciple''s robe and his travel bag, and left the lodge.


    Outside, Da Shu was waiting, towering with his height as usual, also wearing his robe.


    Ethan greeted him, but then noticed something was missing and asked,


    "Aren''t we taking a cart or something to transport the wood?" He thought about how they would carry all that wood.


    Spiritual trees were very sturdy, and the wood obtained from them was equally resistant and heavy.


    Ethan, with his normal physical body, didn''t think he could carry the wood, especially since they had to climb the entire staircase from the bottom to the top.


    Even now, every time Ethan had to go to the city, he spent hours descending and climbing, and since his cultivation hadn''t advanced, he still struggled a lot, so he had no intention of carrying unnecessary baggage.


    Da Shu said nothing and smiled while raising his right hand.


    Ethan didn''t immediately understand what he meant by this action, but then he noticed something.


    On the index finger of his hand, a gold ring gleamed.


    Ethan immediately understood what it was: it was a dimensional ring!


    Yes, a dimensional ring.


    It was an object with a dimensional space in it, which allowed storing things inside.


    Ethan knew about this object but discovered only later that it existed in this world too.


    He wanted one, but seeing the prices for a dimensional ring, he changed his mind.


    Even for a low-grade dimensional ring, the price was around a medium-grade spiritual stone.


    A spiritual stone was the currency used by cultivators.


    It was a stone mined directly from some spiritual mines, and its value was enormous for cultivators.


    They contained spiritual energy, and depending on the concentration of it, they could go from low grade to high grade.


    To give a comparison, a low-grade spiritual stone could be worth a hundred gold coins.


    The value of medium-grade and high-grade stones was in a ratio of 1:100. So one medium-grade spiritual stone was worth a hundred low-grade ones, and a high-grade one could be worth a thousand low-grade stones or a hundred medium-grade stones.


    Ethan, who had yet to even see a gold coin, was far from obtaining a dimensional ring.


    "Tch, if you have a dimensional ring, why do you need my help?" he asked, a bit jealous of his friend''s ring.


    Da Shu was also from a fairly well-off family.


    His family was a family of merchants, not as rich as the prestigious families of Sun City, but still quite wealthy, so he wasn''t surprised that his friend had managed to obtain a dimensional ring.


    "This is just a low-grade dimensional ring, so it can only hold a limited amount of wood, but it''s enough for the mission.


    I need your help to cut down the spiritual trees because if I do it alone, I might have to stay there for an entire day," he said as if it was nothing.


    Ethan wanted to punch his face but doubted he would reach it, given his height, and besides, he was already at the second level of body refining, so the punch would hurt Ethan himself and not harm Da Shu.


    "Haa, let''s get moving, but at the end of this mission, you owe me dinner," he said, starting to move, with Da Shu following to head towards the sect''s entrance.


    "Sure, no problem, I''ll make you eat until you burst," he said, laughing as they walked.


    "Huh, this daddy has an infinite stomach, you''ll see how I''ll make you spend," he said, and so the two friends set off for the forest.


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR: And here''s today''s chapter.


    I hope you liked it, and as usual, don''t hesitate to comment on anything below.


    If you have any power stones left, give them to me, so I can build my power gauntlet.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 29 - 29: Daily Mission

    .


    After almost two hours, Ethan and Da Shu finally arrived at the Spirit Forest.


    At that moment, Da Shu was taking out the equipment needed to cut down the trees, while Ethan stretched a bit.


    "Thanks for the ride," Ethan said with a relaxed expression as he looked around to see which trees would be suitable for their mission.


    "No problem. But sooner or later, you''ll need to break through, especially since the annual evaluation is just around the corner," Da Shu replied, pulling out two axes from his dimensional ring.


    After about an hour, Ethan and Da Shu had only covered a quarter of the long staircase.


    At this pace, it would take them too long, so Ethan came up with an idea and decided to use Da Shu''s strength to his advantage by getting a ride from him.


    Da Shu wasn''t thrilled about carrying Ethan on his back, but understanding that otherwise, it would take at least another three hours to descend, he swallowed his dissatisfaction and carried Ethan.


    With his cultivation base at the second level of body refining, Da Shu descended the long staircase in less than an hour.


    Finally, they reached the mission site of the sect.


    Da Shu finished taking out the equipment and handed one of the two axes to Ethan, keeping the other for himself.


    Ethan took his axe and glanced at the one Da Shu was holding.


    ''Heavens, how heavy is that thing?'' he thought as he looked at the axe that was at least five times the size of the one he had.


    And so, they each chose a tree and began chopping with their axes.


    Ethan lifted his normal-sized axe, tightened his grip on the handle, and with a strong blow, struck the trunk of the spiritual tree.


    CLANG!


    A loud metallic sound rang out, and a strong vibration spread through the axe and into Ethan''s hands.


    Ethan gritted his teeth as the vibration traveled up his arms, almost making him lose his grip on the axe.


    He looked at the small notch his blow had made in the trunk of the spiritual tree and sighed.


    "These trees are as tough as iron," he murmured, observing Da Shu, who, with a single blow of his enormous axe, had already made a deep gash in the trunk of his chosen tree.


    He didn''t know what to make of this situation.


    He had come to help his friend to speed up the work, but at this rate, it would be a miracle if he managed to cut down even one tree by the end of the day.


    ''Haa, if only I could break through, I would tear down these trees like twigs,'' Ethan thought, sighing as he shook his head to dispel his pessimistic thoughts.


    Unbeknownst to him, when he struck the tree and managed to make a small cut, spiritual energy leaked from it, which was immediately absorbed by Ethan''s body and directed to his spiritual sea.


    There, the Seven Sages'' Amphora, which usually hovered high in the sky, absorbed this small trace of spiritual energy and emitted a small luminous pulse.


    At that moment, just as Ethan was about to start striking the tree trunk again, a faint sound in his head stopped him.


    DING!


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t move and focused his gaze forward.


    There, half a meter from his face, a thin blue rectangle appeared, floating in the air.


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Daily Mission]


    - Successfully cut down 10 spiritual trees by the end of the day.


    Mission Status (0/10)


    REWARDS:


    - Assignment of a random Rare Flame.


    Time Remaining: 12 : 43 : 04


    --------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    Ethan almost dropped the axe from his hand as he read what was written on the system screen.


    ''A rare flame?''


    He rubbed his eyes just to be sure as he read once again what was displayed on the floating screen.


    When he heard from Bai Yu that obtaining a rare flame was difficult even in the celestial realm, he realized he had almost no chance of finding one, so he had already set aside the idea of breaking through using a rare flame and wanted to focus on finding the awakening pill.


    But now, seeing that he had just received an opportunity to obtain one, he could hardly believe it.


    Suddenly, he started laughing loudly, shouting things like "Finally, the heavens smile upon me" or "My days of misery are over."


    Da Shu, who had just finished cutting down his first tree, turned to look at Ethan, and seeing him laugh like a madman and say nonsense, thought, ''He finally lost it?''


    Ethan didn''t care about anything else and picked up the axe that had slipped from his hand earlier. Tightening his grip on its handle, he began hammering against the tree''s bark.


    He ignored the pain caused by the continuous shocks he received as he struck and continued to hit without stopping.


    He hadn''t even taken a moment to reflect on the fact that he had just over twelve hours to cut down ten trees.


    He didn''t care; all that mattered was that he finally had a chance to turn his situation around.


    He had spent almost a whole year searching for a way to break through without success.


    And although it wasn''t visible, he was at the brink of despair. sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew that, independent of whether he stayed in the sect or not, if he couldn''t cultivate, the only option left would be to keep his head down and hope not to perish due to someone''s whim.


    He was aware that his life would be anything but simple, both as a cultivator and as an ordinary individual.


    However, in the first case, he would at least have the means to change his fate in the future and aspire to a better life.


    At that moment, Ethan was benefiting from the protection provided by the sect, but he knew that once outside, he wouldn''t necessarily find a safe environment to continue cultivating in peace.


    When he saw the opportunity represented by the mission, his determination grew even stronger.


    With a determined look, he began striking the tree with all his strength, determined to use every ounce of energy to cut down those trees in time.


    He wouldn''t let his weakness dictate his destiny.


    With each blow, he felt the fatigue growing, but also his resolve.


    He continued to strike the tree as if it were his sworn enemy. After almost half an hour of continuous blows, a sound finally came from the tree.


    CRACK.


    Ethan, hearing it, stepped back to a safe distance and watched as the tree slowly began to fall.


    THUD.


    With a loud sound, the tree finally fell to the ground.


    Ethan, panting nearby, wiped the sweat from his forehead and moved on to the next tree.


    "One down, nine more to go."


    ----------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter.


    I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, if you have any comments or notices of errors, write them down below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 30 - 30: First Mission Completed

    .


    After a long day, the sun in the sky began to set, painting the sky in a mix of red, orange, and yellow.


    At the foot of the Phoenix Sect mountain, continuous metallic sounds could be heard coming from the Spirit Forest.


    At that moment, towards the outer area of the forest, two figures could be seen chopping down trees.


    They moved in sync, almost as if they had practiced together for a long time.


    On one side was the figure of a tall boy wielding a giant axe and striking hard at the trunk of the tree in front of him. A few meters away, another figure, slightly smaller than the first, was also cutting down a tree.


    The two figures continued like this for several minutes without stopping until the tree of the tall boy finally fell.


    Shortly after, the tree the smaller boy was chopping couldn''t withstand the blows any longer and fell as well.


    With a thud, both sat down on the ground, panting.


    The tall boy, with a gesture of his hand, took out two small water flasks and, taking one for himself, threw the other to the boy next to him.


    The latter caught it mid-air and, unscrewing the cap, poured it over his face.


    For a minute, silence returned to the forest as the two recovered from their exertions over the past few hours.


    After a while, the tall boy said, as he finished drinking the entire content of his flask, "Buddy, where the hell did you get all that strength?" he asked while putting the flask back into his dimensional ring.


    "Damn, you almost caught up with the number of trees I''ve cut down," he said, looking towards two piles of felled spiritual trees.


    One of the piles was much larger than the other.


    That was Da Shu''s pile of trees.


    After almost nine hours, the two had finally stopped.


    At first, they had come to cut down only about ten trees, but as they progressed, Da Shu noticed that his friend was starting to catch up, and although he was still a bit slower than him, if he took it easy, Ethan would overtake him.


    Da Shu, by nature, was a very competitive person, so whenever he had the chance, he would challenge someone.


    It didn''t matter if it was a fight or a race of another kind; he would always compete with someone.


    This habit of his earned him the nickname of the crazy demon of the Phoenix Sect.


    So, seeing that Ethan was catching up, he decided to give it his all and started cutting down the trees faster.


    And so, what was supposed to be just about ten trees turned into about fifty, with 40 cut down by Da Shu and 10 by Ethan.


    Hearing him, Ethan didn''t bother to respond and lay down on the grassy ground of the forest, looking up where, in front of him, was a floating blue screen with the words:


    DING!


    [--------------------------------


    [Daily Mission]


    - Successfully cut down 10 spiritual trees by the end of the day.


    Mission Status (10/10) [COMPLETED!]


    REWARDS:


    - Assignment of a random Rare Flame. [Press here to claim the reward]


    Time Remaining: 3 : 17 : 02


    --------------------------------]


    [...]


    [Congratulations, You have completed your first daily mission!]


    [You have received 50 Qi]


    Hm?


    Ethan was just thinking about whether to claim his reward immediately or wait until he returned to the sect when he saw that, on the status screen, in addition to the notification of the daily mission completion, another notification had arrived, giving him 50 Qi.


    ''Wait, doesn''t this mean that I''ve surpassed the threshold to become a first-stage cultivator?'' he thought, a bit confused.


    He didn''t feel any change in himself; it was just like before.


    Moreover, his special physique was still sealed, so he couldn''t cultivate more Qi to break through, leaving him wondering where the Qi he had just obtained had gone.


    He decided to open his status screen to see if there had been any changes to it.


    "Status"


    As if by magic, another screen appeared in front of him, overlapping the previous one.


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Mortal.


    QI: 99/100 [+50]


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames (sealed)


    Strength: 5


    Agility: 4


    Intelligence: 6


    Soul Strength: 100


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 0


    -------------------------------]


    Seeing that his Qi value had remained unchanged, Ethan was not surprised; he had expected it.


    Noticing the +50 next to it, he understood that this was the additional Qi value he couldn''t absorb yet.


    "Hmm, maybe I''ll be able to absorb it once I break through," he murmured softly as he pondered.


    Da Shu, who was just getting up to put the two piles into his spatial ring, heard him and asked:


    "Hm? Did you say something?"


    "No, nothing. Come on, let''s move. Otherwise, the guards will make us sleep outside tonight," Ethan said as he also got up and prepared to leave.


    Unlike Da Shu, he hadn''t brought much with him, just a small backpack with some provisions for the day.


    He knew they would be here for several hours, so he packed something before leaving.


    They had managed to eat a few hours ago when Ethan almost fainted because he had been chopping non-stop for hours on end.


    Unlike Da Shu, Ethan''s physique was no different from that of a normal mortal who had trained a bit, so he couldn''t withstand that much exertion all at once.


    So, although reluctantly, he took a short break to eat something and recover a bit.


    He understood that he couldn''t push his body too far beyond its limits, or he would only do more damage to himself.


    After packing everything, both of them set off towards the long staircase leading to the sect''s entrance.


    Once they arrived, Ethan turned his head towards his friend and looked at him in silence with a smile.


    Da Shu, feeling his gaze, changed his expression as he said with a sigh:


    "haa, Not again."


    .


    -------------------------- sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I FINALLY WROTE 30 CHAPTERS!!! ???? ???? ????


    " One big step for me, one small step for humanity "


    o.o , Cought...


    Here''s today''s chapter.


    I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or concerns, write them down below, and I will respond as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 31 - 31: Bai Yus Shock

    .


    Ethan and Da Shu ascended the long staircase of the Phoenix Sect''s mountain as night began to fall, painting the sky in shades of purple and black.


    Upon finally reaching the sect, they passed through the mission hall, where the usual attendant, who had been napping all day, was preparing to close up and head home to sleep.


    Unfortunately for him, he was interrupted by these two.


    Though reluctant, since there were still a few minutes left before the mission hall closed, he couldn''t chase them away. He completed his job and recorded the completion of their mission.


    Having completed the mission with a number five times higher than required, their reward was correspondingly high.


    After heading to their lodging and parting ways, Ethan hurried into his room. They usually had dinner together and shared stories about their day, but Ethan couldn''t wait to claim his reward, so he skipped the meal.


    After closing his room door, Ethan opened the daily mission screen.


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Daily Mission]


    - Successfully cut down 10 spiritual trees by the end of the day.


    Mission Status (10/10) [COMPLETED!] S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    REWARDS:


    - Assignment of a random Rare Flame. [Press here to claim the reward]


    --------------------------------]


    .


    He took a moment to relax.


    Although he was excited, he didn''t know exactly what would happen once he tried to claim his reward, so he wanted to be prepared for anything.


    After a few breaths, he calmed down enough and, without hesitation, pressed the button on the screen in front of him.


    DING!


    [Assigning a rare flame...]


    After several seconds that felt like an eternity to Ethan, another notification appeared.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have obtained the Blue Lotus Flame]


    "Blue Lotus Flame?"


    Ethan had no idea what type of flame this was.


    For him, just having finally obtained a rare flame was enough; after all, now he could awaken his special physique.


    He waited for something to happen, but nothing did.


    He wondered where his rare flame had gone.


    Pressing on the notification to see if it would give him more information about the flame, it indeed worked.


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Blue Lotus Flame]


    Grade: Low


    Description: The Blue Lotus Flame is born from the harmonious interaction between the spiritual energies of fire and ice. Although there are only a few places where this flame can form, its strength is still classified at the bottom of the rare flames list.


    Note: Absorbing other flame-type energetic entities can elevate its grade.


    --------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the description, Ethan wasn''t disappointed by its grade.


    "Now I need to ask Bai Yu how to awaken my special physique using this flame," he said to himself, thinking of consulting the expert inside him.


    Just then, a shocked Bai Yu spoke in his mind.


    "i-is that a rare flame ?!"


    From her voice, Ethan could sense a hint of shock.


    Not understanding why she was suddenly surprised, he thought of entering his sea of consciousness to take a look.


    "Could it be that the flame appeared there?" he wondered as he sat down and focused on his sea of consciousness.


    ***


    In Ethan''s sea of consciousness, everything seemed calm and harmonious as usual.


    At that moment, Bai Yu, who was resting beneath the water mirror, woke up when she sensed strange energy fluctuations.


    Opening her eyes, she looked towards the direction from which the energy fluctuations were coming and saw that high in the sky, the Amphora of the Seven Sages was beginning to glow, emitting slight waves of light.


    "Hmm? What''s happening to the artifact?" she wondered as she watched the artifact start to vibrate like a pot under pressure.


    After a few seconds, the lid of the amphora opened, and countless thin blue threads of energy shot out from its interior.


    Gradually, these blue energy threads began to gather beside the amphora, condensing together like a tangled mass.


    The mass started to glow, and after a few seconds, it transformed into a blue flame, floating around the amphora.


    Bai Yu, who had witnessed all this, couldn''t help but widen her eyes at the sight of this newly formed object. She recognized it immediately and, with a voice that sounded incredulous, said,


    "A rare flame?!"


    Although she could tell it was a low-grade flame, the mere fact that a rare flame, usually so difficult to obtain, had appeared out of nowhere here, stunned her.


    At that moment, Ethan, who had just entered his sea of consciousness, materialized at the scene and looked up at the artifact in the sky.


    Since the flame was the size of a palm, it was impossible to see it from below, but the intensity of the heat it emitted was great enough to be felt from the ground.


    "So this is where it appeared, huh?" Ethan murmured.


    Bai Yu, snapping out of her shock upon Ethan''s arrival, asked,


    "How did you obtain a rare flame?" She wanted to know how this human, who wasn''t even a cultivator yet, had managed to get his hands on such an object.


    Ethan didn''t know how to explain it to her.


    He couldn''t say that the system had asked him to cut down some spiritual trees in exchange for a rare flame.


    She would surely laugh in his face and think he was trying to deceive her.


    Ethan was now certain she had never heard of the system, and for him, it was better that way.


    He had already thought of an excuse while considering how to ask her how to use the flame to awaken his special physique, so he proceeded with that.


    "I''m not sure either. While I was cutting down the spiritual trees, I felt a strange energy flow into me, and then I heard your voice, so I came to check what had happened."


    .


    -----------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    The chapter of the day is here. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, errors to report, or suggestions, write them down here, and I''ll get back to you as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 32 - 32: Awakening

    .


    Bai Yu said nothing after hearing Ethan''s words and lost herself in thought, her attention focused on the blue flame floating in the sky.


    No one knew what she was thinking, and after a moment of silence, she spoke again.


    "You know, when I traveled with the previous owner of the artifact, sometimes she would pull things out of nowhere, things she clearly didn''t have before," she said and then continued.


    "She told us that it was the artifact that produced these things in times of need when it was difficult to obtain them.


    Back then, I wasn''t sure if she was telling the truth. After all, she was a person who, despite being talkative, hid many things. But now, seeing the same thing happening with you, I''m starting to think she was telling the truth." Her voice had a hint of melancholy.


    Ethan, hearing this, couldn''t help but wonder if the previous owner also had some kind of system.


    After a while, Bai Yu said, "Anyway, now that one of your biggest problems is solved, it''s time for you to awaken your physique and officially embark on the path of cultivation."


    Ethan smiled and nodded, as if he had been waiting to hear these words for a while.


    "Right now, you have the rare flame, but you haven''t bound it to yourself yet, so it''s as if you don''t have it at all.


    Just like you did with the artifact, try to connect to it using some of your spiritual energy.


    Rare flames, if compatible with a person, can form a bond with them; otherwise, they will reject the bond.


    There have been many cases in the past of cultivators who failed to obtain a spiritual flame even though they were compatible with it due to the flame''s will, but in your case, it should be fine.


    This flame is still of a low grade, so it hasn''t fully formed a consciousness yet," she said.


    Ethan understood what she meant and did as she said.


    Focusing, he created a thread of spiritual energy and sent it toward the flame. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The blue flame, which was orbiting the urn, stopped and moved toward the spiritual thread that was coming toward it, as if it were a child attracted to a toy.


    It floated slowly toward the thread until it got close enough, then began to wrap around it, as if evaluating it.


    Then it started intertwining with the thread of spiritual energy that Ethan had sent.


    He felt a wave of heat as the flame began to merge with his energy.


    The connection deepened, and he could perceive the essence of the flame entering his body.


    It was an overwhelming sensation, but Ethan gritted his teeth and focused on maintaining the bond.


    Bai Yu observed closely, silently, letting Ethan manage the process. The blue flame gradually integrated into Ethan, and he could feel its power spreading throughout his body, igniting his dormant potential.


    As the blue flame intertwined more deeply with the thread of spiritual energy, Ethan''s body began to react.


    He felt an overwhelming wave of heat spreading through every fiber of his being.


    Every cell seemed to wake up, vibrating with new energy.


    Outside his sea of consciousness, Ethan''s body began to visibly heat up.


    In no time, his entire body was drenched in sweat, making his clothes slightly soaked.


    However, his body temperature didn''t stop rising and continued to increase.


    The sweat that had formed on his skin began to evaporate almost immediately, creating a thin vapor that rose from him.


    The room''s temperature rose rapidly, and an aura of heat surrounded Ethan, like an incandescent halo.


    Then, with a small boom, a wave of energy was released from his body, causing the room''s walls to shake and everything inside to be thrown into disarray.


    Books fell from shelves, and the few pieces of furniture he had shifted slightly.


    Da Shu, who was in the kitchen finishing his meal, was startled by the sudden noise and nearly fell off his chair.


    Inside Ethan''s sea of consciousness, the blue flame was completing the fusion process.


    Every fiber of his body was soaking up the flame''s energy, and he could feel something sealed within him awakening.


    The barriers that had prevented his cultivation until then began to crumble, allowing spiritual energy to flow freely.


    At that moment, an oily black liquid began to ooze from Ethan''s skin''s various pores.


    As the flame fully integrated with him, Ethan felt a powerful wave of strength surging through him.


    His constitution was finally emerging, transforming him from within.


    The "Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames" was awakening, bringing with it a power that Ethan had never experienced before.


    The heat began to stabilize, and Ethan''s aura grew increasingly bright and intense.


    His body glowed with a blue light, a visible sign of the change happening inside him.


    After a few moments, the fusion process was complete. The blue flame now resided within him, its energy circulating through his meridians.


    At that moment, outside his sea of consciousness, Ethan opened his eyes.


    His eyes shone with a faint blue light before returning to normal.


    Ethan exhaled lightly, his mind becoming clear.


    He had a calm and relaxed expression, as if he had just had a good rest and awakened full of energy.


    "I''ve finally become a cultivator."


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Haa, finally, after 32 chapters, our MC has officially become a cultivator.


    I know, just like the system, this has come a bit late, but personally, I prefer it this way.


    Now that we have almost all the initial elements of the plot ready, I''d say we can proceed with the main course.


    As usual, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If not, tell me what you didn''t like about the novel so far and how I could improve in the comments section.


    Oh, I almost forgot, I''m increasing the daily time I dedicate to writing to prepare some extra chapters for a little mass release.


    Consider it my way of thanking you for all the support and patience you''ve shown towards me and my novel.


    I''m trying to improve as much as I can every day, and I hope that in the not-too-distant future, I can give you chapters that satisfy both you and me.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 33 - 33: [Storage]

    .


    Ethan wanted to take a moment to relax.


    He wanted to stay in that position a little longer and savor the sensation of power coursing through every fiber of his being.


    But as he inhaled to take a breath, he nearly choked, his expression contorting immediately, and his eyes almost tearing up.


    "What the heck is this smell?"


    He asked himself, pinching his nose with his hand and looking around for the source of the odor.


    At that moment, he noticed that his entire room was in disarray, and the area around him was stained with a strange black liquid.


    Ethan lowered his head and saw that the nauseating liquid covered his entire body.


    He was momentarily confused and tried to figure out what had happened, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door.


    "Hey, everything okay in there?"


    From behind the door came Da Shu''s voice.


    "I heard a strange bang from inside��


    Ah, what the heck is that smell?" he said, complaining.


    Ethan, still confused, tried to come up with something to say, but was interrupted once more by Da Shu''s voice.


    "Wait, this smell..."


    In the next moment, the locked door was violently opened, and a stunned Da Shu entered, looking at the mess inside.


    As his gaze fell on the black liquid covering Ethan, he immediately understood what had happened, and his eyes lit up with joy.


    "You finally awakened!" he said happily.


    If it weren''t for the black liquid, he would have jumped into the room and hugged his friend tightly.


    Ethan, not knowing he had just narrowly avoided danger, asked,


    "So this is a consequence of my awakening?" he said, pointing to the destroyed room and the black liquid.


    "Yes, although I have to say it''s not usually this destructive. I mean, you''ve practically turned the whole room upside down."


    He said with a hint of surprise on his face.


    Ethan couldn''t help but laugh slightly as he thought about the cause of all this.


    "Well, now that I''ve awakened, I don''t have to worry as much about the end-of-year assessment." He said as he stood up.


    Dusting himself off a bit, he looked around and then gave a bright smile to his friend.


    "So, how about helping me clean up the room?"


    And like magic, at the mention of those words, Da Shu disappeared from his spot, and then Ethan heard the door to his room close.


    "Sorry, I can''t. I just received some enlightenment, I need to go cultivate," his hurried voice echoed, followed by the sound of the lock clicking shut.


    "Tch, what kind of friend runs away in a time of need?" he said, shaking his head, as he prepared to clean the room and take a quick shower to rid himself of the black liquid.


    He couldn''t stand the nauseating smell that enveloped his room any longer.


    ***


    After some time, Ethan had finally finished tidying up his room and had cleaned himself up. He sat comfortably on his bed and started thinking.


    Now that he had finally advanced to the first level of Body Refining, he could feel that his entire being had become stronger.


    To check how much he had improved, he opened the status screen to see how much his stats had increased.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 1)


    QI: 49/200


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 15


    Agility: 11


    Intelligence: 11


    Soul Strength: 114 S~ea??h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 0


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that his attributes had indeed gone up a bit, he was pleased.


    He wasn''t sure how his attributes compared to others, but for now, it was enough to know that he was no longer stuck and could grow stronger quickly.


    Now that he had taken his first step into cultivation, he needed to think about the next ones.


    He had noticed that his Qi bar had increased from 100 to 200, with only a quarter of the bar filled for now.


    He thought that perhaps with each level, the requirements to level up would increase by 100, with the counter resetting each time the previous Qi requirement was met.


    He wasn''t certain about this, but it was the best he could deduce from the values shown on his status screen.


    "If only there was a system consciousness," he thought, recalling that he had tried to speak with the system but received no response.


    If the system had a consciousness that could talk to him, it would have been easier to understand the various functions, but unfortunately, that wasn''t the case.


    "Oh well, I''ll learn over time." He said, then focused his attention on some functions of the system that he hadn''t had a chance to try yet.


    He looked down at the screen and saw the text labeled [Shop].


    He pressed it, ready to see what miraculous items he would find inside.


    As soon as he pressed it, a message appeared before him, saying:


    [Currently, the shop is empty. Please check back later.]


    "..."


    His curiosity was stifled immediately, and he couldn''t help but curse the system a bit.


    "F*ck, let''s see if storage works," he said and clicked below [Shop], where it said [Storage].


    Another screen opened before him, but this time it wasn''t a message, but a series of squares.


    The series of squares were all empty, indicating to Ethan that his storage space seemed to be available.


    "Hell yeah, at least I won''t have to sell a kidney for a dimensional ring," he thought excitedly.


    He looked around for something to put inside, and his gaze settled on his pillow.


    He picked it up and paused for a moment, wondering how exactly to transfer things into the dimensional space.


    "Let''s try pushing it in," he thought, pushing his pillow against the status screen, but it didn''t seem to work, as the pillow passed through the screen as if it weren''t there.


    Seeing that this didn''t seem to work, he thought for a bit more and then came up with another method.


    He held the pillow tightly in his hands and thought of transferring it to his dimensional space.


    He wasn''t sure if it would work, but he knew he could only try, so he did, and this time it seemed to work.


    The pillow that was in his hand disappeared, and in the next moment, the first square on his screen changed, showing an image of his pillow.


    "It worked," Ethan said, starting to experiment more with the dimensional storage function.


    He tried to see if there was a maximum space capacity, which turned out to be 10 cubic meters per square.


    He tried to see if moving items in and out worked without touch and discovered that they had to be touched the first time, but then they could be moved back and forth as long as they were within a meter of him.


    He wondered if this would remain the same over time or if it would increase as he advanced to higher levels.


    -------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter.


    I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, don''t hesitate to ask questions, and if you find any errors, let me know, and I''ll correct them as soon as I can.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 34 - 34: You always return to the places you tried to avoid.

    .


    The cultivation method that the sect provided to every disciple when they officially joined was the Basic Qi Cultivation Method.


    This method essentially taught how to perceive and manipulate Qi, guiding it through one''s body and into the Dantian, where it would be gradually condensed until the Dantian was full.


    It''s like clouds that, once they have condensed enough, turn into droplets of water.


    The same process happens in the Dantian.


    When a Dantian is completely full, one advances to the second stage of cultivation, the Qi Refining stage, where this condensed Qi is further processed, eventually leading to the third stage of cultivation, improving the Dantian and so on. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan hadn''t fully grasped the entire process behind the various stages of cultivation or the reasons for each stage, but that was normal.


    Theory helps up to a certain point; only when applied does it become fully understood.


    Now that he had entered Body Refining, he had gained a slightly better understanding of the first stage of cultivation.


    Currently, his cultivation manual was the basic one, which helped to enter the first stage and explained how to complete it.


    For the subsequent stages, he would have to wait until he reached the peak of his current stage.


    In other words, not very soon.


    For now, he wasn''t worried about that.


    His concern was something else.


    After freeing himself from the worry of not becoming a cultivator before the annual assessment, he had to deal with his second problem.


    Resources.


    Just like growing a person requires continuous food intake, cultivation also requires resources.


    Sure, unlike eating, resources aren''t strictly necessary for cultivation.


    A person, as long as they are alive, can cultivate by normally absorbing the spiritual energy present in the air, but if they also consume specific materials for cultivation, their cultivation speed would increase.


    Being part of a sect provided this benefit.


    Not only did you have protection and thus a force watching your back, but you also had teaching and resources given to you.


    Of course, this also depended on your cultivation base and latent talent.


    A normal person would have limited resources, while a talented person recognized by the sect would have many more resources.


    For Ethan, the regular Qi Pill given to every sect member still in the first stage of cultivation was no longer enough.


    This was not only because he had awakened and thus needed an extra push for the next levels but also due to his special physique.


    "You need at least three times the resources of a normal cultivator to make fast progress in your cultivation," said Bai Yu''s calm voice as if it was nothing.


    "..."


    F*ck!


    In the last week, Ethan had cultivated for many hours a day, only to see his Qi bar increase very slowly.


    Thinking that his improvement was slow due to his lack of talent, he calmed down a bit, but hearing from Bai Yu that usually, for a normal cultivator, Qi collection was much slower, he couldn''t help but curse.


    Apparently, if he wanted rapid growth while maintaining stable foundations, he needed more resources for cultivation.


    At the end of the month, when he received his monthly Qi Pill, a pill that disciples would consume over several days of meditation, his body consumed it instantly, giving him a mere +5 Qi.


    At this point, Ethan realized that if he didn''t find a way to earn enough money to afford cultivation resources, he would probably reach the second level of Body Refining only after more than half a year of cultivation, which was good but not enough for him.


    If there was one thing he had learned from cultivation novels, it was that unexpected events were always around the corner.


    An enemy could attack out of nowhere, a young master could target him for the stupidest reasons, a catastrophe that had awakened out of nowhere could strike, thinking it was the right time to mess everything up.


    In short, anything could happen, and for someone like Ethan, who was trying to be ready for any eventuality, he couldn''t remain weak and cultivate slowly like others.


    So, after considering various things, he made a decision.


    ***


    In the center of Sun City, in front of the entrance to a large dilapidated building, stood a boy with a slightly furrowed face, hesitating to enter.


    The boy was none other than Ethan, who was about to go to the Medicine Pavilion for the second time.


    It had been more than seven days since the incident with the artifact, and since then, Ethan had not shown up here.


    Not only because there were no missions related to the Medicine Pavilion but also because he feared that if Yan Mei saw him, she wouldn''t let him go easily this time.


    Thinking that after all this time, she might have forgotten about him, he entered.


    He gathered his courage and walked with firm steps toward the reception.


    After considering various options, Ethan had decided to try alchemy.


    It was a profession where, if you were good enough, you could quickly get rich and earn a reputation.


    Although in this world the strong ruled, for alchemists, strength derived more from their skill in creating pills and medicines for both cultivation and other purposes.


    And this choice was not made only for these reasons but also for another thing.


    He turned to see a status screen, which had appeared as usual this morning


    .


    [----------------------------


    [DAILY MISSION]


    - Become an apprentice alchemist.


    REWARDS:


    - Pill refining skill (liv.1)


    Time remaining: 16:07:26


    -----------------------------]


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially a contracted author!


    With this, the first step to becoming a successful author has been completed.


    I don''t know if it will be thanks to this novel or another one in the future, but sooner or later, I will become good enough to climb all the rankings.


    Well, now that I''ve told myself my bedtime story, it''s time to sleep.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 35 - 35: Becoming an Apprentice level Alchemist

    .


    In the previous days, Ethan had received various daily missions.


    These ranged from following an intensive training session, which involved cultivating and practicing other physical exercises, to those directly related to sect assignments.


    During this period, Ethan received different types of rewards.


    From gaining a bit of Qi to acquiring knowledge, specifically knowledge related to alchemy.


    Ethan wasn''t sure why the system was giving him such rewards, but then he learned from Bai Yu that the Amphora of the Seven Sages was an artifact that could also be used for alchemy.


    She said that thanks to this artifact, even its previous owner had reached a fairly high level in alchemy.


    The artifact itself, according to Bai Yu, had been created from the efforts of a God of Forging and the combined essence of six alchemy sages, according to the legends surrounding it.


    Only then did Ethan discover that beyond the Grand Alchemist Master, there was also the stage of the Alchemy Sage, and finally, the pinnacle of this profession: a God of Alchemy.


    Although this artifact was a powerful object that anyone would covet, its true power could only be seen in the hands of an alchemist.


    Ethan knew he was still far from being able to unleash the artifact''s true power, but for now, he was content with just the crumbs of power he received from it.


    Finally arriving at the reception, Ethan addressed the woman at the counter.


    "Hello, I would like to participate in the test to become an apprentice alchemist ," he said cordially.


    The woman, who was examining a manual, diverted her gaze from it to Ethan. She looked him with a keen look and, after a moment, with her expression unchanged, retrieved a wooden tag with a number on it.


    She placed it on the counter and said to him, "The exam will start in 45 minutes. Participation requires three low-grade spirit stones or 300 gold coins," she said professionally.


    Ethan nodded and pulled out a bag containing the spirit stones, passing it to the woman.


    Just as the woman was taking the bag, Ethan noticed it wasn''t moving.


    At that moment, Ethan spoke again:


    "Isn''t there some sort of discount for those signing up for the first time?" he said, maintaining a smile on his face, though showing a hint of sadness.


    "No," she replied, and with a slight movement, the bag was pulled from Ethan''s hand.


    Ethan had worked like a madman in recent days to earn those three spirit stones.


    He had lost count of how many sect contributions he had to exchange to obtain those spirit stones, so his heart bled at the sight of his hard-earned stones disappearing.


    The woman handed Ethan the tag and, ignoring him completely, resumed reading her book.


    Seeing this, Ethan nodded to her and headed toward the test area.


    ''Well, I tried. Anyway, it was just three spirit stones,'' thought Ethan.


    ''That''s the right spirit,'' Bai Yu''s voice resonated in his mind.


    ''Just three spirit stones, right, just 300 gold coins, 30,000 silver coins...''


    ''Never mind,'' thought Bai Yu, who had believed for a moment that Ethan was finally getting used to it.


    She wondered how he would handle it when, in the future, he would have to spend entire fortunes just for some cultivation materials.


    Thinking about this, she shook her head and went back to sleep.


    Ethan finally arrived at the test venue.


    The test hall was large enough to accommodate 100 people without difficulty.


    There were several rows of black desks arranged in seven columns, each with a set of ink and a small brush.


    Upon entering the hall, he saw that several people were already waiting.


    Some were chatting among themselves, while others were sitting with their eyes closed, waiting.


    He quickly noticed the wide range of ages among the participants.


    There were young people around 15 or 16 years old, and others well over 30.


    There was even an old man sitting in a corner in a meditative position.


    At the opposite side of the entrance, there was a stage with a small table and a cushion next to it, where no one was sitting.


    Ethan assumed that the test examiner would sit there.


    He found an empty spot and began to wait patiently like the others.


    Thanks to the system, Ethan had acquired all the basic knowledge needed to become an alchemist apprentice. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He believed he had learned enough to start making pills right away but decided to take things slowly.


    Although he had enough knowledge to pass as an apprentice, he wasn''t confident in his pill-making skills yet.


    He hadn''t had the chance to refine any pills but planned to do so after the test.


    If it weren''t for the daily mission urging him to sign up, he would have waited a bit longer, taken his time learning to refine pills, and taken the adept alchemist exam directly.


    He waited in silence, lost in his thoughts.


    Time passed, and more people started filling the room, taking the remaining spots.


    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a man entered the room from a side door.


    He was middle-aged, with a long beard, and wore the robes of an alchemist.


    His presence commanded respect, and the chatter in the room died down instantly.


    The man approached the table at the front of the room and sat on the cushion, placing several scrolls and tools on the table.


    He then looked up, his eyes scanning the room with a penetrating gaze.


    "Welcome, everyone," he began, his voice authoritative. "I am Expert Lei, and I will be overseeing your test today. The path of an alchemist is not an easy one.


    It requires not only knowledge but also precision, patience, and a deep understanding of the elements."


    Ethan listened intently, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.


    This was the first step toward becoming an alchemist, a path that could significantly aid his cultivation journey and, of course, a path that would make him rich.


    .


    --------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter. I hope you like it.


    As usual, if you have comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow!

 Chapter 36 - 36: 30 Minutes

    .


    Expert Lei continued, "As you may already know, today''s test will be a theoretical one.


    This test will evaluate your basic knowledge, from understanding the tools to using herbs.


    Each of you will receive a scroll with questions related to basic alchemy."


    He gestured to an assistant, who began distributing scrolls and writing tools to the participants.


    Ethan received his scroll and unrolled it, finding a series of questions about the properties of various herbs, the principles of alchemy, and the processes involved in refining pills.


    Ethan focused on the questions.


    Surprisingly, the test seemed much simpler than he had expected.


    Although he had quickly learned everything thanks to the system downloading the knowledge directly into his brain, he hadn''t imagined it would be this easy.


    ''Bless whoever created the system,'' he thought to himself as he took the brush and dipped it in ink.


    Without wasting any more time, he began to write everything he remembered.


    As soon as he read a question, the relevant information immediately came to mind, and he wrote it down on the sheet.


    He decided to limit his answers to only the most basic information because if he wrote everything he knew, it would take too much time.


    Question 1: Describe the properties of the Fire Dragon Herb and its use in creating energy pills.


    Ethan wasted no time and wrote everything he remembered about the Fire Dragon Herb.


    "The Fire Dragon Herb," he wrote steadily, "is known for its powerful energizing properties.


    It is often used in creating energy pills for its ability to boost physical and mental strength.


    Its red, fiery leaves contain a substance that, when properly refined, can significantly increase the energy levels of those who consume it."


    Question 2: What are the three fundamental principles of alchemy, and how are they applied in daily practice?


    Without hesitation, Ethan replied, "The three fundamental principles of alchemy are Transmutation, Balance, and Purification.


    Transmutation involves transforming substances from one form to another, a crucial process in creating pills.


    Balance is essential to ensure that the pill components are harmonized to avoid unwanted side effects.


    Finally, Purification is the process of removing impurities from substances to achieve a higher concentration of active ingredients."


    Question 3: Explain the process of refining healing pills and the importance of each phase.


    "The process of refining healing pills," he began, "comprises several crucial phases.


    First of all, Ingredient Selection: choosing high-quality herbs and minerals is essential for the pill''s effectiveness.


    Next is Grinding, where the ingredients are reduced to a fine powder.


    The following phase is Mixing, where the powders are blended in precise proportions.


    Finally, there''s Cooking, where the mixture is heated at controlled temperatures to activate the healing properties of the substances."


    Ethan was amazed at how quickly he could answer each question.


    The knowledge flowed effortlessly, as if every detail had been etched into his mind.


    ''Well, thinking about it, that''s exactly what happened,'' Ethan thought as he continued to write without stopping.


    Due to his quick and fluid movements, even the person sitting next to him couldn''t help but glance at him.


    Seeing Ethan scribbling furiously on the answer sheet, they sneered disdainfully before returning to their own sheet.


    ''Hmph, these days, even nobodies like him can afford to take the exam,'' they thought, imagining Ethan had obtained the registration fee through dubious means.


    If it had been someone else in Ethan''s place, possibly someone with status, they might have thought the person was some sort of genius.


    But in Ethan''s case, they assumed he was answering randomly, hoping to pass the test by chance. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The test was supposed to last two incense sticks.


    [N/A: one incense stick = 30 minutes]


    When Ethan checked the time, he realized that only 30 minutes had passed, nearly one incense stick.


    Not knowing what else to do, he decided it was best to submit his sheet.


    According to the rules, to pass the test, one had to answer at least 70% of the questions correctly, and thinking back on his answers, he felt he had done well enough.


    He knew he could answer all the questions correctly but decided to leave some out and give half answers for others.


    The last thing he wanted was to attract attention by achieving a perfect score.


    He stood up and went to submit his answer sheet.


    As he approached Master Lei''s table, he noticed some of the other students looking at him curiously but quickly averting their gazes after a glance.


    He could tell that some were nervous about the test and occasionally tried to copy from their neighbors, while others looked at him out of simple curiosity.


    Master Lei, seeing him approach, thought Ethan wanted to ask for clarification on some questions.


    Knowing this wasn''t allowed, he frowned, ready to scold him.


    Ethan, who was almost at the table, noticed the old man''s expression and couldn''t help but think,


    ''Hm? Why on earth is he giving me those angry looks?''


    Ethan reached the table, and before the old man could say anything, he placed the sheet down and said,


    "Master Lei, I have finished answering the questions," he said cordially.


    The old man, who was just about to reprimand him, found himself at a loss for words, looking at him with a strange expression.


    He took the sheet and examined it, astonished to see that all the questions had been answered.


    At that point, he thought that Ethan, out of desperation, had answered everything, even the questions he might not have known.


    After all, the test included an advanced-level question inserted for additional assessment, to see if anyone would solve it and how.


    It wasn''t possible for anyone to have answered that question, especially in such a short time.


    He set the sheet aside, nodding his head, thinking it wasn''t worth wasting time on the boy in front of him.


    The test answers would be evaluated at the end of the exam, and the results would be announced afterward.


    After submitting his sheet and seeing that the old man had given him permission, Ethan left the test hall and went to sit outside, waiting for the test to finish.


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Ladies and gentlemen, rejoice, I have a release date for the mass release I promised you.


    On 20/07/2024, I will be releasing more chapters than usual.


    Although I have previously mentioned that it would be a small mass release, this may vary depending on how the novel performs up until that date.


    As usual, If you have any advice, comments, or errors to report, please do so below.


    See you tomorrow!

 Chapter 37 - 37: Results

    .


    Once again, Ethan found himself waiting.


    There were still 10 minutes left before the end of the test, and 40 minutes until the results were released.


    He wasn''t entirely sure if the results would come out in half an hour, but he had heard from some gossip that they usually did within that time frame.


    It was boring to wait, but there was nothing else he could do.


    He had to stay here to collect his one-star apprentice badge. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he waited, he began to think about his next steps.


    After learning the basic knowledge of alchemy, Ethan tried to create a low-grade pill with the few low-cost materials he had, but he failed.


    He had also bought a bronze refining cauldron at a low price, but he quickly found out that he wasn''t capable of creating one.


    Even though he knew the basic method for preparing materials and the subsequent pill refining process, he lacked the actual skill to do it.


    He tried once, then twice, and then three times.


    By the time he couldn''t refine anymore due to lack of materials, he gave up.


    He quickly realized that his path to becoming a renowned and wealthy alchemist was much longer than he had expected.


    He was starting to reconsider his choice, but seeing the next daily mission he got distracted by those thoughts.


    He had already bought some refining materials and was just waiting for the results.


    He couldn''t wait to put into practice the basic refining skill he would soon gain from the system.


    Time passed, and one by one people began to leave the test room.


    Finally, after 10 minutes, all participants were out and now eagerly awaited the results.


    "How did you find the questions?" asked a boy cheerfully, seeming pleased with his answers.


    "Poorly. I answered half the questions randomly," replied his friend, who had a look of panic and resignation.


    A third joined them: "The test questions this time were tougher than usual. I spoke to a friend who took it some time ago, and he said theirs were much simpler," he added, clearly worried about the outcome.


    "Well, that was to be expected, after all, it was none other than Expert Lei who set the test," said the first boy knowingly.


    "I heard Expert Lei is very strict when it comes to alchemy. It''s no wonder he''s one of the closest people to becoming a master alchemist," he continued.


    The gossip among the disciples began and intensified in no time.


    Ethan, standing alone in a corner, tried to ignore it all and waited for the results to be announced.


    He hadn''t bothered to make friends with anyone, not because he didn''t want to, but because he could tell that many deliberately ignored him.


    He consoled himself with the thought that he wasn''t the only one who seemed to be on the margins.


    As time passed, all the chatter began to calm down, and everyone anxiously awaited the results.


    Meanwhile, in the examination room, Expert Lei had already started examining the answer sheets.


    "Passed."


    "Passed."


    "Failed."


    "For the preparation of materials, does one need to cook everything in a pot?


    This boy must have been hit by many pots on the head" he thought, shaking his head as he marked the answer sheet with a red pen.


    After checking several answer sheets, he finally came to Ethan''s.


    Although he had only glanced at Ethan''s sheet, not checking the number, but merely if he had written anything, he didn''t realize it was Ethan''s.


    He took it and began reading the answer to the first question.


    As soon as he read the first few lines, his expression, which had been bored, turned serious.


    "This..."


    After finishing reading the first answer, he had to pause for a moment to reflect on something before quickly moving on to the subsequent questions.


    Unlike the other answer sheets he had examined quickly, he spent more time than usual on this one.


    Unconsciously, he found himself immersed in it, spending several minutes before looking away.


    After finishing reading it, his expression was serene, with a smile blossoming on his face.


    "These answers are interesting," he said with a hint of approval.


    As he examined each answer, he noticed something right away.


    Not only were the answers correct and precise, but the way the examinee had responded was straightforward and correct.


    Expert Lei had to admit that these answers were quite pleasant to read.


    Not because of their correctness, but because of the understanding of the subject shown by the person who had written them, which an expert like him could appreciate.


    "This boy must have studied very hard," he thought, recalling the examinee''s number.


    This answer sheet had been like a breath of fresh air amid the other sheets, which the more he read, the more he wanted to whip whoever had written them.


    He had found others who had answered quite well, but this one in particular impressed him.


    "Too bad he didn''t answer all the questions. He could have gotten a perfect score," he lamented, remembering that the last person to get a perfect score was over three years ago.


    Shaking his head, he returned to examining the remaining answer sheets, and in another 10 minutes, he announced the results.


    Outside the examination room, a sheet with the results was posted on a bulletin board.


    People waiting outside rushed to it as soon as they saw the attendant put it up.


    Ethan and others joined the crowd, waiting for others to finish checking before proceeding.


    After a few seconds, amidst a mix of joyful and disappointed shouts, Ethan arrived at the board and searched for his badge number.


    The results were numbered according to badge numbers, so it didn''t take long to find his.


    [No.1: PASSED]


    [No.2: PASSED]


    [No.3: FAILED]


    ...


    [No.69: PASSED]


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    If you have any advice, comments, or errors to report, please do so below.


    See you tomorrow!

 Chapter 38 - 38: The Refreshing Herb.

    .


    After receiving his apprentice alchemist badge, Ethan decided to take a quick trip to the city market to see if he could find some low-cost ingredients for refining.


    He was quite surprised when the receptionist handed him a two-star badge instead of a one-star.


    Apparently, even though he had tried to keep a low profile during the test, he had still managed to achieve a higher-than-normal performance. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even the receptionist, who had greeted him before, was a bit astonished by him.


    According to what he had heard, one could even obtain the third star and have a higher chance of being promoted to the next grade if one scored a perfect score.


    Ethan was now unsure if it had been wise to keep a low profile during the test, but he quickly dismissed those thoughts; after all, there was no use crying over spilled milk.


    At most, if he managed to become proficient in refining pills within a few weeks, he would directly attempt the test for the next grade.


    The lowest-grade pill an alchemist should be able to make was the Basic Recovery Pill.


    It was a basic pill that every novice alchemist needed to be able to make.


    It was a pill capable of restoring a person''s stamina to a certain level.


    Although this pill was very simple to produce, even for a novice alchemist, its market demand was still very high.


    There were simply too many uses for it, so the demand for these pills was always quite high. (Guess in which fields it might be used ????).


    Infact, during the test to advance from apprentice alchemist to adept alchemist, one had to be able to make three low-grade Recovery Pill Pills.


    One had a total of five attempts, so the margin for error was not very high.


    Ethan, who had more or less acquired all the basics of alchemy thanks to the system, had decided to train his newly acquired refining skills.


    He was eager to put his skills to the test because if the newly acquired skill was as effective as the information the system had downloaded into his head, which was easy to remember, he could accelerate his plan to become rich.


    He spent several hours moving from one point to another in the market and eventually obtained only two out of three ingredients.


    It wasn''t that the third ingredient was difficult to find; the problem was that there was only one left, and he was currently competing with another person to get it.


    Yes, he was currently in front of a stall selling various items, including some medicinal herbs.


    And the Refreshing Herb, an herb easy to find in some parts of the forest, had now reached almost 15 silver coins.


    15 silver coins !


    Ethan''s heart bled just thinking about the fact that the herb he wanted to buy had risen in price, reaching 15 coins.


    At this point, he was no longer willing to buy it.


    He could only retreat and curse the person who had bought it, or at least he would have liked to, but he didn''t even know precisely who the person was.


    Next to him, the person who had just bought this ingredient took it and left as if nothing had happened.


    The said person was wearing a brown hooded cloak that hid their body features, but Ethan was sure it was probably a girl.


    ''Tch, if you have so much money to spend, why not go directly to the Medicine Pavilion to buy these ingredients?''


    He thought irritably as he started looking for someone else who had the herb.


    Indeed, almost all types of medicinal ingredients could be bought at the pavilion, but the problem was that they cost more than what one might find here.


    After another hour of searching, he couldn''t find it and had to return to the sect disappointed.


    Just as Ethan was cursing the person who had taken the Refreshing Herb, the person who had just bought it was also cursing him.


    ''That little bastard, I hope he dies a virgin,'' thought the girl under the cloak.


    "He made me spend more than necessary for this simple herb," she said irritably.


    Just as Ethan had guessed, the person under the cloak was indeed a girl.


    She had long, smooth golden hair and emerald green eyes that held a beauty capable of captivating anyone.


    It was precisely because her appearance attracted too much attention that she had to disguise herself before coming to this city.


    "Haa, I''ve spent more time here than I should have. I need to hurry, or they will catch up with me," she said as she quickened her pace and disappeared into the crowd.


    ***


    In a large, elegant palace many miles away from the Phoenix Kingdom, a young man dressed regally was seated behind a desk.


    He had long golden hair tied back in an elegant jade hairpin and eyes of the same color, showing small traces of fatigue.


    Currently, he was buried under dozens of sheets placed in several piles on his desk, reviewing them.


    At that moment, a light knock diverted the man''s attention from the sheet.


    "You may enter," he said calmly, as if he knew who had just knocked.


    The door opened, revealing the figure of a soldier in golden armor who bowed and saluted the man.


    Just as he was about to report what he had to say, he was interrupted by the man''s calm voice.


    "Let me guess, my sister has run away again, hasn''t she?" he said, anticipating what the soldier wanted to say.


    The soldier, keeping his head down, simply nodded.


    The man did not seem to have any change in expression at this and continued.


    "Haa, where did she run off to this time?" he asked as if he was already used to this.


    "The last trace she left was in Sun City," said the guard.


    ''Sun City?'' the man thought, raising an eyebrow.


    "You mean the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom?" he asked, surprised.


    "Yes, Your Highness. The princess managed to procure a long-distance teleportation array.


    The array masters, from the traces left by the formation, determined that she teleported to the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom."


    "Teleportation array, it seems she has become more skilled in escaping," said the man with a sigh as he stood up.


    He moved towards the room''s door, saying, "Very well, I''ll handle this matter. There''s no need to disturb my father with this," he said as he left the room.


    "Haa, my dear sister, when will you stop making me chase you from place to place?"


    .


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 39 - 39: Spiritual Artifact and Pill Purity

    .


    In the end, Ethan decided to forgo the restorative herb for the moment.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t have any at his disposal; he just had very little, and for his pill refinement training, he would need to use a lot.


    ''Haa, if only I were richer,'' he thought as he arrived at his lodging.


    Entering, he saw as usual that Da Shu''s room door was closed, indicating he was either sleeping or cultivating.


    He went to his room and closed the door.


    He then pulled out the cauldron he had received during one of the recent daily missions and prepared to put his new ability to work.


    He opened the mission screen and pressed to claim his reward. S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [DAILY MISSION]


    - Become an apprentice alchemist. [COMPLETED!]


    REWARDS:


    - Pill refining skill (Liv.1) [press here to claim]


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the usual system screen appear before his eyes, he took a breath and prepared to receive the ability.


    The reason he hadn''t claimed the reward right after completing the mission was due to the system''s information acquisition process.


    The system downloaded the information directly into the brain, and although this process was quite fast, the pain it caused could wake even the dead from their graves.


    Just thinking about the first time he had eagerly claimed the knowledge of medicinal herbs made him shiver.


    With some hesitation, he pressed the screen in front of him and braced himself.


    The instant the reward was claimed, he felt a slight jolt in his brain, immediately followed by a flow of information that began to flood his mind.


    And so, his torture began.


    After a few seconds, Ethan could be seen lying on the floor of his room, his face contorted in pain.


    In front of him floated a small screen that read:


    [Basic pill refining skill successfully acquired]


    "D-damn, is there no way to avoid this pain?" he said, his voice still a bit trembling.


    Although the process had lasted exactly three seconds, for Ethan it had felt as long as three hours.


    He hated this sensation, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it.


    "I really can''t help you with that," said Bai Yu, who had gotten used to seeing this scene.


    "When you become a bit stronger, you''ll have enough control over the artifact to slightly loosen the seal on me, then I could transfer some of my consciousness outside to help you," she said calmly.


    Indeed, Ethan had noticed that the stronger he became, the more his control over the artifact increased.


    Right now, the control was very low, almost nonexistent, but Ethan could perceive it.


    He had discussed this with Bai Yu, who told him he needed to be at least halfway through the body refining stage to have enough control to influence, albeit slightly, the seal that bound her to the artifact and trapped her in his sea of consciousness.


    Ethan didn''t mind the idea of helping her, so he gladly agreed to let her out once he had enough strength.


    It wasn''t like she could harm him; after all, only a thread of her consciousness would be coming out.


    With his head still hurting a bit, he struggled to get up and sat on the bed to recover a bit.


    After a few minutes, with his mind settled, Ethan thought about the refining knowledge he had just acquired.


    Just like the knowledge of herbs that came to mind with just a small thought, the little mastery he had just acquired also came to mind, as if he had practiced the art of pill refining for months.


    Wasting no time, he pulled various ingredients from his dimensional space and, with a gesture of his hand, lit a small blue flame and placed it under a bronze cauldron.


    This cauldron had a very simple appearance, but Ethan had noticed that it somewhat resembled the Amphora of the Seven Seals.


    It was a low-level spiritual artifact he had received from a special system mission.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Bronze Cauldron]


    Name: Bronze Cauldron


    Grade: Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, which, with the passage of time, has lost its former splendor but still retains its hidden value, ready to be revealed by those who know how to fully exploit it.


    Requirements for the upgrade:


    - Refine 1000 Level 1 low-grade pills (0/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 1 mid-grade pills (0/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 1 high-grade pills (0/10)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    it was a spiritual object !


    Spiritual objects were enchanted items that could only be created by master forgers.


    They were items that, regardless of their value, would attract the attention of any cultivator.


    After all, they were rare items that could significantly boost one''s power, and depending on the artifact, could become real lifesavers.


    It wasn''t uncommon to find master alchemists with spiritual cauldrons as their primary tools of use.


    These allowed them to increase the purity of the pills they produced.


    And purity, which directly determined the grade of a pill, was very important for a cultivator.


    A purity of 25% made a pill of a certain level low-grade.


    A purity of 50% made a pill of a certain level mid-grade.


    Finally, a purity of 75% or higher made a pill of a certain level high-grade.


    No one had yet managed to reach 100% purity in a pill, regardless of whether it was Level 1 or higher.


    These pills with 100% purity were considered perfect pills, and the only traces of such pills could be found in ancient legends.


    No one knew if anyone had ever managed to refine one.


    This goes to show how special a spiritual artifact was, not to mention one that could evolve.


    If the knowledge of such an artifact were known, Ethan was sure he would be hunted to the ends of the world by all alchemists.


    "Haa, I don''t know if I''m blessed to have a system or cursed."


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter.


    I know, too much info at once, but I realized I hadn''t talked about pills in depth in previous chapters, and now that he''s finally started on this path, it was better to explain some basic things right away.


    I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and for any questions, write to me below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 40 - 40: Test Subject

    .


    Ethan, seeing that his artifact was capable of advancing to the next grade, was pleased.


    Although he had to be careful in the future when using items obtained from the system, as long as he became strong enough, no one could take what was rightfully his.


    Therefore, he wanted to keep a low profile for as long as possible, cultivating and becoming strong enough to protect himself in case someone targeted him.


    He was in a world of cultivation, and if his knowledge of novels was correct, most people tended to be arrogant and irrational, in other words, the perfect mix for troublesome and irritating characters.


    Clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts, Ethan proceeded with the first steps.


    He had already set his cauldron on the fire, and now it was time to prepare the materials.


    The basic steps for creating a pill were essentially three


    - Preparation and Mixing of Ingredients.


    - Refinement of the Mixture.


    - Formation and Drying of the Pills.


    These were the basic steps in traditional pill refinement.


    They varied in content from pill to pill, but overall they followed this structure.


    The reason the Basic Recovery Pill was one of the simplest pills to create was that it followed these steps almost to the letter, with little to no variation.


    Recalling the newly acquired ability, Ethan began his task.


    He carefully prepared the ingredients: the refreshing Herb, the Vitality Flower, and the Reinforcement Root lay before him. These were the essential elements for the Basic Recovery Pill.


    With precise and meticulous movements, Ethan washed and dried the ingredients.


    Once dry, he finely chopped them to facilitate the extraction of their healing properties.


    The bronze cauldron, now heated, emitted a faint golden glow.


    Ethan added a small amount of distilled water, observing carefully as the ingredients reacted to the liquid.


    He began by adding the Reinforcement Root, stirring slowly as the energy of the cauldron and the root began to merge.


    He had to be careful with the doses of each ingredient because a small mistake could ruin everything.


    The entire process was like a mathematical equation.


    To solve it, there were rules and precise steps to follow.


    A small error in the equation could lead to an incorrect result.


    Here it was the same; if Ethan miscalculated even slightly in dosing the various ingredients, the final result would be unpleasant.


    The aroma of the herbs filled the room, creating an almost mystical atmosphere.


    Ethan then added the Herb of Restoration and the Vitality Flower, maintaining a steady and harmonious rhythm in his movements.


    His concentration was absolute; every gesture was executed with precision.


    At one point, even Ethan was surprised at himself.


    He knew that the reason everything seemed to be going well so far was due to the mastery of basic refinement he had acquired from the system.


    At first, he thought he would simply receive the knowledge of how to perform the various steps for pill preparation, not that he would also gain a certain level of mastery.


    It was as if he had performed these movements so many times that his muscle memory was already trained to do them.


    Ethan didn''t expect the effect of the ability to be so astonishing.


    ''Heavens, at this rate, it won''t even take me 10 days to be ready for the exam,'' he thought happily.


    From a month to less than ten days.


    He happily accepted this acceleration of his plans to become wealthy.


    Bai Yu, who had awakened due to Ethan''s turbulent thoughts, couldn''t help but shake her head upon hearing him.


    Returning to the refinement, Ethan, now a bit calmer, resumed carefully refining the pill.


    Now that he had completed the first two steps, only the third step remained.


    With the mixture reduced to a dense paste, it was time to lower the temperature and remove the cauldron from the fire.


    In Ethan''s case, this meant extinguishing the rare flame beneath the cauldron and shaping the paste into as many pills as he could.


    Usually, a portion of the ingredients could produce up to three pills.


    Ethan now had to see how many of the pills he had produced were successful.


    And just for the occasion, Ethan had brought a test subject from the city market to try out his pills.


    Looking at a corner of the room, Ethan smiled at the small white creature in a cage no bigger than a basketball (yes, I know, it''s not the best comparison. btw, the cage is square,).


    After a few more minutes, Ethan was finally ready to let the test subject taste his pills.


    He had spent the last few minutes shaping the paste with his hands, which he had just washed.


    The shaping of the dense paste had to be done while it was still warm, so Ethan had to endure a few burns on his hands, but with some effort, he managed to create the pills. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Currently, on his table, there was a cage containing a white mouse, and in front of the cage, lined up, were three round pills, or at least almost round.


    Ethan, seeing his creations, had a proud look on his face and couldn''t wait to discover if his pills were successful.


    For an expert, determining whether a pill was good or not was simple.


    With much experience, they only needed a few clues to determine the nature of a pill and its purity.


    Clues such as the aroma emitted by the pill, its appearance, and most importantly, how the pill reacted when a bit of spiritual energy was infused into it for an internal inspection.


    These were the methods for experienced alchemists, but for those who were just starting, like Ethan, they could only rely on trials with test subjects like the present white mouse.


    The little mouse, nibbling on a piece of cheese, felt a shiver run down its spine and became alert.


    It quickly scanned left and right to locate the threat, and that''s when it noticed Ethan.


    Seeing the wide, cringe-worthy smile on the human''s face, the mouse trembled.


    ''Is this my end?'' it thought, resigned, while recalling some other mice.


    ''No, I can''t perish here, I still have someone waiting for me at home,'' it told itself, trying to dispel the fear.


    Ethan, ready to grab the test subject, saw that suddenly the little mouse was giving him an aggressive look.


    "Why is he suddenly looking at me as if I had wiped out his family??" he thought, as he saw the mouse advancing with its tiny fists clenched.


    It seemed a grand battle was about to begin.


    But, unfortunately for both the readers and the author, the system decided to make an appearance.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    "..."


    "..."


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [1/4]

 Chapter 41 - 41: System Shop

    .


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    "..."


    "..."


    For a moment, silence reigned in the room.


    The white mouse, who had been mustering courage to face the human head-on, had no idea what was happening.


    The human, who had been ready to do unspeakable things to it, was now standing still, staring blankly ahead as if watching something.


    The mouse didn''t understand why this was happening but felt like it had just dodged a bullet.


    On the other hand, Ethan was far from relieved.


    The appearance of the system screen in front of him had triggered a mix of conflicting emotions.


    Joy, anger, sadness, and resignation.


    Ethan was experiencing all these emotions at once, which was why he stood frozen in front of the system screen.


    Then, as if a pressure cooker had finally started hissing loudly, releasing all the accumulated pressure, he lost strength in his legs and almost collapsed to the ground with a blank stare.


    "Ten..." he murmured quietly.


    "Ten copper coins wasted," he said again, this time with a slightly louder tone.


    Raising his head a bit to address the cage, he said:


    "You, little bastard, rest assured I will get every single copper coin I spent on you back."


    He spoke, casting a murderous glare at the white mouse.


    The mouse, which had just sighed in relief, thinking it was safe, couldn''t help but look at Ethan with an expression that seemed to say,


    "Bro, what the hell did I do to deserve this?"


    Bai Yu, who had been rudely awakened from Ethan''s inner turmoil, saw the scene and couldn''t help but question Ethan''s sanity.


    "What kind of person have I ended up with?"


    And so, while the mouse and Bai Yu reflected on their life choices, Ethan, who was in mourning, finally recovered.


    Ethan noticed that the system messages didn''t end there.


    Looking a bit further down, he saw something that piqued his curiosity.


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [Congratulations, you have unlocked a new item in the shop]


    Seeing these system notifications, Ethan couldn''t help but be surprised.


    Ever since he had received the system, Ethan had been wondering what these system points were.


    At first, he thought they were like attribute points for boosting his stats, but he soon had to reconsider this assumption.


    Aside from the fact that it didn''t make sense to call system points attribute points, there was the issue of the shop.


    Ethan didn''t know why the shop had been empty, but he wondered how he could obtain the system items.


    Clearly, some sort of currency was needed for it, and the only thing that seemed close to it were the system points.


    Of course, he could only make guesses, as he didn''t have either the system points or the shop items to confirm any of them.


    Not having anyone to ask about the various functionalities of the system, he set this issue aside, telling himself he would learn with time.


    And indeed, that was how it went.


    Now seeing that not only had he gained system points but also unlocked an item in the shop, he was eager to learn more about it.


    He clicked on the shop option, and a screen opened in front of him.


    This time, however, the screen didn''t show the same message as last time but instead displayed a list, with only one section filled.


    At the top of the shop screen, there was a small box labeled: [Sp: 3]


    "So they really are used to buy things in the shop," he thought, confirming his assumption.


    He then directed his attention to the only item present in the shop.


    [Recipe for Basic Recovery Pill] (low grade)


    Reading it, Ethan couldn''t help but frown.


    "But I already have the recipe, so why is it listed here?" he wondered.


    It didn''t make sense for the system to sell something Ethan already had, so he was confused.


    In fact, after receiving his two-star apprentice badge, the receptionist had also given him the recipe for the Basic Recovery Pill.


    Normally, the recipe was only given after someone had completed the three-star level and demonstrated readiness to start preparing to become an alchemist apprentice.


    This was done to allow those who didn''t have the resources to procure a recipe for the pills to still have a chance to take the exam.


    After all, the requirement to pass was to create at least three level-one low-grade pills, and without the recipe for a pill, one would have no way to practice.


    Thus, the Pavilion, like any other organization of its kind, decided to provide a recipe for recovery pills.


    This pill was quite common, and its recipe wasn''t hard to find in the market.


    The Pavilion knew it wouldn''t lose anything by providing this recipe, so they did it willingly.


    And it made sense, considering that someone without any talent in alchemy wouldn''t have much chance of successfully creating it, and even if someone did, they would need a license to sell the pills, and without the license, selling them would only be illegal.


    But selling a low-grade pill illegally had more cons than pros, so no one bothered to do so.


    Ethan had been an exception to the rule, only because he had demonstrated a deep basic knowledge of alchemy, so the expert alchemist who had overseen the exam requested that the recipe be given to Ethan in advance.


    He had a feeling it wouldn''t take long for Ethan to take the exam to become an alchemist apprentice.


    Although he was still uncertain why the recipe appeared here, he decided to see what it was about.


    He was certain that the system wouldn''t try to sell him recipes he already knew.


    Clicking on the recipe, the shop screen changed, now showing the information about the recipe.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe] S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Level: 1


    Grade: Low


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 45%.


    [Upgrade] (10 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    At first glance, everything seemed normal, but as Ethan finished reading the information on the screen, he couldn''t help but be a little surprised.


    ''Upgrade?''


    Seeing that there was an option to improve the recipe, Ethan quickly drew some conclusions.


    "So the system isn''t selling me the recipe, but rather giving me the chance to improve it," Ethan thought, somewhat excited.


    This was indeed good news.


    Like all pills, the Basic Recovery Pill had several versions.


    The recipe he had received was the basic low-grade recipe, which only allowed him to create pills with a not very high purity.


    Just as the system stated, the purity of the pill created from the recipe he currently had couldn''t go much beyond 25%, classifying it at the lowest possible grade.


    But obviously, more experienced alchemists had improved the recipe, allowing for better results.


    Of course, these improved recipes were harder to come by compared to the low-grade recipe.


    So seeing that he had the opportunity to upgrade the recipe to the next grade was very good news for him.


    Just thinking about how much money he could make selling medium-grade level-1 pills, or even better, high-grade ones, excited him.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [2/4]

 Chapter 42 - 42: Lack of Resources

    .


    Looking at the three pills on his table and then turning his gaze to his status screen, Ethan got lost in his thoughts for a moment.


    "As far as I know, basic recovery pills are sold in batches of ten."


    He began to murmur to himself.


    "Each batch costs a low-grade spiritual stone,"


    "A low-grade stone is equivalent to 100 gold coins,"


    "So if I can produce 7 more pills, I will be able to earn 100 gold coins!" S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan, with eyes shining with excitement and determination, immediately set to work to prepare the remaining pills.


    Just by selling low-grade pills, he could make so much money, and now that he also had the opportunity to upgrade the pill recipe, his chances of making money had simply increased many times over.


    This is because, unlike level 1 low-grade pills, which were sold in small batches, higher-grade ones could be sold individually.


    For example, a level 1 medium-grade recovery pill could cost up to half a low-grade spiritual stone.


    And although they could be sold individually, it was very common to sell them in batches of two or five pills, with the latter costing up to 3 low-grade spiritual stones.


    The same went for level 1 high-grade pills.


    Even though it was still a level 1 pill, just by being high-grade, it could be sold for up to 10 spiritual stones each.


    And this was simply due to its effect being far superior to lower-grade pills.


    Ethan did not know how many System Points it would take to upgrade the recipe to high-grade, but for his current self, even being able to create a medium-grade one was enough.


    With the money he could make from this, he was sure he could cultivate without worries for at least three more stages of body refining.


    He was unsure of the amount of Qi needed for higher stages, but since he could gain Qi not only by cultivating but also by refining, the amount of Qi he could accumulate daily should be sufficient.


    With his improved skills and renewed focus, each refining attempt proceeded smoothly.


    One by one, the basic recovery pills took shape under his expert hands,


    and system messages kept popping up one after another:


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI] (x3)


    [You have gained a System Point] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Basic Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI] (x3)


    [You have gained a System Point] (x3)


    ...


    "Come on, just one last effort, and I''ll finally have 100 gold coins!" he exclaimed enthusiastically as the number of pills on the table increased.


    However, just as he was reaching for more ingredients to prepare the last pill, he noticed a problem.


    Turning his head, he immediately saw that a crucial ingredient was missing: the Refreshing Herb.


    Yes, precisely the medicinal herb he had failed to buy this morning.


    "Damn, why can''t anything ever go smoothly for once?" he said, as his mood, which had just risen, fell again.


    Haa


    With a deep breath, he calmed his mind a bit.


    ''Calm down, Ethan, think positively.''


    He told himself as he looked at the small mountain of 9 pills he had just created.


    If it were up to him, he would have rushed to the Medicine Pavilion today to take the test to become an adept alchemist, but he couldn''t do that.


    Unlike the apprentice test, which was held every day, the adept test was held at the end of each month, with participation needing to be confirmed at least a week before.


    Today was only the twenty-first day of the month, so he had only 2 days left to register for the test.


    But, if that wasn''t enough, there was another problem, the registration fee.


    Unlike the apprentice test fee, which cost 3 low-grade spiritual stones, the adept test fee cost 10 low-grade spiritual stones.


    Currently, Ethan had only a few gold coins, so he was far from reaching the money needed for registration.


    With the little money he had left, there was not much he could do.


    Creating more basic recovery pills was not an option, as he would need to make another 91 pills and did not have the necessary basic ingredients to make them.


    Usually, the main problem for apprentice alchemists was successfully producing pills, but for Ethan, this problem seemed nonexistent.


    After all, with the help of the system, creating low-quality pills came naturally to him, and he didn''t risk making small errors here and there, which usually compromised the successful creation of a pill.


    His only problem was resources, in other words, money.


    Although materials for creation could be bought at a good price at the city market, there was no guarantee that the situation from this morning would not happen again.


    The same applied to buying materials from the pavilion, which sold them at a slightly higher price than what could be found at the city market.


    ''Haa, why does everything always have to come down to money?'' he thought dejectedly.


    Ethan quickly thought of several solutions to this problem.


    And there were several that could work.


    "I could ask Da Shu for a loan," he wondered, but immediately dismissed the thought.


    He was sure that if he asked, Da Shu would surely agree to lend him money, but that didn''t sit well with him.


    One of the things he hated most was borrowing money from someone.


    Although in his previous life, he had several situations where he ended up broke at the end of the month, he had never tried to ask for a loan, neither from his boss nor, much less, from the bank.


    It was a line Ethan did not want to cross.


    Although Ethan always had a stingy attitude, he had a certain pride in himself.


    And there were things in life that simply went against his pride.


    "It seems I only have one other option left," he thought, as he looked out the window.


    From his window, he had a certain view of the walls surrounding the sect.


    Beyond the walls, one could glimpse the flourishing vegetation that covered some mountains in this mountain range.


    This vegetation was part of the forest he and Da Shu had ventured into more than a week ago.


    Looking at this view, Ethan couldn''t help but think,


    "Desperate times call for desperate measures."


    He had decided to procure the necessary materials for pill creation himself.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [3/4]

 Chapter 43 - 43: Gathering Herbs

    .


    After just over an hour, Ethan finally descended the long staircase leading to the sect.


    Although he had finally awakened, and thus could climb the long staircase much faster and with much less effort, he had to admit that he still hated this staircase.


    An interesting thing Ethan had noticed was that although he was at the first level of body refining, already halfway to the second level, his speed was comparable to that of Da Shu, who was already a cultivator at the second stage.


    He thought it was one of the benefits of having a special physique and didn''t dwell on it much.


    Now that he was finally down, he needed to go to the places where the three herbs he needed to make the pill grew.


    The three herbs he needed were:


    the Refreshing Herb, the Vitality Flower, and the Reinforcement Root.


    These three herbs were not too difficult to find, or at least 2 out of 3 were not.


    The reason the pill recipe Ethan was using was low-level was also due to the materials used in that recipe.


    If the quality and rarity of a material were low, the recipe it was usually associated with was equally low-level.


    For example, in this case, the Vitality Flower and the Reinforcement Root were quite common in nature, therefore easy to find.


    These two herbs alone had little or no effect, but if combined with the third herb, the effect that characterized the Basic Recovery Pill could be obtained.


    Because of this, Ethan had no trouble finding these two herbs.


    After spending a dozen minutes reaching the edge of the forest, Ethan started searching for the various herbs.


    He didn''t have to look long to find the first herb, the Vitality Flower.


    Ethan wasn''t sure why a flower that commonly grew in open places like this had such a fancy name, but as the name suggested, the herb in question was a flower.


    More precisely, a six-petaled pink flower that grew in groups of three and was no taller than 30 cm.


    Ethan ended up in a field of these flowers, and although he still had some left at home, he took almost all of them.


    Ethan, of course, left their roots intact so they could regrow in the future.


    Gathering herbs might seem simple, but it wasn''t. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It took very little to ruin an herb during its collection.


    Ethan, of course, didn''t have this problem.


    Among the many things he had learned about basic alchemy, there was also knowledge about herbs, which not only gave a basic explanation of the herb and its properties, as well as the effects it could produce in various mixtures, but also how to collect them.


    In a short time, Ethan filled a box in his storage with many Vitality Flowers.


    Then, he moved to another area not far from the previous one.


    This area, unlike the previous one which was open, was inside the forest.


    The next ingredient he needed was the Reinforcement Root.


    This ingredient, as common as it was, was very easy to miss by the eyes of a beginner, and this was because, as the name itself suggests, it was a root, and therefore it was underground.


    As problematic as it was to search underground if you didn''t know the exact location of the object, in this case, it was very simple.


    These roots were known to always grow near a tree, and the spot where they grew was always a denser green color than the rest of the field.


    So, just look around and see near which tree an area was a bit more densely colored green.


    With just a quick glance around, Ethan managed to identify several areas that had these characteristics.


    With effort, Ethan took out a tool specifically for pulling out the roots and rolled up his sleeves.


    After almost an hour, he had finished gathering a good amount of Reinforcement Root.


    Now he only needed to find the third and last herb.


    But the third herb was a bit more problematic to obtain.


    Ethan would have much preferred to buy this herb directly from the market, but luck was not on his side.


    The reason the Refreshing Herb was problematic to obtain was not because it was in short supply in the forest or because it was difficult to find, but because it was highly adored by animals.


    This herb was like tasty food for animals, more precisely herbivores.


    Although it had a refreshing effect on the body of any creature, those who benefited the most from this property were the herbivores.


    This herb only grew during the summer, and if not harvested immediately, it would end up being eaten by the animals of the forest.


    The reason this herb often ran short even at the market was because, due to its properties, it was useful for refining various pills.


    Therefore, combined with the fact that it was not only highly sought after by animals but also by alchemists, it often ended up being scarce.


    It didn''t take Ethan long to get the information on where to find it, and after searching for about half an hour, he finally spotted a small field of blue flowers in the distance.


    These flowers, although very simple in appearance, had a light blue color that was very pleasing to the eye.


    Unfortunately for Ethan, this beautiful sight was currently being destroyed by an unwanted intruder.


    In the area of the forest that had this small field of Refreshing Herb, a four-legged animal was currently having its meal.


    This animal was no more than a meter tall. It was covered in thin grayish-white fur and had a pair of large coiled horns on its head.


    Seeing this animal, Ethan couldn''t help but approach the nearest tree and hide his presence.


    Ethan immediately recognized the animal in question.


    From behind the tree, peeking out a bit to look at the animal again, Ethan muttered something.


    "Heavens, how unlucky do I have to be to encounter this here," he said to himself.


    "Of all the possible beasts I could have encountered, why did it have to be him?" he said with a bit of regret.


    The beast a few meters away from him was a mountain goat.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    [4/4]

 Chapter 44 - 44: Special Mission

    .


    A mountain goat.


    These creatures were usually seen roaming in mountainous areas with good vegetation.


    Although they spent a good portion of their time in mountainous regions, during the winter, they would descend to the surrounding forests of the mountains to find less cold places to shelter.


    These animals were problematic to deal with, as their high agility and dexterity, combined with their attack strength, made it difficult for animals of the same level to compete with them.


    The reason Ethan was unhappy to find one here was because the winter season had already passed, and it was safe to say they were currently in the height of summer.


    So finding a mountain goat here in this season was a bit unexpected.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if he could face this creature. After all, although he had learned the basic combat techniques he had received in the sect, he had never actually faced an opponent, let alone a spiritual beast.


    Ethan could tell at a glance that the animal in front of him was not an ordinary animal, but a spiritual beast.


    Spiritual beasts were creatures that had evolved by absorbing spiritual energy from nature.


    Their strength was classified into levels, and each level had three grades, ranging from low grade to high grade.


    All spiritual beasts had different ways of absorbing spiritual energy from the environment.


    Some did it by eating spiritual fruits, others by hunting other beasts, and so on.


    The reason Ethan was unsure if he could face this beast was because, from what he could perceive, the beast was clearly a level one, mid-grade spiritual beast.


    "Why is a creature like this here?" he asked himself, checking that he was still on the outskirts of the forest.


    In this area of the forest, mainly non-evolved animals roamed, and the evolved ones tended to move to more inner areas of the forest because there were more resources for them, mainly due to the fact that there was a higher concentration of spiritual energy compared to here.


    Rare herbs, spiritual fruits, and other things were more present in the more inner areas of the forest, so almost all spiritual beasts tended to avoid the outer areas of the forest.


    The only reason he could think of at the moment was that this beast was eyeing the refreshing Herb.


    "Haa, never once do things go my way," Ethan said with a slightly irritated voice.


    He would have liked to move away from here and look elsewhere, but the problem was that he didn''t know other places where this herb grew, and he didn''t know how long it would take him to find one.


    While he was absorbed in his thoughts on what to do, a familiar sound resonated in his head.


    DING!


    [You have activated a special mission!]


    .


    [---------------------------------


    [Special Mission]


    - Collect as many refreshing herbs as possible within an hour.


    REWARD:


    - Gain (+5 QI) for each refreshing herb successfully collected.


    Time remaining: 0 : 59 : 58


    ---------------------------------]


    .


    "��"


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react to this.


    Usually, he would have jumped for joy at receiving such a mission, but in this case, Ethan wasn''t sure what was going through the system''s mind.


    "Does this thing want me to get impaled by that creature?" Ethan said to himself as he wondered why the system had given him such a mission.


    But then, he stopped his stream of thoughts and focused on the mission requirement.


    ''Collecting refreshing herbs doesn''t necessarily mean I have to face that spiritual beast.


    In other words, if in the next hour, I somehow manage to get the herbs without getting killed by the goat, then I should be able to complete the mission.''


    At first, Ethan immediately thought that trying to collect the herbs right now would be like openly challenging the spiritual beast, so he was a bit upset with the system, but then, thinking about it a bit, a lot could happen in this hour.


    Maybe the beast would eat enough and leave. Maybe he could lure it somewhere else and collect the refreshing Herb.


    The point was that the mission gave him enough leeway to manage the situation in his favor.


    Thinking this way, Ethan immediately began to devise a plan to get rid of the beast somehow.


    Defeating the beast with his current strength was not possible, or at least it wasn''t possible to face it head-on.


    ''If I could weaken it somehow, then maybe��''


    At first, Ethan wanted to find ways to lure the beast away, but he didn''t know how.


    Currently, there were no other beasts in the area, so he couldn''t even make it clash with another beast.


    Ethan reflected for a moment on different ways to tackle this problem, and after a bit of thinking, he decided to try to take down the beast.


    At this moment, Ethan had a great advantage in his favor.


    The beast was currently too absorbed in its meal to notice his presence, and Ethan wanted to use this to his advantage to launch a devastating attack on the beast.


    He wasn''t sure if this attack would be enough to kill the beast, but his intent was to injure it enough to be able to face it more easily.


    Currently, he had a simple metal sword with him.


    He knew that the sword wouldn''t be able to do much damage to the thick skin of the mountain goat, so he decided to use the second weapon at his disposal, the blue lotus flame.


    This flame, although of low grade, should be enough to deal a lot of damage to the beast, after all, being a rare flame, it had a very high heat intensity.


    Ethan didn''t believe the beast would come out unscathed from an attack with it.


    Recently, Ethan had tried to dedicate some time every day to increasing his mastery in using the rare flame.


    After several days of training, Ethan had learned to do various things with it.


    For example, his mastery was now good enough to manipulate the shape of the flame at will.


    He had tried to transform it into different shapes, and even some weapons, but soon discovered that the damage these weapons could do was minimal, especially considering that just to create them, it still took him several seconds, and even after that, to maintain the shape of the weapon, Ethan had to constantly supply his spiritual energy to it.


    Currently, Ethan was only at the beginning of his cultivation, so he couldn''t yet provide enough spiritual energy to the flame to increase its damage.


    To remedy this problem, Ethan made several attempts, and in the end, an idea came to him.


    ''What if I could somehow condense the strength of the flame and use it like a grenade?''


    Ethan didn''t know if such a thing was feasible, but after a conversation with Bai Yu, he discovered that there were indeed techniques with the rare flame that used this principle at their core.


    So he spent a lot of time training his flame manipulation to be able to condense it as much as possible.


    And in the end, he succeeded, and when he tested it on a training dummy, the results were satisfactory.


    The dummy had been annihilated by the attack.


    Ethan wasted no time and immediately began to summon his flame.


    He moved a little further away from the place so as not to alert the beast and immediately began to prepare his attack.


    Ethan knew he wouldn''t have much time to attack once the attack was ready, and this was because the fluctuations of his spiritual energy could be perceived by the beast.


    As he concentrated his spiritual energy, he felt the heat of the rare flame growing between his hands.


    With fluid and decisive movements, Ethan began to compress the flame, trying to keep it stable and compact.


    He needed precision and control; any mistake could cause a disaster.


    After a few minutes, the flame had taken the shape of a small luminous sphere, intense and dense.


    Ethan could feel the power pulsing within it, like a heart of fire.


    He knew this was his chance.


    ''Fire ball'' Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I hope you enjoyed yesterday''s mass release.


    I am creating small goals for you so that you can receive more mass releases in the future.


    I''ll post them in 1 or 2 days, in the author''s notes below.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    see you tomorrow.

 Chapter 45 - 45: Killing the Beast

    .


    He didn''t want to come up with a fancy name for this attack, so he went with the traditional name for such an attack that he''d often seen in various TV series.


    Looking towards the mountain goat, which had stopped eating and started looking around, Ethan thought, "It seems that it finally managed to perceive the fluctuations of the attack," as he prepared to strike.


    Although he had distanced himself quite a bit from the area where the beast was, he was sure that his attack would not go unnoticed.


    He knew he couldn''t move any farther away because then he wouldn''t be able to hit the beast accurately, so he decided to take the risk and attack from a distance that was within his range.


    After all, he had only one chance and didn''t want to mess it up.


    The beast continued to look around, searching for the source of the danger it had begun to perceive.


    After a few seconds, it identified the direction of the threat and, somewhat uncertainly, started moving towards it.


    Although it sensed a bit of danger, it wasn''t enough to scare it.


    Being a naturally proud and combative beast, it decided to confront the threat.


    Seeing it move away from the small field of refreshing herbs, Ethan sighed in relief.


    He had intentionally prolonged the duration of the attack to lure the beast away from the herbs.


    The last thing he wanted to do was hit the beast and end up setting the nearby herbs on fire as well.


    Watching it approach him, Ethan prepared to attack. He took a deep breath and then hurled the fireball with all his might.


    The sphere cut through the air with a sharp whistle, finally catching the beast''s attention.


    The goat, which had been slowly advancing towards Ethan, finally noticed the attack. The beast didn''t waste any time and, with a swift movement, successfully dodged the attack.


    Seeing this, Ethan didn''t lose heart; in fact, he had a smile on his face.


    "Gotcha," he said, watching the fireball that had hit a tree two meters away from the beast.


    BOOOM!!!


    The sphere exploded in a violent burst of flames, instantly engulfing the tree and everything nearby.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if he would hit the beast, so he had planned the attack trajectory such that even if he missed, it would still explode close by.


    The beast, which had just leapt to the side to avoid the attack, was thrown by the blast wave, and its body ended up being covered in blue flames.


    BEEE!


    The goat, thrown by the force of the explosion, fell to the ground writhing in pain as the blue flames began to spread over its body.


    The beast twisted and turned on the ground, trying to extinguish the fire.


    Seeing that the beast was hit, Ethan wasted no time.


    He drew his sword from his dimensional space and rushed towards it.


    He had no intention of losing this opportunity to deliver a lethal blow, so with all his remaining energy, he gripped the sword and aimed it at the beast''s neck.


    Sensing the danger, the beast tried to get back on its feet to avoid the attack, but it failed.


    The damage caused by the earlier strike had done much more harm than Ethan had anticipated.


    In a second, Ethan closed the distance between him and the beast, and without hesitation, struck the beast''s neck.


    STAB!


    The blow managed to penetrate the goat''s defenses and plunged into its neck.


    The wave of heat and light enveloped the goat, burning its skin and lowering its defenses, allowing Ethan''s attack to damage the beast.


    The sword went deep into the beast''s neck but stopped halfway.


    "Sh*t," Ethan cursed as he moved to the side, away from the burning beast.


    He knew he didn''t have enough strength to completely sever its neck, but that wasn''t his intent.


    Seeing blood starting to pour from the neck wound, Ethan sighed in relief and kept a safe distance from the beast, waiting for its end.


    "Sorry, friend, but I''m not strong enough to spare you this suffering," Ethan said, offering his condolences to the dying goat.


    Ethan watched closely, ready to react if necessary. After a few moments, it was all over.


    The goat lay on the ground, defeated.


    DING!


    [Congratulations to the host for killing his first spiritual beast!]


    [You have gained 50 QI]


    Ethan was pleasantly surprised by these notifications from the system.


    Although he imagined he could gain experience by killing monsters, he wasn''t entirely sure.


    After all, he hadn''t had the chance to kill a spiritual beast yet, and since the system seemed to focus a lot on alchemy, Ethan wondered if he could gain something from hunting beasts.


    Ethan had to admit that it was much simpler to create 10 low-grade pills and gain 50 QI than to hunt beasts to get the same amount.


    He opened the mission screen and saw that more than 15 minutes had already passed.


    Ethan wasted no time and approached the beast.


    Without hesitation, he pulled out the sword that was still stuck in the beast''s neck and pointed it at the beast''s head.


    With a strong strike, Ethan managed to pierce the beast''s skull and open it.


    Taking a look inside, he managed to spot something small and shiny within.


    Without hesitation, he reached in and extracted the shiny object.


    He pulled it out and raised it slightly to get a better look.


    What he had in his hand was a small black sphere.


    "A beast core," he said excitedly as he examined the sphere in his hand.


    Just like humans, spiritual beasts also had their own core, and depending on the beast, this core could be located in the abdomen, like in humans, or in the skull, as in this case.


    Seeing the small spherical object in his hand, Ethan''s eyes sparkled.


    Beast cores could have various uses, and depending on their grade, they could be sold at a good price.


    What Ethan had in his hand was a level 1, medium-grade beast core.


    According to what little Ethan knew, it could be sold at the market for up to 5 low-grade spirit stones.


    Essentially, he had already earned half the amount for the exam registration fee.


    Ethan carefully cleaned the beast core, as if it were his child, and put it away in his dimensional space.


    He stood up and prepared to head towards the area of the refreshing herb field.


    Before leaving, he glanced at the beast''s corpse, and seeing that it had been incinerated to death, Ethan shook his head and hurried to leave.


    He had withdrawn the flames from the burning tree, preventing the forest from catching fire.


    Without wasting time, he moved to collect the herbs.


    The last thing he wanted was for another beast to show up and eat the herbs he had worked so hard to get.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 46 - 46: Level Up

    .


    Arriving at the field where the refreshing herbs grew, Ethan saw with relief that no other beasts had been attracted here. Without wasting time, he began to gather the herbs one by one.


    As soon as he picked the first herb, a notification sound rang in his head.


    DING!


    [You have collected a refreshing herb]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    Seeing this notification, Ethan quickly scanned the small field of flowers and made a quick calculation.


    "At a glance, I can already count more than twenty herbs here," he said with a pleased expression.


    ''At this rate, it won''t take long to advance to the next level of body refining.''


    With this thought, he started gathering the herbs more quickly, and with each herb, he heard the pleasant sound of system notifications.


    DING!


    [You have collected a refreshing herb]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have collected a refreshing herb]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    ...


    And so Ethan spent the next quarter-hour collecting herbs and gaining QI. The sound of each notification was like music to his ears, filling him with enthusiasm.


    ''Haha, I love having a system,'' he thought, marveling at how quickly his cultivation base was rising.


    He knew that at this rate he would surely break through, and indeed he was right.


    After collecting all the herbs, he felt a change happening inside him.


    The sensation was the same as when he first broke through and entered the initial stage of cultivation.


    Realizing what was happening, he quickly opened his status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 1 --> Lvl. 2)


    QI: 194/300


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 15 --> 25


    Agility: 11 --> 21


    Intelligence: 11 --> 23


    Soul Strength: 114 --> 116


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 9


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that his level had gone from Lvl. 1 to Lvl. 2 confirmed that he had indeed broken through to the next level of body refining.


    Ethan had already gained 50 QI from killing the mountain goat, a level one mid-grade beast, equivalent to a body refining cultivator within level 5.


    That''s why Ethan hesitated to fight the beast head-on. He knew it would be a suicidal move.


    If it hadn''t been for the system, Ethan would have probably waited for the beast to leave.


    Each level of spiritual beasts corresponded to each cultivation grade of the cultivators.


    For example, a body refining cultivator was the equivalent of a level 1 beast.


    A QI refining cultivator was equivalent to a level 2 beast, and so on.


    The only way a cultivator could determine the strength of a spiritual beast was by perceiving the spiritual energy of the beast.


    Non-evolved beasts had little to no spiritual energy in them.


    Unlike them, evolved ones had a lot of spiritual energy, and cultivators used this to gauge the strength of the beast.


    Depending on what they perceived, they could tell if the beast was at their level or not.


    If they felt that the intensity of the beast''s energy was close to theirs, they could make an approximate estimate of the beast''s strength.


    After all, if the beast was of a higher level, and therefore a higher grade than them, they would feel a pressure from it and immediately understand that the beast was stronger than them.


    Earlier, when Ethan tried to sense the beast''s spiritual energy, he felt that its intensity was similar to his own, so he could tell it was level 1.


    The only variable left was the grade of the beast, which could only be guessed based on the pressure the beast''s spiritual energy exerted on him.


    Stronger cultivators had higher levels of perception and could therefore be more precise in their estimates.


    Ethan considered this method very rudimentary and low-level, but there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    In this world, there was cultivation, but it lacked technological innovation, and that was reasonable. After all, they had a different culture, different resources, and obviously different technology.


    Ethan couldn''t expect to buy a machine that would give a numerical value to the strength of creatures, although he had heard that something like that existed in this world, but it was expensive and useless for stronger cultivators.


    Returning to the status screen, Ethan was pleased to see that not only had he broken through to Lvl. 2, but he had already completed more than half of the QI required for the next level.


    His stats had also increased a bit.


    Ethan had noticed for a while that not all his stats increased uniformly.


    For example, his strength and intelligence had increased a bit more compared to his agility, and this, according to Ethan, was due to his daily exercises.


    The exercises had certainly contributed to increasing his strength, while his intelligence had probably increased due to the alchemical knowledge he kept acquiring.


    He also noticed that his soul strength hadn''t increased much, which was reasonable, as most cultivators struggled to increase this aspect of their being. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Every cultivator focused on this aspect when they reached the fourth grade of cultivation, the soul cultivation grade.


    Ethan was lucky that thanks to the Amphora of the Seven Sages, he could still make progress in this aspect.


    Now that he had finished gathering all the refreshing herbs he found, he decided to return to the sect to continue producing pills.


    The mere thought of how much he could earn with this amount of herbs excited him, especially now that he could also increase the purity of his pills.


    "My days as a wealthy Tycoon are not so far off," he said, humming a song from his old world as he hurried back.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    I feel like I should create a chapter where I put the various human and beast cultivation rankings because I think it might get a little confusing in the future for some.


    I don''t know, tell me whether you want me to do it or not.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 47 - 47: [Upgrade]

    .


    While Ethan was still in the forest, a small creature in his dorm room was planning its escape.


    "The human has been gone for a while. This is my chance," thought the small white mouse as it eyed the cage door.


    The mouse had noticed that the human, who was on the verge of catching it and doing who knows what, had gotten distracted by his work and forgotten to close the cage door.


    With a swift move, the mouse slipped out of the cage and scanned the room for an exit.


    For a moment, its gaze rested on a bag hanging on the other side of the room.


    The mouse knew what was inside the bag, having seen the human open it that morning.


    It contained food, and the mouse was tempted to nibble on something quickly but restrained itself.


    It knew it had to be fast.


    Not knowing when the human would return, the mouse didn''t want to waste any time.


    Continuing to look around, it saw that the window next to the table, which seemed closed, was actually slightly open.


    Ethan always left the window a bit open to let air circulate in his room, and sometimes he forgot his keys, so as a backup plan, he never locked the window when he went out.


    The slightly open window was the perfect escape route.


    With one last leap, the mouse squeezed through the crack and disappeared into the outside world.


    ***


    Late in the afternoon, Ethan, who had climbed the stairs much faster than usual, finally arrived at his dorm.


    He returned to his room, radiating enthusiasm.


    Without wasting time checking if Da Shu was home or not, he rushed into his room.


    Closing the door, he summoned the cauldron and placed it in the center of the room as before.


    Then he summoned the three herbs from his spatial pocket and laid them out on a blanket on the floor, forming three small piles.


    Just as he finished pulling out the herbs, Ethan paused.


    "Wait a minute..."


    He sensed something was wrong.


    The room was too quiet.


    The only sound was the slight breeze coming through the window.


    Standing still, he turned his head toward the table where the empty cage stood with its door wide open.


    His ten copper coins had escaped.


    Ethan felt a pang of frustration and wanted to cry but knew it wasn''t the time.


    He had more important things to focus on.


    Immediately, he used his Blue Lotus Flame to heat the bronze cauldron and began preparing the herbs for refining.


    It didn''t take long for the cauldron, filled with a certain amount of distilled water, to reach the right temperature.


    As soon as he saw the water was ready, he started adding the herbs one by one.


    His skill with the basic recipe was such that, instead of making just three pills, he could comfortably create several dozen at once.


    His proficiency in refining, combined with his previous experience with this recipe, had made him confident enough to attempt such a feat.


    Typically, novice alchemists would only attempt to create three pills at a time.


    As they gained experience, this number could be increased slightly.


    An alchemist needed to be at the level of a 2-star apprentice to safely and correctly create twelve pills at once.


    This was because, at this level, one should have already mastered the creation of low-tier pills and be good enough to create mid-tier pills.


    For Ethan to attempt such a thing and be sure of success demonstrated how much the system had helped him in this field.


    However, Ethan didn''t want to try making multiple pills at once just yet.


    Although he wanted to speed things up and find buyers for his pills, he knew it would be a big waste of materials to make low-tier pills when he was so close to gaining the recipe for mid-tier ones.


    He quickly finished creating the pills, and in no time, three new pills were crafted and shaped by him.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    [You have gained 5 QI]


    As before, the notifications didn''t stop there. Right after, the system points messages appeared.


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    [You have gained a System Point]


    Seeing this, Ethan wasted no time and, with a smile on his face full of expectations, quickly opened the system shop.


    The counter at the top of the screen now showed Sp: 12.


    Ethan pressed the only available item in the shop and hit the [Upgrade] button without hesitation.


    A sensation, somewhat similar to when he received information directly into his brain from the system, filled his mind.


    This time, however, the process wasn''t as painful as before, and to Ethan''s surprise, it was over in a few seconds.


    [You have successfully updated the Recovery Pill recipe!] S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan thought the reason this process was faster and less painful was that it wasn''t entirely new information he was receiving but rather an upgrade to something he already knew.


    Ethan took a moment to process the new information he had received.


    Thinking about the method of preparing the Level 1 Recovery Pill, Ethan noticed that the steps were generally the same as before, with some variations.


    Ethan studied these variations, and after a few seconds, his eyes lit up with understanding.


    "Oh, so that''s how it is..." he thought, realizing it was an excellent way to eliminate more impurities from the pill.


    The method itself wasn''t difficult to execute, but he realized he wouldn''t have come up with it on his own any time soon.


    Ethan was now eager to try the updated recipe, so without wasting any more time, he grabbed another batch of materials and began refining.


    The pill creation time had decreased because the updated method had improved several steps, which not only removed more impurities but also sped up the entire refining process.


    Ethan quickly finished preparing the pills and neatly lined them up on the wooden table.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three mid-tier Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 48 - 48: Selling the Pills

    .


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three mid-tier Recovery Pills.]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    [You have gained 7 QI]


    Ethan felt a bit dissatisfied with the experience he had gained.


    He thought he would earn more experience with a higher-grade recipe, but he was wrong.


    Then, seeing how many points he had earned, his mood lifted.


    [You have gained 2 System Points]


    [You have gained 2 System Points]


    [You have gained 2 System Points]


    Seeing how quickly he was accumulating points, Ethan decided to produce more pills.


    He knew that with enough pills, he could earn the money needed to register for the exam to become an apprentice alchemist.


    He had more than enough materials to produce more pills.


    Initially, he wanted to create as many as possible, but then he reconsidered.


    It didn''t make sense to use up all his herbs on just recovery pills.


    With the system shop, Ethan could obtain other recipes, level them up, and earn more.


    Moreover, these herbs could be used to create other types of pills as well.


    It wasn''t a good idea to consume all his inventory at once because if the demand for certain pills increased in the future, he might not have enough materials to produce them.


    Additionally, there were already many suppliers of basic recovery pills of various grades, so it made no sense to compete only on this pill.


    For now, he would settle for just enough to earn what he needed to afford the apprentice exam.


    Ethan got to work, focusing intensely on refining more pills.


    The process, as usual, didn''t take much time, and Ethan now felt so experienced that he believed he could make them even with his eyes closed��or at least so he thought, though he wouldn''t try it just yet.


    When he finished, he had a total of eighteen mid-tier recovery pills.


    Although he needed to create only fifteen mid-tier pills to earn 9 low-grade spirit stones, which, combined with the earnings from the low-grade pills he had made earlier, would give him a total of ten spirit stones, he decided to make a few more so he wouldn''t have completely empty pockets.


    As an old saying goes, it''s always better to have some money in your pocket, as you never know when you''ll need it.


    Confident in the quality of his product, he carefully packaged them and headed to the city market.


    There were few options for novice alchemists like him to sell their pills.


    One was to sell them directly to the Medicine Pavilion, which would guarantee their quality and reliability to the customer in exchange for a small percentage of the pill sales.


    But this option was only available after successfully becoming at least a one-star apprentice.


    This was reasonable since apprentices could at least ensure the production of one low-grade pill, whereas an adept might or might not create one successfully.


    The pavilion couldn''t be too lenient on this front because most of the time, the refinement materials were provided by the customer themselves, who requested to have them refined into a pill.


    They didn''t want an alchemist constantly ruining the customers'' materials, as this would directly impact the pavilion''s reputation.


    The other option for novice alchemists like him was to try to sell their pills at the market on their own. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this was a less common practice among alchemists, especially the less known ones.


    The Medicine Pavilion''s badge was also a sign of an alchemist''s status, which directly and indirectly influenced their reliability.


    For example, if an expert decided to sell their pills at the market, they would easily find many customers, whereas someone like Ethan might not succeed even if he begged someone to buy them.


    Ethan knew this fact but decided to try his luck anyway, as he didn''t have many other options.


    "Oh well, at worst I''ll use one of the extra low-grade pills as proof," Ethan thought, deciding to use the two extra low-grade pills he had left.


    The city market was bustling with activity.


    Stalls lined the streets, and merchants loudly advertised their goods.


    Ethan found a spot and set up his makeshift stall, displaying the pills in neat rows.


    He also put up a sign that read, "Sale of Low-Grade and Mid-Grade Recovery Pills."


    He took a deep breath and began calling out to passersby, hoping to attract some customers.


    Several people showed interest in his pills, but seeing that he was only an adept alchemist, they decided to ignore him.


    For a while, no one approached his stall, until two men passing by noticed his setup.


    They approached, examining the pills with curiosity.


    Ethan explained their benefits and assured them of the product''s quality, but as soon as they noticed his adept alchemist badge, they became skeptical.


    "You''re not even an apprentice?" blurted out one man.


    "How can we know these pills aren''t fake?"


    Others murmured in agreement, losing interest.


    Ethan tried to convince them, but it was futile.


    They thought he was a fraud and decided to ignore him.


    Just as Ethan was beginning to feel discouraged, a burly man with a menacing air approached his stall.


    The man carefully examined the pills, a glint of greed in his eyes.


    This man was also a cultivator, so he could use his spiritual energy to examine the pills.


    Seeing that they indeed seemed to be low-grade recovery pills, and that no one else seemed interested in buying them, he decided to try to get them at a lower price.


    "How much are you selling them for?" he asked, maintaining a poker face to avoid revealing to Ethan that he had noticed the validity of his pills.


    "These pills are being sold at market price," Ethan said calmly.


    Normally, he would try to be more proactive in advertising his pills, but he could tell the man in front of him didn''t seem to have good intentions.


    He had already noticed the man was a cultivator and had sensed when he tried to examine the pills, but he decided to wait and see if the man would do anything, as he had sensed the man''s cultivation base and, seeing it was only at the second level of body refining, he calmed down.


    "The ten low-grade pills are sold in a batch for one low-grade spirit stone, while the eighteen mid-grade pills are sold in batches of five, with each batch costing five spirit stones.


    The remaining three pills can be bought for two low-grade spirit stones," he said professionally, as if he had made transactions like these many times before.


    And indeed he had, given his past as a convenience store worker in his previous world.


    "Tch, that''s not acceptable," said the man, clearly displeased with the price.


    "You''re clearly a novice alchemist.


    Even if these pills are real, there''s no guarantee they''ll work properly," he said, trying to lower the value of the pills in the eyes of others.


    He then continued, "Since I''m in a good mood today, I''ll buy them all from you for one low-grade spirit stone," he said as if he were doing a good deed.


    ''Why don''t you go rob a bank instead,'' Ethan thought.


    "I''m sorry, but the price of the pills is non-negotiable.


    If you''re not happy with the price, you can ignore the pills," he said, maintaining his composure, not falling into the cultivator''s trap.


    The cultivator, however, didn''t seem to intend to back down.


    "Come on, it''s more than a fair price.


    You should be happy I''m even offering one spirit stone for these pills.


    No one would be willing to spend even half a stone for them, so why not sell them to me?" he said.


    Ethan didn''t respond, keeping his expression unchanged to show he wouldn''t budge.


    The cultivator, seeing this, didn''t press further and left with a dark face.


    If it had been up to him, he wouldn''t have even tried to buy them; he would have just taken them.


    But he knew he couldn''t cause a commotion at the market.


    The city guards patrolled the streets regularly, and if they heard any trouble, they would rush to the scene, and then he could do little.


    As he walked away from the stall, he decided he would wait for Ethan to pack up and then confront him.


    He wasn''t worried the pills would be sold because it was true that people rarely bought pills of dubious quality.


    Cultivators almost always bought their pills from the Pavilion or known alchemists, so he wasn''t afraid another cultivator would decide to buy them directly from the market.


    Or so he thought.


    Too bad for him, fate loves to play tricks on everyone.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is yesterday''s chapter.


    I apologize for the delay. I got mixed up with the chapter schedules and ended up falling behind, thinking I had already written the chapter when it was just the raw version that I still needed to finish.


    I would have published it directly yesterday after editing, but unforeseen events always come up.


    Anyway, I hope you liked it, and I''ll try to free up some time to write today''s chapter as well.


    Oh, and one more thing: what do you think about the current chapter length?

 Chapter 49 - 49: Business Acumen

    .


    Ethan continued to wait calmly for others to come and buy his pills.


    For a while, everyone ignored him, but after a few hours, finally, another customer approached him.


    Seeing someone approach, Ethan prepared to deliver his usual pitch, but noticing who it was, he stopped.


    The person approached the stall, and upon seeing who was selling, couldn''t help but exclaim with a dumbfounded expression, "Brother, since when did you start selling pills?"


    It was Da Shu.


    He had gone out today to buy some cultivation resources, and when he saw a stall selling recovery pills, he decided to check it out as he was almost out of them.


    He never expected the person behind the stall to be none other than his friend.


    Ethan, seeing who it was and hearing what he said, replied,


    "Since I became an alchemist," pointing to his left chest, where his two-star adept alchemist badge was pinned.


    Seeing it, Da Shu couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise,


    "Heavens, when did you become an alchemist?


    I''m pretty sure you weren''t one when you joined the sect."


    "It''s normal that you didn''t know. After all, I became one just recently," Ethan replied calmly.


    He had no problem revealing his identity as an alchemist.


    In fact, he was quite sure Da Shu would find out sooner or later, given that they shared a dormitory.


    "Oh, that''s why. But wait. Why are you already a two-star adept?" Da Shu asked, confused.


    It was a well-known fact that everyone had to start from one star and earn the other two over time.


    Da Shu, coming from a merchant family, had some knowledge of alchemists and their ranks, as his family also traded with various alchemists.


    So, he knew it was impossible for his roommate to already have two stars.


    Ethan, hearing this, simply replied with a smug expression, "Well, it turns out I''m a genius, so they decided to give me two stars instead of one."


    Normally, people would think he was just boasting, but Da Shu didn''t.


    In fact, seeing the pills on the table, he could tell his friend might be telling the truth.


    After all, he too, as a second-level Body Refining cultivator, could tell the pills didn''t seem fake.


    Da Shu, having grown up in a merchant family, had been trained in the world of business from a young age and had developed a good intuition for it over time. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And right now, his intuition told him there was a good business opportunity.


    Da Shu thought that if these pills were indeed made by his friend, it meant he truly was a genius in alchemy, and if that was true...


    "Tell me, did you refine these pills?" he asked with some anticipation.


    Ethan, not knowing what was going through his friend''s mind, simply nodded.


    "Yes, but it seems no one wants to buy them," he said with a defeated tone.


    Although he knew his chances of selling them at the market were slim, he decided to try anyway but failed.


    He knew he could still take them to the Pavilion and have them appraised there, but the profit he would make from it would be almost half if he considered the appraisal fee, so he avoided going there.


    But seeing the current situation, he thought he might have no other choice, so he was a bit downhearted at the moment.


    ''Well, it''s either this or nothing. Oh well, I''ll take it as an investment for the future,'' he thought, trying to look on the bright side.


    On the other hand, Da Shu, hearing that he had indeed made the pills, felt excited.


    "I see. How about selling them to me? As you know, my family specializes in trade.


    If you sell them to me, I could find customers interested in your products.


    After all, with my family''s reputation, I should be able to vouch for your pills," Da Shu said, deciding to establish a commercial connection with Ethan.


    If in the future, his alchemical skills continued to improve, then the pills he could produce would be high-level ones.


    Although Da Shu''s family had connections with some alchemists, there weren''t many, and the best was only an Expert Alchemist.


    If Ethan''s talent was as good as Da Shu thought, then perhaps there was a chance for him to become a Master Alchemist.


    The only Master Alchemists were all associated with the Alchemy Pavilion, and it was very problematic to request their services.


    No matter the price, they wouldn''t work for his family, which was normal given how much they could earn on their own.


    At their level, money was secondary, and reputation mattered more.


    So, they couldn''t work for just anyone; they would only accept commissions of certain value.


    And refining materials became rarer as the pill grade increased, so Da Shu''s family couldn''t afford to attract a Master Alchemist.


    Although Ethan would also be associated with the Pavilion, if he could establish a business relationship with Ethan now, it would be much easier to request his services in the future.


    Associating with a high-level alchemist was equivalent to having a higher reputation, and a higher reputation meant more business.


    Da Shu''s intuition told him he couldn''t miss this opportunity.


    Ethan, hearing his friend, thought for a moment.


    He could understand why Da Shu had decided to vouch for him and use his family''s channels to help him sell his pills.


    He wasn''t sure why Da Shu was so convinced he would do well in the future, but he didn''t mind much.


    He didn''t mind helping his friend in the future. After all, a future collaboration would benefit not only Da Shu''s family but also him.


    Until he became a well-known alchemist, it would be difficult for him to sell his pills at a good price.


    If he could establish good business terms with his family, then he could make much more money than selling to the Pavilion.


    He decided to accept Da Shu''s offer.


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 50 - 50: Signing up for the Apprentice Exam

    .


    Ethan initially didn''t expect to gain much from selling at the market, but he wanted to try anyway.


    If it didn''t work out, he would head to the pavilion and sell there, even though it meant losing some money.


    His priority right now was not to make as much money as possible but to successfully register for next week''s exam.


    Failing that would cause him much bigger problems in selling his pills down the road.


    Becoming an apprentice wouldn''t drastically improve his situation, but it would be enough to sell his level-one pills without too much trouble.


    Ethan had time to consider the benefits the system gave him and realized the great opportunity they presented.


    For example, after creating his batch of mid-grade pills, he had ascended to the third level of body refining.


    Not only that, but he noticed that the system''s shop no longer offered the recipe for mid-grade pills but instead moved to a high-grade recipe.


    If that wasn''t enough, he saw that the recipe could be acquired for only 100 points, which made him a bit excited.


    If he didn''t immediately need a high-level recipe, he would have used all the materials in his storage to produce enough mid-grade pills and earn enough points to upgrade his pill recipe.


    At his current level, having the knowledge and skills to produce mid-grade pills was more than sufficient.


    This meant that in just a few days, he had made huge strides.


    The thought of continuing to progress at this speed thrilled Ethan, but at the same time, it gave him a sense of unease.


    Natural questions like why the previous owner of such an artifact perished in the upper realm despite having it for so long crossed his mind.


    ''Maybe at higher stages of cultivation, it''s harder to advance, even with this artifact,'' he pondered.


    Given his current cultivation speed, Ethan was confident he would reach the peak of body refining by the end of the year.


    Considering this cultivation speed, Ethan could only assume the requirements for later stages would be more challenging.


    ***


    After Ethan agreed to sell his pills to Da Shu, they both agreed to formalize things once Da Shu successfully sold the pills.


    Although Da Shu had some authority in his family, it was very low compared to other high-ranking members.


    If he wanted to start a business relationship between his family and Ethan, he first needed to bring some results to show them.


    So, he and Ethan decided to wait a bit and continue selling his pills to see how it went.


    If it went well, Da Shu would have something to support his request to his family.


    If not, he would only lose a few low-level spirit stones, a cost he could ignore.


    Ethan, after gaining a total of 12 low-grade spirit stones, headed to the medicine pavilion to register for the apprentice exam next week.


    Usually, to register for a higher-grade exam, one needed to reach a certain level in the preceding grade.


    In Ethan''s case, already having two stars as an adept alchemist qualified him to register for the apprentice exam.


    Sure, the pavilion recommended waiting until having at least three stars and preparing thoroughly before registering for the next grade exam, but they didn''t stop anyone who wanted to try earlier.


    For them, it was enough that they had set a limitation on who could participate.


    If these people wanted to try the exam even if they were still a bit behind, the medicine pavilion didn''t mind.


    And why should they? After all, they would profit regardless of whether the person was prepared or not.


    Ethan didn''t take long to reach the pavilion.


    The distance between the city market and the pavilion wasn''t large, so he didn''t have to walk much to get there.


    Arriving at the entrance of the pavilion, Ethan entered without hesitation.


    Crossing the entrance, he found himself in the reception hall, where he saw a small line of people of various ages.


    Ethan silently joined the line and waited.


    While waiting, he couldn''t help but overhear some conversations from people ahead of him.


    "Wang Jiao, are you also here to register for next week''s exam?" asked a boy about the same age as Ethan.


    The boy named Wang Jiao calmly nodded and said,


    "Yes, I didn''t do well last month, but rest assured, this time I''ll pass.


    I''ve been studying under an Expert Alchemist from my family for the last month.


    There''s no way I can fail this time," he said proudly.


    "Tch, lucky you. My family doesn''t have high-level alchemists, so I had to learn what I could, but it should be enough.


    After all, I managed to create several low-grade level 1 pills recently," said the boy who spoke first.


    The two continued to converse in low voices while Ethan, standing behind, listened casually.


    ''Seems like I''m not the only one here to register,'' he thought, then nodded to himself.


    It was normal for many to register at the last moment. After all, no matter how confident one is in their abilities, they always have some doubts and tend to delay registration.


    It''s not strange that in such cases, many decide to register at the last moment, spurred by a sudden surge of confidence and courage.


    Ethan shook his head to clear these thoughts and continued to wait in line. After about ten minutes, it was finally his turn.


    Ethan, arriving at the reception, saw that the person behind the counter was the same woman from last time.


    The woman, having just put away what seemed to be some paperwork, turned her attention to the next customer.


    Seeing who it was, she couldn''t help but say in surprise,


    "Ah, it''s you." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    In a few days, I will decide from which chapter i will go premium.


    I will inform you of my decision in advance.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 51 - 51: High-Grade Level 1 Recipe

    .


    ''Yes, it''s me. Who else were you expecting?''


    Ethan thought sarcastically, though he dared not voice his thoughts.


    He pulled out a pouch, just like last time, and placed it on the counter, saying,


    "I''d like to sign up for the apprentice alchemist exam next week."


    The receptionist frowned slightly upon hearing this.


    She remembered this young man clearly; after all, he had left a profound impression.


    The expert alchemist presiding over the last exam had said he did exceptionally well, earning two stars immediately.


    Although it was true that with two stars one could directly enroll in the apprentice alchemist exam, it was generally advised to take gradual steps.


    Thinking he was yet another overconfident individual aiming too high, she shook her head slightly and took the pouch of spiritual stones.


    After verifying the contents and nodding to confirm the amount, she put it away and retrieved a tag from under the counter.


    As she took out the tag, she hesitated for a moment, then smiled slightly and handed it to Ethan.


    "Make sure you''re here in the morning on the day of the exam, okay? If you''re late, you won''t be allowed to participate.


    You can bring your own cauldron, or the pavilion can provide one if needed. Any questions?" she asked.


    Ethan took the tag without further questions.


    He already knew a bit about how the exam worked, so he thanked the receptionist and headed out of the pavilion.


    The receptionist watched him leave and couldn''t help but recall what the expert alchemist had said last time.


    "Perhaps it won''t be long before this candidate takes the apprentice exam."


    Thinking of the expert''s words, she couldn''t help but smile.


    ''Who would have thought the candidate would indeed show up so soon?


    Let''s hope he''s not all talk and no substance,'' she thought, preparing to receive the next client.


    Ethan left the Medicine Pavilion and headed toward the sect.


    As he walked, he couldn''t help but think about his future plans.


    With the agreement still being finalized with Da Shu, he had almost secured a buyer for his pills, so that aspect was settled for now.


    Ethan''s initial idea was to ensure he had enough money to cultivate without problems in the future.


    But with the system rewarding him with Qi every time he produced a pill, he was also more or less set in that regard.


    He wasn''t sure how much Qi he would need to level up in the future stages, but he knew it was pointless to worry about that now since he was still far from the Qi Refining stage.


    ''It seems the only thing left for me to do is to continue my routine for now,'' Ethan thought.


    And so he did.


    Over the next few days, Ethan spent most of his time either cultivating or making pills.


    The materials at his disposal were almost exhausted by the second day, so he went to restock them just like last time.


    After the second trip, he realized he couldn''t keep doing this every time he ran out of refining materials.


    It was fine for now because he was making level 1 pills, but in the future, when he would need to create higher-grade pills, it would be difficult to find all the materials he needed in nature.


    Many materials grew only in specific places under certain conditions, and the rarer the material, the more challenging it was to find its location.


    Ethan knew he couldn''t go on like this forever; he needed a source to supply him with the resources for his pills.


    Eventually, he decided to see if Da Shu could find a source for alchemical resources.


    Da Shu readily accepted the request.


    Apparently, the pills Ethan had sold were all bought, and the customers had no complaints about their quality, so their trade continued.


    They agreed that a percentage of the pill profits would be deducted in exchange for resources, which Da Shu managed to provide at the base price without any markup, like those sold at the pavilion.


    Though the idea of spending his newly earned money didn''t thrill Ethan, he decided to endure it.


    To give an example of his pill-selling earnings:


    If Ethan produced 20 mid-grade level 1 pills, he would earn about 13 low-grade spiritual stones.


    From these, 7 stones would be deducted to cover material costs, and 2 stones for the selling services in Da Shu''s family shops where the pills were sold.


    The rest went to Ethan.


    Ethan decided not to overdo it, so he produced a maximum of 10 mid-grade pills per day.


    This amount was enough to earn a good amount of Qi and system points, allowing him to remain low-key.


    Though this pace was a bit unusual for an alchemist at his level, Da Shu chose to ignore it, attributing it to Ethan''s talent.


    After all these transactions, Da Shu was increasingly confident in his decision.


    On the sixth day, Ethan broke through to level 4, and his system points exceeded 100.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 3 --> Lvl. 4)


    QI: 55/500


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 35 --> 47


    Agility: 31 --> 41


    Intelligence: 36 --> 48


    Soul Strength: 118 --> 120


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 108


    -------------------------------]


    .


    As usual, all his attributes increased differently.


    Strength and intelligence increased more than the other two, which Ethan attributed to his practice.


    But that wasn''t why Ethan had opened his status screen.


    Turning his gaze down, he pressed on the shop function, and another screen appeared before him.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: Mid


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 75%.


    [Upgrade] (100 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    The pill information had slightly changed since last time.


    The recipe''s grade was no longer marked as low but instead as mid.


    Ethan had accumulated enough points in recent days for this moment.


    Without hesitation, he pressed [Upgrade], and the familiar tingling sensation began in his head.


    The process of downloading the high-grade recipe had started.


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, I''ve decided to go premium from chapter 41 onwards.


    I won''t do it immediately as I need to sort out a few things first, but roughly within a week, I will go premium.


    Use this time to catch up with the novel, so you won''t have to buy the chapters from 41 onwards ;)


    As for the extra chapters I mentioned earlier, I''ve more or less established the goals to achieve them. I''ll put them in the author''s notes to avoid filling this chapter with just information.


    The extra chapters system will start in a week or two. I''ll give you the exact date in advance.


    This system is provisional; consider it a test to see if I can maintain a stable rhythm with these new implementations.


    If there are any changes, you''ll be notified in advance.


    Let me know what you think of the extra chapters system, and if you have any suggestions, I''m all ears.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 52 - 52: Test Day

    .


    Just like many small streams converging into a lake, increasing its volume, the various flows of new knowledge Ethan was receiving now had begun to circulate in his mind until they coalesced into a small piece of information that continued to expand.


    A strange sensation washed over Ethan as the piece of information in his head kept growing larger.


    This sensation was not accompanied by the excruciating pain Ethan had been bracing himself for.


    The process was much faster and smoother this time, and the resulting pain was reduced to a level that was bearable for Ethan.


    Ethan could attribute this only to the fact that he was now two levels higher than the last time.


    In a short time, the process finished, and Ethan could sense the new information in his head.


    A recipe that, although it was level 1, could cost several tens if not hundreds of lower-grade spiritual points due to its high grade, was now in his hands.


    Just the thought of such a thing lifted Ethan''s mood.


    "Haa, if only I could sell it, I wonder how much money I could make from it," he thought, somewhat comforted.


    Indeed, if it weren''t for the restrictions on the circulation of recipes, Ethan would not have hesitated to put his high-grade recipe up for sale.


    These restrictions had been put in place by various alchemical organizations to limit the spread of alchemical knowledge.


    In essence, exchanging a recipe in one or two transactions was not a problem as long as it passed the alchemical pavilion''s scrutiny, but selling in large quantities was severely prohibited.


    This was understandable, as it would jeopardize the fragile balance maintained by the various powers.


    Just the dissemination of a high-level recipe into the wrong hands could cause immense chaos.


    In the past, there was a rogue alchemist who decided to spread his knowledge of several pills, many of which were forbidden.


    This led to the spread of many diseases and plagues caused by the effects of some of these pills and the improper creations by some alchemists who had attempted to stretch their capabilities beyond their limits.


    The number of victims from this incident was not insignificant, and eventually, all the alchemical associations decided to collaborate to suppress this alchemist and impose various types of restrictions on recipes and their circulation.


    Ethan could only shake his head at this.


    Although he understood the necessity of these restrictions, he couldn''t help but think about how much money he could make by selling them.


    Now that he had elevated the recipe to a high grade, Ethan wondered how his shop screen had changed.


    He wondered if the shop would now sell him the level 2 recipe for this pill.


    Driven by this thought, he opened the system screen and navigated to the shop section.


    In the second following the opening of the shop screen, Ethan looked at it to see if there were any changes.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: High


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 75%.


    [Upgrade] (1000 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that the [Upgrade] button was still there, Ethan couldn''t help but feel a bit excited.


    Filled with anticipation, he wanted to press the button immediately to see what would happen next, but he remembered that he didn''t have enough system points.


    "Tch, I''m poor even in the system," he said sarcastically to himself.


    He eventually shook his head and let out a slight sigh as he closed the system screen.


    "At least now I know that the shop allows for further upgrading of a pill even after it has reached the high grade," he said dejectedly.


    Now, he was almost certain that the system could indeed allow users to upgrade their pill recipes.


    He wasn''t entirely sure, but if it wasn''t that, what else could it be?


    Ethan was now looking forward to earning enough points to perform the upgrade. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was because if the recipe could indeed be upgraded, Ethan would not need to hunt for higher-grade recipes in the future. It would be enough to find the lower-grade version and level it up with the help of the system.


    Thinking this way, he placed the pills he had just created into glass vials.


    Each vial could hold a maximum of 5 pills.


    These vials were a bit special.


    On the cork of each vial was a small symbol.


    This symbol was a rune of ..., and it ensured that the contents inside the vial remained sealed, preventing the medicinal properties of the pills from escaping and thus causing the pills to lose some of their effects.


    Ethan used to use ordinary glass vials, but now that he was in business with Da Shu, he couldn''t afford to have the quality of his products compromised. Therefore, he had Da Shu provide him with these runes.


    And so the last days before the test passed, and finally, the much-anticipated day arrived.


    Ethan, who had just arrived at the pavilion, made his way towards the entrance and headed straight for the test hall.


    This hall was the same as last time, with the exception that the arrangement of the various stations had changed.


    The large hall no longer had rows of tables as it did last time but rather small stations with a series of materials on top.


    On the sides of these stations were medium-sized cauldrons, no more than half a meter tall.


    Ethan observed and entered the hall, finding the station with his number.


    Once he found it, he approached and stood there in silence, like the others.


    Looking around, Ethan noticed that, unlike last time, the number of people who had come to take the test was significantly lower than before. In fact, the number did not exceed one-third of the participants from the previous test.


    Ethan was not surprised by this.


    It was well known that becoming an alchemist apprentice was much more difficult than becoming an adept.


    This was because to become an adept, one had to study and understand the basic knowledge of alchemy, which almost anyone could do with some effort.


    The same could not be said for refinement.


    There was a reason why everyone considered the apprentice level as the first real step in the alchemy journey.


    To refine a pill, one needed not only basic alchemical knowledge but also technique and a bit of talent.


    Technique was not acquired overnight but was gained through a considerable amount of time spent refining and failing, learning from one''s mistakes.


    Certainly, this rule did not apply to everyone, but in general, everyone had to go through this process.


    Some learned quickly, while others never mastered the technique in their entire lives.


    As alchemists advanced in grade, they not only increased their alchemical knowledge but also continued to perfect their refining skills.


    This was the basic pathway, which was the same for everyone, with minor variations depending on who you spoke to.


    There was only one exception to this rule, and that was Ethan, who, thanks to the aid of the Seven Sages'' Amphora, skipped these steps one after another with little effort.


    If people knew how quickly he was becoming skilled, they would probably have kidnapped him and made him spill everything.


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any questions, comments, or errors to report, you know where to do so.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 53 - 53: Beginning of the Test

    .


    Time passed, and one by one the remaining empty seats were filled.


    Silence enveloped the area as everyone settled into their positions and waited quietly.


    Some were examining the materials provided directly by the Medicine Pavilion, while others inspected the cauldrons also provided by the pavilion.


    There were even some who were reading papers, which Ethan believed to be the recipes for the pill preparation. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing these people, he couldn''t help but shake his head slightly.


    "What''s the point of reviewing now? You should have already memorized it if you''ve made this pill before the exam," Ethan thought.


    Ethan had noticed that most of the cauldrons present were similar, as they were those provided by the pavilion.


    The others, which were different, were probably brought by the candidates and given to the pavilion for inspection and placement in the test hall.


    Ethan decided to use the cauldrons from the pavilion, as the only one he had was the bronze cauldron he used, which was a spiritual artifact.


    He certainly couldn''t bring it here. He could already imagine the commotion it would create.


    Everyone waited in silence for the last few minutes before the start of the test, anticipating the arrival of the examiners.


    Yes, this time there wouldn''t be just one examiner but five, one for each row, so they could closely monitor each candidate and possibly intervene if someone messed up the mixture, causing the cauldron to explode.


    This was quite common, in fact, Ethan was the only one who hadn''t had the chance to experience it yet, something for which he was more than grateful.


    The last thing he wanted was to end up in the infirmary for who knows how long and be scolded by the nurse from last time. Just thinking about it gave him chills.


    Time passed quickly, and finally, the door at the end of the hall opened, and five figures entered the room.


    All the test participants, upon seeing these figures, stopped whatever they were doing and composed themselves, waiting silently for the five figures to speak.


    The five figures were respectively four men and one woman, each of a different age.


    There were indeed figures who seemed to be in the prime of their years, as well as figures who were old, with apparent wrinkles.


    However, Ethan didn''t think much of it.


    There was an important rule that all people, especially cultivators, had to remember.


    The apparent age of a person could be deceptive.


    For example, Ethan, with his current cultivation base at level 4 of body refining, could comfortably live for more than 100 years.


    Beings of higher stages could live for 200, 300, or even a thousand years.


    And given their high cultivation, these beings could choose to preserve their youthful appearance or not, so when encountering a high-level cultivator, one should never take their real age for granted, because just like their strength, it could also be hidden.


    It wasn''t unusual to hear cases of people who had offended certain individuals, only to later discover they were hidden tigers.


    Given the level of alchemy of these figures, Ethan was sure that each of them was already over 50 years old.


    From the left, an elderly man of short stature with long white hair and a beard could be seen.


    He positioned himself in front of the first row of candidates and scrutinized everyone present with his sharp, penetrating gaze.


    His robes were a rich dark green, embroidered with intricate silver decorations hinting at his high rank.


    His eyes, though clouded by age, held a spark of wisdom and authority that inspired respect in everyone in the room.


    The second figure was the only woman in the group.


    She stood in front of the second row, observing her section with a bored expression.


    Despite her apparent disinterest, her sharp eyes moved from person to person, as if evaluating their souls.


    She seemed to be a little over thirty, with an elegant demeanor that set her apart.


    Her long, straight black hair was elegantly gathered with a decorative hairpin, showcasing a refined face with high cheekbones and a slightly upturned nose.


    Her eyes were keen and calculating, like a fox observing its surroundings, even though her overall attitude conveyed a sense of detachment.


    The third figure was a tall man, around forty or fifty years old, dressed in a blue tunic decorated with golden embroidery.


    He had a strong and authoritative presence, with broad shoulders and a confident stride.


    His short brown hair was streaked with silver, and his clean-shaven face was marked by the wrinkles of experience.


    His deep, penetrating brown eyes surveyed the room with a mix of curiosity and judgment.


    The fourth figure was a younger man, probably in his thirties.


    He was dressed in a simple gray tunic that seemed to prioritize functionality over elegance.


    His physique was lean but muscular, and he moved with a fluid grace that suggested both agility and strength.


    His sandy blonde hair was messy, and his face was marked by a slight stubble of a few days, giving him a rugged yet approachable look.


    His eyes were a clear, bright blue, shining with a keen intelligence that contrasted with his otherwise relaxed demeanor.


    The fifth and final figure was a middle-aged man, with a serene expression and an affable presence.


    He was dressed in a dark blue uniform tunic, and his hair was gray, short, and neatly kept.


    His face was lined with a few smile wrinkles, and his green eyes conveyed a sense of calm and understanding.


    His demeanor was that of someone who had accumulated much wisdom over the years, and his bearing reflected an air of tranquility and openness.


    As the five examiners took their positions, a respectful silence fell over the room.


    From the expressions on many participants'' faces, Ethan could tell that they knew who these figures were.


    For Ethan, on the other hand, it was difficult to know the names of the various important figures in the pavilion, let alone their faces.


    He had only recently entered the world of alchemy, and since then, the only thing he had done was produce pills and make as much money as he could.


    He hadn''t bothered to learn more about the various famous alchemists of Sun City.


    And why should he?


    After all, knowing their names wouldn''t be of much help to him since he would still have to produce the pills himself.


    He doubted that someone like him, without any connections, could gain any advantage from these experts.


    But this didn''t mean that he didn''t recognize any of these five figures.


    In fact, the figure who would be overseeing the first row of examinees was someone Ethan knew very well.


    "It seems that even Expert Li will be participating in the evaluation of this exam," he said to himself.


    Yes, the familiar person to Ethan was none other than the examiner from the last time, who had supervised the test to become an apprentice alchemist.


    Ethan was currently in the middle of the third row, so he hadn''t noticed him immediately.


    At that moment, the man standing in front of the central row, which was row three, spoke:


    "Welcome to the adept alchemist test," he began with a deep, authoritative voice.


    "I am Master Liang, and I will be one of your examiners today.


    What you are about to face is not just a test of your theoretical knowledge, but a trial of your practical skills and alchemical ingenuity."


    "Until now, you have only studied the basics of alchemy.


    You have learned the fundamentals, the theories, and the principles that govern our art.


    However, today, you will take your first real step into the world of alchemy.


    From here on, it is no longer just about theoretical knowledge but practical skill.


    You will have to demonstrate your ability to apply what you have learned."


    "Today''s test involves creating Basic Recovery Pills using the materials provided by the Alchemy Pavilion.


    You will have five attempts, and you must succeed in at least three of them to pass the test.


    If you fail more than twice, you will be eliminated.


    If the quality of the pills you create does not meet the minimum standards of a low-grade pill, you will be eliminated.


    If you attempt to cheat, you will be eliminated and barred from retaking the test for at least a year."


    He paused, carefully observing the participants'' faces.


    At this, the participants shuddered.


    If someone was caught cheating, although they would have the chance to retake the test after a year, they would still be labeled as untrustworthy.


    The label of a cheater would follow them, even if they achieved good results in the future, so no one, no matter how poor their refining skills, would attempt to cheat in the test.


    It wasn''t worth sacrificing one''s credibility as an alchemist from the start.


    For an alchemist, credibility was very important, as it directly influenced their business.


    No one wanted to dig their own grave so soon, especially since with five expert alchemists present, it would be almost impossible to attempt any cheating.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    I will upload another chapter for you in a few hours, as a way to commemorate the fact that we have nearly reached 200 collections. (�sO��O)�s�� �ߩ���


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 54 - 54: Old Sloth

    .


    Seeing that everyone seemed to have understood his warning, he continued:


    "Here''s how we will proceed,"


    "In front of you are all the necessary resources: cauldrons, herbs, and alchemical tools.


    Each workstation is equipped to allow you to work to the best of your abilities.


    You will be allowed to consult your notes, but remember, precision and skill are fundamental."


    "Alchemy does not forgive mistakes," he added with a stern look.


    "Every step, every movement must be executed with care and attention.


    The refinement of pills is an art that requires concentration and discipline.


    This test is not only to measure your skills but to determine if you possess the dedication necessary to pursue the path of alchemy."


    Master Liang stepped back, letting his words sink in.


    "Now, take a moment to prepare yourselves mentally and physically.


    When you are ready, begin. Good luck to all of you."


    With these words, silence fell over the room, broken only by the rustling of materials as the participants prepared.


    Only a few among the various participants remained calm as they got ready to refine.


    Ethan was one of them.


    Recently, he had created several dozen mid-grade pills, so he felt no pressure at this moment.


    The only thing on his mind now was completing this test and getting his adept alchemist badge so he could finally start his own business.


    His pill trade with Da Shu was going well, but Ethan needed to build his own reputation.


    With his current speed, he could easily dedicate himself to starting his own business while maintaining the current sales pace with Da Shu.


    And so, without further ado, Ethan got to work.


    As soon as Ethan started working, he isolated himself from the rest of the environment.


    He concentrated all his attention on preparing pills and nothing else.


    Although he was now skilled enough to take this level of pill creation lightly, he still believed it was better not to take the task too lightly.


    After all, it only takes a little to ruin all the work.


    With fluid movements, he took the three herbs and began preparing them for refinement.


    He had already lit the cauldron''s fire and made sure the flame wasn''t too strong, giving him the necessary time to prepare the herbs while the cauldron heated up.


    While Ethan was focused on his refinement, the others also started.


    Some occasionally glanced at their notes, while others, like Ethan, began without any hesitation.


    Silence had descended in the room, and only the sound of the tools could be heard.


    The five masters in their respective positions watched the participants closely.


    Everything proceeded calmly, and no one had any problems so far.


    Some were a little behind, and some had already started the second phase of refinement, but overall, everyone was doing well so far.


    Expert Li, who was in front of the first row, nodded seeing everyone working well.


    "It seems there are some good seedlings in this group," he said, sending a spiritual communication to the other four experts present.


    "Although they are only at the beginning, they are performing quite well for now," the fourth expert replied.


    "At a minimum, they should work this well if they want to pursue the path of alchemy.


    But it''s still too early; we should wait to see how they handle the second phase of refinement," the elegant woman said.


    The third alchemist expert nodded at this statement and said, "Indeed, it''s how they handle the second phase that will show how good they are."


    And as they had said, as soon as most of the participants started the second phase of refinement, many faces showed difficulty.


    It didn''t take long before someone made a mistake.


    A participant in the fifth row had just finished putting the herbs into the cauldron when it began to tremble a bit.


    "Damn, I added too much," the participant said, starting to panic.


    He clearly understood what was about to happen and was preparing to move away.


    Even the participants nearby couldn''t help but be distracted, as being close, they would be involved in the cauldron''s explosion.


    At that moment, as if a bucket of water had been poured on a flame, a gentle white energy surrounded the cauldron.


    The cauldron, which had been shaking more and more violently, suddenly calmed down and stopped trembling.


    Whatever chemical reaction the participant had caused inside it was halted by the white energy.


    After that, the energy disappeared into nothingness, while a calm voice echoed in the participant''s mind.


    "First attempt failed."


    The participant was not surprised to hear this nor tried to contest it in any way.


    Composing himself, he immediately got back to work, starting from scratch.


    Due to this first incident, some others nearby who had been disturbed also had to repeat everything, as in their distraction, they too had made mistakes, leading the final product to either burn or be simply too impure.


    It might seem that this was too unfair towards them, but it wasn''t.


    The current arrangement of the participants had been set up in this way deliberately.


    This was to test the participants'' concentration and evaluate their ability to adapt to any stimuli from the surrounding environment.


    Although most of the time, alchemists refined in peace in their rooms, they could not always have this luxury.


    For example, if during a journey there was an urgent need for a certain pill, the alchemist couldn''t expect to find a quiet and isolated place to refine it. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He would have to make do with what he had and the environment he was in.


    Certainly, one could say that in a case where an explosion might injure someone, it was better to abandon the refinement and find shelter rather than risk injury.


    However, it had already been stated in advance that the experts would intervene in such cases.


    Although after this first incident everyone tried to maintain their concentration, it didn''t prevent others from making different kinds of mistakes.


    And so, within the first 10 minutes of the test, several participants had already failed once.


    None of the experts were surprised by this sight.


    They already expected that many would fail at the beginning, after all, these participants were just entering the world of alchemy and didn''t yet have enough experience to avoid making these basic mistakes.


    Indeed, even an alchemist who had prepared for an entire year before the exam would have some probability of making errors, let alone these participants, most of whom clearly hadn''t practiced refining for more than half a year.


    It was like this every year, so the alchemist experts could only shake their heads and continue to watch.


    That said, there were also some who had given a rather good performance so far. Seeing them, these experts nodded with satisfaction.


    "Although the quality of the majority of the participants is still very low, there are indeed some rather good ones," the fourth expert said in a mental transmission.


    "Indeed, some of these clearly stand out with a performance much higher than the others.


    That boy who is now finishing his second pill is the most advanced.


    If I''m not mistaken, he comes from a family of alchemists," the woman said, looking towards the third participant in the second row.


    "If I remember correctly, he should be one of Xun Yu''s sons. That old sloth must have instructed him personally," said the third expert.


    The others simply nodded, ignoring how he had referred to him.


    Xun Yu was one of the expert alchemists from the Medicine Pavilion.


    He was very talented, and many said he would reach the level of a master alchemist by the age of 50, but that wasn''t the case.


    That person was too lazy and only refined when he felt like it.


    Because of this behavior, many started calling him the old sloth.


    Although the boy from the Xun family was the most advanced, many others had already started preparing their second pill, with some even in the final phase of refinement.


    Ethan, however, was not in this group.


    He took his time to create each pill.


    He didn''t care about being the first.


    The minimum requirement to pass was to create at least three low-grade pills, and knowing that it didn''t make sense to show all his skills at once, he decided to take it easy and finish his pills one by one, trying to keep their purity within a certain limit.


    Although this attitude led him to be ignored by the experts, not everyone overlooked him.


    The fifth expert, who until now had not spoken and had calmly watched all the participants, did not fail to notice Ethan.


    At first, like his colleagues, he didn''t pay him much attention, but seeing his fluid movements, which were neither too slow nor too fast, he couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    ''This boy...''


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is the second chapter for today. I hope you enjoyed it.


    I wanted to let you know that in the future, most communications will be made directly in the author''s notes.


    Otherwise, the chapter will cost you more coins than usual.

 Chapter 55 - 55: The end of the test 1

    .


    "This..."


    The fifth examiner didn''t know why, but he felt a strange sensation while watching Ethan''s process.


    His calm demeanor,


    the way he prepared the herbs,


    the way he adjusted the flame, everything.


    Without realizing it, he started to observe Ethan''s every movement, step by step, until he finished producing his second pill.


    Exactly, he got lost for a moment in observing how Ethan was refining, and without noticing, ten entire minutes had passed.


    He was stunned, murmuring in an almost inaudible voice, "Absolutely perfect."


    In recent years, he had observed many candidates taking the test and preparing pills.


    He could say with absolute certainty that he had seen it all.


    From the talented to those who didn''t even know what a cauldron was, nothing surprised him much anymore.


    That was until today.


    Among all the candidates present, only this boy successfully caught his attention.


    He wasn''t the most advanced, nor the most exceptional, nor did he seem to come from any prestigious family.


    But even taking all that into account, the way this candidate prepared the pills managed to astonish the examiner.


    Every gesture, every movement, was impeccable.


    As skilled as a novice might be, there is always a small margin of error.


    But in this case, everything the candidate did was perfect, down to the smallest detail.


    It was as if he had prepared this pill so many times that his body had memorized the movements, executing them with absolute calm, with the attitude of one who knew there was no way to make a mistake.


    This type of attitude was often seen in experts and grandmasters when they prepared pills.


    At their level, preparing low-level pills was child''s play, and they did it nonchalantly, knowing they wouldn''t make a mistake.


    "Haa, it seems I''m getting too old now.


    It won''t be long before the younger generations of this era surpass us."


    He murmured, shaking his head, while feeling a bit of joy in his heart.


    For someone like him, who had dedicated his entire life to this profession, seeing young talents like Ethan made him happy.


    He was someone who had always aimed for the pinnacle of alchemy and had given his all for this goal, but unfortunately for him, he couldn''t go any further.


    He knew he had already reached the maximum his talent allowed.


    So, seeing that the future of alchemy was in the hands of talented young people like these made him happy.


    "This boy will go far," he said.


    Hm?


    The fourth examiner, who was next to him, heard him and gave him a questioning look, but the fifth examiner didn''t bother to explain.


    And so, time passed, and after another 40 minutes, the test finally ended.


    "Time''s up. Everyone, put everything away, and leave only the pills you have created on the table."


    Said the examiner from the central row.


    At this, many grumbles could be heard in the background.


    "No, just two more minutes, and I would have finished my third pill," said one from the second row.


    "Third pill? I''m still on my second," replied one from the adjacent row, tears in his eyes.


    "At least you successfully created some pills, I failed all five attempts," said another.


    Though many complained, no one created a commotion.


    They had failed, and so they knew they could only lower their heads and try again next time.


    No one raised any complaints because they knew nothing good would come of it.


    In fact, once someone had complained that one hour was too short and that more time was needed for the test.


    In response, an examiner took one of the pills the participant had created and told him to eat it.


    The participant didn''t understand why the examiner asked him to eat one of the two pills he had created, but he did so anyway.


    The next moment, the boy ended up in the infirmary.


    It was discovered that even the two pills the boy had created were defective.


    This was to say that the boy hadn''t managed to create even a single correct pill in an hour.


    It made no sense to give more time.


    If someone doesn''t know how to make a pill correctly, they will make mistakes regardless of the time given for the test.


    The pavilion has repeatedly advised people to think twice before taking the test.


    The test duration and promotion criteria are public knowledge, and many have successfully passed with these criteria.


    This is to say that it''s not the test that is difficult, but the examinees who tend to take the test too lightly and then end up complaining.


    In fact, it has been shown several times that a person who had adequately prepared could produce three low-grade pills quite easily in less than an hour.


    So, giving this much time for refining was already too generous.


    The pavilion, like all alchemy associations, knew how difficult it was to pursue this path and had made sure that each of their tests was of appropriate difficulty so that a well-prepared person could pass successfully.


    And yet, despite this, almost 70% of the participants still ended up failing.


    And the reason for this was obvious, so no one dared to complain to the pavilion. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They knew that if they exaggerated, they would end up paying the consequences.


    Though some were a bit dissatisfied with their work, they did as they were told, put everything away, leaving only the pills they had produced on the table.


    The examiners passed by each table in their respective rows, one by one giving their verdict.


    "Two acceptable pills, one burnt, and one too impure. You have failed."


    "Three good pills, and two burnt, passed."


    "You burned all five pills, and you''re still here. Are you waiting for me to congratulate you for doing the opposite of what was required? Leave."


    One by one, the verdicts were given, and in a few minutes, a large number of disciples were sent away.


    Some left with their heads down, others sighed as if they knew it would end this way, and still others were dragged away by their companions, in tears.


    In no time, the room emptied of at least 80% of the initial people.


    Finally, it was the turn of the last people in each row, in other words, it was also Ethan''s turn to be examined.


    The middle-aged alchemy expert who was the examiner of the third row did not have a happy face as he approached Ethan''s workstation.


    All the tables he had checked before had failed, with one not even creating one successfully, so he had low expectations for the remaining ones in this row.


    Approaching Ethan''s table, he saw that there were four almost identical pills lined up.


    Seeing the appearance of the pills, the examiner''s expression improved a bit.


    ''It seems not everyone failed,'' he thought as he took one of the pills and checked it.


    As soon as he put a bit of his spiritual energy into the pill, his expression changed slightly.


    "A purity of 49%," he thought to himself, a bit surprised, and couldn''t help but shake his head a little.


    It was known that all pills with a purity above 25% and below 50% were considered low-grade.


    Although there was a one-number difference between 49% and 50%, this small number difference was actually a big difference in terms of the pill''s effect.


    Therefore, it was established that only pills with 50% purity or above were considered mid-grade, while the others were all low-grade regardless of how small the gap was that separated them from reaching 50% purity.


    The requirement to pass was to create pills that were at least low-grade, so a purity above 25%.


    Therefore, this pill was definitely passing, but seeing how close the boy was to creating a mid-grade one, the examiner shook his head a bit but at the same time was pleased with this examinee''s abilities.


    "Really not bad, let''s see if your other pills are as good," he said.


    .


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, do so below.


    See you tomorrow with a new chapter.

 Chapter 56 - 56: The end of the test 2

    .


    He didn''t tell him if his pills were passable or not, but rather if they were good enough.


    Being an experienced alchemist, he could tell by sight how well a pill had turned out.


    The reason he checked their purity was to see how well-crafted the pill was.


    And he had to admit, the first one had impressed him.


    Without wasting time, he examined the second pill, and his eyes filled with surprise.


    "Is this one also 49% pure?" he thought, astonished.


    Earlier, he had thought the participant was lucky to produce one with such high purity, but seeing that he had created a second one just as good, he couldn''t help but praise him internally.


    "This boy has some skills..." he thought to himself as he proceeded to take the third pill.


    As soon as he picked it up and examined it, his expression changed once more.


    This time, however, it was not an expression of surprise, but of doubt.


    "49% once again?"


    For a moment, he didn''t know how to react to this.


    Creating one out of five pills with good purity was one thing, but creating three was another.


    It was normal for adept alchemists to create multiple low-grade pills with such good purity, but it was not normal to see an alchemist who had yet to reach the adept level do the same.


    Moreover, the purity percentage was identical, and with his spiritual energy, he could tell they were all at the same level, none being slightly more or less pure.


    It was as if they were copies of a single pill.


    For a moment, the examiner thought he had mistakenly taken the same pill three times, but seeing the other two he had examined still on the table, he had to dismiss this idea.


    "Maybe it was just a coincidence," he thought to himself.


    Though it was uncommon to see pills identical in every aspect, it wasn''t impossible either.


    He placed the third pill on the table and picked up the fourth.


    Just as he picked it up, he couldn''t help but notice there was no fifth pill on the table.


    Everyone had refined all five pills, with some refining all five well, and others only some of them well.


    Thinking that perhaps he hadn''t had time to prepare it, he proceeded to examine the fourth pill.


    And this one also turned out to be 49% pure.


    "..."


    At this point, the examiner didn''t know if it was a coincidence or not that all these pills were identical in every aspect.


    From their shape to their purity, they were identical in the smallest details.


    This level of skill was very rare to see even among alchemists at his level.


    It wasn''t difficult to create pills of this purity, but pills that were almost identical were difficult even for someone like him.


    ''A genius.''


    He couldn''t help but look at Ethan with an expression of surprise as he asked,


    "Boy, if I may ask, who is your teacher?" he asked, curious to know who was so skilled to instruct such a genius.


    Hearing the question, Ethan couldn''t help but frown a bit.


    ''Teacher? Since when do I have a teacher? What should I say, that the system is my teacher?


    Shaking his head, he replied composedly,


    "I don''t have a teacher."


    The examiner did not expect this answer and quickly asked,


    "Then where did you learn to refine?"


    "I learned on my own from textbooks," Ethan said.


    "You learned from textbooks?


    What nonsense, how could that be? If everyone could learn just from theory, there wouldn''t be so many who fail the exam," he thought, still unsure of Ethan''s response.


    "Boy, don''t lie to me. It''s impossible for you to become so skilled just by reading books," the examiner said, a bit displeased.


    He thought Ethan was lying to him.


    After all, it wasn''t possible for someone to reach this level at such a young age, just by reading books.


    "If this were true, wouldn''t it mean others have been reading different books all this time?"


    In the end, Ethan had to come up with an excuse to justify his skill in pill creation.


    At first, he didn''t understand why the examiner was asking him those questions; after all, he had only created four low-grade pills.


    Who would have thought these pills were at the maximum limit of low grade?


    He said he had spent several years to reach this point and had been a bit lucky to create them with such good purity.


    The examiner was still not entirely convinced of his answer but thought that indeed with some talent and several years of dedication one could reach this level.


    Thus, mistakenly thinking Ethan was a hard worker who had managed to get this far on his own, he complimented him and directly gave him a top score. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the top score could only be obtained by successfully making five out of five pills, Ethan''s case was a bit special, and after discussing it a bit with his colleagues, he decided to directly give him a silver two-star badge.


    None of the other examiners had a problem with this; in fact, to the middle-aged examiner''s surprise, the fifth examiner agreed immediately without even looking at Ethan''s pills.


    Ethan, who at the moment was outside the medicine pavilion, looked at the silver badge in his hand with a complicated expression.


    After a while, he shook his head and put it away, thinking,


    "Haa, my talent is so overwhelming that even trying to stay low, I still managed to get a good result,"


    he said to himself as he walked with light steps, in an upright posture, as if he was alone on top of the world.


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, another person had a desolate expression at that moment.


    Xun Wei, who was satisfied with having successfully created five pills, came to the board to see the results and admire his first place.


    But as soon as he saw the results, his face changed when he saw his tag number was not in first place, but second.


    [N.1: 69]


    [N.2: 05]


    Xun Wei "..."


    "Who the hell is 69?"


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 57 - 57: Commissions

    .


    Once an alchemist successfully became an adept, various privileges were bestowed upon them.


    Along with the badge, a symbol of an alchemist''s status and recognition of their rank by the Medicine Pavilion, the alchemist was also given the chance to book refining rooms and other facilities.


    But along with these privileges came duties.


    There were some basic rules that every alchemist in the pavilion had to follow.


    From basic rules prohibiting actions that could in any way compromise the pavilion''s reputation to more specific regulations, alchemists had to pay particular attention to their conduct.


    One such rule was the minimum commission quota an alchemist had to complete within a certain timeframe.


    Commissions varied in nature and directly reflected the level and specialization of the alchemist.


    Just like pills, these commissions were divided into levels ranging from 1 to 3.


    For example, if an alchemist was an adept, they had to successfully complete at least 10 level 1 commissions per month to avoid demotion, while an expert alchemist needed to complete at least 10 level 2 commissions within six months.


    The rank of the mission didn''t matter; the important thing was that alchemists didn''t spend all their time doing nothing.


    Of course, restrictions and difficulty levels varied depending on the alchemist''s rank.


    For one-star adept alchemists, the requirement was to produce at least 10 low-grade level 1 pills in a month.


    For two-star adept alchemists, the requirement was to produce at least 10 mid-grade level 1 pills in two months.


    For three-star adept alchemists, the requirement was to produce at least 10 high-grade level 1 pills in three months.


    And so on...


    Of course, commissions were not solely based on pill refinement.


    After all, an alchemist did more than just produce pills.


    Alchemists were often specialized in various areas, such as creating poisons or antidotes, conducting research on the properties of different herbs, and finding new ways to use them.


    Some acted as doctors, and so on...


    The profession of an alchemist was not limited to pill production; they were also experts in other fields related to alchemy.


    Therefore, the above requirements were just an example of how the commission system worked, but they could vary slightly depending on the alchemist.


    Ethan, who was now part of the pavilion, although he could conduct his activities in private, needed to complete his quota of commissions as well.


    Thus, the next day he went back to the Medicine Pavilion to find a suitable commission and quickly complete his quota so that he would be completely free for two months.


    Being already a two-star adept alchemist, he needed to either produce 10 mid-grade level 1 pills or complete any other commission of equivalent value.


    For example, instead of producing 10 mid-grade pills, he could produce 20 low-grade ones, and that would suffice.


    Commissions were received at the reception, which then displayed them on various boards.


    Ethan went to the commission area and quickly found a board for level 1 commissions.


    He didn''t bother checking those of level 2 and level 3 because he knew he couldn''t accept them anyway.


    He began to look at the various commissions available.


    .


    [Commission: Refine 10 low-grade Qi pills by mid-month.]


    [Reward: 2 spiritual stones]


    [Commission: Refine 3 low-grade poison resistance pills within 3 days.]


    [Reward: 1 spiritual stone]


    [Commission: ....]


    .


    On the various sheets, the request was described along with the information of the requester, the deadline, and of course, the reward for the commission.


    After searching for a commission, he found one that asked for 15 medium-grade basic recovery pills and accepted it.


    Although the reward was only 9 spiritual stones, Ethan didn''t mind.


    Currently, his goal was just to complete his quota and get on with his own business.


    He took the commission sheet and went to the reception to accept it.


    When he arrived, he saw there was no line, so he approached and handed over the commission sheet.


    "Hello, I would like to accept this commission," he said.


    The person at the reception, this time a man, took the sheet, read it, nodded, and then addressed Ethan.


    "Alright. Can you give me your badge so I can register the mission in your name?"


    Ethan handed him his silver badge, and after the man registered his details, he returned the badge to Ethan.


    "Do you also need to book a refining room?" he asked, seeing that there was no room registered under Ethan''s name.


    Ethan thought for a moment and decided it was better to finish everything here since it wouldn''t take him long to refine the pills.


    "I would like to rent one for an hour," he said.


    Refining rooms were usually free for the pavilion''s alchemists.


    If someone wanted to rent one for a future day or for several days, they could choose to pay for it.


    After all, although the number of alchemists was not too high, it depended on their rank. There were far more low-rank alchemists than high-rank ones.


    And the pavilion had a limited number of available rooms.


    Therefore, if an alchemist needed a room and there was one available, they could use it, but if there wasn''t and they wanted to ensure they had one, they could book it by paying a fee.


    Ethan was lucky that one was available today, so he took the room key from the reception and went to the room.


    Once he arrived at the room, he closed it and approached his workstation.


    In the room, there was already a cauldron provided by the pavilion, so even those who, for some reason, didn''t have a cauldron could use one in the room or rent one directly from the pavilion.


    Ethan already had his own, so he moved the cauldron aside and placed his own in the center, then proceeded to take out the materials needed for refining.


    Often the materials were provided by the requester, and they would only pay for the labor.


    This, however, only happened in rare cases where the requested pill required particular materials that were difficult to obtain.


    Of course, the client had to be prepared for the fact that the refining might not be successful.


    After all, it was known that the lower the rank of an alchemist, the lower the success rate.


    The same applied to the pill.


    If it was a low-grade pill, it was easier to create, and vice versa, if it was a high-grade pill, it was easier to fail in the refining process.


    If a high-rank alchemist produced a low-grade pill, there was almost no risk of failure, but no one dared to disturb an expert alchemist or even a master alchemist to produce low-grade pills.


    It would be disrespectful to them.


    Unless the order was of a certain value, for example, producing a large quantity of pills, no one dared to bother these experts for low-grade pills.


    Ethan was already more than proficient in producing this level of pills, especially this particular pill, so he proceeded without hesitation, without fear of failure. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here is today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    I have decided on the date when I will go premium.


    On 05/08/2024, I will make all chapters from the 41st onwards premium.


    As for the weekly goals, I will tell you something next week.


    As usual, if you have any comments of any kind, leave them below.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 58 - 58: Preparing to Break Through

    .


    For Ethan, producing level 1 pills had become simple.


    This was not only because he had updated recipes for all three grades of this level of pill, but also because the recipes came directly to his mind.


    Therefore, all the steps were extremely clear to him, making his refining process much smoother and without any risk of error.


    He had already tried producing high-grade level 1 pills and noticed that the ease of production for these pills was similar to that of the lower two grades.


    In about half an hour, Ethan had finished refining the 15 medium-grade pills required.


    Seeing that he still had time, he wondered if it was better to continue refining pills here.


    In recent days, he had accelerated his refining process to accumulate the 1000 system points needed for a recipe upgrade.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to update the recipe and see if he would receive the level 2 recipe.


    If he truly received it, he would have another tool in his arsenal to earn more.


    Just as he was about to start refining again, another thought crossed his mind.


    What if he broke through while refining?


    Since he had reached level 4, Ethan hadn''t had a chance to check his status screen.


    He wondered how close he was to breaking through to the next level.


    So, with a mental command, he opened the status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 4)


    QI: 180/500


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 47


    Agility: 41


    Intelligence: 48


    Soul Strength: 120


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 142


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that he was still far from reaching level 5 in body refining, Ethan calmed down.


    He also checked his system points and, seeing that he had only a little over a tenth of what was required to upgrade the recipe, shook his head.


    ''Haaa, at this rate it will take me forever to accumulate a thousand system points. If only there were a faster method,'' he thought, disheartened by his alchemy progress.


    If other alchemists had heard him, they would probably have hit him.


    What Ethan called a slow progression in alchemy was something others had to spend months, if not years, to achieve.


    And he was complaining that it was still too slow?


    Ethan finally closed the system screen and prepared to refine.


    Since there was no risk of breaking through during this period, he could refine in peace.


    So, sealing the 15 medium-grade pills in three glass bottles, he set about producing high-grade pills.


    In no time, the remaining 30 minutes flew by.


    In those thirty minutes, Ethan managed to produce about fifteen high-grade level 1 pills, accumulating a considerable amount of QI and system points in the process.


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    ...


    By the end of the refining, Ethan could already tell that his cultivation base had made half a step towards level 5.


    He knew that at this rate, he would break through by the end of the day, so he hurried to deliver the 15 pills required by the mission and then go to his dormitory to gather the remaining QI needed to break through.


    The receptionist, seeing Ethan approaching, thought he was coming to return the keys to the refining room.


    He didn''t expect that Ethan had already finished his commission, as he still remembered what the commission was about and didn''t believe Ethan had already produced the 15 pills in an hour.


    According to estimates, an alchemist of Ethan''s level should take at least two or three days to refine this number of pills.


    But against the receptionist''s expectations, along with the keys, Ethan handed him three glass bottles, each containing 5 pills.


    For a moment, the receptionist didn''t know how to react.


    ''Wait, has he really finished refining 15 medium-grade pills in such a short time?''


    He was stunned with disbelief for a moment, but then quickly recovered and said,


    "It seems like you have mistakenly handed me some other pills," he said, thinking that perhaps Ethan had mistakenly given him low-grade pills of the same type.


    It wasn''t difficult to confuse pills of the same type but different grades, as their appearance was almost identical regardless of their grade.


    Thinking this, the receptionist calmed down.


    "No, they are all medium-grade pills," Ethan said calmly.


    "..."


    Once again, the receptionist didn''t know how to react.


    Thinking that Ethan was joking with him, he said,


    "Is it a problem if I check them? It''s my job to ensure there are no errors in the delivery of commissions," he said calmly.


    In his mind, however, he was thinking: ''Do you think I was born yesterday? There''s no way you finished refining 15 pills in such a short time.''


    "Sure, no problem," Ethan said, still calm.


    Seeing that Ethan showed no signs of panic, the receptionist proceeded to examine the contents of the three bottles.


    He wondered for a moment if Ethan had really prepared all the medium-grade pills, but then, rethinking, he shook his head and began to examine them.


    To avoid contaminating the contents of the bottles, he didn''t directly take the pills but instead smelled the aroma they emitted.


    Having done this job for several years, he had learned to distinguish the various pills and their grades by their aroma.


    It was known that although the appearance of pills of the same type was the same, their smell varied according to their grade, so he adopted this method for inspection.


    He hadn''t considered that the bottles might contain a mix of medium-grade and low-grade pills, because otherwise, the aroma would have been weaker and clearly different.


    Opening the cap of the first bottle, the receptionist was immediately overwhelmed by the aroma of the pills inside.


    Upon smelling it, the receptionist could immediately tell that there didn''t seem to be anything unusual about the contents of this bottle.


    But he expected this result. What he was interested in knowing was whether the aroma of the other two bottles would be identical or not. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Let''s see if the second one is also fine or not,'' he said to himself as he opened the cap of the second glass bottle.


    Once again, the aroma spread quickly, and the receptionist wasted no time examining it.


    ''Oh? It seems this one is also regular.''


    Closing the second bottle, he prepared to examine the third bottle.


    Although he was surprised that the contents of the previous bottles seemed correct, it was still within acceptable limits.


    ''Well, even if the third bottle turns out to be irregular, at least he successfully produced 10 medium-grade pills in an hour,'' he thought, recognizing Ethan''s talent.


    To his dismay, as soon as he opened the third bottle, its aroma also seemed to be in order.


    "..."


    Now the attendant seemed to have some doubts and re-examined the aroma.


    ''It''s the same,'' he thought anxiously, wondering how such a thing was possible.


    He checked Ethan''s badge again to see if he had misread it before, but to his surprise, the silver badge still showed two stars.


    Ethan, seeing that the receptionist seemed lost in his thoughts, said:


    "So, are the contents of the bottles okay?" he asked a bit hurriedly, eager to return to the dormitory to break through.


    The receptionist, who was still lost in his thoughts, was brought back by Ethan''s question.


    "Ah, haha, yes, the contents are fine. Wait here while I get the reward for this commission," he said, hurrying away and then returning with a bag containing the spiritual stones.


    He marked the commission as completed and respectfully greeted Ethan.


    Ethan didn''t have time to worry about the receptionist''s change in attitude, so he took the bag and headed for the exit.


    The receptionist, watching him leave, couldn''t help but think:


    ''The pavilion is going to have some tumultuous days ahead.''


    .


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s the full chapter, hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 59 - 59: Loose Seal

    .


    Ethan quickly returned home.


    With his current cultivation level, it didn''t take him more than half an hour to reach the sect.


    The long staircase he used to complain about was no longer a problem for him.


    In fact, he climbed it in less than ten minutes and wasn''t tired at all at this moment.


    Without wasting time, he headed towards the dormitory.


    As he passed through the sect area, his ears couldn''t help but catch a conversation between some disciples.


    "Hey, I heard that one of the inner disciples who joined the sect this year has already broken through to the fifth level of body refining," said a boy.


    "What, already at the fifth level?


    That''s amazing.


    Let me guess, it''s one of the three prodigies who entered with the highest scores?" said the boy''s friend.


    "Yeah, but I''m not sure which one of the three."


    "It''s probably Zhao Ming. He''s the only one who could reach that level so quickly."


    "I think so too. I''ve heard his family didn''t hold back in spending on many resources for him.


    I''m so envious; with just a third of those resources, I could finally break through to the second level of body refining."


    The conversation between the two continued, and they didn''t notice Ethan passing by.


    Ethan, as he reached his dormitory, couldn''t help but think about the conversation.


    ''So, someone from our group has already broken through to the fifth level?


    The others probably aren''t far behind,'' he thought, remembering that on the day of the entrance test, three people had particularly stood out.


    Ethan hadn''t had the chance to meet these people during the year, mainly because they were admitted directly to the inner sect due to their exceptional results, unlike him and many others.


    Ethan didn''t mind this; after all, he didn''t know any of them personally.


    At this moment, he only cared about his own cultivation.


    ''Hmph, an entire year to reach the fifth level?


    Tch, this daddy will do it in less than 30 days,'' he thought as he entered his dormitory.


    He didn''t bother to check on Da Shu; after all, he knew he wasn''t home.


    Since they had started doing business together, Da Shu''s routine had changed a bit.


    Ethan knew that if Da Shu wasn''t at home, he was either using the sect''s training rooms or selling their pills.


    Every 2-3 days, after receiving a certain number of pills from Ethan, Da Shu would go to his family''s shops to sell them.


    Yesterday, Ethan had given him the latest batch of pills he had created, so he was likely out selling them today.


    Ethan entered his room and locked the door. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then took out his refining materials and began producing high-grade level 1 pills one after another.


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    ...


    Ethan refined the pills in batches of three, placed them in appropriate containers, and then resumed refining.


    He continued this process for a while, until he finally began to feel the QI within him reaching a certain threshold.


    ''Come on, just a little more,'' he told himself as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    He could feel he was almost reaching the next level, so maintaining his concentration, he continued producing pills.


    At that moment, in Ethan''s sea of consciousness, Bai Yu, who was resting beneath the water''s surface, opened his azure eyes.


    Hm?


    He sensed fluctuations of spiritual energy and, lifting his gaze, saw that the Amphora of the Seven Sages, which had remained rather calm in recent times, began to glow slightly as some runes on it started to appear one after another.


    Seeing these runes, Bai Yu couldn''t help but narrow his eyes as he pondered something.


    ''Could it be��''


    At that moment, just as he finished speaking, one of the runes that had appeared on the artifact began to lose its brightness.


    ''Just as I thought, the seal has started to loosen,'' he said with a voice filled with surprise but also a hint of joy.


    The rune that was losing its glow didn''t stop, and soon there was no trace of light left in it.


    At the same time, outside the sea of consciousness, Ethan, who had just finished preparing another pill, felt the change.


    Realizing what it was, he quickly put away the cauldron and the pile of pills he had created, preparing for what was about to happen.


    He could feel the QI within him, which he had accumulated over the recent period, starting to stir and gradually spread throughout his body.


    He felt a refreshing sensation spreading through all his limbs as the QI within him continued to circulate and envelop every fiber of his being.


    Feeling this refreshing sensation, Ethan couldn''t help but think:


    ''Haa, I''ll need a good cleaning after this.''


    From his feet to his hands, and finally to his head, Ethan''s entire being was engulfed by this wave of QI, causing his body to heat up slightly.


    Then, as if triggered by something, a small boom resounded in Ethan''s room.


    Black droplets flew in all directions, staining Ethan''s body and the surrounding area with a dark substance.


    A black liquid with a pungent odor splattered the walls as well as Ethan himself.


    At that moment, a system message appeared:


    [Congratulations, you have successfully advanced to level 5 of body refining.]


    Ethan, who was currently in a meditative position, didn''t notice the message and continued to keep his eyes closed as if he hadn''t heard it.


    Meanwhile, in Ethan''s sea of consciousness, luminous particles began to condense at a point, and the figure of a young woman started to form.


    Ethan, who had just finished breaking through, suddenly appeared in his sea of consciousness.


    Towards the end of the process, he had sensed some changes in his sea of consciousness, so as soon as he finished advancing, he decided to enter it to see what was happening.


    His body finished reconstructing, and he opened his eyes.


    At first glance, everything seemed normal in his sea of consciousness, but then, as he continued to examine the area, his eyes caught sight of a figure standing not too far away from him.


    ''What?''


    For a moment, Ethan was alarmed as he turned to see who it was.


    A few meters away from him, a figure could be seen standing with its back to him, looking upwards.


    As far as he knew, apart from him and Bai Yu, no one else could appear in this place, so seeing an unfamiliar figure in his sea of consciousness alarmed him.


    The figure was a woman, a little over 170 cm tall, wearing a classic white robe adorned with metallic gray trimmings.


    She had long white hair cascading down her back, and despite the distance, it seemed to emit an ethereal glow under the dim light.


    Her skin was pale, almost translucent, as if made of porcelain.


    As if sensing his presence, the woman slowly turned around, and a melodious voice emanated from her.


    "It seems you haven''t forgotten to pay me a visit," she said, her beautiful, sparkling blue eyes gazing at Ethan.


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react. Then, with a bit of hesitation, he said:


    "Bai Yu?"


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 60 - 60: Spiritual Realm

    .


    Bai Yu?


    Ethan''s mind was flooded with questions at that moment.


    Is it really her? Wasn''t she sealed?


    How is she out of the Water Mirror?


    But wasn''t she some sort of beast?


    Various thoughts raced through Ethan''s mind, and Bai Yu, who was standing just a few meters away from him, seeing his confusion, spoke calmly.


    "Yes, it''s me, or rather, a part of me," she said.


    "A part of you?" Ethan asked, still confused.


    "Yes, I''m still sealed beneath the Water Mirror, but I managed to release a part of my consciousness after the Seal of the Seven Sages'' Amphora loosened a bit," she explained, dispelling some of Ethan''s doubts.


    Bai Yu had already told Ethan before that to have greater control over the artifact, he needed to become stronger.


    It seemed she was right, as soon as he reached the fifth level of body refining, the seal on the artifact loosened slightly as well.


    "Well, I''m happy for you, but tell me, what exactly has changed from before?


    I mean, are you still confined within the Sea of Consciousness, or can you also leave this place?" he asked.


    This was the question that interested him the most.


    If it was just that she could navigate beyond the Water Mirror, there wouldn''t be any issues, but if she could leave this place entirely, Ethan wasn''t sure what new troubles he might find himself in.


    Why did he think this could lead to trouble?


    From what he knew, Bai Yu had been trapped here for a long time, with nothing to do and no one to talk to.


    Even though Ethan occasionally had the chance to converse with her, such opportunities were rare, as he had spent all his recent time refining pills and consolidating his cultivation foundation.


    So it wasn''t wrong to say that Bai Yu''s life hadn''t changed much, even after meeting him.


    Ethan could only imagine what it felt like to be locked away in a place isolated from the rest of the world for centuries.


    He knew that if it were him, he would have gone mad by now, so he feared she might cause trouble once she was free.


    "Well, in a way, my situation hasn''t changed much, from before.


    I''m still sealed here, but unlike before, when I could only perceive the outside world, now I can actually see it," she said, her expression still serene.


    Then she began to walk, and in a few steps, she was standing right next to Ethan.


    "And I must say, you are exactly as I expected you to be," she said, examining Ethan''s face. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan unconsciously took a few steps back.


    ''I can''t say the same about you,'' he thought.


    Clearing his throat a little, he said, "I see."


    "Do you know what level I need to reach in the future to completely break the seal?" he asked.


    Simply cultivating to the mid-stage of body refining had already begun to affect the seal.


    According to this logic, with every half-step towards the next stage, the seal should loosen more and more.


    Ethan had no idea how much further he needed to advance for the seal to completely break, but he could say one thing:


    if the seal loosened enough, he had no doubt that a being like her would eventually be able to free herself on her own.


    "I''m not sure, I''ve never been sealed before, much less by an artifact of this level," Bai Yu replied nonchalantly.


    "But if I had to guess, I''d say the seal won''t be completely released until you reach at least the Spiritual Realm," she said, after thinking for a moment.


    "Spiritual Realm? What stage is that?" Ethan asked, confused.


    From what he knew, there were only five stages of cultivation, ranging from body refining to body and soul integration.


    He had never heard of another stage beyond this, moreover, she hadn''t said it was a stage, but rather a "realm."


    Bai Yu, who still seemed to be pondering something, made a strange face for a moment, but then her expression changed slightly as if she had understood something.


    "Ah, perhaps here in the mortal plane, people are unaware of the existence of the various cultivation realms."


    Cultivation realms?


    Hearing this, Ethan''s mind clicked, and a few bits of knowledge from his previous world flashed through his mind.


    ''If I remember correctly, in some of the Xianxia books, there was often a power system like this,'' he thought, nodding slightly as if he had understood something.


    In the novels he had read in his previous world, there were often different types of power systems, but in Xianxia novels, the power system was always somewhat similar among them, with differences varying from novel to novel.


    It was often the case that cultivation levels were grouped into certain categories, which in turn were classified based on strength and other factors.


    Thinking this way, Ethan wondered for a moment if the so-called Spiritual Realm was the realm entered after the stage of body and soul integration.


    He didn''t have to wait long to receive an answer to his supposition.


    "You see, due to the low concentration of spiritual energy in the mortal plane, its inhabitants can only reach a certain point in their cultivation," she began to explain as if she were a teacher giving a lesson to her student.


    "This point should be the stage of body and soul integration.


    This stage is also considered the final stage of the mortal realm.


    But the path of cultivation doesn''t end here.


    After the mortal realm, there are two other cultivation realms:


    the Spirit Realm, which is the realm accessed after the mortal realm,


    and the Divine Realm, the realm of the Gods."


    .


    --------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    I apologize for my absence in the last two days.


    I wasn''t feeling well, and therefore wasn''t in the condition to write or do anything else.


    Anyway, here I am now, healthy as a fish again.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 61 - 61: Bottleneck

    .


    The Realm of the Gods


    ''Now, this is interesting.''


    Ethan didn''t know exactly what this realm was, but just hearing that it was where the gods resided was enough to capture his attention.


    ''So, there are actual gods in this world?''


    Ethan unconsciously set aside the spiritual realm and immediately began to think about the realm of the gods.


    He wondered if these beings were like the so-called omnipotent entities that come to mind when one thinks of a god.


    Ethan wanted to ask more, and for a moment, he wondered what level she was at before being sealed, but he brushed the thought aside.


    He spent a bit more time talking with her, and then decided to return to his own sea of consciousness.


    Although it was true that, in a sense, Bai Yu''s situation hadn''t changed much, Ethan thought it was still better than before.


    At least now he could interact with her directly, unlike before, when they only communicated occasionally in his head.


    At one point, he stopped going into his sea of consciousness because there was no real need to do so, as their communication happened the same way regardless of where he was.


    He had discovered that he could also materialize things in his sea of consciousness.


    He wasn''t sure exactly how this worked, but according to Bai Yu, since the sea of consciousness was his mind, he could think of things and materialize them in his mind.


    Needless to say, he was quite euphoric to hear this.


    Only he knew how much he missed things from his past world since he arrived here.


    This world, in terms of technology, was quite backward, and aside from that, there were many other things that didn''t exist here, including some foods and drinks he liked a lot.


    The first thing he did was materialize a red can of a famous soda in his hand.


    He drank it as if he were drinking the most delicious nectar in the world.


    Even Bai Yu, who thought she had gotten used to this strange human, had to reconsider when she saw this scene.


    But Ethan didn''t care; in fact, to show her what a marvel it was, he made her drink a can, but later wondered if it was better not to do so.


    ''Who would have thought she''d like it so much,'' he wondered as he opened his eyes and savored the energy flowing through his body now that he had leveled up.


    Too bad for him, the surrounding environment did not allow for such luxuries.


    F*ck.


    He cursed in his mind as he hurried to clean his dorm room from top to bottom.


    After a full hour, Ethan finally lay down on his bed.


    Now that he had finished cleaning the room and himself, it was time to start thinking about the next step.


    He had always been in a hurry because the end-of-year exam was approaching, but now that his problem was resolved, he decided to think carefully about his future steps.


    His cultivation was currently progressing at a rapid pace, so he didn''t need to worry much about it.


    There was still more than a month until the exam day, and until then, he was more or less free of any obligations.


    He thought everything would go smoothly from here on out.


    He would produce pills every day, accumulating both Qi and spiritual stones, but Bai Yu threw a bucket of cold water on him.


    "If I were you, I''d start preparing for when you advance to the next level," she said while sipping from an elegant glass that seemed to contain a black carbonated drink, lounging comfortably in a luxurious floating armchair.


    "Hm? What you mean?" Ethan asked, also in a single armchair.


    "As you might know, at the end of each stage, there is a bottleneck that everyone must overcome to advance to the next stage," she said, beginning to explain.


    Ethan nodded in agreement while tossing the empty can aside and summoning another one.


    "This bottleneck can be more or less difficult to overcome, depending on each individual''s talent.


    Someone with little talent in cultivation tends to struggle more with the bottleneck, while someone with great talent might not even notice the bottleneck and simply overcome it."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but ask, "But then, there shouldn''t be any problem for me, right?


    After all, now that I''ve awakened my special physique, my affinity for cultivation has increased significantly."


    Indeed, Ethan''s cultivation speed had increased dramatically after unlocking his special physique.


    Although Bai Yu had previously pointed out that, unlike others, he needed much more Qi to level up, his cultivation speed made up for this, and with the large amount of Qi he received just from refining pills, the issue could be simply ignored.


    "Your talent in cultivation has certainly increased a lot, and indeed, I don''t think there are many in the world who can match you in terms of cultivation speed.


    But it''s a different case when it comes to advancing to the next stage.


    You see, advancing to a next stage isn''t just about increasing the Qi concentration in your body; it''s more like crossing a threshold and entering a new environment.


    This environment varies from person to person, and depending on various factors, it could be more or less problematic.


    In your case, the difficulty is very high because you possess one of the rarest and most powerful physiques under the two planes of existence," she said, taking a sip from her glass.


    Upon hearing this, Ethan began to feel a bit of anxiety.


    "How high?" he asked, with a hint of hesitation in his voice.


    "Quite high, enough to make it almost impossible for you to enter the divine realm," she said.


    "The higher you go, the harder it will be to break through the bottleneck of the next level.


    This isn''t due to cultivation itself, but more because of nourishing your special body.


    As I''ve already mentioned, every special body brings certain benefits, but these benefits come with risks.


    Your special physique may be your greatest weapon now, but in the future, it may be what holds you back from ascending to higher realms.


    The rarity of materials you''ll need for your future bottlenecks will rise to a point where you might not be able to find them, as they could be extinct."


    .


    -------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 62 - 62: Advancing to the Next Level

    .


    In the end, Ethan decided to set aside the issue of his special physique for the time being.


    There wasn''t much he could do about it right now.


    He wasn''t sure what kind of resources would be needed to nurture his special physique.


    The only thing giving him a glimmer of hope at the moment was the system.


    He remembered that when he became a true cultivator, the system had helped him, so he wondered if it would assist him again when he reached the limit of body refining.


    Therefore, he put the matter aside and focused on what was more important to him right now.


    Namely, accumulating Qi.


    Another week had passed, and Ethan continued his routine, spending most of his time refining high-grade pills.


    He had learned the low-grade recipes for several other pills, which he asked Da Shu to procure for him at a good price.


    With the quality of his pills now being high-grade, his earnings in recent days had been quite good, allowing him to afford some essential and highly sought-after pill recipes on the market.


    His mastery of these pills was a bit lacking at first, but he quickly got the hang of it, and before long, he received a system notification saying he had successfully learned the recipes, meaning he could now view them in his system shop.


    He upgraded all the low-grade recipes to mid-grade, but no further, as each upgrade cost several dozen system points.


    Raising them to high-grade would have been too expensive, and he didn''t need that level of pill just yet.


    Even at this grade, his sales were going quite well, so much so that even Da Shu was a bit shocked by it all.


    He didn''t know how his friend did it, but somehow Ethan always managed to produce a large quantity of pills in a short amount of time.


    Da Shu was even starting to question everything he knew about alchemy and alchemists in general.


    Could it be that other alchemists are lying about their success rates?


    Such questions couldn''t help but surface in his mind every time he saw the sales sheet at the end of the day.


    The sales themselves weren''t anything too extravagant, especially for someone like him, who had seen large sums in his life.


    It was the rapid growth of these sales that excited him.


    It wasn''t uncommon for one out of ten pills from an alchemist to be slightly flawed or defective compared to the others, which often frustrated buyers, but this had never happened with Ethan.


    Da Shu didn''t know if Ethan weeded out these pills in advance before passing them to him, or if he was just skilled enough to avoid them in the first place, but one thing was certain:


    the quality of his pills had remained consistent, thus boosting his reputation among buyers.


    And this was a good thing because it meant that current customers would likely stay, and in the future, they might even recommend Ethan''s pills to their friends or loved ones.


    Da Shu had agreed with Ethan that he would sell his pills for a certain period to see how they performed on the market, and then they would decide what to do next.


    ''I''d say it''s time to take this collaboration to the next level.''


    He thought, quickening his pace as he returned to the sect.


    Unfortunately for him, he would have to wait until the next day to talk to Ethan about this matter.


    That''s because, at that moment, in Ethan''s dorm room, he was just finishing preparing another batch of pills and was getting ready to advance to level 7.


    Yes, in just one week, he had already broken through once, and now he was about to do it again.


    Bai Yu, who was in the sea of consciousness, seeing what was about to happen, settled in to watch the show.


    With not much else to do, she entertained herself with things Ethan had given her, like chess, games, novels, etc, anything to distract her from boredom.


    Of course, Ethan chose carefully what to have her read: cultivation novels he had read himself or fantasy stories that didn''t delve too deeply into her world but focused more on magical elements that didn''t exist in reality.


    He had to admit that his collection of things to offer a superior being from a different world was quite limited.


    He quickly discovered the capricious side of this woman.


    Even the novels he suggested were rejected as too ''STUPID.''


    Her exact words were: ''Who''s the idiot who wrote these novels?


    It''s as if this person spent most of his life under a rock, given that he got nearly every single concept of cultivation wrong here.


    Not to mention that almost all the protagonists think more with their lower halves than with their brains.''


    Ethan had to admit that at a certain point, he didn''t even know how to counter her words, so he simply said that these were novels a friend of his used to read.


    He didn''t want to die a social death so soon, even though in this case, it couldn''t exactly be called a social life.


    He was glad that at least she liked games like chess because otherwise, he would have just left her to her own devices.


    He couldn''t spend all his time trying to please her.


    He was already doing this little because, in a sense, she was his guest, if she could even be considered as such.


    He wanted to maintain a good relationship with her because he knew how much help she could provide him in the future, not only in terms of knowledge about the cultivation world, which was clearly superior to the norm, but also in terms of strength.


    Just the fact that she came from a higher plane assured him that she was at a level far superior to that of the inhabitants of this plane.


    Ethan didn''t know what situations he would find himself in the future, but it was better to prepare in advance for anything.


    And so, the process began, and Ethan successfully advanced to level 7.


    .


    ----------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here are today''s 2 chapters.


    I know many of you will not be happy that I went premium, and I understand, but I can''t just keep writing for free forever.


    After all, I have a greedy cat to take care of :) . sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 63 - 63: How’s Business Going?

    .


    This time, Ethan''s room didn''t turn into a mess after he advanced.


    From what he''d learned, the phenomenon of black liquid oozing from his body only occurred during the body refining stage.


    This was because, at this stage, the body is being prepared for the trials that lie ahead on the path of cultivation.


    The black liquid was a concentration of impurities being expelled from the body, a process that happens gradually during the initial phase of cultivation.


    There are a total of three times when the body expels these impurities:


    the first time during the first level of body refining, the second time at the midpoint, in other words, the fifth level, and finally at the last level of body refining, just before breaking through to the next stage.


    So, Ethan didn''t have to worry about being covered in that foul-smelling substance again.


    When the process was over, Ethan opened his eyes and immediately noticed small changes in his body.


    His QI circulation seemed smoother, his breathing more stable, and Ethan could feel that his body now held an explosive power strong enough to rival others at his level with ease.


    In fact, Ethan felt he might even be able to stand his ground against those a level above him.


    He knew this was likely due to his special physique, which, as he grew stronger, made his body superior to what it should be at that level.


    Ethan still knew little about this body, and even Bai Yu seemed to know only a bit.


    From what little she had told him, his body was a physique once possessed by a powerful being from the past.


    This being seemed to wield multiple energy sources, including rare flames.


    Bai Yu had mentioned that obtaining a rare flame put a strain on the owner''s soul, so usually, a person wouldn''t assimilate more than one rare flame, not that they had many chances to find others to assimilate in the first place.


    If they did find them, they would ensure that the stronger flame absorbed the other as fuel to grow stronger, something his flame also needed to do to increase its power.


    He shook his head to clear these thoughts and turned his attention to his status screen.


    He wanted to see what changes had occurred since his last advancement.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 6 --> Lvl. 7)


    QI: 12/800


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 57 --> 68


    Agility: 51 --> 61


    Intelligence: 59 --> 70


    Soul Strength: 122 --> 124


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 237


    -------------------------------]


    .


    As usual, some stats seemed to have improved more than others, though this time, not by much.


    Ethan could only attribute this to the fact that he had spent more time refining than training recently.


    His system points had also increased, but they were still far from the 1000 he needed.


    ''Haa, it''s taking longer than I thought to accumulate them,'' Ethan thought, recalling the number of high-level pills he had created in the last period.


    The number itself was quite high, but the points he received in return were far fewer compared to the amount of QI he gained.


    Not that he could complain. After all, it had only been a week, and in that time, he had accumulated over 100 system points and advanced nearly two levels.


    For a normal person, this speed, both in alchemy and cultivation, was extremely high. It was only Ethan, being accustomed to it, who thought it was slow.


    Ethan didn''t dwell on it too much.


    He had already come to terms with this long ago.


    Cultivation was a long and arduous path.


    Just as it was mentioned in the novels he read in his previous world, here too, people could spend years cultivating to make progress.


    The short time it took to advance in level would stretch out as the cultivator grew stronger.


    Ethan had heard that several of the sect''s elders had been in isolation for months now.


    Ethan didn''t know what stage the sect elders were at, but he knew they were all beyond the Dantian Expansion stage.


    Ethan could only imagine how powerful the sect elders were at this stage.


    After showering, Ethan started working in the kitchen to prepare a good meal as a reward for advancing.


    Just as he finished cooking, he heard the dormitory door open.


    Turning his head, he saw that it was his dorm mate who had entered.


    "Welcome back, how''s business going?" Ethan asked, while he started serving everything into a bowl.


    Da Shu, who had just entered, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "Of all the things you could ask me, you ask how business is going?"


    "Well, what did you want me to ask? Something like:


    How was your day? S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Or if you''ve eaten?


    I''m not your wife," Ethan said.


    Both of them laughed.


    "Hm? What''s that delicious smell? Are you making your usual dishes or something new?" Da Shu asked, drawn by the aroma.


    "No, just some beef with rice and a few seasonings," Ethan replied while finishing the bowl.


    Once done, he admired it and indulged in its splendor.


    ''Maybe I should consider going into the food business,'' he thought as he sat down, ready to dive into his meal.


    "Hey, don''t eat all the good stuff by yourself, share some with me," Da Shu said, seeing what his friend had prepared.


    Ethan didn''t bother replying and began eating, gesturing with his hand toward the kitchen counter, where there was still some fried rice and slices of cooked beef left.


    After a while, both of them finished dinner.


    Ethan was satisfied with what he had prepared, and from Da Shu''s expression, it was clear he was too.


    ''Well, it doesn''t hurt to have a meal in good company every once in a while,'' he thought as he began cleaning up.


    At that moment, Da Shu, remembering something, said:


    "Hey, speaking of business, I think it''s time to take the next step," he said.


    Ethan, who was cleaning the bowls, stopped and turned his head as he asked:


    "It sounds like my pills have sold well," he said.


    "Well? More than well. The quality of your pills is impeccable.


    You''ve practically made a name for yourself among the buyers. I think it''s time you start promoting your own brand," Da Shu said enthusiastically.


    "My own brand?"


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments or concerns, feel free to comment below.


    Now that I''ve gone premium, I''ll try to speed things up a bit, and if I can save some time during the day, I might start releasing two chapters a day.


    I''ll see what I can do in the coming days.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 64 - 64: Creating a Brand

    .


    Night had already fallen in the Phoenix Kingdom, and the faint light of oil lamps could be seen glowing in various places.


    In a dormitory room, illuminated by one of these lamps, Ethan lay on his single bed, reflecting on the conversation he had earlier with Da Shu.


    "Creating my own brand?"


    Ethan was a bit puzzled by his friend''s words.


    Of course, he understood what it meant to create a brand, but he wondered if it was necessary for an alchemist at his level to do something like that.


    Seeing the confusion on Ethan''s face, Da Shu explained.


    "Yes, as you know, every alchemist eventually creates their own brand, and the benefit of doing so is obvious.


    You see, a brand is not just a symbol or a name.


    It''s the identity of your business in the market.


    Creating a strong brand can make the difference between being just another alchemist and becoming one of the most respected in the industry.


    In a saturated market like alchemy, where every alchemist can create similar pills, having a unique brand ensures that customers recognize and remember you.


    It''s like a seal of quality that speaks for itself."


    Ethan raised an eyebrow.


    "It''s not that I don''t understand the benefits of having my own brand, but what''s the point of creating one so early?"


    He naturally had a basic idea of the benefits of having his own brand for his pills, but he simply thought that at his current level, it was unnecessary to create one.


    The pills he produced were essentially already available on the market, and many other alchemists were making them.


    Moreover, they were of the lowest grade.


    So, no matter the degree of purity, they were still common pills with little relevance.


    Ethan had already thought of creating his own brand; after all, he would need one in the future.


    But he didn''t expect that he would need to create one so soon.


    Da Shu, of course, understood why Ethan thought this way, so he explained:


    "Normally, there wouldn''t be many advantages to doing something like this so early," he said, and Ethan nodded in agreement.


    "But there are special cases where it''s better to do it right away, especially in your case," he added, with a hint of excitement in his voice.


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    "You see, in the past period, the reports from our stores, where I primarily sold your pills, have shown a certain increase in earnings.


    And the main source of this increase seems to be the pills, more precisely, the pills you''ve produced," he said with a pleased tone.


    "My pills?" Ethan asked doubtfully.


    "Yes, your pills.


    You see, although our stores have always sold pills from various sources, they''ve never been our main focus.


    Not having a renowned expert at our disposal, people tend to buy pills more from other places, like the Medicine Pavilion stores, and this is essentially due to their reputation.


    People know they have a guarantee when buying from them.


    They know that the quality and validity of those pills will never be compromised.


    This leads our pill sales not to be very high, so we tend to promote other products more, where we are sure to be more successful.


    But this has changed recently.


    The few customers who bought your pills were satisfied enough to come back to us to buy more.


    As you know, when a product is good and the customer is satisfied with it, they often recommend it to their acquaintances, advising them to buy from where they did, and this has been the case for your pills.


    The effectiveness of your pills has been so impeccable that the number of people buying pills from us has increased by at least three times in the last month," Da Shu said, pleased.


    And why wouldn''t he be?


    After all, this not only brought him more earnings but also improved the image of his family''s stores.


    The influence of Da Shu''s family in Sun City was not yet strong enough to hold a large market share.


    Their influence in Sun City was secondary.


    They were still far from being able to rival the other families who had settled there before them and had more time to establish their influence.


    Da Shu personally cared little about commerce and was more interested in pursuing his cultivation path, so although he had some stores under his name, he didn''t pay much attention to them.


    As a result, his performance at the end of the year was always much lower than that of other members of his family.


    That said, although managing a part of his family''s business was secondary, it wasn''t that Da Shu didn''t care at all.


    His so-called monthly allowance, which he received from his family, was actually a share of the total monthly profits from the stores under his name.


    And the resources for cultivation that he bought were purchased using these earnings, so he knew that if he wanted to continue cultivating without too many worries, he at least had to dedicate some time to managing the business.


    So when he saw how much he had earned at the end of the month from the sales of Ethan''s pills, he was pleased.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but ask in a doubtful tone.


    "But wait, don''t I only sell level 1 pills?


    How do pills of that level attract so many customers?"


    Da Shu, hearing his friend''s question, almost fell off his chair and said with a strange expression:


    "Just level 1 pills?


    Do you have any idea how many people buy level 1 pills?


    Seventy percent of the pills sold in any city are level 1 pills.


    Most people don''t have a high enough income to afford higher-level pills, so they rely heavily on level 1 ones." he said.


    At that moment, Ethan''s eyes widened as he realized something.


    ''Right, higher-level pills are much more expensive.


    It''s not possible for common people to afford them without creating a big hole in their finances.''


    Ethan realized what was wrong with his earlier thinking.


    He had always thought that the higher the level of the pill, the more he would earn.


    But there was a flaw in this reasoning.


    Just because a pill was of a higher level didn''t mean there would be more customers for it;


    after all, it would cost more, and there was no way that a person with an average income would decide to spend money on a high-level pill if they didn''t need it.


    Selling level 1 pills in stores was fine because everyone could afford them, but it was a different case for higher-level pills.


    For example, if an ordinary store decided to sell a level 3 or even 4 pill, that store would only risk being robbed.


    Products of a certain level could only be sold safely in stores of a certain level.


    That''s why institutions like auction houses existed, where high-level and rare products were the order of the day and could be sold safely.


    The Medicine Pavilion, for example, had floors dedicated exclusively to products of this level, where only people with a certain income and status could access.


    Ethan had always taken level 1 pills lightly, but now he understood that by doing so, he was risking losing a great opportunity to make money.


    He also realized why it was better to establish his own brand from the start.


    If what Da Shu said was true, then this was a good opportunity for him to establish a good image for his brand.


    It was just as Da Shu had said before.


    Having a good image guaranteed the quality of your products, and if the image was good enough, you could even charge a slightly higher price than normal.


    And this, in other words, meant more money for him.


    At that moment, Ethan had an expression that shone, with his eyes almost taking the shape of a money sign.


    Da Shu, seeing that his friend finally understood, made a similar expression.


    There was no need for more words between the two.


    They could both tell what the other was thinking.


    If an elder of the sect had been there at that moment and heard their conversation and seen their expressions, he probably would have given them a few knocks to bring them back on the right path.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments or concerns, feel free to comment below. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 65 - 65: A Spark of Hope.

    .


    After discussing the branding issue with Da Shu, Ethan got to work on creating one.


    For now, his main distributor would remain Da Shu, as he had done a good job so far, and Ethan saw no need to look for new ones.


    He spent quite some time thinking about his brand, specifically its design.


    Marking a product with a brand was simple, and anyone with minimal experience could imprint it during the final stage of pill refinement.


    The advantage of having a brand was that not only could you stand out from the competition, but you could also prevent others from using your name to sell their own pills.


    Imprinting the brand requires the alchemist to use their own spiritual energy signature, allowing others to recognize it.


    If the spiritual energy signature is different but the brand is the same, the buyer will be cautious about purchasing that product, preventing anyone from taking advantage of his brand.


    This also prevented others from buying his pills and reselling them at higher prices, though this wasn''t a concern at the moment since he mostly produced mid-grade pills.


    Ethan hadn''t yet elevated any other recipe to high-grade and didn''t intend to do so before raising the basic recovery recipe to the next level.


    Elevating even a single recipe to high-grade cost 100 points, and he didn''t have enough to elevate all the new recipes he had worked on to that level.


    For now, he was content to keep them at mid-grade, as they seemed to sell well enough even at that level.


    Ethan finally decided on his brand design.


    At the moment, he was in his spiritual sea, standing in front of a painting setup.


    He looked ahead with pride, admiring the design he had spent hours creating.


    Initially, he had remained in his bedroom pondering the brand design, but he eventually decided to move to his spiritual sea, where he had a bit more artistic freedom.


    Here, he only needed to think to generate what he wanted, as long as it was an inanimate object and preferably not too large.


    For example, after several tests, he realized he could easily conjure small objects like a fridge, a soda can, or some food, but if he tried to conjure larger objects like a house or a car, he couldn''t do it.


    According to what Bai Yu had told him, the manifestation of these objects required a certain amount of mental power.


    Ethan''s mental power was still insufficient to conjure too many things or objects that were too large, but following this logic, he might be able to do so in the future.


    Now, it''s not that he cared much about being able to conjure these objects, but it was reassuring to know that he might be able to do it in the future.


    Ethan thought he could practice his martial arts here, using imaginary tools of all kinds, since he couldn''t always do it outside, as the training area provided to the outer disciples was very limited both in size and tools.


    After admiring his masterpiece sufficiently, Ethan turned his gaze to his right, where a few meters away stood an elegant woman, and asked:


    "So, what do you think? You have to admit it didn''t turn out too bad this time."


    Bai Yu, who had been assisting Ethan for the past few hours, approached to take a closer look.


    The brand consisted of a black ring with golden lines engraved on it, with a stylized cauldron in the center.


    Noticing that the cauldron''s figure seemed somewhat familiar, she couldn''t help but ask.


    "So you decided to use the Seven Sages'' Amphora as your brand?"


    "Yeah, I needed something unique that represents me, and what better object than the Seven Sages'' Amphora to identify me?" Ethan said, convinced of his design.


    "The design itself isn''t bad, but it''s not very original. If you release this kind of brand in the upper heavens, you can be sure many people will pay you a ''friendly'' visit," Bai Yu said, shaking her head.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. I''m not even sure I''ll ever go to the upper heavens," Ethan said, shrugging.


    Bai Yu, who had returned to her cloud chair, spoke calmly.


    "If you maintain this cultivation speed, it won''t take many years for you to reach the peak of the mortal realm." she said.


    "And once you do, you''ll have little choice in the matter.


    After all, the heavens don''t allow beings who surpass a certain threshold to continue residing in the lower plane, as it would disturb the balance between the two planes."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but reflect on it for a moment.


    It''s not that he didn''t understand what she meant by these words.


    It was normal for the heavens to prevent beings who had reached a certain level, to remain in the lower heavens.


    After all, it was like putting a lion and a rabbit in the same cage. The result would have been predictable.


    And, It was just as she had said. If he intended to continue pursuing the path of cultivation, he would eventually have to leave this plane. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was still determined to find a way back home.


    After all, he had left many matters unresolved in his previous world, and he would never feel completely at ease knowing there might be a way to return, and he hadn''t taken it.


    That said, Ethan also knew that this desire of his wouldn''t be fulfilled in just a few years.


    In fact, he was sure he would remain here for quite some time, assuming there was indeed a way to go back.


    After returning to his room, Ethan decided to create some pills before going to bed, so he could imprint his brand on them and see how it looked.


    He pulled out all the materials and started refining.


    In just a few minutes, the process was complete, and he now held in his hand three high-grade Level 1 basic recovery pills.


    Unlike his previous ones, though, these had something different, a small black mark on the almost smooth surface, similar to the design Ethan had created in his sea of consciousness.


    The mark wasn''t very large, covering only a small part of the pill''s total surface.


    Although it was small, its details were still very visible, making it quite distinguishable to anyone.


    Ethan had to admit that he didn''t expect it to turn out this well on the first try.


    Nodding in satisfaction, Ethan placed the three pills in a small rectangular container, which also had his brand on the front, centered.


    He had decided that this would be the design of the container for his future high-level pills.


    This would be given to Da Shu for examination and to get his approval.


    Ethan wasn''t worried that he would reject the brand because he had had the chance to examine some famous brands of well-known masters and could say that his brand was just fine.


    Da Shu had provided him with an agenda depicting various famous brands, so he could study them and take inspiration, which he had done.


    Now that he had finished sorting this matter out, it was time for him to go to bed and then resume his usual routine tomorrow.


    According to Ethan''s calculations, if he kept up this pace, then in less than two weeks, he would have enough system points to upgrade his recipe.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to do it.


    Just the thought of having a Level 2 recipe at his current alchemist level excited him.


    Ethan didn''t know if he would be able to easily produce Level 2 pills, after all, he had never had the chance to make them, so he wasn''t sure if his current refining skills were high enough to do so.


    In the last few days, the system had only given him daily missions with rewards consisting mainly of Qi and refining materials.


    Yes, after the first week of refining, the system had also started providing him with materials.


    Although they were still of low quality, just the fact that such a thing was possible reignited a spark of hope in Ethan.


    This was because if, in the future, he needed certain materials that were too rare to obtain, then there was a possibility that the system would provide them in exchange for missions.


    Ethan really hoped this turned out to be true, as it would mean that even his material problem for future breakthroughs to higher stages might not be entirely hopeless.


    Ethan had no idea how much he would have to bleed to nurture his special physique in the future, but according to what Bai Yu had said, it wouldn''t be a walk in the park.


    Ethan didn''t doubt her words, so he sincerely hoped that his assumption would not be wrong.


    ''Haa, at least not all is lost yet.''


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.


    As you may have noticed, the chapter is slightly longer than usual.


    I''m trying to see if this length is okay or if it''s better to just write two chapters. I don''t know, let me know what you think.


    Looking forward to hearing from you.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 66 - 66: 1000 Sp

    .


    The next few days were pretty calm for Ethan.


    He would wake up in the morning, do his usual workout routine to keep his body in shape, and then spend at least three hours cultivating and consolidating his cultivation base.


    After that, he''d wash up and have breakfast.


    Once done, he''d lock himself in his room until evening, producing batch after batch of pills.


    This kind of routine might be tough for a normal person, but not for a cultivator, especially someone like Ethan.


    Even an alchemist dedicated to their craft wouldn''t spend all day making pills, mainly because they''d be overwhelmed by the mental fatigue from refining, which would lead to a higher failure rate in creating the pills.


    But this wasn''t a problem for Ethan.


    He had every single step of the process ingrained in his mind, so he could refine without stopping for hours on end.


    Ethan had confirmed that no matter how casually he approached the refinement of this level of pills, the final product would never be lacking in quality.


    So while refining, he could also dedicate part of his attention to other things, like calculating how many materials he had left and mentally noting how much more he''d need for the coming days.


    He often spent time chatting with Bai Yu, asking her for more information about the Heavenly Plane, and so on.


    This routine continued for almost two weeks, and in these two weeks, the number of pills he produced was nearly double that of previous batches.


    Material shortages weren''t a problem at the moment since he had plenty of money, and thanks to Da Shu''s connections, he could always find them at a good price.


    At first, Da Shu was happy about this sudden surge in pills, but even he couldn''t help worrying about his friend''s health, so he tried to talk to him.


    But he soon discovered that his worries were unfounded, as his friend seemed to be in good shape and showed no signs of excessive fatigue.


    He didn''t know how Ethan managed to stay healthy and continue producing so many pills in such a short time, but he eventually came to terms with it.


    The sales of his pills didn''t seem to decrease, and gradually, more and more customers who wanted to buy from his stores started showing up.


    For any merchant, this was a dream come true, and it was the same for Da Shu.


    The days passed, and nothing special happened, except that Ethan made yet another breakthrough, reaching level 8.


    That''s right, level 8.


    While the rest of the sect''s disciples struggled to reach level 3, with the more talented ones at level 5, Ethan was climbing the levels like he was walking up the steps of a regular staircase.


    If others knew about his cultivation speed, they''d die of envy, wondering what on earth they were doing wrong to have such a huge difference in cultivation between them and Ethan.


    Ethan, on the other hand, didn''t worry much about his breakthrough and continued with his usual routine.


    And so Ethan kept producing pill after pill for a while, until there were less than two weeks left before the end-of-year trial.


    At this moment, Ethan was in his dorm room.


    Usually, at this time of day, he should be busy refining new pills, but right now, he was standing still, examining a system window in front of him.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 8 --> Lvl. 9)


    QI: 632/1000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 79 --> 90


    Agility: 71 --> 82


    Intelligence: 80 --> 91


    Soul Strength: 126 --> 128


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 1007


    -------------------------------]


    .


    "1007 points, finally."


    Ethan had been tirelessly refining pill after pill in the last few days, allowing himself only brief breaks, which mainly consisted of meals and sleep.


    With his current cultivation, he could avoid sleeping for a few days and not suffer much, but he didn''t. One of the things he rarely gave up was sleep.


    He had a love-hate relationship with sleep.


    He hated the fact that a normal human spends at least one-third of their life sleeping.


    When he was in his previous world and was still in university, he wanted to have more time to dedicate to his studies.


    With university and part-time work, he only had a few hours to rest, and from those, he had to save at least an hour or two for studying.


    If it were up to him, he would have gladly skipped sleep, but he knew that skipping even one day would do more harm than good, so he tried to get at least a certain number of hours of rest each day.


    The situation had changed a bit since he arrived here.


    Besides practicing and cultivating, he didn''t have much else to do, so he had more than enough time to dedicate to his sleep.


    One of the things taught in every sect in this world was how to balance the various needs of your body.


    During the few lessons given by the sect elders each month, they always explained how to cultivate more efficiently without causing any harm to your body or mind.


    Ethan had to admit that these little lessons given by the sect were somewhat enlightening.


    So even though participation in these sessions wasn''t mandatory, Ethan would sometimes attend them.


    This had obviously changed in the last few months.


    With the constant pressure of his cultivation problem, Ethan was always anxious while constantly trying to break through.


    But now he didn''t have to face any of those problems, and in fact, his mood had greatly improved recently.


    So even though he spent many hours a day refining, it didn''t constitute any kind of burden to him.


    Seeing that he had finally reached a thousand points, Ethan took some time to admire the hard-earned points gained with so much effort and sweat.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Ethan proceeded to open the shop''s status screen.


    In a flash, a floating blue window appeared in front of him, and on it, several options could be seen listed.


    Unlike before, Ethan now had at least five new options available, which reflected the recipes he had learned in the last period.


    But Ethan didn''t waste time examining them and proceeded to choose the first item on the list.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: High


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill cannot exceed 95%.


    [Upgrade] (1000 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    "Level 2 recipe, here I come."


    He pressed the [Upgrade] button without hesitation and waited for the process to begin.


    Immediately after, a stream of information started to flow into his head.


    Ethan was used to it by now, and with his ever-increasing cultivation, his mental resistance to pain had increased as well, so he didn''t prepare himself like the last few times to receive the pain.


    He knew that at most, he would get a slight headache.


    The information continued to flow little by little into his head, and as Ethan calmly waited, he decided to examine the information that had already arrived.


    "Let''s see." S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 67 - 67: A Legend Coming True

    .


    Ethan began to sift through the recipe section he had received.


    He examined the information piece by piece, and the more he examined, the brighter his expression became with joy.


    "This is brilliant. By doing this, I could further increase the purity while keeping the material doses the same."


    Ethan had to admit that some of this information was very useful for further improving the recipe, making its final effect exceed expectations.


    But after examining the recipe a bit, he noticed something.


    "Why haven''t the materials for the refinement changed?"


    It was known that when advancing from a recipe of one level to a higher level, the materials listed for use would also change.


    Sometimes, some materials were replaced with others with better effects.


    Other times, instead of replacing some materials, the existing ones remained, and new ones were simply added.


    It was normal, after all, if you wanted to improve a pill, you needed to work on its refining materials.


    But the problem was that so far, Ethan hadn''t seen either of these situations occur.


    "now, this is strange."


    Although the recipe clearly seemed better than before, Ethan couldn''t help but frown over this small detail.


    He decided to wait until the end and see if, once the recipe was fully downloaded, there would be any changes to the materials.


    He didn''t have to wait long for this.


    In just a few seconds, the rest of the improved recipe information was downloaded into Ethan''s mind.


    Seeing that the process was complete, he wasted no time and opened the system screen to view the new information on the recipe.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade: Perfect


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    The purity of this pill is 100%.


    [Upgrade] (1000 Sp)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the information of the improved recipe, Ethan''s breath momentarily stopped.


    "Perfect grade?!"


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react.


    As he first read the new information, he was confused to see that the recipe''s level was still the same, but as soon as he read the line of information below, he was confused but also excited.


    A perfect-grade pill.


    A legendary pill, never seen before, whose existence was only known from some ancient texts Ethan had read.


    He knew that in this era, there had never been a perfect-grade pill.


    No matter how much the alchemist masters, and even grandmaster alchemists, tried, none of them had ever managed to refine a pill with purity higher than 99%.


    At this point, everyone thought that the old documents referring to this pill were merely legends.


    And it was normal for them to think so; after all, there was no exact evidence of the existence of a pill of this grade.


    But now all that was collapsing in front of the recipe Ethan had just learned.


    "No, how is this possible?"


    Ethan wondered how a pill that even grandmasters could not produce had an actual recipe.


    He couldn''t imagine what kind of effect such a pill would have on the body.


    High-grade pills were already quite good and did their job wonderfully, but what would a level 1 perfect-grade pill be like?


    Ethan didn''t know, but he doubted it would be inferior, given the rarity of the pill.


    It probably wouldn''t be worse than a high-grade pill, and maybe it would achieve the effect of a level 2 pill.


    It was normal to think so; after all, the recipe was still level 1. It was not possible for the pill to surpass a level 2 pill.


    But it mattered little; even achieving an effect close to a level 2 pill would be more than enough to amaze anyone.


    Ethan didn''t even bother to look at the system notification congratulating him for obtaining a perfect-grade recipe for the first time and immediately set about refining the pill, following the recipe''s instructions to the letter.


    His movements, as usual, were fast but at the same time fluid and flawless.


    He had refined this pill so many times that he couldn''t make a mistake even if he tried.


    The recipe''s details were similar to the previous one, with small details here and there that helped perfect some steps.


    It took Ethan slightly more time than usual, but in the end, he finished the refinement, and at that moment, he heard the system notification.


    DING!


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 20 QI]


    Seeing the system confirmation, Ethan let out a sigh as he calmed his quickened heartbeat.


    He didn''t even miss noticing the amount of QI he had received this time.


    "Twice as much as a high-grade level 1 pill."


    But the system messages didn''t end there.


    [Congratulations to the guest for creating their first perfect-grade pill] S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have received 100 QI]


    And with this, his experience bar made a big leap towards reaching the end of level 9.


    Ethan had become insensitive to his high cultivation speed, or rather, to the high amount of QI he was gaining from the system.


    He had almost reached the threshold of the Body Refining stage and was just a little short of reaching the peak of this stage.


    Initially, Ethan thought that once he did this, he would proceed to ascend to the next stage, but it seemed that this time he would need to further elevate his physique to do so.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to see what requirements the system would ask for him to ascend to the next stage, but for now, this wasn''t important.


    What mattered more was what to do with this perfect-grade pill, which he probably knew was the only one in existence, at least in the mortal realm.


    Bai Yu didn''t seem to have reacted to all this, so he wondered if perfect-grade pills existed in the higher heavens.


    He intended to talk to her about this topic the next time he visited his sea of consciousness.


    For now, he needed to see what to do with this perfect-grade pill.


    .


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 68 - 68: Zhang Mei ling

    .


    Ethan had immediately dismissed the idea of selling such a pill on the market because he was certain it would create a huge uproar.


    An ordinary person might not notice the peculiarity of this pill and would simply consume it, thinking it had slightly better effects than usual.


    But it would be different for more experienced alchemists.


    If by chance, the pill ended up in the hands of an expert alchemist or even a master alchemist, Ethan was sure they would immediately notice something strange about the pill.


    As soon as they examined it with their essence, they would realize that the pill had no impurities at all.


    For now, Ethan was confident that, aside from Da Shu, no one had any idea that behind all these high-grade level 1 pills was a 21-year-old like him.


    But if a perfect-grade pill were to be put on the market, his cover would undoubtedly be blown.


    Ethan had spent the last year with Da Shu and had naturally developed a certain mutual trust.


    He was sure his friend wouldn''t betray him, but the problem was that it might not be up to him.


    A master alchemist pressuring a family of Da Shu''s level would be enough, let alone two or even three.


    The appearance of a perfect-grade pill would attract the attention of many, and Ethan knew he couldn''t afford to sell it so lightly.


    After considering all this, he decided to keep the perfect-grade pills to himself for now and not reveal them to the world.


    His strength was currently insufficient, and he had no real need to sell such a pill.


    He was already starting to earn a lot from the current sale of his pills.


    There was no need to overdo it. He would only be shooting himself in the foot by doing so.


    He took a deep breath and placed the pill in his dimensional pocket.


    There was no need to store it in any special container.


    The dimensional pocket itself was the best container to preserve the state of things.


    Ethan thought for a moment about what he needed to do at the moment.


    With his strength continuously rising, he temporarily had one less weight on his shoulders.


    With the constant flow of soul energy coming in, another burden was also lifted for now.


    His only current concern was nourishing his special physique.


    He still had no idea what it needed to become stronger, but he knew that the answer might come once he reached the peak of his current cultivation level.


    So, he decided to rest today, as it was already night, and would focus on gathering the remaining amount of QI tomorrow.


    ***


    The next day, while Ethan was still sleeping, ready to wake up with a fresh mind and fully restored body, in a villa south of Sun City, someone else didn''t have the privilege of doing the same.


    At the Zhang family manor, Zhang Mei Ling was having a severe headache as she reviewed the earnings from her family''s various businesses.


    She was the second-born of the current head of the Zhang family, and as such, she held a certain status within the family.


    From a young age, she had demonstrated great talent, succeeding in everything she set her mind to. From studying ancient texts to cultivation itself, everything had come easy to her.


    If not for her older brother, she would have undoubtedly been the family''s crown jewel. But even though she wasn''t, she was still held in high regard by everyone.


    Now over thirty, she was still unmarried and had no intention of getting married anytime soon.


    Her family had tried several times to find her a suitable partner from another prestigious family, but she had always refused.


    Although her family thought it was a pity, no one dared to pressure her too much because she had proven herself more than capable over the years.


    In fact, she currently managed some of the family''s most important businesses, and as expected, they were thriving under her care.


    Every year, the revenue the family received from these activities was better than in previous years.


    This, for her, was like a shield that would protect her freedom for years to come.


    She hated the idea of marrying anyone her family presented her with, seeing it merely as a method adopted by the elders to forge connections with other forces.


    Zhang Mei Ling was an ambitious woman who wouldn''t let anyone decide for her.


    Therefore, she did everything in her power to maintain her current level of freedom.


    This was the case until she received the performance report from the last few months of some of her smaller shops.


    Turning her gaze towards the figure of a girl who was standing a short distance away from her to the side, she said:


    "Why has the performance of these shops dropped so much in the past few months?


    Are they facing some kind of problem?" she asked, her voice betraying no emotion.


    The girl, who was Zhang Mei Ling''s secretary, promptly responded, as if she had already expected to be asked this question:


    "My lady, the shops are functioning as usual.


    The problem is that in recent times, the flow of people passing by these shops has started to decrease slightly," she said.


    Zhang Mei Ling nodded silently, waiting for the girl to continue her report.


    "We''ve investigated the matter a bit, and it turns out that more and more people have started visiting the Peng family''s shops."


    "Hm? The Pengs?"


    Zhang Mei Ling thought for a moment, and then remembered one of the many small families in Sun City.


    She knew the Peng family due to their rapid growth, but also knew that in recent years, their growth had slowed down considerably.


    They were still far from being able to rival families like the Zhangs.


    Recalling who they were, she furrowed her brow and asked:


    "What could the Peng family have possibly done to attract so many customers?"


    The girl, hearing the question, handed a sheet of paper to her employer and said:


    "The Peng family itself hasn''t made any significant moves, but recently, some of their shops, managed by one of their younger members, have started selling level 1 pills of all three grades. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Normally, this wouldn''t be an issue since they''ve been doing this for some time, but unlike before, this time, it seems the quality of the pills they sell is consistently quite good.


    Almost everyone who has bought from them hasn''t had any complaints and has been fairly satisfied.


    This has gradually led more people to buy from them, causing us to lose some of our customers.


    Their level 1 pill prices are slightly lower than ours, and with the quality guaranteed, people think they''re a better option."


    Hearing this, Zhang Mei Ling nodded and reflected on the matter for a moment.


    After a while, she asked her secretary:


    "Do you think we should be concerned about this?"


    She had already made a decision on the matter but wanted to see what her secretary thought, to get a second opinion on it.


    "Although this was a bit unexpected, I don''t think we should be worried.


    From what I''ve gathered, their sudden growth is based solely on a few level 1 pills and nothing else.


    As you know, a single product isn''t enough to significantly change the situation in the pill market.


    I think we can ignore them for now, as it''s a minor issue.


    Their production, although good, is still far from meeting the market demand for level 1 pills.


    And with other families always ready to attack the Zhang family''s interests at the first opportunity, I don''t think it''s necessary for us to focus our forces on them at the moment."


    She said, maintaining a calm tone.


    Zhang Mei Ling nodded at her secretary''s response.


    Her thoughts were similar to hers.


    She also believed that there was no need for them to act.


    As her secretary had said, the Peng family''s pill production was far from threatening their family''s interests.


    So, she decided to put the matter aside, focusing her attention on more important issues.


    Unfortunately for her, she would soon regret taking this issue too lightly.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 69 - 69: Level 10

    .


    After waking up, Ethan did his usual workout routine.


    It didn''t take long.


    In just over an hour, he was finished, and he had even showered and had breakfast.


    Now that he had finally completed all his morning activities, it was time to refine more pills to fill the remaining Qi needed to reach the next level.


    As usual, he entered his room and closed the door to avoid being disturbed during the refinement process.


    He took out his cauldron and placed it over the fire, which he lit using his blue lotus flame.


    As he pulled out the materials for the refinement, Ethan couldn''t help but notice something.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Bronze Cauldron]


    Name: Bronze Cauldron


    Grade: Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, which, with the passage of time, has lost its former splendor but still retains its hidden value, ready to be revealed by those who know how to fully exploit it.


    Requirements for the upgrade:


    - Refine 1000 Level 1 low-grade pills (732/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 1 mid-grade pills (100/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 1 high-grade pills (10/10)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Ethan realized that lately he had prepared so many pills, yet his cauldron was still at the same level.


    Seeing its statistics, he understood why.


    ''Just as I thought.''


    After obtaining the mid-grade and high-grade recipes, Ethan had practically stopped producing low-grade pills in large quantities.


    If the counter for mid-grade and high-grade pills hadn''t maxed out so quickly, Ethan was sure that the total number of those pills would have exceeded, or at least been very close to, the number of low-grade pills he had produced.


    And that was normal; after all, he earned much more by selling higher-quality pills than low-grade ones.


    He wondered if he should increase the production of those pills just to level up his cauldron.


    But the problem was that, no matter how fast he was at production, to create the quantity of pills required to complete this task, Ethan would need at least two days, and the amount of Qi he would receive would be far less than what he needed to reach Level 10.


    So, he decided to set the matter aside for the moment.


    He didn''t need a more powerful cauldron at the moment.


    The one he had was more than sufficient for his current pill production.


    Ethan had decided that he would think about upgrading it to the next level after he ascended to the Qi Refining stage.


    And so, with that decision made, Ethan began refining.


    He had decided to produce high-grade pills since he was able to produce at least three of them per batch of materials, in other words, 30 Qi per batch. Unlike perfect-grade pills, which he had noticed he could only produce one per batch. It was fine, given the high grade of the pill, but it wasn''t ideal for now because he would receive 20 Qi less if he chose to make it.


    For now, he wanted to focus solely on gathering Qi and nothing else, so he decided to refine high-level pills.


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    [Congratulations, you have successfully created three high-grade basic recovery pills.]


    [You have gained 10 QI] (x3)


    As usual, he produced batches of pills one after another as if it were nothing.


    At this sight, any alchemist of his level, or even a higher grade, would surely cough up blood.


    But Ethan didn''t seem to care.


    He prepared the pills, stored them in his dimensional space, and then started again.


    This is more or less what he had been doing for the past few hours.


    The more batches of pills he produced, the closer he got to his goal.


    At a certain point, Ethan began to feel that he was nearing the peak of his current level.


    ''Just one last effort.''


    And in no time, the remaining Qi he needed was accumulated.


    Right after producing his 29th batch of high-grade pills, Ethan felt that the limit had been reached.


    Ethan didn''t start preparing a new batch, but instead prepared himself to welcome whatever was about to happen.


    A familiar sensation of energy filled his body as he immediately sat in a meditation position and focused on his breakthrough to level 10.


    The spiritual energy in his body was boiling and began to pervade his entire body from head to toe.


    The breakthrough was beginning.


    Ethan knew that this was the last breakthrough he would make in the Body Refining stage, and he also knew that this was the last time his body would expel the remaining impurities.


    As he had said earlier, there were three occasions when this situation would occur.


    One was when successfully entering the first stage of cultivation.


    The second was when reaching the halfway point of that stage, in other words, the fifth level of the Body Refining stage.


    And finally, the last, but not least important, one was at the end of the first stage, namely the tenth level of Body Refining.


    Ethan knew this, so this time he had prepared in advance.


    The last thing he wanted to do was clean his room after the breakthrough, like the last two times, so he made sure to move all his stuff into the dimensional space and cover the walls with a layer of paper, easy to remove.


    Normally, people would go to cultivation chambers, which were designed for situations like this, but after the first few times, Ethan had decided not to. S��arch* The N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You had to register your presence every time you used those chambers, and although it was common for disciples to use them frequently, it wasn''t normal to see someone break through so many times in a month.


    Ethan wanted to avoid anyone noticing his rapid growth.


    He could still somewhat justify his progress if he claimed it took him a whole year to do it, but he wouldn''t be able to if they discovered he had done it in just over a month.


    Although doing it in a year was still very fast compared to most people, it was still within acceptable limits.


    At most, he would be regarded as a rare genius appearing once in a thousand years, or something like that.


    Even though Ethan still hoped he wouldn''t have to fully reveal himself.


    If possible, he wanted to keep a low profile for as long as he could.


    He might have reached the peak of Body Refining, but that didn''t mean he had become very strong.


    He was definitely stronger than before, but considering that he was still in the first stage of cultivation, with four more stages to reach, it wasn''t wrong to say that he was still at the bottom of the hierarchy.


    Ethan knew very well how bad his luck was, so he didn''t want to take any risks if he could avoid them.


    Especially now that things seemed to be going well for him.


    From money to cultivation itself, everything seemed to be going smoothly.


    Some more time passed, and finally, his breakthrough reached its climax.


    BOOM!


    As expected, with the breakthrough came the impurities.


    He could feel that his body temperature was slightly high, and his breathing was a bit rapid.


    Ethan took a few seconds to calm the Qi in his body.


    After about a minute, he finally recovered.


    He could tell he had reached the peak of this stage, but he could also feel that a new path had opened up for him.


    Ethan''s thoughts paused for a moment.


    ''Wait a minute...


    What the hell?!''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    And here''s today''s chapter; I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 70 - 70: Another Breakthrough

    .


    He was ready to feel a sensation similar to what he had experienced when he couldn''t break through to the first stage, but instead, he felt that a new path, even broader than the previous one, had opened up before him.


    Ethan had no idea what it felt like to cross the threshold separating one cultivation stage from another, but he assumed it was probably something like the sensation he was feeling at that moment.


    However, it had to be impossible, especially for people like him with a special physique.


    They would have to work a bit harder because they not only had to transition from one stage to another, but also ensure their physique was ready for it, or risk damaging their cultivation base.


    After all, the physique was the foundation that would support future breakthroughs, and if it had weaknesses, the foundation would eventually collapse.


    Ethan was a bit confused, so he wasted no time and checked his status screen to see what was happening.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body Refining (Lvl. 9--> Lvl. 10) MAX


    QI: 1000/1000 (+20)


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 90 --> 100 (+1)


    Agility: 82 --> 96


    Intelligence: 91 --> 100 (+2)


    Soul Strength: 128 --> 130


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 102


    -------------------------------]


    . S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the changes in his statistics, Ethan was momentarily confused.


    His stats had clearly increased, but nothing here seemed to justify the sensation he had just experienced.


    And there was another thing that seemed a bit strange.


    ''Why are there statistics in parentheses?''


    Ethan knew that if there was a number in parentheses, it probably meant that it was meant to be attributed to him but was being withheld due to some limitations.


    For example, when he was still blocked in his cultivation and couldn''t enter the first stage, no matter how hard he tried, the extra Qi seemed to be stored somewhere, ready to be collected.


    A bit like what was happening now, where 20 Qi seemed to be there but hadn''t been given to him yet.


    What he didn''t expect to see was that even points from his physical attributes had been withheld.


    ''Wait a minute''


    Ethan noticed something strange.


    ''All attributes, except spiritual strength, didn''t seem to be able to surpass the threshold of 100 points.''


    Ethan hadn''t noticed this before, but seeing that only the attributes that had reached 100 points seemed to present this anomaly.


    Doing the math, Ethan concluded that there might also be a maximum limit of attribute points that each attribute could have for each cultivation stage.


    This made sense, given that this problem was only occurring now that he had reached the peak of this stage.


    But that didn''t explain the sensation of having no restrictions that seemed to be present at this moment.


    Then his attention was caught by a familiar sound.


    DING!


    [Congratulations to the host for reaching the peak of Body Refining.]


    Seeing this notification, Ethan had a premonition.


    ''Maybe��''


    And to answer his doubts, the next moment, another notification appeared before him.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    It is possible to break through to the next stage.


    [Cost: 100 Sp]


    Do you want to proceed?


    Yes/No


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    For a moment, the faint breath of air entering the room through the window seemed to stop.


    And Ethan, with a face devoid of any expression, seemed to look blankly at what was in front of him.


    If Ethan had been drinking something at that moment, he would have likely spat it out all at once.


    And why wouldn''t he have done so?


    At this moment, the system, his cheat code, his golden finger, his manna from heaven, had given him the chance to enter the next stage out of nowhere, without undergoing a trial or any other difficulty one might expect.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at that moment.


    On one hand, he was happy that the system was only asking for a mere 100 system points to break through. On the other hand, he was a bit unhappy.


    It was because he had spent the last month worrying about what kind of trial or requirements he would have to face to advance to the Qi Refining stage.


    Bai Yu had previously mentioned that although he wouldn''t face many major problems in the lower stages, there would still be some challenges.


    But it seemed he wouldn''t have to face them, because the system had practically paved the way for him.


    Ethan didn''t know what was happening, but one thing was certain.


    He definitely wouldn''t miss this opportunity to make another step forward in his cultivation.


    [Yes]


    As soon as he pressed the option to proceed, he felt a change occurring in his body.


    "Hm? It seems to be coming from my dantian."


    Ethan calmed down and focused his attention on the flow of Qi circulating through his body.


    He could see that its speed had clearly increased.


    By concentrating a bit more, he could see what was happening in his core.


    ''The Qi is condensing?''


    Indeed, in his core, the Qi that had been stored began to become denser and denser.


    The Qi present in his body continued to condense until a subtle, almost imperceptible glimmer emerged from it and fell onto the inner surface of his core.


    Tip!


    ''A drop?''


    Exactly, a drop,


    a drop of condensed Qi.


    Just as Ethan wondered what was happening, another drop fell, and then another.


    Little by little, all the Qi that had condensed in the core vanished, leaving behind a small amount of liquid that Ethan realized was condensed Qi.


    It didn''t take Ethan long to understand what was happening.


    Over the past year, aside from exploring various methods to aid his cultivation, Ethan had also learned more about the cultivation process itself.


    With knowledge of the various stages of cultivation, Ethan had come to understand what happened in the first three stages.


    From what he recalled, the first stage of cultivation was to lay the foundation upon which the rest of the cultivation would be built.


    In the second stage of cultivation, the focus shifted from the body to the Qi that was accumulated in the dantian.


    This Qi, still in gaseous form, would be accumulated several times and refined into what appeared to be liquid Qi.


    The process was very similar to how the air high up in the sky condenses into clouds, which then condense further to become water.


    The same process was happening at this stage of cultivation.


    Here, the Qi was not only being refined but any impurities in it were being removed, rendering it pure Qi, ready to be used by the body for future breakthroughs.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 71 - 71: Wait a minute...

    .


    While what was happening in his core, a faint white aura began to surround Ethan''s body.


    It was subtle, almost transparent.


    If someone hadn''t looked at it closely, they wouldn''t have noticed this aura.


    That said, it didn''t go unnoticed.


    Bai Yu, who was resting in Ethan''s sea of consciousness, sensing a familiar fluctuation, woke up.


    "Hmm? What''s happening?"


    She appeared in her human form on the mirror of water and looked up, where in the distance, she could see the figure of the Seven Sages'' Amphora beginning to glow.


    At this sight, Bai Yu''s eyebrows furrowed, and a thought crossed her mind.


    "No, it''s not possible."


    She focused her mental strength and sent a fluctuation outward to see what was happening.


    In that moment, a transparent figure of a young man appeared in her mind.


    "Is that him...?"


    Around the abdomen area of the young man, particles were accumulating, and a faint white light was beginning to form.


    "He''s entering the Qi refining stage?! But, how is it possible? He should have just reached the peak of body refining. It''s impossible for him to be entering Qi refining already."


    While she was contemplating the issue, the amphora of the Seven Sages did not stop.


    Just like last time, a series of runes began to glow on it.


    One of them was dimming, and another close to it was starting to lose its brilliance.


    As this rune lost its glow, strange yellow particles flew out from it and headed downward, right where Bai Yu was.


    In the blink of an eye, these particles reached her, and before she could react, they surrounded her and began to swirl around her.


    Unaware of what was happening in his sea of consciousness, Ethan, immersed in the process of breaking through to the next stage, began to regain his senses and gradually opened his eyes.


    When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the dirty walls of his room, which hadn''t been cleaned since he reached level 10 of the previous stage.


    But he didn''t pay them much attention. At the moment, he was focused on his body and the strange, somewhat otherworldly aura he was sensing.


    "Is this the manifestation of spiritual energy?"


    Manifestation of spiritual energy.


    When a cultivator reaches the Qi refining stage, their affinity with the surrounding Qi increases, allowing them to have some control over it.


    It is at this stage that cultivators begin to show their true capabilities.


    The manifestation of spiritual energy varies from cultivator to cultivator.


    Each can manifest it with the element they are most attuned to.


    For example, if a cultivator manifests Qi and the aura they are able to harness is a precious color, it means their affinity with the element associated with that color is higher than with any other.


    Essentially, everyone has a slight influence over the four main elements present in nature, but each person shines more in only one of them.


    This is true for most people.


    There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, individuals who awaken not just one but two affinities with elements.


    These individuals are rare, but they are not hard to find in the three ruling sects of the Long Empire.


    As far as Ethan remembered, the colors of the elements were:


    Red for fire.


    Blue for water.


    Brown for earth.


    And gray for air.


    There were also some color shades that were essentially a mix of the above colors, and depending on the mix, one could determine the element.


    These elements were somewhat rarer compared to the primary four and were highly regarded, as their bearers could unleash a power that often overshadowed the basic elements.


    The problem was that Ethan didn''t recall anyone having a white hue like his.


    "Continuing to stumble upon one mystery after another,"


    Ethan thought, unsure whether to laugh or cry.


    He had no grand plan for when he would break through to the Qi refining stage, which was why he didn''t expect to enter it so soon.


    He was sure it would take him at least another month or more, depending on the requirements he might face, but who would have thought the system would throw all that out the window, and he would enter the next stage so quickly.


    Not that he was complaining; the sooner he entered, the sooner he would reach the next stage.


    Thinking about this, Ethan decided to check his status screen to see what had changed this time.


    He didn''t expect any changes in his physical stats; he was more interested in seeing how much Qi it would take to level up in this stage.


    So, with a mental command, he opened the transparent blue status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Qi Refining (Lvl. 1)


    QI: 20/2000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 101


    Agility: 96


    Intelligence: 102


    Soul Strength: 130


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 2


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing his body''s stats as he expected, he nodded.


    "Just as I expected."


    But as soon as he saw the number on his experience bar, his expression changed.


    "F*ck."


    Ethan expected the amount of Qi required to level up in the next stage to be a bit higher than before, but this exceeded his expectations.


    If just for level 2 he needed to earn 2000 Qi, and considering how the Qi requirement had increased in the levels of the previous stage, Ethan didn''t know how to feel.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if this was what normal cultivators without a system had to face, but he knew he would have his fair share of cultivation/refinement to do.


    Lost in the excitement of the moment, Ethan forgot to check the other system messages he had received after his breakthrough.


    Just as he was closing his system screen and raising his head to look at the mess he needed to clean up, a voice reached his ears.


    "Well, this is unexpected."


    "Yeah, tell me about it," Ethan responded but then stopped.


    ''Wait a minute...''


    It wasn''t that the voice was unfamiliar; in fact, he knew it quite well.


    But because the voice belonged to someone he knew, hearing it coming not from his head but from directly in front of him made him pause.


    Slowly, as if his neck were rusty, Ethan lifted his head to look in front of him.


    There, half a meter away, the figure of a woman stood before him, observing her surroundings.


    Ethan immediately felt sweat cover his back as he wondered if what he was witnessing was real or not.


    ''No, it''s just an illusion, just an illusion. How is it possible that she is here?''


    Ethan was quick to deny what he was seeing at that moment.


    The slightly transparent figure of the woman, having finally noticed Ethan''s presence, gave him a curious look.


    Then, to confirm that she wasn''t a product of Ethan''s mind, she said:


    "It seems I might not have to wait too long before I can fully free myself."


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.


    sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 72 - 72: New System Features

    .


    Ethan was beginning to develop a kind of tolerance for the constant surprises he kept encountering in this short period of time.


    First, the fact that he hardly needed to do anything to advance to the next stage, then the fact that the amount of Qi required for the next advancements was much higher than he had anticipated.


    And now this...


    "..."


    "..."


    For a moment, neither of them spoke, just looking at each other.


    Then, as if to break the ice, Bai Yu said with a mischievous expression,


    "You know, you shouldn''t stare at a woman so intensely," she said with a small, playful smile.


    Ethan almost coughed up blood at Bai Yu''s sudden statement.


    Recovering a bit from his latest shock, he managed to say a single word,


    "How?"


    Bai Yu, hearing this, furrowed her brow slightly and asked,


    "How what?"


    "I mean, how is it possible that you''re here?


    Shouldn''t you still be sealed in my sea of consciousness?" Ethan finally blurted out everything that had been running through his mind.


    "Oh."


    Understanding what he meant, Bai Yu simply said,


    "Well, it''s obviously because you''ve made a breakthrough in cultivation," as if this should answer all questions.


    And in a way, it did, but for Ethan, who was still a bit confused, the meaning wasn''t immediately clear.


    Seeing that Ethan didn''t seem to understand, Bai Yu said, shaking her head a little,


    "As you know, the further you advance, the more the seal holding me back weakens.


    Just like when you reached halfway through the first stage of cultivation, now that you''ve broken through, the seal has loosened a bit more."


    At these words, Ethan seemed to finally understand.


    "Although it''s a bit unexpected that I can already leave your spiritual sea, it''s not exactly something unbelievable, considering that only a part of me managed to do so.


    What you see is my spiritual body, somewhat like the one I had when I appeared in my human form in your sea of consciousness," she explained, furrowing her brow slightly as she began to look around again.


    It seemed she could also perceive smells, and Ethan''s room, still covered in the black liquid, certainly had a strong, nauseating odor.


    Bai Yu, sensing this smell, lost the desire to explore the world outside of Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    "Well, it seems you have some work to do," she said before disappearing from sight.


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t understand this sudden retreat, but he soon realized what the problem was.


    "Right, I still need to clean up this mess."


    He quickly set to work cleaning the room.


    Unlike the last two times, this time it was quicker because he had already made the necessary preparations for such eventualities.


    In about ten minutes, the room returned to its normal state.


    Ethan had opened his room''s window at the start, so while he cleaned, the smell inside gradually dissipated. He also cleaned himself up. S��ar?h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn''t intend to break through naked just to avoid dirtying his clothes, so he had to wash them too.


    There were no washing machines or anything like that here, nor were there proper cleaning products like detergents, so he had to put in the effort to do everything by hand.


    Afterward, he made himself comfortable on his bed and began to explore the system a bit.


    He remembered receiving other notifications after his breakthrough, but hadn''t been able to check them at the time due to the unusual and unexpected situation he found himself in.


    Now that he had some free time, he decided to take a look at the notifications.


    Opening the system screen, Ethan was bombarded by several messages that began to appear one after another.


    [Congratulations to the host for successfully breaking through to the Qi Refining cultivation stage.]


    [You have unlocked a new function in the shop.]


    [Function: Alchemy Lab]


    [Congratulations, you have unlocked a feature in the dimensional space.]


    [Function: Minor Dimension]


    Ethan thought that after his sudden advancement to the next stage, nothing would surprise him for a while, but seeing these system notifications, he had to admit he was now a bit curious about what he had received.


    He wasn''t sure what the Alchemy Lab would do, but just the second notification alone had managed to capture his interest.


    A Minor Dimension?


    Ethan wasn''t sure how this dimension differed from his dimensional space, where he stored things, but he had a feeling it was definitely something good.


    Just thinking about how many times the system had amazed him lately made Ethan realize that whatever it was, it wouldn''t be anything bad.


    From helping him unlock his special physique to pushing him into the Qi Refining stage in exchange for some SP, the system had never let him down, so he was eager to check out the information on these new features.


    Without wasting time, he pressed the [Shop] button and opened the screen to see what had changed.


    The screen opened instantly, showing him the usual list of items he could buy,in other words, he saw the usual list of pill recipes ready to be upgraded.


    Now that he had seen how far he could take each recipe, he decided he would check with Da Shu which pills were more popular and had a better chance of bringing him more profit.


    Upgrading all the recipes to a high grade was still a bit out of Ethan''s reach, but doing so for one or two recipes wasn''t difficult.


    Even more so now that the Basic Recovery Pill recipe had been upgraded to perfect grade, Ethan wanted to see if he could now level it up or not.


    He had initially thought it was possible because he hadn''t considered that the system could elevate recipes to perfect grade, but seeing that it could improve his high-grade recipe, he immediately thought of the next level.


    But now that he had discovered that it wasn''t about leveling up, but rather that there was still one more grade to reach, Ethan wanted to check if it was still possible to improve it.


    He was sure there was no other grade beyond perfect, because that would then render any usefulness of higher-level pills meaningless.


    Already at its current grade, Ethan thought the pill could be compared to a level 2 pill. So, as soon as the list appeared, he immediately searched for the Recovery Pill recipe.


    He vaguely remembered the recipe information when he last checked it after the upgrade to the perfect grade.


    He wasn''t sure, but he believed he had seen the [Upgrade] button still available at the bottom.


    Back then, he had been a bit overwhelmed by the perfect grade recipe, so aside from checking its effects, he hadn''t looked into anything else.


    He was uncertain if further upgrades were still possible.


    He didn''t take long to find it and identified it right away.


    Apparently, the recipe was still at the top of the items list, retaining its usual appearance.


    This reassured Ethan.


    He had expected to see it grayed out or something similar, like when an item in a video game is depleted or unavailable, losing its color or brightness.


    Ethan subconsciously treated the system like something similar to what he had seen in those video games from his previous world, so he couldn''t help but make this comparison.


    Without wasting any time, he clicked on the recipe option, and a new screen opened in front of him.


    .


    [---------------------------------


    [Basic Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 1


    Grade:Perfect (MAX)


    Description: A pill capable of restoring fatigue after intense physical exertion and accelerating the healing of minor superficial wounds.


    Purity: 100%


    NOTE: You have reached the maximum grade for this level. You can upgrade to the next level.


    [Upgrade] (1000 SP)


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the familiar screen, Ethan reviewed the information.


    For the most part, it was identical to what he remembered from the last time he saw it.


    The only difference was the note next to the pill''s grade that read "MAX."


    It didn''t take Ethan long to understand what this meant.


    ''It seems that the perfect grade is indeed the highest a pill can reach.''


    Confirming one of his doubts, Ethan proceeded. Looking at the bottom of the screen where the upgrade cost was usually listed, Ethan was briefly confused.


    ''It seems the cost for the next upgrade hasn''t increased.''


    Ethan wasn''t sure if this was a system bug or something like that, nor did he know who to consult about it, but seeing that it was still possible to improve the recipe, Ethan was pleased.


    Especially after noticing the system note that appeared above the [Upgrade] button.


    Reading it, Ethan understood that he did indeed have the opportunity to advance it to the next level.


    With a calm mind, he closed the system screen.


    Now that he had cleared this from his thoughts, he no longer needed to worry about it.


    1000 SP was still a somewhat high amount for Ethan, but it was nothing he couldn''t earn.


    He just had to spend his time as he usually did, and in a week or two, he would have earned that amount.


    Now that he had checked off one of the things on his list, Ethan proceeded to examine the feature that he had initially come to the shop for.


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    A big thank you to: @Firas_Safa, @Trexiz, @Conquistadore, and @Solomon_Akinlaja for contributing with golden tokens this month.


    Even though, I haven''t started the system for more chapters yet, but given the support I''ve received recently, I''ll aim to write a few extra chapters this week, just like I did yesterday.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 73 - 73: Alchemy Laboratory

    .


    Ethan returned to the initial shop screen.


    As he examined it for a moment, he noticed that two lines of text had appeared on the left side of the floating display:


    [Items]


    [Alchemy Laboratory]


    Ethan proceeded to click on the second option, and the screen in front of him instantly changed.


    The first thing that caught his eye was what appeared to be a 3D image of a cauldron.


    Below it, there were small squares lined up with ''+'' signs on them.


    One of the squares was slightly separated from the others, and above it was the word:


    [Recipe]


    Ethan noticed that the squares aligned next to this first, slightly larger square also had text above them, [Ingredients].


    ''So, there are two separate sections: one for the recipe, and the other for the ingredients.''


    Ethan quickly got an idea of what he might be able to do with this. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If his intuition was correct, then...


    ''Maybe I can produce pills directly from here.''


    As soon as he had this thought, he couldn''t help but smile.


    And why wouldn''t he?


    If this feature was indeed what he thought it was, then his pill production could be doubled or even tripled, depending on how much time it took to produce pills using this system function.


    Lately, Ethan had been thinking more about the issue of production.


    Even though his refining speed was high, considering the number of different pills he had to produce each day to meet the market''s minimum quota, Ethan found it too exhausting.


    After all, he was just one person, and no matter how fast he could produce, he couldn''t keep up with the constantly increasing number of clients.


    He had also discussed this with Da Shu, and they were both considering whether to hire assistants.


    Although the proposal was valid, Ethan immediately dismissed it.


    His reasoning was simple.


    Where would they find other people capable of refining pills of this grade while maintaining a high success rate?


    It was known that most novice alchemists had a success rate of around 50%, or even less depending on the alchemist and the grade of pills they had to produce.


    If there were truly people with a very low error rate, what were the chances of hiring them?


    Answer: almost none.


    If someone were that skilled, they wouldn''t need to work for anyone and could simply make plenty of money by producing a certain number of pills each week.


    His brand had been very successful recently, so the market demand for his pills had increased accordingly.


    At this point, Ethan thought it might be better to set a limit on the number of pills a person could buy or a maximum number of pills each shop could sell each month, so customer demand could be kept under some control.


    But both of them thought this idea might do more harm than good, and it wasn''t necessary to take action unless the situation became truly dire, which it would if they didn''t find a solution soon.


    Ethan had no intention of working day and night just to slightly increase his production.


    He knew that even if he adopted such a method, he wouldn''t be able to keep it up for long.


    Not to mention, he had no desire to spend the rest of his life this way.


    What was the point of earning so much if all he did was one single thing all the time?


    How could he enjoy life like that?


    For a moment, he even considered making his products exclusive, but since he was still new to the market and the level of his pills was too low to be considered exclusive, he knew that such a move wouldn''t be very successful.


    So, upon seeing this new system feature, Ethan was happy.


    He wanted to understand how it worked and decided to give it a try.


    First, he chose the square on the far left, the one labeled [Recipes].


    As soon as he pressed it, another screen appeared in front of him.


    Ethan immediately noticed that the display was very similar to the [Items] section, listing all the recipes he had learned.


    But unlike before, the options for the various recipes seemed to be grayed out, with a line of text above them.


    [To unlock this recipe, you must produce 10 perfect-grade pills related to this recipe]


    [Status: 0/10]


    The same message appeared above all the other pill recipes listed below.


    Ethan didn''t understand why this was necessary, but he quickly came to terms with it.


    ''It seems that, for now, I can''t use it.''


    Ethan wasn''t sure what to do, but he decided that he would produce 10 perfect-grade pills later to see what would happen.


    He felt a bit disappointed but quickly shook it off.


    It wasn''t a big deal.


    He could produce perfect-grade pills in no time, but he decided to do it later.


    For now, he had another new feature to check out, one that interested him the most at the moment.


    [Minor Dimension]


    Ethan immediately went back to the system''s main screen and entered [Storage].


    Upon entering, he saw that the first of the various available slots was no longer the one containing his money but had been replaced by an image of a portal made of blue energy, rotating.


    The slot containing his money had been moved to the second position.


    Ethan checked to see if there were any other changes besides this one.


    After a few seconds, confirming there were no further changes, he pressed the first square.


    As soon as he did, the Amphora of the Seven Sages, which was floating in Ethan''s spiritual sea, emitted a slight fluctuation.


    Ethan, who had just pressed the square, felt a strange sensation, and for a second, all his senses darkened.


    He could sense that something was changing around him, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his dormitory room.


    The disorienting feeling he experienced disappeared just as quickly as it had come, and as soon as it faded, Ethan could sense again with all his senses.


    As he did, he immediately realized what had happened.


    He had been transported to another place.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 74 - 74: Minor Dimension

    .


    Ethan''s first instinct was to be on guard, but as soon as he saw where he had ended up, he quickly calmed down.


    ''So this is a Minor Dimension?''


    Ethan currently found himself in what seemed to be a vast stretch of land with nothing but grass on it.


    Above his head, he could see a sky and even the sun.


    For a moment, he thought he might still be in the same world, just transported to another part of the continent.


    But he dismissed the thought.


    The system had said this was some kind of dimension, in other words, a place separate from his current world.


    Ethan didn''t know if this dimension contained just this piece of land or if there was more, but he decided to explore.


    With his current speed, he could cover miles of distance in seconds.


    He chose a random direction and began to run in a straight line.


    He ran without changing direction for almost half an hour before stopping.


    He didn''t stop because he was tired, but because no matter how far he went, he couldn''t see anything on the horizon.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if there was an actual boundary to this place.


    Seeing that searching for a boundary or anything else seemed pointless, he began to think about what exactly he could do in this place.


    The only thing he could think of at the moment was that this so-called Minor Dimension was a kind of space he could enter.


    He didn''t know if he could bring other things, or more importantly, other living beings, but just the fact that he could enter was a good thing.


    Although he had yet to discover any other uses for this place, he could at least use it as some sort of refuge, for when he needed to do private things, or things that could attract too much attention.


    One example was his breakthroughs.


    The breakthroughs he had in his previous stage were still relatively manageable, but the same couldn''t be said for future ones.


    He would risk blowing up their entire dormitory when attempting a breakthrough in too high a stage.


    Of course, not that he would do it in the first place, and would instead look for a more suitable place, but even so, it was hard to find one away from others'' eyes.


    Here, however, it seemed he could at least do it without facing such problems.


    Ethan really wondered if there was an information panel on this place.


    In the storage screen, there didn''t seem to be anything like that.


    He wondered if he could learn something by checking his notification history.


    Sometimes, the description of something was in the notification itself.


    Pulling up the notification screen, Ethan quickly found the one about the Minor Dimension and clicked on it. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as he expected, the status screen changed, and a window appeared.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Minor Dimension]


    Grade: Low


    Owner: Ethan.


    Description: It is a small spatial pocket containing a small undeveloped world, which can be inhabited.


    The land of the small world is extremely fertile and rich in natural spiritual energy.


    Anything planted on it will grow at a rate many times faster than normal.


    Since the world is sustained by the Qi present in the dimensional pocket, it is able to thrive for a long time without risking decay.


    The user can choose who enters and who doesn''t as well as what enters and what doesn''t.


    NOTE: The host should keep in mind that the Minor Dimension has a time difference of 100:1 compared to the outside world.


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    Ethan didn''t even know what expression to make anymore.


    He knew this place wouldn''t be something simple.


    The fact that it existed and that he could enter it at will was already a great advantage for him, but seeing that he could not only bring others in, but that there was also such a significant time difference in it, Ethan was shocked.


    The implications of this were too great for him to take lightly.


    Ethan didn''t even pay attention to the fact that this was a small world, but focused only on the last part.


    ''A time difference of 100:1.''


    ''In other words, 1 day outside equals 100 days inside this place?''


    The more he thought about it, the more his body trembled with excitement.


    Earlier, he had been wondering how to deal with his pill production problem, and seeing the alchemy lab, part of that worry was eased.


    But now, seeing this place, even the rest of his worries were blown away.


    Not only could he dedicate 100 times the time to production compared to before, but given the fertile land of this place, he could actually grow all the herbs he needed right here.


    This had also been another of his concerns.


    Although he could obtain herbs thanks to Da Shu''s help, the total price he spent on them each week was a figure large enough to make him cry every time he thought about it.


    Although he managed to earn just as much money, it was still painful for him to see part of his wealth spent on herbs.


    Not to mention, many of the various herbs he used for refining pills could only be bought in limited quantities since many of them grew only in certain seasons, as well as under certain conditions.


    If he could successfully plant the seeds of all the herbs he needed in this place, then he could harvest a large amount every day since time flowed 100 times faster here than in the outside world.


    He would practically never have a shortage of materials and could also save a large sum of money by doing so.


    The more Ethan thought about it, the more his heart beat faster.


    This was a huge advantage for his future cultivation.


    As they say, time is money.


    And now Ethan had time in abundance.


    While Ethan was rejoicing as he thought more and more about what else he could do thanks to this place, Bai Yu, who was in Ethan''s mind, was equally stunned when she saw him transported to a different place.


    ''Wait, isn''t this...''


    ''A Minor Dimension?''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 75 - 75: Herb garden

    .


    Ethan decided it was time to start his own herb cultivation.


    It wasn''t unusual for alchemists to have a personal herb garden.


    Usually, they did it for rare or special herbs that were hard to come by.


    It was said that Master Alchemists and even Grandmaster Alchemists had entire fields dedicated to various types of herbs.


    Ethan knew this, but he had never really thought about having his own herb cultivation before.


    Which made sense, considering he never had a suitable place to grow them in large quantities, being in a sect, nor did he need them before since the few herbs he needed were provided by Da Shu.


    But now that the opportunity had presented itself, Ethan didn''t waste any time planting his own.


    He had a vast, fertile area that wouldn''t be used for anything else, so why not take full advantage of it?


    After reading the information about the minor dimension, Ethan returned to his dorm room and headed to the market to buy various herbs to plant.


    To exit the dimension, Ethan tried using a mental command.


    He thought it wasn''t convenient to have to open the system screen every time to do it.


    If he could do it just by thinking, it would be more practical and useful.


    He could literally escape to safety in case he got into some kind of trouble that threatened his life, like an enemy attack. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan didn''t take long to figure out some other basic things, like how he would return to the exact spot where he had left, both in the outside world and in the minor dimension.


    Which was reasonable, and it was better to know in advance because if he had to escape from an enemy, he would have to carefully decide when to return to the place he had left.


    Who knows what he might find upon his return.


    It would have been nice if he could modify the point where he appeared, but this was fine too.


    Ethan stayed out for several hours, and when he finally returned, he immediately transferred to his minor dimension.


    Ethan didn''t have a clock or any gadget to tell him how much time had actually passed, so he couldn''t say how much time he had spent in there.


    So, he simply relied on what the system had told him and shrugged off the problem.


    Appearing inside the dimension, Ethan opened his system screen and went straight to his [storage].


    On the screen of his dimensional space, three whole rows of materials could be seen filled.


    From cultivation tools to various types of herbs, he had taken everything he could find.


    He also had other herbs in mind that couldn''t be found at the market, which he intended to have Da Shu procure for him.


    After all, with the connections that Da Shu''s family had, Ethan thought he could obtain some types of herbs that didn''t grow in the territories near the Phoenix sect.


    If he could grow various types of herbs in this place, why not do it on a large scale?


    Ethan thought, as he began pulling out the work tools and preparing the soil.


    Ethan was quite skilled at this, and with his natural speed, he prepared small sections, each dedicated to a specific herb.


    Having been a guest of Old Wei when he first came to this world, he had learned how to cultivate various types of plants, fruits, and vegetables, so he had some basic knowledge.


    For now, he only had a few types of herbs, but the quantity was minimal.


    He had just taken what was necessary for these herbs to grow here and produce the seeds for the ones that would come after them.


    The process itself took some time, and at one point, even Bai Yu emerged from her sea of consciousness to examine his minor dimension.


    She was still stunned by the fact that he had obtained something like this at his current level.


    Even beings at her original level didn''t have the opportunity to get their hands on something like this, yet this little human somehow did.


    Bai Yu was amazed at Ethan''s seemingly endless luck.


    She knew all of this was due to the Seven Sages Amphora, but she couldn''t understand why the artifact was helping him so much.


    From what she remembered, not even the previous owner of the amphora had ever possessed a dimension of their own.


    They had certainly received their fair share of benefits from the artifact, but as far as she could recall, it had never directly helped them like it was now helping this human.


    She wondered why this was the case and at some point, began to think that Ethan might be relying on another power that wasn''t connected to the artifact.


    Ethan spent some time organizing the plots of his various cultivations.


    He didn''t have to dedicate large pieces of land for his cultivations.


    For now, he just ensured that they could grow well and thrive.


    He knew he had to plan the field to be able to accommodate several large plots of land, each dedicated to a different herb, but for now, it wasn''t necessary.


    After all, it was just the beginning, and the number of herbs was still minimal.


    Seeing his small herb cultivation, Ethan couldn''t help but think about how big it would be in the future.


    The great thing was that he wouldn''t have to wait years or even just months, but days!


    Probably, by the time he returned to this place tomorrow, these herbs would have already grown and become mature.


    After finishing planting his herbs, Ethan took his time and began refining pills.


    He still had several dozen hours in this place, and he thought it best to get ahead with production.


    And so, while Ethan immersed himself in his pill refining, in another place, several kilometers away from the Phoenix sect, a gruesome scene was unfolding.


    Pieces of what was once a transport wagon were scattered everywhere, mixed with dirt and blood.


    Several figures could be seen lying dead on the ground, with some cloaked figures gathering at the center of the scene.


    The air in the place was suffocating and smelled of blood.


    The culprits of this scene gathered together, and one of them stepped forward to pick something up from the ground.


    The object was covered in blood and dirt but had a smooth, yellowish surface that gleamed.


    The cloaked man who picked it up brushed off the grime.


    It was a coin with a scale symbol engraved on it.


    The cloaked man looked at it and nodded as if confirming something, then turned his gaze to the rest of the group and said.


    A raspy voice came out from under the hood of the cloak.


    "It''s them. Let''s hurry; they shouldn''t have gone far."


    The other figures said nothing and dispersed in unison in different directions.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 76 - 76: Using the Alchemy Lab

    .


    With all the time he wanted at his disposal, Ethan got ahead with some of the tasks he needed to do.


    Time here flowed almost 100 times faster than in the outside world, so he could spend 4 full days here, and less than an hour would still have passed in the external world.


    There were several things Ethan had planned to do, and one of them was to unlock the recipes in the system''s alchemy lab.


    Initially, he had thought of producing these pills in the little time he could spare in the coming days after refining his daily pills, but now that wasn''t necessary anymore.


    Now he had almost all the time in the world.


    Without wasting any, he began refining 10 perfect-grade Basic Recovery Pills.


    At the moment, it was the only recipe available to him that had reached this grade, so he didn''t have much of a choice.


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 20 QI]


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade] Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have received 20 QI]


    [You have created a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 20 QI]


    ...


    [You have gained 5 system points] (x10)


    A little over 3 hours passed, and he finished refining all ten pills.


    In just these three hours, he had earned 200 QI and 50 SP, which wasn''t bad considering he was refining very slowly.


    After finishing the pills, Ethan accessed the system and immediately went to the shop screen to check if he could use the recipe.


    Going to the laboratory section, Ethan pressed to choose a recipe, and a screen opened in front of him.


    The screen was just like last time, with almost all the recipes he had learned grayed out, except for one that was no longer locked.


    Seeing it, Ethan smiled and pressed it to choose it.


    The screen changed, taking him to the alchemy lab, where in the leftmost box, he could now see an image of the Basic Recovery Pill displayed.


    Ethan also noticed that, apart from the recipe box, the material boxes had changed too.


    Now, instead of being empty with a ''+'' in the middle, three of them displayed images.


    In each of them, he could see the image of a different herb.


    Ethan immediately recognized these herbs, which made sense since they were the three needed for producing the Basic Recovery Pill.


    ''So that''s how it works?''


    Ethan thought, and then seeing that the list of materials included only these three items, he frowned for a moment.


    ''Strange, why isn''t water included?''


    Water was a fundamental element in pill refining.


    Seeing that such an essential element was missing, Ethan wondered if he was supposed to add it somehow himself.


    This thought crossed his mind, but he then dismissed it.


    He doubted the system wouldn''t alert him if something vital was missing for producing these pills.


    He noticed that the three herbs pictured in the boxes also had small numbers in the top right corner.


    Seeing them, Ethan immediately understood what they represented.


    ''So it takes the elements directly from my dimensional space?''


    Indeed, Ethan stored most of his alchemical materials in his dimensional space, with only a few in his dimensional ring.


    Yes, he had finally acquired a dimensional ring.


    With his high income, earning him more than 20 low-grade spirit stones a day, he decided it was best to get a dimensional ring as well.


    At first, he thought it would be a waste of money to buy one, especially since he didn''t need it with his [storage], but he later realized it was necessary to own one.


    He understood that he couldn''t just pull things out of nowhere every time he needed something, especially when he was outside the sect.


    If he did, he would eventually be discovered by someone, so for security reasons, he decided to get one.


    After confirming there didn''t seem to be anything else, Ethan pressed the [Start] button and waited for something to happen.


    Right after pressing it, the 3D cauldron displayed in front of him came to life.


    A flame ignited beneath it, while what seemed to be the herbs he used were tossed inside one by one.


    The order was correct, but Ethan wondered if this animation was just for show or if it was actually throwing in the herbs as they were.


    If it was the first case, he wouldn''t pay much attention to it, but if it was the second, then he would question the outcome since, as far as he knew, the herbs were supposed to be prepared first and then placed in the cauldron.


    On the [Start] button, the text was now replaced by a 5-second timer, counting down.


    Ethan waited for these 5 seconds, and finally, the process ended.


    Right after the process finished, he saw a system screen appear in front of him:


    [Congratulations, you have refined a Level 1 Basic Recovery Pill of Perfect Grade]


    [You have received 18 QI]


    [You have gained 4 system points]


    Seeing these system messages come up, Ethan finally understood a bit more about how this alchemy lab worked.


    ''So that''s how it works.''


    Ethan had already predicted that there would be some sort of cost to using this system function, but he wasn''t sure what it would be, so he decided to produce only one pill and no more, just to see what would happen.


    Indeed, he could produce more than one pill at the same time.


    He had noticed earlier a small box below the cauldron, displaying ''-'' and ''+'' signs with a ''0'' in the center.


    Having had experience with games in his previous world, Ethan knew this indicated the number of pills he wanted to produce.


    He increased the number by one because for now, he just wanted to see how it worked and didn''t want to risk losing too many materials if something went wrong since this wasn''t his usual production method.


    There were so many elements, however small, that made it different from a traditional method, and the lack of water was just one of them.


    For example, he couldn''t control the dosage or even the temperature.


    All of this led him to make the choice he did, and it seemed the results were better than he expected.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 77 - 77: A Small Concern

    .


    Ethan wondered what would happen if they produced pills directly from the system.


    If it were just a way to speed up his production, it would be too convenient since he could create dozens, if not hundreds of pills this way.


    From accumulating large amounts of Qi in no time to quickly gaining system points, Ethan thought it would be too OP to have something like that.


    Not that he would complain about it, after all, the faster he got stronger, the better it was for him.


    It was just that, although Ethan had received several rewards from the system recently that, in a way, gave him an edge over everyone else, there was always a limit to it.


    For example, when he was asked to participate in the exam to become an alchemist, it only provided him with a basic understanding of alchemy.


    The same thing happened with the subsequent reward he received, which was mastery in pill crafting, and even that was just level one.


    Ethan learned over time that this mastery made him proficient in handling any recipe as long as it was level 1.


    He hadn''t had the chance to practice a level 2 recipe yet, but he could instinctively tell that refining a level 2 pill wouldn''t be a walk in the park with his current abilities.


    The same applied to the items he received.


    For instance, the cauldron was of the lowest grade, and it had difficult requirements for Ethan back then to upgrade it.


    The same was true for the rare flame he received, and so on.


    Although the system was assisting him, there was always a certain limit within which it did so.


    Maybe it was the system''s way of maintaining balance.


    Ethan didn''t know, he only knew that for an artifact of that level, there would surely be better and more powerful surprises that he could receive with his current cultivation level.


    Although losing 2 Qi and one SP point was low compared to what Ethan had expected initially, he also understood that the total amount he would lose after each refinement wouldn''t be insignificant.


    For example, if he were to produce 100 perfect-grade pills, he would lose 200 Qi and about 100 SP, which, for his current self, was a lot.


    Ethan shook his head and decided to come to terms with it.


    ''It could have been worse,'' he thought.


    Ethan had noticed that for every stack of materials, the number of pills produced mirrored his production in the real world.


    He noticed that he could adjust the grade of the pill he wanted, and by lowering it by one grade, he saw that this time, three pills were produced instead of just one.


    He also noticed that just as the materials were taken directly from his dimensional space, these produced pills also went straight into his dimensional space.


    What convenience, he thought.


    Ethan stayed in the minor dimension for a little longer, producing some high- and mid-grade pills he needed for his trade, and spent the rest of the time stabilizing the large amount of Qi he was receiving from production.


    Ethan dedicated a few hours each morning to cultivation, mainly because at his current stage, he didn''t need to spend entire days cultivating like the other cultivators. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was known that cultivation consisted of various steps, from absorbing Qi from the surrounding environment to refining it and stabilizing it in one''s core, from where it would be drawn whenever needed.


    Thanks to the system, Ethan had skipped all the initial steps, and the only thing he had to do was dedicate a few hours each day to stabilizing the Qi he was receiving so that everything wouldn''t collapse.


    Cultivating was like building a castle.


    It was done brick by brick.


    If the bricks, which were the absorbed Qi, were placed without any adhesive, the castle would eventually collapse.


    This adhesive was what Ethan provided by cultivating every day, thus stabilizing his foundation.


    At first, after discovering he could cultivate Qi by refining pills, Ethan had set this aside, but Bai Yu warned him that if he continued like this, he would be in serious trouble in the future.


    Ethan had to admit that although he had gotten used to the customs of this world, as well as to cultivation, there were still various common practices he tended to ignore, thinking it would be fine.


    This "protagonist mentality" of his had caused him quite a few problems, and it took him some time to get rid of it.


    After spending about a day in his minor dimension, he finally came out.


    If his calculations were correct, a day in there should have been just over 14 minutes out here.


    Being in a world where technology was still very primitive, they used ancient methods like incense sticks to monitor the passage of time.


    Ethan had taken three incense sticks, each of a different length. One would burn out in about half an hour.


    Another would last about an hour.


    And the last one could last up to 2 hours.


    Once out of the dimension, Ethan approached the incense sticks and saw that all three were still burning.


    This meant that indeed, less than half an hour had passed inside that dimension.


    All three sticks still had a good portion left to burn.


    Setting aside the longer sticks, Ethan focused on the half-hour one.


    The stick had burned about halfway down; in other words, nearly 15 minutes had passed, which closely matched Ethan''s estimate.


    ''Well, this fits within the calculations. At least now I can be sure that time does flow as indicated in the minor dimension''s information.''


    Ethan thought as he opened the window a bit to let some fresh air into the room.


    He had closed it before leaving to prevent a gust of wind from altering the incense sticks'' burning time.


    Now that this was settled, Ethan could only continue with his usual routine.


    Ethan was still uncertain whether it was a good idea to spend so much time in that dimension.


    Although the outside world wouldn''t change, he would certainly continue to age.


    So, in a sense, he was shortening the time he could spend here in the outside world.


    For a normal person, this could have been a bad thing, since usually on Earth, the average lifespan ranged from 60 to 80 years, with few exceptions surpassing 90, and a few others becoming centenarians.


    In this world rich in spiritual Qi, the situation was slightly different, although not by much. Even here, mortals often didn''t reach 100 years, but certainly, the average lifespan ratio here compared to his previous world was different.


    Ethan knew that as long as he progressed quickly in his cultivation, he wouldn''t have to worry about aging.


    Cultivators could live for more than 100 years, with the stronger ones living for over a thousand years.


    Ethan, who was at the second stage of mortal rank cultivation, could afford to live for over 200 years.


    Knowing this, the small concern that had arisen in his heart was calmed.


    Ethan was beginning to realize that the more he cultivated and learned about this world, the more his old mortal mentality was starting to change.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 78 - 78: Silver Cauldron

    .


    Another five days passed, during which Ethan''s daily life underwent significant changes.


    There was about a week left until the end-of-year exams.


    With the acquisition of the minor dimension, Ethan''s daily routine also changed.


    No longer did he spend his time training in the morning and refining pills until evening; instead, he took three to four hours each day to visit the minor dimension and handle most of his business.


    Given that an hour in the outside world was equivalent to a day in the minor dimension, he had more than enough time to do everything.


    One day was spent refining and advancing the production of pills.


    Another day, he cultivated and trained in the basic combat techniques that every sect disciple had to learn.


    And on some days, he tended to his herb plantations, which after the first 100-day cycle, were now fully grown and mature.


    Although Ethan spent a lot of time inside, it was still just three hours outside.


    The rest of his time was spent on various small tasks, from keeping up with what was happening in the sect to eating and delivering the daily pill quota to Da Shu.


    So, after the first day in the outside world, all the herbs in the minor dimension were more than ready to be harvested.


    Ethan decided to take thirty percent of what he produced, and the remaining 70% he replanted.


    In just a few days, what had been a small plantation of various herbs had grown at least tenfold in size.


    Ethan created several areas, organizing them in such a way that they wouldn''t interfere with each other and that there was a certain order among them. S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This allowed him to cultivate them more efficiently and navigate through the various plantations.


    In addition to herbs, Ethan also cultivated other types of plants.


    From fruit-bearing trees to vegetables and spices that he often used in preparing his simple cooking recipes.


    At one point, he even considered whether it would be worthwhile to bring some animals into this place.


    After all, with this habitat, there could be many animals that could live here comfortably and populate the area.


    In essence, this place was full of opportunities of various kinds that Ethan could exploit.


    In the end, he built a simple dwelling near the herb plantation and introduced some non-spiritual animals, releasing them at a distance from where he had established his residence.


    For them, he had effectively grown a small forest, so they could populate it.


    Normally, Ethan wouldn''t have bothered to do something like this. He would have simply stuck to planting his herbs, refining, and continuing his cultivation.


    But with the amount of time at his disposal, the more he stayed in this place, the more new ideas came to him to develop.


    After introducing a certain fauna and flora into his small world, he returned to his normal routine.


    Da Shu was confused and amazed at how much Ethan''s pill production had increased.


    The daily quota was no longer what it used to be; it was now almost double.


    Although curious as to how his friend was doing it, he decided not to delve into the matter.


    If Ethan wanted to tell him, he would.


    He didn''t want to jeopardize their relationship over something like this, nor was he interested in doing so.


    The reason Ethan decided to increase production wasn''t just to meet the market demand for his pills, but also because he wanted to earn enough system points to elevate the rest of his pills, at least to high-grade, with some exceptions he planned to elevate to perfect-grade.


    One of these pills was the Qi Gathering Pill.


    This was a pill given monthly in the Phoenix Sect to each disciple, and its main purpose was to accelerate the gathering of Qi for everyone.


    Naturally, the sect didn''t give mid or high-grade pills to everyone.


    Low-grade pills were reserved for outer disciples, mid-grade for inner disciples, and high-grade for the elite core disciples.


    Ethan had no idea what treatment the core disciples received, but he didn''t doubt it was better than what the top inner disciples got.


    Ethan initially refined the pills himself because he intended to complete the final requirement to upgrade his spiritual cauldron.


    He had put it off for too long, and it was time to improve it.


    The second reason was to avoid losing any system points. Now that he had decided to pay attention to his other pills, Ethan couldn''t afford to lose even a single SP.


    So in these five days, spending several hours a day inside the minor dimension, he completed all these things he had put aside.


    At one point, he even advanced to the second level of the Qi Refinement stage.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Qi refining (Lv.1 ��> Lv.2)


    Qi: 45/3000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 101 --> 115


    Agility: 96 --> 109


    Intelligence: 102 --> 117


    Soul Strength: 130 --> 132


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 172


    -------------------------------]


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Bronze Cauldron]


    Name: Silver Cauldron


    Grade: Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, corroded by time, now beginning to reveal its former splendor.


    Perfect for refining more demanding pills, and thanks to its high durability, it can also serve as a good shield.


    Ability: Size Shifter (new!)


    Upgrade requirements:


    - Refine 10 Level 1 perfect-grade pills (0/10)


    - Refine 1000 Level 2 low-grade pills (0/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 2 mid-grade pills (0/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 2 high-grade pills (0/10)


    - Refine 1 Level 2 perfect-grade pill (0/1)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the change occurring in his cauldron, Ethan opened his status screen and was amazed to see that he had gained an ability.


    Unfortunately, his amazement was short-lived, as when he saw the new requirements for upgrading the cauldron, he almost cursed.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    Get ready, if everything goes smoothly this week, then you will have many chapters waiting for you throughout the month of September.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 79 - 79: Shocking Everyone

    . S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After cursing due to the new requirements for upgrading the artifact, Ethan decided to check out the cauldron''s new ability.


    Even though he could guess what it was just by reading the ability''s name, he still checked, and it turned out to be exactly what he thought.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Size Shifter]


    Description: By providing a certain amount of spiritual energy to the object, you can change its size.


    Depending on how much you give, it will become either larger or smaller, with a minimum limit of 1 centimeter in height, and a maximum limit, which will depend on the amount of spiritual energy provided.


    Note: For every meter you increase the cauldron''s height, it will consume 10 times more spiritual energy than before.


    The same applies to its weight, which will increase by 10 kg for every half meter added in height.


    -----------------------------]


    .


    After reading the description of his spiritual cauldron, Ethan wondered what this ability could be used for.


    It was normal to use cauldrons of different sizes depending on the need, but what use could a 1 cm cauldron have?


    And the same goes for one that''s too large?


    Ethan had no idea if he would ever use the artifact as a weapon in the future, but he had to admit that the object''s durability was not lacking.


    And its weight was no small matter either.


    Before the update, the cauldron weighed about 50 kg, but now, Ethan was sure it weighed over 70 kg.


    So, if it was true that weight increased with size...


    Ethan didn''t even want to imagine what could happen.


    With his current strength stats, Ethan could lift weights over 100 kg fairly easily, so for now, using the cauldron wasn''t a problem.


    Ethan put it away and prepared to head out.


    Meanwhile, once again at the Zhang family residence, a familiar scene was unfolding.


    Zhang Mei Ling, who had previously said there was no need to worry about the Peng family''s products, now had an unreadable expression as she reviewed this week''s performance reports.


    Zhang Mei Ling lowered the sheet she was holding and, without turning around, asked her secretary.


    "Didn''t you say they wouldn''t cause any problems for us? How do you explain this?"


    She asked in a calm tone that was anything but calm in the secretary''s ears.


    The secretary, though with some difficulty, mustered up the courage and said,


    "My lady, our previous assessment of the matter was based on the fact that they had a limited production that didn''t seem to surpass a certain threshold.


    Which was normal, considering the quality of their product, but strangely, since last week, their sales rate has suddenly increased, with the pills never seeming to run out."


    She said, trying to remain calm and explain this sudden market anomaly.


    Indeed, this not only alarmed the Zhang family but also other families, including the Medicine Pavilion, which was wondering who this alchemist was.


    They had no record of such a brand, nor did they know where it had appeared from.


    Some partners of the Peng family tried to contact them, hoping to establish some kind of relationship with this mysterious alchemist.


    If it had only been about Level 1 pills, regardless of the grade, no one would have paid more attention than necessary, but now things were different.


    Not only did the quality remain high, but the number of pills also increased.


    Many thought that behind this brand there was a group of alchemists recruited by the Peng family, but this assumption was too far-fetched.


    They understood that hiring so many skilled alchemists would be costly for anyone, let alone a second-tier family like the Pengs.


    This only seemed to add fuel to the fire, and everyone wanted to know more about it.


    The Peng family, faced with all this, was shocked, as they were unaware of everything Da Shu had been doing in recent weeks.


    They still didn''t know how well the shops under Da Shu were doing, so this sudden attention from everyone in Sun City was unexpected for them.


    The Peng family head, who was a tall, old man but still very fit, had to investigate the matter.


    After just a few hours, he obtained a report summarizing what was happening, and reading it, he almost had a heart attack.


    ''That little rascal had a golden goose in his hands and didn''t let us know.''


    The family head thought as he considered how much more money the family could have made if this had been handled better.


    Thinking about how much imaginary money he had lost, he immediately asked someone to call Da Shu back.


    For years, the Peng family had been trying to find an opportunity to elevate their status in Sun City, but they never got this chance.


    The ruling families of the city were too shrewd and careful with their affairs.


    They made sure never to leave any opportunity for others to prevail over them.


    This sudden wave of quality pills had temporarily shaken their control in this almost saturated market.


    The family head didn''t want to miss this opportunity.


    He knew that if he made the right moves, there would be hope for his family to become stronger in the future.


    Da Shu, who was diligently practicing his cultivation in one of the sect''s cultivation rooms, was suddenly disturbed.


    A bit annoyed, he pulled out a talisman from his disciple robe pocket that was glowing and infused it with some spiritual energy.


    Talismans were widely used in this world, and depending on the need, various types could be found.


    The one Da Shu held was a communication talisman.


    Thanks to the use of spiritual energy and some inscriptions on it, small messages could be sent back and forth between two parties.


    It was very different from a modern phone, where you could contact just about anyone, but with talismans, communication was limited to two parties.


    There were other types of talismans that could overcome this issue, but they were inconvenient and impractical, not suited for everyday use, and therefore reserved only for certain cases.


    Examining the talisman with his spiritual energy, Da Shu understood what it was about.


    He stood up, put the talisman away, and prepared to leave.


    As he did, he wondered if the meeting would go well or not.


    ''Let''s hope those old folks can keep their greed in check.''


    He thought, recalling the elders of his family.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 80 - 80: Peng Jun

    .


    At the Peng family manor.


    In a large hall, several figures of varying ages sat in two rows on either side of the room, with a narrow corridor, no more than 2 meters wide, leading to a set of steps where the family head''s seat was placed.


    Currently, the various elders and important members of the Peng family were gathered here.


    Anyone with even a bit of influence in the family was present today, including Da Shu''s parents.


    Sitting in the central seat, the family head silently observed the others speaking, showing no sign of intervening.


    The issue of the level 1 pills, which were selling well in some of the family''s stores, had drawn a lot of attention recently, so this meeting was necessary.


    The family head, Peng Jun, also known as the "Mad Machine," had always been an ambitious man.


    He grew up in a poor family, and seeing the harsh living conditions of his parents and siblings, he worked hard to change their fate.


    Over the years, he took on various jobs and gradually built a reputation for himself.


    His talent for cultivation was low, and without enough resources as a child, he missed what are considered the best years for cultivation.


    But this alone didn''t stop him.


    Along with his excellent business management, he also dedicated himself to cultivation, and after establishing a stable position in the City of the Sun, he devoted himself fully to it, leaving the family reins in the hands of his sons.


    He knew that if he continued to remain a low-level cultivator, he would die after the first hundred years.


    For an ambitious man like him, resigning himself to his fate, knowing there was still a chance to live longer by becoming stronger, was impossible.


    So he spent several years in closed-door cultivation, telling his family not to disturb him unless it was something very urgent.


    He cultivated for several decades, and when he finally emerged, he had ascended to the 6th level of the Dantian Expansion realm.


    Since then, his progress had been extremely slow, and upon reaching the 10th level, he encountered a bottleneck he still couldn''t overcome.


    With his current cultivation, he could afford to live for at least another 100 years.


    He had tried various methods in recent years to break through, but without success.


    From rare cultivation materials to breakthrough pills, nothing worked.


    The materials were not too effective as they were still within a certain rarity threshold.


    The rarer ones were hard to acquire, as every time they appeared, they were snatched up by those with deeper pockets, in other words, not him.


    Although his family had some wealth, it was still inferior to that of more powerful figures.


    The same went for breakthrough pills.


    He needed at least a high-grade level 3 pill, or a level 4 one to break through.


    But getting such pills was easier said than done.


    Breakthrough pills were essential in the current cultivation world, as they significantly increased one''s chances of advancing to the next stage.


    The higher the stage to be reached, the higher the level of the pill needed.


    For him, at the second stage, level 3 pills and above were necessary.


    Unfortunately, these types of pills were difficult to create, so only a few could be found each year.


    Needless to say, the ones that made it to the market were taken by the strongest.


    Peng Jun managed to get his hands on some of these pills, but they were ineffective.


    It was clear that he needed at least level 4 pills to have a chance of breaking through.


    A difficult task, as these were even rarer than the level 3 ones.


    In recent years, the family patriarch, although having lost some hope, hadn''t yet given up on finding a way to break through to the next level.


    And while doing so, he continued to monitor the progress of his family members.


    He had to admit that, although his family had never had any great cultivators in the past, in recent decades, they had produced some good talents.


    One of them was his grandson, the child of his third son.


    The family head had noticed his great potential from a young age and made sure to personally train him to grow into the future pillar of the family.


    Unfortunately for him, this boy turned out to be a strength maniac, and apart from training and cultivating, he didn''t like doing anything else.


    The patriarch had tried multiple times to teach him other disciplines, crucial for a future family head, but he never paid the necessary attention.


    In the end, he let him join the Phoenix Sect so that he could properly develop his cultivation.


    He thought that since he wanted to cultivate, he would let him do so.


    He was certain that in the future, he would become stronger than him, so he wanted to let him cultivate in peace, so at least the family would have a strong figure to protect it.


    There were other family members with good cultivation potential, but Da Shu surpassed them all, and unlike most of them who were more involved in business, he was more dedicated to cultivation.


    Currently, the family had several members in the Body Refining and Qi Refining stages, with even one at the first level of Dantian Expansion, but compared to the more powerful families, they were still a bit weak.


    Therefore, he had high expectations for him.


    Currently, Da Shu was standing before everyone, in the corridor at the center of the hall.


    He had a mostly relaxed expression, with a small hint of annoyance, due to his dislike for dealing with matters like this.


    If it weren''t for the fact that his business relationship with Ethan was important, he wouldn''t have been too concerned with the issue, and would have dismissed it as he did with most things outside of cultivation.


    ''Haa, a man can''t even cultivate in peace.'' sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He thought, shaking his head, while waiting for the family head to speak.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 81 - 81: Poor Combat Skills

    .


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, the head of the family began the meeting.


    Turning his gaze to the tall young man standing in the center of the room, he spoke:


    "Shu''er, it''s been a while since you last visited the family. Tell me, how is your cultivation progressing?" he asked Da Shu, in an affectionate tone.


    "It''s going well," Da Shu replied.


    He wasn''t in a hurry to bring up the main issue just yet.


    It had been over a year since Da Shu had left for the sect, and he hadn''t returned to the family manor since then.


    The head of the family wanted to catch up with him a bit before addressing the matter that had brought everyone together today.


    As he sensed Da Shu''s current cultivation level, he couldn''t help but smile slightly.


    ''Already at the sixth level of Body Refining. If he continues at this pace, then in a few more months, he''ll reach the peak of this stage,'' he thought.


    The other family members didn''t mind the conversation between the two.


    They knew the patriarch adored Da Shu, and they also couldn''t help but have a good impression of him.


    After all, at such a young age, he was already showing great talent for cultivation, and with the recent incident, their impression of him had only improved.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, the patriarch finally brought up the matter of the pills.


    "Your recent achievements in managing the shops under your name have been very good, almost excellent.


    You''ve even managed to alert those old foxes from other families," he said with a chuckle, before returning to his calm tone.


    The previously relaxed atmosphere was now replaced with a more composed and serious one.


    "Your performance this year will surely surpass that of previous years, perhaps even becoming one of the best," he said, nodding, thinking that maybe the desire to do more business, which runs in the blood of every Peng family member, had finally awakened in him.


    "That being said, the speed at which you''re supplying the shops with pills is faster than anyone expected, catching everyone off guard.


    I assume there are some rather capable alchemists behind all of this," he said, finally starting to discuss the reason they had all gathered here today.


    Da Shu had already prepared himself in advance to respond to this, so he sighed internally and said, "It was unexpected for me too.


    I thought I was dealing with an ordinary alchemist, but he turned out to be more skilled than I anticipated."


    At the mention of these words, many eyes narrowed as they noticed a particular detail in them.


    "Hm? An alchemist? Not a group?" asked the patriarch.


    Although he expected there might be one person behind this, rather than a group, it was still difficult to accept, so he was still uncertain and emphasized the point.


    Da Shu nodded in agreement.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand their confusion.


    Even he was shocked when he saw that Ethan had managed to increase his daily production several times over, and he even asked if he had found some skilled helpers.


    But Ethan simply replied that he had just improved his efficiency, without saying how.


    Da Shu knew this was only the beginning of what would be a barrage of endless questions, so he had already agreed with Ethan in advance.


    He didn''t want to hide anything from his family, but he also didn''t want to involve Ethan if he didn''t want to be involved.


    Not only because Ethan was his friend, but also because Da Shu could tell that Ethan''s potential wouldn''t stop here.


    His business sense told him that if he continued trading with Ethan, he would surely earn much more in the future.


    So, he agreed to Ethan''s request to remain anonymous.


    While Da Shu was busy handling the issue of Ethan''s pills, Ethan was currently in his sea of consciousness, lying on the ground with a smoking bruise on his head.


    "You didn''t hold back at all," he said as he got up from the ground.


    Bai Yu, who was calmly standing on the other side, spoke as she looked at his battered appearance.


    "Believe it or not, I used a simple basic technique to attack you.


    It''s just that with your nearly nonexistent combat experience, you couldn''t even defend yourself against it," she said nonchalantly, her words piercing through Ethan like sharp knives.


    ''This woman is heartless,'' Ethan thought, regretting asking her to spar with him.


    That morning, as Ethan finished his cultivation and usual training routine, he wondered how effective his actual hand-to-hand combat skills were.


    Over the past year in the sect, he had almost no real combat experience, and the only thing he did was learn various techniques by fighting against a straw dummy.


    With his cultivation issue, he hadn''t bothered to go and train like, well, practically everyone else.


    He had thought he would deal with it after entering the first stage of cultivation.


    But once he did, he had no time for anything else, as he became an alchemist and started refining pills to begin earning money immediately and leveling up.


    Now that his dimension had arrived, giving him more time, he decided to finally address this problem.


    Although he thought he had learned normal combat techniques well, he had no real experience to base them on.


    The fight a few months ago with the mid-stage Body Refining monster didn''t really count since he hadn''t engaged in proper combat, but instead used a calculated long-range attack to avoid close-quarters fighting.


    The monster was simply too strong for him back then, so he couldn''t challenge it directly.


    He decided to ask Bai Yu if she could help him with this problem.


    Who would have thought he''d end up getting beaten by her without mercy?


    According to her, being in his sea of consciousness, these injuries wouldn''t be anything for him, as he could heal them with just a thought.


    Unfortunately, the same couldn''t be said for the pain.


    If what she said was true, then didn''t that mean his combat skills were borderline poor?


    The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt.


    ''Haaa, why does everything have to be so difficult?'' he thought as he started drawing circles in the air and reflecting on his life. sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu, seeing him, couldn''t help but shake her head.


    She had already noticed that although he was making great strides in terms of cultivation, his combat skills were almost nonexistent.


    ''It seems there''s a lot of work to be done,'' she thought, sighing.


    She had agreed to spar with him because she wanted to assess his combat abilities and see how much he was lacking.


    But it seemed he had hardly ever been in a real fight, and as a result, he didn''t have the necessary experience to make the best use of the techniques he had received from his sect.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hold back from doing it below.


    See you tomorrow, with another chapter.

 Chapter 82 - 82: Heartless Woman

    .


    She thought about how she could help him.


    Being a member of the dragon race, her combat abilities were very different from his.


    The difference between human techniques and those of dragons was too significant for her to be of help in this situation.


    Her race''s techniques were specifically created for her kind, taking into account various factors that only dragons possessed.


    From their physical constitution to the techniques and abilities they had, everything was too different from humans.


    She had never bothered to learn any human techniques, as they would have been useless for her.


    The only solution she could come up with was to advise him to fight with her companions from the sect.


    Or ask for help from the boy who shared the dormitory with him.


    There was really little she could do at the moment.


    Bai Yu had decided to help him because she had nothing better to do in the sea of consciousness.


    The only entertainment she had was seeing Ethan occasionally come up with problems he had created himself.


    For a creature like her, the passage of time had largely lost its meaning, as with her lifespan, even if she had slept for several years in a row, it would have been just a drop in that sea that was her life.


    When she was still in the upper skies, before meeting the previous owner of the amphora of the seven sages, she spent her time either carrying out missions for her clan, training, or sleeping for long periods.


    For races at her level, it was normal to sleep for long periods.


    A complete sleep cycle for them could last several days, even months.


    Not that they really needed it.


    With the lower level, they could afford not to eat and sleep for decades without feeling any lack or effect on their bodies.


    The spiritual energy of the surrounding environment was the only source of nourishment that beings of her level needed.


    Therefore, normally, spending long periods of inactivity was not a problem for them, but Bai Yu''s situation was somewhat particular.


    Having been trapped in the artifact for who knows how many centuries, she had no desire to spend the rest of her waking days going back to sleep.


    Therefore, whenever she could, she always did something different, from talking with Ethan to trying to understand the strange things he occasionally evoked in the sea of consciousness.


    This time too, he had evoked a strange black screen that, apart from being black, seemed to serve no other purpose.


    She remembered that back then, he was complaining about not having electricity and signal in this place.


    Bai Yu''s electrical concentration was limited to spells and attacks, so she was a bit confused by his words then.


    Similar situations had occurred several other times, both when she was in the real world and when she was here in her sea of consciousness.


    From the use of words and terms unknown to her to actions that didn''t mean much to her.


    There was always something to witness in her presence.


    She thought she could help him spot flaws in his combat techniques with these little sparrings, but it seemed he had underestimated his real combat experience.


    Not that she was surprised, since he had spent most of his time locked up at home refining pills.


    Shaking her head for the umpteenth time, she moved and approached him.


    She couldn''t help him with the combat techniques themselves because he would have had to learn those from his kind, but she thought that training with her could give him some real combat experience.


    He just needed to lower his level a bit and beat him up each time, and it should be sufficient.


    After all, by doing so, he would seek new ways to attack and defend each time.


    This, in itself, should be enough to develop a battle instinct in him.


    Or at least that''s what she thought.


    Ethan, still recovering from the previous beating, felt a chill down his spine and stood up, looking around.


    ''What was that feeling of danger, just now?''


    He thought as he wondered if it had been a figment of his imagination or not.


    If he had known what was swirling in Bai Yu''s mind at that moment, he would have fled with his tail between his legs from his sea of consciousness.


    He had asked her to help only to avoid falling behind in his combat abilities, but that didn''t mean he was okay with getting beaten up repeatedly.


    He would have preferred to hide in a secluded place, where he could conduct his transactions safely and never risk fighting anyone.


    Bai Yu, who had just approached him, seeing his behavior, shook her mind, thinking it was another one of his strange actions.


    Noticing her approach, Ethan composed himself and spoke.


    "Haa, it seems I still have a lot to work on in this area," he said, admitting how lacking he was in this aspect.


    "Yes, to be honest, I''ve never seen anyone so devoid of any combat knowledge. Even a newborn from our white dragon race could perform better," she said calmly.


    At these words, Ethan coughed up half a liter of blood.


    ''Woman, why are you so ruthless?'' he thought, but he forced himself to remain calm.


    "At your current level, I would advise you to train a bit with your roommate. That boy should be able to help you," she said.


    "I understand, I''ll try asking him later."


    Ethan agreed with her opinion.


    He had avoided going to the training areas open to sect disciples because he risked revealing his current cultivation level.


    The same for Da Shu; he thought he would risk accidentally hurting someone under the Body Refining stage.


    He hadn''t learned to contain his strength either, but he was gradually learning it as he consolidated his cultivation foundation.


    As he thought about this, he remembered something else.


    ''Wait, I still don''t have any special moves.''


    . sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 83 - 83: Dragon Blood

    .


    In almost all the cultivation novels Ethan had read, the protagonists, and even others in general, not only had special techniques but also unique attacks based on their element or whatever made them stronger.


    There were all kinds, but as he was now, he had none.


    Even the charged attack he had used by compressing the blue lotus flame into a ball of condensed fire barely qualified as one.


    He thought about it for a moment but then realized what the problem was.


    He didn''t have any special techniques.


    Exactly.


    A good portion of these special attacks were derived from offensive or defensive techniques passed down within families and sects.


    Since he wasn''t part of any large family, or any family at all considering he couldn''t remember who he was in this world, he obviously had none.


    The same went for the sect.


    He was simply an outer disciple.


    No sect would share their special techniques with outer disciples.


    At most, they would teach them basic combat techniques and Qi gathering methods, but beyond that, there were no other benefits. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If one wanted to learn some distinctive technique of the sect, they had to prove themselves worthy.


    More precisely, they had to show their value over the course of the year by making great strides in cultivation or by advancing to the inner sect, where they would be granted some benefits, including certain sect techniques.


    Ethan was almost tempted to reveal his cultivation level just to get his hands on one of these techniques, but then he reconsidered.


    If he could fully control his current strength, then he could manipulate and release it to a degree that wouldn''t be too shocking in the eyes of others, yet not too lacking either.


    A middle ground, so to speak.


    He knew he needed to intensify his daily training to keep up with his ever-growing cultivation base.


    Normally, it would be the opposite case for most people.


    They would consolidate their foundations and strive each day to accumulate more Qi and continually improve.


    Ethan, on the other hand, had to constantly consolidate the Qi he received in abundance from refining, and each time it was never enough.


    Overall, things were going well; his strength was great, his spiritual energy reserves improved with each level, but if he didn''t have good control over it, sooner or later he could end up in trouble.


    Ethan wasn''t yet at a level where he could ignore most worldly problems.


    He was still too weak to do so, so he tried to fill in the gaps he had.


    Now that he had the minor dimension, which practically provided him with an infinite amount of extra time, he could work on this without too much worry.


    Ethan wondered if the system''s shop would eventually sell techniques or other things beyond pill recipes.


    ''Well, I can only keep leveling up and see if I unlock some other function,'' he thought, then turned his gaze to Bai Yu.


    He wondered if she could teach him some special attack.


    Who knows, maybe there was some technique he could use even without being of the dragon race.


    "Hey Bai Yu, regarding attack and defense techniques, do you think you could teach me some?" he asked hopefully.


    "No."


    "��"


    Seeing Ethan''s dejected expression, she explained.


    "It''s not that I don''t have any techniques you could learn; it''s just that all of them are impossible for you to practice at your current level.


    The energy and strength requirements to use them are too high for the current you."


    And with that, Ethan''s last hope was extinguished.


    "Is there really no way for you to teach me something?" he asked, completely resigned.


    His idea was to fill his various gaps as soon as possible, but it seemed that would take time as well.


    Bai Yu didn''t answer his question immediately and remained silent, pondering something.


    Seeing this, Ethan couldn''t help but ask in a hopeful tone.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Bai Yu, hearing his voice, came out of her thoughts and then said uncertainly.


    "There might be a way to teach you some of my race''s techniques, but I''m not sure if it will work," she said.


    Ethan, hearing this, quickly asked:


    "What way?"


    Still a bit uncertain, she replied:


    "The main reason you can''t learn almost any of the techniques I possess is because they are strictly linked to my race.


    So unless you are of the dragon race or at least have a bit of dragon bloodline, it''s impossible for you to learn my techniques."


    Upon hearing this, Ethan immediately had a premonition.


    ''Could she be suggesting��''


    And as if to confirm his thought, Bai Yu''s next words echoed.


    "The only way for you to learn my race''s techniques would be to absorb and develop a dragon bloodline within you."


    "Is something like that even possible?"


    Ethan asked, not sure what to think about it.


    Not that he was an expert on blood-related matters, or more precisely DNA, but he knew how dangerous it could be to introduce foreign blood into one''s body, especially if it wasn''t compatible with the person.


    This would be problematic even among beings of the same race, but if we''re talking about two completely different races, then the result was obvious.


    But then, thinking about it, Ethan wasn''t in his previous world where everything had to have a scientific explanation behind it.


    In this world, science couldn''t explain many things that were considered normal here.


    The mere fact that a person could fly or shoot fire from their hands could in itself baffle an Earth scientist.


    Who was to say that modifying one''s bloodline here was impossible?


    Wasn''t that what various protagonists of the novels he had read had done at some point in their journey?


    Although many things there made no sense even in this world, many others had proven to be possible.


    So why couldn''t this be as well?


    Just the fact that Bai Yu had mentioned it meant that such a thing wasn''t impossible.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 84 - 84: Special Mission

    .


    "Possible?


    Yes, but it''s not without risks, especially in the current situation where most of me is still under the influence of the seal.


    I''m not sure I can manage something like this," she said, explaining why she was uncertain about this approach.


    Ethan didn''t immediately think about whether it was currently possible or not, but rather wondered what effects doing something like this could have on his body.


    "If by chance you were able to provide me with a dragon''s bloodline, and I managed to assimilate it, what would happen to me?" he asked with a hint of concern.


    "It depends. If you successfully assimilate it, several outcomes are possible, varying based on the bloodline you''ve absorbed and how it''s assimilated.


    For example, if you were to absorb the bloodline of a creature different from your race, the two bloodlines would conflict, and the body would try to find a possible balance between the two.


    If one of them turns out to be stronger, it will suppress the other, and your body will change accordingly.


    For example, you might develop some traits of that creature or completely transform into one of them," she said calmly while explaining.


    Hearing this, Ethan imagined himself with a tail and scales all over his body.


    He shuddered at the thought but didn''t stop the explanation. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "On the other hand, if your bloodline resists the foreign bloodline, you might retain most of your characteristics while gaining something from the suppressed bloodline.


    In your case, if you were to absorb a dragon''s bloodline, you''d almost certainly either die because your body can''t withstand a dragon''s power, or you would assume its form.


    There are various factors that influence this process, so it''s always risky to assimilate other bloodlines."


    "Then what''s the point of suggesting it?


    Wouldn''t that be like giving me a poisoned pill?" Ethan asked, no longer seeing any benefit in doing such a thing.


    "Normally, I wouldn''t propose this solution, but the fact is that you have the means to resist and succeed in this endeavor," she said.


    "What do you mean?" he asked, skeptical.


    For a moment, he thought she was referring to the Seven Sages'' Amphora.


    "I''m referring to your special physique.


    When you acquired it, it wasn''t just your talent that improved;


    your bloodline was strengthened as well.


    Although your special physique hasn''t reached its peak yet, it should be enough to resist a dragon''s bloodline, especially in my current situation, where I am still largely suppressed, and so is my blood.


    The only problem is that I can''t manifest a physical body in the real world, so I can only attempt to produce a drop of my blood essence at the moment.


    But giving it to you would be more dangerous than absorbing a normal drop of blood," she said, making Ethan understand why she wasn''t sure about this approach.


    Hearing this, Ethan thought there was no need to take unnecessary risks now.


    After all, he was wealthy now, or at least more well-off than he had ever been before.


    Perhaps he wouldn''t be able to get his hands on a high-level technique so soon, but it should be within his means to buy a lower-level one.


    At his current level, even such a technique would be of great help.


    Thinking about this, he decided it was better to decline this offer, at least for the moment.


    As he was about to refuse, a familiar sound echoed in his head, and a blue screen appeared before him.


    DING!


    [You have unlocked a special mission]


    ''What?''


    Ethan didn''t understand what he had done to unlock a special mission, but he realized it would surely be something good.


    Without hesitation, he pressed it to see what it was.


    .


    [-----------------------------------


    [Special Mission]


    - Successfully acquire a dragon''s bloodline.


    Reward:


    - Ability: Dragon Gaze


    Time: 02 : 59 : 58


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that it was an ability, the flame of excitement reignited in Ethan.


    ''Dragon Gaze''


    Ethan wasn''t sure of this ability''s effects, but just from the name, it sounded like something powerful.


    Not only that, if the system had intervened at this moment, it also meant that maybe he had a good chance of acquiring Bai Yu''s bloodline without taking too much risk.


    At this point, Ethan had to decide whether to take the risk or not.


    ''Well, I can''t always run from choices, and if the system is suggesting this, then maybe my chances aren''t that low.''


    The system had always helped him in one way or another, and in none of those times had he risked losing his life.


    So he wondered, why not rely on it one more time?


    After all, if he wanted to become stronger, he would have to face situations like this much more often in the future.


    What sense did it make to retreat now?


    In the end, after a few minutes of contemplation, he made his decision.


    Turning his gaze to Bai Yu, he said, in a tone that left no hint of hesitation:


    "I want to try," he said.


    Bai Yu, hearing this, looked at him strangely and said:


    "Are you sure? Although your chances aren''t low, there''s no guarantee that everything will go well," she said, trying to make him understand that this wasn''t something to be taken lightly.


    Ethan was her lifeline out of this place, and she didn''t want him to get seriously hurt or worse, die because of this decision.


    Who knows when she would have another chance to break free from the artifact''s seal.


    "Yes, I''m sure.


    I feel like I can do it."


    Maybe saying he felt like he could do it wasn''t quite right since it was the system that seemed to be telling him he could succeed, but that wasn''t important at the moment.


    He needed to focus and prepare for what was about to happen.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 85 - 85: Beginning of the Assimilation

    .


    Bai Yu couldn''t understand where this sudden confidence in successfully assimilating her blood essence came from, but she decided to go along with it.


    She was also a bit curious to see what would happen.


    Although she was still worried that the assimilation might not go well, at the same time, she had reason to believe that maybe he would succeed.


    After all, this wouldn''t be the first time Ethan had done something that had amazed her.


    So, while silently praying that nothing would go wrong, she began to circulate the little spiritual energy she could control at the moment and started to extract as much blood essence as possible.


    As soon as the process began, Ethan noticed that Bai Yu''s body started to glow with a soft blue light.


    ''Is this how you extract your essence blood?'' he wondered.


    He had no idea how any of this worked, so he kept his thoughts to himself and waited for her to finish.


    Bai Yu wasn''t sure how much essence she would be able to gather and manifest in reality, but as she tried, she felt that at least the process was working.


    While she circulated the spiritual energy through her ethereal body, beneath the water mirror of the sea of consciousness, Bai Yu''s true body emitted a small sphere of light that shot upwards.


    The sphere of light moved at very high speed, and when it finally passed through the water mirror, Ethan didn''t notice, and he couldn''t understand what had happened when the sphere struck him.


    At the same time, outside the sea of consciousness, Ethan, who was in the minor dimension, sitting cross-legged on what seemed to be a wooden platform, furrowed his brow, which lit up for an instant.


    The sphere of light that had struck him emerged from his forehead and paused for a moment in the air.


    The sphere seemed to have a consciousness of its own, and as soon as it saw that it was outside, it immediately tried to dart away from Ethan.


    But as soon as it moved a mere meter away, a force emanating from Ethan''s body stopped it and forced it to come back.


    The sphere, under the influence of this force, darted, no longer toward the forehead, but toward Ethan''s chest, making contact with it.


    The area it struck was the heart, and as soon as it touched it, it was absorbed.


    For a moment, everything went silent, and Ethan, who was still in his sea of consciousness, felt a tingling sensation in his chest that lasted for less than a second.


    He wasn''t sure what had just happened.


    One moment he was watching Bai Yu, who was emitting a crystalline blue aura, and then he felt this strange sensation in his chest.


    He wasn''t sure what had happened and wondered for a moment if this was part of the assimilation process.


    He hadn''t seen the glowing sphere enter his body and then exit only to reenter his chest in the real world, so he was a bit confused.


    ''When will the process st��''


    Just as he was wondering how long it would take for her to extract her blood essence, a sharp pain hit him out of nowhere.


    Ugh.


    A sensation of dizziness followed immediately after, and unable to remain stable any longer, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest with his hands.


    ''What''s happening to me?''


    Gradually, he began to feel a heat igniting in his heart as it started to beat faster.


    The sensation of dizziness was clouding his mind, and just when he thought he might pass out to avoid enduring all of this, the sharp pain coming from his chest would wake him up.


    At some point, without realizing it, he was no longer in his sea of consciousness but had instead returned to reality and was currently on his knees, feeling his body temperature rise rapidly.


    First, it was just the heart, then the whole chest, and finally his entire body.


    The pounding of his heart, which was now pumping blood wildly, could be heard clearly.


    Thump-thump...


    Thump-thump...


    Thump-thump...


    His pale skin, which had recently taken on a healthier and more vigorous color, was now completely flushed, with beads of sweat forming on it, only to evaporate immediately afterward due to the high temperature.


    Ethan, now fully immersed in agony, was no longer aware of what was happening, and the only thought in his head was:


    ''ENDURE, ENDURE, ENDURE...''


    He kept repeating it to himself like a mantra, trying not to succumb entirely to the pain.


    He wasn''t sure if this was part of the assimilation process; after all, he didn''t even know when or how he had received Bai Yu''s blood essence, but he knew he couldn''t let it overpower him.


    He had a feeling that if he gave in to the pain and passed out, there was a small chance he might never wake up again.


    The continuous sweating and the subsequent evaporation of it had produced a cloud of steam around his body, making it difficult to see through.


    His body was constantly changing both inside and out. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At some point, he felt something growing on his skin, and a searing pain struck him again.


    Ethan could feel as if his skin was being torn off in several places simultaneously.


    White scales, as white as marble, began to sprout from his skin.


    CRACK.


    As soon as these scales finished growing on his body, covering his legs and arms, as well as a portion of his face, an impulse from beneath them caused them to shatter immediately.


    The shattered scales fell to the ground, revealing once again Ethan''s reddened skin beneath them.


    Not even a second passed before more scales grew in place of the broken ones, only to be shattered by something once more.


    This process repeated itself once again,


    and again, and again...


    His skin wasn''t the only thing undergoing changes.


    Other parts of his body also underwent a similar process.


    All of this continued for a long time, and Ethan, who felt every second pass as if it were an eternity, continued to persevere, trying not to succumb.


    At some point, even Bai Yu''s figure, which had been in his sea of consciousness before, was now here outside, watching all of this with a calm gaze.


    Her expression didn''t betray any emotion as she watched from a few meters away.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 86 - 86: Menacing Dragon

    .


    Time passed, and before long, three whole days had gone by in the Minor Dimension.


    After several hours of relentless agony, Ethan''s body stopped writhing, and he, no longer feeling the ceaseless pain, collapsed into a sudden fatigue and lost consciousness.


    He remained unconscious for three straight days, lying completely still, his body showing no signs of activity.


    During this time, Bai Yu''s figure remained in the same position, continuing to gaze at Ethan.


    If someone had seen him in this state for so long, they would have thought he had been dead for quite some time.


    Then, on the evening of the third day, he finally showed some signs of life.


    His forehead furrowed slightly as he tried to open his eyes.


    Ah


    As soon as he managed to open them a bit, he was struck by a sudden headache, which made him close them again immediately. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, he tried again, this time more slowly.


    At first, his vision was completely overwhelmed by a white light, and for a moment, he couldn''t help but think he had gone blind.


    Gradually, the white veil covering his eyes began to fade, and shapes started to take form.


    The blue of the sky became clearer, the glare diminished, and finally, a clear view of the sky opened up before him, dotted only by a few fluffy white clouds.


    ''Am I dead?''


    He wondered for a moment, admiring the blue sky, perceiving the colors and details of the various clouds floating above much more clearly.


    It wasn''t that he had had any vision problems before.


    It was just that now, for some reason, everything seemed much clearer.


    It was as if an illusory veil that had previously covered some details had finally been removed.


    His mind was strangely calmer and lighter than usual.


    Just as he was pondering whether the process had been successful, the system decided to intervene.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, Host, for successfully assimilating the blood essence of a dragon.]


    [Congratulations, you have successfully completed the special mission.]


    [Open the mission interface to claim your reward.]


    Seeing this series of messages, Ethan was reassured that he was still alive and had somehow succeeded, albeit surprisingly.


    He didn''t immediately open the system interface and took his time while remaining lying on the circular wooden platform.


    Initially, Ethan had intended to build a small residence for himself.


    Something like a small house, but he had no idea how to make it.


    In the end, he decided on something simpler, like this small wooden platform with a conical roof on top.


    At first, he hadn''t intended to include the roof, but then during one of his visits here, he discovered that it was raining.


    He hadn''t expected it to rain here as well, but then remembering the description of this place, he understood why.


    The system had classified this Minor Dimension as a small world, and as such, it had an atmosphere and its own natural cycles, including those of water.


    Although this raised some questions for Ethan, such as if there was water and an atmosphere, there should also be life, and other similar questions, he decided not to think about it too much.


    These kinds of questions were too grand for someone like him, and he had no intention of spending his time figuring out why certain things existed in this place.


    At least, not right now.


    Perhaps in the future he would, after all, he had big plans for this Minor Dimension.


    Eventually, a voice coming from a short distance pulled him out of his thoughts.


    "How much longer do you plan to stay lying down?" asked the voice.


    Hearing this voice, Ethan knew who it was, and with an effort, he lifted his body, trying to get up.


    Having stayed in the same position for three consecutive days, his body muscles were stiff, and he struggled to find his balance.


    Finally, leaning against one of the wooden beams supporting the conical roof above, he looked forward, where a few meters away stood a woman with an ethereal appearance.


    "Good morning,


    well, perhaps it''s better to say good evening," he said, scratching his head.


    Bai Yu, however, said nothing, continuing to look him up and down, examining his body as if she were trying to see something.


    Then, with a slight, somewhat mischievous smile, she said:


    "Well, I didn''t know you were hiding a dragon that size down there."


    ''Eh?''


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t understand what she meant by those words.


    He lowered his head to see what she was talking about, and then, as if struck by a gust of cold air, he froze for a moment, realizing the meaning behind her words.


    ''Holy sh*t,'' he thought, shocked at the sight of the fierce beast below.


    ''Wait, no, what am I thinking?


    More importantly, where the hell are my clothes?''


    He thought anxiously, wondering why he was naked.


    Giving a quick mental command, he opened his [Storage], pulled out a new pair of clothes, and put them on immediately.


    Then, calming down, he looked at Bai Yu, thinking.


    ''Shameless woman''


    Although he couldn''t read her mind, from her expression, she could tell what he was thinking.


    "Why are you so flustered?


    It''s not the first time I''ve seen you without clothes," she said, maintaining her usual calm demeanor.


    Ethan didn''t understand for a moment, but then it dawned on him.


    ''Right, she can see me from the Sea of Consciousness.''


    He wondered if he would ever have any private life with her always in his head.


    Shaking his head to dismiss this worry, he asked:


    "How long was I unconscious?"


    Although he knew he was still in the Minor Dimension, and thus even if he had been here for weeks it wouldn''t be too problematic, he still wanted to know how much time had passed.


    The issue was if it wasn''t just weeks or months, but years?


    Then he would be in trouble.


    The reason he had this doubt was related to his body.


    Previously, when he looked at himself, he noticed that his skin strangely seemed much whiter, and his body muscles appeared more defined.


    And he also had the feeling that he had grown taller since his clothes seemed a bit tight, as if they were not his size.


    Taking all these factors into account, he could only think of two possibilities.


    Either the assimilation of the dragon''s bloodline had made significant changes to his body, or he had been in this place for a very long time.


    Of course, this didn''t explain some of these things, but it was a cultivation world.


    Especially in his case. He possessed an ancient artifact with a system, had a rare physique, and now also had a dragon bloodline.


    Who knew what could happen and what not.


    Bai Yu, not thinking much about why he asked this question, responded:


    "You''ve been unconscious for about 3 days.


    But it''s normal for this to happen; after all, your body needs to adapt to the new changes and resume its normal functions."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    ''Ah, thank god,''


    He thought to himself, relieved to have been wrong and narrowly avoiding a problem.


    Too bad for him that his problems had just begun.


    .


    ------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 87 - 87: Changes

    .


    Since Ethan passed out in the minor dimension and not in the outside world, he only lost 43 minutes in the real world.


    The more time Ethan spent in this place, the more he understood just how valuable it was for him.


    He had entered in the afternoon, meaning he still had several hours before he needed to leave.


    If he stayed here for days, it would become night outside, and Da Shu would be alerted.


    If Da Shu saw that Ethan had not returned after such a long time, he would report him to the sect, as required by the sect''s rules.


    To avoid all these problems, Ethan decided to stay until evening, leave for dinner, and then return here at night. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This way was better.


    He wanted to avoid any unnecessary trouble for now.


    So, he spent the next few days in this dimension, training to get more familiar with his new body.


    Well, maybe new wasn''t correct, since even though it had undergone several changes, it was still the same body overall.


    He used this time not only to get used to his body but also to train more with Bai Yu.


    She, still being an ethereal figure, couldn''t train directly with him, but she could instruct him and then test him in his sea of consciousness.


    During this period, he learned several things.


    First of all, after receiving Bai Yu''s bloodline, he noticed a drastic increase in his stats.


    [Strength: 115 --> 165]


    [Agility: 109 --> 149]


    [Intelligence: 117 --> 136]


    [Soul Strength: 132 --> 136]


    Almost all his physical stats had increased by several levels.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how, but even his soul stat, which is usually very hard to increase, had advanced by 4 points.


    In other words, it was like he had received the boost he would normally get from advancing several levels.


    The same could be said for his other stats.


    His strength had increased by 50 points, which was equivalent to the improvement of five levels.


    The same went for his agility and intelligence stats, which also increased significantly.


    Ethan tended to consider each 10-point increase as equivalent to what advancing a level would give.


    He had noticed that, on average, his stat points increased by 10 with each level, even when he advanced to level two of the Qi Refining stage.


    He didn''t know if this would remain unchanged in the future, but for now, it seemed like it wouldn''t.


    Considering all this, his current strength was on par with a Qi Refining cultivator of at least level 6.


    Just thinking about this lifted Ethan''s spirits.


    Ethan thought that the stronger he became, the harder it would be to increase his strength.


    Which was normal, considering the amount of Qi needed for higher levels just kept increasing by a lot.


    When moving from the Body Refining stage to the Qi Refining stage, the total amount of Qi needed increased by a factor of 10.


    It wasn''t an extra 100 Qi per level anymore but rather 1000.


    Ethan feared that at the next stage, the amount needed for each level would increase by another factor of 10, meaning +10,000 for each new level.


    Just thinking about it gave Ethan chills.


    So, even though his cultivation speed was much faster than any other disciple of the Phoenix sect, he knew he would face his fair share of difficulties in the future.


    But seeing that the system seemed to provide boosts like these to increase his strength, even with all the new challenges of leveling up, reassured him.


    Another thing he noticed was that the changes in his body weren''t limited to his strength and other various stats but also his appearance.


    He had already noticed that his skin seemed to have a much healthier and more beautiful complexion, and his height had also increased.


    But after seeing his reflection in a mirror, he noticed that his face had changed a lot too.


    His features had become much sharper and more handsome, and most importantly, the color of his eyes had changed.


    What was once a light brown had turned into a crystalline blue similar to Bai Yu''s, with even his pupils now more like those of a reptile.


    This fact sent him into a panic because it was already going to be hard enough to explain his change in appearance, but how was he supposed to explain the change in his eyes?


    Ethan started to consider covering them indefinitely.


    Since there were no sunglasses in this world, he thought about opting for an eye patch.


    With his spiritual sense, which had increased a bit with his advancement to the Qi Refining stage, he was able to perceive the environment around him within a radius of at least 50 meters.


    But luckily for him, he found out he wouldn''t need to.


    Bai Yu told him that, while he couldn''t change the color of his eyes back to what they were before, he could manipulate the shape of his pupils.


    It took him days, but he eventually learned to control it from Bai Yu.


    The problem with his eyes remained, but at least now he could provide a reasonable explanation for their color.


    It wasn''t uncommon to find objects or pills to reshape one''s appearance, and it just so happened that contact lenses also existed in this world.


    Not exactly like the ones from his previous world, but something similar.


    From what he had heard before, mostly in certain professions, including those of assassins, people often needed to alter their appearance.


    The reason this wasn''t a solution before was that the use of these items wasn''t foolproof.


    Although the color change could be attributed to the lenses, the same couldn''t be said for the pupils.


    A cultivator stronger than Ethan would immediately notice he was wearing contact lenses, and with their spiritual sense, they could determine what was behind them too.


    Ethan knew there were other objects, more useful and safer than lenses, for this purpose, but the rarity of these items, combined with their high price, discouraged Ethan from trying to obtain them.


    In the end, Ethan spent a total of 2 weeks training in the minor dimension, and during all that time, he didn''t forget to follow his usual basic routine.


    He refined more pills, getting ahead with his usual delivery schedule by at least a few days.


    The same went for his recipes and the spiritual cauldron.


    He completed the first requirement for advancing the cauldron and accumulated a good amount of system points, once again surpassing the threshold of a thousand points.


    In other words, he now had what he needed to advance another of his recipes to the perfect grade, but instead of doing that, he decided to upgrade his basic recovery pill recipe.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 88 - 88: Level 2 Pill Recipe

    .


    According to what he had read, it was no longer possible to upgrade this pill to a higher grade, as the perfect grade seemed to be the highest one.


    The only option left was for the recipe to finally level up.


    And to test it, he wasted no time, opened the store screen, found the pill recipe, and pressed [Upgrade].


    His 1000 hard-earned SP vanished with the click.


    As soon as the process started, Ethan felt that familiar sensation in his brain, telling him he was acquiring new information.


    Just like the last few times, he managed to endure the pain of the process, which by now was more of a temporary annoyance and nothing more.


    When the process concluded, the system''s sound reached Ethan''s ears.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, you''ve successfully obtained your first level 2 recipe.]


    Seeing these notifications, Ethan waited for the one that would grant him some Qi, but it never came.


    ''Well, this is a bit unexpected.''


    Ethan had assumed that every time the system mentioned ''for the first time'' in its messages, he would receive some extra Qi. In fact, he had received some with his first missions, and other times too.


    But it seemed this wasn''t always guaranteed.


    He eventually dismissed the thought.


    It wasn''t really important, given the amount he needed to advance now.


    A small increase like that could be ignored.


    Eager to see what improvements had been made...


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 2


    Grade: Low


    Description: A pill capable of fully recovering fatigue from intense training and capable of increasing the healing of moderate injuries.


    The purity of this pill will be above 25% but below 50%.


    [Upgrade] (100 SP)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing that the effects of the new recipe had improved, Ethan nodded with a smile.


    Now, the pill could not only heal minor injuries like scratches or small wounds but also those that were a bit more serious.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what kind of injuries fell into the category of moderate injuries, but at least he could say they were definitely worse than minor ones.


    However, when he saw the SP required to advance the recipe from low to medium grade, his eyebrows furrowed a bit.


    It wasn''t that the price was too high; on the contrary, it was much lower than he had expected.


    ''Only a hundred system points?''


    With a hundred system points, he could upgrade a level 1 recipe to a high grade.


    But here, it seemed like he could use the same amount to advance this pill to a medium grade.


    You could see the difference in price was definitely higher when comparing their grade advancement, but still, the price was much lower than he had expected.


    To advance to perfect grade, a level 1 recipe required 1k SP.


    The same was needed to move it to the next level, meaning level 2.


    Ethan thought for a moment about why this was.


    ''Maybe because perfect grade and level advancement are much higher factors compared to the grade of the recipe?'' he thought, still unsure if this was really the reason.


    This would explain the higher price for advancing the recipe grade, but at the same time, the lower price than what he had paid to move from level 1 to level 2. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan wasn''t sure of his theory, but with the current information, there was little he could do.


    ''If this reasoning is correct, then future prices for grade advancement will be lower than for perfect grade advancement and level up.''


    Ethan was starting to get a headache thinking about why all this was happening.


    It was in situations like this that he felt the absence of that system existence that seemed to guide the protagonists in the novels he used to read.


    At least with that, he would have had his answers and wouldn''t have to overthink why everything in the system happened the way it did.


    He realized there was no point in dwelling on this.


    As far as he knew, it was better this way; at least he would save a few more SP for other upgrades.


    With the knowledge of the level 2 recipe, Ethan thought of trying to refine one.


    He took out all the necessary materials and started refining.


    Soon, he discovered a problem.


    The refining wasn''t going as he had thought.


    The level 2 pill recipe not only required an additional ingredient but also had extra steps to follow.


    The additional ingredient wasn''t an issue since it was still something that could be acquired from the market, and as luck would have it, it was also one of the many types of herbs that Ethan had planted in this dimension.


    The problem was the extra steps.


    Ethan had never worried about his ability to follow the various steps of the recipe because he had a level 1 refinement mastery and a solid knowledge of the recipe thanks to it being directly implanted in his brain.


    But now, one of these two factors didn''t seem to be at a high enough level for refining this level of pill.


    And it was obviously the refinement mastery.


    ''It seems like a level 1 refinement mastery only helps with level 1 recipes.''


    Ethan thought, feeling disheartened.


    The result was that, in the end, though he managed to finish refining the pill, 2 out of 3 failed.


    And the one that was successfully produced seemed to have a purity of 27%, almost at the acceptable limit for a low-grade pill.


    [Congratulations, you''ve successfully produced your first low-grade level 2 pill.]


    [You have received 100 Qi]


    [You have received 15 Qi]


    [You have received 10 system points]


    For someone like Ethan, who was always used to producing pills as if they were easy-to-refine candies, this was a hard blow.


    Not even the system''s reward of 100 Qi for creating his first level 2 pill lifted his spirits.


    But it seemed the system wasn''t done with him yet.


    DING!


    [A new item is available in the system shop]


    Seeing this notification, he became curious and opened the shop.


    He saw that the screen had changed once again.


    Now, instead of immediately seeing the list of various recipes, he saw two options.


    [Recipes]


    [Skills] new!


    Seeing the new addition, a flame of excitement ignited in him, and without thinking, he pressed it.


    Entering, he saw that, much like it was at the beginning with the recipe section, here too, there was only one option.


    [Refinement Mastery level 2]


    Seeing it, Ethan''s mood skyrocketed.


    He didn''t know why the system hadn''t given him this feature earlier, but better late than never.


    He couldn''t wait to upgrade this skill.


    But as soon as he glanced to the right and finally saw the cost in SP, his expression changed.


    [5000 SP]


    "..."


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 89 - 89: Red Talisman

    .


    At this point, Ethan didn''t know what to think anymore.


    He felt like the system was mocking him.


    First, it charged him a lot to level up the recipe to the next level, and then it lowered the cost to something more affordable for the recipe''s grade increase.


    Then, when it came to skills, the price increased again, and this time by quite a bit.


    ''Even for breaking through to the Qi Refining stage, I only paid 100 SP,'' Ethan thought, not understanding how the system determined the prices.


    Perhaps in the system''s eyes, alchemical skills were more valuable than a simple stage advancement.


    Ethan didn''t know, and at this point, he realized it made no sense to waste more time on it. sea??h th�� NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The system''s price was what it was, whether he liked it or not.


    And as far as he knew, it wasn''t going to change, so he would have to endure it and move on with his life.


    "Well, there''s no point in thinking about it now.


    Even if I wanted to, I won''t reach that amount of SP anytime soon," he thought, preparing to return to his dorm room.


    By now, it should be evening, and Da Shu should have already returned.


    Thinking that, he teleported out of the dimension with a simple mental command.


    Time passed, and the day of the end-of-year exams was getting closer.


    During these days, Ethan had spent a good portion of his time training in the smaller dimension, only coming out in the mornings and evenings, and occasionally when he had to run errands outside the sect.


    With Bai Yu''s help, he learned to control his strength and even how to use the new skill, ''Dragon Gaze''.


    Bai Yu was pleasantly surprised to see that Ethan had already mastered one of the characteristic techniques of his race.


    It should be known that not all dragons could easily master this technique, and even among those who did, only a few had good control over it and could make it stronger.


    Ethan had shown that he had already mastered it to a certain extent, which was why she was particularly surprised.


    What intrigued her most, however, was not the talent Ethan seemed to show in using this skill, but rather the fact that without any basic knowledge of it, it was almost impossible to learn.


    She tried asking him how he had learned this technique, but received a rather vague answer in return.


    "I''m not sure. It''s like it was transferred into my mind during the bloodline assimilation process," Ethan said.


    Ethan didn''t know how to explain it, so he went with a simple and vague explanation, which was partially true since the system had indeed downloaded the technique into his head.


    Bai Yu didn''t press the issue and helped him refine his control by sharing various uses she had learned over her long life.


    Ethan had to admit that, unlike the combat training with her, this lesson on the more effective use of the skill had indeed helped him a lot.


    The system, when it granted him the skill, had given him the basic information about it. Things like how to use it, where to use it, and some negative effects that could occur if used in certain cases.


    With Bai Yu''s teaching, he learned how to regulate the intensity, how to use it effectively without expending more energy than necessary, and even how to make someone among many the target of it.


    When Ethan used it, it ended up affecting anyone within his line of sight, which was useful in a fight with multiple opponents.


    But it was detrimental in team battles.


    Time passed, and the day of the end-of-year exam drew nearer.


    While time passed normally in the outside world, within Ethan''s smaller dimension, he trained diligently.


    After what was now not days but months of training in this place, Ethan had improved by leaps and bounds.


    His cultivation had increased by 2 levels, bringing him to level 4 of the Qi Refining stage.


    Even the system points Ethan had accumulated during this time ended up improving the recipes for some pills to perfection.


    Doing this for all the recipes was too expensive, so he focused more on the pills that were most important to him at the moment.


    Like the Qi Gathering Pill, a very commonly used pill among cultivators.


    It sold well almost everywhere, so it was one of the pills Ethan upgraded to perfection, so he could also unlock it in the system''s laboratory.


    Although he had more time in his smaller dimension, it didn''t mean he would spend all his time refining.


    The time he dedicated to refining was only a few hours each day.


    The rest of the pills were mainly produced using the alchemical lab.


    Ethan focused on these recipes because they had a certain market value.


    Once he finished with them, he concentrated more on accumulating System Points to improve his refining skill.


    Everything was going smoothly until two days before the end-of-year exam, when an incident occurred.


    Ethan decided to take a short break and prepare something new today.


    He decided to head to the city market to gather some ingredients.


    Although he had planted some spices in his smaller dimension, there were still some ingredients that couldn''t simply be cultivated there.


    So, he grabbed his things and left his dorm.


    Outside, as usual, there weren''t many people. This was because most of the disciples were either secluded somewhere cultivating, or in training areas fighting, or refining their combat techniques.


    However, unlike on usual days, today Ethan had a strange sense of unease.


    As he walked through the sect, he occasionally saw some disciples, which wouldn''t have been too unusual, if not for the fact that everyone he saw seemed to be in a hurry.


    ''Why is everyone heading there?''


    he thought as he saw people gathering in the outer sect''s atrium.


    This area of the sect usually remained quite calm.


    It was only occasionally filled when important announcements were to be made, such as news about competitions, important external news, and so on.


    Seeing the crowd of disciples, Ethan approached to find out what was happening.


    Upon arriving, he noticed Da Shu on one side of the crowd, towering over most of the disciples with his tall stature.


    Noticing him, Ethan approached.


    "Hey, why is everyone gathering here?"


    he asked as he reached Da Shu''s side.


    Da Shu, hearing him, looked around and spotted him.


    He greeted Ethan and then explained:


    "I''m not certain of the situation, but I heard that this morning a red talisman arrived at the sect''s mission hall.


    I assume it''s something related to that."


    "A red talisman..." Ethan murmured, beginning to understand the situation.


    It should be known that the sect provided its disciples with various types of tools, including those for signaling something to the sect.


    One-way communication talismans were among them.


    These talismans, which every disciple going out on missions had to take, had several basic functions, one of which was to request help from the sect.


    The talismans also indicated the person''s condition and the situation for which help was needed.


    And this was done based on color.


    They could choose between three colors:


    Green, yellow, red.


    Green indicated a non-urgent request for help.


    Yellow indicated an urgent request for help, but not one that involved serious or life-threatening danger.


    Red, however...


    Indicated an extremely dangerous situation, with almost certain death for the person.


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 90 - 90: Lín Huó Lì

    .


    A few more minutes passed, and finally, a man who seemed to be in his fifties appeared.


    By now, the crowd of disciples that had gathered had increased, and many whispers could be heard about what might be the cause of all this commotion.


    At the arrival of the man, all chatter ceased, and everyone turned their gaze to the person in front.


    The man was a well-known elder of the sect.


    His name was L��i T��ng, or Elder L��i, as most of the disciples called him.


    He was a man of few words but had a reputation for being very strict.


    It was said that he was one of the strongest elders of the sect.


    His presence meant that the situation was much more serious than Ethan and Da Shu had anticipated.


    Elder L��i, seeing that everyone was paying attention, spoke in a calm voice, but loud enough to be heard by all.


    "This morning, the sect received a distress signal from some of our disciples who left for a escort mission a few days ago," he began, listing the names of the group of disciples in question.


    "The escort mission they accepted had a very low danger index, making it suitable even for disciples at the first stage of cultivation.


    But it seems there was an incident serious enough that they sent a red talisman."


    At these words, many of the disciples in the crowd began to whisper and worry.


    Seeing this, Ethan thought that perhaps some of them knew members of that group.


    Ethan also knew some of the people listed earlier.


    He didn''t have much of a social life in the sect, as all he did from morning to night was cultivate, refine, sleep, and cultivate again.


    Although many other disciples had a somewhat similar routine, they often met in places like the canteen or public baths, and so on.


    Ethan, having everything he needed in his dorm, avoided frequenting these places.


    He understood that if he wanted to become stronger, he needed to dedicate more time to his cultivation.


    And adding his work as an alchemist to that, he simply didn''t have time to worry about these small matters.


    The only reason he knew one of the people mentioned was that she was fairly famous.


    She was one of the disciples who joined the sect last year, along with him.


    She was one of the four who had achieved excellent results on the entrance test, becoming direct inner disciples of the sect.


    Her name was L��n Hu�� L��, a girl from the Lin family, one of the most prestigious families in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    As expected from a descendant of a renowned family, she scored quite high on the entrance test. S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But that wasn''t what interested Ethan.


    The reason he knew her in particular was due to his roommate.


    It happened that he had a crush on her.


    His embarrassing attempts to court her were the subject of many jokes within the sect.


    Even Ethan occasionally teased him about it.


    He meant no harm to his friend, and Da Shu knew that.


    But that didn''t stop him from doing it.


    Da Shu had always been someone who didn''t care about others'' opinions and did what he wanted.


    Ethan appreciated this side of his friend.


    He saw it as a way to focus on his own goals without succumbing to any distractions.


    What surprised Ethan was that the girl didn''t seem to hate his approach.


    In fact, Ethan had often seen the two of them talking, and at one point, he also got to know her personally.


    So in a way, she was a friend to both of them, even though Ethan barely interacted with her, as he spent more time focusing on his own growth.


    He thought that the relationship between the two might eventually take off.


    He could only pray for his friend.


    At that moment, Ethan turned his gaze to Da Shu, who was standing beside him.


    He could see that although he maintained a calm expression, he was internally agitated.


    "A group led by me will be sent to their rescue, and in the meantime, I advise everyone to be more cautious during your missions outside the sect,"


    Elder L��i said, concluding his speech with some recommendations.


    Ethan normally wouldn''t think much of such matters, but in this case, he couldn''t ignore it.


    He was worried about what his friend might do in response to this news.


    By the end, everyone gradually began to disperse, with a few staying behind to discuss the issue among themselves.


    "So even Sister Huo is in danger?" someone asked.


    "Of course.


    I heard she''s also Elder L��i''s disciple.


    Perhaps that''s why he has stepped forward to lead the rescue group personally," another person nearby said.


    Ethan ignored the chatter of these disciples and, turning his gaze to his friend, said:


    "Hey, are you okay?"


    Da Shu, who seemed lost in thought, responded somewhat late to the question.


    "Of course, why wouldn''t I be?" he said with a calm expression.


    "Don''t worry, it will be fine.


    With Elder L��i acting directly, there''s no need to be concerned," Ethan said to comfort him.


    To this, Da Shu nodded and prepared to leave as well, but was stopped by Ethan.


    "Hey, I know you care about her, but don''t do anything reckless.


    Leave the matter to the sect. They will manage it well," Ethan said, understanding what was going through his friend''s mind.


    Da Shu stopped for a moment at these words and said, turning his head.


    "Don''t worry, I wasn''t planning to.


    With my strength, it would be difficult to be of any help in this situation," he said and then left.


    Seeing him go, Ethan shook his head.


    "He''s definitely going to do something reckless," he said to himself as he headed back to his dorm.


    ''Yeah, but what can you do?


    You''ve seen how infatuated he is with that girl,'' Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind.


    "That''s why i decided to stay single.


    Duty before pleasure," Ethan said with a sage-like expression.


    ''Sure, you''re definitely single for that reason,''


    she said, shaking her head at Ethan''s shameless remark.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 91 - 91: Sneaking Out

    .


    The rescue team wasted no time in taking action.


    That very evening, Elder L��i had assembled a small group of inner disciples, all in the Qi refining stage.


    The sect elder himself was at the fourth stage of cultivation, and with the addition of the other disciples, this group was more than strong enough to handle any danger.


    In fact, this group could be considered somewhat excessive for rescuing a few disciples who had embarked on a mission that was supposed to be relatively safe.


    Normally, the sect would have sent at most a third-stage elder and a few disciples, but this case was a bit different.


    There were two main reasons why the sect decided to let Elder L��i go.


    One, because one of the disciples was an important talent that the sect couldn''t afford to lose.


    Two, because that same disciple was personally under the wing of Elder L��i, and the elder had no intention of sitting idly by and doing nothing.


    That evening, after dinner, Ethan didn''t immediately enter the minor dimension.


    Instead, he stayed in his bedroom and waited patiently.


    He had a feeling that Da Shu wouldn''t sit still, so he checked on him from time to time using his spiritual sense.


    Normally, a cultivator might sense if someone else was using spiritual sense on them, but the cultivator in question would have to be close in strength.


    With Ethan already at the fourth level of Qi refining, it was unlikely that anyone below his stage would detect his spiritual sense.


    So, he had no qualms about occasionally checking to see what Da Shu was up to.


    Around midnight, when most people had already retreated to their quarters, one figure could be seen moving at a moderate pace toward one of the sect''s walls.


    That person was none other than Da Shu.


    Taking care not to be spotted by the guards patrolling the sect at night, he slipped past the walls and hid near a tree.


    He waited there for a few seconds, making sure no one had noticed him.


    Just as he was about to leave, a voice called out from behind.


    "What are you doing out here?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Da Shu immediately tensed up, taking a defensive stance, ready to face any attack.


    Turning around, he saw that the person who had spoken was none other than his roommate.


    Calming down a bit, he spoke in a low voice, sounding slightly displeased.


    "Is that how you greet people? What if I had attacked you?"


    Ethan, smiling, responded, "Well, it''s not like you''d be able to do much to me even if you tried."


    He said this nonchalantly.


    Hearing this, Da Shu didn''t argue, thinking his friend was joking.


    He still believed that Ethan was at least two or three levels behind him, as he was currently nearing the seventh level of body refining.


    Which was a reasonable assumption, considering how long it had taken Ethan just to break through the first level.


    "How did you know I''d leave through here?" Da Shu asked, returning to the matter at hand.


    "Well, isn''t it obvious? I''ve been following you ever since you left the dormitory," Ethan said casually.


    Indeed, around midnight, just as Ethan was about to doze off, he sensed movement from Da Shu''s room.


    Since then, keeping a safe distance, he followed him, waiting until Da Shu managed to slip out of the sect unnoticed.


    Disciples were discouraged from leaving at night, and those who wished to do so had to inform the sect of their reasons in advance. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Today, the sect would have been especially vigilant about anyone leaving for errands or other matters.


    Ethan was certain that even if Da Shu somehow managed to slip past the sect''s patrolling guards, he would still be stopped.


    After all, in a sect of this caliber, it was impossible for anyone to come and go as they pleased without being noticed.


    And just as Ethan had thought, the moment Da Shu crossed the sect''s wall, a gaze fell upon both of them.


    Da Shu, of course, was unaware of this, but with Ethan''s enhanced senses, thanks to his dragon bloodline, it had been easy for him to detect this presence.


    According to Bai Yu, the one watching them was much stronger than Elder L��i.


    In other words, this being was either at the peak of the fourth stage or, worse, in the Body-Soul Integration stage.


    Ethan could only think of one person at that level: the sect master.


    Contrary to what he expected, however, the gaze lasted only for a moment before fading away.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if they had simply been allowed to go or if whoever it was had sent someone to follow them.


    But after a few minutes with no one showing up, Ethan figured it was the former.


    Though he wondered why, he didn''t dwell on it too much.


    Da Shu was already out, hiding in the small grove near the sect.


    They weren''t quite out of the sect''s territory yet, they still had to descend the mountain peak first.


    For cultivators at Ethan and Da Shu''s level, descending from such a height wasn''t an issue, which was why Da Shu had chosen to leave from this side of the sect.


    Returning to the present, Da Shu was wondering why he hadn''t noticed Ethan''s presence.


    If it were true that he had been following him, he should have discovered it much earlier.


    After all, he had been extremely cautious the entire time, and it would be difficult for someone at Ethan''s level to follow him without being detected.


    He thought perhaps Ethan had used some special artifact to hide his presence, but knowing his friend''s background, it was hard to believe he had one.


    Though he knew how much Ethan was earning these days, since Da Shu was the one handling the sales of his pills, he knew it wasn''t enough to afford such an artifact.


    Shaking off those thoughts, he turned to Ethan with a determined look.


    "Either way, you already know where I''m going, so don''t bother trying to stop me."


    Ethan looked at him calmly.


    After a moment, he sighed and said,


    "Well, there''s no point in stopping you.


    you wouldn''t listen anyway.


    And if I really wanted to, there are more effective ways, like alerting the sect elders."


    He shook his head and continued,


    "For as much of a training maniac as you are, you''re not stupid.


    You must know the risks of going out on your own."


    Da Shu listened without interrupting.


    "But that said, what makes you think you''ll reach them before the rescue team sent by the sect?


    And do you even know where the incident happened?


    As far as I know, the sect hasn''t released any information about it."


    Ethan asked, wanting to know more.


    Finally, Da Shu spoke,


    "Huo L�� told me before she left."


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 92 - 92: Bad Feeling

    .


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but smile and say:


    "Oh? It seems that things between you are progressing better than I expected.


    Are you even sharing information on what missions you''re taking on?"


    Da Shu didn''t blush or react otherwise to this remark.


    In fact, he had a proud look on his face as he said:


    "Well, of course, I''ve already said that sooner or later, it will fall to me.


    It''s just a matter of time.


    If you want, I can give you some advice on how to court someone.


    With that handsome face of yours, it won''t be hard to find a girl or a boy.


    I don''t know what your preferences are." Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He said it as if he were a senior giving life advice to his juniors.


    Ethan, who was thinking of teasing him a bit, had to back down.


    ''Nevermind; it''s better if we return to the main topic.''


    And as if he had read Ethan''s mind, Da Shu changed his expression to a more serious one.


    "Listen, I know you''re right.


    I wouldn''t get there before the rescue team, and even if I did, I probably wouldn''t be much help.


    But that''s not the point.


    I don''t know why, but I have a feeling that things aren''t going to end well."


    Hearing this, Ethan also became a bit serious.


    Normally, he wouldn''t take things like a bad feeling seriously, but after spending so much time in this world, he discovered that what people called the sixth sense or feelings weren''t necessarily vague and imaginary, as they were thought to be in his world.


    In this world, even small things had a reason behind them.


    Concepts like karma or divine punishment existed in this world, especially in the Celestial Realm.


    In the few times he had conversed with Bai Yu about her origins, he had learned about these facts as well.


    He wasn''t yet sure how it all worked, but if even a being like her thought such things shouldn''t be taken lightly, who was he to contradict?


    Ethan initially didn''t want to come and was thinking of knocking Da Shu out with a sneak attack and dragging him back.


    But then, who was he to decide what was best for him?


    Da Shu was already 20, in other words, an adult.


    He didn''t need Ethan to babysit him.


    Ethan was always used to thinking rationally and tried to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    That said, he considered Da Shu a real friend, and as much as he wanted to ignore the issue, he couldn''t, so he decided at least to confirm his friend''s plans.


    And as the older person, even if only by two years, he would have felt responsible if something happened to him.


    In a way, it was his way of soothing his concern.


    But now, with this new information, he wasn''t so sure about acting as he had planned.


    In the end, he sighed in defeat and said,


    "Haa, fine, but I''ll come with you."


    In the end, Da Shu accepted Ethan''s participation, and they both set off.


    As they descended the mountain at a moderate pace, Ethan couldn''t help but ask about the incident''s location.


    He discovered that the escort mission involved accompanying a wealthy merchant on a business trip to Goldstone, a mining city north of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    The city''s name was mainly due to its proximity to rich gold mines, but the city didn''t only extract gold.


    From iron to copper, many other metals and precious stones were mined in the area around the city.


    It was also one of the major producers of spiritual stones in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    The merchant could certainly afford some mercenaries or a better escort than a few disciples at the first stage of cultivation.


    Ethan wondered why he hadn''t done so.


    According to Da Shu, the route from the Sun City to Goldstone was relatively safe and mostly free of danger.


    His family had also done business with the mining city, so he knew a thing or two about it.


    It was precisely for this reason that he had a feeling something was off.


    If a route that normally posed no dangers was the one the disciples were on, how could they have been forced to send not a regular help request but a red talisman?


    Even Ethan, hearing this new information, felt there was something decidedly wrong with the situation.


    But he still believed it should be okay; after all, an elder from the sect at the fourth stage of cultivation had been sent.


    An existence of that level was considered nearly a superpower in any realm.


    With their speed, they would likely reach the incident site in less than half a day, meaning they should almost be there.


    He and Da Shu would probably take at least another 5 hours.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if, upon arrival, everything had already been resolved.


    That was if the disciples were still alive.


    The exact location from where the signal talisman had been sent was an area of the path to Goldstone that passed through the Spirit Forest.


    The part he and Da Shu had visited some time ago was only the outer area, and it was in that same area that he had his incident with that beast at the mid-stage of Level 1.


    The path had been built on the east side of the Spirit Forest, where the forest was less dense, and being near a lake, the view was better, reducing the risk of encountering a powerful beast.


    Ethan really hoped that upon their arrival, they wouldn''t find anything unpleasant.


    At his current level, he was more than capable of rivaling someone at the same stage of cultivation, regardless of whether they were at the peak or not.


    After training for a long time with Bai Yu, Ethan felt at least confident enough to face enemies of this level.


    Beyond that, it was simply still too much for him.


    ''I hope I don''t regret this decision later.''


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 93 - 93: Strange Spiritual Energy

    .


    The path leading from Sun City to Goldstone was flanked on both sides by a forest and a medium-sized lake.


    The clear water of the lake sparkled in the sunlight, and the sound of the rustling green leaves of the Spirit Forest created a serene and harmonious atmosphere.


    An atmosphere that sharply contrasted with the gruesome scene just ahead.


    At the site of the incident, seven figures stood scattered across different parts of the area, each examining the surroundings.


    Six of these figures wore white disciples'' robes, with red stripes outlining the clothes and the image of a coiled phoenix on their backs.


    On the left chest of each disciple, there was a silver emblem with an engraving that closely resembled the phoenix design on their backs.


    These were all inner disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    The seventh person, however, stood out from the rest, as he wore a blue robe with golden trimmings and embroidery.


    He appeared to be a man in his fifties, with a mix of long gray and black hair tied back in a half ponytail.


    His expression was serious, and though he appeared calm, a faint murderous intent radiated from him.


    A heavy atmosphere hung over the area, and all the disciples present felt the pressure of this atmosphere weighing on them as they searched for any clues that might help them understand what had happened.


    Adding to this invisible and subtle pressure was the scent of blood lingering in the air, making it difficult for an ordinary person not to succumb to the tension here.


    But it was different for these inner disciples.


    They had spent years diligently cultivating, and each had seen their fair share of blood in their lives.


    It wasn''t uncommon for them to end up in difficult, often deadly, situations due to missions or conflicts with other groups.


    This group had been carefully selected by Elder L��i for this rescue mission.


    After examining the area for a while, one of the sect''s disciples respectfully approached Elder L��i and said:


    "Elder L��i, we''ve confirmed that none of these bodies belong to anyone from our sect." S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He received a silent nod from the elder.


    "We''ve verified that these are indeed the remains of the convoy the group of disciples was protecting.


    However, aside from the remains of a few mercenaries and what we believe to be the merchant''s subordinates, there doesn''t appear to be anything else here.


    From the battle marks, we can tell they weren''t attacked by a group of beasts, but rather by a group of at least five people," the disciple stated, confirming what the elder had suspected upon arriving at the scene.


    For an expert of his level, detecting these signs was easy.


    Even more so, he could sense the remnants of spiritual attacks used here.


    Though beasts were capable of unleashing Qi-infused attacks, their control over it would have been far more basic, not as refined as what he could perceive.


    If that had been all, he wouldn''t have been overly concerned and would have immediately tried to track the source of these spiritual energy traces, but there was a problem.


    Upon arriving at the scene and trying to examine these traces, he felt a slight sense of unease.


    He wasn''t sure why, but these traces of spiritual energy were unusual, and they gave him a sense of danger.


    From this, he could tell that the situation wasn''t as simple as it seemed, and the more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became.


    "We believe the merchant fled with them during the attack.


    Based on the battle marks, we think the group headed into the forest."


    The disciple finished and awaited the elder''s orders.


    Elder L��i nodded and spoke in a firm voice:


    "I''ll go first. You and the others, catch up with me as quickly as possible."


    He had decided to move ahead alone to avoid wasting any more time.


    With his strength, he could explore the direction the disciples had gone far more quickly.


    He knew that was likely the right direction.


    The intensity of spiritual energy in that direction seemed slightly stronger than in the rest of the forest.


    He could also sense the traces of that strange spiritual energy he had felt here.


    It was morning, and they had only just arrived at the scene a few minutes ago.


    He knew he couldn''t afford to waste any more time.


    A faint purple aura enveloped his body, and small crackles of lightning could be seen flickering across it.


    He lifted his body into the air and sped off in that direction.


    Seeing this, the disciple who had approached earlier to report their findings couldn''t help but sigh in awe.


    "No matter how many times I see it, it''s always amazing," he said, watching the display of a soul cultivation expert''s abilities.


    Like him, his fellow disciples admired this demonstration of power.


    Then, one of them, still in awe, asked:


    "By the way, does anyone know which beast soul Elder L��i is cultivating?"


    The others also became curious and all turned to look at the disciple who had interacted with the sect elder.


    This disciple, unlike the rest of the group, had been in the sect longer and had far more interactions with the elder.


    In a way, he was their senior, so after the elder, he was the one leading this team.


    Hearing the question from his companion and seeing that the others were also particularly interested, he spoke without scolding them or anything of the sort.


    "I''m not entirely sure which beast soul Elder L��i is cultivating, but I''ve heard some rumors.


    A couple of years ago, the elder supposedly defeated a mid-stage level 4 spiritual beast.


    It''s believed that the beast in question was a Purple Thunder Bird."


    At the mention of this spiritual beast, everyone was slightly shocked.


    Although finding a level 4 spiritual beast wasn''t too difficult, finding one with a rare element like purple thunder was.


    If the location of such a beast were discovered, many sects and experts would rush to subdue it and capture its soul.


    It was known that among the various types of thunder, purple thunder was one of the rarest.


    The power of this thunder was far superior to that of other types, which made it highly sought after by many cultivators, especially those with a strong affinity for the thunder element.


    Those cultivators, in particular, would see a massive increase in their strength, and if they managed to cultivate the beast soul of such a creature, they would dominate over anyone at the same cultivation stage.


    It was also said that the current sect master had an extremely rare beast soul, which is why she was considered one of the strongest experts in the Long Empire.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, the disciple who had just spoken turned to his companions:


    "Alright, let''s stop wasting time.


    We need to catch up to the sect elder quickly, or we''ll be in trouble," he said,


    then dashed at full speed in the direction Elder L��i had gone, followed by the other four inner disciples.


    Thus, while this group was heading toward the presumed location of their sect''s disciples, elsewhere in the forest, two individuals were swiftly passing through the trees, drawing closer to the scene of the incident.


    ***


    Several hours passed, but eventually, the two arrived at the scene.


    To avoid any delays and encounters with beasts, they had opted to stay on the outskirts of the forest.


    The two moved at a speed that no ordinary person could reach, even if they were two or three times faster than usual.


    Da Shu had been certain that his friend would tire at some point and wouldn''t be able to keep pace with him.


    But apparently, he was wrong.


    Ethan had shown no signs of slowing down or fatigue the entire time.


    His expression was like someone merely taking a light jog, which surprised Da Shu a little and made him doubt his friend''s cultivation level.


    But he didn''t dwell on the subject.


    For now, it was more important to reach the site of the incident.


    Both knew that the escort group wouldn''t still be there, but it was the only starting point they had, so they quickened their pace and headed toward it without stopping.


    Because they hadn''t taken any breaks, their travel time was much shorter than they had originally anticipated.


    By the afternoon of the next day, both were almost at the site of the incident.


    As they drew closer, Bai Yu''s voice resonated in Ethan''s mind.


    "I sense the presence of two powerful auras a few miles from here," she said, alerting Ethan.


    Her voice was calm, but at the same time a little confused, as if unsure of something.


    Ethan could sense this and wanted to ask what it was about, but just then, as if to confirm Bai Yu''s words, a loud explosion echoed from a location not far from where they were.


    The force of the sound was so great that even the ground beneath their feet vibrated slightly, and powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy spread throughout the eastern part of the Spirit Forest.


    Da Shu, who hadn''t heard what Bai Yu had said, was caught off guard and almost fell.


    "What in the world was that?" he asked in a voice tinged with fear and caution.


    He, too, could feel the powerful spiritual energy fluctuations coming from the direction of the sound.


    "I don''t know, but I believe it''s where the sect''s rescue team went," Ethan replied with a serious expression.


    He could tell from the spiritual energy fluctuations that someone powerful was fighting in that direction.


    It didn''t take long for him to figure out that it was probably the sect elder fighting someone there.


    With his heightened senses, he could distinguish two different types of spiritual energy.


    Bai Yu confirmed that one of them belonged to the sect elder, but the other...


    She wasn''t sure if it belonged to a person or a beast.


    Da Shu, hearing Ethan''s words, didn''t ask why he thought that was where the sect''s group had headed.


    He, too, thought the same, as they were close to the site of the incident.


    It was only natural to assume that this explosion of spiritual energy was due to the sect elder.


    Da Shu didn''t know the situation regarding the missing group of disciples, but if even the sect elder had to release his power, then the situation definitely wasn''t good.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 94 - 94: Dangerous Opponent

    .


    In an area deep within the Forest of Spirits.


    Powerful waves of spiritual energy, generated by the clash between two high-level beings, were rippling through every direction of the forest, sending all beasts within at least a few miles into a state of alert.


    In a dark, deep cave near the battleground, a creature that had been sleeping was suddenly awakened.


    Clearly irritated by the disturbance, the creature let out a loud roar, followed by two glowing eyes emerging from the depths of the cave.


    The brightness of its eyes intensified as the creature began moving toward the cave''s exit.


    The more it advanced, the clearer its features became.


    Within seconds, it reached the cave''s entrance, and now, struck by the sunlight outside, the details of its face were visible enough to make out.


    It had a face that was slightly elongated, entirely covered in small, overlapping scales that blended harmoniously, giving the creature a more uniform appearance.


    Its two yellow eyes, with pupils as thin as needles, scanned the area, searching for the source of the disturbance.


    Then, as if it had finally locked onto the cause of the commotion, they stopped and focused on a spot high up in the sky.


    Seeing this, the creature let out a loud hiss and quickly slithered out of its den.


    Right after its head came into view, an elongated, limbless body slid out.


    The size of the creature almost rivaled the height of the trees in the forest.


    With a body nearly 100 meters long, the creature slithered out slowly, coiling itself around the nearest tree and lifting its gaze upwards toward the two figures fighting in the sky.


    It waited patiently for a few seconds, then, narrowing its pupils even further, it launched itself at them with terrifying speed.


    The massive figure of the creature appeared in less than a second behind one of them, its enormous mouth wide open, ready to swallow its prey whole.


    A little further down its back, just behind its head, a pair of long bat-like wings had appeared.


    The two figures battling in the air seemed unaware of the creature''s presence, even as it closed in on them.


    With its mouth wide open, revealing two long sets of sharp fangs, the creature tried to swallow its prey just as they clashed.


    But right as its mouth was about to reach them, another wave of powerful spiritual energy erupted from the impact of their clash, and this time, the creature, being so close to the source, took the full brunt of it.


    Moments later, the creature''s massive body exploded in a mist of blood, leaving behind nothing but shattered bones scattered throughout the forest.


    The two figures that had caused the creature''s demise didn''t even glance at it and continued their battle.


    Both emitted powerful auras that would make any cultivator below the third stage tremble.


    One of them appeared to be an elderly man, full of vigor, surrounded by a thin purple aura crackling with small electric currents.


    The purple aura seemed to twist constantly, and an illusory figure resembling the face of a long-beaked creature appeared above the man. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other figure, on the other hand, was that of a middle-aged man with a stern expression and eyes filled with an unmistakable malicious intent.


    He wore a short-sleeved black robe that left his muscular arms, covered in black veins, exposed.


    What drew the most attention, though, wasn''t the slightly gray tone of his skin but the threatening aura that enveloped his entire being.


    The battle between the two continued for a while until, at one point, the old man cloaked in the purple aura managed to land a lethal strike, severing his opponent''s arm clean off.


    The middle-aged man grunted in pain, retreating a safe distance from his opponent.


    Both paused mid-air, staring at each other.


    A creepy smile spread across the middle-aged man''s face.


    He didn''t seem to care about his severed arm and looked at his opponent with an intense gleam in his eyes.


    Then, letting out a loud laugh, he said:


    "Just as expected from an elder of the Phoenix Sect.


    You are very strong."


    He spoke without receiving a response from the other side.


    Seeing the other man remain silent, he continued.


    "You know, it''s been a while since I''ve taken a hit like that," he said, lightly tapping an object tied to his waist with his remaining arm.


    Immediately after, the object glowed and spat out something.


    It was a pill.


    The Elder L��i felt an aura similar to that surrounding the cultivator before him emanating from it.


    The middle-aged man, taking the pill and swallowing it in one go, said:


    "I intended to just keep you busy until my subordinates finished their work, but I''ve changed my mind."


    He spoke as his voice grew deeper and his expression more twisted.


    The flesh near where his arm had been began to writhe.


    "I think I''ll take your head as a prize before I leave."


    In an instant, the writhing flesh burst, and a brand-new arm appeared in its place.


    Seeing this, Elder L��i''s expression hardened even more.


    ''Who is this man?'' he thought.


    About an hour ago, he had rushed at full speed toward the place where he had sensed increasing fluctuations of spiritual energy.


    With his powerful spiritual sense, he could detect several figures, and he was sure some of them were disciples of his sect.


    One in particular he recognized immediately��it was his disciple.


    Upon confirming this, he accelerated even further, closing the great distance in less than a second.


    Just as he was about to arrive at the scene, he was met by a sudden, unexpected attack from nowhere.


    If it had been a regular attack, he would have simply brushed it off with his aura, but this one felt dangerous, forcing him to abruptly halt his advance and narrowly avoid it.


    The missed attack continued its trajectory, eventually striking a small hill in the distance.


    The force of the attack was so immense that half of the hill was obliterated in an instant.


    That alone was enough to demonstrate the lethality of that strike.


    "I was sure I''d hit you with that one," said a voice.


    And right after, a figure materialized out of nowhere, a few dozen meters in front of Elder L��i.


    ''This man is dangerous,'' Elder L��i realized almost instantly, recognizing the threat posed by the figure before him.


    With the appearance of the figure, several questions started popping into Elder L��i''s mind, such as:


    If a figure like this was with the group that attacked the convoy, how is it possible that the sect''s disciples are still alive, and even managed to escape safely from them?


    The only answer he could come up with was that this man hadn''t participated in the attack and had been watching from the sidelines the entire time.


    But even that didn''t seem entirely right.


    He had a feeling that if he wasted more time here, something very bad would happen.


    ***


    Witnessing this display of power were two figures, hidden a few hundred meters away.


    The two were none other than Ethan and Da Shu.


    The closer they got to the battlefield, the more they could feel the spiritual pressure radiating from the fight between the two beings.


    At a certain point, both managed to spot the two figures fighting, and upon seeing them, they were both astonished but also terrified.


    They both witnessed the sect elder severing his opponent''s arm and, for a moment, thought the battle was almost over.


    But when they saw what happened next, a shiver ran down both their spines.


    Just like the sect elder, they too were caught off guard by the sight of the regrowing arm.


    It was known that pills existed powerful enough to regrow someone''s limbs, but they were extremely rare and very difficult to create, requiring a grandmaster alchemist to pour all his effort into refining it.


    So, seeing one appear out of nowhere, eaten as casually as candy, shocked all three of them.


    Even more so, Ethan, being an alchemist, could tell that the pill wasn''t ordinary.


    Not to mention the person who ate it.


    Ethan could sense that something about his aura was off.


    Even Bai Yu, who was observing everything from within Ethan''s spiritual sea, felt that something was wrong with that man''s aura.


    The aura emanating from the man gave her a sense of repulsion and caution.


    It wasn''t the man himself causing this feeling, but the energy he was using.


    She had never felt an aura like this before, but as she examined it, a thought crossed her mind.


    ''Wait, could this be...


    Demonic Qi?''


    .


    --------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    I''ll upload the next chapter in 4 hours.


    I can''t right now, gotta run to work. (?�n?).

 Chapter 95 - 95: Soul Beast

    .


    A shiver ran down Bai Yu''s spine at this assumption.


    ''No, it can''t be demonic Qi,'' she said, trying to reassure herself that she had perceived it correctly.


    ''This innate malice in that spiritual energy��


    But it shouldn''t be possible, after all, they have been exiled.


    It is not possible that they managed to infiltrate the mortal realm.''


    The more she thought about it, the more absurd her assumption seemed.


    While Bai Yu was lost in thought, Ethan and Da Shu decided what to do.


    Clearly, they would not be of any help in the battle against that strange individual.


    They would likely be dead weight for the sect elder, so they both decided to bypass this area and move forward.


    "If an enemy is here, then the rest of them must be nearby too," they both thought.


    They only hoped that the companions of that cultivator were not of the same level, because if they were, there would be no way out for the sect''s disciples, nor for them.


    Ethan had some escape routes in case of danger, and the most important of these was obviously his smaller dimension.


    He really hoped it wouldn''t come to that, as it would risk exposing it to others.


    With this in mind, both moved cautiously, trying not to fall into the enemy cultivator''s line of sight.


    Ethan was sure that beings of their level would definitely have a fairly broad spiritual perception, so they had almost certainly already been detected.


    He wasn''t sure why they had been ignored, but it was better this way.


    Just as Ethan had thought, the enemy cultivator and the sect elder had immediately detected them when they reached this area, but neither of them bothered to do anything.


    In a battle like this, even the slightest distraction could be costly, and both knew it.


    The sect elder could tell they were not part of the enemy group, but he didn''t know if they were passersby or not.


    In any case, he knew he couldn''t drag this battle out.


    The premonition that something bad was about to happen grew stronger.


    Therefore, he no longer held back and released all the power of his cultivation base.


    The purple aura surrounding him began to writhe more and more, and even the illusory image behind him began to change.


    Gradually, the aura started to expand and take shape.


    Seeing this scene, the enemy cultivator understood that the opponent had decided to get serious.


    So, with a twisted smile on his face, he too began to release his cultivation base.


    Within seconds, both auras rose several levels, and they both reached a cultivation level close to the peak of the fourth stage.


    Everyone knew that at each stage of cultivation, a person''s strength increased several times, but few knew that beyond the third stage, a much greater change occurred.


    This change was such that a person at the first level of the Soul Refining stage could comfortably face several cultivators at the peak of the third stage simultaneously.


    And this was not due to the individual''s strength increasing with the stage, but because of something else,


    the beast soul .


    Every cultivator, to successfully break through to the fourth stage of cultivation, had to subjugate the soul of a spiritual beast compatible with them.


    The stronger the subjugated spiritual beast, the stronger the person who obtained its soul would become.


    The importance of a high-grade spiritual beast was such that whenever a strong and rare one appeared, it would lead to a bloodbath.


    It was possible to switch from one beast soul to another, so even cultivators at the fourth stage acted in these situations, making the battle for the possession of the beast even more brutal.


    Elder L��i was fortunate to find one still undiscovered by anyone, which was moreover of his own element,


    lightning.


    The sect elder, who had previously been concealed by his spiritual energy, was no longer visible, and instead, a large purple-winged figure, nearly 100 meters tall, was in the sky.


    On the body of the large avian, small purple lightning bolts could be seen flashing rapidly, and if one looked closely at the slightly transparent chest of the beast, one could see the figure of the sect elder.


    This was the beastial form that every cultivator at the fourth stage of cultivation could assume once they had fully controlled the beast soul in their possession.


    Cultivators referred to it as the manifestation of the beast soul.


    The large beast, made of the elder''s L��i spiritual energy, gazed toward the spot where the cultivator was. S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sect elder had expected to see a manifestation of the beast soul that the enemy cultivator had subdued, but instead, apart from a significant change in the aura, which had now taken on a bloody red hue, no beast soul manifestation appeared.


    ''Could it be that he hasn''t fully subdued it yet?


    No, it can''t be. His cultivation base is clearly as high as mine.


    It''s not possible that he hasn''t managed to subdue it yet.''


    Elder L��i did not know what was happening.


    First, that strange spiritual energy, and now this.


    He was increasingly certain that something was wrong with this situation.


    ''I need to finish this fight quickly,'' and with this thought, he launched into attack, and the battle between the two cultivators resumed.


    This time it was much more intense than before.


    As the battle in the sky became more and more intense, in an area of the forest near the site of the clash, the situation was becoming increasingly desperate.


    Currently, three cloaked figures had surrounded a group of six people from all sides.


    The surrounded group was clearly in a state of panic as they watched the horrifying scene before them.


    A few meters away, another cloaked figure stood, wiping his right hand covered in blood.


    At his feet lay the figure of a man.


    He lay in a pool of blood, coming from a wound as large as an arm on his chest.


    After wiping the blood from his hand, the man bent down and retrieved a spatial ring from the corpse.


    Spatial rings usually couldn''t be opened by anyone other than their bearer, as they were engraved with protective runes that recorded the bearer''s blood.


    The strength of the protective seal varied depending on the ring''s grade.


    The one in the man''s hand was clearly a high-grade ring.


    Seeing it, the cloaked man couldn''t help but say:


    "Well, for a wealthy merchant, he certainly has little stuff in here."


    He said, easily destroying the seal and examining the inside of the ring.


    It was possible to break this seal with sufficient force, especially if the ring''s bearer was no longer alive, thus severing the connection with it and weakening the seal.


    Not worrying too much about what was inside, the man injected a bit of Qi into the ring, and a moment later, a thin and long object, covered with a black fabric and an adhesive on top, appeared in his hand.


    The adhesive had various inscriptions on it, incomprehensible to the eye of an ordinary person.


    The man didn''t concern himself with the rest of the items and discarded the ring, while staring intensely at the object in his hand.


    ''Finally, we got it.''


    The man wasted no time and immediately removed the rectangular piece of paper attached to the object.


    As soon as he did, the paper, now removed and discarded on the ground, began to burn, and within seconds, it disappeared, leaving only ashes behind.


    But the cloaked man seemed indifferent as he moved his arm to remove the fabric covering the object.


    As he removed it, a strange aura began to emanate from the object.


    It was black and gave a sense of discomfort to anyone who perceived it.


    The man didn''t seem to be affected by this subtle aura emitted by the object, but the same couldn''t be said for the group of disciples.


    The group of six people, mostly disciples of the Phoenix Sect, was even more terrified, sensing this aura.


    A girl among them, with brown hair tied in a ponytail, couldn''t help but ask with a trembling voice:


    "Now that they''ve got what they came for, they''ll let us go, right?" she asked, trying to keep her voice low so as not to be heard by the cloaked figures.


    The disciples beside her didn''t know what to reply.


    One of them, a girl with blue hair, responded quietly:


    "I doubt they will.


    They wouldn''t risk ending up in our sect''s crosshairs," she said with a serious expression.


    And as if he had heard what she said, the cloaked man holding the object spoke, stopping his movements for a moment:


    "Haha, end up in your sect''s crosshairs?


    What makes you think we care about being discovered or not?"


    He said, changing his tone from derisive to a darker one.


    "Let me tell you somethig.


    Before long, even the royal family will fall under our feet, let alone your sect," he said, then gestured to the three cloaked men surrounding the group of disciples.


    At this, all three advanced, raising their hands covered in spiritual energy.


    Just as the three were about to attack the group, a strange pressure suddenly descended upon them all.


    Both the three cloaked figures about to act and the one finishing removing the fabric from the object felt an invisible pressure enveloping them.


    Their bodies petrified for a moment, as they began to tremble slightly.


    Their hearts raced, and their survival instincts went out of control for a moment.


    ''W-what is this��''


    At that moment, just as they tried to recover, two shadows emerged from nowhere and headed towards them.


    The attack from these figures was too sudden, and being still affected by that strange pressure, they couldn''t react in time.


    Woosh!


    In the next moment, two heads rolled to the ground, scattering blood around.


    Even the group of disciples, who had feared the worst moments ago, now had shocked expressions on their faces as they witnessed the scene.


    The girl with blue hair, upon seeing the figures that had appeared suddenly, couldn''t help but say:


    "You are..."


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter. ??

 Chapter 96 - 96: Rescue Plan 1

    .


    A few minutes earlier, in an area close to where the group was located.


    Two figures stood still as they looked ahead.


    It was Ethan and Da Shu, who had finally found the group of disciples from their sect.


    Seeing the situation they were in, they decided to hide and come up with a plan to rescue them.


    Ethan could tell that three of the group were in the Qi Refining stage, with two of them almost at the peak of the stage.


    While the other one was stronger, most likely already in the third stage, although he didn''t know exactly what level.


    He could tell that among the four, that one would be the most problematic to deal with.


    The only consolation he had at the moment was that there didn''t seem to be anyone else around, so at least they had some chance to attempt a rescue of the group.


    Da Shu, too, who was watching the situation unfold, could understand this.


    He clearly couldn''t gauge precisely how strong their opponents were, but he could at least tell that they were all at a higher level than him.


    At that moment, the figure with the highest cultivation base had just removed the rectangular talisman from the object in his hand and was preparing to pull it out from the cloth it was wrapped in.


    As soon as he removed a layer of the cloth and the blackish energy began to seep out, Ethan felt a sense of alarm.


    He didn''t know exactly what that object was, but he could tell it wasn''t anything good for them.


    Confirming this feeling was the voice of Bai Yu, who, having recovered from her earlier thoughts, spoke at the sight of this scene.


    "Whatever your plan is, do it quickly.


    That object in that man''s hand is emanating a strong cursed aura.


    It''s probably a cursed object.


    I''m not sure what its function is, but from my experience, I can tell you that dealing with a cursed object is never a good thing," she said, warning Ethan of the danger that object posed.


    "A cursed object? What is that?" asked Ethan, hearing of this for the first time.


    He had an idea of what a curse was, after all, in his world, there were numerous TV shows, anime, or even novels that featured curses, each with their own version.


    Having never heard of curses in this world, he wondered if they were the same thing here as well.


    In his previous world, curses had never been proven to have any real effect, so they were considered imaginary.


    But in this world, where the line between reality and fantasy didn''t exist, curses most likely did exist, perhaps not in the form he was used to thinking about.


    Bai Yu, hearing Ethan''s question, gave him a brief explanation.


    She had already noticed that Ethan seemed to lack some basic knowledge that even existed in the mortal realm.


    She never asked him why, thinking that everyone had their own circumstances.


    For all she knew, Ethan could have lived under a rock his entire life, though that still didn''t explain some of the things he created in his sea of consciousness.


    "In simple terms, curses are a product of the negative energy released by any living being.


    It is also a type of energy, but its effects lead it to be considered harmful to most living beings."


    She said, letting Ethan absorb the information.


    Then she continued:


    "Just like the spiritual energy present in nature, negative energy is also a type of energy.


    And just like spiritual energy can be controlled, so can negative energy, through special objects or techniques.


    It can be used for various purposes, but most of them are never good, so you should always exercise caution when dealing with curses.


    The object in that man''s hand is one with a strong curse upon it."


    Hearing the explanation, Ethan somewhat understood why Bai Yu had warned him to be careful with that object and to act quickly. sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew he couldn''t waste too much time here and had to find a way to deal with the group of enemies immediately.


    As he was deep in thought, a voice came from beside him, interrupting him.


    "Hey, I have a plan, but it could be dangerous," said Da Shu, now with a much more serious expression than before.


    Curious, Ethan asked what it was.


    "I''m sure you can tell that the group ahead is strong, much stronger than the two of us," Da Shu began to explain.


    Ethan simply nodded and didn''t interrupt.


    "Facing them head-on would most likely lead to almost certain death, so we have to opt for a different method of attack."


    At these words, Ethan could already guess what his friend was about to propose.


    He pulled out a dark green pill from his spatial ring.


    Ethan, seeing it, didn''t recognize it but could tell it was at least a level 2 pill.


    "This is a high-grade level 2 pill," Da Shu said, confirming Ethan''s assumption.


    "It allows a person to raise their cultivation for a certain period of time.


    In my case, if I take it, I could reach the strength of a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.


    Once I take it, I''ll draw the group''s attention while you go save our companions."


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.


    But after thinking for a moment, he immediately saw a problem.


    There was no way a pill like that didn''t have some negative side effects; otherwise, it would be widely used by cultivators.


    Ethan knew there were pills capable of providing a small boost in exchange for mild side effects, which most of the time were something manageable.


    But this was a different case with Da Shu''s pill.


    Ethan didn''t believe that a pill like this, which apparently allowed someone to have power beyond their cultivation stage, would have only a mild side effect.


    He was sure that the consequences of using such a pill would be quite harmful to the person.


    "And what are the side effects?" he asked.


    "Well, nothing too serious.


    At most, I''d be bedridden for a few months," Da Shu said as if it were nothing.


    Hearing this, Ethan wanted to kick him.


    Clearly, the effects of such a pill were not that mild.


    "Are you sure that''s all?" Ethan asked with a skeptical tone.


    Da Shu wasn''t surprised that Ethan would ask this.


    A normal person might not think much of it, but for an alchemist, it was different.


    He knew he wouldn''t be able to hide certain things from his friend.


    "Well, maybe a year or two," he said, avoiding Ethan''s gaze, but then added,


    "But that''s fine.


    With my talent, it won''t be hard to make up for the lost cultivation time.


    And don''t forget that my family is a merchant family.


    Finding medicines to speed up the recovery process won''t be difficult for us.


    At most, it''ll be a bit expensive, but money is not something I lack," he said seriously.


    Ethan understood what he meant and knew it wouldn''t make sense to try to dissuade him.


    The look on his face was one that Ethan knew all too well.


    He had already made his decision.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 97 - 97: Rescue Plan 2

    .


    Ethan didn''t waste any time trying to change Da Shu''s mind but instead highlighted another point.


    "Even if you take it, your chances of handling that group even for a second are slim.


    With their strength, just facing one of them will be a challenge for you, let alone all four of them," he said with a sigh.


    "But��" Da Shu wanted to argue, but he knew Ethan was right.


    Just as he was losing hope, Ethan spoke again.


    "But, we can still use this plan, only you won''t be the one executing it; I''ll be the bait," he said.


    Da Shu, hearing this, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    He thought that if even Ethan, who was stronger, had slim chances of succeeding with the pill, what chance did he have, being weaker?


    Ethan knew what Da Shu was thinking and couldn''t really blame him.


    He shook his head and sighed as if making a decision.


    Then he closed his eyes, and just as Da Shu was about to say something, Ethan reopened them.


    Da Shu, on the verge of speaking, suddenly stopped as he felt a heavy aura descending upon him.


    He felt a shiver run down his spine, and for a moment, he was immobilized.


    The pressure lasted less than a second, but to Da Shu, it felt like much longer.


    When he finally came out of his trance, he looked at Ethan with a horrified expression, asking with a trembling voice,


    "W-what level are you at now?"


    From that single pressure, he could tell that his friend had reached a level much higher than his own.


    The shocking thing wasn''t that Ethan had surpassed him but how quickly he had done it. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It had only been a few months since Ethan had broken through to the first level of Body Refining.


    How was it possible that he had already reached this level of power?


    Ethan had already decided to reveal his strength, so he didn''t think much before saying,


    "I''m already at the Qi Refining stage."


    Hearing this, Da Shu was petrified once again. He felt as if life had lost all meaning.


    Unconcerned with Da Shu''s reaction, Ethan continued.


    "I might be strong, but I''m not sure I can handle the one with the object in his hand," he said seriously.


    "But I have a plan. It will be a bit risky, but we have a better chance of saving them this way."


    Ethan had decided to opt for a surprise attack, something like a hit-and-run.


    With his current strength, he could eliminate at least one of them with a single attack, and if he was lucky, maybe even a second one.


    He knew he had little hope against the one at the third stage of cultivation, but he was confident he could at least hold him off for a while and then escape safely.


    In the end, Da Shu agreed.


    Ethan told him that he had a way to stun the enemy for a few seconds and that they should use that moment to attack and eliminate at least two of them.


    And so they did.


    Ethan knew that his Dragon Gaze would work well on the three Qi Refining cultivators, but he wasn''t sure about its effectiveness on the stronger one, so he chose to target the weaker ones first.


    Both of them managed to take down one opponent each.


    By a twist of fate or perhaps just coincidence, the ones left alive were the strongest and the weakest of the enemies.


    Ethan could tell that the weakest one was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and as much as he wanted to deal with him immediately, he didn''t get the chance as the cultivator at the third stage attacked him instead.


    He was pushed back a few steps. Fortunately, he managed to block the attack in time with his sword, so he didn''t take much damage.


    ''Just as I thought.


    He shook off the effects of Dragon Gaze much faster than the other cultivator,'' he thought, looking at his sword hand, which was trembling a bit.


    The sword had cracks where it had been hit, which was normal since it was a low-level sword.


    Ethan had never worried about getting a stronger weapon before, and now he was regretting it a bit.


    Throwing it aside, he pulled out another sword and aimed it at his opponent, who was momentarily surprised that Ethan had remained unharmed from his attack.


    He wondered who the heck these two were who had suddenly attacked him, but then his gaze shifted to their clothing, and he understood.


    "So they''re disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    Tch, why do they keep showing up one after another?" he said, a bit stressed.


    Earlier, when his team had finally found the group of disciples who had escaped with the merchant, they had sensed several auras converging on this point.


    One of them was so strong that they had to call for the help of an elder to hold it back.


    The rest of the newcomers were held by his stronger teammates.


    Only he and the weaker ones were left to handle the situation.


    They had decided to take the object and eliminate the small group with the merchant and leave, but once again, they were obstructed by other disciples of the sect.


    ''How many reinforcements have they sent?'' he thought, a bit frustrated.


    The only consolation in the current situation was that one of the two was too weak, while the other was barely able to withstand his attacks.


    At this point, he could only fight and eliminate the other side or escape with the object.


    Just as he was making his decision, he felt that heavy pressure descending on him once again.


    Although it was the second time, he still felt an immense fear, as if a fierce beast was watching an ant.


    As before, he managed to come out of his daze quickly enough, but as soon as he did, he realized that the boy was no longer there.


    ''Where��''


    At that moment, he sensed a danger coming from the side.


    His instincts told him that he couldn''t fully withstand the attack.


    Swoosh!


    A sharp sound echoed through the air, and a severed arm flew into the sky.


    Argh.


    The cloaked man managed to move his body out of the attack''s trajectory in time, losing an arm in the process.


    ''What''s happening?''


    The man was confused. Who was targeting him continuously?


    Could another elder from the Phoenix Sect have arrived as well?


    Questions like these began to plague his mind, but he had no time to think as Ethan, having finished his attack, charged at him once more.


    As the battle between Ethan and the enemy cultivator started to intensify, Da Shu, who had managed to take down an enemy with Ethan earlier, was now focusing on the remaining one.


    He had just finished exchanging a few blows with the enemy and had discovered that the enemy was still slightly stronger than him.


    ''Damn, at this rate, I''ll lose,'' he said while searching for ways to turn the situation around.


    His weapon was good enough, allowing him to withstand the enemy''s attacks.


    This, combined with the strength he had gained from taking the pill, was enough to handle the opponent safely.


    Unfortunately for him, the enemy also had hidden cards, so to speak.


    A faint red aura covered the enemy''s weapon, allowing it to gain the upper hand over Da Shu''s.


    He wasn''t sure what technique it was, but he knew that the situation was far from favorable for him.


    At that moment, while preparing to receive another attack from the enemy, he felt someone running beside him.


    He didn''t need to shift his gaze to see who it was.


    He knew the aura all too well.


    It was Lin Huo Li.


    .


    -----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. ??

 Chapter 98 - 98: Using the Cursed Object

    .


    While Ethan was busy keeping the stronger enemy occupied, the weaker one was being pushed back by the coordinated attacks of Da Shu and Hou Li.


    Hou Li had great talent in cultivation, and if that wasn''t enough, her affinity with the elements was also exceptionally high.


    In fact, she had a dual affinity, which was rare, even more so in her case, as both elements were powerful.


    One was fire, with which she had an above-average affinity.


    This element alone, combined with her good cultivation talent, would have made her a valuable asset in any sect.


    But if that were all, she wouldn''t have attracted the attention of a sect elder like Elder L��i.


    It was her affinity with the second element that made her truly stand out in the sect, garnering the attention of even the elders.


    And that element was lightning.


    When Elder L��i discovered this, he decided to test her lightning affinity, and the results were shocking, even to him.


    Hou Li''s affinity for the lightning element was almost on par with Elder L��i''s.


    It should be known that Elder L��i was not only highly regarded within the Phoenix Sect but also outside of it, not because he was one of the strongest elders in the sect, but because his talent with the lightning element was second only to the patriarch of the Qilin Sect, one of the three ruling sects.


    This had caused him many problems over the years.


    Everyone wanted him, including the Three Ruling Sects, but he chose the Phoenix Sect for reasons still unknown to the public.


    Even the master of the Qilin Sect had offered to take him under his wing and nurture his talent many times, but he refused.


    This shows just how impressive his talent with the lightning element was.


    But now, another person with such talent had appeared, and the most shocking part was that she was still a budding flower yet to fully bloom.


    Her lightning talent was only in its infancy.


    If she cultivated it well in the years to come, she would surely surpass him, and maybe even rival the lightning affinity of the Master of the Qilin Sect.


    So he took her under his wing and personally trained her, even feeding her rare herbs and pills that even someone like him found difficult to part with.


    But he knew that no matter how far his own talent could take him, it wouldn''t compare to what this girl could achieve, so he didn''t hold back in investing in her.


    He hadn''t taken on many disciples in his long life.


    The ones he did have could be counted on one hand, and among them all, she was by far the most talented.


    So when he heard about the incident, he personally took action to go save her.


    At this moment, the enemy was in trouble.


    On one side, he was fighting a steroid-boosted Da Shu, who currently had the strength of a third-level Qi Refining cultivator.


    And on the other, he was being bombarded by the hidden but powerful attacks of Hou Li, who was at the ninth level of Body Refining.


    If it had been Da Shu alone, he might have managed, as he was in the middle stage of Qi Refining, but against the coordinated attacks of the two of them together, he was losing ground with every passing second.


    At this point, if he didn''t do something, he would almost certainly be defeated.


    ''No wonder they''re disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    Looks like I have no choice but to use it.


    Tch, to think I''ve been pushed this far by mere children.''


    Frustration building by the second, the enemy cultivator pulled out a red pill from nowhere.


    After a brief hesitation, he swallowed it in one go.


    "You''ll pay dearly for this," he said, his voice laced with hatred.


    Da Shu and Hou Li, who had seen him take the pill, knew nothing good could come of it, and they had to act fast to avoid losing the advantage they had.


    But just as they were about to launch another attack, they felt an invisible sense of terror wash over them.


    "W-what''s happening?" Da Shu asked, sensing the oppressive aura coming from the enemy cultivator.


    "I don''t know, but it''s not good for us," Hou Li said, feeling the sinister aura as well.


    The cultivator, who had just taken the pill, started convulsing, and a thin crimson aura began seeping from his body.


    Da Shu and Hou Li, who were keeping their distance, ready to defend against any attack from the enemy, couldn''t see his expression, as it was hidden by the hood of his cloak.


    They looked at each other and, seeing the determination in each other''s eyes, nodded and attacked together.


    Da Shu swung his greatsword, sending a vertical slash that could have split the enemy in half.


    Hou Li, on the other hand, gathered spiritual energy into both hands.


    One was coated in a blue aura with tiny lightning arcs dancing around it, and the other was infused with a yellow-orange aura, radiating intense heat.


    Charging an attack in both hands, she brought them together and, using her Qi, began to fuse the two auras, creating a small vortex of lightning and fire.


    Without wasting time, she took aim and, thrusting her hands forward, hurled the vortex at the enemy.


    Both attacks shot towards the enemy at high speed.


    Anyone below the third stage would have been seriously injured if they took such an attack head-on.


    ***


    While Da Shu and Hou Li were throwing everything they had at the enemy, Ethan''s battle was also intensifying.


    Under the relentless barrage of Ethan''s attacks, his opponent was being pushed back more and more.


    Just as he dodged one attack successfully, another one was already on its way.


    This continued for several minutes, and by now, the enemy''s energy reserves were beginning to run dry.


    "This monster. Who the hell is he?


    How can he be this strong when he''s barely at the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"


    Ethan''s opponent was getting a headache.


    He had thought he could overwhelm this boy who appeared out of nowhere, but reality had slapped him in the face multiple times in recent moments.


    ''And then there''s that strange pressure,''


    He had felt that chilling pressure several times now.


    At one point, he thought Ethan was the cause, but that didn''t make sense.


    Even someone like him couldn''t emit such an oppressive force, let alone the boy in front of him.


    He was becoming more and more convinced that there was another elder from the sect nearby, occasionally intervening, and this thought frustrated him even further.


    At this point, he knew that if he didn''t do something soon, he would lose.


    He had already used a pill to restore his missing arm, which had shocked Ethan.


    At one point, Ethan began to wonder if such pills weren''t as rare as they were said to be, but he dismissed the thought.


    He could tell that these pills were clearly not of a high grade.


    At most, they were level 2 or 3, and more importantly, these pills were infused with a strange energy he hadn''t encountered before coming to this place. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu, who had been watching the entire battle since the beginning, was growing more and more certain that this energy resembled demonic Qi, but he didn''t want to believe it.


    If his suspicions were correct, only the heavens knew what grave implications this would have for all realms, both mortal and celestial.


    He needed Ethan to examine the enemy''s body after defeating him.


    The enemy, now having run out of options, made his decision.


    Channeling a bit of energy into his spatial ring, he retrieved the cursed object he had taken from the sorcerer''s corpse.


    There was a moment of hesitation on his face, but he knew it was now or never.


    He had already reached a point where, if he didn''t use all the cards at his disposal, he was sure to perish in this battle.


    "Damn brat, you''ll regret this."


    He took out the object and used his spiritual energy to burn away the veil that still covered it.


    He had set it aside earlier to deal with the surprise attack, but now he had no choice but to bring it out again.


    ''I really wanted to avoid relying on this.''


    Without hesitation, he infused the cursed object��revealed to be a wooden sword no longer than a meter��with all the Qi he had left.


    Seeing this, Ethan immediately had a bad feeling, and this was confirmed by Bai Yu''s sudden voice.


    ''Stop him! Don''t let him use that object!''


    Ethan had already been warned by Bai Yu earlier about the danger of the cursed object, so he didn''t ask questions and acted immediately.


    But it was already too late.


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 99 - 99: Gate

    .


    The situation on Ethan and Da Shu''s side was getting worse by the minute, while the battle between Elder L��i and the enemy cultivator was reaching its climax.


    Both were now suspended in mid-air, looking worse for wear.


    Their bodies were riddled with scratches, bruises, and burns, but neither showed any signs of backing down.


    Each time they unleashed their strongest attacks, they canceled each other out, leaving no one the victor.


    Both had taken their fair share of damage, but the true victim of their battle wasn''t either of them, it was the surrounding forest.


    The once vast expanse of towering trees in the Spirit Forest had been reduced to a massive crater, hundreds of meters wide, where only moments ago, the forest had stood tall.


    The only fortunate thing for those nearby was that neither party had resorted to unleashing their full destructive potential.


    One side held back to avoid accidentally killing the very people he had come to rescue, while the other needed the help of his subordinates to retrieve a particular item from this place.


    By now, both combatants had nearly exhausted their energy reserves.


    Elder L��i was visibly struggling to keep the manifestation of his beastly soul intact.


    The once vivid appearance of his soul beast was now much more translucent than before.


    Likewise, the opposing cultivator no longer bore the thin layer of crimson aura that had earlier enveloped his body.


    "Not bad at all.


    You know, I should thank you.


    It''s been a long time since someone has pushed me to this point," the enemy cultivator remarked, his expression surprisingly light for someone so gravely wounded.


    Elder L��i didn''t respond immediately, but his mind was racing with questions.


    ''How is it possible I''ve never heard of a cultivator of this level before?''


    It wasn''t unreasonable for him to be confused.


    Aside from a few rare exceptions, nearly all cultivators nearing or having reached the fifth stage of cultivation were well-known figures, or at least names that had been heard in the circles of the upper cultivation ranks.


    Finding someone who had achieved this level while remaining completely isolated from the world was an anomaly, particularly for those who ascended to the fifth stage of cultivation.


    After all, the rise of a being to this level typically sent shockwaves through the world, making it impossible to remain unnoticed.


    There was a growing suspicion in Elder L��i''s mind that this situation was far more complex than it appeared.


    Surely there was someone else involved, beyond the cultivator in front of him.


    Perhaps a shadowy organization or group working in secret.


    It wasn''t uncommon for factions to plot in the darkness, only to emerge later with their plans set in motion.


    More often than not, though, such groups were swiftly suppressed by the royal family before they could cause any significant damage.


    His only hope was that this hidden force wouldn''t prove too powerful for the royal family to handle.


    "What''s your goal in attacking a mere merchant convoy?


    Surely someone of your caliber doesn''t waste time on trivial matters like these," Elder L��i asked, hoping to pry some information about the enemy''s motives and the power behind him.


    The enemy cultivator, who hadn''t expected an answer from the Phoenix Sect elder, paused for a moment as if considering the question.


    "Well, it just so happens that the merchant had something we were interested in.


    But don''t worry about that.


    You''ll find out soon enough," he said, alluding to something more ominous.


    Elder L��i realized his attempt to glean information from the enemy had failed.


    ''No matter. I''ll make him spill everything once I capture him,'' he thought, preparing for their next clash.


    He was ready to put the last of his energy into his final trump card.


    He knew his reserves were nearly depleted; he didn''t have the luxury of continuing to fight for much longer.


    It was either end the battle with this last strike, or things would become very dire for him.


    Just as Elder L��i was about to launch his attack, a faint vibration in the air caught the attention of both combatants.


    Both he and the enemy cultivator turned their heads toward a specific spot in the forest��the location where the group of disciples was stationed.


    Alarm bells rang in both their minds, though for entirely different reasons.


    The elder sensed that whatever it was, it posed an extreme danger to the sect''s disciples.


    The enemy cultivator, on the other hand, recognized the vibration for what it was and grew visibly distressed.


    ''I can''t believe it�� those fools activated the artifact''s seal.''


    As soon as this realization hit him, the enemy cultivator took off at full speed toward the source of the disturbance.


    Seeing this, Elder L��i chased after him with everything he had left.


    He couldn''t let the enemy get close; it would make protecting the disciples far more difficult.


    But whatever was causing this disturbance seemed to be worrying even the enemy, which gave Elder L��i pause.


    Just as both combatants were about to reach the spot, another shift occurred.


    The surrounding mana began to converge toward a single point like a whirlpool, sucking everything in.


    ''What on earth is happening there?'' Elder L��i thought, his alarm growing.


    The more he sensed the changes in the environment, the stronger his feeling that something terrible was about to unfold.


    Just as Elder L��i was beginning to understand the gravity of the situation, Ethan, who had been trying to intercept the enemy cultivator, noticed the shift as well.


    ''The Qi in the air is going wild,'' Ethan thought, sensing the changes around him.


    The Qi was growing denser, gathering more rapidly by the second.


    As time passed, the concentration of Qi in the area reached levels far beyond normal.


    Ethan then noticed that all the Qi was converging at a single point not far from the enemy cultivator.


    Just as he was wondering what was happening, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind.


    "A portal is opening," she said, her tone filled with uncertainty and caution.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but think of the minor dimension he had access to through his system.


    Before he could ask where the portal might lead, or how to stop its opening, the swirling Qi emitted a powerful shockwave that rippled outward at high speed in all directions.


    The wave was so sudden that Ethan didn''t have time to avoid it and was struck head-on by the energy blast.


    Just like him, the enemy cultivator, the Phoenix Sect disciples, Da Shu, and Huo Li, who had been fighting nearby, were all caught in the blast and thrown back several meters.


    Ethan and the enemy cultivator, being the closest to the source, were hit the hardest and flung dozens of meters away.


    The enemy crashed into a tree, and the force of the impact knocked him unconscious.


    Ethan''s fate was similar; he crashed through several trees before finally coming to a halt.


    Thanks in part to Bai Yu''s assistance in stabilizing his mind and his dragon bloodline-enhanced constitution, Ethan managed to stay conscious despite the intense blow.


    Staggering slightly, he forced himself to stand, wiping the blood from his face.


    ''What the hell was that?'' he thought, struggling to regain his balance as he tried to move toward the source of the disturbance.


    Just as he was nearly back on his feet, a crushing pressure descended upon him, almost forcing him to collapse again.


    ''W-what is this feeling?'' Ethan thought, alarmed as an overwhelming sense of fear suddenly gripped him.


    It wasn''t a physical pressure weighing down on him, but something far more psychological��a primal fear urging him to flee without looking back.


    Ethan didn''t realize it at first, but this strange aura hadn''t only affected him��it had blanketed the entire area of the forest, extending for at least a kilometer.


    Above him, the sky had begun to change.


    Dark clouds appeared, swirling ominously over the area, heavy with water and charged with electricity, converging around a specific point in the Spirit Forest.


    The wind picked up, and all the nearby animals and spiritual beasts, sensing the growing danger, began fleeing in every direction.


    Da Shu, Huo Li, and the rest of the Phoenix Sect disciples had been knocked unconscious by the energy wave, completely unaware of the peril that had manifested. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Elder L��i and the enemy cultivator, who had just arrived at the location, felt the chilling effects of the invisible pressure.


    The air itself seemed to freeze as they stood witness to the source of all this chaos.


    In the spot where the enemy cultivator and Ethan had fought moments earlier, a massive swirling vortex of dark gray energy, nearly four meters tall, had appeared, radiating an overwhelming concentration of condensed Qi.


    "What in the world is that?" Elder L��i asked, feeling the immense danger emanating from the vortex before him.


    The enemy cultivator, his face filled with grim seriousness, remained silent for a moment.


    Then, after a few seconds, he spoke, his voice low as he pulled something from the ring on his finger.


    "Well, nothing good."


    .


    ---------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, feel free to share them below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 100 - 100: A Shadowy Figure

    .


    The opening of the portal caused a great commotion, alerting anyone nearby.


    Most of the forest''s animals, sensing the impending danger, fled as far away from the source as possible.


    This included not only the weaker, unevolved animals but also the spiritual beasts.


    It didn''t matter if they were of Level One, Two, or Three; all of them fled, sensing the heavy aura emanating from the portal.


    Streams of spiritual energy exploded outward, radiating like the waves of an earthquake, spreading far and wide.


    In the Phoenix Kingdom, on a small lake hidden atop the highest hill of the Phoenix Sect, a majestic woman with elegant features sat in a meditative pose.


    Her figure was graceful as she cultivated in harmony with nature, a harmony that was suddenly disturbed.


    Sensing something, the woman abruptly opened her golden eyes and directed her gaze in a particular direction.


    To the north of the continent, in the White Tiger Kingdom, warlords and sages sensed the chaotic fluctuations.


    A man over two meters tall, sitting on a throne made of the bones of a large creature, was sleeping, his head resting on the fist of his right arm.


    Suddenly, he too opened his eyes, revealing deep gray irises, which focused on a point.


    To the southeast of the White Tiger Kingdom, in the Qilin Kingdom''s territory, on a mountain peak engulfed in a fierce storm, a man hovered in midair, surrounded by lightning strikes.


    Despite the heavy rain, the figure of the man remained dry as he floated upright like a needle in the storm, admiring the view.


    At that moment, he too sensed the spiritual fluctuations and turned his head, looking puzzled.


    And finally, amidst all these territories, a figure sitting in a grand, dark hall of a majestic palace opened their eyes and stared straight ahead, as if their gaze pierced through any barrier, fixing on the Spirit Forest.


    Their gaze lingered there for a moment, then shifted slightly to the right, and the scene they were watching changed instantly.


    They saw a slim figure darting through the air, passing over a long mountain range.


    The man watched the flying figure for a few seconds, then finally closed his eyes, returning the dark hall to its previous state.


    ***


    For Ethan, who was a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining, it would have been hard to withstand such pressure.


    He should have already succumbed, overwhelmed by the invisible weight that this aura had on the entire surrounding environment, but he managed to hold on, though barely.


    With his special physique, enhanced by the dragon bloodline, and his mind protected by Bai Yu''s aura, he was able to remain conscious even when so close to the source of the aura.


    "W-what the hell did that guy do," Ethan muttered weakly, still trying to recover from the injuries he had sustained after being thrown by that powerful energy wave.


    Ethan had no idea what was happening, and to be honest, he had no desire to find out.


    Whatever was coming out of that portal was clearly at a higher stage than him, and judging by the aura it emitted, it was far beyond him.


    Not even a battle between two beings at the peak of the fourth stage had given him such a terrifying and overwhelming feeling.


    He knew that if he stayed here any longer, he would risk never leaving this place alive.


    With some effort, he managed to steady his entire body.


    He still had a few wounds here and there, and although his high-speed body recovery was helping heal the various injuries, he was still in bad shape.


    He had been thrown quite far from the site, but not far enough, as he could still see the gray-black portal.


    He also noticed the two figures above that had appeared, and it didn''t take long for him to realize who they were.


    He could tell from their expressions that they, too, feared the suffocating aura emanating from that portal.


    Ethan wanted to ask Bai Yu if there was a way to close the portal, but he decided against it.


    Even if there was a way, was it feasible for someone at his level?


    Clearly not!


    His only concern now was to find the others from his sect and leave this place.


    With some difficulty, he circulated Qi throughout his body and silently sent out a pulse of spiritual energy in all directions, extending his spiritual perception.


    Normally, he would be able to sense anything within a hundred-meter radius, but he had learned this new technique to further expand that distance.


    The concept behind this method was to use the pulse of spiritual energy like a sonar, traveling in all directions and, upon encountering something, sending a signal back to the user.


    In this way, Ethan could cover an area almost six times his initial range with his spiritual sense.


    In no time, Ethan''s mind was flooded with various information from every direction, which his brain processed, creating a mental map of the covered area.


    Although the amount of information was quite large, Ethan had grown used to receiving data directly into his brain, so it wasn''t too overwhelming.


    Even more so now, at his current level of strength, his brain had also been greatly enhanced, allowing him to think much faster and more clearly than before.


    "There they are."


    In no time, Ethan had finished scanning the entire area within his perception range. Recovering his composure, he turned toward a specific position and set off.


    Although his body hadn''t fully recovered, he had regained enough strength to make such a journey in a short time.


    Eventually, he arrived at the location where the battle between Da Shu and the enemy cultivator had taken place.


    Upon reaching the scene of the fight, he could see that the area was in quite a bad state.


    There were clear signs of the battle on the ground, and even the surrounding trees bore marks of slashes, burns, and more.


    Ethan could tell that the fight hadn''t been easy for his friend, and he wondered how he was doing now.


    Moving in a particular direction, he advanced and, in a few steps, reached his destination.


    The scene in front of him was somewhat unexpected.


    He looked on with a confused, yet slightly amused expression.


    "Well, I''d say you''re making slow but steady progress," he remarked, gazing at the two figures lying ahead.


    It was Da Shu and Huo Li, with the former holding the latter as if trying to protect him, though in the end, both of them had ended up on the ground.


    Ethan regretted not having anything on him to immortalize the scene before him.


    "Tch, the backwardness of this world''s technology has saved you," he thought, lamenting the absence of cameras, which, as far as he knew, didn''t exist here.


    Ethan wondered what he should do with these two.


    ***


    In an unknown place, dark and grim, a heavy scent of blood lingered everywhere.


    The black earth was scattered with the corpses of all kinds of creatures, while their blood trickled downwards, only to dry shortly after, leaving nothing but stains.


    The dark sky was covered by a thick fog, blocking out any light, making it difficult for anyone to pass through without getting lost.


    In this desolate place, devoid of any living soul, the shadowy silhouette of something moving could be seen in the distance.


    No matter how close one got, it was impossible to discern the features of the figure. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The only thing that could be said about it was that it stood over 3 meters tall, even wider, with a body supported by what seemed to be six long, slender limbs.


    The figure, which had been moving with a light and steady pace, suddenly stopped.


    It sensed something, its white irises gleaming from within the black mist that shrouded its figure.


    Its large eyes moved out of sync, up and down, left and right, until suddenly they both stopped, pointing in opposite directions.


    Then, they snapped toward a point in the fog-covered area, and the large silhouette moved silently but swiftly toward that spot.


    In mere seconds, the figure covered several miles and arrived at the location where it had sensed something.


    Upon arrival, it paused, witnessing a strange phenomenon unfolding before it.


    The dense, gray fog that covered the area was coiling into a single point.


    The more the fog converged on that point, the more intense the sensation the creature felt.


    Wosh!


    Then, with an almost invisible pulse of energy that cleared the surrounding fog for hundreds of meters, a black vortex appeared.


    The thick black fog that had covered the place dissipated slightly, revealing the gruesome scenery of the surrounding land to the observer.


    In no time, the thick fog enveloped the area once again, returning it to its former state, as if nothing had happened.


    The only difference now was the massive, gray-black vortex, several meters high, that was drawing in some of the fog.


    The beast, seeing this scene, didn''t flinch, not even when the energy pulse hit it, unfazed.


    It stared at the vortex with curious eyes.


    Then, moving its many limbs, it began to advance, nearing the vortex until it was only a few meters away, and without hesitation, it jumped in.


    .


    ---------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, feel free to share them below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.??

 Chapter 101 - 101: Unexpected Encounter

    .


    While various beings from the Long Empire were becoming increasingly alert due to the powerful aura emanating from the dark gray portal, Ethan found himself in a dilemma.


    He needed to retreat as quickly as possible and take them with him.


    Sure, he could transport them and move them away, but the problem was that there were not just the two of them.


    Not far from here, there were also the other disciples of the Phoenix Sect.


    He didn''t have a carriage or anything like that with him, so he wondered what to do.


    Taking only the two of them and leaving the others behind didn''t sit well with him.


    Even though he didn''t know any of these people, he didn''t feel comfortable leaving them to their fate, which he knew wouldn''t be anything good.


    He would have asked the elder of the sect for help, but it seemed that he would have to think of something else since the elder was dealing with the enemy cultivator and now whatever was coming out of the portal.


    Ethan was a bit curious to at least see what kind of being it was, as the one who had yet to appear had already caused quite a stir.


    But he decided to stop thinking about this and focus on his current problem. After all, as they say: Curiosity killed the cat.


    He had considered putting everyone inside his minor dimension, but then hesitated.


    ''What if they wake up?''


    Even though he intended only to put them inside and move them to a more remote location, then bring them back out and wait for them to wake up, he was worried they might wake up while still inside.


    After all, the time inside his minor dimension flowed 100 times faster than the outside world. In other words, one minute outside would equal an hour and 40 minutes inside.


    Certainly, he didn''t expect anyone to wake up in that time frame, but the problem was that it wouldn''t take him just one minute to get a bit further away.


    He was sure that if he wanted to go to a sufficiently distant and safer place, he would have to head toward the outer part of the Spirit Forest. In other words, it could take him between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how quickly he recovered.


    If this time is multiplied by 100, there would be more than enough time for almost everyone present to wake up.


    And that was a problem.


    ''Think, Ethan, think��''


    While he tried to find a solution to this problem, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in his mind.


    "Well, you could always put them to sleep every time they wake up.


    After all, you can always perceive what''s happening inside the minor dimension," Bai Yu said as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    Just as Ethan was about to consider this option, Bai Yu''s voice echoed again.


    "And remember, you''re an alchemist. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Is it possible that you don''t have something with you to make them sleep for a long period?"


    Hearing this last statement, Ethan didn''t focused on Bai Yu''s sarcasm but on her words.


    "Damn, she''s right. Why didn''t I think of that?" he thought, and immediately after, he opened his storage to examine something.


    Ethan''s storage was no longer as empty as before; it was now filled with items of every kind arranged in a certain order.


    He had at least one box for each item, including a whole box for every type of herb.


    He scrolled quickly to see if he had the material he needed, and in no time, he found it.


    "Thank god, with this, I should be able to gain at least a few more hours," he thought as he pulled the material from his dimensional pocket.


    In his hand was what seemed to be a yellowish root, the upper part of which had a small plant with two leaves.


    He took a few, and then vanished from the spot.


    In less than 5 seconds, he reappeared at the same spot from where he had departed, now holding not herbs but a series of white bandages.


    Ethan wasted no time and wrapped a bandage around each person''s neck, ensuring they were loose enough not to strangle anyone, but not so loose as to slip off.


    Ethan didn''t have time to think of a better and more comfortable solution, so he went directly to extracting the essence of those herbs and preparing a liquid that would make someone drift into their dreams for entire days.


    The effect varied depending on the person, but overall, it was certain that no one would wake up for the next 24 hours.


    He immersed the bandages in the liquid so that they would carry its effect for a while.


    Wrapping them around each person, the bandages would release the scent of the plant, which would be inhaled by them for several hours.


    Of course, the aroma released by the bandage wouldn''t last too long, but once absorbed, it would do its job for hours.


    It wasn''t the most effective method of using the plant''s properties, but in desperate times, desperate measures were needed.


    As he finished applying the bandages to everyone, he noticed that there was one more person among the group of disciples who had come to rescue.


    It was a girl.


    She seemed to be of the same age as the other disciples, covered in a brown cloak with a hood.


    The hood was down, revealing the girl''s graceful face.


    As soon as Ethan approached the girl and saw her face, his body froze, and a perplexed expression appeared on his face.


    If an outsider had seen him in this way, they would have thought he was mesmerized by the girl''s beauty.


    But they couldn''t have been more wrong.


    For Ethan, who had seen beauties like the sect master and Bai Yu, this was nothing.


    The reason he was shocked was that he recognized who the girl was.


    "Damn, isn''t she the one who stole herbs from me at the city market?"


    As he wondered what she was doing here, the pressure emanating from the portal suddenly increased several times.


    It didn''t take a genius to understand what was happening.


    Turning his head in the direction of the portal, Ethan thought with a renewed sense of urgency.


    ''Something is coming out of the portal.''


    .


    ----------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As always, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, feel free to share them below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.??

 Chapter 102 - 102: Powerlessness

    .


    A sudden increase in pressure was felt by everyone nearby.


    Especially by the two figures in the air, just a short distance from the portal.


    Elder L��i, who had only just arrived at the scene, grew increasingly alarmed as he sensed this pressure.


    Just as he was about to question the enemy cultivator about the situation, he saw the man crush something in his hand.


    He wasn''t sure what it was, but he had a bad feeling about it. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he prepared to act, the enemy turned and smiled.


    "Well, this was a bit unexpected, but I suppose it''s better than nothing.


    With the portal open, that thing from the other side has been drawn in.


    There''s no recovering the object now, so I might as well leave," he muttered to himself.


    A faint blue light began to emanate from his body.


    Seeing the confusion on the sect elder''s face, he spoke again, his body starting to turn into sparks of light.


    "Well, it''s been nice fighting you.


    If you survive this, perhaps we''ll meet again." And with that, his body completely vanished.


    Elder L��i, seeing the enemy''s body dissolve into glowing sparks, realized that the man had used something to teleport away.


    He knew there was no point in trying to stop him.


    Even if he tried, with his current strength, the best he could do was injure the man a bit more.


    It wasn''t worth wasting his energy on that.


    There was a more urgent matter at hand.


    ''He mentioned something coming out of the portal,'' he thought, piecing together that the ever-growing pressure was likely due to the being emerging from the portal.


    He didn''t know what level the creature was at, but he could tell it was far stronger than him,in other words,


    someone already at the fifth stage of cultivation.


    He knew he had no chance of defeating such a being.


    He turned as well, moving to leave the area.


    ''I must quickly save the disciples and alert the sect of this,'' he thought.


    Just as he was about to fly toward the direction where he had sensed the auras of his sect''s disciples earlier, he suddenly felt an intense sense of danger from behind.


    ''What...?''


    He turned his head to see what it was, and the moment he did, his body almost froze.


    Less than two meters away from him was a strange creature, wrapped in what appeared to be black mist, examining him with two completely white eyes.


    ''When-''


    Just as he was about to distance himself from the creature, it moved one of its many long limbs like a spear toward him.


    Swish!


    In an instant, the sect elder''s body was flung hundreds of meters away, crashing hard into the ground, shattering it into thousands of pieces and burying him beneath.


    The creature seemed confused for a moment, looking at the limb with which it had struck him.


    It saw fresh drops of blood on it and nothing more, with small lightning arcs dancing across the surface.


    The creature observed this bizarre phenomenon until shadowy tendrils covered the blood and the arcs, making them disappear.


    The elder, who had been thrown away, burst out from the rubble and stood, his body in more pain than before.


    His expression was serious, with a hint of hidden fear.


    Looking down at the ground where he stood, one could see drops of blood falling intermittently.


    Raising his gaze, one could notice that the blood was coming from the elder''s right arm.


    Sensing the mortal danger from the beast, he immediately circulated his Qi within his body, ready to face whatever attack came next.


    When the beast struck, with no space or time to evade, he concentrated all his spiritual energy into his hands and blocked the blow.


    The result was a fractured bone in his right arm, the arm that had taken the direct hit, leaving him with a broken limb and his energy nearly depleted.


    He had already used most of his strength fighting the enemy earlier, and now, with this last action, he was almost entirely spent.


    But none of that seemed to matter now.


    Seeing that strange black creature in the air, he felt a primal fear in his soul.


    ''What on earth is that thing?''


    The black creature was several meters tall.


    Its body was entirely shrouded in black mist, making it hard to discern what lay beneath.


    Six long, thin limbs extended from it, all converging toward a single elongated body that ended with what resembled a human face.


    The features of the face were indiscernible, as they too were covered by the dark fog, and only two completely white circles could be seen.


    These circles suddenly snapped toward him, as if responding to his gaze, and moments later, the elder felt that sense of death once again.


    Wasting no time, he threw himself to the side, and in less than a millisecond, the spot where he had been standing was completely destroyed by a solid black pillar.


    The elder, who had stumbled to the ground due to his hasty dodge, tried to get up, using one of his hands.


    Never in his life had he felt so powerless and drained.


    He had lived for more than two centuries now, and although he had faced many life-threatening situations before, never once had he felt this helpless.


    Frustrated, he tried to raise his head to at least get a better look at the face of the creature that was about to take his life.


    At the same time, he began circulating his Qi within his core, forming a small vortex that quickly began to spin faster.


    ''Come on, if I''m going to die, I''ll make sure to take you with me to the afterlife.''


    .


    ---------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 103 - 103: The Arrival of the Prince

    .


    Elder L��i never imagined he would die in such a way.


    No sane cultivator would ever risk overloading their core, as they know that once a certain limit is surpassed, the core will explode, releasing a massive amount of energy, which, depending on the cultivator''s level, can be more or less devastating.


    For example:


    If a first-stage cultivator decided to self-destruct, their death would cause an explosion powerful enough to blow up a medium-sized house.


    It would be strong enough to kill any normal person without cultivation or severely injure first and second-level cultivators.


    The same goes for a second-stage cultivator.


    If they decided to explode, the resulting blast would be at least three times stronger than that of a first-stage cultivator.


    It would be powerful enough to affect everyone within a 20 to 30-meter radius, potentially causing severe injury to even a third-stage cultivator.


    However, for a third-stage cultivator, the power does not increase two or three times but fivefold, decimating everything within a radius of at least 100 meters.


    From the fourth stage onwards, things change.


    The person''s core becomes stronger, allowing the cultivator to store much more refined Qi inside.


    If this Qi were triggered, the explosion would rival the power of a small atomic bomb.


    Even fifth-stage cultivators must be cautious of this explosion, as the force behind it could kill a cultivator in the early stages of the fifth level.


    The high temperatures, combined with the massive energy stored within the core, would be enough to disintegrate most natural elements.


    Only a few extremely rare and resistant materials could withstand the power of such an explosion.


    Elder L��i was now certain that the creature in front of him was at the fifth stage of cultivation. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn''t determine the exact level, but he knew that as long as the creature took the brunt of the explosion, it would hardly survive.


    Even if it did, it would sustain enough damage to no longer pose a significant threat.


    As an elder of the sect, he had to prioritize saving his disciples, especially since one of them was his direct disciple.


    Reduced to his current state, there was no saving himself from the creature before him.


    So, he might as well inflict serious damage on it while dying, at least preventing it from seeking more prey immediately afterward, giving the others enough time to escape and alert the sect master.


    He had lived a long life, and though not without regrets, he had his happy moments, so he wasn''t afraid to face death.


    ''Just a few more seconds,'' he thought, feeling a source of heat in his abdomen that was growing more and more intense.


    The pressure generated by the vortex of pure Qi inside his core had almost reached the point of no return.


    Once it went past that point, even if he wanted to stop it, he wouldn''t be able to.


    The misty creature, seeing that its new toy had stopped attacking it, decided to finish him and find another.


    It raised one of its long, thin legs, ready to pierce the being below, and with a nearly invisible movement, it launched the blow.


    The elder, who had resolved not to look away, didn''t see the attack coming.


    He only felt that his time had come.


    His core was nearly ready, needing just a few more seconds to explode.


    ''It seems I''ve failed,'' he thought, realizing he wouldn''t be able to make his core explode in time.


    Just as he thought it was all over, he saw that the limb, which had disappeared from his sight, now appeared just a few centimeters from his face.


    ''Huh? Why did it stop?''


    He noticed that the creature''s eyes were no longer fixed on him.


    Its face remained still, but its eyes were now focused in another direction.


    The elder didn''t understand and, just as he wanted to move his head to see what the creature was looking at, it vanished in an instant from its place.


    ''Huh?''


    Just as it had arrived, the creature disappeared into thin air.


    As the elder wondered what had just happened, several miles north of the Spirit Forest, toward the end of a long mountain range, a massive being completely covered in what seemed like black smoke appeared in the air, staring intensely ahead with its pairs of white eyes.


    The creature, which a second ago had been in the Spirit Forest, was now here, looking ahead at a distant speck in the sky that was growing larger and larger.


    Within a few seconds, the speck became visible enough to distinguish its features.


    It was a tall young man with golden hair and eyes of the same color. He was dressed simply but elegantly, and his facial features were sharp and flawless.


    In contrast to his striking appearance, the man''s expression was serious as he gazed at the being before him.


    Once he was close enough to see the other party clearly, he halted his advance and, remaining suspended in the air, stared at the strange creature before him.


    "So, you are the source of all this chaos."


    After confirming his sister''s location, the prince had teleported to the nearest position to the Phoenix Kingdom''s capital and then decided to cover the rest of the distance by flying.


    He could have used long-distance teleportation like his younger sister, but such scrolls were costly and difficult to produce.


    Even though money wasn''t an issue for someone of his status, he still wanted to avoid wasting his family''s resources on matters like these.


    He also thought this would give his sister some time to enjoy a little freedom in the outside world.


    He understood how his sister felt and why she didn''t want to remain in the royal palace, but as much as he sympathized, he knew her situation didn''t allow for such liberties.


    If it were up to him, he would have directly enrolled her in a major sect, so she wouldn''t have to run away from the palace every time.


    So he took his time, heading toward Sun City calmly, while taking the opportunity to enjoy a brief break himself, knowing that once he returned, a mountain of work awaited him.


    This was until he sensed a strange aura, which had suddenly appeared near the Phoenix Kingdom''s capital.


    A normal cultivator wouldn''t have been able to gauge the strength of the being, but it was different for him.


    He could tell that this aura was strong, very strong.


    Even at his level, he could tell it would be difficult to deal with such a being.


    He checked his sister''s current location and was shocked to find that the location indicated was close to the area where the being had appeared.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 104 - 104: Battle Between Fifth-Stage Beings

    .


    In a hurry, he set off at full speed towards the Spirit Forest.


    He was already very close to the capital, so with his cultivation base, he would reach the location quickly.


    However, he never expected the being to confront him directly as soon as it sensed him.


    Now that the creature was in front of him, he could be certain that it was at the fifth stage of cultivation, almost at level 5.


    ''Where the hell did it come from?'' he wondered.


    He couldn''t tell if the being in front of him was some kind of beast or a completely new creature.


    He was sure he had never seen, nor heard of, such a creature before.


    The only way to learn more about it was to defeat the creature and examine the place where it had originally appeared.


    He could sense other people in the Spirit Forest, but none of them seemed to be his sister.


    This reassured him somewhat, as it meant she wasn''t dead.


    He wondered, though, where she could be, as he couldn''t sense her presence anywhere.


    With his spiritual sense, he could scan the area around him for miles, and he couldn''t detect her aura.


    He decided to deal with the strange creature in front of him before searching for his sister.


    And as if sensing his battle intent, the creature roared at him and attacked immediately. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Haa, this won''t be an easy fight,'' he thought, and fully unleashed his cultivation base at the fifth stage, ready to attack as well.


    It happened that their auras were at the same level, so it would be factors other than their cultivation level that would determine the winner.


    With golden scales beginning to appear on his arms and face, and an ethereal golden dragon-like silhouette appearing behind him, the crown prince advanced.


    Thus, as the battle between two beings began, a new wave of spiritual fluctuations started to spread through the surrounding environment, much stronger than before.


    Even Ethan, who had by now moved quite a distance from the incident site, could feel strong tremors coming from the ground.


    The strong vibrations he felt from the ground were almost at the level of a magnitude 6 earthquake.


    Ethan could also sense two powerful auras clashing in the distance.


    ''Is it possible that another powerful being has appeared?'' he thought, quickening his pace even more.


    He had thought that at this distance they would be off the creature''s radar, but it seemed he had underestimated the power of such a being.


    According to what Bai Yu had told him, these two auras were clearly at the fifth stage of cultivation, and he wondered for a moment if the sect master had appeared.


    After all, it wouldn''t have been surprising if she did, especially with an elder already on site, and the situation severe enough to mobilize such an existence.


    The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to witness the battle up close.


    He wanted to see how powerful beings at the pinnacle of the mortal realm could be.


    But reason pulled him from these thoughts.


    He had been running at full speed for several minutes.


    With his body mostly recovered from the injuries, he could continue running at maximum speed for a while longer.


    Ethan knew that inside the small dimension, more than ten hours had passed, in other words, he could afford to keep them inside a bit longer.


    That said, Ethan didn''t allow himself to slow down.


    He knew that even though he was almost out of danger, he was still far from being able to take it easy.


    He wouldn''t calm down until he had at least reached the edge of the Spirit Forest.


    There, he was sure he wouldn''t have to face any beast too strong for him, and he would also be far enough from the battle between the two beings.


    As he ran, he couldn''t help but think about what he had discovered just before leaving that area of the forest.


    After he had finished transferring everyone from his sect, including the blonde girl he had met at the city market, at Bai Yu''s request, he approached to examine the enemy cultivator''s body.


    He was in worse shape and on the brink of death.


    Ethan tried to interrogate him, but the enemy used a strange power against him.


    He didn''t know what was about to happen, but he could tell he would be in danger if he let him proceed, so he gave him the final blow.


    Immediately after, Bai Yu''s ethereal figure appeared outside of his consciousness.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what she intended to do, but she seemed rather distracted by something, even before he began the battle with the cultivator who had summoned the portal.


    He could only think that whatever was bothering her was related to these individuals.


    He waited aside while she examined the enemy''s body using her spiritual perception.


    Not being in a physical body, she couldn''t use her spiritual perception freely without any means.


    She had to touch the subject directly and circulate spiritual energy within it, and so she did.


    Just a second after she started the process, her expression grew troubled, and Ethan, who was just a few steps away, seeing her, asked what she had discovered.


    "As I thought, it''s demonic Qi," she said with a complicated expression.


    Ethan wanted to aske more about the matter, but he understood it wasn''t a good time to do so, so he postponed the issue until he returned to the sect.


    ***


    With the strange creature having disappeared suddenly, the sect elder stopped the Qi vortex, which had now almost reached the point of no return.


    He didn''t calm down immediately and tried to sense where the beast had vanished to.


    He was afraid it might have headed towards the group of injured disciples.


    Just as he began to scout the area with his spiritual sense, he felt the earth vibrating as intense spiritual energy fluctuations struck him and the surrounding environment.


    "What the...?"


    Although sudden, he did not panic and examined the energy fluctuations.


    He immediately sensed the strange aura of the creature within them and realized that the thing had found a new opponent to fight against.


    "Where on earth are all these powerful beings continuously coming from?"


    He could tell that the other side was also strong, at least almost as strong as the creature.


    He had a feeling he recognized the aura of the newcomer, but at the moment he couldn''t remember who it belonged to.


    He didn''t waste time thinking about who it was.


    As long as it wasn''t an opponent, it was fine.


    Sending some of his own energy into his dimensional ring, he pulled out a bottle containing 3 green pills.


    Without hesitation, he opened it and swallowed the pills.


    Immediately afterward, a greenish light covered his body for a second, and the various wounds on it began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    "With this, I should be fine for the moment," he said to himself as, with the little strength he had just regained, he prepared to find the sect''s disciples and head back.


    He could sense that the group of disciples he had brought with him for the mission were nearby; from what he could perceive, it seemed they had managed to confront the enemies, although not without injuries.


    Several of them appeared to be gravely injured, so he decided to first assist them and then search for the others.


    For now, he couldn''t locate the group he had come to rescue, so he could only hope they had managed to escape in time.


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 105 - 105: Attracting Feng Huangs Attention

    .


    The arrival of a being at the fifth stage of cultivation had alarmed all the major powers of the Long Empire.


    From the White Tiger Kingdom to the Phoenix Kingdom, all the top forces could sense the presence of this strange existence that had appeared out of nowhere.


    Naturally, this raised many questions and led many to decide to investigate the matter further.


    The appearance of another fifth-stage being could be either a cause for celebration or concern.


    It should be noted that currently, only a few beings at this level existed in the empire, and all of them held very high positions in the realm.


    From the three masters of the empire''s top sects to the emperor himself and the crown prince, all of these figures held prominent positions, some more influential than others.


    The emergence of another being at this level could potentially disrupt the balance of power carefully established over centuries by these five individuals.


    Certainly, the imperial family wielded the greatest power, managing the other forces in the empire, but that didn''t mean the three ruling sects lacked influence.


    Each of them controlled key aspects of the empire, from its protection to its economy, and so on...


    They were pillars of the empire, each crucial in its own right.


    The arrival of a new pillar would unsettle the balance of all the others because, depending on who it was and their intentions, it could lead the empire into a new era of prosperity, or ruin.


    This was what everyone powerful enough to sense the aura of the new being was contemplating.


    Only those at the peak of the realm, the pillars of the empire, could tell that this new presence was far from good news.


    They could sense that the being in question wasn''t human, nor did it seem to be a beast.


    In other words, it was something else.


    Something dark and malevolent, constantly exuding a sinister aura.


    If not for the fact that Crown Prince Long Jian was already on the scene, some others would have considered acting personally to eliminate this sudden threat.


    They could tell that both sides were evenly matched in terms of sheer strength, and they wanted to wait and see how the situation would unfold.


    If it worsened, they would act. Otherwise, they would observe the battle from their residences.


    The one closest to the battlefield was, of course, the Phoenix Sect, as the fight was taking place in a region within the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Most likely, it would fall to the sect master of the Phoenix Sect to intervene if necessary.


    She had already heard about the distress signal that had reached the sect the day before, so she had a vague idea of what was happening there.


    She just wondered how the situation had escalated to this point.


    She had decided to personally investigate the incident once the sect elder had brought everyone back.


    With her perception, she could tell that they had all managed to survive the incident, an unexpected outcome given the magnitude of the event.


    She was especially curious about one individual in particular.


    "It seems I wasn''t wrong about him after all," she thought, sensing a faint aura currently darting through the Spirit Forest.


    She hadn''t been able to witness the entire incident, so she couldn''t say exactly what her disciples had faced.


    So, after the appearance of the being, she expanded her senses throughout the Spirit Forest and managed to locate the sect elder, as well as the disciples who had set out to rescue the team in danger.


    Although she was at the fifth stage of cultivation, even for her, it was difficult to keep her spiritual senses active over a vast area for too long, especially in this case, where the area spanned several miles from the Phoenix Sect.


    Therefore, among the few things she was able to pick up from her scan of the forest was the aura of this particular disciple, who had been saved by her over a year ago.


    At her level, few things could be hidden from her, so the moment she sensed his presence, she realized the disciple had already advanced to the second stage of cultivation. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Judging by the intensity of the Qi within him, she could tell he had made good progress in this stage.


    Over the past year, he had been checking in on Ethan''s progress and learned that he had been stuck at a bottleneck, unable to break through even in the Body Refining stage.


    A rather strange situation, as anyone who reached this point could at least manage to advance past the Body Refining stage.


    Even more unusual was that, after several months, he still hadn''t made any progress and remained stuck at the same point.


    The more she heard about this disciple''s lack of progress, the more she felt her intuition had been wrong this time.


    She had all but given up hope for this disciple and stopped checking in on him.


    Only yesterday, when she sensed two individuals sneaking out of the sect, did she remember him.


    She wondered what had happened to him in recent times to allow him to advance so quickly in such a short time.


    For a moment, she considered questioning him upon his return, but then, upon further reflection, she dismissed the idea.


    Everyone had their secrets, and it wasn''t unusual to find people in the cultivation world who had some fortuitous encounter.


    It was normal to find individuals who one day were nobodies and the next had suddenly become someone remarkable.


    ''Hm, perhaps I could try this.


    I don''t think he''ll refuse, after all he''d only benefit from it.''


    With this thought, the Phoenix Sect master made her decision.


    Whether this decision would ultimately benefit Ethan or not, no one could say.


    Including Ethan, who at that moment had nearly reached the outer edge of the Spirit Forest.


    ''What was that sudden chill?'' he thought, feeling as though some beast had set its sights on him.


    Ethan couldn''t figure out what it was.


    It felt like a fleeting sensation, lasting less than a second, so he didn''t give it much thought.


    But the same couldn''t be said for Bai Yu.


    Even though the gaze from the sect master had lasted only an instant, it was enough for her to pinpoint its origin.


    ''It seems she''s finally noticed him,'' she thought, choosing to remain silent on the matter.


    Judging by her instincts, there hadn''t been any malice in that earlier glance, at most, a bit of curiosity.


    She knew that Ethan''s progress couldn''t remain hidden forever, and sooner or later, it would attract attention.


    Having been a figure of some standing in the past, she understood that it was impossible for him to continue cultivating and advancing at such a pace without drawing the attention of the fifth-stage figure from the Phoenix Sect.


    The only reason he had stayed under the radar was that most of the time, he spent his days in his minor dimension, and it was there that he had broken through the various levels of his stage.


    That was how he had managed to keep a low profile for so long.


    She didn''t give the matter too much importance.


    As long as it wasn''t dangerous for Ethan, it was fine.


    At the moment, her mind was elsewhere.


    ''That man clearly had demonic Qi within him.


    Even if it was a small amount, it shouldn''t be here in the first place.


    Could the seal have been broken?''


    .


    ------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 106 - 106: Corrupting Energy

    .


    The fight between the creature and Prince Jian had just begun, but in this short time, both sides had already exchanged several blows, ranging from the most innocuous and insidious to the most destructive.


    The more the prince fought the creature, the more he was disturbed by its strange attacks.


    It wasn''t just the creature''s fighting methods that left him thoughtful, but also its attacks.


    He could tell that the energy being used was not at all the natural spiritual energy.


    Or rather, it seemed as if it absorbed the energy present in the surrounding environment and transformed it into another form of energy.


    The prince had avoided any attacks imbued with that energy because he could instinctively tell that trying to counteract that energy would not be good for him.


    And he received confirmation of this when the creature managed to scratch his arm, destroying the golden scales that covered it, leaving behind a superficial wound, as it would regenerate in no time.


    If that had been all, he wouldn''t have paid much attention, but as soon as he saw that the wound, instead of regenerating, began to darken and infect the rest of his arm, he made a quick decision and tried to expel the foreign energy from his body.


    It turned out that this energy was extremely corrosive and had, to some extent, accelerated its spread.


    In the end, he wasted no time and directly severed that part of his arm, thereby eliminating the infection with it.


    He still had no idea what kind of energy this was, but he knew he didn''t have time to study it, so he took the fastest route to get rid of it.


    As long as his arm wasn''t completely severed, he could recover from the wounds with his high regeneration and the help of some pills.


    After that first successful blow, he avoided being directly hit by the creature and instead summoned his beast soul manifestation and fought using that.


    Unlike Elder L��I soul manifestation, the prince''s was much more realistic and not just a mass of aura condensed into a beastly form.


    It was almost as if the prince himself had transformed into the dragon.


    Prince Jian''s beast form was that of an eastern golden dragon, nearly 100 meters long.


    The battle between the two intensified with every passing second, and at a certain point, even the tail of the mountain range could no longer withstand their blows and ended up being leveled to the ground.


    The commotion caused by the battle between these two beings, almost at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, was perceived by all the cities and villages near the Spirit Forest.


    Even Ethan, who was now out of the danger zone, wondered how terrifying the clash between these two beings must be.


    He had reached the outer edges of the forest, so he decided to stop there and bring the others out of the lesser dimension.


    It had been almost 15 minutes that he had been running at full speed, and he had now reached the outer area of the Spirit Forest.


    These 15 minutes were equivalent to almost a day inside the lesser dimension, and from his perception, he could tell that some were close to waking up.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if someone from within the lesser dimension woke up in the next half hour, so although he wanted to take them even further away, he decided that this area was sufficiently good for them.


    He preferred not to take any unnecessary risks and reveal one of his most important secrets.


    He examined the surroundings of the area and made sure that no beast, no matter how weak, was nearby.


    Seeing that the area was relatively safe, he began to bring out the others and had them lean against a sufficiently large tree. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The trees in the Spirit Forest were quite tall and wide, especially those imbued with spiritual energy, reaching heights between 20 to 50 meters, with some old ones even exceeding that.


    The tree Ethan used to support them was wide enough that it would take at least five people to wrap around it entirely.


    This tree was almost twice the size of the one Ethan and Da Shu had cut down in the past.


    Once he had brought them all out, he removed the bandages from each of them.


    The bandages had lost their effectiveness, and leaving them around their necks would only be a source of trouble.


    Especially for the women.


    He was certain they would have beaten him to death if they had known he had put bandages around their necks.


    It was easy to misunderstand even the simplest things.


    And a highly educated person like Ethan would not have made such a mistake.


    During the time Ethan had been away, the elder of the sect had also reunited with the rest of the disciples who had come with him.


    Currently, they were all heading towards the edge of the forest as well.


    The elder had already informed them of the situation, and now they were on the move to leave the area.


    They knew they would be at risk of being involved in the battle.


    The other disciples of the sect did not know what to think of the situation.


    They couldn''t tell if the rescue mission had been a total disaster or a success.


    They had come to rescue people but ended up in a seemingly lost battle against the enemy.


    The people they had come to save were nowhere to be found and now the only thing they could do was leave quickly, to avoid being killed by a stray attack.


    As the group of disciples was lost in their sad thoughts, the sect elder continued to explore the Spirit Forest with his spiritual sense, searching for the scattered disciples.


    He kept sending out pulses of spiritual energy every two or three seconds.


    Although he thought that perhaps the disciples had fled the area, he couldn''t be entirely sure after all; the opening of that portal had created much chaos, damaging everything in the area.


    He was certain that the disciples had been affected by the shockwave produced by the portal, and although he could say it wouldn''t have killed them, he was sure they had sustained some serious injuries.


    He continued searching with his spiritual sense for a while longer until, at some point, he sensed something.


    Examining the area from where he had detected the return signal of his spiritual energy, he sensed eight auras.


    ''Found them.''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 107 - 107: Summoning Letter

    .


    The battle between the creature and the prince lasted for four consecutive days, with the final victor:


    Prince Jian.


    They had been four long and anxious days for many, especially for those who knew what was happening.


    During this time, the Phoenix Kingdom remained on high alert, ready to act if the outcome of the battle turned out poorly.


    But in the end, that wasn''t the case.


    Ethan, Da Shu, and the rest of the disciples returned to the sect on the second day of the battle, together with the sect elder who had joined them in the forest.


    Ethan and Da Shu knew that their troubles were far from over.


    After all, they had broken the sect''s rules by sneaking out at night without permission.


    The punishment for such actions could range from losing sect points to outright expulsion.


    But to their relief, it didn''t come to that.


    The elder L��i, considering the situation, decided to go easy on them this time, deducting 100 points each from both of them.


    Normally, this would be troublesome for many disciples of the outer sect, but for Ethan, who had recently become quite wealthy, and Da Shu, who had always been rich, the punishment seemed quite light.


    However, neither could completely ignore the point deduction, as both were already down 100 points.


    This deduction put them directly in the negative, making them indebted to the sect for several points.


    Ethan was the unluckiest, as unlike Da Shu, who only owed the sect 10 points, he was now at -40, meaning he would have to complete at least two medium-level missions for the sect.


    The rescued disciples, upon seeing the punishment, offered to share some of their own sect points with Ethan and Da Shu as thanks for saving them, but the sect elder forbade them from doing so.


    But all this was only about the incident and the rule-breaking.


    There was another problem awaiting them both.


    "We''re doomed," said Ethan, utterly drained, collapsed on the ground, lost in his depressing thoughts.


    "Well, it would be more accurate to say *you* are doomed. I''m all set on that front," said Da Shu, sitting on one of the chairs in their small living room/kitchen.


    Hearing this, Ethan wanted to strangle him, but he couldn''t find the willpower to get up from the kitchen floor.


    Oddly enough, that floor felt quite comfortable to him that day.


    ''Maybe I should bury myself here and spend time in the minor dimension, only coming out to cultivate.


    Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,'' he thought, and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like an excellent plan.


    Bai Yu, who resided in his sea of consciousness, simply shook her head upon hearing these thoughts.


    The reason Ethan was feeling so down today was that, having gone off to save the group of disciples, they had missed the annual test day. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The worst part was they missed it by just one day.


    The annual test was the last chance for an outer sect disciple to prove they had made progress in their cultivation.


    Normally, throughout the year, whenever someone advanced, they would take a test to show how much they had improved, informing the sect of their progress.


    Everyone could take the test whenever they wanted, but they had a one-year deadline to do so.


    If they didn''t demonstrate any progress by the end of the year, they would be expelled from the sect without ceremony.


    This was the fate outer sect disciples had to face.


    For inner sect disciples, there was no such evaluation.


    At most, if an inner disciple showed no progress after several years, they would be demoted and subjected to the same process as outer sect disciples, with the exception that they had a much easier path to becoming inner disciples again compared to someone trying for the first time.


    Da Shu, having advanced several levels in his cultivation, had informed the sect long ago, so not only did he not have to take the annual test, but due to his great progress throughout the year, he could now apply to take the test to become an inner disciple.


    In this regard, things were going quite well for him.


    However, Da Shu wasn''t particularly enthusiastic about it.


    After all, how could he be, knowing that his friend, who was now at risk of being expelled from the sect, had already surpassed him in terms of strength and cultivation, and by quite a lot too.


    He thought about protesting for him at first, but had to reconsider when this morning, Ethan received a summons letter from the sect master.


    Da Shu had no idea what the summons was for, so he could only pray for him.


    This summons letter was also the reason why Ethan was feeling down at the moment.


    "Surely they''ve called me to tell me about my expulsion," he said, still lying on the ground.


    "I highly doubt the sect master would bother summoning someone just to tell them they''re being expelled, especially when it comes to an outer disciple," Da Shu replied.


    Ethan knew that too, but he didn''t know what to think, as he hadn''t interacted with the sect master since that time at the slave auction.


    The next day, in a run-down, three-story building.


    On the top floor of the building, Ethan stood in front of a room''s door, hand raised in a fist, as if to knock.


    Though hesitant, he eventually gathered his courage and moved to knock.


    Just as he was about to touch the door, a voice from within the room echoed.


    "You may enter."


    "..."


    ''If you knew I was already here, then why did you wait so long to speak?''


    Ethan thought, embarrassed at the idea that the sect master had seen him standing outside for a full minute, deciding whether or not to knock.


    Composing himself, he straightened his back and wiped the frustrated expression off his face, then stepped inside.


    "With your permission."


    Entering the spacious room, which was at least twice or three times the size of his dorm room, the first thing he noticed was the large desk, seemingly made of redwood, adorned with various golden carvings.


    Behind it sat an elegant woman dressed in red, with long, lustrous hair, half pinned up by a hairpin while the rest cascaded down her shoulders.


    She had a refined face with delicate features, seemingly untouched by makeup, not that she needed any.


    The woman wasn''t alone in the room.


    Next to her, standing quietly, was another girl, a little older than Ethan, at least from his impression.


    Though she was beautiful as well, she paled in comparison when standing next to the woman at the desk.


    From the expression on the girl''s face, Ethan sensed a certain dissatisfaction directed at him, something that didn''t show in her impassive face.


    "Why does she seem to have a problem with me?"


    Ethan was sure he had never seen this girl in his life, so he was puzzled by this hostility towards him.


    .


    --------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 108 - 108: Become My Disciple

    .


    Deciding to ignore the girl, he gave a respectful salute toward the woman seated at the table.


    "The disciple greets the sect master."


    He said, bringing his right hand, clenched into a fist, to his left hand, which was open and wrapped around the fist, performing a slight bow forward.


    The sect master nodded in acknowledgment and, for a moment, said nothing, simply watching him.


    Having completed the salute, Ethan didn''t know where to look, as the other party neither spoke nor reacted.


    Just as the silence was becoming heavy for him, the sect master spoke, uttering a brief and simple phrase:


    "Do you wish to become my direct disciple?" she asked with a calm expression.


    "..."


    Hearing this, Ethan''s brain momentarily froze.


    ''Become a direct disciple? Did she mispronounce the words?


    Perhaps this is a new way of saying that one has been promoted to a disciple thrown out of the sect?


    Ethan''s mind embarked on a long, endless journey in search of the hidden meaning behind those words.


    If it hadn''t been for Bai Yu, who decided to pull him out of his thoughts, he might have continued indefinitely, like a computer program endlessly reprocessing an instruction due to an error.


    Seeing that Ethan wasn''t responding, Xiang Hua, who stood next to the sect master, had an even worse impression of him.


    She remembered Ethan very well as she had been present on the day of the slave auction.


    Having been taken under the sect master''s wing since she was young, she held a great respect for her.


    She almost revered her.


    Therefore, when she learned that the disciple who had been invited to the sect was making no progress, it left her with a very poor impression of him.


    The sect master had informed her that she intended to take a new direct disciple.


    In other words, her second direct disciple after her.


    She wasn''t sure how to feel about it, but she thought that having a junior might not be so bad.


    Who would have imagined that the disciple her master wanted to take under her wing would be this guy?


    Her impression of him was already quite bad, and seeing that he didn''t even thank the sect master for the opportunity being offered only further irritated her.


    She wanted to say something but refrained from doing so.


    She didn''t want to lose her temper in front of the sect master.


    Eventually, Ethan shook himself out of his thoughts after a few seconds, and to avoid wasting more time, he immediately responded:


    "The disciple is honored to receive this offer," he said, performing another half-bow with his hands clasped in respect.


    Ethan wanted to ask why he had been suddenly asked to become a direct disciple, but he knew it was better not to ask such questions right now.


    Not with the girl next to him, who seemed to be even more irritated towards him.


    ''Does she have some kind of problem?


    Why does she seem angrier than before?'' he wondered, puzzled by Xiang Hua''s mood swings.


    Feng Huang, seeing him accept, nodded in satisfaction with his response.


    She preferred people who were direct, who didn''t beat around the bush when speaking.


    "Good, now that you''ve become my disciple, naturally, the treatment you receive will be different," she said, pulling out a small jade talisman from her dimensional ring and making it float toward him. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "With this, you can request a certain amount of resources from the sect''s treasure pavilion every month, and for any resource-related needs, you can make a request to the elders of the sect," she explained.


    "Of course, there are other benefits to having this, but for those, you can ask Xiang Hua later," she said, pointing to the girl next to her.


    Seeing her, Ethan shivered at the thought of his future.


    He had decided he would stay as far away as possible from this girl.


    In the end, the sect master said that he could ask her for any problems related to cultivation, and for the rest, he was free to cultivate on his own.


    Throughout the time, he had never asked her about cultivation, but Ethan had the feeling that she probably knew what stage he was at.


    That was the only reason he could think of for her to take him as a direct disciple.


    He was also given a residence in the inner area of the sect, where the concentration of Qi was much higher than in the area where the outer disciples resided.


    Ethan had to admit that there hadn''t been much conversation.


    Basically, everything could be summed up with a "Yes" and "Thank you."


    In the end, he found himself outside the three-story building, with a green jade talisman in hand.


    And while Ethan was coming to terms with the events of the day, in another part of the Long Empire, another important meeting was taking place.


    Currently, in a grand hall adorned with gold and other precious materials on both sides, a meeting was underway.


    At the end of the hall, there was a throne with a high back resting on a raised platform made of seven steps, on which a majestic figure was sitting at the moment.


    On the long strip of intense red velvet, richly embroidered, which stretched along the hall from the large entrance door to the steps of the throne, knelt a young man with a valorous appearance, whose eyes matched the color of his golden hair.


    He was none other than the Crown Prince Jian.


    After the battle with the strange creature at the fifth stage of cultivation, he recovered its corpse and reached his sister, who seemed to have moved to another location in the meantime.


    Once reunited with her, he returned to the royal palace, where he requested an audience with the emperor to inform him of the matter.


    He knew that his father had surely noticed this being and was waiting for a report on the issue.


    The situation with this being was too strange to be ignored.


    From the type of creature it was to the strange energy it was using.


    Not to mention the portal itself.


    After defeating the creature, he investigated the incident, going to the place where its aura first appeared.


    Upon arriving at the site, he found everything destroyed and no soul in sight.


    The only thing he recovered from that investigation was a strange wooden object, resembling a sword.


    He would have ignored it if it were only that, but the energy he felt coming from the object was very similar to that of the monster, so he decided to bring it with him.


    He hoped that his father knew something about this,


    after all, he was the strongest person in the Long Empire and also one of the people who had lived for almost a millennium.


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, don''t hesitate to do so below.


    See you tomorrow with another chapter.

 Chapter 109 - 109: New Residence

    .


    The news that the sect master had accepted another disciple could not remain hidden for long.


    Somehow the news leaked, and within a day, it spread like wildfire.


    Everyone in the sect was shocked by this sudden news, and several did not want to believe it.


    Not only the outer court disciples but also the inner and core disciples were stunned by this news.


    It must be known that the sect master, throughout all this time, had only accepted one disciple under her, and that was Xiang Hua.


    Everyone knew her and knew how high her talent was, so no one had ever said anything about it.


    The only thing they complained about was that no matter how many other talented disciples had appeared after her, the sect master never bothered to take another one.


    Over time, everyone had lost hope and settled for becoming the direct disciples of the sect elders, which was still a good choice.


    But now the news that the sect master had accepted her second disciple threw the sect into chaos.


    Everyone wanted to know who this fortunate individual was.


    They wanted to see what made him special.


    Thus began a manhunt to discover who the new disciple of the sect master was.


    Even the sect elders, curious to know who the lucky one was, went to her to ask more about the matter.


    The sect master had decided to keep Ethan''s identity to herself and had no intention of holding any ceremony or other event to present him to everyone.


    She thought that Ethan was someone who preferred not to be disturbed by such matters and that he preferred to cultivate in peace.


    Therefore, she decided to inform only the sect elders of his identity and asked them to keep Ethan''s identity to themselves.


    In the future, if Ethan needed resources and other things, he would have to largely turn to them, so she decided to inform them.


    Sooner or later, Ethan would have to make an appearance, especially at certain special occasions where he couldn''t be absent, so sooner or later his identity would be revealed.


    This decision, although based on assumptions not entirely accurate, still indirectly helped Ethan, who was happy that his identity as a disciple had not been revealed.


    He could already hear many rumors that some of the sect''s core disciples had started hunting him, and from what he had gathered from discussions in the sect, they were mainly those who in the past had tried several times to become disciples of the sect master but had been rejected by her.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    He hadn''t even asked to become her disciple, yet here he was, without much choice, in this situation.


    The commotion calmed down after a few days, and although he still sensed that the hunt for him was continuing, it was now only to a small extent, mainly carried out by inner and core disciples.


    To distance himself from this madness, he secluded himself in his residence, spending most of his time cultivating and refining pills, occasionally also tending to his herb garden and other things that were growing day by day.


    It was practically the same routine as before, except that now he had his own residence, a privilege not even given to the inner disciples of the sect.


    It was a medium-sized residence, located on a mountain hill adjacent to the innermost area of the sect, the so-called core of the sect.


    It had everything necessary to live there in peace without having to make too many trips outside.


    It had two medium-sized bedrooms, a bathroom with a dedicated space for a shower, a small kitchen, and a cultivation hall, which was essentially a spacious room with little or nothing inside, perfect for cultivating.


    All this, however, was secondary. What really interested Ethan was the presence of a spiritual vein beneath this hill.


    [N/A: You can refer to the Tianzi Mountains in China to get an idea of the location] sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It must be known that the mountainous area where the Phoenix Sect''s residence was located had several spiritual veins underground.


    Generally, these veins did not have a specific element that characterized them, but the ones precisely beneath the Phoenix Sect''s mountain were fire spiritual veins.


    For anyone with an affinity for the fire element, this was a small paradise on earth.


    Even those without a fire element affinity could refine the spiritual energy present here.


    It simply had a reduced effect on them.


    The spiritual vein beneath the mountain hill of Ethan''s residence was a pure spiritual vein, with no specific element, making it suitable for any type of cultivator, as this type of spiritual energy could be transformed into something more suitable for the person''s affinity.


    This aspect made the value of this residence even higher.


    Ethan was happy but at the same time worried that some other disciple might discover that he lived here.


    Although there was a wooden bridge connecting this hill to the main sect mountain, and it was made clear to everyone not to go there without the sect''s permission, it wasn''t difficult to spot him when he went out to run errands.


    After all, no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn''t stay holed up here forever.


    In the end, Ethan thought that he could avoid taking the direct path and descend directly from the hill.


    Although it was tall, there were ledges and other things he could use to climb up and down.


    For someone like him, who was at the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage, this was relatively easy.


    Even more so because this could be a good opportunity to further train his spiritual manifestation.


    He was already good enough to wrap objects and move them, but not yet skilled enough to do it for too long and with precision.


    He couldn''t wait to finally try to fly, at least to some extent.


    He had long known that there were techniques here to fly using swords and other objects.


    He used to think that such things only existed in the novels he read, but apparently, he had been wrong once again.


    Although there were mounts, those that could fly and were good for riding were at least level 3.


    Taming such a creature was a feat, especially for someone at his level.


    One could buy already tamed ones, but their cost was by no means low.


    Therefore, most people preferred to wait until they reached the third stage of cultivation and ride on their own swords.


    Although spiritual energy manifestation could already be learned at the second stage, the control and strength of it weren''t high enough to do it for long periods, so most cultivators preferred to wait until they reached the third stage, where, with the condensed and strengthened core, their Qi energy reserves and control over spiritual energy would be greater.


    Ethan was currently sitting cross-legged in his cultivation hall.


    If someone from the outside saw him, they would think he was deep in cultivation, but that couldn''t be further from the truth.


    At the moment, he was in his sea of consciousness, sitting on a couch, looking ahead with a serious expression.


    In front of him was a small table with only a plate of cookies and two cups of what seemed to be hot tea, still steaming.


    On the other side of the table sat Bai Yu, also in a comfortable armchair.


    The atmosphere was rather light, but Ethan knew that the upcoming conversation wouldn''t be.

 Chapter 110 - 110: A Piece of Past History

    .


    She calmly took a sip from her cup of tea, and Ethan didn''t rush her.


    He had to admit that, although it was just a simple gesture of drinking tea, there was a certain elegance to it.


    This was perhaps natural, considering that the woman in front of him exuded an incredible feminine charm, and even someone like him, who normally didn''t lose his composure around beautiful women, had to admit that he struggled to maintain complete calm.


    He shook his head to dispel the thoughts that were beginning to arise and waited for the person in front of him to talk about the people they had encountered in the Spirit Forest two days ago.


    More precisely, he wanted to know about this strange Qi that the enemies had used in their attacks.


    Having fought one of them for a while, he could tell that the energy they were using was not the same as anyone else''s.


    Whatever it was, it was strong and clearly also a bit malevolent, considering the effects it seemed to have on the person hit by it, but also on the one using it.


    Ethan had avoided the attacks heavily infused with that energy and had prevented the enemy from preparing new ones by never giving them enough time to strike.


    Ethan didn''t know if his battle would have gone so smoothly if the enemy hadn''t been caught off guard by him.


    Even using Dragon Gaze had helped him a lot in the fight since it constantly stunned the opponent.


    The effect of Dragon Gaze was very powerful, but against stronger enemies, its impact was greatly reduced.


    Thus, he was only able to stun them and nothing more.


    There was also the issue of the spiritual energy consumption it caused, which for his current state was still too high.


    In short, he had used what little he could, but it was enough to put the enemy in difficulty.


    If only he hadn''t used that object, they might have avoided all the subsequent trouble. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw that she was about to begin.


    Placing the cup of tea on the saucer on the table, Bai Yu looked at Ethan and opened her mouth.


    "Tell me, how much do you know about Qi and spiritual energy?" she asked with a calm expression.


    Ethan, hearing the unexpected question, couldn''t help but think for a moment before answering:


    "The difference between the two is not much, and in a certain sense, you could say that both are two sides of the same coin," he began, saying what he knew about these two types of energy present in this world.


    Bai Yu neither nodded nor denied, continuing to listen in silence.


    "This is because spiritual energy is the energy present in nature, and we can find it in all living beings.


    This is the energy we absorb to strengthen our bodies and our souls to become stronger, thus extending our lifespan and improving our understanding of the world around us," he said.


    "All living beings, to use this energy, need an important organ, the dantian.


    It is thanks to this organ in our bodies that we absorb the energy present in the environment and convert it into Qi, a refined derivative of spiritual energy that is compatible with our bodies.


    Using the refined Qi in our core, we elevate our cultivation little by little, starting from the body, then reaching our soul, and finally merging these two parts into one, achieving what is considered the peak of cultivation, the Fifth Stage," he said, without considering the subsequent stages, as he still knew little about them.


    So, he limited himself to the five stages of cultivation in the mortal realm.


    She nodded and finally spoke:


    "Yes, everything you''ve said is essentially correct, but there''s one thing you haven''t grasped," she said.


    Hearing her, Ethan wondered what it was.


    He didn''t immediately understand what she was referring to, but then, thinking back to the sensation he had when encountering those enemies, a spark lit up in his mind.


    "Are you referring to the nature of this energy?" he asked.


    She nodded and spoke again.


    "As you may know, the spiritual energy present in nature doesn''t have a real nature of its own.


    It is harmless and pure, and only when it is absorbed and refined does it take on a different form," she said, and Ethan nodded.


    "We see cases of this when, for example, a cultivator with a certain affinity absorbs and refines it into Qi aligned with their affinity, or when in certain places, there are plants and animals of a specific kind that absorb and release it, modifying it accordingly."


    "In this sense, we can consider this energy positive, as its adaptability allows almost anyone to use it without causing harm to the individual," she said, and Ethan finally understood where she was going with all this.


    "For a long time, it was thought that there was only this unique energy, which could take on completely different forms, and the researchers who studied it to find other uses had taken it for granted.


    This was until word spread that a similar but at the same time opposite form of energy had been found.


    The rulers at the time, who were at the peak of cultivation, discovered the existence of a higher-level dimension.


    The existence of alternative dimensions was known, and beings at their level were even able to create their own, but those were different from the ones that had formed naturally.


    It''s not known exactly what happened, but in the pieces of history that have been passed down to our time, it is said that the 10 gods who ruled above the two heavens decided to join forces to open a rift into this dimension.


    And they succeeded.


    It''s not clear what they found inside, but when the group of gods who ventured in emerged, they caused great shock at the time.


    Almost half of the gods who had gone into that dimension never returned.


    In the texts, it was only said that the gods who returned did everything they could to close the dimension again, and they succeeded, but not without consequence.


    From the dimension, a strange energy had leaked out, and once it reached the outside, it began to spread little by little everywhere.


    This energy was similar in some ways to spiritual energy, but unlike the first, which tended to adapt to the living being it came into contact with, this one tended to corrupt it."


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 111 - 111: Demon Race

    .


    Bai Yu seemed to be just beginning her explanation, but Ethan was already horrified by the information he received.


    Among the many things he had just heard, the one that shocked him the most was the death of the deities who had entered the place.


    Ethan didn''t know what kind of beings these deities were, but he was certain they were on an unimaginable level compared to his current self.


    Even Bai Yu, who was clearly much stronger than the beings leading the mortal plane, seemed not to be on par with these deities.


    The first time Ethan had heard of deities, he imagined immortal and indestructible gods who governed the laws of nature.


    But now he was learning that half of these gods had been eliminated, and the others, as far as he understood, had fled from that dimension and then sealed it.


    Did this not imply that whatever was beyond, in that dimension, was much stronger than the so-called gods above the two heavens?


    What level of existence must they be?


    Ethan had always aimed to cultivate to the peak of cultivation, to be the strongest of all, so that no one could hurt him or those he cared about.


    He wanted to be no one''s pawn and have control over his own destiny, and so on.


    Reaching the level of these deities seemed like a good goal, even though he had no idea if he would ever get there.


    But now knowing that even at that level one was not entirely safe made him feel that the path he had chosen had become even longer and perhaps more impossible.


    He knew that his goal had never been completely feasible in the first place, but it was better to hope for something than nothing, and end up losing the will to move forward.


    Having spent a lot of time alone in his past world, he had always tried to persevere and move forward even when life struck him from all sides.


    He didn''t want to give up because he knew that once he did, he would only fall deeper and perhaps never be able to resurface.


    Now he was beginning to lose hope once again upon hearing this.


    The only comfort he had was that he had some tools helping him to progress in this new world, and perhaps these would elevate him to a sufficiently high level in the future.


    As Ethan got lost in contemplation of the various consequences of what Bai Yu had said, the latter, not paying much attention to Ethan''s inner turmoil, waited a few seconds before continuing to explain what seemed to be the origins of demonic Qi.


    "This new energy initially did not seem particularly harmful, but it soon became clear that this was not the case.


    According to our knowledge of the past, as soon as the surviving gods discovered that this energy had leaked, they mobilized a great force to track it down and eliminate every trace of it.


    This action might seem a bit exaggerated, but the damage this energy caused was severe enough to justify the means used.


    This energy spread very rapidly, affecting many parts of the celestial plane.


    All living beings in these areas gradually lost their rationality, becoming creatures driven entirely by their instincts.


    If it had been only this, then it would not have been a great problem to eliminate all traces of this energy, but it was not so.


    You might not know this, but the celestial plane is many times larger than the immortal plane, so vast that it was difficult to scour the entire plane in a short time.


    Even with the intervention of all the remaining gods, it still took several decades to explore it completely, and during this period, the effects of this corruptive energy on the celestial plane worsened.


    After several years, in the areas affected by this corruptive energy, a new race began to emerge.


    The Demon Race.


    These beings, although driven by their desires for destruction and chaos, retained their own consciousness and did not completely surrender to their instincts.


    The reason why dealing with beings corrupted by this energy was relatively simple was that their consciousness seemed to be eroded over time, turning them into brainless beasts, making them easy to eliminate without suffering too much damage.


    But it was different for enemies who could maintain their rationality.


    Over time, they managed to think and evolve their consciousness and, within a few years,


    the celestial plane found itself having to manage beings capable of learning the customs and languages ??of other races,


    of camouflaging themselves among them and of causing all kinds of atrocities and chaos."


    Ethan, having no idea what the celestial plane was like, could only vaguely imagine how damaging this could be.


    "This gradually affected all races, ultimately leading to a great war that damaged much of the celestial plane, a war of proportions never seen before, involving almost all the races inhabiting the celestial plane.


    This war lasted for centuries, and entire races were completely wiped out.


    This is also considered the dark age of the celestial plane.


    In the end, a way was found to detect this energy with reasonable precision, and with the joint action of the gods and all the other apex beings of each race, S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they managed to start containing this ever-growing plague and eliminate it gradually.


    This cleansing action lasted for some time, but eventually, almost all the places infected by this energy were eradicated, and the demon race was slowly eliminated as well, or at least, that was what was believed," she said, pausing.


    Ethan waited for her to continue, while he thought about something:


    ''From what she said, demons had spread in the celestial plane.


    Why did they not consider the possibility that they could also infiltrate the mortal plane?''


    Ethan still knew little about this world, but he had done his fair share of research on its history, cultivation, and customs, and he could say that there had never been an event of this kind in the previous centuries of history he had read.


    He had read mostly about all the significant events, leaving out only the less important ones.


    He had never found any record of a race resembling demons.


    As if to answer his question, Bai Yu continued.


    "You see, all these events happened more than a million years ago, long before I was born, and in all this time, no trace of this energy has ever been seen again.


    Therefore, the fact that this energy appeared in the mortal plane is unexpected.


    You see, the bridge connecting the mortal plane to the celestial plane is practically one-way.


    Once a person manages to cross it successfully, there is almost no chance of them returning.


    The same applies to those born in the celestial plane.


    They too have no way to descend to the mortal plane.


    This applies to both living beings and anything else.


    Therefore, it was never considered that demonic energy could spread to the mortal plane because the guardian of this plane would not have allowed it or at least would have noticed if such a thing had happened," she said with a frown.


    At this, a question arose in Ethan''s mind.


    "If it is true that it is impossible for something to descend to the mortal plane, then how did the Amphora of the Seven Sages end up here?" he asked, finding the situation strange.


    From what he had been told, the amphora and its owner had already ascended to the celestial plane.


    So, there should be no way for them to return.


    The amphora was clearly a powerful artifact, most likely not created in the mortal plane. So how did such an artifact appear here?


    Now that he thought about it, Bai Yu had said that the previous owner of the artifact had already taken it when she had met him.


    Could it be that he had obtained the artifact in the first place not in the celestial plane but here, in the mortal plane?


    Perhaps the Amphora of the Seven Sages has the power to travel between the two planes?


    "I''m not sure.


    The Amphora of the Seven Sages is one of the oldest artifacts in history, almost dating back to the primordial era, an era about which very little is known.


    In that era, there were many powerful beings who could rival the current gods governing the celestial plane, and perhaps even surpass them.


    This artifact was forged by some of those beings, so it is considered very powerful and everyone desires it.


    The chaos it created upon reappearing after so much time is proof of that.


    The only person who knows more than any of us is certainly Y��ng Hua,


    but as I told you, she has never said much about herself or how she found this artifact,


    which had long been considered lost."


    Ethan understood and did not ask further about the matter.


    Now the main issue was the demon race.


    Ethan did not know if this race had already appeared here as well, but just the presence of demonic energy was a cause for alarm.


    Ethan had no idea how long this energy had been present in the mortal plane, but it could not have been for long, otherwise, he would have already seen its consequences.


    Just these individuals who went around and managed to use it without completely going mad was proof that this energy was just starting to spread, at least in the Long Empire.


    Ethan had no idea about the rest of the continent, as he had never been outside the Phoenix Kingdom in the two years he had been in this world.


    But he would certainly have heard if this energy had already appeared elsewhere; after all, it is too destructive to be ignored for so long.


    This is what Ethan thought, and Bai Yu had a similar supposition.


    But in a palace hundreds of miles away from the Phoenix Sect, Prince Jian, who had confronted his father about the appearance of this strange creature, seemed to have heard something completely different.


    ??

 Chapter 112 - 112: The Forgotten Past

    .


    Long Jian had come mainly to inform his father of the appearance of this strange and very powerful creature.


    The appearance of such a high-level being was cause for concern, so he had to inform his father.


    He was certain that with his father''s level of cultivation, he had already sensed this figure''s appearance and was just waiting for him to return to report what he had discovered.


    But the problem was that he hadn''t learned much about this creature.


    Those who had summoned it were dead, and the Phoenix Sect didn''t seem to know much about these people or the creature in general.


    The only clue he had was that wooden sword he had picked up from the battlefield.


    He had come in the hope that by examining the sword, infected with the same energy as the monster, his father could uncover something, and indeed, he did.


    But...


    "It seems they''ve found a way to weaken the barrier," his father said, his face expressionless, but his eyes hiding an indistinguishable emotion.


    Hm?


    Upon hearing these words, the prince couldn''t help but frown, asking:


    "Father, do you know something about this?"


    He questioned his father''s figure in front of him, seated on the throne while examining the object floating a short distance from him.


    This was Long Hao, the second emperor of the Long Empire, and the most powerful figure on the continent.


    Currently, there were five people on the continent who had reached the Fifth Stage of the Mortal Realm, mainly the three masters of the three ruling sects of the Long Empire, Prince Jian, and Long Hao.


    If Prince Jian was the weakest among these five experts, then his father was the strongest.


    Had it not been for him uniting the other Fifth Stage experts under his empire, the continent would be divided among various powers rather than under one empire.


    The prince had no idea how old his father was, but he could tell he had lived more than ten times his own years.


    Currently, Long Jian was over 150 years old, relatively young for high-level cultivators, especially for those at his level.


    With his current cultivation base, Long Jian could comfortably live for more than a thousand years, so while he had lived far longer than most ordinary people, he was still considered very young.


    The Long Empire''s history spanned only a few thousand years, and his father was barely its second emperor.


    This was because his father had already lived for over a thousand years.


    He could be considered one of the oldest beings in the empire, if not the oldest.


    Yet despite this, his appearance didn''t show more than 30 years of age.


    Long Hao, upon hearing his son''s question, contemplated something for a few seconds, then rising from his throne, he walked to one side of the hall, telling the prince to follow him.


    Long Jian didn''t ask questions and followed his father.


    In no time, they passed from the throne room to walking in a long corridor beneath the castle, dimly lit by the flickering flames of torches on the walls.


    The prince wanted to ask where they were going, but decided to hold back his questions and continued walking.


    He had to admit the corridor was unusually long.


    They had been walking for several minutes, yet there was still no end in sight.


    Moreover, something felt strange about it.


    With his enhanced vision, he should be able to see hundreds of meters ahead, yet when he tried, he saw nothing but complete darkness.


    He didn''t believe the corridor was so long that it was impossible to see the end, even after using his enhanced sight, so he could only assume some sort of spell was cast on it.


    This made the corridor all the more mysterious.


    He wondered how he had never noticed the existence of this passage in all his years living in the imperial palace.


    After a while, the prince finally saw the end of the corridor.


    The total time it had taken to reach this point was no more than ten minutes, confirming the prince''s suspicion that there was some kind of formation altering their perception in the corridor.


    At the end of the corridor, there was a large door made of what seemed to be bronze, with some barely visible engravings on it.


    But these details weren''t what stood out most to the prince.


    What was strange about the door was that there didn''t seem to be any lock to open it, nor the central line that should divide it into two parts.


    It couldn''t be a single door given its large size and arched shape.


    His father, however, didn''t seem bothered by these inconsistencies and simply approached the door calmly.


    Once he reached it, he extended one of his hands and placed it on the metallic surface, right in the center.


    As soon as he touched it, a circle appeared on the door''s surface, from which several streaks of light shot out, moving irregularly toward different points on the door.


    Shortly after, some symbols, unfamiliar to the prince, appeared where the light had touched.


    These symbols, which had appeared out of nowhere, glowed in a faint yellow hue and came to life, detaching from the door''s surface and floating around the circle where his father''s hand rested. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the various symbols, which seemed to be runes, circled the area, his father appeared to channel a bit of his spiritual energy into the door, and instantly, the symbols stopped moving and settled in place.


    A straight line, starting from where his father had placed his hand, split the massive door in two.


    Before the prince could understand what was happening, the door began to move, splitting in two and slowly opening.


    Within seconds, the door was fully open, and his father had already stepped inside.


    Seeing this, the prince followed.


    As soon as he entered, he noticed that the door led to a spacious room.


    While not as large as some rooms in the castle, it was still big enough to hold hundreds of people.


    The room was rather dark, but soon, torches hanging on various points of the walls began lighting up, and in no time, the room was fully illuminated.


    The prince paid little attention to this and instead immediately noticed that the walls were covered in various frescoes, seemingly depicting different scenes.


    If that had been all, he wouldn''t have given it much thought and would have focused on the platform that appeared to be at the far end of the room.


    But as he took a quick glance at the various depictions, he frowned.


    ''What?''


    Among the many frescoes, only seven stood out to his view.


    They were seven circles, each with a diameter of about two meters, scattered around the room, and in each of these, there seemed to be different images.


    The reason Long Jian''s attention was drawn to these seven frescoes in particular was not due to their peculiar feature of being enclosed in circles, but because of the images, some familiar and some not.


    The first one he saw was a depiction of an irregular piece of land set against what seemed to be a vast blue distance.


    Initially, he thought it was simply a depiction of some island in the sea, but noticing some details of the piece of land, he had to reconsider.


    ''Why does it resemble our continent?''


    A part of the piece of land resembled the characteristics of the continent where they lived, but the rest of the land did not.


    For a moment, he considered a possibility, but then dismissed the thought.


    ''No, it''s not possible. If there were other lands, we would have known,'' he thought.


    Infact, aside from their continent, no one had ever sighted the existence of other lands.


    Many over the years had tried to travel the seas to see if there was anything beyond their continent, but none of those who departed ever returned.


    Over time, it began to be thought that the sea was too dangerous, so people stopped trying.


    Especially after even powerful cultivators tried to travel, only to never return.


    The prince himself, over his many years, had wondered what lay beyond the sea.


    Once he reached the fifth stage, he instinctively felt it was dangerous to travel over the sea.


    It wasn''t dangerous if one stayed near the continent, but once beyond a certain distance, one was sure never to return.


    In a sense, they were trapped on this land, not knowing if there were other lands beyond their own.


    But the painting before the prince made him think there could be others, but they didn''t seem to be separate continents, rather, a single vast land that seemed to include their own continent as well.


    Moving from this image, he went on to the rest of the frescoes, and just like the first one, the rest depicted scenes that seemed to be a mix of reality and what seemed entirely unfamiliar.


    Some showed two armies fighting, one human, and the other beasts of all kinds.


    Another appeared to depict a gory scene where several mutilated bodies of people and beasts were scattered everywhere, with some survivors seeming to be in agony, their faces completely obscured.


    The more the prince looked from image to image, the more he felt something was off about these representations.


    In the end, he could no longer resist and turning to address his father, who was at one end of the room, he couldn''t help but ask:


    "What is this place?"


    The emperor, standing before a raised platform about a meter high, kept staring at an object elongated on it as he answered.


    "This is the room where the only piece of history about the forgotten past of our continent is kept," he said, as he gestured with his hand to float the wooden sword forward and place it on the raised platform.


    The prince, noticing this, was able to see the other object present on the platform, and as soon as he saw it, he couldn''t help but frown:


    "A sword sheath?"


    Indeed, the object on the platform resembled a sword sheath, strangely matching the dimensions of the wooden sword placed beside it.


    Seeing this, the questions in the prince''s mind grew more numerous.


    The more time he spent in this place, the more unanswered questions he had.


    After placing the sword on the platform, the emperor observed both objects for a few seconds, contemplating something in his mind, then diverted his gaze from them and turned to his son.


    "See, there are some important events from our past that were not recorded in books due to certain circumstances, and to ensure they were not completely forgotten,


    my father had this room built so that at least future generations of our family could remember these events."


    He said, looking at the frescoes on the walls, more specifically, at the seven scenes the prince had just examined.


    "He had done it not only to preserve the memory of certain past events...


    but also to warn us of a catastrophe that would inevitably one day strike our continent."


    ??

 Chapter 113 - 113: Imperial Alchemy Tournament

    .


    In the residence of the Yan family, in a medium-sized room, two people were present: one comfortably seated and the other standing near a cauldron no taller than a meter.


    Neither spoke, and the only sound was the crackling of the fire beneath the cauldron.


    The room, made of sturdy wooden walls, was sparsely decorated, with only a few cabinets and shelves holding various objects and ingredients, each in its own container.


    The aroma of different herbs and substances that should have permeated the air was contained within each vessel, even if they were open.


    The two continued in silence.


    The seated figure was an elderly man with a long beard and white hair, watching the girl before him, who was busy refining, with a calm but attentive gaze.


    This elderly man was none other than Yan Qingshui, the grandfather of Yan Mei and one of the esteemed alchemists of the Medicine Pavilion.


    He typically spent his time refining his alchemical techniques and researching the various uses of certain herbs and substances needed for alchemy.


    After all, he was a master alchemist, still far from being a grand master alchemist.


    Though he was advanced in age, he still possessed the drive to improve himself and become even better at alchemy.


    This attitude was what had brought the Yan family to where they were today, and it was how he intended to spend the rest of his years.


    It could be said that this desire to become better was present in all alchemists who had reached this stage in their journey, and like Yan Qingshui, they were reluctant to stop here.


    It wouldn''t make sense; after dedicating so much of their lives to pursuing the pinnacle of their profession, settling for the title of Master Alchemist, held in high regard throughout the Long Empire, was not enough.


    Until a few centuries ago, many had given up, believing there was no higher rank than their current one. But when the first grand master alchemist emerged, a flame reignited within all of them that had nearly gone out.


    In just a few centuries, three more grand master alchemists appeared, and now everyone was striving to become the fifth grand master alchemist.


    And Yan Qingshui was one of them.


    Today was one of the rare occasions he could be found doing something other than secluding himself for research.


    This was mainly due to the girl in front of him.


    Yan Mei, the prodigy of alchemy in the Yan family, was a source of pride for Yan Qingshui.


    She had invited him today to showcase her progress.


    According to what she had told him, she was now capable of refining level 2 pills.


    Usually, seeing someone refine pills of this level would be nothing special for Yan Qingshui, but it was different for his granddaughter.


    Considering she was under 20 years old, an age where it was already a feat for an alchemist to refine even medium-grade level 1 pills, hearing that she could now refine level 2 pills was enough for him to set aside his research and watch her demonstrate.


    As both her grandfather and teacher, he felt immense pride in her.


    He had never taken a disciple in his long journey as an alchemist, but recognizing his granddaughter''s talent, he decided to make an exception, helping her whenever he could.


    Most of the time, he let her pursue her path as an alchemist independently, only occasionally stepping in to assist with certain challenges.


    He believed that every alchemist had their own path to follow, and as her mentor, he needed to guide her in the right direction while allowing her to take the necessary steps to achieve her goals.


    Watching her progress so quickly, he knew she was doing exceptionally well.


    Now, all that remained was to see if she could successfully refine the level 2 pill.


    Although it was just a low-grade pill, it was still level 2.


    If she succeeded, she could attempt to take the exam to become a one-star expert alchemist.


    With his status in the pavilion, he could testify for her and help her become an expert alchemist without an exam, but he didn''t want to pamper her in any way.


    He wanted her, like everyone else, to go through the normal process to acquire this rank, not that she needed his help.


    With her talent, passing the test would be easy.


    The more he watched her refine, the more he could envision how the pill would turn out in the end.


    He had been observing her from the beginning and had noticed various mistakes and shortcomings that, while minor, needed to be addressed to avoid problems later.


    That said, he could also tell that overall, she was on the right track. In fact, after just a few minutes, she successfully finished refining the pill.


    Seeing the pill that his granddaughter presented to him, he nodded and said, "Not bad, you''ve indeed managed to successfully refine a level 2 pill."


    Just as she was about to rejoice at the compliment, he continued, "That said, you made several mistakes throughout the refinement process, especially in the final part. If you hadn''t rushed, you could have achieved slightly higher purity."


    He began listing all the errors she had made, explaining what went wrong and giving suggestions on how to improve those aspects.


    He had poured a bucket of cold water on Yan Mei''s happiness, which she hadn''t even had time to savor, due to the subsequent lesson he gave her.


    But this didn''t seem to sadden her; instead, she took her grandfather''s teachings to heart, jotting down all the mistakes he pointed out.


    Seeing her attitude, Yan Qingshui smiled to himself.


    Among the many things he appreciated about his granddaughter, this attitude was one of them.


    Many others would let themselves be swept away by reprimands and often waste time comforting themselves instead of improving.


    He had always maintained a serious, but not too serious, attitude when it came to teaching his granddaughter alchemy.


    He praised her when she succeeded at something and reprimanded her when she made mistakes.


    In all this, he tried to maintain a certain balance, so as not to overwhelm her with either positive or negative feedback.


    He knew that being too strict would only lead to the opposite result, just as overindulging her would.


    He could tell that due to her good alchemical talent, she had developed a certain superiority complex compared to her peers, but there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    It was fine to be proud of one''s talent, but she needed to be careful not to let it overwhelm her.


    This was what he tried to teach her every time, but he had to admit that although she was respectful towards her elders, she still tended to treat those who weren''t as skilled as she was poorly.


    He could only hope she would improve this aspect of her attitude over time.


    Shaking off these concerns, he asked her,


    "There''s only a month left until the selections for young generation alchemists participating in this year''s Imperial Alchemy Tournament begin.


    Tell me, do you plan to participate this year?"


    "With your current skills, you shouldn''t have too many problems competing and securing a good placement," he said, recalling how last year she had refused to enter.


    At that time, she had barely learned to create level 1 pills, which was sufficient to participate in the selections, but she had declined, saying she wasn''t good enough yet.


    If other alchemists had heard her then, they would have spat blood at the thought of an 18-year-old girl claiming that refining level 1 pills wasn''t enough to be considered skilled.


    It should be noted that anyone who managed to do this by the age of 20 was considered above average, let alone someone who succeeded at 18.


    Yan Qingshui didn''t push her too much, as he believed it was indeed too early for her to compete at that level.


    After all, this competition was divided into two categories.


    The beginner category included anyone under the age of 30 who had at least reached the rank of apprentice alchemist.


    The expert category allowed participation from anyone under 100 years old who had reached at least a two-star adept alchemist rank or a one-star expert alchemist rank.


    Technically, she could choose to compete in either category, and she could have performed well in both.


    In the first category, she had the chance to take first place, while in the second, securing the top spot at her current level would be difficult, but she could certainly aim for a good position in the top 10.


    This competition tested not only an alchemist''s refining abilities but also their knowledge of ingredients and refining techniques.


    Pills were just one of many products an alchemist could refine, and while that was the most commonly produced item, they also needed to be skilled in creating other products, such as elixirs, powders, and even talismans with specific effects, and so on.


    The alchemist profession was not limited to producing various types of pills, but extended to other areas as well, which is why they were highly regarded for their versatility with other products.


    Hearing her grandfather''s question, Yan Mei didn''t think long and nodded while saying,


    "Yes, I intend to participate in the tournament this year.


    It''s time I made a name for myself as an alchemist, right?" she said proudly.


    Seeing this side of her, Yan Qingshui couldn''t help but shake his head, but in his heart, he was glad she had this attitude. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fully dedicating oneself to studying alchemy is fine, but overdoing it while neglecting everything else does more harm than good.


    Seeing her maintain a cheerful personality warmed his heart.


    ''Haa... , at this rate, this girl will surpass me in no time.''


    .


    -------------------------------


    FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:


    Here''s today''s chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.


    As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, or errors to report, you know where to do it.


    See you tomorrow.

 Chapter 114 - 114: Fast progress

    .


    Ethan''s days were relatively calm.


    He continued his usual routine, with the intensity of his training with Bai Yu having increased.


    He still hadn''t fully mastered control over his current strength.


    He was able to regulate his physical power during attacks, and he also had some control over his speed.


    He had gradually improved his control over spiritual energy as well, and he was now able to levitate much heavier and larger objects.


    He had tried riding a sword, and although balance itself wasn''t an issue, he still needed to train to avoid expending more energy than necessary.


    With his limited Qi reserves, he had to learn how to utilize every bit of Qi in his body efficiently, to avoid unnecessary energy loss.


    During his sparring with Bai Yu, in his mind, he could adjust his strength to simulate a battle between someone at the peak of the second stage fighting against someone in the third stage of cultivation.


    Of course, he couldn''t perfectly regulate the strength since he hadn''t yet reached the third stage and had no real idea of the power level, but with some help from Bai Yu, who guided him in this, he was able to achieve this outcome.


    Bai Yu had already mentioned that while this practice helped,


    it didn''t necessarily mean he could fight someone at the third stage as effectively in the real world, as there were many variables to consider in a real battle.


    He advised Ethan to use this training as a foundation and adjust it according to the situation during actual combat.


    Normally, one would avoid such simulations, but Bai Yu, despite not being familiar with many human combat techniques, had proven to be highly skilled due to her vast intuition, honed through years of battle experience.


    This, in turn, had helped Ethan improve his own combat techniques.


    Besides this, Ethan continued refining pills.


    For mid and high-grade pills, he used the system''s lab, as these needed to be mass-produced and were of little personal use to him.


    However, he personally refined the perfect-grade ones to avoid losing too much in terms of Qi and SP gains.


    In what had been less than a week in the outside world, for Ethan, who had spent much time in the minor dimension, almost a year had passed.


    It would have been longer if he had spent all his time in the dimension, but he refrained from doing so for various reasons.


    That said, his gains during this year of training in the minor dimension had not been small.


    His cultivation base had already reached the peak of the second stage, and just like before, the system had offered him an SP exchange to move on to the next stage.


    The total SP he had to pay this time was 1,000, in other words, 10 times more than the previous time.


    For his current self, this amount was manageable, so he didn''t think much of it and advanced to the next stage.


    The more Ethan interacted with the system, the more he noticed that for various improvements, whether recipes,


    the Qi required for each level, or in this case, the ability to advance to the next stage, everything seemed to increase by a factor of 10.


    Ethan wasn''t sure why this was the case, but by this logic, to upgrade his alchemy skills again, he would need to fork out 50,000 SP, which was an unreachable number for him at this point.


    The same applied to his Qi level.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Dantian Expansion (Level 1)


    Qi: 465/20000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 246


    Agility: 231


    Intelligence: 207


    Soul Strength: 150


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 5130


    ------------------------------]


    .


    "..."


    Ethan almost had a heart attack at the sight of how much Qi was required for the next levels of this stage.


    He had already noticed that his progress had slowed recently, and it wasn''t due to a problem with cultivation or the amount of Qi he was gaining from refining pills.


    Instead, it was the ever-increasing amount of Qi needed for each level.


    It had taken him an entire month of hard work to gather enough Qi to reach 10,000, which was required to hit the 10th level of the second stage of cultivation.


    Now, just thinking about the fact that each level would require 10,000 more Qi terrified him.


    He was finally starting to understand why, the further cultivators advanced, the more time they spent in secluded cultivation.


    At least half of the sect''s elders were in secluded cultivation and would only come out if their presence was absolutely necessary.


    The only silver lining in all this was that after several months, he had finally managed to save up 5,000 SP.


    If it were up to him, he would have earned them much faster, as long as he had enough materials. He could have used the system''s lab to do so.


    But after considering how much Qi and SP he would lose in the process, he decided against it.


    He wasn''t in any rush, so he decided to take his time.


    After all, while it felt like nearly a year for him, in the outside world, barely a week had passed.


    There was no point in speeding things up.


    He was already improving in almost every aspect at a rate several times faster than the rest of the sect''s disciples.


    Acting recklessly would only get him into trouble, especially since he still did not have the ability to completely hide his abilities from beings, such as the sect master.


    She wasn''t an enemy, and although he hadn''t interacted with her since their last encounter, he could at least tell she wouldn''t force him to reveal his secrets.


    At least not for now.


    He had no idea how she would react if she saw that in just one week, he was already in the third stage of cultivation.


    Ethan wasted no time and opened the shop interface, heading to the skills section.


    Although he wasn''t in a rush and was already doing a good job, after consulting with Da Shu about the sales of his pills, he found out that while there were no major obstacles for now, the other royal families wouldn''t let him monopolize the Level 1 pill market so easily.


    At the moment, he didn''t have the strength or reputation to counter their forces, but once he increased the grade of the pills he sold, the situation would shift somewhat.


    Especially since Da Shu had suggested a way to boost his reputation as an alchemist.


    It involved participating in the selection for the Imperial Alchemy Tournament and successfully competing in it.


    With his skills, he shouldn''t have any trouble placing in the top 15, if not the top 10.


    Da Shu had confirmed this after seeing how effortlessly Ethan produced high-quality pills without any apparent issues during the refining process.


    He had no idea how Ethan managed it, but he had never tried to investigate further.


    Instead of participating in the beginner''s category, Ethan decided to compete in the expert category. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At first, he was hesitant to join, mainly because it would require him to reveal his identity, something he wanted to avoid for the moment.


    But after learning that alchemists weren''t required to disclose their identities, and that only their skills mattered in the competition, he finally decided to take part.


    Ethan wondered how they would determine a person''s alchemy level and age without revealing their identity, but Da Shu told him that the organizers had tools to verify things like age and skill level.


    Da Shu mentioned that having an alchemist association badge would be enough to prove his abilities, and based on the competition''s entry requirements, a two-star silver badge should be enough.


    Ethan had initially thought that even master alchemists might participate, but finding a master alchemist under 100 years old was almost impossible, and none of them would bother joining a competition like this.


    At their level, there was no need.


    The mere fact that they were master alchemists was enough to make them famous, and this competition, which was primarily a platform for younger alchemists to make a name for themselves, held no value for them.


    However, many of them would at least attend the competition or go there to scout for someone skilled enough to take under their wing.


    This was one of the many advantages of the competition and also the reason why so many wanted to participate.


    They knew that as long as they performed well, they would at least gain popularity for their brand, which meant more customers.


    Many great families also used this competition to promote their alchemists or recruit the best ones.


    That''s why Da Shu suggested Ethan participate, knowing it would be a significant boost to his reputation and brand as an alchemist, putting them in a stronger position, making it harder for other business families to attack.


    There were two weeks left until the selection began, and Ethan had already registered thanks to Da Shu''s help.


    Now, he just had to wait for those two weeks and secure a spot in the competition, which would be held in the capital of the Long Empire.

 Chapter 115 - 115: Problematic Cultivation Method

    .


    It was the first time Ethan had ever upgraded a skill through the system, and for a moment, he wondered if the process would be the same as when he had initially acquired it from the system.


    And indeed, it was.


    The information was downloaded directly into his mind, and like a puzzle piece falling into place, it merged with what he already knew, expanding Ethan''s mastery in refining.


    Ethan had already realized that without level two proficiency in refining, producing grade two pills was extremely difficult for him.


    Almost every time, two out of three pills would either burn or turn out too impure to even be considered low-grade pills.


    The only reason he could even produce level two pills was due to the fact that after refining so many perfect-grade level one pills for such a long time, he had naturally gained a certain mastery.


    Yet, this was still not enough to perfectly follow all the steps of the recipe.


    In less than a minute, he had finished upgrading his mastery, and he could already feel that producing level two pills wouldn''t be as difficult as before.


    To test his refining abilities, he immediately pulled out enough ingredients, and with the cauldron already out, he lit the flame and began refining a level two pill.


    It didn''t take long for him to notice the difference between before and now.


    His movements were smoother and more precise, and most importantly, he no longer hesitated when performing each step.


    It was as if his body had been used to this for a long time, making it feel natural.


    This sensation was similar to when he had gained level one mastery and tried refining a level one pill for the first time.


    ''Haa, this is the result of all my hard work lately,'' he thought, comforting himself.


    If only other alchemists knew about this, they''d wonder why the results of their months or even years of effort weren''t as good.


    In just a few more minutes, Ethan had finished refining the pills and was now admiring them, while listening to the system messages.


    [You have successfully refined 1, level 2, low grade Recovery Pill] (x3)


    [You gained 15 QI] (x3)


    [You gained 10 SP] (x3)


    Upon seeing the amount of QI received, Ethan immediately noticed that it was higher than what he gained from a high-grade level one pill, but lower than a perfect-grade level one pill.


    In contrast, the amount of SP gained was twice as much as that from a perfect-grade level one pill.


    So in terms of SP, he was still doing well, but when it came to the QI gained, he realized that the amount he needed for each subsequent level was too large to be filled simply by producing pills.


    For example, to obtain 20,000 QI, he would need to produce nearly 1,333 level two, low-grade pills.


    To produce a batch of three pills of this level, it would take him at least 5 minutes.


    So, doing a quick calculation, it would take him a minimum of 37 hours of continuous refining, without stopping, to reach that amount of QI.


    And that''s just for level two of the Dantian Expansion.


    Assuming the amount of required QI increased by 10K for each subsequent level, it would take him at least 56 hours of continuous refining of level two pills, which was more than two days of non-stop production.


    And this time would only increase further as he progressed.


    Even though it was still tremendously faster than a talented person from the sect, one had to consider that, despite how dedicated he was, Ethan couldn''t afford to spend entire days refining without ever stopping.


    His minor dimension was certainly more useful here, but other problems arose, such as the issue of materials.


    He would always have to venture into the outside world for a while to give the herbs inside his dimension enough time to grow.


    This would add at least some more time to the refining process, but it would still be within a short timeframe, one that was very brief even for a talented cultivator.


    basically, within a few months, if he completely dedicated himself to refining pills, he could quickly reach the peak of this stage.


    Ethan hadn''t paid much attention to his rapid progression in cultivation before, because, one, he wanted to make up for the time he lost being stuck at the beginning when he first started cultivating, and two, to at least have some strength to save himself in times of need.


    In the cultivation world, the strong ruled, and the weak could only endure in silence.


    Being someone with no background, he wanted to become strong quickly so he wouldn''t easily fall victim to anyone.


    Now, however, he had someone who would support him, he had a certain reputation as an alchemist, and consequently, a steady source of income, and finally, he had enough strength that no one would easily ignore him.


    In the Long Empire, cultivators were considered a notch above ordinary people, and the latter were careful not to offend them.


    No matter the cultivator''s level, just the fact that they were one meant they were stronger than the average person.


    This changed, however, if one was in an environment full of cultivators.


    There, remaining at a low level was not enough; one had to constantly improve in order to rise above others.


    Only then could they earn the same degree of respect that mortals gave to cultivators.


    A cultivator at the third stage of cultivation was certainly one of these, someone who would not be taken lightly by anyone, especially if they were still quite young.


    A third-stage cultivator under the age of 50 was already considered good, and if they were under 30, then they were considered talented.


    What about someone who was barely 22?


    Considering all of this, Ethan saw no need to rush his cultivation in this manner.


    But then, remembering the recent incident, he had to reconsider.


    If he compared himself to a creature like the one that emerged from the portal, then even if he were at the peak of the fourth stage, he would still be beaten to death.


    His only salvation was the ability to travel in his smaller dimension.


    It wasn''t the best option, but it was better than nothing.


    Of course, for that too, he would have to do it fairly quickly.


    If the enemy had been faster than him, he could have died instantly without even realizing it.


    The more he thought about these things, the more his previous idea of slowing down his cultivation speed was suppressed.


    ''No, I have to at least reach the fifth stage,'' he thought, believing that would be the point where he could feel safer in this realm.


    Just as he was thinking about continuing at his current speed, Bai Yu threw cold water on his plans.


    ''If I were you, I''d take it slower during the next two stages of cultivation,'' she said, immediately noticing the direction Ethan''s thoughts were taking.


    Hearing her, Ethan immediately asked what she meant by that.


    ''I''ve always wondered why it''s so difficult for those at the peak of the mortal realm to break through to the celestial realm and ascend to the celestial plane,'' she said.


    Hm?


    Ethan, not expecting her to talk about this, wondered what it had to do with his current problem.


    ''What I mean is, it''s natural for advancing to the next realm of cultivation to be difficult and take a lot of time.


    Yet, in the last millennia, only one person from the mortal plane has successfully ascended to the celestial plane, and that''s Ying Hua.''


    Ethan didn''t interrupt and continued listening.


    This wasn''t a problem he had to face at the moment, but he knew he would have to deal with it in the future.


    If she wanted to talk about this now, there had to be an important reason.


    ''During the portal incident, I had the chance to observe the experts of the fourth and fifth stages of this plane.


    At first, I didn''t notice anything wrong with their cultivation, but later, when they fully unleashed their bases, I immediately saw a problem.''


    ''A problem?''


    ''Yes,'' she said, and after a moment, continued.


    ''As you know, once at the peak of the third stage, a cultivator''s core becomes strong and stable enough to withstand the refined concentration of QI needed for further progress.


    Normally, at this point, cultivators should begin studying and cultivating their soul, developing a spiritual beast in their dantian, a spirit that would help elevate their cultivation until the end of the fourth stage.


    Once they reached the peak of the fourth stage, the spirit would fuse completely with the cultivator, strengthening their soul to the point where, by the end of the fifth stage, they could attempt to advance to the celestial realm of cultivation.''


    Up to this point, Ethan nodded at her explanation, which seemed to align with the little he knew about the higher stages, but then he noticed something.


    ''Develop a spiritual beast, not capture one?'' S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 116 - 116: Deep Dive

    .


    From the little Ethan knew about the next two stages of mortal cultivation, once a cultivator reached the peak of the third stage, they were supposed to find the soul of a beast compatible with them and assimilate it into their dantian.


    But according to what Bai Yu had said, the soul needed to be developed by oneself.


    Furthermore, she hadn''t called it a beast soul, but a spiritual beast.


    The difference between the two might seem small, but in cultivation, such things couldn''t be taken lightly.


    Just as he was about to ask more about it, Bai Yu, who had paused to give Ethan enough time to digest the information, resumed her explanation:


    "When that elder from your sect fully released his cultivation base at the peak of the fourth stage, I sensed that what he was using wasn''t a spiritual beast, but the soul of a beast.


    For those unaware of what spiritual beast are, using a beast soul might seem like a valid alternative, but this is far from being a good approach.


    At first, I thought it was just an issue with this elder, but then the person who later fought the creature that emerged from the portal also seemed to have used a similar method.


    I don''t know why the people on this plane have adopted such a cultivation method, but I can tell you that it''s far from the standard practice humans in the Celestial Plane use to cultivate up to the peak of the mortal cultivation realm."


    Ethan didn''t interrupt her.


    He thought it was natural that humans from two different planes would have different cultivation methods.


    But if the previous owner of the Seven Sages'' Amphora had managed to ascend to the Celestial Plane while others hadn''t, there had to be a reason.


    Ethan didn''t believe that person used the same method as the inhabitants of the mortal plane, because if she did,


    Bai Yu wouldn''t have just now noticed this problem with their cultivation method.


    He could only assume that the previous owner had either found the right method or another alternative.


    In any case, she had ascended long ago, so it didn''t make much sense to dwell on it.


    What was more important now was learning how to proceed correctly with his own cultivation.


    He was already at the third stage and knew he couldn''t take things lightly anymore.


    He just wondered what the system would propose once he reached the peak of this stage.


    ''Could it be that I''ll continue paying in SP to advance to the next stages without any bottlenecks or other issues?'' he wondered.


    "The reason cultivating a beast soul within your body isn''t efficient is that, no matter how compatible it may seem with the cultivator,


    the percentage will always be below what is needed for complete fusion when reaching the peak of the fifth stage.


    We beasts and many other races don''t need this process because our souls are naturally strong, so we simply surpass this stage by cultivating.


    But for humans, it''s different. You are one of the few races whose souls aren''t strong from birth.


    If you continue to cultivate without strengthening your soul, it will eventually become a bottleneck, and if you try to force it, you risk putting even more strain on your soul and damaging it.


    And that''s something to avoid since soul damage is one of the most lethal and hardest to recover from.


    In fact, 90% of the time, damage to the soul is irreversible, and you can only wait to die slowly, as your accumulated cultivation disperses."


    Ethan wasn''t sure what it was like to suffer damage to the soul, but just hearing about it, he could tell it wasn''t something he wanted to experience.


    "Your ancestors developed a method to cultivate a secondary soul similar to your own to merge with and strengthen your soul.


    I don''t know if they ever tried cultivating the souls of captured beasts, but it''s easy to understand that the souls of two different entities would rarely be able to fuse and harmonize.


    Finding one that is completely compatible is almost impossible,


    which is why they adopted the method of cultivating one themselves and then assimilating it with their own," she said, then paused as if contemplating something.


    "I have no idea what method your race uses since I''ve never needed anything like that, but designing a similar method isn''t difficult.


    For your current self, it doesn''t make much sense to practice this method now because you must first reach the end of this stage, sea??h th�� N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but laying the groundwork now can only benefit you when you start cultivating one and integrating it with your soul," she said.


    Ethan understood why she believed the method adopted by all the sects was flawed, at least in part, and if what she had said was true, he could agree with her.


    He didn''t mind starting to practice the correct method now; after all, time wasn''t an issue for him, and if it could help him overcome any obstacles he might face in the future, all the better.


    He decided to accept the idea and follow her plan, but there was one problem.


    ''How the heck do I perceive my soul?''


    In theory, one was supposed to first examine their soul and then cultivate one based on that.


    He wasn''t sure how it worked in detail, but it didn''t matter, since at the moment, he didn''t even know how to take the first step.


    Apparently, perceiving one''s soul was a standard process for a cultivator.


    They would use the typical meditation pose to isolate themselves from any stimuli from their surroundings and immerse themselves in their cultivation,


    where they would carefully circulate the spiritual energy absorbed into their dantian and refine it.


    Based on what Ethan had heard from Bai Yu, to perceive the soul, something similar needed to be done.


    Instead of stopping after refining spiritual energy into Qi, one had to circulate the Qi through the rest of the body and feel how it moved through the body''s various channels.


    Circulating Qi was something every cultivator knew how to do since it was the foundation of their strength and their attacks once they reached the Qi Refining stage.


    To perceive the soul, one had to dive even deeper, and as Bai Yu had said:


    "Dive into the flow of Qi circulating within the body."


    At first, Ethan didn''t think much of it and gave it a try, but after several hours, he achieved no results.


    He wondered if he was doing something wrong, but Bai Yu told him it was normal.


    According to her, achieving that level of immersion was something that was difficult for everyone at first and often took days or even months.


    Ethan realized it wasn''t something he could accomplish in a short time, so he decided to handle all his tasks for the day first and then remain in the minor dimension to meditate for the rest of the time.


    One day in the outside world was more than three months here, so he took care of everything he needed to do that day.


    He didn''t have much to do, aside from delivering the batch of pills to Da Shu.


    Even though he had become the sect master''s disciple, in the last week, he hadn''t received any tasks from her, nor had he needed her help with anything.


    His life hadn''t really changed much from before, except that now he lived in his own residence, far away from, well, everyone.


    He barely saw Da Shu, who now also had his own residence in the inner sect.


    The only times they had seen each other in recent days were when he came to deliver his batch of pills.


    There could have been other occasions to meet, like in the dining hall or similar places, but he still preferred to cook his own meals.


    What they served in the dining hall wasn''t worth the trip for him.


    Even though he had discovered that, as the sect master''s disciple, he could order different dishes beyond the usual ones they served.


    Not that he didn''t understand why.


    Most cultivators spent their time cultivating, and cultivation sessions could last a long time depending on the cultivator, so having a good meal was an occasional thing for them, and when that happened, they went directly to some restaurants in Sun City.


    The further along they were in their cultivation, the less they tended to interact with the outside world.


    The dining hall existed mostly because cultivators at the first stage, especially newcomers, still had the habit of interacting frequently with each other.


    So, he completed all the small tasks he had and prepared to enter closed-door cultivation for three months in the minor dimension.


    He did as Bai Yu had instructed and dove deeper into his cultivation while also feeling the Qi exiting his dantian.


    He didn''t achieve any results in the first few days, but after nearly a week, he began to sense something.


    And so, the days passed as he tried to expand his perception.


    Bai Yu, who resided in his sea of consciousness, constantly monitored his progress.


    For the dragon race, the stages of the mortal realm were similar to those of humans in several aspects, but unlike them, the dragon race surpassed these stages in much shorter times than humans.


    For them, these early stages were like open doors they simply needed to walk through.


    It was only starting from the Celestial Realm that they also faced their challenges in cultivation, so she could only help Ethan through this phase to a limited extent.


    A week passed.


    Then two, then three.


    Before he knew it, almost two months had passed, and Ethan hadn''t moved from his position.


    After the first week in which he had finally been able to sense something, he had immersed himself more and more in that sensation, entering a trance-like state.


    Then, after nearly three months, a sudden change occurred in his spiritual sea.


    Bai Yu, who had returned to her body under the water''s surface, suddenly opened her eyes as she sensed an oppressive aura strike Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    What had been a calm environment suddenly became turbulent.

 Chapter 117 - 117: Luminous Sphere

    .


    Ethan''s sea of consciousness began to tremble violently.


    Visible cracks started to appear everywhere, while a blackish-green aura began to envelop the space.


    Bai Yu didn''t know what was happening, but it didn''t take long for her to understand the cause of this strange phenomenon.


    ''Could it be related to a spiritual beast?


    But how? It shouldn''t be possible, especially at this stage, not to mention this oppressive aura.


    Just��


    What in the world is going on?''


    Ethan was asking himself the same question at that moment.


    After he began to focus more on the fragments of his soul he could sense, he had almost completely detached from the rest of the world, entering a state of absolute concentration.


    For him, time had lost all meaning, and the only thing on his mind was to close the gap between him and the perception of his soul more and more.


    At a certain point, he could finally confirm that what he was sensing was indeed his soul.


    But just as he managed to fully sense it, he also felt something else.


    ''This... what is this?'' he asked himself in confusion, feeling a sort of connection to something.


    At first, he thought it was his soul artifact, the silver cauldron, but then he sensed a strange attraction coming from whatever was beyond this connection.


    He doubted it was the Seven Sages'' amphora, as that was located within his spiritual sea, and the only connection he felt with it was through the system.


    He wasn''t sure if it was indeed the amphora or something else, but he decided to investigate.


    He focused more on it, and as if entering a portal, his consciousness was suddenly transported to a completely different place.


    It was similar to when he entered his spiritual sea, where he could feel his ethereal form moving within it.


    Although he wasn''t in his physical body, he still somehow felt a slight headache, and for a few seconds, he struggled to stabilize his mind.


    After a few moments, he finally regained his composure, and as his eyes managed to focus on his surroundings, he muttered,


    ''W-what ��''


    As his vision cleared, all he could see was a black tunnel in which his soul seemed to be traveling at high speed.


    On the tunnel walls, lights of different colors appeared and disappeared constantly.


    The speed at which they appeared and then vanished made Ethan realize that his soul was traveling at an incredible velocity.


    He wasn''t sure what was happening or where his soul was being taken, but he knew the only thing he could do was wait and see, as he no longer seemed to have any control over himself.


    It was like being pulled by a force so powerful that any resistance was futile.


    Normally, Ethan would have panicked by now, but he thought that as long as his body was safe, he could survive whatever was happening now.


    After all, he had a being like Bai Yu watching over his sea of consciousness, as well as the Seven Sages'' amphora, which had proven useful in difficult situations before.


    A few seconds passed, and finally, Ethan began to notice changes occurring around the tunnel.


    The black color that surrounded him was gradually being replaced by what appeared to be a blackish-blue-green fog.


    Ethan noticed that despite the high speed, he could distinguish this fog much more clearly compared to the series of lights from earlier.


    Then he realized that it wasn''t him focusing his vision more effectively; it was his speed that was beginning to slow down more and more.


    What had been mere traces of fog now became an entire mass, and in a few moments, the entire surrounding environment was enveloped by this strange fog.


    The fog was everywhere, surrounding him from all sides, and seeing this scene, he couldn''t help but associate it with the images taken by telescopes in Earth''s orbit, of cosmic clouds.


    It was a strange association, but it was the first thing that came to Ethan''s mind as he saw this scenario.


    As he moved forward, he noticed that certain points in the fog intermittently lit up at irregular intervals.


    It was as if something luminous inside it was moving at high speed.


    After a few more moments, as his soul continued to advance, Ethan realized what it was.


    They were bolts of lightning.


    Thin, blue, luminous, irregular streaks resembling lightning surged through the strange cloud, moving from one place to another.


    Ethan didn''t have time to examine them calmly or understand what they were because, after a few more seconds, something else started to come into view ahead of him beyond the fog.


    At first, it was just a glowing dot, then it grew to the size of a baseball, and then to the size of a basketball.


    The closer he got, the bigger the dot became.


    The fog around this area seemed to dissipate like curtains being drawn back, allowing a view of the breathtaking, yet at the same time shocking, scene ahead.


    At a certain point, Ethan could finally see the actual size of the luminous mass in front of him, and as soon as he did, his body broke out in cold sweat, a strange chill coursing through him.


    "What the hell��"


    What had once been a small glowing mass was now, from this close distance, a gigantic luminous sphere, so vast that even from this distance, Ethan could clearly see its enormous size.


    The luminous sphere emitted an intense bluish-green light, like a sun in space, and around it, a dense mass of this fog swirled at high speed, forming what seemed like a luminous ring.


    Ethan had no idea what this place was, nor what this gigantic sphere in front of him was, but he knew one thing, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t stop his advance toward it.


    Currently, Ethan''s soul was racing toward the enormous luminous sphere, with no sign of stopping.


    Helpless in this situation, Ethan could only grit his teeth and watch.


    He had tried to wake up, but he couldn''t.


    It was as if all the connections he had with his body had completely vanished, and he couldn''t even communicate with Bai Yu or the system.


    "Why the hell do I always end up in situations like this?" he cursed, lamenting his bad luck.


    At this point, his soul had already drawn very close to the sphere, and he could no longer see its outlines, only the blue-green light that was approaching ever closer.


    ''Hm?''


    Reaching this point, Ethan thought he saw something move inside the luminous sphere. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Could it have been just an illusion?'' he wondered for a moment, but then he saw something shift again within the glowing mass.


    "F*ck, there''s something alive inside," he muttered, realizing that whatever it was, it was definitely alive, and judging by its size, it was anything but small.


    At this point, Ethan felt like his fate was sealed.


    All he had wanted was to perceive his soul, but somehow he had ended up in this kind of situation, where all he could do was wait and see what would happen to him.


    From the movements of the creature inside, it seemed to have sensed him, and feeling an increasing pressure on his soul, Ethan could tell that it had locked onto him.


    This pressure kept growing and in no time had surpassed that of the creature that had emerged from the portal earlier.


    In fact, there was no point in comparing it to that creature.


    This one clearly emitted an aura that was many times more terrifying.


    Just as Ethan''s soul was almost swallowed up by the luminous mass, in his spiritual sea, the amphora of the Seven Sages, which had remained silent the entire time, finally showed signs of activity.


    Suddenly, runes on the amphora began to glow, and several series of floating symbols appeared, swirling around it.


    First, a ring of symbols materialized.


    Then another, and then yet another.


    In no time, almost a dozen rings had formed around the amphora of the Seven Sages, each one larger than the last.


    Bai Yu, who had been starting to panic over the strange phenomenon affecting Ethan''s spiritual sea, noticed the unusual activity of the amphora in the air and thought,


    ''And now what''s happening?''


    The series of rings made up of strange symbols, each one different from the other, began spinning faster around the artifact, and where it had initially only glowed in a few places,


    it was now completely enveloped by a golden aura that slowly spread across its surface until it covered it entirely.


    Then, out of nowhere, a column of light shot upward from it.


    The thin column grew wider as it rose, while the swirling symbols around the amphora spun even faster, becoming almost indistinguishable.


    The beam of light quickly reached an incredible speed, and in no time, it had already struck the ceiling of Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    At the same moment the beam hit the ceiling of Ethan''s consciousness, his soul, which had been sucked into the luminous mass, began to shine.


    Ethan''s soul was now completely covered in a golden aura, though it continued moving forward.


    At this point, he was fully inside the luminous sphere, and the creature moving within it began approaching him.


    Just as the giant figure of the creature, encased in the glowing mass, came near, the golden aura surrounding Ethan shot forward at an almost imperceptible speed.


    In the next instant, Ethan could no longer comprehend what had happened, as his mind suddenly went blank, and he immediately lost consciousness.

 Chapter 118 - 118: New Problems

    .


    In the minor dimension, not far from the herb garden, a charred figure lay in a crater 50 times its size.


    The crater was wide, but not very deep.


    At the center of it, the charred figure that lay without showing any signs of life suddenly emitted a muffled groan from its mouth,


    while its almost unrecognizable forehead began to twitch, and faint movements could be seen from its closed eyelids.


    Slowly, the charred figure began to regain consciousness, though with difficulty, as it opened its eyes.


    His mind was still foggy, so he didn''t notice much, but as he began to recover some clarity, a wave of pain rushed from his entire body to his head, almost making him lose consciousness again.


    "Argh!"


    With a loud groan of pain, due to the numerous signals coming from every pain receptor in his body, the charred figure convulsed slightly.


    With extreme effort, he tried to move his limbs in an attempt to get up, but soon discovered that was a bad idea.


    The moment he even tried to move his arms, another wave of pain hit him, immediately halting any intention he had of moving his body.


    With his mind still a bit dazed and confused, he tried to figure out what had happened.


    ''Why can''t I move?'' he wondered as he worked to think faster, trying to recall what had happened.


    Finally, his mind stabilized somewhat, and a flow of memories began to pour into his head.


    ''Ah, right, I was about to be swallowed by that glowing sphere,'' he thought, gradually remembering what had occurred.


    He recalled that just as the creature inside the glowing mass was charging at him, a strange golden aura appeared, and then he lost consciousness.


    ''Whatever it was, it seems to have saved me,'' he thought, though he still didn''t understand why his physical body was in its current condition.


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, while he was being sucked into the glowing mass, not only had his sea of consciousness been invaded and started to collapse,


    but his body was also enveloped by that blue-greenish cloud, which attempted to devour him both from outside and within.


    Just as he was wondering what to do now that he couldn''t move, Bai Yu''s voice came from his head.


    ''You should take a look at your sea of consciousness,'' she said, her voice clearly not as calm as usual.


    Ethan, with his mind still somewhat confused by his current situation,


    noticed that even focusing enough to enter his sea of consciousness was difficult and no longer as instantaneous as before.


    With some effort, he managed to stabilize his thoughts to some degree and transfer his consciousness into his sea of consciousness.


    Within seconds, particles gathered, and an ethereal Ethan appeared in the place.


    Unlike before, here he could move his body, which was natural since he was inside his own mind, but it was still a relief for him, as he wondered how long it would take for him to recover from his injuries.


    He thought about asking Bai Yu for help to heal himself later.


    With his current cultivation, even she had gained some freedom with her manifestation of the soul in the external world, and although she was still limited in what she could do, it was enough to heal him.


    Putting that matter aside for now, he looked around to see where he was, and as soon as he turned slightly to the side, he had yet another shock.


    "W-what the hell happened here..."


    Before him was the chaotic scene of his sea of consciousness.


    Wherever he looked, there were small cracks, both above and below him, floating in the air as if they were tearing reality itself.


    If it weren''t for the fact that these cracks seemed to be slightly healing themselves, Ethan would have wondered what would become of his sea of consciousness.


    "It seems my mind isn''t stable for a reason," he thought, realizing that this was likely why he still had a slight headache.


    After all, he was in his sea of consciousness, and seeing it damaged, he could tell it was the cause of his somewhat unstable mind.


    At least now he had solved one mystery.


    That said, he had noticed the small traces of blackish-green mist, similar to what he had seen in that strange place, and he wondered how it had gotten inside.


    He was starting to think this was also the cause of his damaged body.


    He looked around a bit more and finally managed to spot the figure of Bai Yu a few meters away.


    But she wasn''t alone.


    In front of her, just a little farther ahead, floated a glowing sphere the size of a basketball.


    The outer layer of the luminous sphere was slightly transparent, so if one looked closely, a faint elongated shadow could be seen moving inside.


    At the sight of this glowing sphere, Ethan almost panicked.


    "T-that thing...


    How is it here?"


    Bai Yu, who had been looking at the sphere in front of her with a complex expression,


    noticed his arrival and turned to him with a look that seemed to ask for answers.


    Ethan, seeing her, gave her a similar look.


    For a moment, neither said anything.


    Eventually, he approached and stood beside her, examining the sphere closely.


    He could tell it was the same one he had seen in that place he had been taken to earlier.


    Shifting his gaze from the sphere beside him, he asked:


    "Was it the amphora that brought it here?"


    The only explanation he could think of for how this thing was here was the amphora.


    He hadn''t done anything, and Bai Yu, with her current strength, was equally powerless, so that left only the amphora.


    It wasn''t the first time it had done something like this, and from the golden aura that had enveloped him earlier and then shot at the creature that was charging at him,


    he could only think that the Amphora of the Seven Sages was involved.


    And it seemed he was right.


    Bai Yu nodded slightly, and for a moment, she didn''t say anything while looking at the glowing sphere with a complicated expression.


    Ethan noticed this and wondered what was going through her mind.


    Just as he was about to ask her if she knew anything about the creature inside the sphere, she spoke:


    "How did you manage to form a bond with it? No... how did you even find it?" she asked.


    Ethan was now sure that she knew something about this creature and honestly told her what had happened.


    Hearing him, Bai Yu gave him a strange look as she said:


    "You''re saying the bond already existed when you sensed your soul?"


    Ethan nodded in response and waited for her to continue.


    Bai Yu seemed even more confused, but from what she had heard, Ethan was as well, so she said:


    "I can''t tell you why the bond already existed, but as I mentioned before,


    from the fourth stage onward, humans need to strengthen their soul through the process of creating and subsequently assimilating a spiritual beast.


    Most people do it this way, as far as I know, but it''s not the only way to obtain a spiritual beast.


    As you''re aware, there are various realms beyond the one we know, and separate dimensions are one of those realms.


    Spiritual creatures also have their own realm.


    If a cultivator struggles to create their own spiritual beast, or if they desire a specific one, they can try summoning one from that realm.


    Unlike before, where the soul merges, in this case, the summoned beast will create a spiritual bond with the person who called it,


    and help them cultivate the later stages in exchange for something, which is decided between the cultivator and the summoned spiritual beast.


    The reason many avoid using this method is that the chances of a beast accepting the invitation are not very high, and 70% of the time, the summoning fails.


    And even if it doesn''t, it''s not guaranteed that the beast will agree to form a bond once it has interacted with the person who summoned it." She paused for a few seconds and looked at the glowing sphere.


    "I have no idea what kind of creature is inside there, but I can tell it''s different from normal spiritual creatures.


    You see, when one being encounters another of the same species but with a stronger bloodline, it feels an instinctive sense of oppression.


    At this moment, the creature in this cocoon of light is emitting a form of oppression on my bloodline,


    which is hard to believe since the bloodline of the Celestial Dragons is one of the purest and strongest in the dragon race."


    She said this, making Ethan understand the reason behind her complicated expression.


    "Wait, but then why don''t I feel it?"


    Ethan had assimilated Bai Yu''s blood essence, which had partially transformed his bloodline into that of the dragon race.


    If what she said was true, then why wasn''t he feeling any pressure from the creature in front of him?


    "The reason you''re not feeling any pressure is probably linked to the amphora.


    It not only helps you strengthen your soul but also protects it from attacks like the one you faced today," she explained.


    Ethan now remembered that the amphora had this ability.


    "If the amphora protects my soul, then wouldn''t it be possible for me to advance to the spiritual realm without needing to first assimilate a spiritual beast?"


    he asked, recalling that his soul strength had indeed been strengthened every time he leveled up. sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though it happened in small amounts, it was still a consistent improvement.


    "There is a possibility, but it''s slim.


    Your soul is definitely much stronger than that of a normal human,


    but it''s still a bit too weak to try breaking through without risking injury.


    That''s why I suggested going with the standard method," she said, as she once again turned her attention to the cocoon of light in front of them.


    ''Although, with the current situation, I''m not sure how things will unfold in the future.''

 Chapter 119 - 119: Recovery

    .


    The creature inside the cocoon seemed to have been suppressed, so for the moment, it posed no immediate danger to Ethan.


    From his subsequent conversation with Bai Yu, it appeared that the being inside the cocoon was barely a fetus, and it would take some time before it could grow enough to fully emerge.


    Neither of them knew whether it would be good or bad for them to allow the creature inside to be born, but for now, all they could do was wait.


    Ethan, already somewhat skilled in sensing his soul, could tell that the connection with the creature was still there.


    And from what he had learned from Bai Yu, killing the creature would damage his soul, as the two were linked.


    It would be better to get rid of this ticking time bomb, as neither of them knew if the being inside the cocoon was evil or not, but for now they could do nothing about it.


    Ethan''s spiritual sea would take some time to recover, so the only thing he could do at the moment was to take care of the other pressing matter.


    That was, the problem with his injured body.


    Currently, Ethan was outside his sea of consciousness, waiting for Bai Yu to help him with his injuries.


    With his body completely damaged, any movement would be pure hell for him, so he could only rely on her.


    Bai Yu, who was standing next to Ethan''s charred figure, wondered how he could possibly fully recover with just pills, especially pills that didn''t exceed level 2.


    For this type of injury, they would need at least a high-level level 3 pill.


    The only good thing about his current condition was that there didn''t seem to be much internal damage; it was mainly the outer layer of his body that had suffered the most.


    ''I need you to make a potion using some of the herbs from my garden, which I''ll guide you to,'' he said, sending a mental communication


    Normally, it would be difficult to do this with someone else, but since she literally lived inside his head, communication between the two was simpler.


    Hearing what he said, Bai Yu couldn''t help but ask, "Don''t you think you''ll need something more effective than a potion to recover?"


    "Yes, but I don''t have many options right now.


    With the potion, my skin will regenerate little by little, and then I''ll focus on healing the rest of the wounds."


    Bai Yu could tell that the time it would take for his skin to regrow wouldn''t be short, but since they were in her minor dimension, there was plenty of time for him to recover.


    Given Ethan''s dragon bloodline and special physique, recovery would be faster than normal.


    With the help of the potion, it would only speed up the process.


    Following Ethan''s instructions, Bai Yu retrieved some herbs from his medicinal herb garden and created the potion.


    She couldn''t say the final result was exceptional, but it was still acceptable.


    He hadn''t asked her to make a pill because, aside from the fact that with her current strength, she wouldn''t have been able to refine one even if she wanted to, digesting it would have been difficult for him in his current condition, so he opted for a potion instead.


    Since it was liquid, it would be easier to ingest, and once inside, he could use his Qi to direct the effects of the potion to the areas he wanted.


    Thus began Ethan''s long recovery.


    During this period, he spent most of his time in his sea of consciousness, as he could do little more than lie still outside of it.


    At least here, he had some freedom of movement.


    The only times he emerged from it were when he needed to assimilate the potion that Bai Yu gave him regularly every two or three days.


    Since he was already at the third stage, he no longer needed to consume food and could sustain himself on spiritual energy.


    As a result, he also didn''t need to go to the bathroom or anything else, as spiritual energy left no physical residue.


    Thus, his days passed, and before he knew it, a month had flown by.


    He had already recovered enough to move slightly within the first week of recovery, and by the second week, his skin had partially regrown.


    By the third week, he was finally able to move his body and stand up, though his muscles still ached.


    With his mobility partially regained, he prepared some pills and ointments to further accelerate the recovery process, and within about another week, he was almost fully healed.


    At that moment, he was lying in his bed in the outside world, savoring the softness of the cotton-filled mattress.


    Ever since he had moved here, he had practically never used his bedroom.


    With his current cultivation base, sleep was no longer a necessity for him, so he either spent his time cultivating or refining, with small breaks in between.


    It was only after living like this for a while that he began to understand why it was said that the path of cultivation required one to detach from the mortal world.


    The people you once knew would gradually disappear over time, especially if they were not cultivators, and the same went for all the mundane concerns you had before beginning the cultivation journey.


    The further one progressed, the lonelier and more isolated the path became from the mortal world.


    Ethan had partly understood this reality when he started cultivating, but only now did he grasp its deeper meaning.


    He wondered if, in the future, he would become indifferent to everything, like the characters in the novels he read in his previous world.


    He still had the desire to find a way to return, but he questioned whether he would continue to want that in the future.


    Ethan had asked himself these kinds of questions many times over the past two years.


    At the beginning, he wanted to leave this place because he was weak and knew that his life wouldn''t be peaceful in a world like this.


    Now, even the issue of lacking strength had been resolved, or at least, he now had the means to acquire it.


    So what other reasons did he have to return?


    He had no family to go back to.


    He had no friends to reunite with.


    His days were monotonous, and it had been a long time since he found satisfaction in the things he did.


    Not that the situation here was much better.


    Aside from the change in environment, his life hadn''t changed much.


    While he pondered his future, in a dark place somewhere on the continent, another person was fearing for their own.


    In a dimly lit room, illuminated only by a few torches on the walls, a man was kneeling.


    His body trembled, and it seemed as if he might collapse at any moment, but the man gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.


    He wore a sleeveless black martial robe, leaving his muscular arms exposed.


    It was the middle-aged man who had appeared during the incident a few weeks ago.


    Though he bore no visible signs of injury or serious wounds, only the man himself knew the agony he was enduring at that moment.


    "So, not only did you fail to recover the object, but you also allowed the seal on it to be activated."


    A low, yet powerful voice echoed through the room.


    At the sound of the voice, the man''s body trembled even more, and he did not dare to raise his head to look forward.


    There, in the midst of the darkness, out of the torches'' light, a figure stood.


    The figure''s features were indistinguishable, but from its barely perceivable outline, it could be seen that its height would shame even the tallest man on the continent.


    The figure did not move and continued to calmly watch the kneeling man in front of it.


    "Now, everyone on the continent has been alerted, and if that wasn''t bad enough, the object has also fallen into that person''s hands."


    The figure spoke, its voice remaining low and grim.


    The kneeling middle-aged man thought about any methods he could use to get out of this situation alive.


    ''If only any of them were still alive.''


    He regretted that none of his team had survived.


    He knew that regardless of whether anyone else had made it out alive, he would still face his punishment, but at the moment, he wasn''t just risking a simple punishment,


    he was at risk of being completely eliminated.


    If someone else had survived besides him, at least his situation wouldn''t be this precarious, but at the moment, he didn''t have that luxury and could only think of something else.


    "What do you think I should do with you?"


    The voice of the figure echoed again, this time much closer.


    Much closer to the man.


    Noticing that the figure was no longer in its previous position, but instead standing right beside him, the man nearly flinched, his heart skipping a beat. S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He did not dare to turn his head toward the voice.


    He knew that if he didn''t speak now, he would be silenced forever.


    So, with some effort, he spoke.


    "I-I can still recover the object."

 Chapter 120 - 120: The Day of Selection

    .


    Once Ethan fully recovered, he followed his previous plan.


    That is, to continue becoming stronger.


    According to his calculations, it would take him more than a month to reach the peak of this stage, but only if he continued refining pills without pause the whole time,


    something he wouldn''t be able to do since he also had to give enough time for his cultivation to stabilize his foundations.


    Not to mention the usual small things he did daily.


    His occasional training with Bai Yu continued, with various improvements in combat techniques and the use of his Dragon Gaze.


    He had also found different ways to incorporate his combat abilities with his Blue Lotus Flame, which was still at the same level, but nonetheless effective if used well.


    Finding a way to level it up was difficult since obtaining another rare flame was out of the question, and he could only hope that the system would offer him some missions to acquire one.


    The more he progressed and tried to fill his current gaps, the more he noticed new areas to pay attention to.


    For example, his special physique had several advantages, which he wouldn''t be able to exploit unless he improved it.


    As he leveled up, so did his physique, but there were other things it could do that Ethan couldn''t currently take advantage of.


    For instance, the ability to manage more than one type of rare flame.


    According to Bai Yu, the god of alchemy, in the past, he wielded as many as 10 different types of rare flames, thanks to this special physique.


    This was a significant advantage in terms of both alchemical skills and combat abilities.


    More importantly, it seemed that the physique would strengthen even more as he acquired more rare flames.


    Knowing all this, Ethan could only sigh in disappointment, as he understood very well that he had no idea how to find others at the moment.


    Thus, with regret, he could only set the matter aside for now and focus on what he could improve at present.


    At this moment, he was sitting on the wooden platform with a conical roof in his minor dimension, and he was cultivating the Qi he had acquired through pill refinement.


    Before breaking through to the next levels of this stage, he had to ensure that the Qi he had obtained was used to strengthen his core, and only then could he refine more.


    This process at this stage was crucial because if he failed to do so, he risked overloading his core, which could lead to becoming a vegetable in the best case, or dying in the worst case.


    Therefore, even Ethan, who had a special physique and a bloodline of dragons, dared not take unnecessary risks or rush his cultivation.


    Sitting in a meditative posture, he inhaled and exhaled silently at a calm and measured rhythm.


    While from the outside it might seem that he was simply cultivating in peace, internally a completely different process was taking place.


    Ethan''s Dantian, which was full to the brim with refined Qi in liquid form, was now undergoing a remolding process.


    This process consisted, in simple terms, of pressurizing the Dantian from the inside and gradually expanding it to a certain extent, while eliminating the natural elasticity of its walls, making it harder both internally and externally.


    All of this occurred through a fundamental technique that every cultivator at this stage of their journey had to learn,


    Namely, the technique of Qi crystallization.


    The liquid Qi collected in the Dantian was made to flow out of it through several channels connected to it, and once it reached there, it was compressed through specialized meridians that increased its density by at least two or three times, making it thicker.


    Once this was done, it was sent back into the Dantian, and over time, more would be produced until the internal pressure generated would force the Dantian to expand.


    Given the initial elastic nature of the Dantian, it would increase in size gradually, like a balloon being inflated.


    This phase of the remolding process was crucial and very delicate, as if the cultivator was distracted or failed to regulate the intensity at which it was expanded, they risked damaging it.


    The Dantian couldn''t be inflated at will, but it had to be done only to a certain extent, allowing the condensed Qi inside to be worked with and crystallized.


    All this process had to occur in stages, and each one was very delicate, requiring several sessions for each level.


    It wouldn''t be wrong to say that from this stage onward, most cultivators secluded themselves and cultivated behind closed doors.


    Until one successfully surpassed each level, the risk that something could go wrong during cultivation was high.


    After all, it only took a small distraction to ruin entire days of work.


    It was like a chain reaction.


    If you made even a single mistake, you had to repeat everything from the level you had reached.


    Usually, it took an immense amount of time even for each section of cultivation, and cultivators often informed their sect in advance about their absence. But for Ethan, who had his smaller dimension with accelerated time, this process for each level could be completed in just a few hours in the outside world.


    [Congratulations, you have reached level 3 of the Dantian Expansion stage.]


    After spending almost two days going through all the steps and constructing his first network of crystallized Qi that would strengthen the inner walls of his Dantian, Ethan finally opened his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.


    "Haa, it seems I can''t just skip every step with the help of the system," he thought with regret.


    For normal cultivators, there were two tasks to complete.


    One was the collection and refinement of Qi into liquid Qi, followed by the subsequent phase of crystallization.


    For Ethan, however, the first part was mostly handled by the system, which provided him with infinite amounts of Qi as long as he produced pills, and he only had to perform the second part, which was crystallizing the Qi and strengthening the walls of his Dantian.


    The process itself was complicated due to its delicacy, and mentally exhausting as one had to pay maximum attention, but overall it was still rewarding.


    Ethan knew that with each level, the time required would only increase, and he understood that there was nothing he could do about it.


    He could only be grateful that the total time was greatly reduced compared to normal cultivators.


    That said, once he finished cultivating, he exited his smaller dimension and took a quick shower to remove the sweat that had accumulated.


    Once he refreshed himself, he left his residence.


    Without hesitation, he jumped down from the high mountain hill where he resided. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mountains in this area were generally about 1,200 meters tall, with some being taller and others slightly shorter.


    From this height, if a person jumped freely, it would take about 15 seconds to reach the ground.


    Just enough time to savor the sensation of falling and decide whether to go to the afterlife or postpone it for another time.


    Ethan showed no emotion as he continued to fall downwards at high speed,


    and just as he was a little over one hundred meters from the ground, he enveloped his body in a thin white aura and decelerated until he reached the ground, landing lightly like a feather.


    Ethan had used his Qi manifestation to slow down the speed of his fall.


    Being only at the beginning of this stage, he still had a long way to go before he could manifest a solid surface on which to support his body and glide suspended in the air.


    So for now, this was the maximum he could do.


    Which was sufficient.


    He used little tricks like this throughout his day to constantly train his control over manifested Qi, and given the results, he could say that this method was working wonders.


    Without wasting any time, he dashed forward towards the City of the Sun.


    He usually tended to stay in his residence, but today he couldn''t do that.


    This was the first day of the selection for participation in the Imperial Alchemy Tournament.


    Given the number of people who tried to participate each year, the selection typically took a minimum of two to three days to complete.


    And this was just the beginning.


    The tournament would start three months from now, but preparations were made in advance to prevent any eventualities.


    Like a gust of wind, Ethan traveled the entire route from the sect to the Sun City at a moderate speed, without ever slowing down.


    In less than 30 minutes he had already arrived near the capital of the kingdom and had already put on his suit for the occasion.


    He hadn''t changed earlier for safety reasons, as if someone had seen him already dressed when leaving the sect, he would risk being recognized later.


    Therefore, during his journey to this point, he took a moment to change clothes and to put on the mask that Da Shu had provided him.


    With the mask matching the black color of his clothes, Ethan finally entered the city and headed towards the location where the selection would take place.

 Chapter 121 - 121: Unexpected Participant

    .


    In a short time, Ethan arrived at the testing place and immediately noticed that although there was still some time before the test began, the location was already full.


    ''Wow, there''s still more than an hour left, yet they''re all already here?''


    Ethan thought to himself, but then again, he had arrived early too, though probably not for the same reason as them.


    With that in mind, he found a less crowded spot and stayed there, silently waiting for the test time to arrive.


    Ethan preferred less crowded places to avoid being disturbed by the chatter of those around him.


    While he could listen in to see if anything interesting was being said, most of the time, they were casual conversations, often irrelevant.


    That said, it wasn''t like he hadn''t overheard anything interesting; in fact, some conversations caught his attention.


    "Hey, did you hear that this year some disciples of renowned masters alchemist will also participate?" said one person.


    "I hope not, because if that''s true, we basically have no chance of participating this year," another replied.


    "Exactly, of the three spots assigned to our city, at least two are practically already gone," said the first speaker.


    To Ethan, who was participating in this competition for the first time, this didn''t matter.


    As far as he knew, unless the others could produce level 2, high-grade pills or level 3 pills, he didn''t have to worry.


    After all, a person at that level could aim to become a master alchemist directly.


    It wouldn''t make sense to participate in such a competition.


    With a level 2 recipe in hand and his refinement skills improved, he was unlikely to lose.


    He had heard that in the past, there was another category besides the current ones dedicated to master alchemists.


    Before the appearance of the first grandmaster alchemist, the top figures in the field of alchemy competed against each other to determine the best.


    But after the appearance of the first grandmaster alchemist, they all began to aim for that title, no longer concerned about competing in tournaments.


    Therefore, the total categories for the tournament went from three to two, and these primarily served to scout out those with talent, in other words, the future master alchemists.


    It should be noted that throughout the empire, there were no more than 30 master alchemists, and only 4 grandmaster alchemists.


    The number might seem large, but when divided among the number of major corporations or families, it wasn''t very high; in fact, it was the opposite.


    Getting hold of emerging talents was a must for all these powers.


    That being said, it wasn''t long before these so-called emerging talents began to make their appearance.


    Not far from where Ethan stood, a group of people parted to let a young girl pass, with raven-black hair and a green dress, who walked forward with a proud look.


    The surrounding crowd, upon seeing her, went into a frenzy, starting to whisper about her.


    "Hey, isn''t that Elder QingShui''s granddaughter?"


    "Yes, it is."


    "I''ve heard that no one her age can equal her in terms of alchemy."


    Hearing the commotion, Ethan looked to see who had just arrived and recognized her almost immediately.


    ''It''s that girl from back then,'' he thought, recalling the incident at the medicine pavilion a while ago.


    Although he believed she probably didn''t remember him, he was still glad to be wearing a mask.


    The last thing he wanted was to end up arguing with that crazy girl.


    While Ethan''s outfit attracted some attention, it was still nothing too strange.


    Just like him, others in the crowd wore something to cover their faces, though not many in number.


    But this was normal since many present had come to enhance their reputations, and hiding behind a mask certainly didn''t help in that goal.


    Ethan, on the other hand, just wanted to promote his brand and didn''t care about being in the spotlight too much.


    He believed that keeping a low profile was the best way to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Before the chatter about Yan Mei''s arrival calmed down, others made their appearance, triggering a similar effect as before.


    "Hey, isn''t that Xun Wei?"


    "Oh, it really is him. It seems he''ll be participating this year too."


    "Great, first Yan Mei, and now him. We can already say goodbye to two of the three spots," someone said, and others nodded in regret.


    "Well, it shouldn''t matter to us.


    They''re probably participating to go into the expert category," said a guy who had been listening to their conversation.


    To this, many of them nodded their heads.


    It was known that there were a total of 6 spots for each city, divided into the two categories in which one could participate in the tournament.


    Most of those present had come to try and join the novice category, so they weren''t too worried about the appearance of the two.


    Seeing this, Ethan had no idea who he was, but from the others'' reactions, he could only assume he was someone akin to Yan Mei.


    Xun Wei walked confidently through the crowd, ignoring everyone around him.


    ''Tch, why do they even have to hold a selection in the first place?


    Most of them aren''t even half as good as me,'' he thought, openly despising the others.


    Seeing his behavior, many were infuriated, but no one dared to provoke him openly. Everyone whispered in the background.


    "Look at him, arrogant as always," said a chubby boy to his friend.


    "Yeah, but what can you do? With his skills, he can afford to be that way," replied the friend.


    "I know, but it''s still frustrating. I really hope someone teaches him a lesson," said the chubby boy.


    Xun Wei didn''t bother to pay attention to any of them and continued to walk forward toward the spot where he was waiting for Yan Mei.


    Seeing him approach, Yan Mei made a displeased face, clearly unhappy to see him.


    Seeing this, a vein appeared on Xun Wei''s forehead, but he held back and maintained his smile as he got closer to her.


    "Miss Yan, it''s been a while since we last met. How is Elder QingShui?" he asked, keeping a calm and respectful tone.


    Although both had grandmaster alchemists as mentors, Yan Mei''s family had more power than the Xun family.


    Therefore, even though they were both geniuses in Alchemy, Xun Wei couldn''t afford to provoke Yan Mei in any way.


    Not that he needed to.


    Ever since he first saw her, he had become infatuated with her, and from then on, whenever he had the chance, he tried to court her.


    In his eyes, a girl of her caliber was destined to be with someone of his level, and since they both had a certain talent in alchemy, he thought they would be the perfect couple.


    Too bad for him that Yan Mei had never once returned his feelings.


    Seeing the two, Ethan couldn''t help but shake his head internally.


    ''And here''s the typical Young Master,'' he thought, labeling Xun Wei as the second-rate villain usually found in novels.


    He could only sympathize with anyone who fell victim to him.


    As the crowd calmed down for the arrival of these two, another commotion arose shortly after.


    "I can''t believe it, is she planning to participate this year too?"


    "I heard she had stopped being an alchemist and was focusing entirely on her cultivation."


    "Exactly. I''ve also heard that thanks to her talent, she has already reached the peak of the Dantian Expansion stage."


    "Really?! But isn''t she just a little over 30 years old?" said one of them, shocked, but he wasn''t the only one in the crowd to feel that way.


    With the arrival of this new person, the commotion created was much greater than that of Yan Mei and Xun Wei.


    Even those two, who were a short distance from the scene, couldn''t help but show surprised expressions upon seeing the newcomer.


    Ethan, who had stopped paying attention to the crowd, thought about ignoring the new commotion, but after hearing that the newcomer had already reached the peak of the third stage, his curiosity was piqued, and he couldn''t help but glance in that direction.


    ''Wait, what?!'' S��ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noticing the source of the commotion, Ethan couldn''t help but be astonished.


    There, a little ahead from where he stood, was a girl, taller than 170 centimeters, with long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a scarlet dress that couldn''t fully conceal her natural figure.


    The girl''s red dress was adorned with various golden embroidery, enhancing her beauty.


    This, combined with her flawless and radiant face, left everyone who looked at her dazzled.


    But that wasn''t what had caught Ethan''s attention.


    The reason he was so surprised was that he recognized who the person was.


    ''Who would have thought she was also an alchemist?'' he thought as he looked at the girl in front of him, who was walking calmly at the entrance.


    The person in question was none other than Xiang Hua, a disciple of the Phoenix Sect and Ethan''s fellow direct disciple under the sect master.

 Chapter 122 - 122: A Strange Person

    .


    After being accepted by Feng Huang into the Phoenix Sect, Xiang Hua took some time to fit in.


    Apart from cultivating and participating in training to improve her understanding of cultivation, she didn''t do much else.


    This is how she spent her first few years in the sect, and before long, she broke through to the Qi Refining stage.


    Her cultivation speed was undoubtedly one of the best, and little by little, she started to surpass more and more disciples, until she almost reached the peak of the second stage.


    Over the years, she began hearing more and more rumors that her fast progress was not due to her own efforts, but rather because she was the disciple of the sect master.


    Although the rumors were false, she didn''t care.


    It was her own path to follow, and what others said didn''t matter to her.


    She wouldn''t allow anyone to influence her cultivation journey.


    Being the sect master''s disciple certainly had its advantages, but apart from using a cultivation ground with a higher concentration of spiritual energy, she never asked for any other help from her.


    For Xiang Hua, it was already more than enough that the sect master had saved her and welcomed her into the sect, giving her a new home.


    She didn''t need anything else.


    At some point, she became interested in alchemy.


    More accurately, it was the sect master who wanted her to give it a try, and it turned out that she had a certain talent for it.


    Just like with cultivation, her progress in alchemy was quite fast.


    In less than two years, she was already able to refine high-grade level 1 pills and could attempt level 2 ones.


    It didn''t take long for her to make a name for herself in the alchemist circle.


    For a while, she continued dedicating herself to alchemy, but then, seeing that her progress in cultivation had slowed down due to not dedicating enough time to it, she decided to set alchemy aside.


    It was well known that the higher one progressed in cultivation, the harder the subsequent levels would be.


    The amount of time she used to dedicate to cultivation was no longer sufficient, so she decided to focus solely on it.


    Both alchemy and cultivation required time, and she had to choose between the two.


    Only when she reached the peak of the third stage and encountered a difficult bottleneck did she decide to take a break.


    During this period, she resumed refining pills, and since the date for the selections was approaching, she thought she might as well decide to participate.


    After all, a bottleneck wasn''t something one could overcome in a few days, it took time.


    For some, it might take only months, but for others, it could take years, so she had enough time to at least participate in the tournament.


    In the past, her sect master had told her that it didn''t hurt to take a break from cultivation every now and then.


    According to her, this would help refresh the mind and soul.


    Back then, Xiang Hua hadn''t immediately followed the advice, but she remembered it.


    And now, after encountering this bottleneck that she still couldn''t overcome even after a month, she decided to distract her mind from cultivation for a while.


    ***


    After the commotion caused by Xiang Hua''s arrival, a few others showed up, but unlike before, they didn''t stir up as much of a fuss.


    Time passed quickly, and in the hour that remained, many other participants arrived, making the waiting area more crowded.


    Finally, the hour passed, and the doors opened.


    A person stepped out from behind, gazing at everyone with a calm expression.


    He was a middle-aged man, with a gentle demeanor, but for anyone who knew him, he was anything but gentle.


    Seeing him step out, many of the participants who had been talking fell silent, waiting quietly for the man to speak.


    When no one else appeared, the man said nothing and simply turned around to walk back, where the doors were now fully open, revealing the area inside.


    Apart from the new participants, no one found his behavior strange. Once the man disappeared from sight, they too began to enter in silence.


    One of the new participants, noticing the strange behavior of the man and the others, couldn''t help but ask one of them:


    "Hey, who was that person, and why does everyone seem so cautious around him?" he asked.


    The boy who had been asked the question kept walking forward as he responded:


    "You may not know him, but see, he''s one of the examiners for today''s test," he began to explain.


    Some others who also didn''t recognize the man became interested and listened carefully.


    "One of our examiners?" asked the boy who had posed the question, sounding confused.


    "Yes. He''s Zhang Qixuan, an alchemy master from the Zhang family.


    Although it''s odd for an examiner to come just to take a look and open the gate, he''s a special case.


    Normally, someone else would come to open the doors, but every now and then, he shows up instead.


    We don''t know why he does it, but sometimes he appears, and just like you saw today, he looks around and then leaves without saying a word.


    Once, someone tried to question him, and that person ended up being disqualified on the spot," the boy said with a somewhat complicated expression.


    Hearing this, the others couldn''t help but feel even more puzzled.


    None of what he said made any sense.


    Why would an examiner personally come to open the doors?


    And then there was the story about the contestant being disqualified on the spot just for asking a question?


    what was wrong with that man''s head?


    "Believe me, it''s not worth trying to figure it out.


    Let''s just go in," said the boy, and he stopped talking.


    Although the explanation had only raised more questions than answers, the others wasted no time and also went inside.


    Ethan had overheard their conversation as well, but unlike the others, he didn''t think the same.


    ''What did that man use just now?'' he wondered.


    He had sensed a strange flow of energy expanding briefly through the area, only for it to vanish quickly.


    He wasn''t sure what it was, but he could tell that man had been the source of it. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu, who had also sensed the energy flow, noticing Ethan''s confusion, said:


    ''What you felt earlier was a result of a detection technique.


    I don''t know what that man was looking for, but it seems whatever it was, he didn''t find it.''


    ''A detection technique? Like spiritual sense?'' asked Ethan, noting the similarities between this so-called technique and spiritual sense.


    ''In a way, yes. However, detection techniques are specialized in finding one particular thing, unlike spiritual sense, which detects everything around it.


    They''re used to make detecting something more efficient, as they focus solely on one thing and ignore the rest,'' she explained calmly.


    Hearing her, Ethan couldn''t help but wonder what that man had been searching for.


    But he didn''t dwell on it for too long and entered along with the others.


    Once inside, a large open area unfolded before the participants.


    The ground was completely paved, and rows of cauldrons were set out in lines.


    Beyond the rows of cauldrons stood several people, watching the participants enter with neutral expressions.


    The man from earlier was among them, still wearing the same calm look.


    Seeing the examinees forming a line to the side, Ethan glanced in that direction and saw a tent where participants were entering one by one and exiting from the other side.


    He wondered what happened to the explanations about how the test would proceed, but he got in line, thinking he would probably have his answers soon enough.


    From what he could see, the tent was likely there to examine the participants and check if they met the admission criteria.


    After all, they had to declare which category they were participating in, as well as prove they were alchemists.


    That was the only logical explanation he could think of, so he waited patiently for the line to shorten and his turn to come.


    Although he had rushed to get in line, he still found himself quite far back.


    He wasn''t among the last in line, but he was still close.


    ''Damn, they were fast,'' he thought in frustration.


    It seemed he wasn''t the only one feeling frustrated.


    Behind him, many others seemed annoyed as well.


    ''They''re probably new too,'' Ethan thought as he took another look around the test area.


    From what he had learned from Da Shu, the test was divided into three parts.


    The first part was a simple check to see if the person was indeed an alchemist and if they fell within the age range for their chosen category.


    After that, a small test would be conducted to assess the participants'' alchemical knowledge��in other words, a theory test.


    Finally, to filter out the three best alchemists among the remaining group, there would be a small alchemy tournament, where the examinees would compete in refining.


    Ethan didn''t find any of this to be beyond his abilities, so for now, he was relatively calm.


    He just wondered where the theory test would be held.


    From what he could see, there were no desks or tables to write on, so he was curious if it would be some kind of oral test or something else.

 Chapter 123 - 123: Beginning of the Second Test.

    .


    Ethan waited in line for at least half an hour before it was finally his turn.


    Although the line ahead of him was quite long, he had noticed that no one stayed inside the tent for more than a minute.


    He wondered what method they were using to assess someone''s age, but then it hit him.


    ''Hmm, technically, I should be almost 23 years old instead of 22, considering all the time I spent inside the minor dimension,'' he thought, wondering if that might cause an issue.


    Whether he was 22 or 23, both were within the range for the category he wanted to participate in, so it shouldn''t be a problem.


    That said, he wondered if he could hide his true age in the future.


    He was certain that he would spend a significant amount of time inside the minor dimension, especially in the months leading up to the tournament.


    He planned to seclude himself for closed-door training, and all that time would be spent inside the dimension.


    His previous calculations mainly revolved around the gathering of Qi, and just for that alone, he would have to refine for a long time.


    If he added his need to strengthen his core from the inside, the time would only extend further.


    It will probably take another 7 or 8 months to reach the peak of the third phase, which, compared to the previous phases, was already a much longer period of time.


    Of course, compared to a normal person who would take decades at this stage, his speed was already divine.


    During his last stay inside the minor dimension, he had refined a number of pills, enough to last him at least 3 months in the outside world.


    That is, provided nothing went wrong, but that wouldn''t be his problem; it would be Da Shu''s.


    He would inform both the sect master and Da Shu of his decision to undergo closed-door cultivation for the 3 months before the start of the exam, so that no one would come looking for him during that time.


    Finally, seeing the person in front of him leave the tent, he realized it was now his turn to enter.


    So, he moved forward and entered the tent.


    Once inside, he noticed that the space, about the size of a normal bedroom, contained only a table with one person sitting behind it.


    It was a girl who, at first glance, didn''t seem to be older than 20.


    Ethan approached the table and stopped, pulling out his badge given to him by the Medicine Pavilion.


    His badge was a silver one with 2 stars embedded on it, indicating that he was a two-star adept-grade alchemist.


    As far as he remembered, the minimum requirement for participation in the expert category was to be at least an adept-grade alchemist with two stars.


    Without saying anything, the girl took the badge and infused it with some Qi.


    This process was meant to examine the information contained within the badge.


    Just like the phoenix sect''s badge, the alchemist''s badge was also a kind of identity document.


    It should contain his basic information, like his name, age, alchemist rank, and so on.


    The examination of the badge didn''t take more than a few seconds, and seeing her nod, it seemed that everything was in order.


    She handed him back the badge and then pointed towards a transparent crystal.


    "Now, I have to examine your bone age. This orb will determine how old you are. Place your hand on the orb and infuse it with some of your Qi," she said, giving a brief and concise explanation.


    Ethan wondered if she was just someone of few words.


    She had barely looked at him and had spoken literally fewer than 15 words in all this time.


    ''She probably just doesn''t want to waste time. After all, there are still a lot of people left to be examined,'' he thought, advancing his right hand and doing as instructed.


    As soon as he placed his hand on the cold, smooth surface of the orb, he noticed a slight suction force coming from within.


    It wasn''t too strong, barely noticeable.


    He didn''t think too much about it and circulated his Qi from his arm into his hand, noticing the orb glow faintly.


    He wondered how the orb would be able to determine his exact age, so he watched the changes inside it closely.


    The orb glowed for a few seconds, and then the light inside moved and gathered in the center, forming an image, specifically, a number.


    ''23''


    ''Oh?'' Seeing this, Ethan wondered what principle the orb was based on to accurately determine his age.


    The girl, seeing the number, nodded and wrote something down on a sheet of paper she was holding.


    After finishing, she looked at Ethan and said, "Alright, now tell me which category you want to participate in."


    Since he met the age and alchemist rank requirements for both categories, she asked which one he wanted to participate in.


    Ethan simply said he wanted to participate in the expert category.


    After she noted it down on the sheet, she told him that he was all set and could exit through the side to join the others.


    Ethan nodded and left the tent.


    He had noticed that even for him, it hadn''t taken more than a minute.


    Upon exiting, he immediately spotted the group that had gathered in an area a bit further ahead and joined them.


    Practically none of the participants had been eliminated during the previous test, indicating that everyone was eligible.


    This was a bit unexpected for Ethan, as he had been sure he would see at least one person make a scene after being rejected.


    He hadn''t expected everyone to be eligible for participation.


    ''I mean, isn''t that what happens most of the time in novels?'' he wondered.


    This only showed how seriously everyone was taking this competition.


    Just like before, he found an open area with few people and waited patiently for the start of the next test.


    He had already been wondering how the theoretical test would be conducted.


    Soon, he would have his answer.


    After another 20 minutes, the remaining participants in line finished being examined, and just like before, none of them seemed to have been rejected.


    While waiting, Ethan had already spotted Xiang Hua, Yan Mei, and Xun Wei.


    It was hard not to, as the crowd was primarily gathered where they were.


    Especially around Xun Wei, who seemed to be enjoying all the attention he was receiving.


    Although he didn''t say much, his face revealed everything. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Many weren''t fond of his behavior, but that didn''t mean there wouldn''t be those trying to establish connections with him.


    After all, he was a wealthy second-generation member of the prestigious Xun family from Sun City.


    Tolerating his attitude and forming a connection with him was worth it in the eyes of many.


    Even the two girls had no peace, though the cold aura they emitted made many hesitate to approach.


    The funny thing was that even Xun Wei wasn''t well-liked by either of them.


    So, he was a bit irritated but tried not to make a scene.


    After all, they were in the presence of various axpert and even master-grade alchemists from Sun City.


    He might be from the Xun family, but if he had caused a scene, he would have been kicked out without a second thought.


    And so, in no time, everyone had finished being examined, and now they were waiting for the second test to begin.


    The first two tests themselves didn''t take too long and could be completed entirely on the first day.


    It was the third test that required more time.


    It could be completed in one or two days depending on how many passed the second test, but based on the results from previous years, it was almost certain that it would take at least two days.


    Seeing that everyone had finished being examined, an alchemist from those who had been observing stepped forward and positioned himself on a small semicircular podium near where they were standing.


    Everyone, upon seeing him, fell silent and focused on him.


    Noticing that he already had everyone''s attention, he wasted no time and began:


    "Now that you''ve passed the examination phase, we can finally begin the exam," he said in a calm voice that was amplified using a technique.


    "As you all know, the test will consist of two phases: a theoretical one, where we will test your alchemical knowledge and determine whether you are suitable to proceed or not;


    And a practical one, where all those of you who pass will compete to determine the top three among you.


    As you might have noticed, the field is divided into two sections, and this is mainly to separate those participating in the novice category and those in the expert category," he said, gesturing with his hand toward the field where the various rows of cauldrons stood.


    Ethan hadn''t noticed it before, but now that he looked closely, the field was indeed split in half.


    The group of cauldrons he had seen when he first entered was only one part, and there was another smaller one off to the side.


    Perhaps "small" wasn''t the right word. There were literally only two cauldrons positioned at a reasonable distance from each other, almost like a small arena, with each end occupied by a cauldron.


    It didn''t take long for him to understand why there was such a significant size difference between the two groups.


    The one for beginners was naturally the larger one, given the number of people who would be participating.


    Due to the large number of participants in this category, they would have to examine the competition between the different participants simultaneously, otherwise, two days wouldn''t be enough.


    On the other hand, for the group in the expert category, two cauldrons were enough because the group participating wouldn''t be very large.


    Based on last year''s numbers, there would probably be no more than 30 people attempting to participate in this category.

 Chapter 124 - 124: Theoretical Test

    .


    The examiner then continued his explanation. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The theoretical test will unfold as follows.


    You will be examined in groups.


    Each of you will take your place at one of the 50 stations present here," he said, pointing to the area where the various cauldrons were set up.


    "There you will find a wooden talisman.


    What you need to do is channel your spiritual energy into it and answer as many questions as possible within one minute.


    It is possible to skip questions.


    Once that is done, the talismans will be collected and prepared for the next group of 50.


    We will continue inthis way until all of you have taken the test.


    After that, we will announce the results, indicating who has passed and who hasn''t," he said, then, with a serious expression, continued.


    "And one more thing: there are a total of 10,000 questions recorded in those talismans.


    Every time you successfully answer a question, another random one will be given to you from the remaining ones.


    Remember, to pass, you must have successfully answered at least 500 questions.


    Those who registered for the expert category must successfully answer at least 1,000 questions," he said, looking at the crowd of disciples who seemed to be in a panic.


    Answering 500 questions in a minute might seem impossible, but it should be considered that none of the participants present here were ordinary people.


    They were all cultivators, and as such, their mental capacities were superior to the norm.


    Depending on the level of the cultivator, the mental capacity could be more or less superior, but overall, everyone here should be capable of answering 500 questions.


    This obviously considered an ideal situation where the answers to the questions were known, thus there was the possibility of skipping questions.


    Spending too much time on one you weren''t sure about or didn''t know the answer to would only be harmful; therefore, no one would hesitate to skip a question.


    Ethan decided to wait and see how the first group of people would fare.


    As soon as the instructor gave the signal, many moved and took their places at the 50 stations.


    There was no race to see who would arrive first, and no one dared to do so since they were in the presence of several prominent figures.


    Making a bad impression would only be harmful to them.


    Ethan honestly expected to witness such a scene, but to his disappointment, this did not happen.


    In few seconds, the first group of examinees was ready, and as soon as the instructor started the timer, everyone took the talisman and infused their spiritual energy into it.


    They were using a small incense stick to measure the time.


    Ethan, who had already been in this world for 2 years, had also gotten into the habit of using incense sticks to measure time.


    Depending on their length and thickness, the sticks could last from a few minutes to many hours.


    He had learned that hourglasses also existed in this world, but it seemed more common to still use incense sticks.


    From the outside, it didn''t seem like the examinees were doing much.


    In fact, everyone appeared to be still, holding the talisman in their hand, for a full minute without moving.


    Only those who were taking the test knew that the situation wasn''t as easy as it seemed from the outside.


    For the first few seconds, there was no reaction from anyone, but once the first 10 seconds passed, you could already see the furrowed brows of many participants.


    After the first 20 seconds, many already had slightly sweaty foreheads,


    and after 30 seconds, most of the participants appeared to be in difficulty.


    This was normal, considering the cultivation bases of many of the participants.


    Ethan had checked the cultivation bases of everyone upon his arrival and had estimated that 70% of those present hadn''t even surpassed the body refining stage.


    Another 15% were barely at the beginning of the Qi refining stage, and only a small percentage were at the advanced phase of Qi refining, with only 2 people at the dantian expansion stage.


    And these two people were none other than himself and Xiang Hua.


    If Ethan were to make an estimate based on his intelligence statistics and how it increased with each level, then he could say that the mental capacities of all those present were barely one or two times superior to those of an ordinary person.


    This meant that most of those present, as long as they knew the answers to the questions, should be able to easily answer 500 questions in one minute.


    The delay would only occur if they didn''t know the answer and wasted time skipping it to move on to another one.


    It might seem like a high number, but considering the speed at which a average person''s brain processes information, it wasn''t impossible to answer at least 100 questions in a minute for which they knew the answer.


    As long as this happens mentally.


    The remaining 30 seconds passed in the blink of an eye, and the participants finally stopped answering.


    As soon as they did, their talismans, against their will, flew toward the examiners, emitting a light toward a crystal sphere placed on the podium, where the examiner had previously explained how the test worked.


    The process lasted for a few seconds, and then, as if they had a will of their own, the talismans flew back, returning to their original places.


    Seeing this scene, Ethan wasn''t very surprised. He had become accustomed to seeing such things after spending some time in this world.


    Immediately after the 50 examinees who had just finished returned, others moved to fill the spots.


    Once again, Ethan waited.


    From what he could see, there were at least 300 people in line, so it would take some more time to examine them all.


    While those who left to take the test, had determined expressions, those who returned had returned were the opposite.


    Many of them had a blank expression, due to the continuous mental effort they had been putting in for a whole minute.


    Some were lamenting to their friends who still had to participate, while others found a place on the side to recover their spent energy.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    ''Tch, the kids today are too weak,'' he said as if he were a disappointed wise old man witnessing the younger generation.


    ''No, they are still normal. The abnormal one is you,'' said Bai Yu''s voice, shaking her head in Ethan''s spiritual sea.


    Ethan took it as a compliment and waited for the others to finish.


    Five minutes passed, and during this period, another two groups had completed the test.


    Finally, when it was the fourth group''s turn, Ethan decided to join.


    Ethan had noticed that Xiang Hua and Yan Mei had already gone in the second group, while Xun Wei was still waiting with a calm expression.


    He stepped forward and found an empty spot next to him, positioning himself there while waiting for the signal to start.


    Being at the third stage of cultivation, he would be able to answer 1,000 questions with relative ease.


    As for the final score, that would depend on the questions themselves.


    Given the amount of knowledge on alchemy that Ethan had acquired during this time, he could confidently say he knew the basics to perfection.


    From refining techniques to the materials used, he had a vast understanding.


    It was the advanced knowledge that he lacked.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how the system assessed the level of knowledge.


    He had certainly acquired a lot of information when he managed to gain some mid-level knowledge, but considering there were two planes of existence, didn''t that mean there were materials and techniques that didn''t exist on the mortal plane?


    He hadn''t bothered to examine every piece of acquired information to see if it was present in this plane, simply because it was a process too long, and he wasn''t interested in doing so.


    As soon as the instructor saw that the spots were filled and everyone was ready, he signaled the start, and immediately everyone took the talisman and infused their energy into it.


    As soon as Ethan did this, an image of a flower with seven pink petals appeared in his mind.


    Seeing it, Ethan''s mind immediately identified the information regarding that flower and sent it into the talisman.


    The information didn''t need to be too detailed, as that would take much more time.


    As soon as Ethan mentally stated the complete name of the flower, the image changed automatically, making him understand that the answer was sufficient and there was no need for further explanation about the flower.


    And so the test began for everyone.


    Sometimes images of herbs of all kinds would appear, sometimes specific questions would come up, and sometimes trick questions would also appear to slow the person down.


    Once Ethan started answering, he completely lost track of time and quickly responded to every question presented to him.


    No matter the difficulty of the question, Ethan continued to answer all of them without wasting any time.


    Ethan didn''t know what the average intelligence statistic of a person was, but he hypothesized it was around 10.


    If he based it on that value, then his mental capacity was at least 20 times greater than that of a normal person, considering he had an intelligence statistic that exceeded 200 points.


    This value was only approximate and didn''t take other factors into account.


    He was certain that his mental capacity was superior to this.


    He continued to answer everything that was put in front of him without wasting even a millisecond.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed or how many questions he had already answered, but he knew that so far he had successfully answered all of them, as the talisman hadn''t rejected any of his responses at that moment.


    At a certain point, while he continued to provide answers, the talisman stopped asking questions, and Ethan''s mind returned to reality.


    ''Hmm? Looks like time is up,'' he thought as he loosened his grip on the talisman.


    Just a second later, just as had happened with the previous groups, the talisman flew toward the examiners.


    Just as he was preparing to leave, he noticed something strange.


    ''Hmm? Why aren''t the others moving?''


    He looked around and immediately noticed that everyone was still standing still, their talismans in hand, and he was the only one whose talisman had taken off.


    ''Eh?''

 Chapter 125 - 125: Start of the Third Test

    .


    The test area was completely silent, with only the occasional rustle of the spring breeze blowing through.


    From the examiners to the spectators, everyone gazed at the bizarre scene before them with a lost expression.


    As if in response to their stares, even Ethan, still wearing his mask, looked around for answers.


    In less than a second, he realized what might have happened, and as soon as he did, he coughed lightly and walked calmly towards the participants from the earlier groups.


    Participants: "..."


    Examiners: "..."


    As he moved toward the waiting area, everyone''s gaze followed him.


    Ethan felt the pressure of all eyes on him, so he pretended they didn''t exist and found a spot to wait.


    After another 15 seconds, the rest of the participants from his group finished their test, and soon after, their talismans floated and flew towards the crystal sphere.


    Thud.


    "Haha... it was tough, but I answered every question I could," said a boy, sitting down on the spot as if he had just run a marathon.


    "Heh, I didn''t miss a single one," said another boy confidently, though if one looked a little lower, his trembling legs were clearly visible.


    Scenes like this could be seen in various places around the test area.


    Clearly, their low cultivation didn''t help them cope well with the mental exhaustion from the test.


    The examiners, who had still been distracted by Ethan, snapped back to attention when they saw the results being recorded in the sphere.


    "That boy has some talent," said one of the examiners, stroking his long beard.


    He was also one of the alchemy masters present today.


    Hearing the elder''s words, the others nodded, complimenting Ethan''s abilities.


    None of them doubted for a second that there was an error or that he had cheated, as they knew better than anyone how difficult it was to cheat in this test.


    Moreover, sensing Ethan''s cultivation level, they knew it wasn''t impossible for someone at his level to achieve this.


    So although it was unexpected, it wasn''t entirely beyond their expectations.


    "I thought the ones who would dominate were going to be those three, but it seems a dark horse has appeared," said another examiner.


    While the elders discussed the results from this year''s group, the spectators were busy talking about something else.


    "What? Are you telling me that masked guy finished before us? Doesn''t that mean he answered all the questions?" said one of Ethan''s group members.


    "Yeah, but maybe it wasn''t because of that.


    As far as I know, you can finish early if you can''t endure any longer," said the companion who had witnessed Ethan''s performance.


    Unlike the examiners, who could tell that Ethan had answered all the questions correctly, the participants couldn''t, or at least not all of them.


    Xiang Hua, who had come here just to take a break from cultivation, didn''t expect to witness such a scene.


    It had to be said that even she hadn''t achieved this result, and she was already at the peak of the third stage, so how had this masked person done it?


    She wasn''t the only one.


    Even Yan Mei, who had come thinking she would easily pass all the tests, had to take into account Xiang Hua''s presence, and now, this person as well.


    As for Xun Wei, he believed he had done well enough, and seeing the peculiar situation with the masked man, he didn''t think much of it.


    ''Hmph, weak. He couldn''t even last a minute,'' he thought mistakenly, believing that Ethan had collapsed from exhaustion.


    Xun Wei''s cultivation level didn''t surpass the second stage of Qi Refining, so he wasn''t able to assess Ethan''s true strength.


    He thought this was due to the other person''s low cultivation, so he didn''t pay it much attention.


    Finally, after recording all the participants'' results, the previous examiner approached the podium and announced the results, starting with those who had passed the second category, as it had the fewest participants.


    Several contestants were eliminated and were given the chance to compete in the beginner category.


    Although reluctant, many of them accepted.


    Others, for various reasons, did not do so and, after respectfully greeting the expert alchemist, silently left the area.


    In the end, out of the 30 participants in this category, only 7 passed.


    It was a relatively low number compared to the total participants, but given the difficulty of the test, it wasn''t unexpected.


    So, as the names of those who had passed were announced, the group of 7 expert-level participants who had passed was separated from the rest and moved to the right side of the test area.


    The previous examiner was no longer in charge of this group; instead, it was one of the alchemy masters, specifically the master alchemist with the long, white beard.


    "Congratulations, all of you have passed with excellent results. You deserve to be here.


    That being said, as you know, the spots assigned for the tournament are limited, so do your best to be chosen," said the elderly man with a calm smile on his face.


    Upon his appearance, the rest of the group bowed to give him a courteous greeting as a sign of respect.


    Even Ethan, who had no idea who this person was, followed their example and did the same.


    The elderly man gave a simple nod to acknowledge their gesture and didn''t waste time explaining how the practical exam would be held.


    "Given your reduced number, it won''t take long to determine this year''s three participants," he said, beginning with a brief introduction to the test.


    "The third test, as you already know, is a practical one that will consist of one-on-one matches between you until the three spots are filled.


    Since your numbers are odd, let''s proceed this way," he said, infusing some spiritual energy into the ring he wore on his finger.


    Immediately afterward, from the ring, a ball of light emerged and transformed into a series of sticks.


    There were 7 sticks in total, 6 of them presenting three pairs of different colors, and one of them showing none.


    Noticing this setup, Ethan immediately understood what the elder intended.


    ''So we''ll be randomly paired with our opponents,'' he thought, trying to figure out what would happen with the extra contestant.


    And as if to answer his question, the elder took the uncolored stick and said:


    "Surely, you''ve already gotten an idea of how we''ll select the pairs who will face off," he continued, raising the uncolored stick forward.


    "Given your uneven numbers, whoever gets the stick with no color on it, will not have to fight in this round and will wait with me until the first three winners appear," he said, to the surprise of almost no one.


    ''Yes! I''ve made it this far. One last effort, and I''ll finally be able to participate in this year''s competition,'' thought one of the participants.


    His name was Tan Chi, a great lover of good food and an alchemist with a highly developed sense of smell.


    Thanks to his exceptional sense of smell, he had made great progress in his alchemical skills, becoming one of the few to be promoted to the rank of three-star Adept Alchemist.


    with this ability of his, not only could he distinguish various ingredients, but he could also memorize them. S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The same applied when refining.


    Depending on how the scent changed during the refining process, he could determine whether it was going well or not, and so on.


    He could tell what was missing, whether the doses added were correct, and many other details.


    At first, he thought it might be safer to aim for the beginner category, where he was sure to take one of the three available spots, but upon reconsidering his rank as an alchemist, he decided to go for the expert category.


    It would have been too embarrassing for a three-star Adept Alchemist to compete against those of lower levels.


    Although the appearance of Xiang Hua had made him anxious, he still thought he had a good chance of securing one of the three spots.


    And upon seeing who he was paired with, his expression became more confident.


    ''Let''s see if your refining skills are as good as your theoretical knowledge.''


    He thought, thrilled by the fact that he had been paired against none other than the boy with the black mask.


    The master alchemist didn''t waste any time, shuffling the sticks and letting each of them pick one by one.


    As fate would have it, the lucky one was none other than Xun Wei, who, upon seeing the uncolored stick in his hand, didn''t know whether to be happy or disappointed.


    He wanted to duel against someone and have the chance to show off his alchemical abilities, but seeing the uncolored stick in his hand, he thought it would have to wait for another time.


    After the pairs of opponents were made, the elder numbered them from 1 to 3, and then, using a method similar to that of the sticks, he drew a random number, and the result was number 2.


    This was the number assigned to Ethan and Tan Chi.

 Chapter 126 - 126: New System Feature Discovered

    .


    Although Ethan had no problem going first, he was still a bit surprised to be the first to compete.


    ''Oh well, the sooner I go, the sooner I come back, right?'' he told himself as he stepped forward and grabbed one of the cauldrons placed at a fair distance at the two ends of the small field.


    Tan Chi had already positioned himself as well, and now both were waiting for the master alchemist to tell them what their tasks would be.


    From what Ethan knew, the test would last an hour for each competition, both for the novice and expert categories.


    The expert category would likely finish within the day, while the novice one would take at least two more days.


    But that didn''t matter to Ethan.


    He wanted to finish the selection quickly and go make preparations for when he would begin closed-door cultivation.


    It would be the first time he did so, but he thought it wouldn''t be much different from what he usually did.


    Only this time, instead of focusing more on refinement, he would concentrate on reaching the peak of the third stage and surpassing it, to then make as much progress as possible toward the next stage.


    He still had no idea how to deal with the being inside the sphere of light, but he knew he had to do it soon as that being was supposed to be his beast spirit.


    While Ethan was lost in thoughts about the various things he had to do after today''s competition, the other participants were more focused on something else.


    Tan Chi was a bit irritated by the fact that his opponent didn''t even glance at him, making him think that perhaps he wasn''t being taken seriously.


    Xun Wei was still annoyed that Ethan hadn''t been eliminated but had passed the test by answering all 10,000 questions, something impossible in his view.


    ''If I couldn''t do more than 4,000, how could a nobody like him answer all 10,000 questions?'' he thought, frustrated.


    Yan Mei, on the other hand, was more curious about who this person was.


    She could tell it was a man, but due to the mask hiding his facial features, she couldn''t determine whether he was young or not, in other words, whether he was older or younger than her.


    She could accept that someone much older than her might be better at alchemy, but she could never accept that someone around her age could have a talent similar to hers.


    Even Xun Wei, in her eyes, wasn''t as good as she was.


    As for Xiang Hua, she had a strange feeling that she knew this person.


    ''How strange, I''m sure I''ve never seen him before,'' she thought, but since he was hiding his face, he could be anyone, maybe even someone she knew.


    With her cultivation base at the peak of the third stage, she could tell the person was strong, but she couldn''t determine just how strong he was.


    Apart from that, she couldn''t gather any other information about him.


    But she didn''t dwell on it much.


    Although it was extraordinary that he had answered all 10,000 questions in a minute, it wasn''t far from her own record, which was 7,124.


    Finally, the elder took two seemingly identical sheets of paper and made them fly toward the two ends of the small field.


    Ethan and Tan Chi both caught the sheets in mid-air and examined them while the examiner''s voice echoed.


    "For the third and final test of the selection, you must prepare the products listed on the sheets, specifically pills.


    Normally, in addition to the pills, we would also ask for the refinement of at least one potion and a few other products, but this year we decided that the refinement of the pills was more than enough." he said.


    Ethan, hearing this, understood why.


    Although the methods for preparing potions and pills were similar, they differed in many other aspects, and in terms of difficulty, pills were more troublesome to refine.


    Therefore, he thought they had decided to choose only pills because they were the most difficult in terms of challenge.


    Seeing what was written on the sheet, Ethan didn''t have much of a reaction and continued to look everything listed one by one:


    .


    -------------------------------------


    1- Prepare a batch of three high-grade basic recovery pills (Lvl.1)


    2- Prepare at least one high-grade qi gathering pill (Lvl..1)


    3- Prepare a batch of high-grade martial purification pills (Lvl.1)


    ...


    9- Prepare one low-grade meridian cleaning pill (Lvl.2)


    --------------------------------------


    .


    The sheet given by the elder listed various types of pills, ranging from simple Qi recovery pills to those strengthening meridians and more...


    They were all pills Ethan was familiar with and had already produced at least once.


    What he wondered was which ones to make.


    They only had an hour, and from what he understood, their objective was to prepare as many as possible within this limit.


    At the end, not only the total number would be checked, but also their purity.


    Every little factor that could determine the winner would be examined.


    It was impossible to produce all these pills in just one hour.


    It was even impossible for Ethan if he used only one cauldron and refrained from using his system''s alchemy lab.


    So he had to carefully choose which ones to refine.


    ''Let''s see��''


    In reality, the best choice would be to directly refine the only level 2 pill that was listed.


    A pill of this level alone would outclass at least ten high-grade level 1 pills.


    The problem was that Ethan hadn''t learned the recipe for this pill, and it wasn''t exactly cheap to obtain.


    It wasn''t impossible for him to produce a level 2 pill as long as he had the recipe, and with his recently improved alchemy skills, he could make one with more confidence than before.


    Just as he was pondering how to handle the level 2 pill, the examiner,


    who had remained silent while giving the two competitors time to review the list of pills they had to produce, finally spoke:


    "Well, now that you''ve looked at the list of pills from which you must choose, you''ve probably noticed there''s also a level 2 pill, right?


    At your level, producing a pill of this grade isn''t impossible, but I don''t expect you to know the recipe for every level 2 pill out there.


    So, to give you an idea of which materials to use and how to prepare it, I will refine that pill in front of you.


    Whether or not you''ll be able to refine it afterward will depend on you."


    The elder said this while pulling out a cauldron no taller than 80 centimeters from his ring.


    "Normally, for an expert-grade alchemist to produce a low-grade level 2 pill, it would take at least 30 minutes, but we can''t afford to lose that much time.


    I''ll do it in 15 minutes, and I''ll make sure the various steps and materials used are clear for all of you.


    For the Imperial Tournament happening in three months, it would be ideal if each of you were at least able to refine a low-grade level 2 pill, because rest assured that many of your opponents will know how to do it.


    After all, you won''t just be up against other adept alchemists, but also expert ones," he said with a serious expression.


    "I''m sure some of you already know how to refine level 2 pills, but for those who don''t, if you''re chosen to participate in the tournament, it would be wise to catch up with the others before the competition begins."


    After this, his expression suddenly returned to its calm state from before.


    "So if you intend to try refining this pill, then pay close attention."


    Saying this, he quickly pulled out a series of materials and herbs, and after lighting the fire under the cauldron, he began the refining process.


    Everyone kept a good distance from the elder to avoid disturbing his refining, but even so, they could clearly see all his movements. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From the materials he was taking to their preparations, the control of the flame, everything.


    Every movement was being watched as if to imprint it in their minds.


    Only three people were observing but not with the same intensity as the rest.


    One was Xiang Hua, who at her current level was already capable of refining low-grade level 2 pills and was already aiming for those of mid-grade.


    Then there was Yan Mei. She too, having already mastered the refinement of low-grade level 2 pills, was training for higher grades under her grandfather''s guidance.


    And finally, there was Ethan.


    Although he could prepare level 2 pills as long as he had the recipe, the reason he wasn''t paying close attention to the demonstration was due to something floating in front of his vision:


    DING!


    [Preparation of a pill detected]


    [Analyzing...]


    [The pill being prepared is a high-grade level 2 Meridian Cleaning Pill]


    [Initiating learning process��]


    [5%]


    [11%]


    [34%]


    The further the elder progressed with the refinement, the more the learning percentage of the recipe displayed on the system screen increased.


    Ethan, seeing the sudden appearance of these system messages, was momentarily shocked.


    ''There was a feature like this?''

 Chapter 127 - 127: Shocking Refining Speed

    .


    Ethan, like everyone else, had approached at a safe distance to observe the ingredients that the Alchemist Master would use, but he didn''t expect this to happen.


    As soon as the alchemist started the refining process, the system appeared, asking him if he wanted to learn the recipe.


    For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to react, but instinctively, he accepted, and the analysis process began.


    [56%]


    [72%]


    [97%]


    Ethan had no idea what to expect.


    It seemed too convenient to be able to learn a high-grade level 2 technique, just like that, without any cost.


    Since he had started using the system, there was almost always a cost for everything it offered him.


    Most of the time, it required system points, and occasionally, special missions or daily tasks.


    He was certain that after the system finished acquiring the technique, he would definitely have to pay a price for it.


    As the Master Alchemist continued with the refining, the recipe acquisition percentage kept increasing.


    At one point, the Alchemist Master, still gazing at the cauldron, said:


    "Although the refining process of the pill is finished, this doesn''t mean I can proceed to shape it and extract the pill," he said while moving his hands in the air.


    Ethan, who was already in the third stage, could sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy moving as the Alchemist Master waved his hands.


    He was using the manifestation of spiritual Qi, and more specifically, he was using it in small amounts to manipulate what was inside the cauldron.


    Normally, alchemists, after nearly finishing the refining process, would manually shape the mixture into a pill, but the higher the alchemist''s rank, the more complex and dangerous the pills became.


    For instance, if one were refining a poison pill of a certain grade, one couldn''t expect the alchemist to shape the final mixture with their hands.


    This was because, by doing so, they risked direct contact with the poison, and depending on the poison, they could end up infected either immediately or later on.


    Most experienced alchemists had at least reached the Qi Refining stage, so they could use the surrounding spiritual energy to protect their hands, and for those who were at the third stage, they could directly shape the final mixture using spiritual energy without needing to use their hands.


    Although alchemists were considered weak in terms of physical strength and cultivation, this didn''t mean there weren''t alchemists with high cultivation levels.


    In fact, the four Great Masters Alchemist were all beings who had at least reached the peak of the third stage, with two of them in the fourth stage.


    Alchemists spent most of their time refining pills, so the time they dedicated to cultivation was minimal.


    As a result, most of them didn''t have very high cultivation levels.


    As the Elder finally extracted the fully refined pill, the system''s progress bar also completed.


    [100%]


    [Recipe for a high-grade, level 2, Meridian Cleansing Pill, acquired.]


    [You can now purchase the recipe from the shop.]


    Just as he had suspected, it was too good to be true.


    ''Well, it''s better than nothing.


    At least now I can buy a recipe of this level instead of starting from scratch and upgrading it,'' he thought, though he wondered what the recipe''s price would be.


    And what if the price was higher than the total points needed to upgrade it to that level?


    In the weeks before the start of the selection exam, he had accumulated a good number of system points.


    Enough to perfect three recipes.


    Once the refining process ended, everyone returned to their places, including Ethan and Tan Chi.


    As soon as they did, the Elder, seeing they were ready, gave the signal, and the competition began.


    Tan Chi, who seemed to have already chosen the pills he wanted to refine, didn''t waste a second and began pulling out some materials and working.


    His movements weren''t too slow or too fast.


    Sufficiently fluid and without interruptions due to hesitation or anything else.


    He quickly prepared the materials, while the cauldron had already been prepared at the beginning.


    Without wasting time, he placed the prepared materials one by one into it and began refining, while simultaneously preparing the materials for his second pill.


    Xian Wei, seeing this, scoffed and stopped paying attention to him.


    He didn''t even bother to glance at Ethan, as he considered both participants to be at the same level.


    Unlike him, however, the two girls were somewhat curious about the alchemical abilities of the boy with the mask, so they didn''t hesitate to take a look at him.


    Too bad for them, Ethan was busy doing something else at the moment.


    Turning their gaze toward Ethan''s station, what they saw was Ethan standing silently, seemingly doing nothing but staring at the cauldron, or at least, that was the trajectory of his gaze.


    Two minutes had already passed, and he had been standing in that position since the beginning.


    "��"


    "��"


    ''What is he doing?'' they both wondered with furrowed brows.


    Even the examiner, seeing Ethan''s strange behavior, didn''t know what to think.


    ''Is it possible that he''s still thinking about which pill to prepare?'' the examiner thought, not even considering that Ethan might be incapable of refining.


    For him, someone with cultivation at Ethan''s level and such deep knowledge of alchemy would hardly not know how to refine, so he could only assume that Ethan was contemplating which pills to prepare.


    So, while the three of them reached their own conclusions, Ethan, still standing motionless, continued to look in the same direction.


    But instead of observing the cauldron, he was examining the status screen in front of him.


    .


    [---------------------------


    SHOP:


    Recipe for a Level 2, High Grade, Meridian Cleansing Pill .


    Price: 2000 SP


    ---------------------------]


    .


    ''Hm... the price is surprisingly lower than I expected,'' he thought, considering how much time it would have taken him to upgrade a recipe to this level.


    He was sure the price would have been at least twice the indicated amount, so he was a little caught off guard when he saw the pill''s cost.


    In the end, he decided to buy it.


    No matter how he looked at it, this was a good price, especially for a recipe of this level.


    Just thinking that he now owned a high-grade Level 2 pill excited him.


    At first, he thought the examiner would show them how to prepare a low-grade recipe, but it seemed that he had directly produced one that was two grades higher than expected.


    Adding to this the discovery of the system''s new feature, Ethan had to admit that today was going great.


    He currently had a little more than 3000 SP saved up, so he didn''t mind using 2/3 of it for the recipe.


    Ethan raised his hand and pressed the purchase button, and the recipe was immediately downloaded into his mind.


    This action of his didn''t go unnoticed by the three who were watching him.


    ''What is he doing?'' they all wondered, even more confused by Ethan''s behavior.


    But then they saw that the boy with the mask suddenly started refining, and seeing this, they set aside their previous thoughts and focused on observing his movements.


    In less than two seconds, Ethan had already completed the initial preparations and was now ready to proceed with the cooking phase. S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this speed, all three of them widened their eyes.


    ''What the hell is that speed?'' they all thought.


    What amazed them the most wasn''t just his speed but the fact that, despite how fast his steps were, they were fluid and free of any imperfections.


    Being skilled alchemists themselves, they could tell that despite his great speed, he performed every step flawlessly.


    It didn''t take long before the examiner could identify the pill he was making.


    ''Hm, it seems he''s refining a Foundation Pill,'' the examiner thought, stroking his beard.


    This pill was one of the high-grade Level 1 pills listed in the provided sheet.


    Although it wasn''t particularly difficult for an experienced alchemist, it still required at least several minutes to refine successfully without too many impurities.


    Yet, just after 4 minutes, Ethan made three pills float out of the cauldron and sealed them in a small glass bottle.


    "..."


    Once again, the three observers were speechless at what they had just witnessed.


    ''That''s definitely a Foundation Pill. How is it possible that he refined it in just a few minutes, and three at that?''


    Yan Mei thought, stunned as she watched Ethan set the prepared pills aside and proceed to the next.


    Even Xiang Hua, who was particularly fast at preparing Level 1 pills, didn''t know how to react to this sight.


    ''Could they have low purity?'' she wondered, but then shook her head.


    With her skill and heightened senses, she could tell that the purity of those pills was not low at all.


    She was sure that all three were of high grade.


    But this made it even harder to believe that Ethan had refined them in such a short amount of time.


    While the examiner and the two girls were lost in contemplation over what had just happened, Xun Xei, who had been ignoring the competition, noticed their astonishment and decided to take a look.


    ''Eh?''


    At first, he saw only Ethan preparing a few materials, and for a moment he was confused, but then, noticing the glass vial beside him, his eyes narrowed.


    ''When did he prepare those?''


    ??

 Chapter 128 - 128: Attracting Xiang Huas Attention

    .


    For a moment, Xun Wei thought he was seeing things, but as hard as it was to believe, there were indeed three pills already prepared in that vial.


    Even he had decent alchemy skills, so he knew that creating those pills in such a short time was a feat that not even someone at his level could achieve.


    For a moment, he thought Ethan was cheating, but he knew well that with the examiner present, it would be nearly impossible to do so.


    Not to mention it would be pointless, since one would have to do it again a second and even a third time to win the competition.


    There was no way that a figure like the alchemy master would fail to notice someone cheating, especially not multiple times.


    From their reactions, Xun Wei could tell that they had seen Ethan refine those three pills, which meant that his skills were so great that he could accomplish such a task.


    ''Where in the world did this guy come from?''


    He clenched his fists, refusing to believe that the masked boy was better than him.


    But neither Ethan nor the others seemed to care about his inner turmoil.


    Ethan continued at the same speed with the following pills.


    In another five minutes, he prepared another batch of three pills.


    This time, he only needed to make one pill, not a batch of three like some of the others, but he still managed it with the limited materials provided.


    Seeing this, the elder couldn''t help but nod approvingly.


    It wasn''t difficult for an expert alchemist to create more than one pill with the materials provided, even when only one was required.


    At their level, their mastery of using the right amount of refining materials was good enough to avoid wasting the remaining materials in the process.


    Even Yan Mei and Xiang Hua could do such a thing with low-grade Level 1 pills.


    Of course, they weren''t at Ethan''s level, who had done it with a high-grade pill.


    The examiner, the more he saw Ethan refine, the more he appreciated his abilities.


    He had already classified him as someone at the level of an experienced alchemist.


    His knowledge of alchemy and this display of skill were enough to classify him as such.


    While he was having these thoughts, he also noticed Tan Chi, who had just begun refining his second pill.


    In the first ten minutes, Tan Chi refined a batch of three mid-grade Level 1 pills that were listed on the exam.


    As soon as he finished, he immediately moved on to the next pill without wasting a second.


    ''This boy''s abilities aren''t bad either,'' the examiner thought, pleased to see that there seemed to be more talented participants this year compared to previous years.


    The examiner thought he had already seen the extent of Ethan''s abilities, but he quickly realized that wasn''t the case.


    This was because, over the next 20 minutes, Ethan continued to refine pill after pill without stopping, each time producing a batch of three pills, whether required or not.


    The shocking thing was that after two more pills, his speed increased even further, bringing his refining time from five minutes down to three for each pill.


    At this pace, he managed to refine five different pills in 20 minutes, bringing his total to six pills, four of which were of high grade. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With this amount, he practically had victory in hand, but he still had 30 minutes left.


    Six of the pills on the list had already been refined, and only four were left.


    During the exam, materials were provided for all ten pills, though they knew that most of the materials would go unused since it was unlikely anyone could produce that many pills in one hour.


    Perhaps masters and grandmasters could manage it, but surely no one below their rank could.


    Even Ethan knew the remaining pills were a bit problematic due to their production method.


    He couldn''t produce all four remaining pills in half an hour.


    The Level 2 pill alone would take at least 20 minutes to produce, let alone having time to make the other three.


    After producing his sixth pill, he paused for a moment to contemplate the next ones he had to make and finally made his decision.


    At first, he intended to try producing the Level 2 pill, making it barely a low-grade one, but then, after reconsidering, he realized he had no reason to do so.


    His current goal was to secure a spot among the three who would take part in the tournament.


    To do that, he only needed to keep winning the matches until he obtained one of the three spots.


    Currently, there were seven participants, and after the first round of matches, their number would drop to four.


    Then he would only need to win one more match to secure one of the three spots, without needing to go all out to be the very best.


    In the competition, to be completely eliminated, one would have to lose two consecutive matches.


    If he won the first two, and then lost the third, he would still secure one of the three available spots on his own, without needing to do anything else.


    The first three losers of the competition would have to face each other again, with the addition of Xun Wei, and the two winners among them would then have to compete for a chance to participate in the next rounds of matches.


    So, in the second round of the competition, four participants would compete against each other for the three spots that would allow them to enter the tournament.


    According to this arrangement, the one who had been spared from participating in the first round of matches might seem disadvantaged, but that wasn''t the case.


    In fact, many would have liked to be in Xun Wei''s position, as it allowed them to observe how everyone else refined pills and get a better idea of their next opponent''s abilities.


    For a few seconds, Ethan decided to refine the remaining pills under Level 2.


    In half an hour, he would easily be able to refine them, so he wasted no time and got to work.


    Meanwhile, the other participants, who had yet to compete, seeing that the masked boy, who had been like a crazed machine producing pill after pill without stopping, had paused for a moment, thought he had finally grown a bit tired.


    But both the examiner and Xiang Hua could tell that he wasn''t tired at all.


    Someone at his cultivation level wouldn''t get exhausted just from refining pills for 30 minutes.


    It would take a lot more to exhaust someone at the third stage of cultivation.


    By now, Xiang Hua had dropped her previously disinterested attitude and was watching this participant with much more interest.


    Up to this point, she hadn''t taken anyone too seriously because she could gauge everyone''s level, and no one was skilled enough to pose a problem for her.


    So, she had continued the competition knowing she would secure the first spot for the tournament.


    Although only being in the top three was enough to earn the chance to participate in the tournament, it didn''t mean she didn''t care about being the best.


    On the contrary, as a direct disciple of the sect master, she intended to come in first place in every competition.


    Finishing second or third was not an option for her.


    Building a reputation for herself meant bringing honor to her master.


    She had no intention of being defeated by anyone.


    Therefore, seeing a participant with such a high level of skill put her on guard.


    She knew he would definitely be a troublesome opponent to face.


    ''As long as he can''t refine Level 2 pills, I should be able to beat him,'' she thought, confident that the two of them would eventually face each other.


    She was aware of Yan Mei and Xun Wei''s skills, and like the others, she believed they had bright futures as alchemists.


    However, at the moment, neither of them was on her level, so she wasn''t concerned about them.

 Chapter 129 - 129: End of the First Round

    .


    As Xiang Hua finally started to take the competition more seriously, both Yan Mei and Xun Wei, seeing the masked boy''s alchemical skills, felt that a dark horse had appeared in the competition.


    Neither of them was now certain they could defeat him, and this fact only put more pressure on them.


    At first, both had entered the competition believing they had what it took to secure a spot in the imperial tournament.


    With the appearance of Xiang Hua, the situation had shifted slightly, but they still had a good chance of securing a spot.


    Now, however, with the addition of this mysterious person, it was no longer a certainty.


    While the other participants began to feel the pressure of the competition, Ethan, who was the main cause of it all, continued to refine in peace.


    Although the remaining pills were all Level 1 high-grade, they were problematic to prepare due to many delicate steps that took time, no matter how fast one was.


    Rushing them would only risk reducing their purity and final effect, so Ethan, who had enough time to prepare them, did not rush the production.


    Time passed quickly, and before anyone knew it, the remaining 30 minutes were gone.


    Tan Chi, who hadn''t taken his eyes off him the entire time, wiped his forehead as he looked satisfied at the six vials of pills he had produced.


    Three vials contained a batch of three pills, while the other three contained only one pill each.


    Unlike Ethan, who produced a batch of three for each pill, Tan Chi had strictly followed the requests listed on the sheet.


    He didn''t want to waste more time producing more than required and risk making only some of the listed pills, as this would lower his chances of winning.


    Of the three pills, two were high-grade, and this, combined with the fact that he had managed to produce six pills out of the 10 required, gave him confidence that he would pass.


    With a smile on his face, he finally looked up from his workstation to glance toward his opponent''s station.


    "Hm? Where did he go?"


    He saw that the station was empty, with neither the masked boy nor any pills displayed.


    He looked around for answers and finally spotted him near the examiner.


    "Could he have given up?" he thought as he picked up his vials of pills and brought them to the examiner.


    Unfortunately for him, reality was far from what he thought.


    When he arrived, he saw that on the table where the examiner was waiting, there were nine neatly arranged vials of pills.


    The unique thing about these vials was that each one contained at least three pills.


    He could tell they were all different pills, and for a moment, he thought they were all the ones listed on the sheet.


    But then he shook his head, thinking it was absurd to produce nine in such a short time, let alone three of each.


    Arriving at the counter, he placed his six vials of pills and waited for the examiner''s verdict.


    Although he was sure he had passed, he still had to wait for the examiner''s decision.


    The examiner, seeing that Tan Chi had submitted his pills and was still waiting, couldn''t help but ask:


    "Do you have any questions for me?" he asked calmly.


    Tan Chi, not understanding why the examiner was asking him such a thing, simply said no and continued to wait for the verdict.


    Seeing that Tan Chi continued to stand there, the examiner couldn''t help but ask again. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hm, but then why are you still here?" he asked calmly.


    Once again, Tan Chi didn''t understand the meaning of his words, so he finally said:


    "And the final verdict?"


    At these words, the examiner seemed confused and glanced down at the two rows of vials on the table.


    ''Isn''t the result obvious? ''he thought, shaking his head, as he said:


    "As you can see, the winner is the masked boy," he said, pointing to the two rows of glass vials.


    "��"


    And so, without knowing it, Tan Chi, who thought he had victory in his grasp, found himself with a blank expression for the rest of the competition.


    Ethan had finished producing the remaining three pills five minutes early, and since there was nothing else to do, he handed in his pills and returned to wait with the group who had yet to compete.


    The examiner, when he saw him submit the vials, nodded with a particularly satisfied expression and said nothing more.


    Ethan knew better than anyone that the pills he produced were flawless, not only because he received notifications from the system but also because he had raised his alchemical skills to such a level that he could produce all the pills below Level 2 with absolute certainty of their final quality.


    Even with the low-grade Level 2 pills, he had some mastery, but it wasn''t as refined as with the Level 1 pills.


    That being said, now that he had a high-grade Level 2 recipe, he could make even more progress at this level.


    With his alchemical mastery at Level 2 and his knowledge of pills, he had already done much of the work; the rest would come from the experience gained through continuous and consistent pill refining.


    When he returned, he saw that almost everyone was watching him with attentive gazes, as if he were some sort of exotic species they had never seen before.


    ''What''s with them? '' he wondered, ignoring them and finding a spot to wait for the rest of the competition to proceed.


    After a few minutes, the second group of participants stepped onto the field and positioned themselves at the two stations.


    Just like before, neither side wasted time, refining non-stop until the end of the hour.


    In the end, a skinny boy with strangely pale skin won.


    After them, the remaining participants also stepped forward, and in another two hours, the first round of the competition was completed.


    In the end, apart from Ethan and the pale boy, Xiang Hua and Yan Mei won, both with relative ease.


    Yan Mei managed to produce seven of the required pills, while Xiang Hua managed to produce nine, just like Ethan.


    That said, she didn''t seem happy with her result, and this was because, unlike Ethan, she hadn''t produced a batch of three for each pill.


    The victories of the two girls were expected, and even their opponents didn''t seem too discouraged by this result.


    Finally, the second round of matches was about to begin, and in this round, the losers of the first round had only one chance to turn their situation around.

 Chapter 130 - 130: Xiang Hua vs Yan Mei

    .


    The instructor decided to give everyone a 5-minute break while preparing the next teams that would compete.


    Although this time was an opportunity for everyone to calm their nerves, it seemed to have the opposite effect.


    Apart from the group that won the first round and Xun Wei, everyone else was feeling the increasing pressure of the challenge.


    The results of the first round had essentially determined part of how the rest of the competition would unfold, and as of now, things weren''t looking good for any of them.


    Excluding Tan Chi, who was still in disbelief over the result of his match, the other two couldn''t stop glancing back and forth between those who would participate in the next round, including Xun Wei.


    Hm?


    Xun Wei, who was already in a bad mood because of the masked boy, couldn''t help but glare at them when he noticed their continuous glances.


    Ethan, who had passed the first round, noticed that he had received at least a glance from both Xiang Hua and Yan Mei.


    He couldn''t quite tell what was going through their minds, but the fact that he now had the attention of two of the women highly regarded for this tournament gave him a strange feeling.


    ''Seems like even the mask can''t fully hide my charm,'' he thought with a serious expression, as if the matter were of great importance.


    At these thoughts, Bai Yu could only shake her head.


    At first, it wasn''t very noticeable, but the more she interacted with Ethan over the last year, the more his slightly narcissistic side became evident.


    The strange thing was that, due to the various improvements he had undergone over the past year, from his bloodline to his ever-growing cultivation base, his natural appearance was already far above average.


    The only reason he hadn''t attracted much attention from others was that he spent most of his time secluded on the hill of his residence.


    Not to mention the products he used to hide some of his physical traits, like the crystalline blue color of his eyes.


    That said, it was certainly not because of that reason that the two girls had paid him some attention, and both he and she knew it.


    ''Haa, I wonder what face she''d make if she knew I''m her fellow disciple,'' Ethan thought, imagining Xiang Hua''s reaction.


    He had only met her once, and he could tell that the impression she had of him wasn''t the best.


    He still wasn''t sure why, but he didn''t make much of it since he was a person he knew he wouldn''t meet very often.


    Today had been pure coincidence.


    He doubted that after the imperial tournament, the two of them would have much interaction beyond what was required by the sect master.


    And so, in the blink of an eye, the 5 minutes passed, and the second round finally began.


    Whether by a twist of fate or simply by chance,


    Tan Chi, who had barely recovered from the previous shock of his crushing defeat, ended up being paired against Xun Wei.


    ''F*ck''


    The small glimmer of hope he had before was now completely gone.


    Out of all the participants in the second round, the one he absolutely wanted to avoid fighting right away was undoubtedly Xun Wei.


    The other two participants, seeing this, couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    All three of them knew that once they won, they would have to face the winner of the other match, which was almost certainly going to be Xun Wei.


    They knew their fate was sealed, so their goal wasn''t to aim for the three spots in the imperial tournament, but rather to avoid suffering two consecutive defeats.


    They were all young alchemists with a reputation to maintain.


    If word got out that they lost every match, it would deal a significant blow to their budding careers.


    Two hours passed, and as expected, Xun Wei won the first match with a total of 8 pills from the list produced.


    Tan Chi, though expecting to lose this round, still decided to give his best, and this time, he managed to surpass his previous record by producing a total of 7 out of the 10 pills listed.


    Though he lost, he was at least satisfied with this result.


    Meanwhile, among the competitors of the second match of this round, the winner was the tall boy with the strangely pale complexion.


    After the two matches ended, the examiner asked if they wanted to take a break or continue, and both sides decided to face off immediately without taking any break.


    Xun Wei felt there was no need for a break; for him, both the previous opponent and this one were on the same level, so there was no point in wasting time.


    The pale boy, on the other hand, thought it was senseless to delay the inevitable, so he too decided to fight immediately without a break.


    And in the end, unsurprisingly, Xun Wei won without much effort.


    "Alright, and with that, we have our four semifinalists," the examiner calmly stated.


    "Given your current disposition, I don''t think we need any drawing of lots.


    Why don''t we do this?


    Since we have both a pair of males and a pair of females, we already have the arrangement for this round," he said, laughing at the coincidence.


    In other words, he would now have to face Xun Wei.


    He could tell that the boy didn''t like him, not that he cared, but he found it strange that lately, everyone seemed to have something against him for no particular reason.


    At the examiner''s words, neither the boys nor the girls said anything, and seeing no objections to this arrangement, the examiner proceeded, saying: S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright, since we now have the two pairs who will face off, we can start the next match.


    Given that our Xun Wei has already competed in two consecutive rounds, why don''t we let you girls go first?" the examiner said, turning to Xiang Hua and Yan Mei.


    Both, upon hearing the examiner''s words, remained silent and nodded as they proceeded to take their positions on the small field.


    Hearing the examiner''s decision, Xun Wei couldn''t help but feel displeased.


    ''Exhaust myself competing with those two losers?''


    Although he was unhappy with the examiner''s words, he restrained himself.


    The two girls were already in position, and there was no point in causing a scene now.


    The only result he would get was disqualification.


    Yan Mei, who was reviewing the list of pills to be produced to check if they were the same as before, couldn''t help but wonder if she could beat Xiang Hua.


    Even though she had been away from alchemy for a long time, her previous battle made her realize her skills hadn''t rusted at all, if anything, they seemed even more refined.


    "Hmph, I am no less," she thought, waiting for the examiner''s signal to start.


    Unlike her, Xiang Hua, on the other side of the small field, didn''t think much about her upcoming match with Yan Mei.


    She had to admit that for a 19-year-old girl, Yan Mei was undoubtedly a prodigy.


    But Xiang Hua also believed that if what she had shown before was her best, then she still wasn''t on the same level.


    The examiner, seeing that both girls were ready, gave the signal, and the competition finally began.


    Both competitors wasted no time in selecting which pill to prepare first and immediately started preparing their materials. It was clear they had already decided on their initial pills.


    Watching the speed and fluidity of both parties'' movements, even Ethan had to admit they were skilled.


    "Hmm�� it seems the pills listed this time are different from before," he thought, analyzing the materials both girls had chosen.


    With his alchemical skills, he could tell just by looking at the ingredients what kind of pill they might produce, or at least get an idea of the type.


    He noticed that the combination of materials and the way they were being prepared for refinement wasn''t related to any of the pills listed previously.


    He wondered if the level 2 pill that appeared each round had also changed.


    But upon thinking about it, if the examiner had given a demonstration for that pill before, he would likely do the same this time, meaning the level 2 pill was probably the same as before.


    Ethan didn''t miss a single movement from the two girls, and the more he watched, the more he had to admit that they both had a certain talent for alchemy.


    Unlike him, who relied entirely on the system''s help, these girls had reached this level with their own strength.


    Their speed in refinement was second only to his own.


    In less than five minutes, both sides had finished refining their first pill.


    Yan Mei seemed to be taking a gradual approach, starting with the simpler ones and moving up to the more complex pills.


    On the other hand, Xiang Hua appeared more confident in her choices, producing a high-grade level 1 pill right from the start.


    Both competitors had chosen completely opposite strategies, yet both were performing exceptionally well.


    Even Xun Wei watched this match.


    Thus, the match between the two continued without pause, and time flew by in a flash.


    In the end, with a score of nine vials of pills to eight, Xiang Hua claimed victory.

 Chapter 131 - 131: Ethan vs Xun Wei

    .


    The result of their match was somewhat predictable.


    Ethan and Xiang Hua had already proven to be superior to all the participants since their first match, so unless Yan Mei managed to produce at least 9 out of the 10 listed pills, she would have little chance of winning.


    Even Yan Mei knew this, yet the loss still left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    She had managed to produce the eighth pill at the last second, but compared to Xiang Hua, who once again produced 9, she couldn''t come out on top.


    Ethan, who had been watching their match the whole time, couldn''t help but notice that Xiang Hua was producing pills with ease, a skill that was very close to his own.


    "It seems she''s still holding back," he thought.


    In any case, it was now his turn, so as soon as the two girls returned, he and Xun Wei took their places.


    "Just as I thought."


    Ethan examined the new list of pills to be produced and noticed that it was indeed different from the previous one, with the exception of the level 2 pill.


    That said, none of the pills were actually more complicated than the previous ones; in fact, they were of the same difficulty.


    As soon as the examiner gave the signal, both he and his opponent began pulling out their materials.


    Xun Wei, who had watched Ethan''s first match, knew that if he didn''t perform better than his last match, he stood no chance against him.


    Ethan and Xiang Hua were already considered the strongest participants, so anyone who found themselves up against them knew they had only a small chance of winning.


    This chance lay in at least matching their number of produced pills and hoping to win through the purity of their creations.


    Xun Wei had been trained by his father, who was none other than a Master Alchemist.


    Though it wasn''t obvious, like Yan Mei, he had spent many years learning the art of refining from him, and this year, he had reached a level of mastery that allowed him to refine high-grade level 1 pills with relative ease.


    So, like most of those present, he was now training for the next level.


    After several attempts, he had finally succeeded in producing a low-grade level 2 pill, with an acceptable purity percentage.


    It was a small step forward, but still a step forward nonetheless.


    The only problem was that he hadn''t had enough time to perfect his technique, so even now, if he attempted to refine a level 2 pill, he would fail 80% of the time, a rate far too high to risk it during the competition.


    So, he aimed to produce 9 out of the 10 listed pills. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unlike Xun Wei, Ethan wasted no time wondering whether he could beat his opponent.


    He refined at the same speed as before.


    He had no doubt that he would win.


    Just look at how many pills he had produced in the first match.


    He had produced a batch of 3 for every single pill except the level 2 one, which would have taken too much time to refine.


    Although the list didn''t require more than necessary, in case of a tie, other factors would determine the winner, and this was one of them.


    But Ethan believed he wouldn''t even need that.


    If it were up to him, he could produce all the listed pills at a higher grade than their current level.


    The problem was that the list didn''t seem to allow any freedom in this regard.


    Therefore, Ethan focused on producing a large number, and even in that, he had left a little surprise in case of a tie.


    Time passed quickly, and neither side held back.


    Xiang Hua and Yan Mei couldn''t help but watch the match, and both of them noticed one thing��Ethan was going just as fast as before.


    Even though the pills had changed, he was still producing them from the lowest grade to the highest, all in batches of three.


    This proved that his previous result wasn''t just luck, but rather, it was his actual level of skill.


    They weren''t the only ones who noticed this; even the examiner, who now believed that Ethan would definitely participate in the imperial tournament, noticed something in the batches of pills he was producing.


    "This��


    This boy has been holding back much more than I thought," he thought, raising his opinion of Ethan a bit higher than before.


    Finally, the incense stick burned out completely, marking the end of the match.


    Just like before, Ethan had finished early and had already placed his vials of pills on the table in front of the examiner.


    Xun Wei had noticed Ethan finishing, but he didn''t get discouraged by it.


    He wasn''t aiming to beat him in time or quantity but in purity.


    So, he didn''t rush through any step unnecessarily and took his time to refine each pill.


    In the end, he also managed to produce 9 pills in an hour, breaking his previous record.


    "Haha��"


    In this match, he had spent much more energy than before, not just to increase his speed but also to maintain a level of focus that allowed him to adapt to this pace.


    It wasn''t the first time in his life that he had exhausted himself this way, but the number of times he had done it was certainly low. The occasions that required it were relatively rare.


    Yan Mei, seeing that even Xun Wei had managed to produce 9 out of the 10 required pills, couldn''t help but feel left behind.


    She knew that Xun Wei was two years older than her, and just like her, he had been trained by a Master Alchemist, but she didn''t like the feeling of being surpassed by others.


    To her, those two years of difference between her and Xun Wei didn''t matter much.


    First, there was the masked boy, who had appeared out of nowhere and demonstrated his overwhelming ability.


    Then there was Xiang Hua, who, even though she had withdrawn, was still on a level above her.


    And now, even Xun Wei.


    Having lost to Xiang Hua, she knew she would have to fight in the next round and win to have a chance at securing the last spot, as the first two spots were already in the hands of Xiang Hua and the masked boy.


    She clenched her fists in frustration.


    This was the first time she had participated in this competition, and given her skills, she had decided to enter directly into the expert category.


    She had thought she wouldn''t have much difficulty securing one of the top three spots, but now she had to rethink that, as not one, but three strong competitors had emerged.


    She knew she would have to give her all in the next match.

 Chapter 132 - 132: Overwhelming Victory!

    In the end, both Etha and Xun Wei ended up producing 9 vials of pills each.


    The only difference was that one had produced the required number of pills, while the other had produced three pills for each vial.


    Xun Wei, seeing this sight, could only say that he was not surprised by this result.


    The only thing he hoped for was that since the other party had produced more pills than necessary, their pills would have compromised purity, making them inferior to his.


    He had produced each individual pill with the maximum purity it could have.


    For example, if a high-grade pill had a purity of over 75%, he made sure that his were at least 85%.


    Similarly, for the low-grade pill requested, he ensured that their purity was at the maximum limit of that grade, which was 49% purity.


    So he was quite certain that in this aspect he would have the upper hand, and since this was a competition in which both sides demonstrated their skill in refinement, the purity percentage of all pills would be the most important factor.


    Producing more pills in a short time was good, but if their purity was low, then it was not worthwhile to produce so many.


    The examiner, just like before, received Ethan''s pills in advance, so now he was waiting for those of Xun Wei.


    Seeing that he had also managed to produce 9 pills out of ten, he nodded in satisfaction.


    "Just as one would expect from his son," he thought, thinking of Xun Wei''s father.


    As a master alchemist, he naturally knew Xun Yu personally, so he expected that his son would also have a certain talent in alchemy.


    And seeing the results, it seemed that his talent was not inferior to that of his father.


    "What a pity for him that he had to face this kid," he thought while examining the two rows of vials.


    With the pills from both parties before him, he could begin to evaluate them.


    He had observed throughout the duration of the time, so he already had a certain idea of their purity level, but he still decided to examine each one.


    One by one, he sent some of his spiritual energy into the pills and determined their purity level as well as some other factors.


    The evaluation process itself took no more than 5 minutes, and it was the same for the previous competitions, where most of the time he immediately declared the winner.


    In the end, after examining the pills from both parties, he delivered his verdict.


    "You both did an excellent job, not only managing to produce almost all the required pills but also maintaining their purity above average.


    So, good job to both of you," said the examiner sincerely.


    He knew that Xun Wei was only 21 years old, and that the masked boy was also very close in age, and seeing two such young boys produce pills of this level made him happy. S��ar?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He could say that at their age he was not capable of showing this level of skill, so he was pleased because this meant that the next generation of alchemists would have many stars that would shine much brighter than them, and as an alchemist, he could only rejoice in this.


    He also thought that both had a good chance of reaching the level of grandmaster alchemist; indeed, all four of them, remembering that the two girls also had skill levels no less than theirs.


    "That said, there can be only one winner, and that is none other than the masked boy," he said.


    Xun Wei, who somewhat expected this result, could not help but feel a bit down about it.


    The examiner, however, did not seem to have finished speaking.


    "The purity level of both pills was very high, but those of the masked boy were significantly superior regarding the high-grade pills.


    If your pills on one side managed to reach a purity level of 85%, his managed to hit 90% in each one of them, and if that wasn''t enough, one of the two pills he produced in excess of the requested amount was also of a higher grade, with the same level of purity percentage," said the examiner bluntly.


    This fact made him think that Ethan''s level was certainly very high, even among expert-grade alchemists, and this could not help but make him happier because it meant that in this year''s imperial competition, they would have a monster like him competing for them.


    Other nations would hardly have a talent like him on their side.


    While the examiner was daydreaming about the results of this year''s competition and the prestige this would bring to their kingdom, Xun Wei, who thought he could accept defeat, could not help but feel his soul leave his body upon hearing these further details about how he had lost.


    ''What? His purity percentage reached 90%? And moreover, for each high-grade pill he produced?!''


    The more the examiner explained how he had lost, the more he felt that his life was meaningless.


    It should be known that the maximum purity level that could be reached for a high-grade pill, no matter what its level was, once reaching 90%, it would hardly go much further.


    By now, all alchemists agreed that it was impossible to achieve a purity of 100%, but with sufficient effort, one could at least get close.


    Reaching a purity of 80% was considered good, 85% was considered very good, and 90% was considered exceptional.


    Beyond this point, only the best alchemists could achieve it.


    So, hearing that his opponent had reached 90% in every single high-grade pill was a tough pill to swallow.


    Now he knew that his defeat against the masked guy was not by a small margin, but it had been an overwhelming defeat!


    Xun Wei was not the only one to be stunned by this result;


    even Xiang Hua and Yan Mei, who were listening to the final verdict, could not help but show a slight change in their expressions.

 Chapter 133 - 133: The Peng Familys Secret Technique

    .


    At the Peng family residence, in a large training area, stood a young man over two meters tall, wearing a simple short-sleeved training clothes.


    The young man was exhausted, with drops of sweat visible on his forehead as he caught his breath.


    In front of him, a dozen wooden dummies were scattered around, having once been intact training tools.


    "Ha... ha... I finally managed to use it," he said in a tired but enthusiastic voice, clenching his hands into fists, which appeared to be covered by a thin black layer.


    This layer covered his entire fist and extended slightly past his wrist, where it gradually faded and disappeared.


    At the edges where it ended, a series of unreadable symbols were aligned, forming a column of seven marks stretching from his wrist to the elbow on both arms.


    At that moment, one of the black symbols was illuminated, slowly losing its intensity.


    A short distance from the training area stood an elderly man, who, despite his age, stood straight as if he still had plenty of energy.


    This man was none other than Peng Jun, Da Shu''s grandfather.


    He had been observing the entire time, watching his grandson''s training, and had to admit that Da Shu''s talent had not disappointed him once again.


    ''Haa, only a few weeks, and he has already learned the first form,'' he thought, recalling the scene from a few weeks ago.


    "Grandfather, I want to learn the family''s secret technique," Da Shu had said with a determined expression.


    After the incident in the forest, Da Shu realized that he was still too weak to even protect himself, let alone the people dear to him.


    "Hm? It seems you''ve finally advanced to the next stage in your cultivation," Peng Jun said, pleasantly surprised.


    Through intense training in recent days, Da Shu managed to break through to the Qi Refining realm, but he did not want to stop there.


    In the past, his grandfather had told him that he could only learn the family''s secret technique once he reached at least the Qi Refining stage.


    Now that he had reached that point, he decided to pay a visit to his grandfather.


    Da Shu, who had almost fully recovered, released the technique, and his fists, once covered in that black layer, returned to normal.


    recently, he had stabilized his new cultivation base while also training his body and Qi, allowing him to use the manifestation of spiritual Qi.


    Before, he didn''t understand why his grandfather had told him to reach the second stage of cultivation before learning the technique, but now he understood the reason.


    This technique required the use of spiritual Qi; without it, 90% of its effectiveness was lost.


    Da Shu had seen his grandfather use it in the past, and compared to that time, his technique still lacked much power.


    ''Well, I''m only at the first form,'' he thought as he wiped away the sweat and prepared to leave.


    Today, he had several things to take care of, including the enormous number of pills his friend had dumped on him, saying he would remain in closed-door cultivation for a few months.


    Da Shu, who had gotten used to Ethan''s refining speed, was still shocked to see the huge number of pills that Ethan pulled out of nowhere.


    At this point, he wondered if Ethan had a team of alchemists helping him produce the pills, because no matter how much he thought about it, it was impossible to produce so many pills in such a short time.


    According to him, this number would last for three months, but Da Shu believed they would likely last a few months more.


    The sale of Ethan''s pills was going great, and they already had many regular customers who eagerly awaited each new batch of pills.


    The situation became even more frenzied when the number of high-grade level 1 pills that Ethan produced increased.


    Previously, he had only produced three or four types of pills at this grade, but now it seemed like he could produce as many as he wanted, and on top of that, the purity of these pills was unmatched by any other high-grade pills produced by other alchemists.


    In fact, it surpassed almost all of them, with a purity that exceeded 90%, which was insane considering that only a few alchemists could bring the purity of a pill beyond 90%.


    This only brought more prestige to his brand, and since Da Shu''s family was the only one selling his pills, they too greatly benefited from it.


    All his uncles and cousins, who had ventured into business and ridiculed him in the past, were now flattering him from all sides, wanting a piece of his success.


    Because, even though the family''s reputation was benefiting from this, Da Shu was the one gaining most of the profits.


    And the others couldn''t even try to establish a connection with the unknown alchemist, as no one knew who he was, so they could only rely on Da Shu.


    Da Shu was a cultivator, and a talented one at that, so no one dared to force him, especially because his grandfather, who was also the head of the Peng family, had warned everyone not to play any dirty tricks on him.


    In the end, they could only accept the crumbs from his success and be happy in the background, though these crumbs were not insignificant.


    Simply put, when there''s an entire cake in front of you, no one wants to focus solely on the crumbs.


    ''I wonder how he''s doing in the selection,'' he thought, but then, remembering Ethan''s results in the alchemical field, he simply shook his head.


    ''It shouldn''t be too difficult for him to secure a spot in the imperial tournament,'' he thought as he prepared to leave.


    And just as he thought, Ethan managed to secure one of the remaining three spots.


    But he didn''t do it in the way everyone expected.


    At the end of his match with Xun Wei, the third and final round began, in which the three participants for the official tournament would be decided.


    The first two spots were more or less secured by Ethan and Xiang Hua, while Xun Wei and Yan Mei had to face off for the third spot. S~ea??h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The examiner asked if they wanted to take a break before the next match, but Ethan simply shook his head, saying there was no need.


    Xun Wei and Yan Mei were to face off for the third spot, but as for first place, Xiang Hua was supposed to compete with Ethan.


    In other words, their match was next, but that''s not what happened.


    Against everyone''s expectations, Ethan, who had said there was no need for a break, asked the examiner if he had already secured one of the spots.


    When the examiner, though with a puzzled expression, nodded, Ethan said without hesitation that he conceded the match to Xiang Hua.


    Both the examiner and the participants, who had finished their matches and were preparing to watch the game between the two, were left speechless.


    The one who took the greatest hit was Xun Wei, who ended up losing to Yan Mei in the competition, thus coming in fourth and consequently losing the last spot.


    Both sides had given their best, but unlike Xun Wei, who had finished preparing nine out of ten pills, Yan Mei prepared two high-grade pills and used the remaining 40 minutes to refine a low-grade level 2 pill.


    That single pill alone was enough to counter most of the pills Xun Wei had produced, and with the addition of the two high-grade level 1 pills, she secured the victory.


    Just like Xun Wei, she was still a beginner when it came to producing level 2 pills, but she decided to take the risk and successfully refined the pill.


    Xun Wei, who had entered with his head held high and back straight, returned with his heart broken, especially by the woman he loved.


    If Ethan had been there, he might have sympathized with the defeated, but after withdrawing from the last match, he took his medallion, indicating that he was one of the participants, and left.


    He had the feeling that if he stayed any longer, he would end up getting beaten by Xiang Hua, who was staring at him with a dead look in her eyes.


    Ethan had decided that he would never reveal his identity in front of her, because if she knew who he was, she would likely hunt him down.


    Ethan had decided to participate in the competition up to this point only because he needed to secure a spot.


    He had no intention of aiming for first place and wasting more time here, after all, what was an hour here was over four days in the Minor dimension.


    The sooner he returned, the sooner he could begin his closed-door training.


    Aside from cultivating and refining pills to accumulate large amounts of Qi and system points, he also had to do something about that cocoon in his spiritual sea.


    The cocoon needed a large amount of his Qi to hatch, and whether he liked it or not, it would continue to parasitize his body as long as it remained in the cocoon.


    Only after it hatched could Ethan and Bai Yu decide how to deal with it.


    According to Bai Yu, Ethan was not at risk of being harmed by it, since both of them seemed to be linked, and hurting him would mean hurting the creature in the cocoon.


    So, for now, they had one less worry.


    What remained to be determined was the type of creature inside it, because depending on the creature that emerged, he could benefit more or less from it.


    ??

 Chapter 134 - 134: Entering closed-door cultivation

    .


    Ethan, having just returned from the competition, immediately informed the sect master of his intention to go into seclusion to cultivate for about three months.


    Although three months wasn''t a lot, considering that cultivators often stayed in seclusion for years, it was still necessary to inform someone, to avoid any issues later on.


    Especially now that he was a direct disciple of the sect master, he couldn''t take these matters lightly.


    When he went to the sect master''s office to report this, he could tell that she had noticed he had already advanced to the third stage.


    She probably thought that he wanted to consolidate his cultivation since he had apparently reached the third stage.


    This was further confirmed when, before he left, his master asked him if he needed help finding a suitable spiritual beast for himself.


    Ethan replied that there was no need, as he had some personal contacts to acquire one when the time came.


    In fact, the best time to assimilate a spiritual beast''s soul was when one reached the peak of the third stage.


    From then on, he would have to cultivate the beast''s soul within his core and prepare it for the fusion that would occur in the fifth stage.


    Ethan could tell the sect master was a bit disappointed that he had declined her offer.


    Perhaps she was a caring sect master who wanted to help whenever she could?


    He thought this as he returned to his residence.


    Having left the competition early, he didn''t encounter Xian Hua when he went to visit the sect master, and he thought it was probably for the best.


    If she had examined his cultivation base, she might have had suspicions about his identity as the masked boy.


    That said, he didn''t prepare much and went directly into his minor dimension.


    Everything he needed was already present in his minor dimension, so he didn''t have to do much in the outside world.


    He knew this would be his first time in seclusion for such a long period, and he wasn''t sure if he would be able to endure it.


    After all, three months in the outside world would be 25 years inside the minor dimension.


    Ethan believed that if he cultivated in seclusion for that long, he risked going insane, but fortunately for him, he wasn''t alone, he had a dragon woman in his mind to converse with from time to time.


    His plan for now was to accumulate a certain amount of Qi each day by refining high-grade level 2 pills and use that Qi to work on strengthening his Dantian.


    In addition to this, he would continue his training with Bai Yu and learn more about dragons, their various characteristics, and abilities, so he could fully harness everything he had gained by assimilating their bloodline.


    His Dragon Gaze was currently the most powerful weapon in his arsenal, but precisely because of this, it was also difficult to use.


    No matter how much he improved his mastery of it, he would still encounter a fundamental problem: the energy consumption.


    Ethan had done some quick calculations and had come to the conclusion that by producing high-grade level 2 pills for 5 hours a day, it would take more than a year to reach the amount of Qi necessary to reach the peak of the third stage of cultivation.


    This time would be extended even further by the fact that to hatch the cocoon, Ethan would need to share part of the refined Qi with it, more precisely, almost half of the Qi, so it wouldn''t take just one year but over two years.


    This was just the beginning.


    Once he reached the peak, he would need the creature inside the cocoon to be ready for assimilation with him.


    A basic requirement for this had already been met, which was none other than forming a bond.


    Now, he needed to ensure that the creature would nest inside his Dantian and begin fusing with him from the inside.


    From what he had heard from Bai Yu, the process was much more complicated, but for him at this stage, that wasn''t important.


    Along with Qi, he would also gain an enormous amount of system points during this time and would have to decide how to use them best, since he had no idea what the future costs of his pills or abilities might be.


    According to a rough estimate, he could earn at least 1,350 SP per day if he refined high-grade level 2 pills during those 5 hours. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The list of tasks was long, and Ethan knew that it wouldn''t be easy to endure for such a long period.


    But he thought it was better this way.


    He intended to use every means at his disposal to become as strong as possible.


    With the incident in the forest not long ago, he was now on high alert, and if it was true that demonic Qi had appeared in the mortal plane, it wouldn''t be long before a catastrophe struck.


    He didn''t know when, but he knew that something like this could happen, and Bai Yu agreed with him on this.


    According to her, it wouldn''t take long before other similar incidents began to surface.


    Arriving in his minor dimension, he glanced at his ever-growing herb garden and couldn''t help but sigh in amazement.


    ''To think that it was just a small garden a few months ago,'' he thought, satisfied with his work over the past few months, which had been years within this space.


    He had expanded his garden multiple times, and now it was far from what it once was.


    Each herb now had its own large or small area, depending on the herb and its importance.


    With the great wealth Ethan managed to earn from selling his pills, he had ordered every type of rare and precious herb, cultivating them here and multiplying them in a short amount of time.


    If anyone saw the enormous variety of herbs, including some extremely rare ones, they would go mad.


    Even a grandmaster couldn''t claim to have an herb garden that could rival Ethan''s.


    In fact, if it were discovered that Ethan possessed all these herbs, he would be hunted to the ends of the continent.


    Ethan regretted not being able to get his hands on some extremely rare herbs that were hard to find, but for now, he was happy with what he had.


    Not that what he had was anything to scoff at.


    Ethan mainly had to rely on refining pills to gain Qi, as doing so normally would take too much time, more than he could afford.


    There were many pill recipes, but he had to rely primarily on those he currently knew.


    So, although his herb garden couldn''t be considered complete, filled with every kind of herb, the important thing was that he had the main ones for producing his pills.


    During this period, he knew he would accumulate a large amount of System Points, and he needed to choose a few pill recipes to upgrade.


    Upgrading all of them would deplete his SP in no time, but doing so for 2 or 3 was manageable.


    Opening the status screen, he went to the shop and looked at the recipes for some of the perfect-grade level 1 pills he already had.


    The cost to upgrade a perfect-grade pill to level 2 was 1000 SP.


    He had already upgraded his basic recovery pill recipe to low-grade level 2, so he found that recipe and checked how many SP it would take to upgrade it to the next grade.


    .


    [----------------------------------


    [Recovery Pill Recipe]


    Level: 2


    Grade: Low


    Description: A pill capable of fully recovering fatigue from intense training and increasing the healing of moderate injuries.


    The purity of this pill will be above 25% but below 50%.


    [Upgrade] (100 SP)


    -----------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the cost of 100 SP, Ethan wasn''t too surprised.


    He had paid around 2000 SP to get that high-grade level 2 recipe, but if you considered how many SP in total had already been spent to bring a recipe from level 1 to level 2, then the total costs were much higher, especially since this recipe was still at low grade.


    To bring it to mid-grade required 100 SP, but very likely, to bring it to high-grade would require 1000 SP or more.


    He deduced this based on how the costs of recipes had increased in previous grades.


    Almost every time, the costs increased tenfold.


    It was almost like a rule.


    And to confirm it, Ethan pressed [Upgrade] and raised the recipe''s grade.


    The familiar tingling sensation in his head, as he felt information being downloaded directly into his brain, didn''t take long to arrive.


    In less than a minute, the process was finished, and the recipe was successfully upgraded.


    Ethan didn''t waste time contemplating the new information but checked the status screen to see the new price of the pill.


    [Upgrade] (1000 SP)


    ''Just as I thought.''


    The price had increased tenfold.


    Now, there was a problem.


    If the price increased tenfold, didn''t that mean to reach perfect grade for this pill, he''d have to spend 10,000 SP?


    With just over a thousand System Points remaining, Ethan pressed the button to upgrade the recipe from mid-grade to high-grade.


    Again, the upgrade process took less than a minute.


    After it was done, Ethan immediately opened the pill screen and saw how much it would cost now.


    [Upgrade] (10,000 SP)


    "..."

 Chapter 135 - 135: The Vengeful Beast

    .


    Near the Phoenix Sect, in a shallow area of the Spirit Forest, a bloody battle to the death was taking place.


    The area of the Spirit Forest involved in the fight showed various signs of damage, from deeply dented trees to others that had been completely uprooted from the ground.


    The culprits behind all this destruction did not seem to care and continued their battle without the slightest distraction.


    Boom!


    At the sound of what seemed to be a small explosion, a cloud of smoke rose, and within seconds, a figure could be seen darting out and crashing into a series of trees.


    The mighty trees of the Spirit Forest, upon contact with the figure being thrown, couldn''t withstand the impact and were destroyed, adding more disorder to the already damaged area. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within a 100-meter radius, no beast could be seen wandering, and the closest ones were at least 300 meters away, rushing in the opposite direction from the battle between these two beings.


    At the end of the row of newly destroyed trees, a mantis the size of a grown adult could be seen, its body embedded into the trunk of a tree.


    The large mantis showed no signs of movement, demonstrating the lethal nature of the earlier explosion.


    The cloud of dust that had been raised began to settle, and the figure of another creature started to emerge from it.


    Unlike the mantis, the size of the second creature was much smaller, almost one-tenth that of the mantis.


    Squeak.


    Squeak.


    With a series of high-pitched squeaks, the small figure moved, disappearing from its initial position and reappearing in front of the lifeless mantis''s body, embedded in the trunk.


    The creature''s speed was fast enough to close the nearly 20-meter distance in an instant.


    Appearing in front of the lifeless mantis, the small creature squeaked a couple of times and then launched itself onto its body.


    It disappeared and reappeared again on the mantis''s head, and without hesitation, used its small fangs to tear through the mantis''s skull.


    After several seconds, the creature stopped, now holding a sphere half the size of its own small body.


    With the mantis''s beast core in hand, the creature opened its mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.


    Immediately after, the creature''s body began to be covered by a faint white glow, while small but noticeable changes started occurring on its body.


    Its entire body began to tremble and started growing slightly in size.


    If the creature had been 15 centimeters before, it now measured almost 20 centimeters.


    Even its outer appearance underwent some changes: its white fur became smoother and shinier, its eyes took on a scarlet hue, and its claws grew larger and sharper.


    The process itself lasted no more than a minute, and by the end of it, the creature that had once appeared cute now had a much more threatening appearance.


    Seeing that it had become stronger, the creature couldn''t help but let out a loud squeak, as if to assert its newfound power.


    "Wait for me, human. I''ll make you pay for all the suffering I''ve endured ," thought the creature as a series of painful memories flashed through its mind.


    Some time ago, while it had gone out to find food for its family, it ended up being captured by a human who treated it like merchandise and brought it to a market to be sold.


    The creature spent a long time in that cage, worrying about the fate of its family, as well as its own.


    After several days in the cage with no one buying it, a young man with long raven hair tied in a ponytail finally came and bought it.


    The human left a deep impression on it, as the small creature had never seen anyone haggle so persistently over the price of something.


    It should be known that even in the wild, beasts had to face their fair share of problems, and they often fought over the same thing.


    This situation seemed similar to the creature.


    In the end, the young human managed to get a good price for himself and took it home.


    The little creature, which resembled a mouse, didn''t know what would become of it, but seeing the crazy glances the human gave it while fiddling with a large metal object, it knew nothing good was coming.


    It feared for its life and knew it had to find a way to escape; otherwise, it likely wouldn''t survive.


    Even though it knew this, it made no effort.


    The days spent inside that cage had caused it to lose all hope.


    This lasted until something miraculous happened.


    The strange boy, who until recently had been staring intensely at it while muttering something like, "I''ll make sure you''re worth the money I spent on you," suddenly stopped what he was doing and rushed out of his room.


    The small, mouse-like creature, which had been thinking that the crazy boy was about to deal the final blow by feeding it those strange balls, sighed in relief, glad to have survived another day.


    Only then did it notice that, in his haste to leave, the crazy boy had forgotten to lock the cage.


    The little creature, realizing this, knew that either it escaped now, or it would remain there forever.


    Without hesitation, it fled from the cage and managed to slip out through the slightly open window.


    From there, it took some time, but it eventually found its way back to its den.


    It wondered how its family was doing and whether they had missed it during its long absence.


    Without hesitation, it entered its underground den and hurried to reach its family.


    But what it found upon its arrival was not a pleasant sight.


    On its knees, surrounded by the bones of its loved ones, it swore it would take its revenge.


    Shaking off the painful memories, the small, mouse-like creature climbed off the mantis'' corpse and headed in a new direction, ready to hunt its next prey.


    What had once been an innocent little mouse had, in just a few months, become the nightmare of many beings in the outer area of the Spirit Forest.

 Chapter 136 - 136: Zhao Ming

    .


    A week had passed since Ethan had gone to cultivate in the minor dimension, and during this time, nothing too significant occurred within the sect or the outside world.


    The peaceful lives of the disciples continued as they pursued their cultivation paths in a relaxed yet steady manner.


    Or at least, most of them did.


    In the inner area of the Phoenix Sect, where the core disciples resided, a young man with blue hair and gray eyes sat, glaring ahead at two disciples of the sect with an angry expression.


    "You''re telling me that after all this time, you still haven''t managed to find out who the sect master''s new disciple is?" he said, slamming his hand down on the wooden table in front of him.


    At the sound of the table hitting, the bodies of the two disciples trembled and one of them found the courage to speak up and explain.


    "Young Master Zhao, we''ve done our best to find any information on that person, but no one seems to know anything about him.


    We even tried asking the elders of the sect, but their answer was always the same: that we should wait for the sect master to introduce him.


    We also tried keeping watch from a distance near the building where the sect master''s office is, but aside from Senior Sister Xian Hua, we didn''t see anyone else who could be the new disciple," one of the two youths said hastily.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Ming''s frown deepened.


    He had been admitted to the sect just over a year ago, and due to his high scores in the entrance exam, he, along with three other disciples, had been admitted as inner disciples of the sect right from the start.


    But his achievements didn''t stop there.


    With a rare, special physique, above-average talent, and the immense wealth of his family, he progressed rapidly in his cultivation.


    When he entered the sect, he had already reached the first level of body refining.


    Within less than a month, he had reached the second, and in the following months, he continued in this manner, until, in less than a year, he reached the peak of the first stage of cultivation.


    It should be noted that the average person would take several months to advance even one level, let alone many.


    A normal person would take anywhere from 3 to 5 years to reach the peak of the first stage of cultivation, but with his talent, Zhao Ming had done it in less than a year, and in a few more months, he broke through to the Qi Refining stage.


    Due to his rapid progress, he was taken under the wing of one of the sect''s elders, and before long, he went from being an inner disciple to becoming a core disciple.


    Core disciples were considered the future pillars of the sect, and it was said that each of them possessed great talent.


    All these successes only served to fuel Zhao Ming''s sense of superiority even more.


    He was born into a wealthy and powerful family, possessed a rare, special physique, and had talent for cultivation far beyond others.


    He practically had all the cards to become the best, and as such, he didn''t want to settle for being just a core disciple.


    He wanted to become a direct disciple of the sect master.


    He knew that becoming a direct disciple wasn''t easy, as evidenced by the fact that in the past 40 years, the sect master had only accepted one disciple, and that was none other than Xiang Hua, a woman whom even Zhao Ming could respect, as her cultivation talent was not inferior to his.


    Thus, he did everything he could to attract the sect master''s attention, but he failed.


    He had already proven himself to be one of the best among the core disciples and had even asked to be taken under the sect master''s wing, but she rejected him without hesitation.


    For someone like him, who was used to getting everything in life without too much effort, this rejection felt like a slap in the face, but he didn''t give up.


    While his Zhao family was powerful, they couldn''t possibly think of challenging one of the most powerfull figures in the Long Empire.


    With just a word, she could bring his family from the stars to the dirt.


    Her influence in the empire, combined with her almost unparalleled strength, was not something to be taken lightly, so Zhao Ming didn''t act recklessly.


    Instead, he resolved to change the sect master''s mind.


    Although he had been spoiled by his family from a young age, talent wasn''t something he lacked, and combined with his personal efforts to become stronger, he was certain he would succeed in earning the sect master''s favor.


    Thus, he cultivated even more diligently and reached the third level of Qi Refining.


    He was only 21 years old and had already reached this level.


    At an age when many were still struggling with the first stage of cultivation, he was already climbing through the second.


    He thought that with his progress, perhaps this time the sect master would finally take him as her disciple, but it wasn''t so.


    As soon as he came out from closed-door cultivation, which had lasted several months, he learned that the sect master had accepted a new disciple.


    There was no need to say that the news hit him like a bolt from the blue. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What was even more unacceptable to him was that the person in question was an unknown, and no matter how hard he tried to find information on him, he couldn''t uncover anything.


    It was as if this individual had appeared out of thin air.


    He decided that he would track him down, and once found, he would challenge him to an official duel, where he would immediately deal him a crushing defeat.


    He thought that perhaps in this way, he would finally prove to the sect master that he had all the qualifications to become her disciple.


    But there was only one problem.


    The boy in question couldn''t be found anywhere.


    No matter how he searched, he couldn''t obtain any information on him.


    ''Just wait until I find you, then I will personally see what makes you so special that you can become a disciple of the sect master,'' he thought as his gray eyes glowed faintly with energy.

 Chapter 137 - 137: Long Yue

    .


    In the capital of the Long Empire, in a corridor of the royal palace, a maid was pushing a cart with various covered dishes on it.


    The light footsteps of the maid barely echoed along the marble corridor.


    The echo of her movements blended with the solemn silence of the great walls as she gracefully advanced towards a door that, beyond its heavy, intricately carved wooden panels, hid an inner garden.


    Gently pushing the door, the maid entered a small hidden paradise, colored green by various species of flowers and animals.


    The garden, though not too large, radiated a perfect calm.


    Flowers with pastel-like colors bloomed along the paths, and small fish darted in the clear waters of the fountain, unaware of the presence of the person sitting on the edge, observing them distractedly, lost in her thoughts.


    The maid moved delicately, careful not to disturb the serenity of the moment.


    She reached a shaded corner and carefully set up a small wooden table, adorning it with a steaming cup of fragrant tea and a plate of biscuits.


    After completing the task, she approached the girl sitting by the fountain, almost reaching her ears, and with a neutral expression, she said:


    "Young lady, I''ve brought you some tea."


    "AH!"


    The girl, with golden hair and eyes like emeralds, jolted at the maid''s sudden voice and ended up falling into the fountain.


    The maid, still with a neutral expression on her face, tilted her head and asked:


    "Young lady, why did you throw yourself into the fountain? Are you feeling hot? If you''d like, I can prepare a bath," she said, with an apparently confused expression.


    The girl, struggling to climb out of the fountain, looked at her wet dress and then at the maid''s confused expression.


    "Haa..."


    She sighed and simply shook her head, while seemingly circulating Qi through her body.


    "No, Fei Yi, I''m not hot; you just caught me off guard," she said, as the air around her warmed slightly.


    Water vapor started to rise from her robe, and within seconds, it was no longer wet.


    The maid, hearing her princess''s words, thought for a moment and then said:


    "I understand. Then I deserve the death penalty," she said with a neutral expression.


    "..."


    Long Yue, hearing these words and seeing the neutral expression of her maid, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    Finally, shaking her head, she approached the table the maid had prepared and sat down, asking:


    "I heard that my brother left on a journey to the north, to the White Tiger Kingdom. Is that true?"


    The maid, standing nearby, nodded and simply said:


    "Yes, His Majesty the Emperor has sent the young master Jian on some tasks in the White Tiger Kingdom."


    Hearing this, Long Yue''s expression changed slightly, and for a moment, she said nothing.


    Then, taking a sip from her cup, she said: sea??h th�� n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see."


    She didn''t have a good relationship with her father, the Emperor, as he had mostly neglected both her and her older brother, and she didn''t have a favorable opinion of him.


    Especially after an incident many years ago that led to her mother''s death.


    To her, the imperial palace was a cage, full of memories she didn''t want to remember, so she fled from it whenever she had the chance.


    She had tried to enroll in a sect so she could move there, but her father denied the idea, saying it was dangerous and unnecessary.


    In his view, there was nothing that the sects had that the imperial family didn''t already possess.


    From the strongest and most experienced cultivators to masters of all kinds, all her needs could be met here.


    At first, she thought he was doing it genuinely for her safety, as the imperial family didn''t lack enemies hidden in the shadows, ready to strike.


    But as time passed, she believed this less and less.


    For her, the events that led to her mother''s death were still fresh in her mind, and staying here was a constant reminder of those events.


    Clearing her mind of these thoughts, Long Yue turned to her maid and asked:


    "By the way, regarding the incident a few months ago, do you know if any action has been taken?"


    Having been hit by the wave of spiritual energy released from the portal, she had lost consciousness and remained unconscious throughout the incident.


    She only knew that she woke up the next day in the Phoenix Sect and only then learned of the creature that emerged from the portal and the battle between the creature and her older brother.


    She wondered what her brother had been doing in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    She was sure she had erased all traces of her escape.


    She had decided to move from the capital to another city to avoid being easily tracked, but during her journey, she ended up getting involved in the incident.


    In the end, she tried to leave, but her brother found her and brought her back to the family castle.


    Although her brother seemed fine when she met him, she could tell that wasn''t the case at all.


    She knew how strong her brother was, so she understood the gravity of the situation.


    It was impossible that her father wouldn''t take action after such a creature appeared out of nowhere in the empire.


    The maid nodded her head as she said:


    "Yes, His Majesty has scheduled a meeting after the end of the competition to be held in three months, and from what I''ve heard, he has also summoned the masters of the three great sects of the empire."


    She answered with her usual neutral expression.


    "The competition? Do you mean the annual alchemy tournament?"


    The maid simply nodded her head.


    The annual alchemy tournament was one of several yearly events held in the Long Empire.


    Among the many, in terms of importance, it was second only to the martial arts competition held every five years, where all the sects of the three empires regularly participated, sending their best disciples.


    Coincidentally, this year also hosted the martial arts competition, not far from the alchemy tournament.


    If she had to choose between the two, Long Yue would prefer to see the martial arts tournament, as it would give her an idea of what level her peers had reached.


    Alchemy wasn''t among her interests, and although she could produce a simple pill or two, it was more due to the fact that, as the emperor''s daughter, she was required to specialize in various fields, one of which would eventually become her future in a sense.


    Alchemy was one of those fields.


    She wasn''t forced to continue learning it, but at least some basics were necessary.


    Thinking about alchemy, she remembered an event that happened shortly before the incident in the Spirit Forest.


    She had been in the market of City Dino in the Phoenix Kingdom, trying to buy a herb that would have been useful during her journey, when she ended up bidding against a boy wearing the robes of an outer disciple of the Phoenix Sect.


    Remembering that boy, her mood darkened slightly as she muttered something like,


    "He made me waste too much money."

 Chapter 138 - 138: After 5 years

    .


    It had been some time since Ethan locked himself inside the minor dimension, and since then, almost 20 days had passed in the outside world, which meant 5 years had passed in the minor dimension.


    Inside the dimension, everything was calm and serene as always, and the rich vegetation continued to grow in peace.


    What had once been a fairly large herb garden had now nearly doubled in size.


    Given the time that had passed inside, the total dimensions of the garden should have been even more enormous, but Ethan eventually decided that further expansion wasn''t necessary. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For almost all the herbs he was cultivating here, there was already more than enough space, and expanding it further was pointless.


    So, he decided to stop and simply store the herbs that grew regularly here.


    If one were to look at his dimensional pocket, they would notice several compartments filled to the brim with every type of plant and medicinal herb.


    This amount alone would last him for several years if used sparingly.


    If converted into pills, it would yield at least a few thousand level 2 pills, tens of thousands of level 1 pills, and so on.


    One of the many reasons he decided not to expand the garden further was due to the maintenance it required.


    If he wanted the herbs to keep growing healthily, he needed to constantly tend to the garden.


    Some of the herbs were, in a sense, self-sufficient and didn''t need any special care, but many others required that every few months, Ethan would harvest them and tend to the soil, ensuring it maintained its properties.


    It was during moments like these that he contemplated the idea of hiring staff to work here.


    He had thought about it many times, and the idea was feasible.


    The basic problem was the risk of revealing the existence of his minor dimension, but if he made the staff sign a soul contract and agreed to live here permanently, it could save him from this concern.


    Of course, this plan had several flaws, not to mention that morally, Ethan didn''t think that was quite right, so he found himself back where he started.


    This was until, at one point, the system underwent an update.


    Two years after he had been inside, he finally reached the peak of the third cultivation stage, and now the only thing left was to wait for the cocoon of light to hatch and for the creature inside to finally be born.


    Although he had already reached the limit of this stage and had completely strengthened his Dantian, he couldn''t move on to the next step until he had assimilated the spirit beast inside the cocoon.


    Even the system didn''t give him the option to advance to the next stage in exchange for a certain number of SP this time.


    This only confirmed what Bai Yu had told him about the fragility of the human soul and how it wasn''t advisable to take the next step without that crucial element.


    An element that, over the last five years, had drained his Qi like a bottomless parasite.


    Finally, three years after reaching the peak of his current stage, a change occurred in the cocoon of light within his spiritual sea.


    Both Ethan and Bai Yu were already present, ready to witness the birth of the creature inside.


    They had both been waiting for this moment for five years and were eager to finally discover what creature was inside.


    Ever since Bai Yu had told him she felt some suppression of her bloodline, Ethan had been wondering what kind of creature was inside the cocoon.


    After all, according to what she had said, her bloodline should technically be one of the purest dragon bloodlines in existence, so it was rare to find another dragon that could have such an effect on her.


    According to her, even the current emperor of the dragon race had never had such an effect on her.


    Needless to say, after hearing this information, Ethan was even more wary of the creature inside the cocoon.


    "Are you sure it''ll be safe to let it be born?" Ethan asked for confirmation while both of them observed the changes happening in the cocoon of light.


    "I can''t say for sure, but the fact remains that you''ve already formed a bond of sorts, so there shouldn''t be any danger," she said.


    The intensity of the light emitted by the cocoon increased, and the figure inside began to twist more violently.


    The process continued for a while, and then it finally happened.


    CRACK!


    A crack appeared, and blue-green light leaked out.


    CRACK!


    And another, and then another.


    Within a few seconds, the cocoon began to fracture, covered in cracks, and then, without warning��


    BOOM!


    The cocoon of light exploded, sending a wave of black-green energy rippling out for at least 1,000 meters in Ethan''s spiritual sea.


    Though neither he nor Bai Yu suffered any backlash from this energy wave, Ethan felt his spiritual sea tremble as a black-blue-green cloud began to gather around the cocoon''s area.


    The cloud gave off a menacing feeling, and once released, as if it had its own will, it began to swirl, condensing at the center of the vortex it created.


    In no time, the vortex, which had a diameter exceeding two meters, shrank smaller and smaller until it was the size of a basketball.


    At last, the vortex began to calm, and the mist that had formed it started to dissipate.


    As the mist cleared, some features of the newly born figure became visible.


    A half-meter-long body, entirely covered in shiny black-gray scales.


    Two pairs of glimmering eyes that seemed to be a mix of black, blue, and green, and a slender, snake-like snout with an elegant, sharp form.


    Its mouth opened, revealing razor-sharp teeth, ready to catch any prey.


    Two small horns, resembling tree branches, extended backward from its head as it lifted its head majestically.


    Though the creature was newly born, Ethan could feel a strange, almost ancient aura emanating from it.


    Just as he was wondering what kind of being this creature was, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.


    DING!


    [Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a primordial chaos beast.]


    [Would you like to proceed with binding it to your soul?]


    [Y/N]

 Chapter 139 - 139: Primordial Chaos Beast

    .


    Upon hearing the term the system used to refer to the creature, Ethan froze for a moment.


    It wasn''t the first time he had heard about Primordial Chaos, also known as the Primordial Era.


    It was a period before the various planes of existence came into being, and according to what Bai Yu had told him, it was also the time when most of the ancestors of various races were born.


    ''Is it possible that...''


    Ethan considered a shocking possibility but then shook his head.


    ''No, that''s too absurd to be true,'' he thought, questioning more and more about the creature''s origins.


    Previously, Bai Yu had mentioned that she felt an instinctive suppression in her bloodline coming from this creature.


    She had said that this only happened when encountering someone with a stronger bloodline than her own, and the effect was stronger if the being was of the same species.


    This creature that emerged from the cocoon was a primordial chaos beast, not to mention a reptilian one.


    Now, Ethan didn''t want to call Bai Yu a reptile, since he wasn''t sure if she''d like being classified as such.


    He had read in many novels that dragons hated being associated with lower reptilian creatures.


    He didn''t know if the situation was the same in this world.


    That said, perhaps the creature wasn''t the ancestor of the dragon race but just a closer descendant in terms of bloodline?


    Ethan simply couldn''t believe he had ended up with the ancestor of dragons.


    As far as he knew, the ancestors of the various races of the Heavenly Plane had disappeared during the Primordial Era, and since then, no one had seen them.


    The more Ethan thought about it, the more he realized that there were too many mysteries surrounding this being.


    While Ethan was lost in his thoughts for a moment, forgetting even to respond to the system,


    Bai Yu, who was next to him, felt the creature''s gaze shift to her for a moment, and she sensed an invisible pressure reappear.


    The suppression was more of a invisible sensation that, at the moment, had no real effect on her or her soul. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the more she looked at this being, the more she felt a certain sense of familiarity with it.


    She could say that they were part of the same race, and given the current situation, this being undoubtedly had a purer bloodline than hers, probably even purer than the current dragon lord.


    If this being were to appear in the Celestial Plane, only the heavens could know what kind of havoc it would cause.


    The small snake-like creature, black with horns, had been looking around the entire time and finally fixed its gaze on Ethan.


    It felt an invisible bond between the two, instinctively wanting to approach him.


    Ethan, who had been lost in his speculations the entire time, couldn''t help but finally say to Bai Yu,


    "The Seven Sages Amphora seems to classify this creature as a Primordial Chaos beast," he said, addressing her.


    "What?!"


    Bai Yu, upon hearing this sudden information, almost had a heart attack.


    A Primordial Chaos beast.


    She, who had spoken about the Primordial Era and Primordial Chaos to Ethan, knew better than anyone about it.


    Thus, this information led her to have the same exact speculations as Ethan.


    For a moment, she too got lost in her thoughts, and while she did, Ethan returned his focus to the floating system screen in front of him.


    [Y/N]


    Ethan had been waiting for three years for the creature inside the cocoon of light to be born so that he could then assimilate its soul into his core and break through to the next stage.


    He had thought that once the moment came, the process would be difficult, as it required the creature''s consent as well, but seeing this system prompt, Ethan no longer thought that.


    He had come to trust the system''s ability to do things perfectly, in the sense that if it said it would do something, it would do it without harming him.


    Even the pain he felt the first few times he tried to learn and improve his pill recipes had never left any damage to his mind.


    Ethan had wondered how long it would take to convince and assimilate the soul of the spiritual beast into his core, but now it seemed he didn''t have to think much about that problem anymore.


    In the end, he mentally said, "Yes."


    Immediately after he did, a beam of light shot from his mind and struck the creature''s.


    The creature tried to resist the beam for a moment, but upon realizing it wasn''t harming it, it calmed down and watched what was happening.


    The beam of light disappeared after passing from Ethan to the creature, and shortly after, it returned, this time striking Ethan''s abdomen.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what had just happened, but he could feel a strange tingling coming from his dantian.


    He immediately closed his eyes and tried to perceive inside his core, and the sight of what was within destabilized him for a moment.


    The first time he managed to perceive inside his dantian was when he broke through to the second stage of cultivation.


    Back then, he could feel the Qi inside condensing and forming droplets of water, which were actually pure, refined Qi.


    The second time was when he reached the third stage, when the process of crystallizing the Qi inside his core began, expanding and strengthening it in preparation for hosting the soul of a spiritual beast within.


    Bai Yu had told him that once he reached the peak of the third stage, the perception of his inner core would become clearer, and he would, in a sense, be able to observe the space within.


    She had also said that the space formed within wouldn''t be small and would essentially be like a small dimension inside himself.


    It was in this space where the rest of everyone''s cultivation would progress.


    According to what he had learned from Bai Yu, beings who reached the peak of the Spirit Realm could even manifest their inner space in reality.


    Knowing this, Ethan expected to see a somewhat extended space inside him, perhaps a bit dark, where the spiritual beast''s soul would wander.


    But what he saw before him was something he had never expected.


    Something he had hoped never to see again.

 Chapter 140 - 140: Zhong Hei

    .


    Since arriving in this world, Ethan had encountered many situations where his life was at risk.


    The most recent of these was when he ended up being dragged into that dark space, where he found the cocoon of light, which had nearly absorbed him at the time.


    Back then, he had almost thought it was the end, but was saved just in time by the amphora of the Seven Sages.


    He didn''t expect to return to that place. From what he could see now, that space was within his Dantian.


    ''Fate sure loves playing cruel jokes,'' he thought as he noticed something strange about the place compared to the last time he had been there.


    Previously, the entire surrounding area had been covered in a bluish-greenish black cloud, charged with energy, with the giant cocoon of light at the center, surrounded by a large spiraling ring, likely formed from the condensed energy cloud found in this place.


    But now, everything was calmer.


    The cloud was still present, but in smaller quantities, and the sphere of light was no longer as intense as before.


    It was still there, large, with the translucent figure of the primordial chaos creature swimming inside, but it no longer had the same intensity, and the energy ring was gone.


    In short, everything seemed too peaceful.


    It no longer gave off that chaotic feeling from before.


    It was as if someone had unplugged the power cord, and now everything was still in the darkness.


    After examining the entire space inside his Dantian, Ethan returned to his spiritual sea.


    As soon as he emerged, he felt the connection between him and the creature grow stronger.


    He could sense what the creature was feeling at that moment, and it seemed the creature could feel him too.


    At that moment, he heard the system notification once again.


    [Primordial Chaos Beast Soul successfully assimilated]


    [Assign it a name: ��]


    A name?


    Ethan was a bit caught off guard by this request.


    He had never had a pet before, so he had no experience in naming a creature.


    In fact, now that he thought about it, he realized that he would spend a lot of time with this beast, so he would have to come up with a name to call it sooner or later.


    Given his previous worries, he had completely overlooked this matter, being more concerned about whether the beast inside would listen to him and whether he could successfully bring its soul into his Dantian.


    But now, those concerns no longer existed.


    Finally, he thought for a moment and decided on a name.


    Bending his knees slightly, he crouched down, looked at the creature in front of him, and, extending his right hand, he called out.


    "Zhong Hei, come here," he said gently, pronouncing its name directly.


    [The beast''s name has been set]


    [You can now view Zhong Hei''s status screen]


    The system seemed to have recognized the name he gave, and so did the creature.


    Upon hearing Ethan''s voice, it looked at his hand for a moment before slowly slithering toward it.


    At first, Ethan had decided to call it "Black Serpent," but then he thought that was too direct and not a great name.


    Then he remembered the circumstances under which they met and eventually came up with "Zhong Hei," which means "Midnight," essentially surrounded by darkness, just like he had been when he ended up in that strange space with the dark cloud.


    Considering the creature''s physical traits, Ethan thought it was a fitting name. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu, who was still nearby, raised an eyebrow when she heard Ethan call the creature by that name.


    From her previous experience with him, she knew the Ethan had a terrible taste in names, so she wasn''t expecting him to come up with something so fitting this time.


    ''It seems the bond between the two has strengthened,'' she thought, noticing the sudden familiarity they both seemed to show.


    After all, this was their first meeting.


    There was no way they could interact so easily, especially the creature, which instinctively should have been a bit wary of strangers, even if it was just born.


    Remembering the subtle light beam that had emerged from Ethan and struck the creature before returning, she could only assume that the process of assimilating the beast''s soul into his Dantian had been a success.


    Normally, the process for doing this was much different, but she could only guess what had allowed for such a quick result.


    After all, this wasn''t the first time she had seen that light beam.


    It had appeared before when Ethan''s spiritual sea had begun to collapse due to the pressure that had been imposed on it.


    The small creature, resembling a black horned serpent, slithered quickly and reached Ethan in a few seconds.


    Once in front of his hand, it paused, seeming to examine it for a moment.


    Hiss, hiss.


    It hissed a few times before gently touching Ethan''s open palm with its head.


    Even though it''s said that reptiles are cold-blooded, Ethan could feel a strange warmth emanating from the creature in front of him.


    Naturally, saying that reptiles were cold-blooded wasn''t entirely accurate.


    From what little he knew, they adapted to the temperature of their environment.


    In warmer environments, they gained heat, which allowed their metabolism to be more active, while in colder environments, their metabolism slowed down, allowing them to survive by consuming less food, a survival function they possessed.


    It wasn''t like other animals that had to maintain a certain internal temperature or risk getting sick and so on.


    This basic knowledge of beasts was one of the many pieces of information Ethan had acquired from the system when he gained access to the complete alchemical knowledge.


    More precisely, it was knowledge related to poisons and the species that carried them.


    He gently stroked the small serpent-like creature''s head for a bit before lowering his hand slightly, sending it a mental command.


    Immediately after, the creature coiled itself around his hand, slithering up to his shoulder and wrapping around his neck like a scarf.


    Ethan didn''t know how, but he wasn''t afraid of the creature.


    Like most people, he had an instinctive fear of snakes, and even though he was now a cultivator and knew that a creature of this type couldn''t harm him, that feeling was still there.


    But with Zhong Hei, he didn''t feel anything like that.


    He could only attribute this to their bond.

 Chapter 141 - 141: Advancement to the Fourth Stage

    .


    In these five years inside the minor dimension, Ethan had accomplished many things.


    From advancing his cultivation base to enhancing his skills, alchemical recipes, items, and more.


    During all this time, he hardly ever took a break, as when he cultivated to consolidate the acquired Qi and begin the crystallization process, he would also recover from physical fatigue.


    He constantly kept himself busy, wanting to make the best use of the time he had at his disposal.


    After the first two years of cultivation, he had to stop his pill-making routine, as they no longer provided him with the same benefits, as he could not accumulate any more Qi until he broke through his current stage.


    And to break through, he needed the cocoon of light to hatch, which took another three years.


    During these three years, while the cocoon absorbed part of his Qi, he focused on enhancing some of his abilities.


    Normally, Ethan would be much more selective about where to spend his system points, but the amount he earned during these two years was not small.


    It''s enough to say that he managed to save up more than 1,350 SP per day if he refined constantly for five hours a day.


    Multiplied by the two years of following this routine, the amount he had accumulated was around 950,000 SP, an exorbitant amount, even for him.


    Seeing this number, Ethan was filled with joy, but it didn''t last long.


    When he finally started upgrading his skill recipes and saw their escalating costs, he was shocked by the ever-increasing prices.


    A level 2 recipe of perfect grade cost a whopping 10,000 SP.


    A level 3 recipe of low grade cost 5,000, likely lower because it was of a lower grade within that level.


    But that didn''t last long either.


    The price for mid-grade went back up to 10,000 SP.


    Then came exactly what Ethan had feared:


    the price for a high-grade level 3 recipe was a staggering 100,000 SP.


    Although he hesitated, he bought it.


    He wanted to see if this rule of multiplying by ten would continue at higher levels, and unfortunately for him, it did.


    The price for a level 3 recipe of perfect grade was 1,000,000 SP.


    Seeing all those zeros lined up, Ethan nearly had a heart attack.


    One million.


    That was the price for just the perfect grade of a level 3 recipe.


    This amount was almost the equivalent of two full years of effort.


    Ethan didn''t even want to think about how much a level 4 recipe would cost.


    He was already happy with what he had, and for now, high grade was enough.


    Especially because, with his current alchemical abilities, he wouldn''t be able to easily refine pills beyond level 2.


    He had tried, and the result was exactly what he had expected.


    It was the same situation as when he had first obtained the level 2 recipe but couldn''t refine them as easily as he had with level 1 recipes.


    On this note, Ethan discovered that it was also possible to upgrade his alchemical abilities to the next stage, but when he saw the price, it stung his heart a little.


    [Price: 50,000 SP]


    Though reluctant, he decided to spend that amount of system points.


    He already had the level 3 recipes, so it made sense to elevate his abilities to that level.


    Now Ethan could be considered at the same level as a two-star alchemy master.


    If the outside world knew there was such a young alchemy master, it would cause an uproar throughout the kingdom.


    In the end, with his various purchases, his SP, which had once been 950K, was now just over 600K.


    This was without a doubt the most expensive expense he had ever made, but even he knew it was worth it.


    He hadn''t upgraded all of his recipes to level 3.


    Only the basic recovery recipe, which was also the most advanced one he had.


    The others, after reaching level 2 perfect grade, were not upgraded further.


    It was pointless to do so, as it would have been just a waste of SP.


    He had decided to bring at least 10 recipes to this level mainly because he could then register them in the system''s laboratory, allowing him to produce them up to this level using the system.


    He discovered that up to level 1, this was possible, but for higher levels, he had to personally refine 10 of each at perfect grade for that level.


    So, he decided to choose the 10 most important recipes and upgrade them to perfect grade, stopping at high grade for the others.


    There was no need to go further; after all, it wasn''t a small number, and it would have cost too many unnecessary SP.


    Ethan''s improvements ranged from his alchemical abilities to his physical skills.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Dantian Expansion (Level 10)


    Qi: 100,000/100,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 246 --> 341


    Agility: 231 --> 335


    Intelligence: 207 --> 304


    Soul Strength: 150 --> 168


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 585.130


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Even his spiritual artifact did not stay at the same level and increased in grade.


    .


    [----------------------------


    [Gold Cauldron]


    Name: Gold Cauldron


    Grade: High-Grade Spiritual Artifact


    Description: An ancient artifact, corroded by the passage of time, that has begun to reveal its former splendor.


    Perfect for refining more demanding pills, and thanks to its high durability, it can also serve as a good shield.


    Ability: Size Shifter


    Requirements for the upgrade:


    - Refine 10 Level 2 perfect-grade pills (10/10)


    - Refine 1000 Level 3 low-grade pills (1000/1000)


    - Refine 100 Level 3 mid-grade pills (100/100)


    - Refine 10 Level 3 high-grade pills (10/10)


    - Refine 1 Level 3 perfect-grade pill (0/1)


    -----------------------------]


    .


    It had gone from being a shiny bronze cauldron to a golden one, with its entire surface now covered in all sorts of inscriptions and symbols.


    The more the cauldron increased in grade, the more it resembled the amphora of the Seven Sages.


    Ethan had already completed most of the requirements for its upgrade to the next grade, but one was still missing.


    And that was none other than producing at least one level 3 perfect-grade pill, which meant spending 1 million system points.


    He lacked that sum, but even if he had it, he wouldn''t spend all that money right now.


    It would simply be too excessive a spending, even for him.


    Even at this grade, the cauldron could rival any cauldron out there.


    Ethan didn''t know the grade of the cauldrons used by grandmasters, but judging by the ones used by master alchemists, he could get an idea, and he was sure his cauldron wouldn''t lose to theirs.


    The cauldron had also become much heavier, and even with his strength at the peak of the third stage, he had to admit it was quite a struggle to move it. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He definitely wouldn''t be able to use it as a weapon easily, but given its increasing hardness, it should be sufficient as a shield.


    Ethan had significantly increased his strength in these five years, and he still had another 20 years in this place.


    If all went well, by the end of those 20 years, he would have reached the peak of the fourth stage, and perhaps even surpassed it.


    Just like in the previous times, after he had assimilated Zhong Hei''s soul into his Dantian, the system suggested an advancement.


    .


    [------------------------


    It''s possible to break through to the Soul Cultivation stage.


    Do you wish to proceed?


    [Y/N]


    Price: 10,000 SP


    -------------------------]


    .


    Ethan, opening the screen, stared at it for a few seconds.


    Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind and proceeded to press "Yes."


    The process of advancing to the next stage began.


    At this stage, the cultivator had to deepen the bond with their spiritual beast until, in the end, the two would completely merge.


    He had no idea what to do at first, so he left everything in the hands of the system, just like he had done with the previous cultivation stages.


    Immediately after the process started, Ethan felt fluctuations coming from his Dantian.


    He thought the advancement process would start from there, and he was right.


    In his Dantian, in that space with the now-dim luminous sphere that was once radiant, it began to react to the fluctuations of Qi converging in the Dantian.


    Little by little, it started to glow again, and around it, a bluish-green mist began to accumulate.


    The surrounding mist was slowly drawn toward the sphere, and once it arrived, it gathered around the sphere, forming a thin ring of energy, far from the one Ethan had seen long ago.


    The ring of energy condensed more and more as the surrounding cloud accumulated in it.


    At a certain point, it stopped absorbing the cloud, and a slight change could be noticed in it.


    The ring had begun to move.


    Although slowly, the rotating movement that the previous ring of light had returned, and as it moved, light electrical discharges emanated into the surrounding area.


    Soon after this phenomenon occurred in his Dantian, Ethan felt a tingling sensation coming from all the meridians in his body, receiving a sudden surge of energy.


    Gradually, the heat in them increased, and some of them could be seen burning, only to regrow afterward.


    "Argh!"


    This process, just having started, brought Ethan sudden and immense pain, and he had to do everything he could to keep his mind stable as he endured the advancement process.

 Chapter 142 - 142: Bai Yu Reborn

    . Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sensation of his damaged meridians being repaired, only to be damaged again, was far from pleasant.


    Especially because the process wasn''t limited to just the meridians.


    It moved from the meridians to the muscles and then attacked the nerves of the body.


    One after another, these bursts of energy passed through different parts of the body, and wherever they went, they left behind a series of damage that was immediately repaired.


    Gradually, these surges moved higher and higher, and in the end, through the nervous connections, they reached the brain.


    It was at this moment that Ethan realized he was in trouble.


    A fierce scream escaped his mouth as he did his best to hold back the cries of pain.


    At a certain point, blood started to flow from all seven of his orifices.


    First the eyes, then the ears and nose, and finally the mouth.


    The more the pain grew, the more blood flowed from his body.


    For a moment, Ethan thought it was impossible for him to bleed inside his spiritual sea, but what he didn''t know was that his mind was currently replicating exactly what was happening to his real physical body.


    Bai Yu, who was witnessing the entire process, seeing Ethan continuously struggle against the pain, couldn''t help but shake her head as she thought.


    ''Any matter related to the soul is very delicate, and no matter what is done, the result will always bring a certain amount of pain,''


    For Example:


    Simply touching the skin wouldn''t hurt anyone, but let''s imagine the skin being torn away, leaving only the exposed muscles visible.


    Now, if someone were to lightly touch the surface of those muscles, the person would feel a certain amount of burning pain.


    And that''s just the skin we''re talking about.


    Now consider the human body as the skin, and once it''s removed, what remains is the soul.


    If we were to repeat the earlier situation, but this time touching the soul, the pain would be many times worse.


    Ethan''s soul was not just being touched, but grabbed and manipulated, as the bond between him and the beast''s soul grew stronger and stronger.


    At this stage of cultivation, Ethan should have been creating a series of connections between him and the spiritual beast''s soul so that when he fused the body and soul, bringing them into greater harmony, the process would proceed without too many complications.


    The only good thing in all this was that Ethan didn''t have to keep his mind stable, as he wasn''t the one handling the process, but rather, the system was.


    All he had to do was endure the pain and hold out until the process was over.


    Only once he successfully broke through this stage would he have to take care of these steps on his own, just as he had done in the third stage of cultivation.


    And so, while Bai Yu remained silently on the side, Ethan''s mental torture continued.


    Ethan didn''t know how long it had been going on, but at a certain point, the pain finally stopped, and with the sudden sensation of relief, he lost consciousness.


    As he slept, a few system notifications echoed in his mind.


    [Congratulations to the host for breaking through into the Soul Cultivation stage.]


    [...]


    While Ethan was finally entering the Soul Cultivation stage, high in the sky of his sea of consciousness, a certain artifact was undergoing some changes.


    The familiar series of symbols lit up once more, with one of them eventually losing its brightness, which evaporated from it and descended downward.


    The number of illuminated symbols had gradually decreased as Ethan progressed in his cultivation, and now fewer than half remained active.


    The day when Bai Yu would obtain complete freedom was drawing near.


    The glowing dust descended, and before long, it reached near Bai Yu and Ethan.


    Without stopping, it moved toward Bai Yu and wrapped around her.


    Bai Yu, seeing this phenomenon, wasn''t alarmed, in fact, she seemed to have a certain gleam of anticipation in her eyes as she closed them and waited for something to happen.


    Outside Ethan''s sea of consciousness, the forehead of an unconscious Ethan lying on the ground began to glow, and luminous particles flowed out of it.


    The particles flowed out in large quantities, and little by little, they began to condense in one spot.


    Gradually, a figure began to take shape, and in another 20 seconds, the completed figure of a woman with silver-gray hair materialized next to the unconscious Ethan.


    Bai Yu, who had materialized outside, slowly opened her eyes as she raised her hands and moved them to feel their sensation.


    "Haa, I can finally feel my body," she said with a voice that contained a certain joy.


    Previously, when she materialized outside the sea of consciousness, it was nothing more than her spiritual form condensed outside the spiritual sea.


    Over time, that form had become solid enough to interact with the outside world, but it was still a spiritual form.


    The things she could do were very limited.


    In fact, she was barely able to carry out some of the instructions Ethan had given her when he was burned and needed her to heal him.


    But now, it was no longer the case.


    This was not her spiritual form but her body.


    It was Bai Yu in flesh and bone.


    If Ethan could see her now, he would be shocked, because the current her was not the usual one he was used to seeing, either outside or within the spiritual sea.


    She was much more beautiful, with more delicate and defined facial features, alabaster-white smooth skin, and flowing silver-gray hair as soft as silk.


    No matter from which point of view she was looked at, the current Bai Yu was significantly more enchanting than the one Ethan had been accustomed to seeing.


    Bai Yu''s crystalline blue eyes shimmered for a moment as they moved toward Ethan''s body.


    Suddenly, Ethan''s bloodied body was surrounded by a thin layer of blue energy, and he began to float.


    She moved her hand, and a bed materialized from nowhere, as if she had used the air to fabricate it.


    She placed the unconscious Ethan on it.


    However, unlike before, Ethan wasn''t bleeding or battered anymore.


    In fact, he looked as good as new, as if he was just peacefully resting.

 Chapter 143 - 143: The Sweet Taste of Freedom

    .


    Ethan didn''t know how long he had been unconscious, but as he finally began to regain consciousness, he felt a soft sensation cradling him, one he didn''t want to part from.


    So, like a typical student wanting to sleep for five more minutes, he let his mind dive once again into the depths of imagination and drifted back to sleep.


    But as he did, a fleeting thought crossed his mind.


    ''Strange, I haven''t slept in a long time. Why am I sleeping now?''


    This thought was like a small spark that triggered a chain reaction of thoughts, igniting his reason, which had been nearly dormant, to awaken.


    With a jolt, he opened his eyes and sat up, scanning the surrounding environment for answers.


    He immediately recognized the familiar interior of his minor dimension and calmed down a little.


    Then, he realized that the soft sensation he had been feeling came from none other than...


    ''What the heck is this?'' he thought as he examined the single bed, which seemed to be made of condensed clouds, soft like cotton.


    Ethan was sure he had never brought anything like this into his minor dimension, nor had he ever seen this bed here before. So he wondered for a moment where it came from.


    Gradually, his mind settled, and the events before his collapse resurfaced in his memory.


    ''Right, I was breaking through to the fourth stage,'' he thought as he immediately opened his status screen to see if he had succeeded.


    Not that he doubted the system''s abilities, but it had become a habit for him to confirm his progress through the information on the system screen.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Cultivation (Level 1)


    QI: 0/200,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 341 --> 361


    Agility: 335 --> 355


    Intelligence: 304 --> 324


    Soul Strength: 168 --> 173


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 585,130


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing his new stats, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ''Looks like I broke through without any issues,'' he thought, reassured that he hadn''t ended up like a charred barbecue, like the last time he had interacted with the space now present in his dantian.


    Then, he noticed the QI requirements to level up again, and his good mood was instantly shattered.


    Even though he had realized that the QI value seemed to increase every time, seeing a number like that was far from encouraging. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan still believed the remaining 20 years here would be enough to make significant strides in this cultivation stage, but that also depended on several other factors.


    Not wanting to look at that string of zeros any longer, he examined his stats and immediately noticed something.


    ''Wait, haven''t they increased by 20 instead of 10?!''


    All his stats, except for soul strength, had increased by at least 20 points, which was double the gain from previous levels.


    He wondered if it would be the same for future levels as well.


    He also noticed that his soul strength hadn''t increased by 2 points, but by 5, which was more than double.


    While he was noticing these changes, he failed to realize that he wasn''t alone in this area.


    While he was on that small wooden platform with a cone-shaped roof, not far from his bed, a woman sat on a single chair, made of the same soft material as the bed Ethan was resting on, watching him with an amused glint in her eyes.


    Bai Yu, after finishing taking care of Ethan, spent some time savoring the sensation of having a real physical body again, rather than a mere condensation of spiritual QI.


    She strolled through Ethan''s vast herb garden, savoring the air and the feel of the grass against her bare feet.


    She felt more in harmony in this place.


    She had always wondered when she would finally be free.


    Although Ethan''s progress was far beyond what she could have imagined, it still wasn''t guaranteed that the seal of the Amphora of the Seven Sages would loosen enough to allow her to fully reconstruct her physical body.


    Her situation had undoubtedly improved since meeting Ethan, compared to before when she spent her time alone and in silence within the amphora''s internal space.


    Back then, she would occasionally wake every ten or twenty years, only to see that she was still there.


    Although she had long since transcended the mortal realm and was accustomed to long periods of isolation while cultivating, it didn''t mean she didn''t feel any sense of loneliness.


    It was simply that her mental strength, amplified by her high cultivation base and long years of life, muted the effects of that loneliness, so she didn''t feel them as strongly as a normal person would.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, she finally noticed Ethan beginning to stir and decided to return to the wooden platform.


    She wondered how Ethan would react upon seeing that she no longer had an abstract form, but a real body.


    She arrived at the scene and waited for him to wake up.


    Ethan furrowed his brow a little, but then, as if not wanting to wake up, he returned to sleep just as deeply as before.


    Just as she was about to throw some cold water on him to wake him up, she saw him suddenly sit up and stare around the single bed.


    She didn''t understand what had caused this reaction but didn''t think much of it until she saw him acting strangely, muttering strange things, with his expression shifting constantly from surprise to joy, to sadness, and back to joy.


    This odd behavior reminded her of someone.


    Someone she had traveled and shared many experiences with.


    Seeing this side of him, almost involuntarily, without her even realizing it, a slight smile appeared on her face.


    In the end, she conjured a floating chair made of what seemed like shaped clouds and sat down comfortably, waiting for the weirdo in front of her to return to the real world.


    And that moment didn''t take long to come.


    Ethan, having finally processed his new improvements, noticed the presence of a second person nearby, and for a moment, he almost panicked.


    Then, letting out a slight sigh, he realized the figure seemed familiar.


    Just as he finally focused on the person sitting not far from his bed, his expression froze.

 Chapter 144 - 144: Trust

    .


    Ethan''s breath almost caught in his throat as he admired the sight of the person sitting not far from him.


    ''W-wait, is that Bai Yu?''


    He thought, as his mind struggled to process the image of the woman sitting in front of him.


    He had already seen Bai Yu''s physical form, and although he found her very beautiful and attractive, he had developed a certain level of resistance against her natural beauty.


    But now, all that resistance seemed useless as the goddess-like woman, with a slight smile on her face, looked at him.


    ''Damn, why the hell has she suddenly become even more beautiful than before?


    Is it possible I''m still dreaming?'' he thought, instinctively trying to pinch himself.


    With some effort, he managed to pinch his extremely resilient skin, and noticed that the scene in front of him didn''t change.


    ''Wait a second... why does her appearance seem so... real?''


    It didn''t take long for Ethan to realize that, aside from the fact that she somehow seemed even more beautiful than before, everything about her appeared so real, almost as if she wasn''t a spiritual manifestation but rather a real body.


    Thinking about this possibility, his eyes widened as he said:


    "Have you regained your physical body?" uncertain about his own assumption.


    Upon hearing Ethan''s words, Bai Yu''s smile widened, and Ethan, noticing this change, received yet another critical blow.


    ''This woman has become even more dangerous,'' he thought, referring more to her natural beauty.


    "So, what do you think? Don''t you agree I''ve become even more charming than before?" she said, finally standing up and dispersing the cloud chair.


    Hearing her, Ethan almost instinctively wanted to give a positive response but held himself back with great effort and said:


    "You''re not much different from before," he said, but in his mind, he was thinking something else.


    ''Come on, Ethan, don''t fall into temptation.


    Resist, for the sake of your pride as a man,'' he told himself mentally, trying to strengthen his resolve against her. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After finally calming down a bit, he asked:


    "Now that you have regained your physical form, will you still be able to enter my spiritual sea?" he asked, considering this possibility.


    He could sense that under the surface of his spiritual sea, Bai Yu''s gigantic draconic form seemed to have disappeared.


    This instinctively made him wonder if she could still enter his sea of consciousness, and the answer was:


    "Yes, although I''ve almost completely freed myself from the seal of the amphora, a part of me is still inside it.


    For example, at this moment, my cultivation base is only slightly higher than a cultivator at the Fifth Stage who has just broken through.


    A large part of my original cultivation is still sealed inside the amphora, which resides in your spiritual sea.


    I can still manifest a piece of my soul in your spiritual sea," she said.


    At this information, Ethan felt a certain sense of relief.


    He wasn''t sure why, but knowing this reassured him a bit.


    ''Maybe I''ve gotten too used to her presence in my head,'' he thought, shaking his head a little.


    Finally, he brushed off these thoughts and asked what she intended to do now.


    Although her cultivation base was only at the early Fifth Stage, there were few individuals in the mortal realm who could pose a threat to her, so she could easily go out and explore the outside world.


    Ethan thought this was what she wanted; after all, she had spent centuries inside the amphora.


    If he had been in her position, he would have done what he had avoided doing multiple times in his previous world.


    Go out and touch some grass.


    Literally, in this case.


    "I think I''ll stay here with you inside.


    The environment here isn''t bad at all.


    It''s serene, and not much different from what''s outside," she said, glancing at the vast plantations of various herbs that, from a distance, gave a beautiful picturesque view.


    "Although, I wouldn''t mind going outside for a while once you''ve finished your isolation in here.


    What do you say?


    You''ve got such a beautiful woman in front of you, and you''re not even proposing to take her out?" she teased him once again.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at this new side of Bai Yu.


    And without holding back, he responded.


    "A beautiful woman, huh? Where is she? Why doesn''t she show herself?"


    With that said, he was glad to see that she hadn''t turned out to be the typical ice-cold woman often depicted in the novels he used to read in his old world.


    Although his initial impression of her was indeed that, over time, she had opened up a bit, showing her true personality, which apparently was quite playful.


    Ethan would never admit it, but deep down, he didn''t mind this side of her.


    He realized that even his initial wariness toward her had faded over time.


    He didn''t know if this was a good thing or not, but he knew it made no sense to dwell on it now.


    It wasn''t bad to have someone to rely on for once in his life.


    In his previous world, he hadn''t had such a person, and in this one, he had almost two.


    Thinking for a moment about the second person, Ethan corrected his thoughts.


    ''Well, maybe one and a half.''


    Poor Da Shu, without any reason, ended up being treated this way.


    Ethan then remembered someone else who was not currently present here.


    ''Hm, I wonder what happened to Zhong Hei.''


    He did a search mental check, and soon found him.


    Apparently, the little creature had fallen asleep inside his sea of consciousness.


    Ethan wondered if he could bring him out of his spiritual sea and tried sending a mental transmission to the creature.


    The little being, who was peacefully asleep, woke up upon receiving Ethan''s thoughts and was confused for a moment, not knowing what to do.


    Then, as if a light bulb went off in his head, it moved as its body vibrated slightly, releasing a thin layer of greenish light.


    That layer completely enveloped it, and as if by magic, it disappeared from his sea of consciousness and appeared before him.


    ''Hm? So I can summon it mentally?'' he thought, wondering if he could also reverse the process.


    The small creature, resembling a black serpent with horns, recovered and looked around, examining its new surroundings.


    Now with this issue resolved, Ethan thought it was time to resume cultivating.


    He had already taken a long enough break due to his problem with the cocoon of light.


    Now that he had settled that issue and successfully broken through to the Fourth Stage,


    it was time to resume cultivating and lay the foundations for the next cultivation stage.

 Chapter 145 - 145: Soul Cultivation Stage

    .


    Ethan, now in the stage of Soul Cultivation, had begun to accumulate sufficient Qi for this level, doing exactly what the name of this cultivation stage implied:


    cultivating the soul, more precisely, cultivating the acquired spiritual beast and making it increasingly compatible with his own.


    The process that Ethan underwent during his breakthrough served only to prepare his body for what was to come next.


    How this process occurred and what effects it would have on the cultivator varied from person to person.


    People were different, and so were the spiritual beasts they acquired.


    When a spiritual beast was absorbed into one''s Dantian, the resulting process would differ for everyone.


    This was because the spiritual beast would have its own characteristics, to which the cultivator''s body had to adapt.


    Although these characteristics diminished as the cultivator''s compatibility with the spiritual beast increased, they were still present, and the cultivator needed to prepare their body to host and successfully cultivate with the spiritual beast.


    The adaptation process that Ethan''s body experienced was the electric sensation that coursed through his entire body, moving from his meridians to his nerves, reconstructing them and making them more compatible with the spiritual beast.


    This process was very delicate, and often cultivators preferred to have assistance from someone since the pain could cloud a person''s mind, and it was a challenge to maintain enough concentration to guide this adaptation process.


    For Ethan, this was not the case as he only had to assist while the system handled the rest of the work.


    Unfortunately for him, he would have to do it himself from now on;


    after all, he couldn''t expect to surpass this stage without learning more about the spiritual beast he had acquired.


    The amount of Qi required for level 2 was enormous, and it was not something he could accumulate in just one day of refinement.


    He had refined for only 5 hours a day, spending the rest of the time consolidating his expanded Dantian.


    Now he had to do something similar.


    He would first gather enough Qi, and only when he felt it was sufficient would he stop and begin the soul cultivation process.


    For the previous stage, it took him about five hours to accumulate a good amount of Qi, but now he would have to refine a bit more.


    After nearly 6 hours of refining, he finally sighed as he stored away his pill refinement materials.


    He had refined a batch of level 3 pills to obtain more Qi in less time.


    The refining time for a level 2 pill was about 20 minutes, while the refining time for a level 3 pill was almost half an hour.


    A low-grade level 3 pill provided him with 100 SP and 30 Qi.


    The amount of SP he received was nothing to take lightly.


    Compared to the 30 he received from a high-grade level 2 recipe, this was more than three times greater.


    But the extra time spent refining it was no small matter either.


    He could refine three level 2 pills in 20 minutes, while he was refining one level 3 pill in 30 minutes.


    He had to admit that the difference between these two stages was much greater than he had expected.


    The materials for refining three level 3 pills were far more than Ethan was used to using at one time.


    In the end, he brushed aside these thoughts and focused more on the refined Qi that was circulating in his Dantian.


    He entered a meditation pose with crossed legs and proceeded.


    His method of soul cultivation would be identical to what he had perceived during the breakthrough, that is:


    He would have to manipulate the pure Qi to fuel the bluish-green mist that would then be used to strengthen and expand the spiral light ring that was revolving around the sphere of light.


    From what he had observed, this ring was what was directly fueling Zhong Hei''s soul that resided within the sphere of light.


    Apparently, the sphere acted as a container that would aid in the cultivation process of the spiritual beast.


    Ethan proceeded to condense the Qi, ensuring that it didn''t condense too much and become liquid.


    What he had to do was create clouds of Qi, which, due to the properties of the environment, would take on the same form as the bluish-green cloud.


    The time it took just to make this step was by no means short.


    Indeed, it took him a full 3 hours to produce the first cloud of bluish-green color.


    He condensed it even more until he felt it was enough.


    At this point, the cloud was quite visible and charged with energy.


    Now, what he had to do was produce many more and direct them gradually towards the light spiral.


    This would require not hours, but days.


    Fortunately for Ethan, time was not an issue for him here.


    He followed the same routine he had established on the first day, then the second, the third, and the fourth, transforming this into his new routine.


    He would accumulate a certain amount of Qi, refine it, condense it, and then repeat the process all over again.


    Ethan would have to do this for about 100 days before reaching the peak of his level and finally advancing to level two.


    To confirm his earlier assumption about the increase in his statistics, Ethan opened his status screen and looked at how much they had increased this time.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Cultivation (Lvl.1 �� Lvl.2)


    Qi: 1420/300,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 361 �� 381


    Agility: 355 �� 375


    Intelligence: 324 �� 344


    Soul Strength: 173 �� 178


    [Shop] S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 1,205,170


    -------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing the updated values on his status screen, Ethan could confirm his assumption.


    ''Well, this explains why it''s said there is a great difference in strength after the third cultivation stage,'' he thought, also confirming some of the things he had learned about this stage of cultivation from the sect''s texts.


    It was said there that the difference between a third stage and a fourth stage was too great, and this was due to the significant improvement gained by assimilating a spiritual beast''s soul into one''s Dantian.


    For Ethan, this was good news.


    Now what he had to do was take a few days to acclimate to his new cultivation base and then resume cultivating as he had done in the last 100 days.


    And so, Ethan spent the next 20 years cultivating with a certain consistency, never taking too many breaks.


    And in the blink of an eye, his long and tedious isolation for cultivation had finally come to an end.

 Chapter 146 - 146: Dissatisfaction and opportunity

    .


    There is one week left until the start of the tournament, but the imperial capital,


    despite its troubles, was already full of all kinds of people arriving from the three kingdoms of the empire.


    To avoid any delays, people came a bit earlier.


    Many did it for this reason;


    others, for example, wanted to explore the capital a bit since they were new or visit some acquaintances and so on.


    Every year was like this, and this was both considered a good and a bad thing by many.


    For the merchants of the imperial capital, more people meant more opportunities to earn.


    After all, many of those who arrived would be new and would at least try to explore the capital and make some purchases.


    Many others considered it a bad thing because the incoming people wouldn''t be easy to handle.


    Many of the participants in the tournament were members of important families and sects;


    when people of this level gathered, it was difficult for conflicts not to arise.


    This time of year was therefore considered problematic for the city guards, who, although they reported directly to the imperial castle and could manage most of the disturbances, always found one or two individuals that were too significant for them to handle.


    Essentially, during this time of year, the capital was always relatively lively.


    However, this festive atmosphere was not shared by some at this moment.


    In a luxurious restaurant in the commercial area of the capital, a group of seven individuals sat around a table adorned with various drinks and food.


    Four females and three males.


    They were none other than the group of participants from the Phoenix Sect.


    At one end of the table sat two girls, one in her 20s and one in her 30s.


    They were none other than Xiang Hua and Yan Mei.


    At the opposite side sat two males and a female, also aged between their 20s and 30s.


    Beside them was an elder from the medicine pavilion, tasked with bringing the group of participants to the competition and returning them safely.


    She also looked like she was not much older than 30, but if her true identity was known, it would be clear that she was much older than her appearance suggested.


    In the world of cultivation, women, in particular, paid great attention to their physical appearance, so they had no qualms about spending some of the Qi they refined in their Dantians to maintain a relatively youthful look.


    Generally, all high-level cultivators appeared much younger than their actual age, but there were always methods to ensure they looked even younger.


    And finally, at the opposite end from the woman, sat a young man who seemed to be just over 20 years old.


    Despite the presence of such delicacies, many at the table wore grim expressions at that moment.


    The only one among them who seemed to have a serene expression was the young man who looked just over twenty.


    He was none other than Xun Wei, and at that moment, he had a particularly happy expression, as there was a good chance for him to take Ethan''s place in the competition.


    A few days ago, in the capital of the Phoenix Kingdom, all the participants from the city of the phoenix had gathered outside the medicinal pavilion in preparation for their departure to the capital for the tournament.


    Among all the participants, one was missing, and he was none other than the masked boy.


    They had waited for almost an hour, but he did not show up.


    In the end, while they were deciding to leave, a letter was delivered to them. S��arch* The N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a letter from the masked boy.


    In shirt, it told the others to leave without him and that he would join them before the start of the competition.


    This, of course, did not sit well with anyone present, especially the elder from the medicine pavilion, who, seeing this behavior, could not understand how such an individual could secure one of the three available spots.


    She already had a bad impression of him due to what had happened during the last round of the competition for participant selection.


    And now with this, she was particularly displeased.


    They decided to leave since they knew nothing else about the masked boy, so they wouldn''t even know where to look for him.


    The elder decided to bring the fourth-placed individual as a backup plan, in case the masked boy didn''t show up in time.


    She had mentally decided that if the person did not show up within five days of the tournament''s start, she would automatically eliminate him from the team.


    Xun Wei, sensing that he had a chance to participate in the tournament, was happy and maintained that state of mind the whole time.


    They had already been in the capital for a few days, and only one day remained until the deadline set by the elder.


    Usually, she would not tolerate such behavior, but since the person in question had already proven to be more than capable, crushing Xun Wei in their last match, she decided to wait.


    After all, she had to save some face for the elder who presided over their competition.


    And eliminating the masked boy, regardless of what he had said, would only unnecessarily complicate the situation between the two, and she had no desire to do that.


    They were both high-ranking alchemists, and it was better to have more allies than enemies at their level;


    not that this issue would make them enemies, but the situation would surely become tense.


    With all these considerations, she waited.


    God knows how much Xiang Hua had already blamed Ethan in her mind.


    She was already angry because he had given up on their match, and now this.


    She had decided that if she had the opportunity, she would teach him a lesson.


    Yan Mei, on the other hand, didn''t know what to think of this person.


    Aside from the fact that she didn''t like that he was better than her, and by a lot, she had no other impression of him.


    She was more focused on figuring out how to improve her skills.


    Since the competition where she had failed to secure one of the three spots with relative ease, she ended up almost not obtaining it at all, and this fact dealt a hard blow to her.


    As soon as she returned, she immediately began training her skills with her grandfather, who, although he didn''t know what had gotten into her, was pleased that her desire to learn was stronger than before.


    And the improvements she made during this period of time were not few.


    She was now at a level where refining level 2 pills of low-grade had become relatively simple, with a success rate exceeding 70%, which was extremely good,


    especially considering how long it took her to achieve this result.


    Of course, she was not the only one to improve;


    even Xun Wei, who had been eliminated, trained and improved his skills more, and he had reached a level very similar to hers.


    And so, while everyone was engaged in their thoughts, whether good or bad, they finally noticed someone approaching them.


    Even the elder from the pavilion, seeing the person and noticing the black mask on his face, realized that he was probably the one in question.


    ''Finally he has arrived. Let''s see how he justifies himself,'' she thought, not intending to let him go so easily.


    But then she noticed something strange, more like an invisible atmosphere surrounding him that gave a suppressive feeling to all those present.


    ''Hm? What is this feeling?''

 Chapter 147 - 147: End of closed-door cultivation

    .


    Currently in the minor dimension.


    The internal environment of the dimension had not changed much compared to before, or at least that was the case in the area where Ethna''s herb garden was located.


    Beyond this, the rest of the place had undergone several significant changes.


    The small forests he had planted had now grown larger and denser.


    The few animal populations he had introduced into this dimension had reproduced and populated the small world, filling it with more life.


    From time to time, small groups of birds could be seen flying over the area of Ethna''s garden, but strangely, none of them even thought of approaching, not even a little bit closer.


    The animals here instinctively sensed danger in that area, so they kept as far away as possible.


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, the geography of his minor dimension had also changed slightly.


    The forests were not the only thing, as more mountains appeared at certain points.


    All of this happened mainly about a month ago.


    At that time, a massive explosion occurred not far from the herb garden, sending the entire animal population of the minor dimension into chaos.


    Right after the explosion, a heavy aura covered the entire minor dimension, and no matter how far away one was from the site of the explosion, they could feel this oppressive aura everywhere.


    Many animals close to the area fainted, while many others went mad, fleeing in a hurry from the scene.


    As the small world fell into complete chaos, the cause of this event was lying there, savoring the sensation of overflowing power coursing through their body.


    "So this is the Body-Soul Integration stage," the person said.


    It had been a month since that event, and since then, everything had finally returned to normal.


    Even the animals, who had been somewhat cautious, seeing that nothing similar happened in the following days, gradually calmed down and returned to their daily lives.


    At this moment, in the forest closest to the herb garden, a large creature was slithering through the woods.


    Despite its enormous size, the creature made almost no sound as it slowly advanced toward its prey.


    Not far from where it was, a large gorilla, standing 5 meters tall, was lounging on a branch of one of the forest''s giant trees, unaware of the threat approaching ever closer.


    The slithering creature had a long body, stretching tens of meters, with skin entirely covered in smooth, thin black scales, and two pairs of long, branch-like horns on either side of its head.


    The creature had already gotten close to the tree and was ready to strike.


    Just as it prepared to pounce on the gorilla lounging on the tree, a mental transmission passed through its mind, causing it to stop for a moment.


    In the end, it lowered its head and shifted its direction from the tree to the herb garden.


    There, on a large rock, a person sat in a meditative pose.


    The person was a tall man with long, straight black hair tied behind his head, and a perfectly chiseled face with no visible imperfections.


    He wore a simple black robe as he meditated in peace.


    Finally, he let out a slight breath and released an aura that appeared like mere air but was actually filled with spiritual energy.


    The man opened his crystal blue eyes, which had a slight greenish-blue tint, and looked to the side.


    "It''s finally time to leave here," he said, addressing a woman not far from the rock.


    She nodded slowly as she rose from what appeared to be a soft cloud shaped like a chair.


    The man also stood up and, looking toward the direction of the forest, sent out a mental communication and waited for a few seconds.


    Shortly afterward, in the distance, within the forest, a large black figure could be seen emerging.


    The creature slithered out of the forest, gazing toward the herb garden just ahead, its needle-like pupils focused on the figure standing on the rock.


    The snake-like creature hissed softly and then, with incredible speed, shot towards him.


    The creature flew through the air like a bullet, closing the distance between itself and the man in less than a second.


    Just as it got within a hundred meters of the man, its body became enveloped in a thin layer of green light, and it shrank in size, transforming from a massive and menacing creature into a small, simple being.


    Finally, it reached the man, and instead of attacking, it coiled around his neck like a scarf.


    Seeing the small creature around his neck, the man raised his left hand, and with a slight smile, gently stroked its small head.


    The creature seemed to greatly appreciate the gesture, hissing happily a few times.


    With that done, Ethan, now ready to leave, nodded toward Bai Yu, and disappeared from the spot.


    Bai Yu, who had been not far from him, also vanished from her position, leaving the area as quiet as before.


    The few animals nearby, seeing that the three beings who had been like nightmares looming over them had left, let out a sigh of relief and began emerging from their hiding places.


    In these twenty years, even the animals present here, apart from increasing in number, had also evolved, giving rise to many level 1 and 2 beasts. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were even some stronger ones who had become the rulers of their areas, but whether it was an unevolved animal or a level 3 evolved beast, all feared the three beings from before.


    None of them, in recent years, had ever dared to roam near the herb garden area.


    They had marked that area as a death zone for themselves, and would not even wish their enemies to go there.


    And so, while the beasts regained their tranquility, Ethan reappeared after three months in his cultivation room, along with Bai Yu and Zhong Wei.


    Knowing that he most likely wouldn''t be present on the day of departure from Sun City to the empire''s capital, Ethan asked Da Shu to deliver a message from him to the departing group.


    In short, he had told them he would join them before the start of the competition, and that they could leave without him.


    Today was the day after the group''s departure day and noting this fact he decided to settle some matters before leaving for the capital.

 Chapter 148 - 148: Flying at Mach 1

    .


    Ethan didn''t have many tasks to take care of.


    First, he informed the sect master that he had emerged from isolation.


    Naturally, as it happened before, Xiang Hua wasn''t there, as she had gone to the Imperial Alchemy Tournament.


    When Feng Huang saw Ethan for the first time in three months, she wanted to examine his cultivation base, but she immediately noticed that she couldn''t.


    She didn''t ask why that was and simply assumed that he had improved.


    Even though she couldn''t examine his cultivation base, from the spiritual aura surrounding him, she could tell he had made significant progress in his cultivation.


    However, she was unaware that her assumption was far from how much he had actually improved.


    She didn''t even notice that much of his appearance had changed because Ethan, once he returned to his residence, used a technique to make himself look more like he did 25 years ago.


    Zhong Hei, on the other hand, returned to Ethan''s sea of consciousness, as bringing out a creature like him would only cause unnecessary chaos.


    Although Zhong Hei could suppress his cultivation base, he was far from being a normal beast.


    He might appear to be a simple black snake, but if one looked closely, they would begin to notice various peculiarities about him.


    Ethan wanted to avoid causing any problem for the time being.


    Especially because showing Zhong Hei to the sect master would be like presenting him on a silver platter, giving her the opportunity to examine him.


    After reporting, Ethan spoke with Da Shu and discovered that his supply of pills, which he had given him, was nearly depleted.


    That reserve was prepared to last for much longer than three months, but who would have thought that business would go so well and that the demand for pills would increase so much?


    In the end, Ethan gave him some of the pills he had produced in his minor dimension, and when Da Shu saw them, he almost had a heart attack.


    The dimensional ring Ethan gave him contained hundreds upon hundreds of vials of pills, most of which were level 1 pills of various kinds.


    What surprised Da Shu was that there were also a good number of level 2 pills of all three grades, and they weren''t of just one type, but several, meaning Ethan had recipes for this level of pills.


    This was impressive considering he wasn''t part of any organization, and finding them on the market was difficult, especially those of higher levels.


    Ethan didn''t think much of this and went elsewhere to handle some other minor matters.


    After taking care of those, it was time for him to head to the capital.


    At that moment, there were eight days left until the start of the exam, and even with the fastest means of travel, it would take nearly four days of continuous travel to get there.


    The Alchemy Pavilion had stations with short-distance teleportation arrays that connected several cities within the same region, so this time was halved.


    Ethan knew that using these teleportation arrays would be costly, and while he could afford the price, he had no intention of wasting money unnecessarily.


    With his current cultivation base, he could make the entire journey on his own in about a day.


    For others, this speed might seem incredible, but for beings at the fifth stage, it was something they could do comfortably.


    Of course, some were faster than others, but overall, they all had exceptional physical stats.


    In the end, Ethan headed to the Spirit Forest and used his fifth-stage cultivation base to float effortlessly in the air.


    Compared to when he was at the second stage, where he could already influence spiritual energy to move small objects, he was able to float a little at the third stage.


    But his lack of technique, along with his limited Qi reserves, caused him to tire quickly.


    However, now, he no longer had these problems.


    He had had 25 years to train in many things, and this was one of them.


    With a teacher like Bai Yu, it was no exaggeration to say that he had perfect control over the amount of Qi he was spending.


    With a slight burst of energy, he leaped into the air, and once he reached a height of 200 meters, he looked around for the direction of the imperial capital and shot toward it.


    Thanks to the aura suppression technique he had learned from Bai Yu, he didn''t risk being noticed by anyone, not even by a fifth-stage cultivator, so he could now speed toward the imperial capital without fear of being detected by anyone.


    The further Ethan flew, the faster his speed increased.


    20 km/h, 50 km/h, 100 km/h�� 1000 km/h.


    At a certain point, Ethan had reached a speed equal to Mach 1, the speed at which military jets usually fly.


    An impressive speed that would be impossible even to consider for a low-level cultivator.


    Normally, at such a speed, vast distances could be covered in very little time, but the reason Ethan expected it would still take him a full day was due to the fact that the capital was about 20,000 kilometers away.


    To give an example of how great this distance was:


    The Earth''s equator has a circumference of just over 40,000 kilometers.


    This means that Ethan, at his current speed, could circle the Earth in a little over two days.


    At this speed, the landscape beneath him changed constantly, almost every second.


    Normally, at such a speed, an ordinary person would have a 100% chance of dying.


    This was due to the fact that such a person would have to endure enormous resistance from the friction with the air, the pressure from inertia forces, and the extreme temperatures the body would reach, high enough to burn the person alive.


    Clearly, at his current level, Ethan didn''t risk suffering from any of these issues because:


    One, his body was extremely strong, so he didn''t risk damaging it in any way by flying this fast; S~ea??h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Two, he covered his body with a layer of spiritual Qi to protect his clothes from being damaged.


    And so, in just about a day, Ethan covered the entire distance of 20,000 kilometers separating the imperial capital from the Phoenix Kingdom.

 Chapter 149 - 149: Taking a break

    .


    Ethan arrived at the kingdom''s capital at dawn, and once he reached its vicinity, he slowed down and stopped in a nearby area.


    After that, he joined the queue with others waiting to enter.


    The kingdom''s capital was a large city, comparable in size to Earth''s Beijing.


    The great city was surrounded by tall, sturdy walls that enclosed it on all sides.


    To enter, one had to pass through one of the four entrances.


    Ethan, having come from the east, was entering through the city''s eastern gate.


    The empire''s capital occupied a rather unique position on the empire''s map.


    To the north was the Qilin Kingdom, to the west was the White Tiger Kingdom, and finally, to the east was the Phoenix Kingdom.


    As for the south, well, there was the sea.


    The capital was built near the coast of the continent, overlooking the ocean.


    This allowed the city to grow and flourish steadily and quickly, as the sea provided fertile land, perfect for growing crops.


    It supplied a vast amount of fish, and the climate in that region of the continent was ideal year-round.


    This was just an extra benefit for the residents of the capital and the surrounding lands.


    It was currently midsummer, and although the temperatures were high, they weren''t unbearable, allowing common folk to go about their daily activities without too much trouble.


    Ethan finally arrived at the entrance, showed his two-star expert alchemist badge, and was immediately let in.


    The guards, who were inspecting each person, straightened their posture upon seeing the badge and treated Ethan with a newfound respect after verifying it with the help of a special artifact.


    Ethan didn''t make a fuss and paid the entry fee to enter the city.


    He had previously been just a two-star adept, but after his alchemical skills were showcased during the competition for the selection of participants, the master alchemist made sure he received an expert badge.


    Ethan had already proven himself capable enough to be considered an adept alchemist, so no one opposed this promotion.


    To Ethan, it didn''t really matter; if he had cared, he would have already taken the test and obtained on his own.


    But he didn''t think it was necessary.


    With his previous rank, he already had access to most of the services offered, and the exclusive ones didn''t appeal to him.


    With his pill business thriving, he didn''t care much about his reputation.


    The only remaining benefit would have been a discount on refinement materials, but since creating his personal herb garden, even that wasn''t something he needed anymore.


    In short, he was content with his rank and didn''t bother to advance it further.


    As soon as he entered the city, he noticed the joyful atmosphere that filled the air.


    In preparation for the annual alchemy tournament, the city had come alive, teeming with activity.


    People crowded the streets, and the city guards struggled to maintain order, as it took little to spark a conflict.


    Though no one dared to act recklessly in the capital, there were always a few fools, so security remained tight.


    But none of this mattered to Ethan.


    He pulled out a sheet of paper and read the information on it.


    It was a note the master alchemist who had accompanied the others had given to Da Shu before they left, informing them where they would be staying upon arriving at the capital.


    Ethan read the location''s name, and since he didn''t know where it was, he asked around until he obtained a map of the city.


    He already had a basic sense of the city''s layout, thanks to his spiritual sense, which now covered vast areas.


    Now that he knew where to go, he decided not to head there immediately but to explore the capital instead.


    It was his first time here, and given the city''s size, it certainly had much to offer.


    He had spent the last 25 years cultivating, refining, training, and cultivating again.


    He wanted to take a break and rest for a day.


    "Hey, want to explore the capital?" he asked mentally. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Immediately after, something in his sleeve stirred, and a voice transmitted into his mind:


    "Oh? Are you asking me out on a date?" came Bai Yu''s playful reply.


    Ethan didn''t hold back and responded, "Why not? After all, it''d be a shame to visit such a grand city alone," he said calmly.


    He might not have noticed it, but his cultivation base wasn''t the only thing that had changed.


    He had spent 25 years inside the minor dimension, and adding that to his previous years, his mental age was now that of a 45-year-old.


    That said, it hadn''t changed his habits much.


    His thinking had just become more mature, and even the natural aura he emanated wasn''t something a young person could possess.


    This natural charisma attracted the attention of the nearby women, who couldn''t help but cast a glance or two at him.


    Ethan had suppressed his cultivation and disguised his appearance, but certain things couldn''t be hidden so easily.


    And so, Ethan spent his first day in the capital wandering around with Bai Yu.


    She, too, had suppressed her cultivation to the lowest level of the second stage and reduced her natural attractiveness as much as possible.


    Even so, she still stood out among many others and received quite a few looks.


    The two visited many famous locations in the capital, from historical monuments to luxurious restaurants.


    They fully enjoyed this day of rest, something both of them needed.


    One had just emerged from a long period of seclusion, and the other had also been stuck for a long time with no contact with the outside world.


    Of all the things they tried, what they enjoyed the most was the food.


    At one point, they ordered half of the items on the menu and somehow managed to finish it quickly.


    The only thing Bai Yu complained about was the lack of a strong enough drink.


    Being a fifth-stage cultivator, there was hardly any alcoholic beverage that could have any effect on her.


    This, combined with her superior palate, accustomed to the delicacies of the celestial plane, made her irritated.


    She even asked Ethan to find a way to replicate the Coca-Cola she had tasted once, the only drink that had left a good impression on her, even though what she had was just a mix of information Ethan had condensed in his mind.


    And as an alchemist, Ethan couldn''t deny that he had the ability to try and replicate that drink.


    And so, their day of rest came to an end.

 Chapter 150 - 150: Reuniting with the Group

    .


    The next day, Ethan headed to the place where the group from Sun City had decided to stay.


    Upon arriving, he entered, went straight to the reception, and asked about the group from Sun City.


    The receptionist had already been notified in advance of Ethan''s arrival, so she didn''t ask him for anything else.


    Once he confirmed his identity with his Pavilion badge, she told him which floor they were staying on and handed him the room key.


    He also learned from her that they were currently out for lunch, as it was almost afternoon, so they had probably decided to eat outside.


    He asked if she knew where they had gone and discovered the location of the restaurant.


    ''It seems the elder thought of everything,'' he mused, realizing how the receptionist was ready to provide any necessary information.


    The restaurant where they had decided to eat was called the "Gu��ng Hui L��ng," or "Shining Dragon."


    It was one of the most prestigious restaurants in the imperial capital, well-known for its high-quality cuisine and top-tier service.


    Hardly anyone found anything to criticize about it.


    Although the prices were by no means low, considering the quality of the food, it was worth it. S��arch* The N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the wealthy people in the city visited this restaurant at least once a month.


    As fate would have it, this was also one of the restaurants where he and Bai Yu had gone the day before, and he had to admit that the food here was not bad at all.


    Even Bai Yu had enjoyed many of the dishes they served here.


    Her only complaint was about the drinks.


    Ethan never would have thought that the dragon woman would become obsessed with cola.


    He could only pity the manager''s face yesterday when he asked the lovely Bai Yu if the food was to her liking, only to be scolded over the beverages.


    The poor guy didn''t even have the courage to refute her words due to Bai Yu''s natural aura, which could suppress anyone with just a look.


    Ethan had to step in, and after paying an exorbitant amount, they left.


    Ethan now understood why it was said that taking a girl out to eat was expensive; he had spent almost an entire day''s wages on that meal.


    It might seem small, but considering how much he earned per day, it wasn''t a negligible sum.


    He shook his head at these thoughts and entered.


    He had already put on his black suit with matching mask and entered.


    Ethan had to admit that the mask was proving more useful than he had originally thought.


    This was because no one would recognize him here.


    Even though it was his first time at the restaurant, it was unlikely that the manager would forget his face so quickly.


    Not after the scolding he had received.


    Ethan sent out a thin spiritual wave to scan the area and soon found the table where the others were seated.


    He also noticed Xun Wei, but didn''t dwell on it and headed straight for the stairs, ignoring the restaurant receptionist who was supposed to greet people and find them a seat.


    Although most of the time, everything was already reserved, so they asked if you already had a reservation.


    The receptionist was a cultivator at the second stage, but even so, she couldn''t probe the person who had just entered.


    She avoided trying to stop him, as his movements around the restaurant made it seem like he already knew where he was going.


    That said, she couldn''t simply ignore him and let him walk around.


    What if he had come to cause trouble?


    She simply notified the manager, who told her he would handle it.


    Ethan finally arrived on the first floor and without stopping, walked straight toward a table situated near an open view of the outside, offering a beautiful sight of the city.


    Ethan had already been here before and even back then, he had appreciated this view while enjoying the meal, or at least, he had before the scene from yesterday.


    Not wanting to recall yesterday''s memories, he proceeded toward the table, and within seconds, he was almost there.


    Just as the people at the table began to notice him, he found himself face-to-face with someone.


    Seeing the person''s face, Ethan couldn''t help but make a complicated expression.


    It was the poor man who had been a victim of Bai Yu yesterday, in other words, the manager.


    The manager, clearly not recognizing Ethan, asked in a calm voice with a slight friendly smile.


    "Excuse me, sir, I couldn''t help but notice that you haven''t reserved a seat at reception, nor have you presented an invitation.


    As you may know, our restaurant is almost always fully booked, so it''s difficult to find a free table. Today is one of those days.


    If you don''t have a reservation or invitation, I can only kindly ask you to leave the restaurant," said the manager courteously.


    The manager was a man in his 40s who had been running this place for almost half of his life.


    He knew how to interact with almost every type of person, and after hearing what the receptionist had said, he knew that the person in front of him was by no means ordinary, so he maintained basic courtesy when speaking to him.


    On the other hand, Ethan almost wanted to laugh at the manager''s words.


    Not because he found them offensive or anything, but because of one part of what he had said, that the place was full.


    It had been full yesterday too, but as soon as the manager saw Bai Yu, he somehow managed to free up a table from nowhere.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry, but he accepted the situation as it was and enjoyed the meal.


    Now that Bai Yu wasn''t with him, the manager wasn''t making that exception.


    But he didn''t need it.


    He pointed to the table behind the manager and said:


    "I''m part of that group of people," he said, gesturing towards the group of participants, who had already noticed him by now.


    All the participants from both the first and second categories knew him, so they weren''t surprised when he pointed to them.


    The deeds of the masked man had already spread among the alchemists who had participated that day, and the impression of him varied from envy to admiration.


    The group of participants in the novice category had one admirer and two jealous individuals.


    The only girl in the group was the admirer of this masked boy.


    She had no idea what his face looked like, but she could tell that the rest of his body was well-trained.


    Adding to that the fact that he wasn''t a bad alchemist at all, she ended up becoming one of his fans.


    Ethan had unintentionally gained several fans that day, and she was one of them.


    The manager, hearing this, glanced at the table, and there, the elder of the pavilion gave him a nod, as if to confirm Ethan''s words.


    Seeing this, the manager didn''t hold Ethan back any longer and let him pass.


    It was better for him that way; he didn''t want to start another commotion after what had happened yesterday.


    He still couldn''t understand what had been wrong with the drinks he had served.


    To be sure, he checked them later, and the taste and quality of all the drinks were first-rate.


    He could only think that the woman had an unusual sense of taste.

 Chapter 151 - 151: Xun Weis Dissatisfaction

    .


    Ethan finally reached the table and sat down in an extra chair that had been prepared for him.


    By chance, he ended up sitting with two girls from his same category, Yan Mei and Xiang Hua.


    Ethan would have preferred to sit with Xun Wei rather than these two, because one was too competitive, and the other was clearly upset with him.


    But he had to admit, the way he looked at these two was very different now.


    He now found their attitudes somewhat amusing, and nothing more.


    Perhaps it was because his mental age was higher than almost everyone present, or maybe because he was the strongest among them.


    Ethan didn''t know and had no intention of figuring it out right now.


    At this moment, he wondered what to do.


    Earlier, they had asked him if he wanted something brought to him, which he declined, as he couldn''t eat or drink with his mask on.


    And so he sat with everyone, enduring the curious glances of those around him, especially the woman sitting in front of him.


    He could tell that, aside from him and Xiang Hua, she was the third strongest person present.


    ''Well, that''s the least I''d expect from a master alchemist,'' he thought as he prepared for the questions that were about to come his way.


    Since he had sat down, he had practically ignored everyone, and when asked why he had been absent during the attendance day, he simply replied that he had some important commitments.


    Naturally, this flat answer didn''t please the elder Shu Ai Qing, but she decided to drop the matter.


    For some reason, the aura surrounding this masked boy felt very different from the others present.


    It was a strange and mysterious aura, and in some ways, mature.


    She didn''t know what was happening but decided not to think too much about it.


    At the very least, she could tell the boy had abilities.


    She remembered him from the selection test, where he had scored a perfect score on the theory test, something difficult to achieve in such a short amount of time.


    Even she, knowing all the answers, wasn''t sure if she could have answered all the questions so quickly within a minute.


    This only proved how special the boy in front of her was, even more so for the impeccable performance he gave during the practical test.


    These were probably the only reasons why she let him off so easily.


    Like it or not, he was needed for the tournament, and given his skill, he would most likely be a great help in securing a good position.


    They might even win first place.


    While she decided not to cause Ethan any further problems, someone else at the table thought differently.


    ''Damn it, you show up late, and now you''re acting like nothing''s wrong?''


    It was none other than Xun Wei.


    Knowing that there was a possibility for him to participate, his mood had been high the whole tim,e until today, when the masked boy showed up.


    He had thought his participation in the tournament was assured, but who could have predicted that the masked boy would arrive at the last minute and snatch that opportunity from him?


    This clearly annoyed him.


    As they say, the higher the expectations, the harder the fall when things go wrong.


    But he had no intention of giving up so easily.


    He had trained a lot over the last three months and had successfully refined low-grade Level 2 pills with relative ease, so he no longer thought himself inferior to the masked boy as he had before.


    So, in the end, he turned to him and said:


    "You know, I''m not entirely convinced of your participation in the tournament.


    You avoided participating in the last match against senior Xiang Hua, and you were really late in arriving here, when you should have handled your affairs and made sure everything was in order for the tournament.


    Look, the pavilion elder had to go through the trouble of bringing me along because your participation was uncertain.


    You''re not going to pretend none of that happened, are you?"


    He said this clearly trying to cast Ethan in a bad light.


    Ethan, on the other hand, found Xun Wei''s amusing attempt to steal his spot in the tournament rather funny and responded with a light chuckle and a neutral tone.


    "So what?"


    Ethan didn''t want to provoke any unnecessary fights.


    If it were up to him, he''d attend the tournament, do what he had to do, and then leave without wasting any more time.


    The only reason he was participating was to promote his brand and strengthen his position in the market.


    But now, after all the improvements he''d undergone in the past 20 years in the minor dimension, both in terms of cultivation and alchemy skills, he no longer saw it as that important.


    He was now skilled enough to refine higher and higher level pills and easily outshine the competition, but that would require effort on his part, not just participation in the tournament.


    It wasn''t just any competition; it was an imperial one.


    To leave as if nothing had happened would be disrespectful to the competition, the pavilion, and all the participants.


    Sure, at his current level he couldn''t care less, but now that he''s already here, why not?


    He saw it more as a little vacation than anything else.


    He also wanted to see the level of the other alchemy contenders from the other regions.


    After all, the Phoenix Empire had always been the place he roamed, be it in small towns or the capital, and eventually within the Phoenix Sect.


    Participating in the tournament was like taking a breath of fresh air and seeing a bit more of the outside world.


    So, why not participate?


    Xun Wei, hearing his audacious response, wanted to flip the table and hit at him, but he restrained himself, taking a deep breath to calm down before saying:


    "How about this? Why don''t we compete again?


    You''ve beaten me once already, so it shouldn''t be difficult for you to do it again, right?"


    He said, clearly trying to provoke some kind of reaction from him, but with that mask on, it was hard to tell what he was thinking.


    The pavilion elder, seeing this scene, decided not to intervene and instead watched how the situation would unfold.


    She could have easily ended it with a simple command, but she wanted to see how the masked boy would handle this.


    She honestly hoped Ethan would accept the challenge because she, too, wanted to see if the masked boy had improved since the last time. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She remembered that during the last competition, she, like the other examiners, had probed his cultivation and discovered, to her shock, that he was at the third stage, similar to most of them.


    This, in itself, made them pay more attention to him.


    But now, when she tried to probe his cultivation again, she realized she couldn''t sense anything at all.


    It was as if he were a normal person, but that would be impossible. So, she concluded that he was most likely using some kind of artifact to conceal his cultivation base.


    She didn''t believe that in just three months, this person had made giant leaps in his cultivation.


    No matter how talented he was, no one could make such progress in such a short time.


    And so, like everyone else, she waited for his answer.


    And when he finally opened his mouth to respond, what came out was as flat as before.


    "No."

 Chapter 152 - 152: Bloodflower

    Ethan''s flat response left everyone in stunned silence.


    Especially Xun Wei, who hadn''t expected such a blunt refusal.


    Still trying to suppress his anger, he spoke in a calm tone,


    "And why is that?


    Don''t tell me you''re actually afraid of losing?


    You can admit it if that''s the case. No one will blame you," Xun Wei said, hoping to provoke a reaction.


    As much as he wanted to rush at him, they were in the imperial capital.


    If he caused a scene here, missing the tournament would be the least of his problems.


    He was trying to goad Ethan into accepting the challenge, which is why he said those words.


    But Ethan didn''t seem concerned at all by what he said and responded simply,


    "You see, I already have a spot in the tournament, but you don''t.


    So fighting you doesn''t make sense for me.


    After all, even if I win, I gain nothing.


    But if I lose, I''d lose my place. Why would I accept such a duel?" He asked calmly, making his point clear.


    Upon hearing these words, Xun Wei secretly rejoiced.


    ''Finally, he''s taken the bait,'' he thought while making an offer,


    "You''re right, such a duel wouldn''t be fair to you. How about this?


    If you win, you keep your spot in the tournament, and in addition, you''ll get a favor from my Xun family." He figured that would be enough. S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But to his disappointment, Ethan still refused, saying he wasn''t interested.


    A vein appeared on Xun Wei''s forehead as he struggled to control himself.


    He tried again, offering something else, "Well then, what do you want?


    Money? resources of some kind?


    Tell me, as long as it''s something reasonable, I can get it for you," he said, thinking it''d be faster to ask what the other side wanted.


    He doubted that an alchemist of Ethan''s caliber was short on money, so he left the offer open.


    Upon hearing this, Ethan smiled to himself and responded without hesitation,


    "I heard your Xun family acquired some hundred-year-old Bloodflowers a few months ago.


    If you''re willing to offer even one of those, I''d be happy to accept your duel." Ethan replied calmly.


    Unfortunately, the request he made was far from ordinary.


    Not only Xun Wei, but several others at the table made blank expressions as they stared at him.


    ''He''s insane? Does he really think the Xun family will hand over their Bloodflowers?'' they all thought, shaking their heads.


    The Bloodflower was a rare medicinal herb, difficult to find in the wild.


    Among the list of herbs and ingredients that Ethan hadn''t been able to get his hands on, the Bloodflower was one of the most elusive.


    Aside from its applications in various fields, it could be used in several high-level alchemical recipes. Many of the third-level recipes Ethan had required this herb as a primary ingredient.


    But without even one of them, he couldn''t even think of growing it in his herb garden.


    Usually, a single herb wouldn''t be enough to grow more, but the Bloodflower was a little special. Even one could produce several seeds, which, if carefully cultivated over decades, could result in many more Bloodflowers.


    That''s why Ethan wanted to get his hands on at least one of them, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn''t find it.


    He heard that the last of these herbs to appear ended up being sold at an auction, and the buyer was none other than Xun Wei''s father, Xun Yun.


    So when Xun Wei made his offer, Ethan didn''t hold back and directly asked for the Bloodflower as a reward.


    Xun Wei, who had been expecting something reasonable, suddenly found another two veins appearing on his forehead as his patience began to crack.


    ''What the hell did you say? A Bloodflower?


    Do you think they''re cabbages you can just pick up anywhere?''*


    This time, Xun Wei was truly on the verge of losing it.


    Even the elder Shu, seeing that the situation could escalate, was about to intervene, but Ethan continued.


    "Of course, asking for the herb may be a bit much, so how about this? If you agree to wager a Bloodflower as the reward for our duel, I''ll put these up as well."


    He waved his hand, and three ginseng roots appeared in his right hand.


    For a moment, no one reacted, including Xun Wei, who wasn''t sure how to respond.


    He thought Ethan might be mocking him, but then his eyes sharpened as he noticed something.


    ''Wait, are those...'' and just as he realized what they were, a voice broke the silence.


    "100 year old ginseng''s," said the voice.


    Everyone at the table turned toward the source of the voice and saw the elder of the pavilion staring in astonishment at the ginseng in Ethan''s hand.


    Even those who hadn''t realized what it was widened their eyes one by one after hearing the elder''s words.


    "No way, centennial ginseng? And he has three of them?"


    "Wait, but aren''t those really hard to find? How is it possible he has three?"


    "More importantly, are they really centennial ginseng? What if they just look like it but aren''t mature enough?"


    One by one, whispers spread through the table, primarily from the group of beginners.


    Even Yan Mei couldn''t help but be surprised, just like Xuang Hua, but neither of them lost their composure.


    This was because, while the ginseng Ethan held was as rare as the Bloodflower, one of them was the granddaughter of a master alchemist and had seen the herb before.


    The other was part of one of the most prestigious sects in the region, and though it had only been once, she had also come across this herb before.


    That said, it didn''t mean they weren''t shocked.


    Even the elder Shu was tempted to take those ginseng roots from Ethan, but she held back.


    Her reputation was at stake, after all.


    And while ginseng had its value, it was not enough to justify such a deplorable act.


    Xun Wei had seen this herb once or twice while learning from his father, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t tempted.


    In the end, he didn''t speak immediately and had to think carefully about how to proceed.


    The Bloodflower belonged to his father, not him, so using it as a prize for a duel was out of the question.


    Without his father''s permission, there wasn''t much he could do.


    But the addition of those three ginseng roots changed things.


    If he managed to get his hands on them, he might not only justify the bet, but also perform well in the tournament and secure a good position.


    That alone would be enough for his father to forgive him.


    So, seeing he had multiple reasons to participate, he decided to accept the bet.

 Chapter 153 - 153: Prepare Some Tea

    .


    In the end, Xun Wei agreed to offer a Blood Flower as the reward for the duel.


    They decided to find a suitable place for the duel, so they rented a large training hall, which they would use as their battleground.


    Both were provided with cauldrons of the same type by the pavilion elder, who had been chosen as the duel''s judge.


    They had agreed to use the same rules from the selection test, meaning they had to produce as many pills as possible within an hour.


    The difference this time was that the pills wouldn''t be chosen by someone else, but by themselves.


    Both agreed to use whatever pill recipe they had on hand, as long as they possessed the materials. This was fine with the elder of the pavilion, as the duel had been arranged in haste, and it wasn''t realistic to expect them to have enough materials for just any pill.


    Since both parties had agreed on this, she had no obligation to interfere.


    Nor did she have any intention to.


    She knew that both participants had likely improved since the last time, but she was curious to see by how much.


    She was particularly interested in seeing what the masked boy would produce.


    His performance during the selection had been nearly flawless, so her expectations of him were high.


    Of course, that didn''t mean she wasn''t taking Xun Wei seriously.


    She also wanted to see how much he had grown, after all, he was the son of a fellow alchemist master, and she had high expectations for him as well.


    Both participants finished preparing their materials within minutes, and once she saw that both were ready, she signaled the start of the test.


    As soon as the incense stick was lit, the challenge began, and Xun Wei, more determined than ever, started immediately like a storm.


    With quick and precise movements, he prepared the necessary materials while focusing on his cauldron, making sure it was ready for the next phase of refinement.


    One by one, he processed the ingredients, and once finished, he carefully added them into the cauldron, paying attention not to make a mistake with the amounts.


    After all, the dosage was a crucial part of the process, and even the smallest error could ruin everything.


    As she observed his refinement process, the pavilion elder got a sense of what kind of pill Xun Wei was likely preparing.


    ''Hmm, it seems he''s aiming to make a high-grade pill right off the bat.


    And it looks like it''s going well so far,'' she thought, examining his every move and nodding with approval.


    ''Just as one would expect from Xun Yun''s son," she mused, shifting her attention to the other side of the arena, curious to see what the masked boy was refining.


    But as she did, she noticed something odd.


    Her gaze first landed on the other tournament participants who were watching the duel.


    The reason she focused on them was because of the puzzled expressions they all wore as they looked in one particular direction, toward the masked boy .


    ''What''s going on?''


    she thought, as her eyes followed theirs toward masked boy''s station to discover the source of their strange expressions.


    And as soon as she did, her expression changed from one of curiosity to one of bewilderment, just like the rest of the group.


    "What on earth is this boy doing?" she thought, utterly confused by the scene in front of her.


    There, at Ethan''s station, instead of a meticulous refining process, what she saw was a masked boy sitting comfortably while preparing something over a small portable stove.


    ''No way... is he making tea?!''


    Everyone thought the same, staring in disbelief at the masked figure, who continued his actions as if nothing was wrong.


    Poooof.


    Steam finally rose from the container on the stove, and after placing it back into his dimensional ring, he poured himself a cup of steaming tea, ready to drink.


    As he finished putting away the kettle, he noticed the strange atmosphere.


    For a moment, he glanced to the side, only to see five pairs of incredulous eyes staring at him as if he were some kind of bizarre creature.


    ''What''s wrong with them?


    Why are they looking at me like that?'' he thought, pausing for a moment before deciding to ignore them and getting ready to sip his tea.


    While this scene was far too strange for the five onlookers, for Bai Yu inside Ethan''s head, it was the opposite.


    Shaking her head, she said,


    ''Haa, what did I expect from him?''


    She had no doubt Ethan would do something like this during the duel.


    She knew him too well, and she knew he would never take a challenge like this seriously.


    After all, she had witnessed his skills personally over the past twenty years and knew that none of the present participants could match him, either in terms of strength or alchemical ability.


    In the end, lightly lifting his mask from below, Ethan took a few sips of tea, nodding internally in satisfaction.


    The tea leaves he was using were extremely rare, obtained from some plants in his herb garden.


    The value of these leaves was worth dozens of high-grade spirit stones per leaf. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan had been fortunate to get his hands on the plant and cultivated it in his herb garden.


    In fact, his garden was filled with plants of all kinds, ranging from medicinal herbs useful for refining pills and medicines, to fruits and vegetables, and in this case, tea leaves.


    Ethan had filled his garden with as many species of herbs and trees as possible.


    Some out of interest, others out of necessity, and still others simply to complete his collection.


    Some he cared for less, but he kept them anyway.


    As he enjoyed his tea, at one point, he even offered it to the five still watching him, before finally deciding it was time to start refining.


    The others, now with a steaming cup of tea in their hands, couldn''t help but look at the incense stick and then back at him.


    About 15 minutes remained.


    At this point, no one dared to comment and continued sipping the excellent tea while watching with curiosity what the masked boy would do next.


    Even the pavilion elder, who had accepted the tea at some point, was curious to see what he would do in such a short time.

 Chapter 154 - 154:

    .


    Xun Wei, who had been completely focused on refining his pills the entire time, had no idea that while he was refining like a madman, the other side was calmly enjoying tea.


    At one point, he smelled a pleasant aroma and was momentarily tempted to lift his head to see where it was coming from, but he decided to restrain himself.


    He could check at the end of the competition anyway, and after all, there were less than 15 minutes left.


    He was now preparing his final pill, the one that would also be his ticket to victory.


    He had already refined three different high-grade level-1 pills, and with this result, he thought he had placed himself in a strong position.


    But he didn''t let his guard down.


    He knew the other side''s abilities, so he was aware that he couldn''t beat him with just simple high-grade level-1 pills.


    He still remembered how quickly and easily the other side could produce pills of this level, so he decided it was time to increase the difficulty.


    After the first half-hour of refining, he pulled out more materials and continued working on them without stopping.


    The pill he was about to produce was extremely challenging and required time to make.


    If the pavilion elder hadn''t been busy receiving tea from Ethan, she would have realized that what Xun Wei was preparing was a medium-grade level-2 pill.


    Furthermore, it was one of the most complicated pills in that category.


    Xun Wei had trained like a madman to improve significantly because he couldn''t accept the fact that he had been defeated by someone like Ethan, and in such a crushing way, no less.


    The humiliation from that defeat had been the fuel for his flames of revenge as he tirelessly refined his skills, and in the end, he finally achieved good results.


    ''You''ll see, I''ll make you pay with your own medicine,'' he thought as he was ready to move on to the second phase of refining, which involved adding the materials one by one, in the correct doses, and cooking them in the cauldron.


    This process was the most problematic for this pill because it required many materials, each with different doses, to be mixed in a specific sequence.


    Taking a breath to calm himself, he proceeded, and as he did, he immersed himself completely in the refinement once again.


    At this point, even the spectators had noticed what he was doing and couldn''t help but wear expressions of shock as they realized the pill the other side was trying to produce.


    "Th-that''s a level-2 pill?" said one of the participants from the first category.


    "It''s not just any level-2 pill, that pill, it''s the Pill of a Hundred Cures, and it''s one of the most complicated medium-grade level-2 pills," said the boy next to him.


    Even the only girl in their category, hearing this, couldn''t help but worry for Ethan.


    After all, there were only 15 minutes left.


    It was impossible for Ethna to turn things around in such a short amount of time.


    That was everyone''s thought, and even Yan Mei, upon seeing what Xun Wei was preparing, was impressed for a moment, thinking that Ethan had no chance of winning anymore.


    And so, while everyone was skeptical of Ethan, he, without caring about what they were thinking, lit the fire and grabbed some materials.


    Hm?


    Seeing his choice of materials, everyone couldn''t help but glance at Xun Wei, then look back at Ethna''s materials again.


    "Wait, it can''t be��"


    "I don''t believe it, is he really planning to refine the same pill as Senior Xun Wei?" said one of the boys, but their shock was shared by the rest of the spectators.


    Everyone seeing this scene thought Ethan had lost his mind.


    Even though they appreciated the good tea, they couldn''t help but feel sorry for him.


    After all, there were less than 15 minutes left, and the other side had decided to prepare such a complicated pill in this short amount of time?


    No matter how fast he was, this particular pill was extremely complex, and speed alone wasn''t enough.


    There was no way he could refine it in such little time.


    Even the pavilion elder, upon seeing what Ethna wanted to refine, simply shook her head, thinking the winner was already decided.


    While everyone was lost in their thoughts, Ethan finally began.


    And as soon as he did, everyone''s gaze snapped to him, watching closely.


    "What?"


    "Wait, what are those movements, and what''s with that incredible speed?" Everyone was stunned by what they saw in front of them.


    Ethan, who had just started refining, simply waved his hand, and all the ingredients began to float around him.


    With a snap of his fingers, each ingredient started to be processed on its own.


    Some were ground by an invisible force, others peeled, others sliced, and so on.


    In less than a minute, Ethna finished processing the materials, a task that had taken Xun Wei at least five minutes.


    And that wasn''t all.


    With a single gesture, the materials started to be added to the cauldron one by one without stopping, and in just a few seconds, everything was inside the cauldron.


    Seeing this scene, everyone thought Ethan had gone mad.


    After all, he had practically thrown everything into the cauldron, ignoring the doses and timing.


    Usually, ingredients were added in a specific order and at precise intervals.


    You had to give time for the first ingredients to prepare before gradually adding the rest.


    It was like preparing a dish.


    First, you would cook some of the ingredients, and then add others little by little.


    You couldn''t just throw everything into the pan and hope for the same result.


    At this point, everyone had stopped sipping their tea, watching with blank expressions as they looked at Ethan.


    Ethan continued to ignore them and refined without any distractions.


    Finally, the time passed, and there were only about two minutes left.


    This remaining time was supposed to be used to mold the finished mixture into pills and place them into the provided glass vials.


    Xun Wei did exactly that.


    When there was about a minute left, he finished refining and proceeded to shape the pills, letting them cool for a few seconds before placing them into the vial.


    "Hahaha, I finally did it," he said, wiping some sweat from his brow, tired but satisfied, as he prepared to hand the vial to the pavilion elder.


    As he did so, he also saw Ethan arrive and, seeing the three pills in his vial, he scoffed with disdain and placed his pills in front of the elder.


    In total, he had refined three high-grade level-1 pills and one medium-grade level-2 pill.


    Yes, he had successfully refined the Pill of a Hundred Cures. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he placed the pills on the table, he couldn''t help but wonder what the other side had produced.


    Although his victory was certain, the other side did have some skill, and he wanted to see what he had made.


    Hm? Why do they look familiar?


    He asked himself as he noticed more and more the resemblance between the three pills in Ethna''s glass vial and one of his own pills.


    "It can''t be��"


    And just as he realized what pills they were, the pavilion elder''s voice came from the side:


    "The victory goes to the masked boy."

 Chapter 155 - 155: Monstrous Talent

    .


    Xun Wei''s world collapsed once again as he heard the verdict of the Pavilion Elder.


    ''No, how is this possible?''


    He was in denial, refusing to believe the reality.


    He simply couldn''t accept that the masked boy had produced three mid-grade, lvl.2 pills in such a short time.


    It was simply impossible unless he was a master alchemist.


    Xun Wei''s shock was understandable, as even those who had witnessed the refinement over the last 15 minutes would not have believed it if they hadn''t seen it with their own eyes.


    Even the elder from the Medicine Pavilion, upon seeing the speed with which he refined and his method, couldn''t help but let out a cold sigh.


    She wondered how it was possible for her to improve so rapidly.


    SHe remembered how he refined three months ago, and even then his alchemical abilities were first-rate, but now��


    Even she, a master alchemist herself, couldn''t confidently say she could refine level 2 mid-grade pills in 15 minutes.


    Of course, refining the pill itself wasn''t too difficult for her, but to do it in such a short time, she wasn''t sure she could replicate Ethan''s actions.


    What surprised her the most was his unique technique.


    ''He manipulated the ingredients with his spiritual manifestation and worked them to perfection in minute details.


    And he also managed to manipulate the elements inside the cauldron to ensure the ingredients didn''t mix randomly.''


    It wasn''t a new method of refining or anything, but it took a long time to master.


    After all, various elements would influence this method of refinement, ranging from precise control of one''s spiritual manifestation to manipulating the ingredients inside the cauldron.


    It wasn''t difficult for a master alchemist to do such a thing; in fact, this was one of the traits that distinguished them from experienced alchemists.


    ''Could he already be at that level?'' she wondered, unwilling to believe her own assumption.


    After all, it would be too much to digest, especially considering the person appeared to be no older than 30.


    How could someone so young have reached such a level?


    If a person reached the level of master alchemist by the age of 100, they were considered a genius who appeared once every thousand years.


    And if they did so by the age of 50, they were considered a genius who appeared once every hundred thousand years.


    What could be said of someone as young as this boy?


    A genius like no other had ever appeared.


    The more she thought about it, the less she believed that he could already be at the master alchemist level.


    That said, she acknowledged his skill and the quality of his pills.


    Thus, she declared him the winner.


    Even though Xun Wei had also produced a pill, it was still inferior in purity compared to Ethan''s three pills.


    The other three high-grade level 1 pills were overshadowed by just one of those level 2 mid-grade pills, so it was clear who the victor was.


    Still, this did not sit well with Xun Wei, who said through gritted teeth, "It''s not possible that all these are level 2 pills, right?"


    The Pavilion Elder could only shake his head.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand what Xun Wei was feeling.


    After all, not only had he lost once again in a crushing defeat to the masked boy, but he had also lost his last chance to participate in the Imperial Tournament.


    He had previously been offered a spot in the novice category but refused, thinking it was humiliating for someone of his caliber to participate in such a category.


    That said, however much he wanted to deny the result, he couldn''t do so.


    After all, there were too many spectators for him to accuse the other side of cheating.


    If it had been up to him, he would have suppressed the boy using his family''s power, but here, he couldn''t even do that.


    In the end, despite his reluctance, he accepted his defeat.


    What worried him most was the fact that he would now have to ask his family for a blood flower.


    A flower might seem insignificant, but this flower grew only in special environments and conditions, and there were fewer than a hundred in the entire Phoenix Kingdom.


    For such a vast kingdom, having only 100 of these flowers meant they couldn''t even be divided among all the cities present.


    His family had three of them.


    His father had taken the third one a while ago and given it to him.


    That flower was supposed to be used for a future pill, but now he had lost it.


    Although reluctant, he handed over the reward and withdrew into his quarters.


    He didn''t know how his father would react if he found out about this, but it certainly wouldn''t be good for him.


    On the other side, Ethan, finally seeing one of the rare herbs he had been searching for in his possession, nodded in satisfaction and placed it in a special container before storing it in his dimensional ring.


    He couldn''t put it directly into storage since he was still in the presence of many people.


    Speaking of those people, they were all clearly shocked by the skill Ethan had shown, especially those participating in the novice category.


    They had never seen anyone refine in such a way, nor did they think it was possible.


    The admiration of Ethan''s female fan grew even more, and even the two boys couldn''t help but acknowledge Ethan''s superiority.


    They were dissatisfied for various reasons, but the main one was that Ethan had ended up being the idol of all the girls in the selection tournament.


    So, because of that, they were still envious, but that didn''t stop them from respecting his alchemical abilities.


    Unlike them, however, the other two people present with them had similar but at the same time different opinions.


    They were more aligned with Elder Shu.


    Yan Mei recognized this refinement technique, having often accompanied her grandfather when he met with his alchemist friends and others.


    She remembered once when her grandfather had taken her to see a Grandmaster Alchemist from the Pavilion, and at that time, she had the rare opportunity to see him refine.


    The way he refined was very similar to how the masked boy was doing it.


    According to her grandfather, this was something a master alchemist could already do, but it required great mastery over one''s spiritual manifestation since many elements had to be managed in a short time, and in alchemy, where precision had to be millimetric, there was no room for error.


    Seeing the masked boy do something that even her grandfather still struggled with a little gave her a great shock.


    The same was true for Xiang Hua.


    Not many knew this, but the master of the Phoenix Sect was also a master alchemist.


    Although she no longer practiced the profession, when Xiang Hua began learning alchemy, she picked up a thing or two from her, and she remembered that at that time, the sect master showed her this technique, explaining how it was used, its advantages, and its disadvantages.


    She had told her that while she could perform this refining technique, she was far from being able to use it to its full potential.


    And that was because it took a long time to master it step by step. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had stopped being an alchemist a long time ago, so she didn''t continue training in this technique.


    Xiang Hua had also started learning the technique, but she still wasn''t able to use it for refinement.


    Moving objects was one thing, but working them and refining them entirely through spiritual manifestation was another.


    Seeing the masked person able to do such a thing made her realize that if before they could have been considered at the same level, now they no longer were, as the other person had already surpassed her by a large margin.


    ''Who the hell is this monster?'' she thought.

 Chapter 156 - 156: Nine Dragons Seal

    .


    After the battle between Ethan and Xun Wei, nothing particularly interesting occurred, and everyone calmly awaited the arrival of the day when the Imperial Tournament would begin.


    Elder Shu had granted everyone free time to do whatever they wanted in the remaining days, as long as they returned to their lodgings at a set time and avoided trouble. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When she said this, she gave Ethan a particularly long look, though Ethan had no idea why the elder was singling him out.


    While the others went out to explore the city or pursue other activities, Ethan, who had already rested enough, decided it was time to return to his previous routine.


    Now that he had obtained the Blood Flower he desired so much, he wanted to plant it as soon as possible.


    Once back in his room, he transported himself to his minor dimension.


    Upon arriving, he sensed Zhong Hei''s aura wandering in the forest near his herb garden.


    Seeing that the creature was fine, he continued to the herb garden.


    He wasn''t worried about any dangers there.


    After all, among the beasts in the area, Zhong Hei was undoubtedly the strongest, so the danger was relatively minimal.


    That said, Zhong Hei had a tendency to cause trouble for others.


    What if he ended up provoking too many beasts and they all ganged up on him?


    Ethan believed Zhong Hei could handle himself even in that scenario, but one could never be too sure.


    He had already noticed that his dimension seemed to change each time he improved, and who could say whether dangerous areas wouldn''t appear at some point?


    For now, he hadn''t discovered any other life forms apart from those he had introduced himself, but that didn''t mean it would always be that way.


    Entering the herb garden, Ethan looked around, unable to suppress a feeling of pride at the beautiful sight before him.


    Not because of how beautiful it was, but because in this area all the herbs were particularly rare and precious.


    Seeing so many gathered in one place filled him with joy.


    As he was enjoying the moment, he suddenly noticed a petal fall from one of the herbs.


    "..."


    [ -300 high-grade spiritual stones]


    In his mind, an imaginary number appeared.


    Ethan stood frozen as he watched the petal fall to the ground.


    He had just lost 300 high-grade spiritual stones.


    Shifting his gaze from the petal to the fiery orange flower from which it had fallen, he noticed something in particular.


    Without hesitation, he sent out a thread of spiritual energy, catching that object.


    The next thing to happen was that something went flying through the air, traveling several kilometers before crashing into a distant mountain.


    The object, resembling a scarecrow, clung to the mountain''s side before falling another thousand meters down.


    Ethan, the cause of this sudden flight, glanced to the side at another scarecrow-like figure that had just appeared and said:


    "I''m fairly certain I told you all to be particularly careful with the herbs in this area, didn''t I?"


    The scarecrow trembled in fear as a stammering voice emerged from it.


    "Number 5 got lost and ended up working here," it said.


    "What? Him again? Didn''t I tell you to send him to the outer area of the garden to chop down trees from the forest? How did he end up here?"


    "Number 3 doesn''t know. One moment he was there, and then he wasn''t," said the scarecrow.


    Ethan, hearing this response, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    These scarecrows were his creations, designed to keep his herb garden in order.


    He had faced numerous difficulties in solving this problem.


    That''s when Bai Yu had come up with a solution.


    She had taught him a soul technique that allowed him to create soul puppets.


    These were essentially empty shells into which wandering souls were placed.


    Bai Yu had explained the various uses of this technique, and the more Ethan heard, the more uneasy he felt.


    She told him he could simply take the souls of animals and shape them to create these puppets.


    She mentioned that human souls would work better, but Ethan had no intention of hunting people to steal their souls, so he used some beasts from the forest instead.


    The downside of using beasts was that the final product''s intelligence would be far lower than even a three-year-old child''s, and while these souls could learn and grow over time, it would take many years.


    As of now, all of them had less than 10 years of existence, so Ethan kept them away from the area with rare herbs.


    Even a small mistake there would cause him to shed bitter tears over the loss of an herb.


    Not wanting to give names to dozens of puppets, Ethan classified them by numbers.


    At the moment, he was talking to Number 3, one of the few puppets with slightly higher intelligence than the others.


    The one he had just sent flying was Number 5, the scourge of his herb garden.


    Number 5''s intelligence barely surpassed that of a three-year-old child.


    He could follow simple instructions, but anything more complex would lead to disaster.


    For this reason, Ethan kept him far away from anything valuable.


    On the very first day, he had found part of his plantation in flames thanks to Number 5.


    Ethan had been so furious he almost threw the puppet into the fire it had caused.


    Had it not been for the fact that the little troublemaker had won Bai Yu''s sympathy, Ethan would have dismantled him and reshaped his soul to make him as efficient as the other puppets.


    At this point, Ethan had only one thing left to do, seal off this area.


    He had never thought to do it before, as this dimension was his and no creature other than those he introduced could enter and steal his herbs.


    He had never bothered to set up any defenses for the garden.


    But now, with a walking disaster like Number 5, Ethan knew it was time to install them.


    He sighed slightly as he concentrated some spiritual Qi into his hand and made a sign with his palm upward.


    "Nine Dragons Seal."


    As soon as the words were spoken, various symbols began forming above Ethan''s palm.


    First one, then two, then three, and so on, until they all gathered into a circle.


    After a while, the symbols stopped appearing, and Ethan closed his palm.


    The symbols shot out in different directions, forming a circle with a radius of 5 kilometers.


    "Activate."


    Immediately, columns of light of different colors shot up around him, and a thin dome-shaped barrier formed over the herb garden.


    This was the Nine Dragons Seal formation.


    It was a technique Ethan had learned from Bai Yu, which allowed for an almost absolute defense against any creature below the spiritual realm.


    In other words, even a cultivator in the fifth stage of the mortal realm wouldn''t be able to penetrate it.


    Of course, such a barrier required a large amount of spiritual energy, but Ethan had set it up so that the necessary energy would be drawn from the surrounding environment.


    Being in a small world rich in unused spiritual energy, he didn''t need to maintain the barrier himself.


    Once he finished setting up the defenses for the herb garden, Ethan went to the wooden platform with the conical roof and sat down in a meditative pose, ready to cultivate.


    He had already stored up enough Qi, and now he needed to refine it, hoping to break through to the next level by the end of the month.

 Chapter 157 - 157: Wait, what?!

    .


    Since Ethan had entered the fifth stage of cultivation, he had struggled greatly to make any progress.


    Gathering Qi, as usual, wasn''t a problem since he could accumulate it in large quantities by refining high-level pills one after the other.


    The real problem, however, was that unlike the first three stages, where he mostly just needed to gather enough Qi to break through to the next level, starting from the fourth stage, he couldn''t do that anymore.


    Now, he had to consolidate what he had already gained, work on it depending on the stage he was in, and then gather more.


    The fastest part of all this was undoubtedly the Qi collection.


    He was fortunate to have the system, which allowed him to accumulate Qi by reproducing pills.


    So, unlike other cultivators who spent days gathering and refining Qi, he only had to do the latter.


    In the fourth stage, he had to condense the Qi into clouds and then assimilate it into the ring surrounding the glowing sphere.


    Now that ring had become much larger than before, and if you looked at it now, you would see a spiral ten times the size of the glowing sphere, swirling with it at the center.


    This breathtaking yet frightening scene was what the inside of Ethan''s core had become.


    He had already noticed that this space had become quite chaotic, and now all the Qi he refined went directly into the sphere, which had become brighter and, somehow, even heavier.


    That was the sensation Ethan felt when he visited the space inside his core.


    He had also noticed that the further he advanced in cultivation, the more the space seemed to expand and become vaster.


    Whereas before, it was just big enough to barely contain the glowing sphere and its thin ring, now it was at least five times bigger, and it seemed to grow larger with each passing day.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if this was normal or not, but after consulting Bai Yu, he learned that the space in the dantian was different for everyone, so Bai Yu couldn''t help him much in this regard.


    That said, there were no negative effects of any kind, so Ethan eventually accepted it.


    For months, he had been cultivating in the first level of the fifth stage, and he felt that he was close to making a breakthrough to the next level.


    .


    [------------------------------ sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body and Soul Integration (lvl. 1)


    Qi: 1,420,000/2,000,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 381 --> 571


    Agility: 375 --> 565


    Intelligence: 344 --> 547


    Soul Strength: 178 --> 223


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 18,204,120


    -------------------------------]


    .


    To pass from the fourth stage to the fifth, he had to spend 100K system points. And once he finally reached this stage, he naturally saw how his various stats had increased.


    He had to admit that, despite hating it, the requirements for improvement had increased tenfold, once again.


    He no longer had any tears left to shed and stopped paying attention to the exorbitant Qi values required for the next levels in this stage of cultivation.


    To cheer himself up, he first looked at the enormous amount of SP he had managed to accumulate over the past 25 years, and then finally examined the rest of the functions.


    He immediately noticed that his stats for strength, agility, and intelligence had increased not by 20 but by 30 this time, and even his Soul Strength had increased by 10 instead of 5.


    This alone was enough to lift his spirits.


    He could already feel the pure physical power his body could generate with a single blow. To test it, he went to the nearest mountain.


    Once there, he threw a full-force punch at its side, expecting it to break. But the damage went beyond his expectations.


    Immediately, he felt the ground tremble, and the side of the mountain, which had been solid before, was no more.


    To be more precise, the entire part he hit was pulverized, and a large section of the mountain disappeared.


    Ethan didn''t know how to react.


    He had indeed put all his physical strength into that punch, but he hadn''t felt much resistance when he struck the mountain.


    Later, he discovered that it was due to his special physique.


    Apparently, it increased the potency of his physical attacks.


    Since then, Ethan had experimented more to gain better control over his strength.


    The last thing he wanted was to accidentally kill someone with just a friendly pat on the back or something similar.


    Better to prevent that than take any risks.


    So, while he cultivated in his minor dimension, in the city of the sun, in the western area, Da Shu stood in front of the gate of a grand villa.


    Unlike his usual attire, today he was wearing elegant robes, clean and perfectly ironed, with a rigid expression on his face as he prepared to step forward and enter the villa.


    After much effort, he had finally managed to win over the heart of the girl he loved, who decided to give him a chance.


    Their friendly interactions had become something more, and little by little, the distance between them decreased more and more, until at one point, out of nowhere, she asked:


    "Tell me, how seriously do you take our relationship?" she asked in a calm voice, looking him straight in the eyes.


    Da Shu didn''t know why she suddenly asked him this question, but he answered without hesitation:


    "I take our relationship very seriously.


    In fact, if it were up to me, I''d go ask for your hand in marriage tomorrow," he said, without showing any hesitation.


    And it was true.


    He had pursued this girl for two years, and now that things between them had progressed to this point, he wouldn''t mind taking the next step.


    Huo Li''s serious expression softened at his words, and with a smile on her face, she said:


    "Really?" she asked.


    "Absolutely."


    "Good, then I''ll see you at my family''s residence tomorrow morning," she said and walked away.


    "..."


    ''Wait, what?!''


    Though he had said he was ready to propose tomorrow if he could, he was mostly saying it to show how serious he was about her.


    He didn''t think he would actually end up going to her family''s manor the next day.

 Chapter 158 - 158: Trouble Ahead

    .


    Time passed, and the remaining three days flew by.


    Finally, the long-awaited day arrived in the capital.


    During this time, aside from cultivating, Ethan hadn''t done much else.


    He had been invited out by the first category disciples, but he refused.


    He didn''t know them and felt no need to get acquainted.


    Right now, he wanted to make the most of his time, advancing his cultivation as much as possible.


    Unlike ordinary people, Ethan didn''t have a normal perception of time.


    After all, he had a dimension where time flowed faster. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he had gone out, he probably would have wasted 2-3 hours, which in the smaller dimension would amount to 12 days, a considerable amount of time for him.


    As far as he was concerned, he wouldn''t be interacting with these people after the tournament, since aside from Xiang Hua and him, no one else here belonged to his sect.


    And lately, he had been leaving his residence less and less, cultivating whenever he could.


    The amount of Qi needed for each level increased by 1 million each time.


    By making an approximate estimate, he could tell it would take him three full years of refining pills for each million Qi gathered, producing perfect-grade level 3 pills.


    From this, it could be deduced that the maximum time within which he could advance to the end of this stage wouldn''t be a matter of years or even decades but could comfortably stretch to a century or two.


    And this was considering only the quantity of Qi to gather, then refining it and feeding it to the sphere would require additional time.


    In other words, he didn''t have time to waste.


    Now that he had recharged his brain with that free day spent wandering around with Bai Yu, he knew it was time to seriously focus on his cultivation again.


    Infact, after the tournament, he was considering returning to the dimension and cultivating in seclusion.


    There wasn''t much else for him to do out here, so he might as well take another leave and lock himself up in his residence for a year or two.


    While thinking about this, he had already left his room and was heading towards the atrium to join the rest of the group.


    Once he arrived, Elder Shu checked that everyone was present, and they finally set off towards the tournament venue.


    The capital was large and had various public buildings for all kinds of events.


    At the moment, the building many people in the capital were heading to was a large coliseum, big enough to hold 100,000 spectators.


    Once they arrived at the coliseum, two guards at the entrance approached to confirm their identities.


    Elder Shu took care of this, and once their participation was confirmed, they entered.


    As they entered, Ethan continued to examine the surroundings of the coliseum, trying to get a sense of the people who would be participating.


    "Hmm, it seems there are quite a few powerful beings here," he thought, noticing several auras of potent figures scattered throughout the coliseum area.


    Most of these were likely figures of a certain level, invited to oversee or monitor the situation at the coliseum.


    Only a few of them were companions of participants or spectators.


    While casually scanning everyone, he didn''t worry about being noticed by anyone who could perceive his spiritual sense, mainly because he knew how to conceal it from anyone who wasn''t at least a stage or two higher than him.


    The number of things Ethan perfected during these 25 years of seclusion was quite significant.


    Even regarding his rare flame, he had find various methods to use it to his advantage in combat and other things, including pill refining.


    As he examined the various participants, he noticed something.


    "Wait, this..." Ethan''s calm expression shifted slightly as he sensed a strange but familiar aura.


    "Could I have been mistaken?" he thought, noticing that the aura had vanished as soon as he detected it.


    It was as if it had disappeared into thin air the moment he sensed it.


    What he had perceived was none other than demonic Qi.


    Ethan knew he hadn''t made a mistake, so he tried expanding his search range further and once again noticed that aura.


    But this time, it wasn''t alone.


    He detected at least three more spread throughout the area.


    Ethan wondered why beings tainted with that energy had suddenly appeared in this place, but then, recalling the incident a couple of months ago, he remembered the cultivator had said something about the organization behind him, claiming they would overthrow the current Long Empire.


    "Could it be that they''ve moved to attack the capital during this event?" he wondered, thinking he might be overthinking it.


    But then again, he couldn''t just ignore them.


    After all, it was demonic energy, and regardless of the situation, it would inevitably lead to some kind of catastrophe.


    Perhaps they wouldn''t attack the empire so soon, but if these figures with that aura had appeared here, it meant something unpleasant was going to happen at the tournament.


    "What do you think of this situation?" he asked as he continued walking with the others.


    Bai Yu, who was hidden in his sleeve, had also sensed those auras and could tell they were users of demonic energy.


    "Given the concentration of demonic Qi in them, we can say they aren''t part of the demonic race but are merely infected by it.


    It''s likely they''ve come to sabotage the alchemy tournament, but as for why they''re doing it, I''m not sure.


    That said, leaving them unchecked isn''t an option for us," she said as Ethan''s sleeve moved slightly, then stopped.


    Although nothing was seen, Bai Yu had just exited the sleeve and blended into the crowd.


    "You continue with the tournament while I try to follow them and see what they''re up to," she said.


    "Be careful not to get caught," he replied, knowing there wasn''t much need to worry.


    Bai Yu was currently assuming a reduced form of her draconic form.


    Essentially, she was a small white snake coiled around his arm under his robe.


    Ethan silently prayed for the unfortunate one among the four who would become her target.


    She might not show it, but that dragon woman could be quite aggressive at times.


    He still remembered some training sessions with her when he reached the fifth stage and thought he could hold his own against her in combat, but instead he ended up being beaten by her.


    It was clear he still lacked a lot of combat experience.


    He snapped out of his thoughts when the group arrived at a small room dedicated to them.


    This was where they would participate in the various competitions.


    In other words, it was their temporary lodging.

 Chapter 159 - 159: Start of the Imperial Alchemy Tournament

    .


    After less than three hours since the Sun City group had arrived, the tournament finally began.


    The stands of the Coliseum were packed with cheering people, rooting for their favorite team.


    On the other side, the participants of the first day''s tournament were already in position.


    On a stage set at a height of 10 meters, an elderly man in a white robe with gray stripes approached the edge as he lightly coughed.


    Even though he coughed softly, everyone in the Coliseum heard him and immediately quieted down, turning to look at him.


    Seeing that the crowd had finally calmed, he spoke in a calm voice.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, once again this year, I will be presiding over the tournament.


    Many of you may already know me, but for those who don''t,


    I am Wang Dazhi, an elder alchemy master of the Alchemist Association of the Imperial City," he said calmly, and the crowd cheered.


    Waiting for them to quiet down once again, he continued:


    "This is an important event that many young and experienced alchemists look forward to every year, and this year is no different.


    Today, In the 890th Imperial Alchemy Tournament, many talents couldn''t resist making their presence known.


    Alchemy is a very difficult profession that requires dedication and commitment from the person to learn, and perhaps a bit of talent doesn''t hurt either.


    This tournament is an opportunity for already emerging alchemists to once again assert their talent, and for new alchemists to make a name for themselves.


    So, give it your best, and show us how high your abilities are," he said, officially beginning this year''s alchemy tournament.


    The alchemy tournament was divided into three phases, and in many aspects, these phases were quite similar to the qualification test held in every city before the tournament.


    Essentially, there was a theoretical part and a practical part.


    Unlike the qualification test, in this tournament, things would be a bit different for alchemists who participated in the expert category.


    The participants of the first category would face the talisman theoretical test with the questions and then a one-on-one competition.


    The participants of the second category would first take the theoretical test, and those who passed it would have to answer Five questions chosen by the examiners themselves, answering directly to them.


    Participants had to prove they could handle unexpected questions or ones of a higher-than-usual complexity.


    The examiner would indeed ask this section of questions in a rapid-fire format that would last five minutes per person.


    Given the much smaller number of participants in the expert category compared to those in the novice category, the examiners had plenty of time to dedicate to each of them.


    The questions would vary in difficulty, and the participant could decide the difficulty of each question.


    Naturally, depending on the complexity of the question, the total points gained would also differ.


    Ethan, along with the two girls, the elder Shu, and also Xun Wei for some reason, were seated in special seats reserved for them.


    Next to them, members of other teams from the Phoenix Kingdom could be seen, as well as some teams from other kingdoms. sea??h th�� N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan had already examined the auras of these people and could tell that the strongest among them was an elder at the 4th level of soul cultivation.


    All the others didn''t go beyond the third stage.


    Naturally, he wasn''t examining them just for fun, but also to find those individuals.


    ''Hmm, three of them are here. Where''s the fourth?'' he asked himself, immediately identifying three people in these numerous groups who had traces of demonic Qi on them.


    He could tell they were the same as yesterday, and he was just wondering what had happened to the fourth one.


    While he decided to contact Bai Yu, the competition below in the arena began.


    The first day of the tournament was reserved only for the participants of the first category, so only they could be seen down there.


    Immediately, several of them could be seen falling into a trance, focusing deeply, as they channeled their spiritual energy into the talismans and started the process.


    For many of them, that minute felt longer than a minute, and already after the first 30 seconds, several foreheads were covered in sweat.


    After another 10 seconds, some began to tremble, and finally, when the 60 seconds passed, many collapsed to the ground, exhausted, while their talismans slipped from their hands and flew towards the alchemy masters presiding over the tournament.


    Next to each examiner stood an alchemy master, and this was because expert alchemists couldn''t examine, as many of their rank would also be participating in the tournament.


    Only alchemy masters and above were allowed to examine.


    And so, while their scores were being recorded, the first group of disciples moved from their positions, leaving space for the next group.


    The same scene as before repeated itself once again and continued every minute for about 10 minutes, until the last group was also examined.


    Immediately after the end, several talismans flew from their positions and landed in front of various participants of the first category.


    This indicated that they had passed.


    For those who hadn''t received a talisman, there was only the bitter taste of defeat, while many of them still waited hopefully, hoping one of the flying talismans would head in their direction, but it did not.


    And so, the first trial for the participants of the first category ended, with the final result being that one-third of the participants had failed.


    A large number, but one that didn''t surprise anyone.


    The novice category was regarded as such for a reason.


    Every year, many were eliminated in the first trial.


    One would expect that an alchemist who managed to participate in the tournament would at least have solid theoretical foundations, but the alchemy masters knew very well that this wasn''t always the case, which is why this test was still in place.


    They had considered removing it, as the final and most important skill was the practical one, but it soon became clear that wasn''t a good idea.


    In the year they skipped the theoretical test, there were several cauldron explosions due to the inexperience and lack of basic knowledge of many novices.


    The examiners were clearly not happy to see such a prestigious competition turning into an experiment ground for these newcomers.


    As a result, the rules for selecting participants became more stringent.


    This almost never happened in the expert category, and the reason was obvious.


    The minimum one would expect from alchemists at their level is to know every single basic aspect of alchemy by heart.


    For them, most eliminations occurred during the second phase, where they would have to compete in one-on-one matches against another participant.

 Chapter 160 - 160: End of the First Part of the Theoretical Test

    .


    The first day of the competition was mainly to examine the participants of the first category.


    Once that was done, it was finally time for the group of Ethan, Yan Mei, and Xiang Hua.


    Last night, when they met in their residence, some congratulated those who had passed, while others consoled the one who had been eliminated.


    Even though he was already out of the competition, he would wait for the next few days for his group.


    However, he would only watch from the sidelines for the rest of the time.


    Ethan didn''t join them and returned to his room, as was his habit.


    At this point, no one even tried to stop him, not even his fan, who had given up after three days of constant rejection.


    She thought that maybe he trained every time he had the chance, and unlike them, he didn''t take breaks to rest.


    ''It''s clear that we''re on completely different levels,'' she thought.


    And although her assumption wasn''t entirely correct, it was true in a sense.


    Ethan was indeed training, but not in alchemy, he was cultivating.


    When the next day came, the three participants were ready.


    He and the two girls greeted each other with a nod and went to take their assigned seats.


    Once everyone was ready, the same scene as yesterday unfolded.


    However, unlike yesterday, there was a noticeable difference in the seating arrangement today.


    The space separating the seats was much larger and more spread out.


    This indicated that the number of participants in this category was much lower than the number from yesterday, where they had to squeeze as many seats as possible into the arena.


    Currently, there were a total of 143 participants in this category, and according to Ethan''s knowledge, these were all the participants of the second category.


    There wasn''t a second group like the participants from yesterday.


    Time passed, and finally, a minute had passed.


    Ethna finished first again, but with his high cultivation base, he could have a more precise sense of time, so he slowed down on the last few questions to synchronize with the time limit.


    Even though he aimed to finish within a precise minute, he still managed to answer all ten thousand questions, just like last time.


    When he began answering, he noticed that the difficulty level was very similar to the one used for seating selection.


    Ethan understood that the more challenging questions would come only now that the first part of the theoretical test was over.


    Just as he expected, all participants in this category passed without any problems.


    However, this time, unlike yesterday, a transparent screen was projected with the help of a special artifact, displaying the initial scores of everyone.


    1. Nuyu: 10,000 points


    2. Xiang Hua: 8,534 points


    ...


    15. Yan Mei: 7,859 points


    The list of 143 participants was shown to everyone, and as soon as people''s eyes landed on the top scorer, the entire crowd fell silent.


    "Nuyu? Angry fish? What kind of name is that?"


    "Forget the name, look at the score."


    "What? A perfect score!"


    Immediately, the crowd burst into a series of exclamations as they noticed the first-place score.


    A perfect score in the first round.


    This was something that hadn''t happened in several centuries.


    In fact, the last person to achieve a perfect score did so over 300 years ago.


    The reason for this was obvious.


    Many struggled just to get close to 9,000 points, which was understandable given the time constraints, and only a few geniuses in the history of the tournament had managed to go beyond that, with some even achieving a perfect score.


    The number of people who achieved such a result could be counted on one hand.


    The audience knew that the competition in the expert category would be more exciting to watch, but to start by breaking a record like this was something no one expected.


    Even the elderly man who was supposed to comment on the participants'' results remained silent for a few seconds at the sight of this score.


    ''Who the hell is Angry Fish?'' he thought as he looked towards the examiners to ask for their opinion.


    They shook their heads to indicate that the results were correct and that there had been no mistake.


    Seeing this, he took a deep breath, regained his composure, and announced excitedly,


    "With great surprise to the public, and even to us, someone has managed to score a perfect score this year, earning the honor of being added to the Hall of Fame of the competition," he said as he made another projection of a list of various names appear.


    At the end of this list, a light appeared, and the name "Nuyu" was inscribed.


    Although the examiner wasn''t entirely sure of the name, he knew there was little he could do about it.


    They had allowed the participants to choose an alias.


    This was both for privacy and for those who wanted to choose a professional name.


    The only question was what kind of problems this person had to call himself that.


    With today''s excellent result, his name had already been added to the Hall of Fame, and the tournament was just beginning.


    Everyone who had taken the first test knew that a particularly powerful competitor had appeared, and compared to the second-place scorer, he had a lead of over a thousand questions.


    A significant gap. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the initial shock, everyone started to get excited again as the announcer declared the beginning of the second part of the theoretical test.


    This was merely a formality, as although all the participants in this category had already been tested, it wasn''t guaranteed that they would achieve a good score here as well.


    There were many cases of participants who did well in the seating selection test but then scored poorly or insufficiently in this round.


    Relying on the seating test was one thing, but taking it as the final proof of their ability was not.


    It might seem like they were questioning the ability of those alchemy masters, but that wasn''t the case, and even those masters didn''t mind it.


    So, now that the first part was over, it was time for the part entirely dedicated to the second category: questions and answers with difficulties adjusted by the participant themselves.

 Chapter 161 - 161: Second Part of the Theoretical Test

    .


    In a part of the capital of the Long Empire, an individual was walking at a moderate pace through an alley.


    He didn''t stop but continued passing from one alley to another calmly until he halted in front of a building.


    He looked around to see if anyone was following him and, seeing that he was alone, he entered.


    Once inside, he closed the door, and immediately a luminous sphere appeared, providing light.


    The building he had entered was a type of warehouse, filled with several items covered by white sheets to prevent dust accumulation.


    He wasn''t concerned with these things and walked for a while until he found a part of the floor that seemed suitable.


    He crouched and placed a sheet of paper with strange symbols inscribed on it.


    Once the sheet was in place, he made a cut on his finger and allowed a drop of blood to fall onto the paper.


    If a regular person saw this scene, they would be shocked, not by the act itself but because the person''s blood wasn''t red,


    it was black.


    As the drop of black blood fell onto the paper, it started to contort, and as if by magic, it was absorbed by the formation on the sheet, which began to glow.


    Along with it, the paper began to burn until only the formation remained.


    It placed itself on the wooden floor of the warehouse and seemed to grow larger as a half-meter diameter circle encompassed it.


    "This looks suspicious, don''t you think?" a voice said from behind him.


    While he was focused on setting up the inscription, he hadn''t noticed a figure appear behind him.


    Hearing the voice, his eyes widened as he hurried to turn around and see who it was.


    He had been especially cautious during the entire journey and had confirmed no one was following him.


    Yet there he was, discovered by the person before him.


    As he turned to see who it was, his eyes caught the sight of a woman with greyish-white hair, sitting on a square container covered with a white cloth.


    She had her legs crossed and her face resting on her hand while smiling at him.


    For a moment, he froze at the sight, involuntarily muttering, "A goddess."


    The woman, hearing this, smiled and closed her eyes for a moment.


    "A goddess, you say?


    No, I think you''re mistaken.


    I''m just an innocent woman forced to do dirty work by a ruthless human who doesn''t appreciate my beauty," she said, playing the victim.


    Then she opened her eyes.


    Suddenly, the man''s entire body became paralyzed as his vision blurred, his consciousness beginning to fade.


    "But let''s not talk about that. Tell me, what are you up to in this isolated place?"


    The man''s body trembled as those crystal blue eyes rested on him.


    No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t move, and the more time passed, the more his consciousness dimmed.


    ''Who on earth is this woman?'' he thought, fading.


    At this point, even the little rationality left in him vanished, leaving nothing but an empty body.


    While Bai Yu was interrogating the man, Ethan, who had just finished the first part of the practical test, was now standing on a platform with another participant.


    Both were looking at the alchemist master in front of them.


    "Well, now that you''ve successfully passed the first part of the theoretical test, we''ll move on to the next round," he said, looking towards Ethan and the other participant.


    After the end of the first test, a random selection was made to choose the first two people to start the next test.


    It so happened that Ethan, who ranked first, was chosen alongside another participant from the top 50.


    The other participant was a tall young man, no more than 180 cm, with long hair tied back and a serious expression.


    He was one of the participants from the Qilin Kingdom.


    The test consisted of a series of questions with difficulty chosen by the participants, and the goal was to score more points than the opponent.


    The winner would advance, while the loser would have a second chance.


    If they lost again, they would be disqualified.


    With both participants in place, the alchemist master asked them to choose the difficulty for their first question.


    The difficulty ranged from one to five, with one being easy and five nearly impossible.


    Both made their choices by pressing a talisman, and the elder decided to start with the participant who chose the lower difficulty.


    He turned to Ethan''s opponent and asked:


    "Since you''ve chosen the lower difficulty, we''ll start with you."


    ''What?''


    The boy, hearing this, couldn''t help but wonder what level of difficulty his opponent had chosen. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had chosen level three, thinking it would be a good start without being too difficult.


    He assumed his opponent had chosen either two or three, but it seemed like he had chosen a higher level.


    He figured that Ethan had likely chosen level four, without even considering level five.


    That level was something no one dared to challenge, as the questions could stump even an alchemist master.


    The elder, ignoring the boy''s hesitation, spoke and asked the first question:


    "What is the balance of the five elements in alchemy, and how does it influence the creation of advanced pills?"


    The boy, hearing this question, made a thoughtful expression as he contemplated his response.


    This question might not seem too complicated, but he knew otherwise.


    Giving a superficial answer risked losing points on this level-three question.


    He had to be detailed, carefully choosing which parts were essential and which weren''t.


    In this test, it wasn''t just about knowledge but also about how well the participant could form precise answers, knowing what to include and exclude.


    Providing an overly detailed response might seem correct but wasn''t.


    No one wanted to sit and listen to entire pages of theory.


    "The balance of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, is essential in creating advanced pills.


    Each herb or alchemical material has a nature corresponding to one or more of these elements.


    If the balance between the elements is incorrect, the pill may fail or have dangerous side effects.


    For example��"


    He proceeded to outline the main points, trying to be both concise and precise in his response.


    As he did, the other participants, who had gathered in small groups, also tried answering the question in their minds.


    Several of them wore complicated expressions, while others didn''t seem to find the question difficult.


    As the boy finished his answer, the examiner nodded and said:


    "Correct, you receive 3 points," awarding the maximum for this difficulty level.


    Even Ethan, who had listened from start to finish, nodded in agreement, though he thought there were some points that could have been improved.


    He shook these thoughts away as he prepared to receive his own question.


    ''I wonder what he will ask me,'' he thought, recalling the difficulty he had chosen earlier for this round.

 Chapter 162 - 162: 30 to 21

    .


    The difficulty of the first question lay in everyone''s expectations.


    Most of the participants would have chosen a difficulty level of 2 or 3 as a starting point to test the waters,


    and seeing the question that was asked, everyone knew it was a good place to begin.


    The question itself wasn''t complicated.


    Its main challenge resided in the way it had to be answered.


    In other words, the completeness of the content required.


    One had to be careful not to say too much, nor too little.


    A balance had to be found, highlighting the main points without exaggerating their importance.


    Most of the participants could say they could handle a question of this level.


    Now everyone anxiously awaited the question that would be asked to the masked boy.


    He had chosen a higher difficulty compared to the other participant, and everyone assumed it was probably at level 4.


    They didn''t know why he wanted to start directly with a question of this level, but it was fine for them;


    after all, it was as if he would be their test subject, allowing them to gauge the level of difficulty and decide whether or not to aim for the same.


    Of course, there were some among the group watching who didn''t have these thoughts, having already made their decisions.


    They only watched to see how things would go.


    Unlike them, however, the examiner had a smile on his face as he prepared the question.


    ''Well, it would have been disappointing if he hadn''t started with a difficulty like this,'' he thought as he prepared to announce the question.


    "What is a ''pseudo-spiritual pill,'' and how does it differ from a real spiritual pill?" As soon as he finished asking the question, the crowd fell silent.


    "A pseudo-spiritual pill?


    What the heck is a spiritual pill in the first place?"


    "I don''t think I''ve ever heard of a pill like that before.


    Could they have gotten the name wrong?"


    "No, I doubt they did. I mean, he''s a master alchemist.


    He wouldn''t get the name of a pill wrong even by accident."


    While the crowd quickly began discussing this unfamiliar pill, Ethan immediately started answering without losing a second:


    "A ''pseudo-spiritual pill'' is a pill that externally seems to have all the characteristics of a spiritual pill but lacks the true spiritual essence needed for full effectiveness.


    These pills can be created accidentally when the alchemist fails in the process of infusing essence, or they can be the result of inferior alchemical practices.


    A pseudo-spiritual pill has much weaker effects compared to a genuine spiritual pill and could even cause side effects if consumed.


    Only a high-level alchemist can perceive the difference through their spiritual sense."


    Ethna stopped here without delving further into what the pill was for or its various uses.


    He made sure to stay within the limits of the question posed, avoiding any unnecessary explanations of the different uses.


    If it weren''t for the vast knowledge the system had given him, even he doubted he would have known about such a pill.


    He was sure he hadn''t heard mention of a pill like this in the alchemy texts he had read to get an idea of the alchemy level in the mortal plane.


    Of course, he didn''t think he had acquired all the knowledge present here, but he had learned enough to get an idea of the level of the alchemists of this plane.


    A spiritual essence pill was a level 4 pill that only the most skilled master alchemists and grandmaster alchemists could attempt to produce.


    It allowed the soul to have a bit more defense, making cultivation in the fourth and fifth stages more stable.


    The process of producing this pill was somewhat complicated and required that the alchemist have a certain mastery in handling spiritual essences, a form of energy produced directly using spiritual energy.


    This level of knowledge was still far beyond the alchemists barely reaching the level of grandmaster alchemists, so it was normal that many of them hadn''t even heard of such a pill.


    Seeing the speed and precision of Ethna''s answer, even the examiner was surprised for a moment, but then he recovered, nodding inwardly at Ethna''s response.


    ''It seems like this year we''ll have some pleasant surprises,'' he thought as he announced the result.


    "The answer is correct; you''ve earned the maximum points," he said as Ethan''s score went from 0 to 5.


    As soon as the people saw that score, they wore stunned expressions, realizing the difficulty Ethna had chosen for his first question.


    "Damn, is he crazy, choosing that level right from the first question?"


    "More importantly, how on earth did he know about that pill? He even got the maximum points."


    From the question alone, people could tell that the difficulty was certainly high, and many doubted that it was only at level 4.


    Seeing that he had indeed chosen the highest level right from the start, they understood they had been right.


    This madman had started with maximum difficulty, right from the start.


    And so, with just the first question, Ethaa had already secured a score higher than his opponent.


    And with the following questions, the situation only worsened for his opponent.


    For the second question as well, Ethan chose the highest difficulty, and just like before, he answered excellently.


    Ethan''s opponent, on the other hand, had chosen a level 4 difficulty this time, hoping to close the gap a little, but he ended up giving an incorrect answer, earning only 2 points out of 4. S��ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He knew that if he wanted a chance to turn the situation around, he had to take a risk.


    The first attempt had gone badly, but at this point, he had no choice but to gamble again or face defeat, so he tried another level 4 question and this time answered correctly, gaining 4 points.


    This lifted his spirits, and he wanted to see what difficulty Ethan would choose next, but he didn''t expect him to go for the highest difficulty once again and answer correctly, just like the previous times.


    In the end, everyone realized that Ethna wasn''t an easy opponent, and just as they had expected, he defeated his opponent with a crushing score of


    30 to 21.

 Chapter 163 - 163: A Trap

    Ethan finished his round in just over ten minutes.


    Normally, this part of the competition didn''t take much longer, but people still expected it to last around 15 to 20 minutes per match.


    With Ethan''s quick responses, along with his opponent''s, the match ended relatively fast.


    When Ethan returned to his seat, he found four pairs of eyes staring at him as if he were some unique, strange creature.


    Not knowing how to respond, he simply decided to ignore them.


    Especially since one of those pairs of eyes belonged to a girl, whose gaze was more intense than the other two.


    ''Damn, another one fell for my charm,'' he thought, recalling the countless stares he''d received from the opposite sex in recent days.


    Particularly during his outing with Bai Yu to explore the city.


    If Bai Yu had been there, she would have shaken her head at Ethan''s assumptions.


    Just like the participants, the alchemy masters were also surprised by the level of knowledge this masked young man displayed.


    He had already stunned everyone by taking first place in the first part of the trial.


    Now, with his results in the first match of the second part of the theoretical trial, they had the feeling he would repeat his previous success once again.


    At some point, many began to wonder if he was, in fact, an expert alchemist, perhaps one of their own, disguised to take part in the competition.


    The level of knowledge he had shown so far was enough to classify him at their level, because they too knew how difficult those questions were, and not all of them could confidently say they would have been able to give perfect answers like his.


    Now, the only thing left to examine was his refining skills.


    If those were also up to their expectations, then there was no reason why they wouldn''t consider him a master alchemist.


    The very idea of having a master alchemist at that age gave many of them chills.


    None of them would have been able to say they could compare to him, if this turned out to be true.


    That said, having talent of this level excited them, because it meant that another person with the potential to become the next grand master had appeared.


    While everyone was lost in their speculations, Ethan, who had maintained a calm expression throughout, now had a slightly more serious look as he thought to himself:


    ''I understand, so that''s how it is.''


    ***


    In a remote and deep area to the north of the empire''s capital, a large figure had a furrowed brow as he tried to communicate with one of his subordinates, but received no response.


    The figure could tell the person in question was still alive and that the formations they had set up in parts of the city had been completed, so he didn''t immediately consider the worst-case scenario.


    Standing up from his seat, he looked off into the distance, pondering something for a moment.


    Then, taking a step forward, he vanished from his position, leaving the place as silent as it was before.


    However, the peculiarity of the location didn''t stem from its lack of light or its underground-like appearance, but from the scattered remains of animals and other creatures strewn about.


    Even where the figure had just been standing, there lay the mangled corpse of what was once a mountain bear.


    Sensing something might be wrong, the figure decided to check the situation personally.


    He appeared at the entrance of a cave, still shrouded in deep darkness.


    Taking a step forward to exit, his form shifted visibly.


    As soon as he placed his foot outside the cave, the massive figure was no longer visible, and in its place stood the silhouette of a middle-aged man.


    With another step forward, he vanished once more, this time heading directly toward the imperial capital.


    In no time at all, he covered several kilometers and found himself outside the capital''s walls.


    Stopping at a certain distance, he tried once again to sense the aura of his underling.


    Just as he managed to perceive it, his expression changed, and he turned to look to the side.


    There, lying sprawled beneath a tree, was the man he had been searching for.


    Noticing his condition, he could tell that the man wasn''t injured, just unconscious.


    ''Something''s not right here,'' he thought, becoming even more alert.


    Everything about the current situation was far from normal.


    It was likely that his underling had been discovered by someone, and leaving him here was likely a trap meant to lure him in.


    Just as he hurried to send a mental communication somewhere, a voice reached his ears, and his body stopped responding to his commands. S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''What''s happening to me?''


    "It seems you''ve finally decided to leave your lair," said a soft voice, coming from somewhere nearby.


    In front of the man, the figure of a woman materialized, as if a veil had been lifted from her.


    Seeing this woman, the man felt an instinctive fear, as his body was overwhelmed with danger signals from all directions.


    He wanted to ask who she was, but he couldn''t even open his mouth, and with panic written all over his face, he could only stare at the figure before him.


    "You know, I''ve always wondered what your kind looked like," the woman said, her calm expression unchanging as she looked at him with deep blue eyes that seemed to glow faintly.


    Suddenly, a force struck his body, and in an instant, he returned to his original form, still immobilized.


    Seeing this, the man felt a mix of shock and disbelief, combined with the growing fear within him.


    ''Who on earth is this woman?


    Wasn''t it said that there weren''t many powerful beings in this place?''


    Bai Yu, observing the true form of the figure, couldn''t help but comment.


    "Hm? I knew demons didn''t have fixed forms, but this�� it seems you were originally from the race of giants," she said, noticing the various differences between him and a race she was familiar with.


    She knew that such a race didn''t exist in the mortal plane, so she could only think that the demon was one of the survivors from the celestial plane.


    Intensifying her aura around the demon, she smiled as she said calmly:


    "Well then, why don''t we have a little chat?"


    These words, which seemed harmless on the surface, were like a bolt of lightning for the immobilized demon.


    He knew it was over for him, so he decided to make one last attempt.

 Chapter 164 - 164: Beginning of the Practical test

    .


    The competition proceeded as usual, and today was finally the third day of the tournament.


    The second phase of the theoretical test had ended yesterday, with the final scores now posted, just like the first time.


    And, to no one''s surprise, the top spot was once again taken by Nuyu, the masked boy.


    Though people found his nickname amusing, they preferred to refer to him as the masked boy.


    Even though he wasn''t the only one wearing a mask in the tournament, he stood out the most, so they gave him this nickname, which Ethan naturally didn''t approve of.


    But apparently, it wasn''t up to him to decide.


    If Bai Yu had been here at this moment, she would have already burst out laughing.


    She had her doubts about his nickname, but she would have agreed with the rest of the audience about his new title.


    If given the chance, she probably would have been the one to give him this name.


    That said, one way or another, Ethan ended up in this situation, and as much as he wanted to, he knew there was little he could do.


    The interesting thing to note was that, once again, he beat the second place contestant by an even greater margin than last time.


    However, this time, the second-place contestant wasn''t Xiang Hua but someone else.


    She ended up in third place this time, losing by a small margin to the one before her.


    Clearly, she wasn''t happy with this, given her displeased expression.


    Ethan, however, didn''t care and continued to watch the competition from his seat.


    This time, the number of participants had decreased even more, and by the end of the second part of the theoretical test, the total number of contestants had reached an exact 100.


    Ethan wasn''t sure if it was a coincidence that there were precisely 100 participants or if it was done on purpose, but this way, they now had 50 pairs of participants for the practical test.


    The test, seeing the number of participants, wasn''t limited to just one battle at a time but rather 8 at once.


    At this pace, the first winners among all these 50 pairs of contestants could be determined today, but the test wouldn''t last for just an hour per group but for three.


    Ethan thought this was done on purpose since the pills produced wouldn''t be of low grade anymore but of high grade for level 1.


    Everyone present had already demonstrated sufficient skill to be able to produce at least low-grade level 2 pills.


    This was a level expected from these participants, as each one of them was at least a three-star adept, with many already at the expert alchemist level.


    The reason why competitions among experts were more impressive compared to those of novices was that they always showcased high-level skills, with pill refining methods and even the pills themselves being newer and more unique.


    No matter how large the alchemy tournament was, it never attracted more than a certain level of attention, and this was due to the fact that many couldn''t understand the majority of what was happening during this competition.


    Which was normal, after all, not everyone had knowledge of alchemy, even at a basic level.


    That''s why a commentator was provided, who would simplify what was happening for the present audience.


    That said, even then, the audience was mainly interested in knowing who the best was or the future pillars of alchemy for their empire, and witnessing their rise, so to speak.


    Being able to say they were present during the debut of a certain important figure was considered an honor by many.


    It was similar to when someone became rich and successful in their profession, and all their old acquaintances wanted to be part of that success.


    There was always that friend or classmate who would suddenly appear out of nowhere, claiming they were in your class in front of their friends.


    Situations like that were very common in the cultivation world as well, where everyone wanted a chance to end up having some kind of connection with prominent figures or those who were achieving a certain level of success.


    It was a world governed by the strong, and everyone understood that if they wanted a certain level of security, they had to cling to someone powerful.


    Ethan found this mentality strange and preferred not to end up in such situations in any case.


    No matter which world one was in, some things wouldn''t change, and this was something he understood very well from his first year here.


    That said, Ethan watched the performance of the first group of participants, and so far, no one caught his attention.


    He was in the second group of participants, who would compete today, and he couldn''t wait for his turn.


    After what Bai Yu had communicated to him, he knew that the situation was more serious than he had expected.


    He intended to meet her after the tournament and find a solution to the problem together.


    If what she said was true, then most likely, they only had a few days to act.


    The time passed quickly, and the first group of winners was decided.


    Ethan could say that all of them were good to a certain extent, but from his perspective, now more than ever, none of them stood a chance of winning against him. S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''I feel like I''m bullying them,'' he thought as he stood up, preparing himself for when he would be called onto the field.


    The highest level of pill he saw was a level 2 pill of medium grade,


    a good feat for them, but for him, who could refine level 3 pills of perfect grade with his eyes closed, this result was nothing more than child''s play.


    As the other participants left the field to make room for the next group, Ethan, along with the others, moved to his designated station.


    At this point, everyone had confirmed Ethan''s theoretical knowledge and admitted that no one could stand behind him in this area.


    But now it was time for pill refining, and one couldn''t necessarily be good at both, so many were anxious to see his performance.

 Chapter 165 - 165: Xiang Hua’s Determination

    .


    As the competition progressed, many people experienced either despair or joy.


    From those who were proud of their results to those who were disappointed due to defeat or mediocre performance, there were all kinds of emotions.


    And within this group of people, Ethan''s companions were certainly no exception.


    The two participants from the first category were anxiously awaiting the next day, as that would be the day of their category''s practical test.


    Both had barely passed up until now. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They didn''t have a second theoretical test, so the number of eliminations in their category was somewhat limited.


    Of course, the eliminations from the talisman test weren''t few at all, and just those alone exceeded the number of disqualified participants in the experts'' category.


    This alone indicated the skill gap between the two groups of contestants.


    Currently, both the girl and the boy from Ethan''s group were watching closely, impatiently awaiting the start of Ethan''s trial.


    But they weren''t the only ones.


    Xiang Hua and Yan Mei, who had been part of the first theoretical test group, also had their eyes fixed on him.


    Both of them had contrasting expressions, with a sea of thoughts overwhelming their minds.


    Yan Mei had, to some extent, already accepted that she wasn''t on Ethan''s level yet, but the same couldn''t be said for Xiang Hua.


    She gazed at him deeply, recalling the events before the tournament began.


    After the day of the competition that selected participants for the tournament, she had been quite frustrated.


    And the main cause of this frustration was none other than Ethan.


    "That bastard, I''ll make him pay," she said, breaking the composure she usually maintained in public.


    Normally, it was hard for anything to make her lose her usual composure, but the events of that day had been too much for her to bear.


    She had gone to the selection, thinking she would pass the test with relative ease, which she did in a sense, but she hadn''t expected to see someone who was apparently on her same level, possibly even more capable.


    And just when she was finally about to face him, he decided to withdraw from the match since he had already secured one of the spots.


    This infuriated her.


    She knew he was a strong opponent and that she would have little chance of winning against him, but not even having the opportunity to face him sent her into a frenzy.


    What should have been a simple selection had become a source of stress for her.


    As soon as she returned to the sect, she immediately got to work.


    She went to the residence given to her as a disciple of the sect master and locked herself in there for days, refining and honing her alchemy skills.


    That flame which had dimmed reignited, burning stronger than ever.


    The drive that constantly pushed her to improve had returned.


    She spent nearly a whole month like this, and although she achieved good results, she wasn''t satisfied.


    She was now able to refine high-grade level 2 pills with relative ease, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t refine level 3 pills.


    She was fortunate to have the level 3 pill recipes she had requested from the sect master, and she trained with those, but even after days of refining, she didn''t see any significant progress.


    The purity of her pills never exceeded 10%, far from the minimum threshold required for a low-grade pill.


    Taking a pill with that amount of impurities would do more harm than good, and in many cases, it would bring no benefit at all and could even lead to certain death, depending on the pill.


    In the end, she gave up and decided to do something she had never wanted to do, not regarding alchemy.


    She decided to ask for help from the sect master.


    Few people knew, but even the sect master had once been a very famous alchemist.


    Before becoming the sect master, she had dedicated herself to both cultivation and alchemy.


    It''s unknown why she stopped, as being an alchemist wasn''t an easy path; it required a lot of time and dedication, as did cultivation.


    Pursuing both at the same time was considered madness by most alchemists and cultivators.


    And this didn''t even take into account that alchemy also required a certain level of innate talent, without which it would be extremely difficult.


    Just like she had started studying and practicing alchemy from scratch, she had also stopped at a certain point.


    Many believed the reason for this was that she was about to be appointed as the new sect master of the Phoenix Sect, but this didn''t explain why she had completely stopped.


    After learning this, Xiang Hua wanted to become as skilled as her, and now that she didn''t know how to proceed, she could only ask for her help.


    It was normal to turn to one''s master for these things, but for her, it wasn''t an easy choice.


    She believed the sect master had already done enough for her and that there was no need to ask for more.


    She was a grown woman who now knew how to stand on her own and take care of herself.


    That being said, she eventually went to her, and upon seeing the smile on her master''s face, it seemed as though she had been expecting this day.


    As much as she was happy to receive teachings from the sect master, Xiang Hua had to admit that when she made that smile, it meant the training wouldn''t be fun at all.


    And just as she thought, it wasn''t.


    The hell she went through for two months to improve her skills under the sect master''s guidance was something she hadn''t experienced in a long time.


    Just thinking about it sent chills down her spine, but despite that, the results of this intense teaching weren''t insignificant at all.


    The level of progress in her alchemical skills that she had made in these two months was something that would have taken her at least a year to achieve on her own, if not more.


    Now that the tournament had started, she didn''t intend to hold back against anyone.


    She would defeat all her opponents until she finally faced him.


    "This time, you won''t be able to escape."

 Chapter 166 - 166: A random mix of ingredients

    .


    Although the challenge itself lasted almost three hours, he had no intention of staying idle for that long.


    An adept-level alchemist could refine several low-grade pills within this time frame, about one every 30 minutes.


    An expert-level practitioner could refine a medium to high-grade pill every 15 minutes.


    So, if his opponent decided to produce several high-grade pills, he wouldn''t be able to make more than 12.


    Ethan didn''t have much to do.


    He had already set aside several years'' worth of pill stocks of every kind, which he''d prepared over the time he spent within his minor dimension.


    Thus, there was no point in creating additional ones, especially level-1 or level-2 pills, since they were not profitable enough for him to bother with.


    At his current level, this grade of pill was child''s play, and he preferred not to refine them.


    The participants were required to follow basic guidelines for their pills, each one had to be at least a high-grade level-1 pill.


    At this point in the competition, the requirement was reasonable, even if unnecessary, since all remaining participants could at least refine low-grade level-2 pills.


    So, he decided to ask the examiner directly.


    He raised his hand, signaling for the examiner to come toward him.


    The commentator, noticing this, couldn''t help but say:


    "Oh, it seems that Participant Nuyu has a question. What could it be?" he said.


    He wasn''t the only one who noticed; several audience members and participants who hadn''t yet competed began to wonder what the issue could be.


    "Could he have already given up?" one of them asked.


    "I told you theory was the only thing he was good at. He probably can''t even produce a low-grade level-2 pill," said another, and murmurs spread among them.


    Yan Mei, Xiang Hua, and Elder Shu, seeing his actions, furrowed their brows.


    They knew his alchemy skills weren''t the issue, after all, they knew better than anyone just how capable the masked boy was in this field.


    So, they were puzzled by his actions.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this,'' thought Elder Shu.


    The alchemist master who was serving as the examiner approached Ethna and asked:


    "What''s the problem, participant Nuyu?"


    He, too, was eager to see this person in action, so he was perplexed by this move at the very beginning of the round.


    "If a participant finishes refining their pills before time is up, can they leave early?" Ethan asked nonchalantly.


    The examiner: "..."


    The audience: "..."


    The participants: "..."


    At these words, silence followed, then, as if a bubble had burst, the crowd erupted in laughter.


    "The round just started, and he''s already talking about finishing it."


    "He says that as if finishing that long list is nothing."


    "Kids these days have such a strange sense of humor."


    While the crowd broke into laughter and jeers, the examiner who had approached didn''t know how to respond.


    It wasn''t the first time questions had been asked during the competition, but one like this was a first even for him.


    Finally, seeing Ethan''s expectant gaze, he coughed and forced himself to say:


    "A participant isn''t obligated to stay here until time runs out; certainly, I would still advise staying," he said.


    Ethan nodded in understanding and began to prepare for refining.


    The examiner, seeing he was about to start, returned to his position.


    Like the selection round, here, too, a list of pills to refine within three hours was given.


    The difference was that they now had certain level and grade requirements, as well as others.


    As for the pills themselves, they could be refined to any level desired.


    This allowed some flexibility for the alchemist since if refining a certain type of high-grade pill was easier and quicker, they could do so first, then move on to more challenging ones.


    Ultimately, it wasn''t only the number of pills produced that counted, but also their grade and purity.


    Ethan knew they didn''t expect anyone to refine every pill on the list, but at this point, he held nothing back and began.


    He didn''t need to use his Spiritual QI Manifestation Technique to move the ingredients.


    He simply chose a few and tossed them straight into the cauldron.


    This action made everyone''s eyes widen as another wave of exclamations erupted.


    Even his opponent, who had been constantly distracted by the uproar, couldn''t help but glance over to see what was causing all this commotion.


    The moment he saw what Ethna was doing, he nearly dropped the ingredient he was holding into his cauldron.


    ''What the hell? Is he cooking food or refining pills?'' he thought, not expecting to encounter such a person.


    He came prepared to face other geniuses of his level, or even higher, and when he saw that he was up against the boy who had scored the highest points in both theory tests, he thought his fate was sealed.


    But now, seeing this scene, he couldn''t help but think he had overestimated his opponent.


    ''In the end, he''s all smoke and mirrors,'' he thought as he resumed refining his pills.


    That said, even if the crowd was incredulous at what they were seeing, his group members were not.


    They had already seen him do something like this a few days ago and knew he was capable of refining in this manner.


    Even Elder Shu could only shake her head at this behavior.


    What none of them expected, however, was that Ethan didn''t just throw in one precise series of materials; he added many more afterward.


    At this, both the audience and the examiners were even more astonished.


    The first set of materials made sense, as they were ingredients for a known pill, but seeing him add more made them reconsider and start guessing what pill he intended to refine.


    They thought the outcome would be anything but a pill, but they at least wanted to determine the type of pill he intended to refine.


    As time passed, Ethan continued adding ingredients.


    At a certain point, even the judges gave up.


    They noted that the ingredients combined made no sense together but could be separated to create several of the pills required.


    After five minutes, Ethan finally finished putting ingredients into the now probably overloaded cauldron.


    He closed the lid, lit the fire, something usually done right from the beginning and waited.


    "��"


    sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 167 - 167: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

    .


    At this point, everyone had given up trying to guess what Ethan was doing.


    Even the examiners had to admit that, in their long lives, they had never encountered someone so "peculiar."


    Practically, what the masked boy did in the first 30 minutes was wait while the ingredients in the cauldron were cooking.


    He did nothing: no checking, no stirring, no additions,


    nothing.


    They all assumed that whatever abominable thing the contestant was preparing was certainly not a pill or anything related to alchemy,


    so they stopped paying him any attention and resumed watching the other participants.


    "I have to say, no one here has shown an especially impressive performance so far," remarked one of the examiners, a woman in her forties dressed in a pink robe adorned with various gold engravings, her expression one of boredom.


    "You can''t expect much at this point in the tournament.


    After all, we''re only in the early rounds;


    the most spectacular performances will come in the later stages, as they do every year," replied a middle-aged man next to her, also paying attention to the participants.


    "Seriously, this is so boring! Why did they even invite all of us?


    Three or four of us could have evaluated this.


    Why go through the trouble of inviting ten?" the woman said, her expression irritated.


    "Come on, don''t be like that.


    This is a rare opportunity for us to step out of our usual routine.


    And who knows, maybe you''ll find your next disciple here," said an old man nearby, who had overheard the woman''s complaints.


    As they continued their conversation, one of them, who was evaluating the examiners, couldn''t help but glance out of the corner of his eye at Ethan''s station to see what he was doing, and immediately noticed something.


    ''Is he about to remove the lid from the cauldron?''


    Just like him, the other examiners noticed this change and shifted their attention to Ethan''s station.


    Their hopes of seeing a good show from him had faded, but seeing him finally do something other than observe his cauldron piqued their curiosity;


    after all, they wanted to see what he had produced inside.


    After standing still and watching his cauldron for the entire time, Ethan finally moved after forty minutes and lifted the metal lid.


    The lid, which had been on the cauldron over the fire for 40 minutes, was now scorching hot, but Ethan didn''t seem to feel any pain as he slowly took it off.


    As soon as he did, a cloud of steam billowed out of the cauldron, making it difficult to see what was happening for a moment.


    Then, as the steam began to dissipate, several small spheres shot out from the cauldron.


    At first, no one noticed them, but as the steam completely cleared, people finally saw what they were and widened their eyes in surprise.


    "No, it cant be; those are... pills?"


    "Wait, how is that possible? We all saw him standing still the entire time; it''s impossible he refined them all, right?"


    "Exactly! And look at their number; there are at least a dozen there," said another.


    As the crowd erupted into yet another discussion about Ethan''s actions, the latter waved the pills in front of him, from which he pulled out a couple of glass vials.


    One by one, the pills were placed inside and lined up on the small table beside him.


    This was the display table where the pills would be placed for evaluation later.


    Seeing this scene, the examiners were momentarily at a loss for words, then one of them got up from his seat and went to Ethan''s station.


    Upon arriving, he didn''t even bother to look at Ethan or ask him questions; he immediately began examining the contents of the lineup.


    "This color, and this smell, there''s no doubt, this is a pill for the cure of the venom of the mountain snake," he said, a confused expression on his face.


    "Not only that, but its purity is very high.


    This is a level 2 pill of high grade, with a purity of 95%," he said, even more incredulous, almost doubting his own words.


    Hearing their colleague saying this, the other alchemists had similar expressions as one by one they rose from their seats and went to check.


    They didn''t care about their positions, and all ten of them moved toward Ethan''s station.


    What was once a small, half-empty area was now filled with people examining the various vials set on the display table.


    "My God, he''s right; this pill really does have a purity of 95%," said the older man, who, like everyone else, was surprised to see Ethan''s refined pills were indeed genuine and not just some rounded stuff.


    The other colleagues who were already there and had started examining the other pills had similar expressions as they spoke.


    "This is a pill for immunity against venom, and it too is a level 2 high grade, with a purity of 95%," said the woman in the pink dress as she finished examining the vial in her hand.


    "This one is of the same level and purity."


    "This one too." Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This one is as well."


    One by one, they all gave their conclusions after examining the pill vials, and to everyone''s shock, all these pills were of high grade level 2 with a purity of 95%.


    They looked at each other, reading the surprise on each other''s faces.


    ''All of these pills are of excellent quality,'' they all thought.


    The purity of pills at every level is extremely important, and the higher the level, the more difficult it is to increase its final purity.


    All these were level 2 pills, and for them to have a purity of 90% was already extremely good, but what about those at 95%?


    These pills could rival all the highest quality pills at this level.


    The most astonishing thing about all this was that the refiner not only had refined them all in less than an hour, but also that he had refined them all at once.


    ''What kind of monster is this?'' they all thought while looking at the masked boy.


    It wasn''t difficult for them to refine a pill by manipulating the materials inside the cauldron with their spiritual Qi.


    They could even manage to do it while refining two pills, or even three.


    This was something that, once they reached their level and perfected their skills, could be done, although with difficulty.


    But what about 12 pills?


    They didn''t even know if such a thing was possible.


    They had observed the whole process from the beginning and even at the end, and could tell that those pills had been refined inside the cauldron and not placed there in a second moment, so they knew these creations were original and made on the spot.


    None of them doubted this fact.


    But it was precisely for this reason that they found the situation even more incredible.


    In the end, while they were still bewildered at how he had achieved such a result, Ethan decided it was time to go.


    None of them tried to stop him as each of them remained there, still holding the pills in hand, deep in thought about what they had just seen.


    Then, out of nowhere, one of them said, his voice still somewhat uncertain,


    "We''ve let a wolf into this flock of sheep."


    Hearing this, everyone nodded while trying not to highlight the strange metaphor used by the alchemist master.

 Chapter 168 - 168: Interrogation Results

    .


    The daily challenges were over, and everyone had retreated to their quarters.


    They knew the upcoming days would be tough, as there were still a few days left before the end of the tournament.


    Unlike usual, though, Ethan was not in his room, immersed in his minor dimension; instead, he was wandering through the city at night.


    "Seal."


    With his spiritual Qi manifestation, he formed a circular array, and with a motion of his hand, he placed that formation on the seal he''d found on the ground in a secluded alley of the capital.


    "And with this, that makes three," he said as he moved from his previous spot, only to reappear elsewhere.


    "Well, you were the one who didn''t want to alert the enemy, and this is the only way to neutralize the formation without drawing any suspicion," Bai Yu said through mental communication.


    "Yes, fine, but couldn''t you do it yourself?" he asked as he appeared on the roof of a building, looking down at yet another formation they had found.


    After hearing what Bai Yu said, he understood that the situation was much more problematic than he initially thought.


    According to what she had managed to extract from the mind of the captured enemy, the purpose of the seals left at various points around the city was to raise a massive formation that would suppress the cultivation bases of all beings below the fourth stage.


    When Ethan first heard this, he found it hard to believe, as he didn''t think such a formation could exist.


    But then Bai Yu explained to him that, in the celestial plane, there existed formations far more powerful than these.


    Compared to those, this one was a trifle.


    "Well, with that man out of the game, the mind behind this will likely come to inspect the area.


    I can use this opportunity to capture them and see what else they have in mind.


    After all, you told me not to eliminate him right away," she said, reminding him of the instructions he had given her while he was still at the tournament.


    He had told her to learn everything she could from the enemy and put him out of commission, not kill him, as that would have alerted whoever was behind these four individuals.


    He was certain these four weren''t acting on their own.


    This was likely connected to the incident from a few months ago in the spirit forest.


    Then, most of the enemies were wiped out, but the strongest one managed to escape before the creature emerging from the portal appeared.


    And when he heard Bai Yu''s information, he realized he had been right.


    The goal of these four infected individuals was to make preparations to erect a cultivation suppression formation.


    Ethan didn''t understand the point of setting up a formation that would only affect those below the fifth stage.


    He understood that nearly everyone present fell within this range of cultivation, but the emperor or even the prince did not.


    If the tournament was their target, they would have known that these two individuals from the Long Empire wouldn''t allow them to do as they pleased.


    But as he finished sealing the last of the seals, he received more information from her.


    "So he''s appeared?


    What did you do to him?" he asked, sensing that the person behind these four had shown up.


    "Oh, nothing much, I just questioned him a bit, and he was kind enough to provide some answers," she replied in her usual playful and calm voice. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan shivered at her words and mentally offered a prayer for the poor soul who had ended up in her hands.


    He was certain the unfortunate man had been tortured for quite some time before he spoke, like a dam bursting open.


    That said, what finally piqued his interest was the fact that the person in question was, in fact, a demon.


    A real demon.


    For as much as he had heard her speak about demons, he had never met one, so hearing that one had appeared stirred his curiosity, and he looked forward to seeing him.


    "So you''re telling me they intend to attack the imperial palace? But that makes no sense.


    The demon you captured wasn''t just a mere fifth stage, was he?" he asked as he finished sealing a seal, hearing this information.


    Just as he''d said before, that formation was useless against people who had already advanced to the fifth stage, so there was no point in attacking the imperial palace if the strongest person within it would not suffer any debuff from this formation.


    The more he heard about these individuals'' plans, the less certain he was of their ultimate objective.


    While he was busy moving to various points in the empire''s capital, far away from the capital, someone else was hunting down individuals corrupted by demonic Qi.


    The person in question was a man with blonde hair and yellow eyes, glimmering in the darkness of the night.


    With a gesture of his hand, he threw something toward the trembling figure of a man a few meters away, slumped against a tree, looking at him with an amused expression.


    The area around was anything but peaceful.


    Under the freshly fallen snow lay the debris of trees and earth, scattered and uprooted everywhere.


    The round object landed on the ground and rolled toward the man until it stopped at his feet.


    A red trail was left on the snow where it had rolled, and once it stopped, its features could be seen.


    The thing, covered in snow, dirt, and blood, was none other than a person''s head.


    The head bore features similar to that of a human male, but with a gray-blackish complexion like ash, and from the wide-open eyes, two ruby-red irises glinted.


    At this sight, the man felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked in horror at the figure before him.


    He walked forward, and as the moon''s rays, breaking through the clouds, hit him,


    they illuminated his figure, covered by a yellow aura that swirled slightly above him, occasionally forming what seemed to be a dragon''s head.


    "So, you managed to cross the barrier."

 Chapter 169 - 169: Three categories

    .


    Ethan passed through various parts of the city, sealing all the points of the formation he found.


    Coincidentally, the outer part of the formation had been left entirely in the hands of the person Bai Yu had captured.


    Had it not been for this, Ethan would have had a harder time locating the remaining points.


    That said, although he had now neutralized the cultivation suppression formation to some extent, a certain risk remained.


    This was because, while the outer part had been neutralized, its core was still intact.


    Ethan asked Bai Yu if she knew where the formation''s core was, and soon he discovered its location.


    "So that''s why they joined the tournament," he thought as he headed toward his lodging.


    He had wondered why three out of the four corrupted by demonic Qi had participated in the tournament.


    Initially, he thought they just wanted to cause some trouble, but then he realized the situation couldn''t be that simple.


    And indeed, it wasn''t.


    The core of the formation was apparently in the basement of the coliseum used for the tournament.


    He didn''t know if they had deliberately placed it there, but he knew he needed to find an opportunity to go there and neutralize it too.


    He decided he''d have a friendly conversation with those three as soon as he got the chance.


    He was sure they planned to use the tournament to launch their attack, meaning he had just under four days left to act.


    The tournament''s initial phases were already over, and the intermediate stages were underway.


    Ethan had already fought his match for the day, and tomorrow he''d probably have another one.


    Arriving at the building where they were staying, he passed unnoticed, and within seconds, he was already in his room.


    As soon as he arrived, he transported himself into his minor dimension with Bai Yu.


    They had already met somewhere in the city, and from there, he had set out to return.


    Now that he was finally inside his minor dimension, he asked if she had taken the demon''s body.


    He was curious to see what this creature looked like, one that had caused so much trouble even in the celestial plane.


    Without delay, Bai Yu pulled a massive body from her dimensional ring, letting it fall three meters from them.


    Ethan had given her that dimensional ring, as, due to her cultivation being much lower than before, she couldn''t access her internal dimension.


    Apparently, she had her own core dimension, but remembering her level in the celestial plane, he understood it was normal for her to have one.


    After all, she had already said that upon reaching a certain level in the spiritual realm, a person could access or manifest their core''s internal dimension.


    It was like their small world, very similar to Ethan''s minor dimension.


    Ethan knew he was far from reaching such a level, so he didn''t think much of it and gave her a high-grade dimensional ring, so she''d have enough space for whatever she wanted to store.


    That said, upon seeing the giant body lying before him, he immediately noticed many features similar to those of a human male.


    "So, this is the giants race," he thought as he examined the giant''s body more closely.


    Aside from the giant''s great stature, at least five times his own, and the unhealthy skin tone, a dark gray with black veins throughout, the giant otherwise seemed similar to an ordinary human.


    Ethan knew the giant race existed in the celestial plane, and that there was most likely no trace of them here in the mortal plane.


    "So this is a half-blood demon, huh," he thought as he recalled the information Bai Yu had given him about the demon race.


    According to her, there were several distinctions among demons, all of which could be classified into three basic categories:


    Starting with the lowest category, there were lesser demons, also known as demonic beasts.


    As the name suggests, they were demonic creatures imbued with negative Qi, with very low intellect.


    A good example was the creature that emerged from the portal, which Ethan later found out to be a demonic creature.


    After the lesser demons, there were the half-blood demons, and these were mainly beings infected with negative Qi and turned into demons.


    The giant was an example of this demon category.


    They, unlike demonic beasts, retained their intellect.


    And lastly, the final category, pure demons.


    These were beings born and raised directly from negative Qi, the true demon race, the one that had been the main cause of the calamity that struck the celestial plane in the past.


    They had an internal hierarchy, but compared to the previous two categories, they were considered far more dangerous, as even one of them was enough to cause tremendous chaos.


    They had the power to turn other races into half-blood demons, and depending on how they used this power, it could have very powerful effects.


    Ethan didn''t know if one of them existed in the mortal plane, but she knew that if there was, it wouldn''t be long before this plane fell into complete chaos.


    That said, while he was examining the giant demon''s body, a familiar sound echoed in his mind, and a blue screen appeared before him.


    DING!


    [A new energy source has been detected]


    [Do you want to proceed with analyzing the source?]


    [Price: 1000 SP]


    Seeing what was written on the screen, Ethan paused for a moment.


    It wasn''t the first time the system had asked him to analyze something, but unlike now, before it had only requested it for pill recipes he didn''t know.


    Not to mention that this wasn''t the first time he had encountered demonic Qi, so he didn''t understand why the system was asking him to analyze it now and not during the incident a few months ago.


    That said, he didn''t think too much and accepted. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it had been him from some time ago, then spending this amount of SP would have been too much for him, but with the large amount of SP he had saved up during the 25 years he spent cultivating in seclusion, 1000 SP was like spending 10 SP.


    So he didn''t think much before using it, especially now that he was a bit curious about what the system would do after analyzing the demonic energy.

 Chapter 170 - 170: Assimilation

    .


    As soon as the process began, the inert body of the giant trembled, and a dark red mist started to seep out of its form.


    Seeing this sudden change, Bai Yu became alert as she felt a negative sensation emanating from the mist. Just as she was about to make a move, Ethan''s voice resonated.


    "Wait,"


    She looked at him with a questioning gaze, seeking answers, to which he nodded as if signaling her to hold on.


    A few seconds after the mist had emerged, the screen in front of Ethan finally changed.


    DING!


    [The analysis of the energy source has been completed.]


    .


    [---------------------------


    Energy Source: Demonic Qi


    Description:


    This is a special type of Qi produced by refining negative spiritual energy.


    NOTE: This energy is incompatible with most existing species.


    If any of them come into contact with it, they risk being corrupted and transformed by it.


    It is advised that the host does not interact with this energy.


    ----------------------------] S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    Reading the information on the screen, Ethan confirmed what he already knew about negative Qi.


    Essentially, the details provided matched what Bai Yu had told him in the past about demons and demonic Qi.


    Just as he wondered if that was all, another system screen popped up in front of him.


    DING!


    [The Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames is reacting to the energy source.]


    [Warning, the Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames is attempting to absorb the energy source.]


    [Do you wish to allow your physique to absorb the energy source?]


    [Y/N]


    Seeing this message, Ethan didn''t know what to think.


    ''Wait, why does my special physique want to absorb the demonic Qi?''


    he thought as he felt something tingling within his body.


    He couldn''t quite describe the sensation, but it felt like an invisible pull towards the blackish-red mist that was escaping the giant''s body.


    Though the sensation was persistent, it wasn''t overwhelming, so he managed to control himself to a degree, but this only confused him further.


    From what Bai Yu had told him, his had one of the rarest and most mysterious physiques ever, with little information known about it.


    According to the limited knowledge he had, this physique allowed him to wield more than one rare flame, a feat particularly difficult to achieve, especially as it involved not just one additional flame, but as many as nine.


    Ethan had also experienced other effects of this physique, such as heightened defense, resilience, and flexibility, which had only increased after absorbing Bai Yu''s blood essence.


    He thought this was more or less the limit of what his physique could do, but now he wasn''t so sure.


    He was hesitant about the idea of allowing demonic Qi to enter his body.


    It was exactly as the system had stated.


    Most beings were incompatible with this energy, so if they absorbed it, they ended up becoming half-demon, who, while retaining part of their sanity, were far from what they once were.


    Ethan knew he was different from an average human, and even from a typical dragon due to several factors, but that wasn''t enough to reassure him about absorbing a negative energy as if it were nothing.


    He also knew there were still aspects of his special physique he hadn''t yet understood, and that there was likely a reason why it was reacting to the demonic Qi, so he was indecisive about what to do.


    In the end, he took a deep breath and calmed his mind.


    He focused on the sensation this energy was creating in his body and, based on that, made his decision.


    The blackish-red mist began to twist and accumulate over the giant''s body.


    Within seconds, it finished leaving the giant''s body, which no longer looked sickly.


    Even the color of its skin changed, taking on a natural and healthy tone.


    Seeing this series of changes, Bai Yu furrowed her brow further, and just as she was about to ask Ethan if he knew what was happening, the sphere of demonic Qi that had gathered over the giant''s body moved.


    It shot in Ethan''s direction and, in an instant, struck him, entering his body without resistance.


    At this sight, Bai Yu froze for a second, then quickly turned her gaze to Ethan as she appeared next to him in a flash, placing a hand on him.


    "Wait, no, don''t absorb it,"


    She wasn''t sure what had just happened, but she knew demonic Qi wasn''t good for either of them, especially not for Ethan, and seeing him absorb the condensed sphere of demonic Qi put her on high alert.


    She immediately tried to expel it from his body.


    Just as she channeled her energy into his body to locate and attempt to expel the demonic Qi, Ethan, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, spoke:


    "Wait, don''t."


    He gently removed her hand from his chest.


    "What do you mean by stopping me?


    Don''t you know how dangerous it is to absorb demonic Qi?" she said, still a bit agitated.


    After all, the more time passed, the harder it would be to do anything about it.


    Already, she wasn''t sure if she''d be able to expel the demonic Qi; it was her first time dealing with it.


    Losing more time would only make it more impossible to prevent it from infecting Ethan''s body.


    "Don''t worry, it''s all under control," he said, and just as he was about to explain, he froze.


    Bai Yu, noticing this, realized that the demonic Qi had probably begun to take effect.


    "No, it''s too late."


    Ethan felt his body suddenly tense up, as his skin tone shifted from its natural color to a slightly more intense shade, as if it were heating up.


    In a short time, his temperature increased significantly, surpassing 100 degrees Celsius.


    For a cultivator at the body-refining stage, such a temperature was no different from an ordinary fever, which, as long as treated, wouldn''t cause any internal damage.


    For Ethan, it was bearable, but it didn''t stop there.


    200


    300


    ...


    1000


    At this point, his body reached extremely high levels, far beyond what any ordinary being with low fire affinity could withstand.


    But for him, this too was tolerable.


    This was because his resistance to fire, as well as all other elements, was significantly higher than other cultivators, not only due to his cultivation base, which was at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, but also because of his dragon blood essence and special physique.


    As his temperature rose, other changes also occurred.


    The color of his skin, which had turned a deep red, began to shift, and blackish veins appeared across his body.


    From his feet to his arms, and even on his face.


    Clearly, the demonic Qi had begun to spread within him, reaching every possible place.


    From his blood vessels to every organ, the Qi invaded his entire body, finally reaching his brain.


    Instantly, Ethan felt a sharp pain in his head as a loud scream escaped him.


    He dropped to his knees, clutching his head tightly.


    "It hurts... .


    Someone, stop this pain."


    He felt his entire being wracked with pain, which managed to bring even someone of his level to his knees.


    He''d had his fair share of painful experiences during his secluded cultivation, and he thought there were very few things left that could still make him feel this way, but it seemed he had just found another one for his list.


    Bai Yu, who was witnessing all this, considered for a moment putting an end to his suffering to spare him from undergoing the full transformation and the pain, but as much as she tried, she couldn''t muster the courage to do it.


    For a moment, she thought it might be because she was still bound to him through the artifact, but then she realized that wasn''t the whole reason.


    She didn''t know why, but for some reason, she felt that he might somehow be able to withstand the corruption of the demonic Qi, so she held back and waited anxiously.


    She might not admit it, but she had grown somewhat attached to this human, who, in a way, had saved her from her captivity in the Amphora of the Seven Sages.


    She didn''t fully trust him at first, and she could tell that he didn''t fully trust her either.


    Which was natural, after all, when two strangers meet for the first time, it''s unlikely they won''t have some doubts or caution towards each other.


    Even more so when one is a dragon sealed inside a strange artifact, and the other is an unusual human compared to others.


    Over time, however, this mistrust waned, and in those 25 years inside the cauldron, an invisible bond formed between the two.


    Perhaps it was because they spent so much time in the same place together, or maybe because, in a way, they were in the same boat.


    But, in fact, they both developed a certain affinity for one another, a bond you might only see between family, longtime friends, and so on...


    She wasn''t sure what would happen if he ended up corrupted, or worse, dead.


    Though she had gained a certain degree of freedom, she was still bound to him through the artifact.


    What if she were to be completely sealed again, as before?


    Or even worse, what if she died as a result of that connection?


    Many thoughts whirled through her mind, but for now, she only hoped that Ethan would be able to suppress the spread of the demonic Qi.


    As if someone had heard her prayers, Ethan''s body, now collapsed on the ground, stopped convulsing and began to return to its former state.


    His temperature visibly started to drop, and even the dark veins across his body began to recede, disappearing within seconds.


    Just as she moved to appear beside him and examine his condition, Ethan''s semi-conscious mind managed to hear the system''s sound.


    DING!


    [Congratulations, your special physique has successfully assimilated the energy source,]


    [The demonic Qi has been successfully assimilated,]


    [You have gained +57 STR]


    [You have gained +10 AGI]


    [You have gained ...]

 Chapter 171 - 171: Creepy idea

    .


    Ethan didn''t know how long he had been unconscious. When he woke up, he felt a soft sensation brushing against the back of his head.


    "Hm, it seems she created that sort of bed for me again," he thought, remembering that something similar had happened the last time he managed to place the soul of his spirit beast into his core.


    At that time, he wasn''t sure what this bed-like structure, seemingly made entirely of clouds, was, and he only learned later that Bai Yu had condensed air to form actual clouds.


    These weren''t just air masses but also contained spiritual energy as a binding element, giving the clouds a necessary softness without letting him sink through them as he would in a real cloud.


    The basic technique to create these formations wasn''t overly complicated, and even he, at his current level, could do it easily.


    ''But I must admit they''re strangely springy and warm,''


    he thought, remembering that the last time, they provided more of a cooling sensation, while now they seemed to emit a gentle warmth, comforting.


    Thinking about this detail, he opened his eyes, finally deciding to wake up, and the first thing he saw above were two blue peaks.


    He was confused for a moment, but then, as if struck by lightning, he jolted up and quickly got to his feet.


    As soon as he stood up, he turned around, only to see Bai Yu''s face watching him with a smiling expression.


    Ethan could tell that behind that calm look, a beast was ready to unleash itself on him.


    "Lovely day, isn''t it?" he said, mentally slapping himself for the poor start.


    "Lovely day, you say? Yes, I think you''re right.


    It''s truly a beautiful day to absorb some demonic Qi," she replied, her smile still calm.


    Ethan knew there was no way he could escape the dragon woman, so like a lamb resigned to its fate, he surrendered.


    Five minutes later


    "So, you''re telling me that your special physique is also capable of absorbing demonic energy?" she asked as she sat under a tree, in a chair, sipping what seemed to be tea made from refined leaves.


    �C 2,000 high-grade spiritual stones.


    Ethan, sitting opposite her, swallowed the imaginary money his brain had just calculated and nodded with an equally calm expression, sipping a cup of green tea as well.


    Though the peaceful scene in this small space was tranquil, it starkly contrasted with the surrounding area, filled with craters, piles of debris, and fragments of frozen vegetation.


    "Well, although this is indeed something I didn''t expect, it''s also true that I know little about your special physique," she said, placing her steaming tea cup on the table before continuing:


    "That being said, now that you''ve recovered, can you sense if there''s been any change in your physique?


    After all, if it absorbed demonic Qi, it should have metabolized it into something." she said, looking at him.


    "Well, there have indeed been some changes I noticed," Ethan said as a status screen appeared before him.


    .


    [---------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body and Soul Integration (Lv. 1)


    Qi: 1,720,000/2,000,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of Sacred Flames


    Strength: 581 �� 638


    Agility: 565 �� 575


    Intelligence: 554 �� 551


    Soul Strength: 223 �� 233


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 18,204,120


    ---------------------------]


    .


    Ethan had had the chance to review the system notifications he''d received while unconscious,


    discovering that his body could not only absorb all the demonic energy of a being, completely purging it, but that the said energy was converted into stat points for his body.


    He didn''t understand why his strength had increased by far more points than his other stats, but an improvement was still an improvement, even if his stats weren''t evenly enhanced.


    Even his Soul Strength, which usually only increased with his level, had increased by a whopping 10 points.


    This was good news for him, as he now had an alternative way to increase it.


    His Intelligence, Agility, and Strength could increase through training, although only slightly, but he hadn''t yet found a real alternative method, besides leveling up, to improve his Soul Strength.


    In the end, Bai Yu accepted his explanation.


    As she''d said, she knew little about his physique.


    Not only her, but almost everyone knew almost nothing about it, except that the Alchemy God who had lived long ago possessed it.


    She only knew of a few beings besides her who might know more about it, but none of those were accessible at the moment.


    Therefore, she could only take the matter as it was.


    She had already examined Ethan''s body with her energy and could confirm that there was no trace of demonic energy in it, so she could only accept what he had told her and hope that there were no hidden effects.


    "By the way, what should we do with the giant''s body?" Ethan asked, remembering it.


    He''d already seen that the giant''s body was no longer corrupted by demonic energy, and whether it was or not, a body was still a body.


    Though intrigued by the new species, Ethan had no use for it.


    He wondered if it would be best to simply bury it somewhere.


    "Well, if I''d known about this ability of yours sooner, maybe I would have avoided killing it and captured it alive.


    A person from the giant race could be useful, as they possess immense strength that grows immensely with every level they advance," she said, taking another sip from her steaming tea.


    "That being said, it''s not that the body is entirely useless.


    The bodies of special races like the giants can be used for various purposes, such as refining special pills, creating weapons, or tools, and so on.


    There''s no shortage of uses for them, but in your case, I think it''s best if you use it to create a subordinate," she said. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A subordinate?" Ethan furrowed his brow, not quite understanding what she meant.


    But then, after a few milliseconds, a thought struck him, and for a moment, he felt a chill run down his spine.


    ''This woman is truly heartless,'' he thought, shaking his head at what she intended to do with that body.


    Although Ethan found the idea slightly gruesome, he understood the advantages of doing so and couldn''t help but agree with her.

 Chapter 172 - 172: Beginning of the Third Round

    .


    The plan of the demon followers had been uncovered, and now it was only necessary to take care of the formation''s core, located somewhere in the tournament''s underground area.


    However, the exact location of the formation was unknown, and even the giant didn''t seem to know precisely where it was placed.


    He only knew it was there somewhere, and that as long as the formation was set up around that area, it would function.


    Ethan honestly shook his head at this piece of information.


    Among the many things he had done during his closed-door cultivation, he had also learned the mastery of formations.


    This began when he, having reached the peak of the fourth stage, discovered that nearly all superior beings present in the celestial plane knew at least one or two things about formations, as these were useful for various purposes.


    Therefore, each of them knew how to use at least one or two formations.


    However, this didn''t make them professionals in the field, nor did they intend to become so.


    They were satisfied knowing only the formations that could benefit them.


    Bai Yu was one of them, and as a result, she also had a few formations up her sleeve, including the Nine Dragons Seal formation.


    Bai Yu decided to teach Ethan some formations that were suitable for someone at his level to use.


    Ethan personally had reached a point where anything new was a welcome change.


    Repeating the same routine for many years in a row had led to boredom, making him lose some interest in everything he did.


    That being said, this did not affect his training.


    Even though he was no longer as passionate as he once was, the speed of his progress never diminished.


    Ethan thought it would be good for him to learn the use of some of these formations as he could see just how versatile and useful they were in different situations.


    So, he began learning from her, but he didn''t expect that after grasping part of the basic theory, the system would unlock formation mastery in his store.


    Although pleased, his joy faded when he saw the prices for learning basic mastery in formations. Currently, his formation mastery was at level 3, and reaching this level had already cost him almost 4 million SP, a hefty sum for him.


    Even though the next level would cost 5 million, which he had, he decided to stop for now, as level 3 formation knowledge was already considered beyond the standard knowledge level on the mortal plane.


    Ethan had noticed that several important professions in the cultivation world, such as alchemy, formation mastery, forging, and others, were at a very basic level in the mortal plane, and Bai Yu confirmed this fact.


    According to what he learned from her, so-called master alchemists, who were already rare on the mortal plane, were abundant in the heavenly plane.


    There were even two additional ranks beyond Grandmaster, which was already a highly regarded rank even in the heavenly plane.


    That said, with his level 3 knowledge in formations, he knew that just the fact that the formation could function, even if it wasn''t perfectly centered in the area covered by the seals, would create some basic issues and affect its effectiveness.


    He could tell that if this formation had been set up flawlessly, its effects could extend to the early levels of the fifth cultivation stage.


    But noticing the number of minor mistakes made here and there, he could only assume that whoever devised this plan had a formation knowledge level no higher than level 2.


    This was an advantage for him since it would make it easier to neutralize the formation and simultaneously locate the person who would activate it.


    It was one of those formations that could be activated remotely, and depending on the formation, it could even be triggered from the other side of the continent.


    This would have made it difficult to identify the person, but this wasn''t the case here. E


    than could tell that whoever would activate the formation was likely near the capital, or at best, within its walls.


    He discussed it with Bai Yu, and they planned their next moves.


    Afterward, he proceeded to cultivate for a few days in his minor dimension, and finally, on the day of the third competition round, he emerged.


    Just like the first round, the second one had also gone very well for him, and once again, he didn''t waste much time refining against his opponent.


    He directly decided to produce some of the more challenging pills with a purity of 97% of level 2, an even harder purity level to reach than 95%.


    At first, he thought he could simply refine low-grade level 3 pills, but he could tell that his opponent was far from being able to produce pills of that kind, so he crafted level 2 pills with that purity.


    Just like last time, he returned to his seat, while the examiners once again examined his pills at his station with astonished looks.


    His opponent, who, though he had low expectations of winning, had intended to do his best to at least make his defeat less embarrassing, found himself suffering an even more crushing defeat than Ethan''s previous opponent.


    Today, the tournament would be split into two parts, and in the first part, the contestants who would compete were from the first category. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In their group, only two remained after the first round, and after the second, the other male in the team was also eliminated, leaving only Ethan''s fan, who also won by a small margin.


    Only 50 participants remained in the first category and 30 in the second.


    In just two more days at most, the top 10 spots in each category would be determined, and in another two days, the final winners would be decided, marking the end of this year''s alchemy tournament.


    Ethan and the team all reunited in the lobby of the building where they were staying and headed to the coliseum.


    It was already clear that the atmosphere around them had changed.


    The members of the two categories were noticeably more social with each other, and even Yan Mei, who hadn''t previously taken those her own age with lower alchemical skills seriously, had changed her attitude slightly.


    The two eliminated members of their group were absent, and separate areas had been arranged for them where they could watch the rest of the tournament.


    The girl who was a fan of Ethan had now given up trying to start a conversation with him, as each attempt was met with a few dismissive words from him.


    However, she had socialized with Yan Mei and Xiang Ha, who, though still somewhat distant, was noticeably more open than at the beginning of the tournament.


    Eventually, everyone arrived at the coliseum, and it was clear that the number of people left to compete had significantly decreased, making the waiting area much less crowded than before.

 Chapter 173 - 173: Wang Li Na

    .


    Less than an hour after the Sun City''s group arrived, the third round of the tournament finally began.


    The first group of participants took their positions and started to compete while the audience cheered for different contenders.


    Although the beginner category was considered less important than the second, this didn''t mean the crowd wasn''t excited to watch their challenges.


    The truth was that most of their matchs tended to be dull due to their limited skills.


    However, for true enthusiasts of this profession, even this was a spectacle on its own.


    They loved evaluating every single action of the participants, drawing conclusions about how their final products might turn out.


    Ethna''s fan, the last remaining member of the beginner category, still had some time before her turn.


    She waited with the others, watching her peers compete. The more she observed, the more anxious she felt.


    It had to be admitted that her group hadn''t shown any great performance so far.


    Unlike Ethan, Yan Mei, and Xiang Hua, who defeated their opponents with relative ease, she always had to give her all in every round.


    In fact, in yesterday''s competition, she almost lost, winning by only a very narrow margin.


    The more she watched others compete, the higher her anxiety grew because she knew her turn was approaching.


    ''Come on, Li Na, you can do it,'' she whispered, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.


    From a young age, she''d adored the alchemist profession, and as soon as she had the chance, she began to learn as much as she could.


    She was lucky to be born into a family with a relatively stable financial situation. Being an only child, she received the love of both her parents.


    Though they had urged her multiple times to pursue a different career path, trying to make her understand that alchemy wasn''t an easy road, and that even after a long time, results weren''t guaranteed, she was determined.


    Eventually, her parents stopped trying to persuade her and chose to believe in her, supporting her as best as they could.


    Thanks to their support, she was able to get more and more books on alchemy.


    Finally, at the age of 16, she passed the test to become an apprentice alchemist.


    This, for her, was the first real step on the alchemy path.


    After achieving this, she truly understood how tough the world of alchemy could be.


    She hadn''t been born with any extraordinary talent, nor was she particularly skilled in any area, but one thing she didn''t lack was hard work.


    While hard work alone doesn''t always guarantee success, in most cases, if one persevered long enough, it eventually bore results, which was true for her.


    Although theory was a bit complicated, she studied it with passion and eventually passed the test to become an apprentice alchemist.


    Since this rank was primarily focused on mastering basic knowledge of alchemy , more on theory than practice , within a few years, she managed to earn her next two stars. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After several more years, she became a fully-fledged adept alchemist.


    Her achievements weren''t particularly outstanding, but she didn''t lose heart and continued.


    After another five years, she finally reached two-star adept status, a level that was already respected among young alchemists.


    She was now 24 years old.


    While there were plenty of people of her rank around her age, she could still be considered slightly above average.


    She had faced her fair share of difficulties during all these years of study, but in the end, she obtained the results she hoped for and finally got the chance to participate in one of the most important tournaments in alchemy: the Imperial Alchemy Tournament.


    She had joined the selection process knowing that many more brilliant and capable young alchemists would be participating.


    Fortunately for her, the most skilled ones had chosen to attempt the test for a place in the second category.


    This allowed her to nearly reach a place among the top three.


    Despite the difficulties, she managed to secure second place in the selection, winning one of the tournament spots.


    For her, this was already a great achievement, and from that point onward, she didn''t mind too much whether she would achieve a high ranking in the end.


    Reaching this point at her age was already remarkable, especially as she was the youngest in her group, with her other competitors almost 30.


    Only those in the expert category were closer to her age, if only slightly.


    She could tell that the masked young man, who had shocked everyone at the selection competition, was likely younger than her by a little, but he exuded an aura far more mature than his age suggested.


    This only increased her admiration for him.


    She reminded herself that she had always done her best and persevered through every challenge that had come her way, so even now, she just had to keep giving her all.


    After about another 30 minutes, the group competing finally stepped off the stage, meaning it was now her group''s turn.


    With her spirit somewhat lifted, she stood up and prepared to go, but just then, she heard a voice behind her.


    "Go, Li Na, show them what you''re made of," the voice said.


    Turning to see who it was, her eyes widened in surprise, and her heartbeat quickened.


    ''He... he just encouraged me?''


    Like a firework that had just been lit, she walked with more vigor and enthusiasm, quietly muttering to herself.


    "I won''t let him down."


    "He believes in me."


    "I won''t let him down."


    The person who had spoken was one of her fellow participants, and seeing that his words had a surprisingly positive effect, he patted his chest proudly.


    Ethan, who was sitting right next to him, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    ''Kids these days...'' he muttered.


    Bai Yu, on the other side, saw what had just happened, and understanding the situation, she didn''t know whether to laugh or sigh.


    And so, with a highly motivated Wang Li Na joining the rest of the participants in her category, the second round of today''s first part of the challenge officially began.


    After several hours...


    -----------------------------


    Wang Li-Na''s match Results :


    Match Outcome: Defeated


    Final Position: 36


    -----------------------------

 Chapter 174 - 174: Start of the Second Part of the Competition

    .


    The first part of the third round of the competition had finally come to an end, with 25 out of 50 participants advancing, and an additional 7 moving forward after battling once more against others who, like them, had lost in the first round.


    Although the performance of the beginners'' category hadn''t improved much compared to the beginning, it was a fact that there had been some slight progress.


    All the previous rounds had eliminated those whose skills were still below a certain threshold, and now only the most powerful remained in this category.


    This was already evident from the last matches, where the competition had become much more serious and intense.


    Everyone who could not withstand this new pressure was inevitably eliminated, including Wang Li-na, who, despite showing her worth, ultimately lost by a narrow margin.


    For her, reaching this point had honestly been a significant achievement, so to some extent, she was satisfied with her results in her first participation in the imperial tournament.


    That said, like many others in her category, she too longed to advance further and secure a higher position, but the harsh reality was quite different from her expectations, and in the end, she had to be content with her current standing.


    After the first part of today''s competitions concluded, there was a 30-minute break, and finally, the second round of matches commenced, involving this time those from the experts'' category.


    Today''s schedule was divided into two parts, one for each category, with each part allotted a total of 6 hours, thus two groups of participants from each category would compete.


    The experts'' category had fewer than 50 participants remaining, so the number of competitors in the first group was clearly much smaller than in the novices'' category.


    In this first group, from Ethan''s team, only Yan Mei participated, while Ethan and Xiang Hua would join the second group of challengers.


    Yan Mei gathered her courage and, as soon as the competition began, she, like the other participants, entered the competition area and took her place on the designated platform.


    What she had to face in this challenge was a boy with long gray hair, left free.


    He had a slightly pale complexion, as if he hadn''t seen sunlight for several months.


    He had a tired look, but his eyes showed a lot of energy.


    Ethan, noticing the participant against whom Yan Mei would compete, couldn''t help but shake his head.


    The participant was none other than one of the three demon cultivators who had entered the competition.


    Throughout the tournament, Ethan kept a close watch on them to not miss any unusual actions.


    He already knew their plan, and given where the tournament had progressed, he didn''t doubt that the setup had already been arranged.


    He just had to find it, or rather, know its exact position; Bai Yu would take care of the rest.


    Having already dealt with the cultivator wandering through the capital city and the half-demon supervising him, she could now assist him in managing these three.


    Not that he really needed help since he could tell that none of them had surpassed the fourth level, and for him, who could compete on par with those of the fifth stage, the fourth level was child''s play.


    If it weren''t for the tournament, Ethan would have captured them all, made them spill the beans, and then exorcised them with his new ability.


    After seeing how the giant''s body was purified from the influence of demonic Qi, he needed more test subjects, preferably alive.


    With them, he could experiment further with his new physical ability and determine its maximum and minimum extent.


    After all, if his ability could purify a being without killing it, he would have a useful weapon against demons and potential subjects corrupted by them.


    He had already realized that brute strength alone wouldn''t suffice against demonic energy; he also needed to eradicate it in some way, and that''s where his new ability came into play.


    As he watched, Ethan could only hold back for now and mutter:


    "For now, you''re safe, but you won''t be for long."


    As if sensing malevolent intentions toward him, the boy with gray hair felt a chill run through his body as he looked around, confused.


    ''Was it just my imagination?''


    Once everyone took their positions, the announcer wasted no time and finally initiated the first round of the second part of today''s competitions.


    Immediately, all the participants pulled out various materials and began to work on them while igniting the fire beneath the provided cauldron.


    Clearly, everyone had already decided which pill to create and was just waiting for the start.


    Just like in the competition for the first category, where differences in skill compared to their initial matches were already noticeable, the same was true for the experts'' category, with significant disparities evident.


    The minimum requirement for purity and level had risen to 50% of level 2, in other words, a medium-grade level 2 pill at minimum, and this time, there was also a minimum requirement of how many pills to produce, which was at least 3 pills.


    The requirement itself was not difficult, especially for the participants remaining in the experts'' category, who were more than capable of refining pills at this level easily.


    With three hours at their disposal, each made their action plan and proceeded, focusing on their own station while ignoring everyone else, including their opponent.


    Yan Mei was no exception, as she had already gotten to work for a while.


    Ethan had already noticed that Yan Mei''s refining skills had improved significantly since the last time he had seen her, and from what he had observed over these days, he could say that she was most likely already at the initial level of a master alchemist; Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in other words, she was probably already capable of producing high-grade level 2 pills with ease and attempting those of the next level.


    Of course, she was far from being comparable to his own progress, but unlike him, who relied on the system, she had honed her refining skills up to that point.


    Ethan didn''t see this advantage over the others as something to be ashamed of.


    He believed everyone had their own opportunities and problems.


    Some had more, some had less; in a sense, the system could be considered part of his strengths, and making the best use of his abilities was not wrong at all,


    he didn''t care if it was right or wrong.


    He had long since stopped caring about others'' opinions.


    He knew that others wouldn''t decide his fate;


    it was what he did that mattered because those actions would determine his future.

 Chapter 175 - 175: Wounded Demon

    .


    The first group of the second part finally finished, and as expected, several participants put on a great display of their abilities.


    From those of the Phoenix Kingdom to those of the White Tiger Kingdom, everyone showcased their unique methods of refinement.


    While they had similarities at a basic level, each was sufficiently different to entertain the audience.


    As one would expect in this kind of competition, there were a losing and a winning side, but unlike previous rounds, the margin by which the losers fell behind was much narrower, and in some cases, there were even near ties.


    In these situations, factors like purity, the number of pills, and their types became significantly more important.


    After a brief pause to allow enough time to set up the stations, the tournament resumed.


    In this round, all those who had not participated before would take part.


    As Yan Mei arrived, Ethan and Xiang Hua were already ready to head to their stations.


    As he passed by her, he noticed the dark expression on her face, and reflecting on her recent match, he wasn''t too surprised.


    Even though she had performed at a very high level, especially for her age, she was still defeated by her opponent, who not only outproduced her in the number of pills but also in their purity, and in some cases, the quality of the pills.


    Although her defeat wasn''t overwhelming, it was close enough to feel like one, and this naturally displeased a proud woman like Yan Mei.


    Ethan could only shake his head while thinking that she still had a chance to continue.


    After all, after their group, the losers from the first group would challenge those from the second group of participants, which would be an opportunity for her to come back. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan didn''t spend too much time contemplating her situation and focused more on his opponent.


    The pills he produced weren''t anything particularly extravagant or different;


    they were quite well-known to any alchemist, but what remained in his mind were more his refining techniques.


    ''He was using the manifestation of demonic Qi.''


    To a normal person, it would seem that he simply used spiritual Qi to manipulate the ingredients, somewhat like Ethan had done so far, but those familiar with demonic Qi knew that it wasn''t pure Qi.


    ''I wonder if that''s how they produced those pills,'' he thought as he walked toward his station.


    He recalled the pills that the cultivator dressed in black had consumed during the incident with the cursed object.


    He only knew that those were pills infused with demonic Qi, but he never understood why they had such miraculous effects, powerful enough to regrow a new arm for the person who consumed them.


    He didn''t have any samples of those pills, so he couldn''t study them, leaving this a mystery for him.


    Pills that were barely level 2 typically weren''t capable of regrowing a severed limb.


    Only high-grade level 3 pills and those of level 4 could do that, and those pills were very rare.


    Ethan had tried to replicate such an effect with level 2 pills but had always failed.


    Now, seeing this demonic cultivator use his alchemical skills, infused with demonic Qi, he began to understand a bit about how they might have achieved such an effect.


    Finally, he arrived at his station and took a moment to observe his surroundings while waiting for the start announcement.


    Since there was only one of the three participants from the first group, and since all three had managed to reach this point in the competition, it meant that the other two were also somewhere around.


    It didn''t take him long to spot them, noticing they were not far from him; he spread his spiritual sense.


    He had decided to seize this opportunity to study the skills of these two as well.


    He was capable enough to observe them while continuing to refine the pills.


    Although Ethan took a moment to observe the other participants, he practically ignored everyone else after finding the two participants he was looking for, including his opponent.


    Seeing that the masked boy didn''t even spare her a glance, she shot him furious looks.


    ''Bastard, you''re underestimating me.


    Just wait until the match starts, and you''ll see how I brutally defeat you,'' thought the girl, who was Ethan''s opponent.


    As Ethan prepared to start refining, in a place not too far from the capital, a figure over two meters tall, completely shrouded in a veil of darkness that concealed its features, furrowed his brow in frustration.


    In recent hours, he had attempted multiple times to contact one of his subordinates sent near the capital city, receiving no response.


    Yesterday, while he was resting, he was jolted awake when he felt a connection suddenly sever.


    ''Now, that''s strange,'' thought the figure in a low voice, as its form flickered like jelly, shifting from one position to another before returning to his shape, then changing its position once more.


    He pondered for a moment about the current situation.


    he could tell that the formation had been completely set, and now he only needed his demonic minions to confirm, awaiting the moment they would act.


    Until a short while ago, it had been quite calm, but suddenly, he felt the loss of his connection with one of his minions.


    he didn''t know if it had died or something else, but just the fact that he could no longer perceive his minion was cause for concern.


    His worry stemmed not from the lost connection, but from the fact that even if the demonic minion had been eliminated, he would still be able to sense it since the demonic Qi that transformed it into a minion came from him.


    Just as he was contemplating what might be happening, two minutes after losing his connection with his minion, he felt a strong impact that nearly made him lose consciousness.


    "What the hell is happening?" he shouted furiously, as he felt part of his energy vanish into thin air.


    Ethan, absorbing the demonic Qi from the giant, had unintentionally dealt a heavy blow to the demonic creature, which was now furious, searching for his missing subordinate.

 Chapter 176 - 176: Hu Xingyan

    .


    Ethan''s opponent was a girl with short, gray-white hair that reached her shoulders.


    She had sharp purple eyes that were currently fixed on Ethan''s bored figure.


    ''Is this prick taking me lightly?''


    She thought, irritated by the masked boy''s nonchalant behavior.


    Initially, she had been very excited to face someone who had, until now, dominated everyone he''d fought and even bested her in the second part of the theoretical test, taking first place and leaving her to settle for second.


    This only fueled her curiosity about this person who had appeared out of nowhere and proven to be one of the dark horses of this year''s tournament.


    Many of the participants in the expert category were familiar faces, already somewhat famous, but he was one of the few unknown contenders this year.


    She herself was a well-known alchemist, renowned for her high-level alchemical skills despite being under 30.


    This alone placed her among the best of the younger generation, but that wasn''t enough for her.


    She had always been highly competitive and didn''t want to remain just one of the best, she wanted to be the best.


    So she continuously honed her skills, learning from many master alchemists, including her grandfather, who was one of the three Grandmaster Alchemists of the Long Empire.


    This year''s tournament was supposed to be her opportunity to claim first place and assert her superiority over all the other participants in her category.


    Up until this point in the tournament, she had defeated everyone she faced, and none of them posed a real challenge to her.


    She thought she might not need to take things too seriously to secure first place.


    But that changed after the end of the second round of competitions.


    Since the start of the second round, she finally noticed several participants in her category demonstrating performances near her own level.


    One of them even did something she wasn''t sure she could do herself, and that person was none other than the masked boy.


    She had hoped to face him, because, in her mind, she had already marked him as one of the best in this competition, and she was eager for a match against him.


    Who would have thought that when she finally got the chance, the masked boy completely ignored her, as if, to him, she didn''t even exist?


    His attitude shattered her composure and sent her into a frenzy.


    Ethan, who was minding his own business, felt an intense gaze on him.


    Turning, he saw his opponent staring at him with a fierce, clearly angry expression.


    ''What the hell is wrong with this woman?'' he thought, bewildered by this sudden animosity directed his way.


    He was sure he''d never met this woman before, and seeing her look at him like that only confused him more.


    ''Could she be missing a few screws?'' he thought, arriving at this conclusion.


    ''No, the one with a few screws loose is you,'' said Bai Yu, who had by now given up on correcting his erroneous assumptions.


    She had already noticed that, while Ethan was perceptive in most situations, his skill seemed nonexistent when it came to women.


    She still remembered an incident a few days ago when they were exploring the capital.


    He was approached by a woman in the prime of her life who was clearly interested in him and tried to start a conversation.


    He simply brushed her off, assuming she was crazy.


    When Bai Yu asked why he thought she was crazy, he simply responded with something like:


    "Who in their right mind goes around asking people''s names?


    If she isn''t crazy, then she''s definitely up to something shady, and I don''t feel like wasting my time on something like that.


    You have to be careful; this world is full of strange people, like her," he said, as if he were an adult giving advice to a child.


    "..."


    Bai Yu then understood that, when it came to women, Ethan completely lacked any common sense.


    And it was strange because, when he interacted with her, this part of him seemed absent.


    She could only think this was due to his lack of interaction with people, and this theory was confirmed even more in her mind when she thought about what he had been doing since he met her. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had spent 90% of his time away from others, cultivating, refining, or training.


    She thought it might be better if he took more breaks, like the recent one he had taken not long ago, more often.


    At one point, she even told him it was time for him to go outside and touch some grass.


    That said, with everyone in their positions, the competition finally began.


    The matches of the third round would set the stage for those who would advance to the quarterfinals, as the tournament was now entering its final phase.


    In the next three days, the final rounds would take place, determining the Top 10 rankings, with prizes awarded to the Top 3.


    With Yan Mei''s recent defeat, she was nearly out of the running for the Top 3, but all was not lost.


    Currently, she had already secured a place in the Top 15 of the tournament, and if she won her next match, she would have a chance to make it into the Top 10.


    For a girl her age, participating in this tournament for the first time, already being in the Top 15 was a good ranking, but this position didn''t satisfy her, and so she would give her all and strive to win the next match as well.


    Among their group, only Ethan and Xiang Hua were still going strong, and if they both won their next duels, they would both be in the Top 10, which was already a great result for their team from Sun City.


    As members of one of the three ruling kingdoms of the Long Empire, this was the minimum that would be expected of a team like theirs.


    But none of the three of them worried about this; all that mattered to them was pursuing their individual goals.


    For Ethan, who had primarily come to promote his brand, and for Xiang Hua, who had come to honor her master.


    Positioning their team well to bring honor to their city was only a secondary goal, one that would be automatically achieved if they fulfilled their primary goals.


    That said, with the announcer''s call, the competition finally began, and none of the participants wasted any time, immediately starting their refining processes.


    Like the previous group, they had already planned their strategies and which pills to produce first and last, so when the timer started, everyone was already working on refining the materials.


    Among them, there was only one person who, unsurprisingly, stood calmly, taking his time before beginning.


    Seeing that the masked boy continued to maintain the same attitude he''d shown in previous matches, Hu Xingyan, Ethan''s opponent, became even more irritated.


    ''Let''s see if you can still act so arrogant after this,'' she thought as she moved her hands in the air, and a light blue glow emanated from them.


    Immediately, the materials she had taken out began to move on their own, floating in the air.


    This gesture didn''t go unnoticed, and the commentator immediately spoke in an excited tone.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, Hu Xingyan, the alchemical prodigy of the White Tiger Kingdom, has finally decided to get serious."


    Hu Xingyan, like many others present, was already well-known within alchemical circles as one of the most promising young alchemists in the Long Empire.


    Since she had started at 15, her speed and mastery in alchemy had increased by leaps and bounds, leading her to become a one-star Adept Alchemist before the age of 20, and in another five years, she had already reached the rank of Expert Alchemist.


    This improvement rate shocked many, and only a few other individuals in the young generation could be compared to her.


    But even the number of such individuals was quite small, and they could indeed be counted on one hand.


    Xiang Hua was one of them, but after she withdrew to devote more time to her cultivation, she was almost forgotten, so many were surprised to learn that she would participate in this year''s tournament.


    Many of those present had actually come specifically to see her matches, and there were even those who had unfinished business with her and wanted to defeat her in one of the tournament matches.


    However, none of them succeeded and were brutally defeated by her.


    This alone made it clear to everyone that, though she had taken a break, her skills hadn''t rusted at all and had only continued to improve.


    Hu Xingyan was one of those who couldn''t wait to face off against Xiang Hua, but after seeing this year''s dark horse, she decided to deal with him first.


    So she didn''t hold back, deciding to give her all in their duel.

 Chapter 177 - 177: End of the match

    .


    What Hu Xingyan was using was clearly a simplified version of the basic spirit-Qi refinement technique that Ethan had used during his match against Xun Wei.


    This was a technique not well known among adept and apprentice-level alchemists because, due to its high level of difficulty, it was practically impossible for them to use.


    It was also challenging for expert, and master-level alchemists, who, although they could use it, applied it only to a limited extent.


    Many didn''t use it at all because they found they were faster refining without it than with it, due to the fact that two fundamental prerequisites were needed to master the technique:


    first, having a cultivation level of at least mid-stage Qi Refining; and second, practicing it continuously, not for days, weeks, or months, but for several years.


    Many chose to abandon it, as while the technique was very useful once learned, the time required to master it was, for many, not worth the effort.


    Many trained to use it, but only to a limited degree and only occasionally, which made their improvement with it even slower.


    After all, if you want to learn something well and as quickly as possible, you must study and practice it continuously until it becomes second nature.


    It was like training a muscle in your body.


    Only by training it consistently, over a certain period of time, could results be seen.


    Training one day on, two days off would not yield any concrete results anytime soon.


    The main reason she became so famous at such a young age wasn''t because of her rapid progress in alchemy, but rather the fact that, at 25, she could already use this technique with a certain level of mastery.


    Thanks to this, nearly all the competitions where she used this technique were won with relative ease, as it allowed her to speed up the refinement process and perform it with higher precision.


    While the crowd cheered at her impressive display of this technique, the 10 judges who were still seated could only shake their heads at the sight.


    It wasn''t that they were better than her at using it, in fact, many of them were less skilled than she was in this regard.


    The reason they shook their heads was because they knew one participant among those present who had demonstrated a much higher mastery of this technique than she had.


    His mastery was so advanced that no one who lacked some knowledge of this technique would have been able to detect its use.


    When they saw him use it and finish preparing 12 entire pills at once, they were shocked to their core, and not only because of the refined pills, which had an exceptionally high degree of purity, but also because they didn''t know of a single master alchemist who could wield the technique at that level.


    Infact, they could only compare his level of mastery with this technique to that of a grandmaster,


    and so, seeing Hu Xingyan use this refinement technique, they could only shake their heads and pity her for ending up against a "monster" of that kind.


    Ethan, seeing the use of the spirit-Qi-based pill refinement technique, showed no reaction and simply gave her a glance before getting to work.


    He could already guess what the gray-haired girl was aiming for and had to admit that for her age, refining to that level wasn''t bad at all.


    ''Well, if she thinks she can beat me with just that, then she''s sorely mistaken,'' he thought, deciding on how to proceed after analyzing his opponent.


    He prepared the materials, and unlike in the first two rounds, where he refined his Level 2 pills with high purity in no time, he took his time this time.


    Seeing him work calmly, as if he were refining at home, made everyone frown, including the judges.


    They had thought Ethan would crush Hu Xingyan just as he had with his previous opponents, but now what they saw was a young man in a black mask, calmly slicing herbs as if he were preparing a simple stew.


    "��"


    For a moment, everyone wondered if he had given up or if he planned to give his best in the last 30 minutes, but from the way he proceeded for the rest of the three hours, it didn''t seem so.


    The only thing they noticed was that, once again, they couldn''t tell which pill he was making due to his use of a large quantity of different materials that appeared unrelated. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even Hu Xingyan, who had already produced several series of high-grade Level 2 pills, became frustrated seeing that Ethan hadn''t produced anything yet, even though they were already halfway through the competition.


    Her previous anger that had dissipated now returned, thinking he was still underestimating her.


    She had produced the first series of pills to meet the minimum quantity requirements, but now that she had over an hour free and most of those requirements met, she decided to use the rest of her time to create the pill with which she would crush Ethan.


    ''Let''s see if you still have that attitude after I finish this pill,'' she thought as she began working on the new refinement materials she had just taken out.


    And so, time passed, and Ethan, who had only worked on a certain amount of materials throughout, finally began opening the cauldron''s lid in the last 5 minutes, moving his hand through the air to send some spiritual Qi into it.


    At the same time, Hu Xingyan also began to take out her pill, which had taken her over an hour to prepare, and seeing this, the whole audience focused their attention on her.


    As she opened the lid, a blast of vapor escaped and lingered for a few seconds.


    While it dissipated, Hu Xingyan used her spirit-Qi manifestation to draw out her pill.


    Within seconds, the pill was out of the cauldron, and she quickly took the prepared vial and placed it inside.


    The pill in question had a greenish hue, with three intense green veins running across its surface.


    Despite the veins, the pill''s surface was still smooth, without any imperfections.


    The judges, seeing the pill and noting the veins on it, couldn''t help but exclaim in surprise.


    "A low-grade Level 3 pill."


    Hu Xingyan had decided to prepare a Level 3 pill as her final product.


    A level of pill that almost no one of the younger generation could refine yet, as it was a level too advanced for them.


    And it was also the minimum criterion to be considered a one-star master alchemist.


    In other words, Hu Xingyan was already at the level of an entry-level master alchemist.


    This news shocked many, as having a master alchemist under 30 was something unheard of.


    Just as she was beginning to enjoy the audience''s admiration, some remembered that the masked boy was also about to reveal his pill,


    and although they now believed he had no chance, they still cast a glance at him.

 Chapter 178 - 178: Level 3 Pill

    .


    In a dilapidated palace in the capital of the Long Empire,


    in a vast, dark hall devoid of any living soul, a man seated on a throne at the center at the far end of the hall looked down at an object he held in his hand, with a neutral expression.


    Due to the lack of movement from the figure of the man, an outsider might mistake him for a statue.


    The object the man was staring at was a talisman, specifically one that had just arrived, containing a message sent by Jian Long.


    The emperor didn''t move for a long time after the message ended, continuing to stare blankly, lost in unknown thoughts.


    Then, with a sigh filled with fatigue, he looked towards a point in the throne hall.


    There was nothing there but the wall of the hall, yet he seemed to be looking at something beyond it.


    There, a few rooms away, lay a large master bedroom, intact, and giving the impression that no one had visited it in a long time.


    Even so, the room appeared to be tidy, and no trace of dust could be seen anywhere.


    On one side hung a large portrait depicting a woman who was smiling.


    The woman in the portrait had long black hair that flowed over her shoulders like a waterfall, and a pair of emerald green eyes that captivated anyone looking at her.


    She wore a gentle smile, which seemed to convey various emotions all at once.


    Each time he looked at this portrait, Long Hao''s mind calmed.


    After an indefinite amount of time, he opened his mouth and spoke.


    "We don''t have much time left," he said in a calm voice, as if speaking to someone, though the nearly empty hall provided no answer.


    "My time is coming to an end.


    Do me a favor, my friend," he said in a weary voice, and again, no sound answered him beyond his own voice.


    "Take care of the two of them after I''m gone," he said, and silence returned to reign in the hall.


    After a few seconds, a shadow behind the emperor''s throne moved, and a voice echoed, breaking the silence in the hall once more.


    "Very well."


    ***


    With Hu Xingyan having just pulled out her final pill, only Ethan''s results remained to be seen.


    After understanding what level of pill she had created, many immediately thought the masked boy no longer stood a chance.


    After all, he hadn''t even produced a single pill in those three hours, while she had already produced several, and with that low-grade Level 3 pill, her victory seemed almost certain.


    Several audience members began to speak as they waited to see the inevitable.


    "Hmph, he acted arrogant throughout the competition, and this is the result," someone remarked.


    "Well, you reap what you sow, and in his case, he''ll reap defeat and the embarrassment of his arrogance."


    "Though he has some skills, he never stood a chance against the White Tiger Kingdom''s genius."


    While there were those who naturally sided with Hu Xingyan, there were also those who still believed that the masked boy might have a surprise in store for them.


    This hope was based on the fact that he had continuously surprised them throughout the competition, from scoring perfectly on the theory exam and landing in the Hall of Fame, to producing 12 pills in one go, all of high purity.


    Many in the audience had already become his die-hard fans, and so, while some mocked him, others cheered him on.


    "Nuyu."


    "Nuyu."


    "Nuyu."


    The examiners, seeing this situation, couldn''t help but shake their heads.


    Whenever a particularly outstanding contestant emerged during the annual tournaments, something like this always happened, though this time, the intensity was slightly higher.


    None of them paid much attention to the audience as they focused on Ethan to see what he had produced after all this time.


    They had already failed once to predict his final result, which, instead of a disaster, turned out to be several high-grade pills.


    Therefore, none of them dared to make a judgment, at least not until they had seen the final result of his work.


    And so, with the sounds of the crowd on one side and the expectant gazes of many on the other, Ethan finally opened the lid, and suddenly, a faint colored glow emerged from the cauldron, illuminating his area for a moment.


    At this phenomenon, everyone, regardless of what they were doing, turned to look towards his station.


    "What is that?"


    "I don''t know, but it doesn''t seem like anything good."


    "Could the cauldron be about to explode?"


    While another wave of conversations started about what might be inside the cauldron, the judges closest to it saw this phenomenon and immediately had one thought on their minds.


    "It can''t be."


    As soon as they thought of it, all their expressions changed instantly, and just as in the last two rounds, they rushed from their positions to Ethan''s station, surrounding it within seconds, as they looked darkly at what was slowly floating out of the cauldron.


    Ethan didn''t concern himself with their actions, and he used a bit of spiritual Qi to draw out what was inside the cauldron.


    Everyone''s gazes were focused on the floating object emerging from the cauldron, and as they finally saw what it was, many wore confused expressions.


    A golden pill?


    What kind of pill is that?


    While many wondered what type of pill Ethan had produced, the judges closest to the station, upon seeing the pill, trembled, their eyes widening more and more at the sight of the pill.


    "No it can''t be�� it''s really that pill."


    "Wait, how did he produce it? Even for us, refining it successfully is a huge task."


    "Stop asking pointless questions and examine the pill first!"


    At these words from one of them, who had just finished examining the pill, the others quickly sent a bit of their Qi into it, and immediately their expressions changed once again.


    "This pill��"


    "It''s mid-grade, Level 3 pill." sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 179 - 179: Worldly Ties

    .


    "I can''t believe it, he really managed to create a pill like this at such a high level?" one of them said, finally understanding why their colleague was so shaken by the pill.


    They had all been shocked when they recognized what pill it was, but this shock grew even stronger when they realized its level.


    A mid-grade Level 3 pill wasn''t something they hadn''t seen before, in fact, many of them were capable of refining pills of that level.


    What shocked them was the type of pill itself.


    This was one of the most feared pills among alchemists, with such a challenging refinement process that even a master alchemist would only have a 10% chance of refining it successfully.


    This pill was known by various names, but the most famous was one particular title:


    "One of the Nine Plagues of Alchemists."


    The difficulty of this pill was such that alchemists unanimously decided it deserved a place among the most problematic pills to refine of all time.


    Its original name was the Nine Revolutions Pill, and it was a miraculous pill that would tempt even a cultivator at the peak of the fourth stage.


    This was due to the miraculous effects it had on the soul of whoever took it, effects too powerful to be ignored.


    Because of the difficulty of this pill, many alchemists refused to attempt refining it, as, aside from requiring a great deal of time and expensive rare materials, the chances of successful production were slim.


    At this point, only grand master alchemists would take on refining this pill, as they had a higher probability of success.


    All of these factors made this pill an almost never-produced rarity, practically unknown to most people.


    Even among expert alchemists, there were only a few who knew of it.


    The fact that he had refined a pill of this kind successfully at Level 3 was already a huge advantage over Hu Xingyan''s pills, but producing it at mid-grade automatically elevated him above them.


    Hu Xingyan, witnessing the scene of the 10 master alchemists acting strangely, felt an unsettling premonition.


    The more she looked at their faces, the more she felt something bad was about to happen.


    ''Could it be that he produced something better than my pills?


    No, that''s impossible.


    After all, he only created one pill;


    setting aside my other creations, just the Level 3 pill would grant me victory," she thought, trying to reassure herself.


    But reality was harsh, and just at that moment, the judges, who had finally calmed a bit, coughed slightly, and one of them finally stepped forward to announce the result of the match. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The one who stepped forward was the pink-dressed woman, who, with a look of pity directed at Hu Xingyan, spoke in a moderate tone.


    "The winner is Nuyu."


    As if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on her, Hu Xingyan, who already sensed something was wrong, went into shock, her expression turning blank as she tried to process what she had just heard.


    ''I lost?''


    This was the first time in years that she had lost, and she had become so accustomed to easily defeating all her opponents that the news of her defeat sent her mind into a tailspin.


    Seeing the blank expression on the face of the girl from the Tiger Kingdom, the pink-dressed woman could only shake her head as the thoughts she had at the start of the match returned to her.


    ''Poor thing, she ended up against a monster like that,'' she thought as she watched the masked boy finish placing the golden pill into a specially prepared vial.


    Seeing this, the woman couldn''t help but think,


    ''The news of a successful refinement of a mid-grade Level 3 pill will surely spread like wildfire,'' she thought, hesitating only to imagine how many people would be sent into a frenzy upon hearing the news.


    She sent a mental communication to the other master alchemists present, and after a few seconds, they all agreed on a solution to this issue.


    One of them, who was still close to Ethan''s station, approached him with a smile and asked:


    "Say, would you be interested in auctioning off this pill?"


    Hm?


    Ethan, who was ready to leave, heard these words and couldn''t help but think for a moment.


    Within milliseconds, he came out of his thoughts and nodded, working out the auction details with the elder.


    It didn''t take long for Ethan to understand what was at stake, and in a way, this was what he had hoped for.


    Initially, he intended to refine a few low-grade Level 3 pills to beat the girl from the White Tiger Kingdom, but then another idea came to mind.


    ''I Could use this situation to my advantage,'' he thought, deciding on the pill that would set his plans in motion.


    He had already thought of several ways to increase his fame within the circle of alchemists, and with his level of power and skill, he could push his influence in the market even higher without risking any conflicts.


    Although the number of master alchemists was greater than that of grandmasters, the difference wasn''t overwhelming.


    Therefore, their influence was still relatively significant.


    If he could demonstrate the ability to operate at their level, or even surpass them by a few steps, then his potential competitors in the market would think twice before taking him on.


    The last thing he wanted was to go back and forth with other companies selling alchemical products.


    If he could assert his strength over them right from the start, all the better.


    He didn''t want to leave closed-door cultivation one day only to hear news like,


    ''The Peng family goes bankrupt due to an attack from competing families,''


    or even worse.


    With the money he''d earned over these past two years, he could live more than comfortably, though by this point, money wasn''t a necessity for him.


    He had reached a stage where he could only rely on his own strength to advance further; tens or hundreds of thousands of spirit stones wouldn''t be enough to even cover a tenth of his current level of cultivation.


    Having properties or assets was also pointless to him.


    He had his own minor dimension, which had become like a home to him, where he had everything he needed.


    The mortal world now held less and less importance to him compared to before, and he knew that once he ascended to the spiritual realm, he would be almost entirely detached from it.


    Perhaps the only things he''d still care about then would be his bonds with certain people.


    For now, it was only with Da Shu, but he intended to help the Phoenix Sect before leaving, in case he chose to ascend to the higher heavens.


    He still had a debt to repay to the sect master, and he knew he wouldn''t feel at peace unless he repaid her in some way for her help two years ago.


    He had realized that using force as a threat wouldn''t work forever, so he didn''t adopt that approach. Instead, he decided to make sure they could stand on their own feet if he left in the future.


    For now, he was still uncertain, but he knew that if he wanted to continue growing stronger, he couldn''t remain on the mortal plane.

 Chapter 180 - 180: Why dont we have a nice chat ?

    .


    To everyone''s surprise, what seemed like an irreversible situation for the masked boy somehow turned into a victory.


    From what they could tell from the judges'' expressions, the pill produced by the masked boy was particularly difficult, and it seemed to be of a high level.


    Most of the audience didn''t understand exactly what kind of pill it was, but several figures among them did, and they didn''t hesitate to contact some of their connections.


    The Nine Revolutions Pill was too valuable to let others have, so the sooner they acted, the better their chances of acquiring it.


    They already knew that the pill would be auctioned after the competition, as they had overheard the masked boy''s conversation with one of the examiners, so they were already making the necessary preparations for the auction.


    Gathering a large amount of resources wasn''t difficult for them, but doing it quickly was, as even in this world, not all wealthy individuals held the majority of their wealth in cash or precious resources, but rather in land and shares.


    Although the world was different, the economy in this realm functioned similarly. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, even though the pill was rare and hard to obtain, its original price wasn''t astronomical.


    What concerned everyone was the part where they would have to secure it during the auction.


    They knew better than anyone that none of them would let such a valuable piece slip away, especially cultivators at the fourth stage.


    The examiners were aware of this and decided to take the necessary measures; otherwise, there would be too much chaos on the day of the auction.


    With that, Ethan sealed the pill in the vial, greeted the examiners, and left to return to his team.


    Xiang Hua had also already finished her competition, and as expected, she too had won, though with some difficulty this time.


    Seeing him walk nonchalantly after producing a pill of that level, she didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    ''So, he''s already surpassed me,'' she thought, admitting that she couldn''t produce a pill of that level.


    She had made great progress and was already at the level of a master alchemist, capable of producing Level 3 pills, but she knew better than anyone that producing such a problematic pill at that level was something her current self couldn''t do.


    What only she and the examiners had noticed was that he had taken his time to refine it, and during the entire process, he never showed any signs of struggle, proving that this wasn''t just a lucky achievement but something he could replicate without much trouble.


    The examiners thought that someone of his level was too much for the other participants, but it wasn''t as though they could disqualify him.


    After all, his age had been confirmed, and they couldn''t blame him for being too skilled.


    Even the heavens can only bow before someone with unstoppable talent.


    This was a well-known saying in the cultivation world, but witnessing a genius like that wasn''t an everyday occurrence.


    Many of them wondered where such a prodigy had come from.


    Even Xun Wei, who was seated in the audience, trembled in his seat as he saw the crushing defeat the masked boy had dealt Hu Xingyan.


    ''So that bastard didn''t even take me seriously,'' he thought, becoming even more furious over his loss.


    Losing to Ethan and handing over his blood flower was already too much for him to bear, but knowing that the other side hadn''t even given his all made the taste of defeat even more bitter.


    He clenched his fists in anger, his fingers digging so deeply that they made his hands bleed, but he didn''t seem to care about this.


    And with that, the third round of matches came to an end, and now only the battles between the two groups that had lost their first match of the day remained.


    Among them was Yan Mei, who, although she had already accepted that she was not yet at Ethan''s level, realized after seeing his performance today that the gap between them was far greater than she had initially thought.


    ***


    The day had come to an end, and everyone had retreated to their accommodations, with only a few going out to relax in the various entertainment spots in the capital of the empire.


    Most of the participants chose to rest, as they still had a tournament to face, but not all of them did.


    Many decided to go out and unwind alone or with their teammates.


    In an alley, away from prying eyes, three figures were currently conversing.


    "Hey, it''s been a while since I''ve heard any news from Y��n F��ng," said a man in his forties, frowning.


    "I haven''t heard from him in the past few days either," replied the woman, echoed by the other man.


    "Now that''s strange. Do you think something might have happened to him?"


    "I highly doubt it. After all, he''s not weak. Maybe after finishing placing the inscriptions around the city, he went on another mission. It wouldn''t be the first time he''s done that," the woman said with an irritated tone.


    Clearly, she was displeased with their teammate''s behavior.


    "Perhaps, but it doesn''t hurt to check.


    I confirmed yesterday that the inscriptions were placed at all points, so our mission can be considered nearly complete," he said as he took out a talisman made of reddish-brown jade and infused it with some of his demonic Qi.


    Just as he was inspecting something on it, a voice came out of nowhere.


    "Hey guys, what are you up to in such an isolated place?


    If it''s something fun, why don''t you let me join in too?" said the person as he emerged from a blind spot in the alley.


    Immediately, hearing this voice, all three became alert and turned to see who it was.


    "Wait, you''re that tournament participant," said the woman, noting the appearance of the person who had spoken.


    "Oh, you know me. Well yes, I''m indeed a tournament participant, just like you, right?"


    Said a young man with a black mask, now fully visible.


    The three, seeing him, recognized him immediately.


    After all, why wouldn''t they? The person before them had stirred quite a commotion over the past three days of the tournament, especially today, having produced a mid-grade Level 3 pill.


    They wondered what he was doing there and, more importantly, how much of their conversation he had overheard.


    With this in mind, the man in his forties spoke, ready to act at any moment.


    "How long have you been here?" he asked as his two companions, understanding the meaning behind the question, prepared in secret.


    "How long, you ask? Hm, let me think��


    Ah yes, more or less since you were asking what might have happened to your companion who went around placing inscriptions," he said with a smile, though hidden by the mask.


    As soon as those words left his mouth, all three rushed toward him, ready to eliminate him on the spot, but just as they took a step forward, a heavy pressure fell upon them, pinning them in place.


    ''What?''


    While the three were terrified by the invisible pressure that struck them, the masked boy gave a slight smile as he approached them.


    "Well, now, why don''t we have a nice chat?"


    As soon as they heard those words, a sense of danger overwhelmed them all, and they felt that whatever was about to happen wouldn''t be anything good.

 Chapter 181 - 181: Recipe Successfully Created

    .


    In the commercial area of the capital


    Although the night was still long, the streets of the capital were still illuminated, with many people going back and forth, either heading home or taking a stroll alone or in the company of others.


    At this hour, the atmosphere was quite relaxed, as everyone tried to ease the day''s fatigue in one way or another.


    Amidst the people walking down the main street of the commercial area, two figures were strolling calmly.


    One was a man standing just over 180 cm tall, with long jet-black hair tied back, dressed in comfortable robe (hanfu), walking with a slight smile.


    Beside him walked a woman, slightly shorter by a few centimeters, also dressed in comfortable clothing.


    Both of them were strikingly attractive, enough to cause a commotion wherever they went, but at that moment, it seemed no one even noticed them.


    "You could have gone a little easier on them, you know?" said the woman, continuing to walk forward calmly as she addressed the young-looking man beside her.


    "What are you trying to say?


    I was pretty gentle with them, you know? I only asked them a few questions, nothing more," said the man, with the air of someone falsely accused.


    Bai Yu, however, didn''t believe him, looking at him with a deadpan expression as she recalled what had happened just half an hour ago in that alley.


    "You call that asking questions?


    If I hadn''t intervened and erased their memories, those three would probably have been traumatized for life," she said, shaking her head.


    "Oh, come on, you''re exaggerating too much.


    Besides, the important thing is that now we know exactly where the formation is located, right?"


    Once again, Bai Yu didn''t know what to say.


    ''It seems he''s gotten too used to experimenting on others'' souls,'' she thought, remembering how he had enjoyed creating soul puppets back in the pocket dimension.


    Back then, she had suggested it to help him with his problem; who would have thought this would be the result.


    Although she didn''t care much about those three, or the inhabitants of the mortal plane in general, she thought it was bad for him to develop such hobbies.


    On the other hand, his mastery of soul manipulation had reached a level that wouldn''t normally be possible in such a short time.


    Although his mastery was still much lower than hers, she knew that at this rate, he would catch up to her in a few more years of training.


    And that was something that would strike fear into even some talented individuals of the celestial realm, as anything related to souls was far too complex to be learned easily and in a short time.


    Shaking her head internally, she then asked:


    "By the way, why are we here?" she asked, unsure why he had decided to take a nighttime walk.


    "I just wanted to take a walk," he said calmly, but Bai Yu didn''t believe him.


    She knew him too well and knew that for a workaholic like him, taking breaks of this kind was not normal.


    One thing was the day off he had taken after so long, and another was this so-called nighttime walk he had suddenly decided to take.


    Seeing that the dragon woman didn''t seem to believe him, he spoke with resignation.


    "Tch, there''s nothing I can hide from you, is there?


    But it''s a surprise, so wait a bit longer. You won''t be disappointed," he said as he slowed down and headed towards a small shop nearby.


    Bai Yu wanted to press him for answers immediately but decided to wait.


    Not that she minded anyway, as she had spent the last two days watching an alchemical competition, which was too boring for her.


    With the new information they had obtained, she was thinking of going straight to the colosseum''s underground to find and neutralize the formation, but it seemed they would have to wait a little longer.


    The shop where Ethan had stopped was an herb store.


    Seeing this, she became more confused.


    Why would someone who had an entire garden with almost every kind of rare herb stop here?


    she wondered.


    Ethan entered and came out within minutes, and then they headed towards his quarters.


    Once there, Ethan transported himself and Bai Yu to his minor dimension, where, upon arriving, he walked towards his wooden platform, which now had an even more refined look, and sat down, motioning for her to join him.


    Once they were both seated, she couldn''t help but joke:


    "What, did you decide to set up a romantic dinner?" she said teasingly.


    By now, they were both used to joking like this, and she never missed an opportunity to tease him a bit.


    Ethan, smiling at her, moved his hands and made two large glass mugs, similar to typical beer glasses, appear.


    And then, infusing his hand with spiritual Qi, he created two rings above the glasses as he said:


    "Better, I''m sure you''ll like it."


    When she heard those words and saw the two glasses, she immediately realized what it was and mumbled:


    "It can''t be that, right?"


    Although she spoke quietly, Ethan heard it but said nothing, smiling lightly as he seemed to press something in the air.


    Immediately, from those 2 cm diameter rings, a sparkling black liquid began to pour directly into the glasses, filling them.


    Seeing this scene, Bai Yu''s breath stopped for a moment as she guessed what it was.


    ''Is this an illusion?'' she wondered, not even questioning where the liquid was coming from.


    In no time, the two large glasses were filled almost to the brim, and only then did the liquid stop flowing.


    Now, the previously empty glasses were filled with that sparkling black liquid, which emitted a faint caramel scent.


    Noticing the dragon woman''s reaction, Ethan smiled and offered her the glass, encouraging her to take a sip.


    Still incredulous, Bai Yu took the glass with some skepticism and brought it to her lips, taking a delicate sip.


    Ethan, watching this scene, couldn''t help but curse mentally.


    ''She''s definitely doing this on purpose,'' he thought, seeing how elegantly she was sipping the drink.


    He had to admit that, although he was used to Bai Yu''s natural beauty, his defenses were not always strong enough against her, but he kept resisting.


    He had his male pride to uphold and wouldn''t let himself be defeated by her.


    As Ethan got lost in his thoughts, Bai Yu, who had just taken a sip of the drink, froze, her eyes widening.


    ''This flavor, so delicate and refreshing, yet sweet and fizzy at the same time.''


    ''There''s no doubt, it''s really that.''


    As her eyes lit up, confirming her suspicions, she started taking a second sip, then a third.


    Seeing this reaction, Ethan smiled, satisfied with himself.


    ''It took time, but I managed to recreate the recipe,'' he thought, remembering the dozens of different combinations he tried in his system laboratory while researching the Cola recipe.


    He had to admit that it had been challenging because there was one ingredient he couldn''t find in this world, so he tried to find alternatives, and only recently did he find a suitable one.


    He didn''t have that herb in his garden because it was too common to bother planting there.


    So, he went to get it from the herbalist, and while he was there, he took some seeds, planning to create a small plot just for them.


    As he watched her finish the large glass in record time, he couldn''t help but wonder mentally how someone like her could fall in love with a drink like this.


    He would understand if it were a fine, strong wine, something both enjoyable to drink and savor.


    He was certain that if it were up to her, she would get drunk just drinking cola.


    And indeed, as soon as she finished the glass, she slammed it on the table and said:


    "Give me another one, now. Ah, it''s been so long since I last had it," she said, with an ecstatic expression on her face.


    "..."


    Ethan could only shake his head as he proceeded to create the rings in the air above the glass.


    These were created using a spatial technique that Ethan had recently learned.


    The technique itself wasn''t complicated.


    He simply thought of the portal he had created the first time he entered his pocket dimension and, using that as a base, made these rings to connect to his storage where the drink was stored once produced. S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was essentially using an entire slot just to store the beverage.


    And so, the two spent the next few hours in the minor dimension, drinking cola while admiring the garden scenery, which at night created a slightly magical and serene atmosphere.


    Many of the garden herbs had the characteristic of glowing at night, which, combined with the calm inside, created the perfect setting for relaxation.


    The next day, the crowd at the colosseum was even more frenzied as the semifinals of the imperial tournament were finally beginning.


    Given the low number of people in both categories competing that day, instead of many platforms, the number was reduced to three for the novice category and one for the expert category.


    Unlike the novices, who still had a few competitors, there were just over ten people left in the expert category.


    As with yesterday, the day would be divided into two parts: the first for the participants of the novice category, and the second for the expert category.


    Since no one from their group was left in the novice category, the Sun City team only watched and waited for the matches as the first part of the day''s competitions ended.


    Even though they were only participating later, they were still required to attend and be present, as failing to do so would be seen as disrespectful to the other competitors.


    Even Ethan, who thought he could spend this time cultivating in his minor dimension, came to watch.


    As he watched the competitions, he was mentally conversing with Bai Yu, who had snuck into the colosseum''s underground.


    ''I can sense the aura of the formation,'' she said as she moved in her shrunken beast form.


    Hearing this, Ethan nodded mentally and said:


    ''Good, let''s see where you''re hiding,''

 Chapter 182 - 182: End of the Semifinals (1)

    .


    While Bai Yu was getting to work, the group of participants in the first category finally concluded their matches.


    With today''s competitions, the finalists of the tournament would be decided, while the positions from the Top 5 upwards were practically already determined.


    The Sun City group no longer had any involvement with the first category.


    With Ethan''s fan managing to secure a spot in the Top 15, they were now focused on the second category, whose matches were about to begin.


    A half-hour break was announced to give everyone time to eat, go to the bathroom, and prepare.


    It was also time for the participants of the second category to get ready.


    After 30 minutes, the competition resumed, and the announcer, still full of energy, continued introducing the semifinalists.


    From Ethan, Xiang Hua, and the girl from the White Tiger Kingdom to the three practically demonic cultivators who, somehow, had managed to make it this far in the tournament,


    two members from the Qilin Kingdom,


    and one from a tribe living north of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Although the last one was from the same kingdom as Hu Xingyan, he was from a different city, so the two didn''t seem to interact.


    The same could be said for the boy from the tribe in the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Even though they belonged to the same kingdom, they practically hadn''t interacted, or at least Ethan hadn''t.


    And since he spent most of his time away from others, he didn''t know if they had interacted with him, but he didn''t particularly care.


    Once all ten participants were called, one of the judges proceeded to randomly draw names to form the five pairs that would compete today.


    The judge with the long gray beard approached a floating urn and placed his hand inside it.


    The crowd fell silent, eagerly waiting to see who would compete first.


    The order in which the pairs were drawn would also determine the sequence of the matches, so everyone was curious to see who would go first.


    All of them had delivered high-level performances throughout the tournament, and no one doubted their current standing in the competition.


    Although Ethan had drawn the most attention, the others were not far behind.


    For example, Xiang Hua had earned the nickname "Ice-Hearted Phoenix" due to the ruthless way she defeated her opponents.


    Hu Xingyan had reaffirmed her title of "Snowstorm" because of how she swept away her competitors one after another.


    Ethan had ended up with several nicknames, from "Nuyu" to "Dark Horse" to "Millennium Genius" and more.


    There were flattering nicknames as well as more derisive ones.


    On this matter, the audience never tired of creating names, it was one of their privileges, after all.


    Ethan ignored all the titles given to him by the public throughout the competition.


    He knew that protesting wouldn''t do any good, so he just insisted on keeping "Nuyu" as his main name and pretended the other nicknames didn''t exist.


    The judge finally moved his arm and drew the first name.


    He took the folded slip and opened it, reading the name:


    "Deng Lin from the Phoenix Kingdom," he said as a young man with short hair and slightly tanned skin stepped forward.


    The judge then proceeded to draw the second name.


    "And he will face Hu Xingyan from the White Tiger Kingdom." Hearing that the first duel would be between the genius of the White Tiger Kingdom and the boy from a tribe in the Phoenix Kingdom,


    the crowd erupted in cheers, each side rooting for their favorite, although most were supporting Hu Xingyan.


    The elderly judge didn''t linger too long. As soon as the crowd calmed down a bit, he continued drawing names, and one by one, the other four pairs were formed.


    Coincidentally, Ethan ended up against one of the three demonic cultivators he had interrogated the day before, more specifically, the girl.


    Seeing this, Ethan couldn''t help but smile behind his mask as he wondered if he might learn some new refining technique by examining them.


    He had already noticed that they tended to infuse a bit of demonic Qi into their pills, and from what he could see, this Qi was hidden so cleverly that it was almost impossible for cultivators below the fourth stage to detect it.


    Until yesterday, Ethan had wondered what their purpose was for participating in the competition since the core of the formation could be set up by just one of them.


    More importantly, with their third-stage cultivation levels, they were more than capable of sneaking into the underground without attracting much attention, yet here they were, competing in the tournament.


    When Ethan conducted a soul search on them, he discovered that the reason they had decided to participate directly instead of staying in the background was due to the pills they would produce during the competition.


    During the competition, almost all of the pills produced would be sold later through the Alchemist Association, and if a pill was of significant value, it could be auctioned, like what was happening with his pill.


    It was likely that theirs would be sold along with the others as well. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their goal, it seemed, was to mix their pills with the others, so that once purchased and distributed, these pills would plant a seed inside the person that would be ready to be triggered when necessary.


    Ethan knew that such methods existed for achieving various outcomes, but he was still shocked to learn what would happen to a person once those seeds were triggered.


    They would become demons.


    He didn''t understand how such a small amount of demonic Qi could turn someone into a half-demon, and indeed, he would have expected that these people would at most go insane, but apparently, the reality was far different.


    These seeds were known as "demonic seeds", containing such a concentrated amount of demonic Qi that they could instantly transform someone from an ordinary being into a quasi-demon.


    In other words, they had decided to spread these pills and infect people to have numerous similar beings in the capital, ready to act when needed.


    Ethan thought there must be more to their plan, but it turned out that each of them only had a part of the information and none knew the complete plan.


    Just like the man captured by Bai Yu had his specific task, so did they, and they only knew what was strictly related to their role, nothing more.


    Ethan realized that at this point, he could only rely on Bai Yu to disable the formation''s core and locate whoever would activate it.

 Chapter 183 - 183: End of the Semifinals (2)

    .


    The competition began, and the first participants were already on their platforms, ready to start.


    Both Hu Xingyan and the boy from the tribe in the Phoenix Kingdom wasted no time on unnecessary greetings, and as soon as the competition started, so did they.


    Since part of the day had already passed and there were five matches to be held, the time for each match was reduced from 3 hours to 1 hour and 30 minutes.


    Going beyond that would delay the end of the tournament too much, and no one, no matter how much they wanted to, wished to stay there longer than necessary.


    Even the minimum requirements for the match were reduced to just three, mainly focused on the minimum level and purity.


    For the rest, each participant had absolute freedom regarding the type of pill they wanted to produce.


    As soon as the timer started, both participants began working.


    On one side, the boy from the tribe took out several materials, some very common and others less so, with many appearing particularly exotic.


    Seeing this, the audience in the area couldn''t help but grow curious.


    The boy had defeated all his opponents cleanly throughout the tournament.


    He was one of the few who had managed to reach this stage without causing much commotion in the audience.


    Although his techniques were unique and sophisticated, they were nothing new to the spectators. Nevertheless, he continued to compete and secured a spot in the Top 10.


    Now that the semifinals had begun, he immediately started using various materials unfamiliar to most, sparking some anticipation for him among the audience.


    With fluid yet precise and fast movements, he prepared the materials, and within minutes, he was already adding them to the cauldron.


    Seeing this, one of the examiners commented enthusiastically.


    "Hm, it looks like the boy has decided to prepare a level 2 high-grade pill, and judging by the materials, it seems to be a refining pill."


    The other examiners nodded in agreement as they, too, commented on what they had observed, and thus the competition between the two began.


    Unlike the boy from the tribe, who immediately started refining a level 2 pill, Hu Xingyan took a few extra minutes working on the materials.


    Notably, once again, she decided to use her manifestation of Qi to move and prepare everything necessary.


    What would normally take at least 10 minutes was completed in half the time, and after almost 6 minutes, she, too, began adding the processed ingredients one by one into the furnace.


    Her expression was neutral, but her eyes revealed that she was deeply focused on her mixture, paying no attention to her surroundings.


    Seeing this, the judges understood that she had decided to attempt a level 3 pill once again.


    A pill of this level was certainly a strong move, as it alone could offset the advantage that several level 2 high-grade pills might have.


    If she succeeded again, she would already have half the victory in hand and would have once more confirmed her abilities at the level of a master alchemist.


    She was one of four people who had already demonstrated skills on par with a one-star master alchemist, with only one among them surpassing that level and matching a two-star master.


    That person, of course, was Ethan, who by now was considered almost invincible in the eyes of both spectators and examiners. Demonstrating skills on par with a master alchemist was already impressive, but going beyond that was rare.


    It was believed that hardly anyone else could defeat him in this tournament.


    That said, there were still those who thought he had simply been lucky with that pill and might not be able to replicate the feat at that level.


    These were, of course, people who hadn''t fully understood what had happened the day before.


    Only the examiners could confidently say that his skill level was anything but luck.


    The battle between the two was fierce, and neither lost a single moment of focus throughout the allotted time.


    Both were entirely immersed in the refining process.


    At a certain point, both made their final adjustments, and just before time ran out, they placed their finished creations on the presentation table and waited for the judges'' evaluation.


    On one side, there were five high-grade level 2 pills, and on the other, to everyone''s surprise, there were two identical pills that, if correct, were very likely both level 3 pills.


    Seeing this, the judges smiled, silently commending the talent of this prodigy from the Tiger Kingdom.


    The girl had reaffirmed her skills at the master alchemist level, producing two level 3 low-grade pills in just over an hour instead of one, as before. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though they already knew the result, the judges approached and examined the pills anyway.


    And in the end, to no one''s surprise, the winner was Hu Xingyan.


    She had now secured a spot among the finalists, while the other boy would have to compete for a ranking between sixth and tenth place.


    Thus, the first match of the second part of today''s competition concluded with Hu Xingyan''s victory.


    Although many had predicted her victory, the fact that she had produced two level 3 pills in such a short time was not.


    It was evident that yesterday''s defeat had given her the extra push she had been missing since the start of the tournament.


    As they withdrew from their platforms, the area was reset for the next match.


    This time, the competitors were Xiang Hua from the Phoenix Kingdom and a member of the Qilin Kingdom.


    With an impassive expression, Xiang Hua walked to her platform and stood there, waiting for the timer to start. Her opponent, a man in his thirties, also took his place and waited like her.


    He was Qiang Wei, one of the greatest prodigies of the young generation of alchemists from the Qilin Kingdom.


    Just like the other nine, he had displayed refining skills that had captivated everyone, especially the girls.


    His movements, delicate yet exuding elegance, immediately caught the attention of many young women in the crowd.


    He was what Ethan would describe as the "flashy type" from the novels he read.


    In almost every novel he''d read, there was always someone so attractive that they made every girl faint wherever they went.


    Ethan didn''t expect to encounter such a clich�� character here as well.


    While he was busy labeling people based on his knowledge of novels, Bai Yu, who managed to hear this part of his thoughts, couldn''t help but comment:


    ''If you were to reveal your full charm now, that guy would go from being the flashy type to just another average person,'' she said, shaking her head.


    She usually avoided complimenting him on his appearance, not only because, as a being from the spiritual plane, she had seen people much more beautiful,


    but also because she didn''t want to feed his naturally narcissistic nature.

 Chapter 184 - 184: The Eternal Harmony Pill Series

    .


    As expected, all competitions from this point on were highly anticipated by everyone.


    This was because almost all remaining participants in this category were already well-known among the crowd, and everyone was eager to cheer for their favorites.


    In this particular case, both Xiang Hua and Qiang Wei had many fans, and the excitement generated by both sides was enormous.


    The judges, seeing this, could only shake their heads, allowing the crowd to enjoy the event.


    Seeing such scenes during alchemy competitions was rare because alchemy was not typically a profession known for its spectacle.


    Usually, the audience could only wait to see the final product, and for the rest of the time, they either watched calmly or did something else.


    In other words, most of the competition tended to be quite dull, except in special cases, like Hu Xingyan''s or the masked boy''s, which managed to break this monotony and keep the audience engaged throughout the refinement process.


    Although the current competitors didn''t create the same excitement, their popularity among the public was enough to keep everyone awake and prevent them from falling asleep.


    Many questioned the point of organizing such a large event when it could have been done more privately, as half the audience didn''t understand a thing about alchemy and often left disappointed due to the dullness.


    But there were others who believed that a competition as fundamental as this for the Long Empire deserved an event dedicated to it.


    In the end, like it or not, this competition continued to be held every year, having already lasted several centuries, turning it into an annual tradition for many.


    As soon as both participants were ready, the announcer declared the start of the match.


    The boy from the Qilin Kingdom immediately began the refinement, pulling various ingredients from his dimensional ring, many of which were native to the Qilin Kingdom.


    Cultivators from the Qilin Kingdom had a particular affinity for the lightning element, which was abundant in that region of the continent.


    Many of the strongest lightning experts hailed from there, including the most powerful one currently, the head of the Qilin Sect.


    Except for a few cases like the elder of the Phoenix Sect, the rest of the lightning practitioners belonged to the Lightning Sect.


    Even Qiang Wei had a certain affinity for the lightning element, visible as he started working on the materials he had brought out.


    Sparks began to flow over his body, while his blue-green hair floated slightly.


    His speed increased, and the materials that had been levitated by his Qi manifestation were, in an instant, cut, ground, and processed.


    He did what would take a normal person at least five minutes to accomplish in an instant.


    However, unlike him, Xiang Hua did not rush and took her time choosing and preparing her materials.


    To those who didn''t know her, this calm demeanor might have seemed a poor choice, making them think she''d fall behind and risk losing. But to those familiar with her, this calmness was just the calm before the storm.


    Once she began refining, her finished products would always astonish the audience and leave her opponents defeated.


    Every time, it had been the same; she took her time refining her pills, and in the end, when she presented them, the pills were always a level above those of her opponents, who thought they could best her but were always left stunned.


    Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it came to an end with Xiang Hua''s victory.


    Qiang Wei, with a look of disbelief, couldn''t help but glance repeatedly at the pills she had produced.


    With his skills, he had managed to refine eight high-grade level 2 pills, two of which had purity over 90%, quite a high purity.


    But when he saw the three pills she had created, he couldn''t help but lower his head in defeat.


    The pills Xiang Hua had created belonged to a series known as the Eternal Harmony Pills. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Eternal Harmony Pill Series consisted of ten different types of pills, ranging from simple to highly complex ones.


    The three pills she had created were the three most difficult in that series, and the most challenging one in the series, the Eternal Harmony Pill, had been refined at a low-grade level 3.


    In other words, she had completely defeated him, despite his excellent products.


    He could only accept his defeat and prepare to fight once more to secure a position within the Top 10, as a place in the Top 5 was now just a distant dream for him.


    Right after their match, the third round began between the boy from the White Tiger Kingdom and the other member from the Qilin Kingdom.


    The final result was a loss for the boy from the White Tiger Kingdom.


    The fourth round, however, was between two of the demonic cultivators, a coincidence that nearly made Ethan burst into laughter when he heard it for the first time, though he held back.


    Even though they were pitted against each other, both men showed no sign of hesitation and proceeded to compete normally.


    In the end, the winner was the man in his forties, who also produced a low-grade level 3 pill.


    The margin of victory was very small, mainly due to the level 3 pill, as in every other aspect, he was on par with his companion.


    Ethan didn''t know whether they had previously decided who would win or if he truly was the better of the two, but one thing was clear: one of them had secured a place in the finals.


    In other words, it was almost certain that they would have the chance to auction off at least one or two of their pills.


    Finally, after the first four rounds concluded, it was Ethan''s turn to compete against the woman from the group of demonic cultivators.


    Ethan couldn''t wait to see what the woman had in store for him.


    The woman, while walking, almost tripped as a sudden shiver ran down her spine.


    She felt like a rabbit being watched by a lion.


    ''What the is wrong with me today?'' she wondered, as this was the third time she had felt that way.

 Chapter 185 - 185: Ethan vs Ling Xue

    .


    Ethan and the woman named Ling Xue took their positions, waiting for their turn to start.


    As soon as the timer began, she immediately got to work, wasting no time, while, unsurprisingly, Ethan calmly took his time to start.


    "There he goes again," someone in the crowd remarked, as murmurs began to rise among the audience.


    Even the judges could only shake their heads, and at this point, none of them dared to underestimate Ethan even slightly.


    If they saw him idling like that, it meant he was absolutely confident he could win.


    Just like in his previous matches.


    While others stopped questioning Ethan''s behavior and focused on the woman, he, who was currently still at his post, was having a conversation with Bai Yu.


    "So, have you finally found the formation?" he asked mentally.


    The two of them could speak at a distance thanks to the Amphora that bound them.


    In a way, they had their own private communication channel, completely unlike the spiritual energy transmissions used by more experienced cultivators.


    This private channel allowed them to interact with each other, no matter how far apart they were, without ever risking that their conversation could be traced or overheard.


    To test how effective this link was within the minor dimension, Ethan sent Bai Yu several miles away, and even from there, they could still hear each other clearly, as if they were standing just a meter apart.


    Though not particularly important at the moment, this discovery made Ethan realize that, in certain situations in the future, one of them would always be ready to listen and possibly step in.


    "Yes, I''ve already neutralized it. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now we only need to locate the link that connects it to the one who''ll activate it, and we''ll know his position.


    Of course, you''ll need to wait until the other side makes the first move.


    Right now, it can''t be traced," she said, standing in her human form over an inscription on the ground in the Coliseum''s underground.


    "I see. If nothing happens by the end of the tournament, then I''ll handle locating the individual," he replied.


    Bai Yu had basic knowledge of formations and could only execute a few she had memorized.


    Ethan, on the other hand, was highly skilled in formations.


    He could learn, create, or even modify them as he pleased, as long as they were within his skill level.


    So, although she couldn''t track the other side unless they made the first move, he could.


    They just needed to wait until the end of today.


    Tomorrow would be the tournament finals, and the enemy would most likely act then.


    They had already neutralized the formation, so the immediate threat was suppressed for now.


    But that alone wasn''t enough.


    They also needed to capture the person behind this attack.


    At the moment, their options were limited, so they could only wait and see what would happen tomorrow.


    Due to the fragmentary information, Ethan and Bai Yu only knew that the demonic cultivators planned to attack during the tournament and cause chaos in the capital.


    Their ultimate goal seemed to be to harm the empire as much as possible.


    Neither of them for a moment thought the demons intended to assault the castle, as they both knew the emperor resided there, who, as far as Ethan knew, was the strongest fourth-stage cultivator in the empire.


    In other words, he was immune to the effects of the formation and strong enough to withstand a possible attack.


    This was why the two didn''t fully understand the ultimate objective and could only make some guesses.


    Regardless of their goal, their task was to find the enemy and eliminate them before a demonic Qi infection could be unleashed on the capital.


    That would be disastrous, and neither of them would be able to stop it alone.


    Bai Yu nodded at Ethan''s words, then rematerialized into her shrunken beast form and left the spot, leaving behind a Qi clone to watch for anyone entering the area.


    The clone was more like a surveillance device and could only signal the presence of someone nearby.


    Ethan, meanwhile, refocused on the competition, and seeing that half an hour had already passed since the start, he decided to begin his own refinement.


    He had been observing his opponent''s actions since the beginning and could already guess the type of pills, their effects and level, as well as the surprise concealed within.


    He had to admit he was a bit disappointed with the woman''s performance.


    He had thought that, perhaps against him, she might try to win by pulling out a trump card, maybe a new refinement skill or a recipe for a rare, unknown pill, and so on.


    But it seemed the other party had no intention of doing any of that.


    She seemed to limit herself to high-grade level 2 pills.


    Ethan didn''t know whether this was the best of her abilities or if she simply didn''t want to take it seriously, but he knew there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    So, without wasting any more time, he got to work, and just like before, he tossed everything into the cauldron, pulled out a chair, and sat down comfortably to wait.


    By now, people were no longer surprised by his relaxed attitude.


    They knew that if he was calm, he must be confident of winning.


    Just like in previous matches, the examiners eventually gave up trying to guess what kind of pill or pills the masked boy was trying to refine.


    What could have been a fierce competition between the two turned into both of them going about their business while they finished their refinement.


    Neither of them displayed any flashy refinement skills or new methods, making this last match of the semifinals a bit dull for everyone.


    Something nobody expected at this stage of the competition.


    The only good thing about this situation was that the maximum time was an hour and 30 minutes, not three hours as in previous rounds, as they would have otherwise had to endure more than two hours of this scene.


    Not everyone felt this way, but most did, and finally, the time ended, marking the end of the last match.


    To no one''s surprise, the masked boy won once again, producing five low-grade level 3 pills, reaffirming his position above the others.


    Five low-grade level 3 pills in less than an hour, a feat even for two-star master alchemists, let alone those below them.


    Ethan''s opponent, the demonic woman, showed little reaction and quietly withdrew to join her team members after the results were announced.

 Chapter 186 - 186: Start of the Finals

    .


    After the competition, Ethan went to the underground area to see if he could locate any connection with the formation.


    Upon arriving, he studied the formation a bit and concluded that it was a level 3 formation, a formation neither too complicated nor too simple.


    For Ethan''s current abilities, a formation of this level was comparable to a mid-grade level 3 pill, in other words, something within his reach.


    He examined the formation a bit more and finally infused it with some of his spiritual Qi.


    Bai Yu, who was beside him, didn''t stop him, allowing him to continue with what he was doing, standing by.


    This wasn''t really something she could do, as her knowledge of formations was very basic, and somehow, inferior to Ethan''s, who not too long ago didn''t even know how to create the simplest of formations.


    She had no idea how he had progressed so quickly, surpassing her and reaching a level that would normally be nearly impossible without the guidance of another formation master.


    When she asked him, he said it was thanks to the help of the amphora, and once again, she couldn''t comprehend how the artifact could have such a function.


    She had noticed in the past that her travel companion also learned things more quickly, but she was certain that she had some natural capacity to learn at that speed, certainly not thanks to the amphora.


    This was because almost all of the knowledge she acquired came from books, instructions from others, and so forth.


    On the other hand, Ethan hadn''t done any of that, yet he was reaching high levels for his plane of origin.


    From alchemy to the art of formations.


    She wondered if he tried to learn other professions, would he succeed in mastering them with the same speed?


    As she was lost in her thoughts, Ethan, who had finished examining the formation inscriptions on the ground, withdrew his spiritual Qi and stood up with a frown.


    "Well, this is problematic," he said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "The formation itself is easy to analyze and even modify, but the usual link connecting a formation to a remote user isn''t present in this one.


    Normally, this would mean the formation should be activated here on-site, not remotely, but I highly doubt these three had that in mind, after all, none of them seemed to have received such an order."


    He said while trying to see if he missed anything.


    "What if there was a fifth person?" Bai Yu suddenly said.


    Ethan, hearing her, wanted to shake his head, saying that if there were someone there, he would have detected it instantly, after all, even a fifth-stage cultivator would hardly be able to hide their demonic Qi from his perception.


    But then he stopped as he thought of a detail.


    ''What if the person wasn''t a demonic cultivator?''


    Bai Yu, who seemed to understand what Ethan was thinking, said:


    "The possibility of a fifth person isn''t entirely far-fetched. After all, demonic cultivators have many cards at their disposal.


    It wouldn''t be hard for them to involve someone who isn''t necessarily infected like they are."


    Ethan understood what she meant.


    Indeed, there could be several ways to accomplish something like that.


    From blackmail to mind manipulation and more, the methods were certainly numerous.


    Both understood that the only thing they could do was to disable the formation and leave a trace of Qi to monitor the area.


    For cultivators of their level, it wasn''t difficult to do something like that without being noticed.


    Ethan, to be safe, decided to take some extra precautionary measures and immediately started working for a moment on the formation on the ground.


    Bai yu didn''t know what he was doing, but she could guess the purpose behind it. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, both, having nothing more to do there, left the place, leaving it in its previous silence.


    ***


    Ethan spent the rest of the night in his minor dimension, where he continued to accumulate Qi through refinement and subsequent cultivation.


    Finally, the seventh and last day of the Imperial Tournament arrived.


    The coliseum was packed as usual, with the crowd more excited than usual, and how could they not be, given that today was the tournament''s finals.


    The best participants from both categories had been filtered out over the previous days, and now they were here, ready to compete for the first place, establishing the remaining four positions for this year''s tournament.


    The audience cheered as the coliseum''s arena, which had been used alternately throughout the competition, was now divided into four arenas.


    Two for each category.


    Just like before, participants from both sides would compete one by one until all positions were filled.


    From the one who would be defeated first twice and would go directly to the fifth position, to the one who would win every time and ascend above all others, claiming first place and becoming this year''s tournament champion.


    All five participants from both categories were currently present in the arena on a stand set up specifically for the occasion, lined up in two groups of five, facing the audience.


    The commentator, who was also present, approached each of them to ask if they had anything to say now that they had reached this stage of the tournament, and aside from the girl from the Qilin Kingdom and Hu Xingyan, the other three decided to remain silent.


    Ethan pretended to ignore the commentator, who stood by him hoping a voice would sound from behind that mask, but it didn''t happen.


    He received an indifferent look even from the 40-year-old man, who ignored him completely.


    Only Xiang Hua didn''t ignore him, but she also didn''t say much.


    The commentator, finally with a defeated expression, had to move away, as staying any longer would only have made the situation more embarrassing for him.


    Unlike the expert category, the novice category was much more talkative, with each speaking for at least a full minute, some thanking their masters, others their mothers, and others even announcing that next year they would win in the second category.


    While all this was happening, Bai Yu''s voice echoed in Ethan''s mind as she asked:


    "Didn''t you intend to promote your brand?


    Why not take advantage of such an occasion?" she asked, confused.


    "It doesn''t make sense to do it now.


    There''ll be an opportunity after the tournament, and don''t forget there''s still the auction.


    I still have several occasions to promote myself," he said simply.


    Finally, one of the judges stepped forward, ready to announce some well-known basic rules and the updated requirements for today.

 Chapter 187 - 187: An Unusual Request

    .


    Unlike the one-on-one matches held so far, the final match would be more of a battle royale.


    This last round would determine the first place, while the remaining four would compete in subsequent one-on-one duels to decide the rankings from second place onward.


    With a fifth participant, it was too complicated to proceed solely with one-on-one matches, so they''d opted for this solution.


    Naturally, they could have foreseen this situation earlier, but for reasons unknown to Ethan, no measures had ever been taken regarding it.


    That said, he didn''t particularly mind.


    Whether it was a solo challenge or a group battle, he was confident of his victory.


    The gray-bearded judge stepped forward to announce the final competition rules.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we''ve reached the last day of this year''s Imperial Alchemy Tournament, and just as in previous years, the rules will remain the same.


    The base requirement for pills remains as it was in the previous rounds:


    pills must be high-grade level-2 with a purity above 85%.


    The minimum quantity will be raised to five pills.


    The maximum time for completion is 3 hours, just like the tournament''s initial rounds, and 1 hour and 30 minutes for ranking matches following the first round.


    "There''s no need to remind you that any trickery or attempts to cheat will be immediately detected, and the person in question will be disqualified.


    Likewise, there''s no need to list every rule, at this stage, they should be well-known to you all.


    "Each of you, having reached this stage of the tournament, has proven your skill several times over, so reciting the rules here is hardly necessary. S��ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, allow this old man to tell you one thing," he said, turning to the ten finalists.


    "Regardless of the outcome of this match, each of you will have the chance to make one request of us judges, and as long as it''s reasonable, we won''t refuse to fulfill it.


    You''re all more than qualified to be the future pillars of alchemy, and as such, it''s only right that each of you is granted this recognition.


    "Normally, this privilege would be reserved for the first-place winner, but this year, we judges have chosen to make an exception and grant this opportunity to all of you," he concluded, wrapping up his opening address for the final match.


    Winning the Imperial Tournament carried various benefits, from reputation to privileges granted by the Alchemy Association, and more.


    One of these was the opportunity to make a request of the attending master alchemists, who would fulfill it as long as it wasn''t excessive or beyond their abilities.


    This was less enticing to the second-category participants, as they were mostly at or near the level of a master alchemist themselves, if they hadn''t already reached it, as was the case for some in this year''s tournament.


    For them, such perks were simply a bonus.


    Many of them already had high-ranking alchemists assisting them, so half of the offered benefits were redundant.


    To fulfill a request for them would involve not only the judges but also a grandmaster alchemist.


    Among the few grandmasters, at least two were members of the Alchemy Association of the Long Empire, the most prestigious alchemical institution in the empire.


    For participants, the chance to interact with such figures was enough of a prize, even more so to make a request of them.


    Many in the second category who were eligible to participate in the tournament were already at master alchemist level and chose to compete solely for this privilege.


    Everything else was just an added bonus.


    With that, the judge finished speaking and stepped back, leaving the participants to take their places in the two areas prepared for them.


    The two platforms set up for each category were spacious enough to hold over a hundred people each, so there was more than enough room for each contestant to refine their pills without being distracted or hindered by others.


    Additionally, the five stations were already set up, so they only had to reach their stations and wait for the match to begin.


    As Ethan arrived at his station, he couldn''t help but smile as he recalled the events of that morning.


    In the lobby of the building where they were staying, he had been approached by Xiang Hua.


    Ethan hadn''t understood why she''d come up to him, but he found out soon enough.


    "So, you want me to go all out?" he murmured now at his station.


    In short, she''d asked if he''d been giving his best in the tournament, a question to which Ethan, for a moment, wasn''t sure how to respond.


    It had come so suddenly, but in the end, he decided to be honest and shook his head.


    He was curious about what might be running through her mind.


    Ever since they''d met, she seemed to fixate on him in some way.


    Not directly, but in one way or another, she always ended up with a bad impression of him, first as a disciple of her sect master and then as the masked alchemist.


    Ethan was certain that girls in this world had a few screws loose, but he didn''t dare say it aloud, or else he''d end up being pummeled by Bai Yu during training.


    Previously, their battles were all in his mind, and he could heal himself with a thought.


    But since he advanced to the fifth stage and she regained enough freedom to return to a physical form and a portion of her cultivation, their sparring sessions took place in the real world.


    He could only count the times she had knocked him out during their 25 years of secluded cultivation.


    In the end, the reason Xiang Hua had approached him was to ask him to go all out in the first match.


    The problem was that she''d made her request and left without waiting for him to ask any follow-up questions.


    Ethan wasn''t entirely sure how to interpret it.


    He had no intention of going all out since, in this tournament, and probably this entire plane of existence, there was no one capable of matching him in alchemy.


    He knew that doing so would only bring more trouble, which for him translated to pointless hassles.


    That being said��


    "Well, I can at least try a little harder than I have so far," he muttered.


    Bai Yu, currently using the part of her spirit left in Ethan''s consciousness, saw his smile and realized he had something mischievous in mind.


    ''I just hope he doesn''t bully her too much,'' she thought, shaking her head at Ethan''s behavior.


    She knew that while he was calm most of the time, he didn''t hold back when something piqued his interest.


    She was sure his intention was to teach Xiang Hua a lesson, though he would almost certainly deny it if asked.

 Chapter 188 - 188: The Start of the Final

    .


    The colosseum, along with the stands, had separate rooms for watching the matches in private.


    These rooms were mainly dedicated to VIPs, who preferred their own space to watch in peace without being disturbed by the crowd.


    Usually, as these rooms were limited in number, they ended up being shared by multiple individuals, after all, there was no lack of space inside, and many VIPs came with acquaintances or business partners.


    At this moment, in one of these rooms, an elderly man, not taller than 180 cm, with a slim build and a composed appearance, dressed modestly, was watching the match in silence while stroking his long white beard.


    He was comfortably seated in a single armchair, as a waitress served him a cup of hot green tea.


    He nodded to her, took the cup, and sipped it calmly.


    "This year, there are certainly many high-level talents," he thought, recalling each of their performances, both from the novice category and that of the experts.


    "Especially that Nuyu, I can say that he hasn''t played all his cards yet," he pondered as he contemplated everything he had been told about Ethan.


    He was one of the two grandmaster-level alchemists of the Alchemists'' Association, and this year, he was the one representing it in the tournament.


    His colleague had done so the previous year, so now it was his turn.


    Personally, he would have preferred not to participate at all.


    In previous years when he participated, there was rarely anyone skilled enough to capture his attention, so he expected to be disappointed this year as well, yet against all his expectations, he found several rather skilled individuals this year.


    Among all, the one who stood out the most was undoubtedly the boy with the mask.


    He was certain he had never heard of an individual like that, so he initially thought it was an expert disguised, but upon reconsidering his age, which was under 100, he had to rethink his assumptions.


    He couldn''t understand how someone so young was already at the level of the most talented grandmaster alchemists.


    And if his guess wasn''t wrong, then perhaps he was even a notch above them.


    He intended to see if he would give a better performance than the previous one this time.


    Already producing that level 2 mid-grade pill was a feat, one that even he could not claim to produce with 100% success, and if he pulled off something even more astonishing, then he had considered taking him under his wing.


    "Let me see what other cards you have," he murmured as he waited for the competition to begin.


    It had been a long time since he had accepted a disciple, due to his exceedingly high standards.


    Ethan and two other participants this year were the only ones who had proven themselves skilled enough, and he intended to ask the best among them if they wanted to be his disciple.


    He expected to see a great battle, but what he saw next was something he would never have expected to witness.


    Something that made even a person like him lose his composure.


    ***


    The judge, just after finishing the previous match, looked towards the participants and then officially began the match.


    As soon as the signal was given, the flames under the cauldron of almost everyone ignited, as each hurriedly pulled out a series of materials.


    Clearly, all of them had a clear idea of the pill they wanted to produce, so none of them wasted time.


    This was, of course, expected, but what no one anticipated was to see the masked boy also preparing his items.


    "Well, maybe he doesn''t want to risk losing this match," said one of the spectators.


    "Well, I wouldn''t be surprised, after all, this match is different from the previous one, and all his rivals are people who know their stuff," said another.


    Many speculated on why this time the masked boy had decided to take the situation a bit more seriously, but most thought he was afraid of losing.


    The judges, too, upon seeing this scene, were a bit surprised, but unlike the spectators, they were relieved that this time Ethan was taking the competition more seriously.


    They thought his excessive confidence might have caused him to make a mistake and lose.


    Seeing such a talent lose for such a trivial reason would be too hard to bear for even them.


    That said, it didn''t take long for them to notice something.


    "It seems he has also decided to use the Qi manifestation," said one of them.


    "It''s not just that, look, at the materials he''s taken out," said another next to him.


    At his colleague''s words, the judge shifted his gaze to the materials Ethan was pulling out and wondered for a moment if the other wanted him to guess the pill he might be trying to produce.


    But then he reconsidered.


    By now, they all knew that the masked boy could be unpredictable, and trying to guess what pill he was aiming to produce was pointless.


    But then, just as he was diverting his attention from the masked boy''s refining materials, he noticed something.


    "Hm? That root looks familiar," he thought, trying to identify the material.


    For them, all grandmaster alchemists, recognizing ingredients was child''s play.


    Practically anyone at their level knew by heart a good portion of the ingredients used in alchemy.


    And indeed, it didn''t take him long to realize what material that root was.


    "Wait, that''s the root of a Blood flower?!"


    He nearly stood up as he recognized the material.


    He could tell that it was the root of a Blood flower, a very rare herb, difficult to find, and even more so expensive to cultivate, as it required a lot of time and effort, and even then the result would often be some other herb.


    The price of that material was not low at all, and only beings at his level could afford to buy it, always assuming they had the chance to do so, but for him, the surprises didn''t end there.


    Not for him, nor for his fellow alchemists.


    They had also noticed that ingredient, and just like their colleague, they were shocked by the fact that the other side wanted to use such an herb.


    There were many reasons to be astonished, but the main one was that although this herb could be very useful in producing many high-level pills, it was more common to use one of its petals or just a small part of it.


    Cutting its root was like cutting off the possibility of using that sanguine flower for producing another one, something no one would do given the rarity of the material.


    But now they were seeing someone who seemed to have exactly the intention of doing so.


    If it were up to them, they would have rushed to stop him, but they knew they couldn''t do that.


    Ethan was using his personal materials and had not violated any rules, so none of them could intervene; S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they could only watch from the sidelines.

 Chapter 189 - 189: Scarlet Essence Heart

    .


    Just as the judges managed to calm themselves, Ethan placed yet another material on the table.


    At the sight of this new material, the judges once again felt almost tempted to stand up, rush over to Ethan''s station, and stop him.


    This was because the material he brought out was another very rare one.


    An ancient jingshen, and if their eyes didn''t deceive them, it was at least a century-old jingshen, a rare herb to come by due to its significant age.


    All herbs have different stages in their life cycles, and once they reach maturity, they usually wither.


    But there are instances where the spiritual energy of the surrounding environment aligns so well with those materials that they reach the point of maturity and remain there for a long time.


    The longer they stay at this stage, the more effective the herb becomes compared to its normal counterpart.


    A ten-year-old one was already precious; a fifty-year-old one was something only a handful of people possessed.


    A hundred-year-old one was something only a few individuals across the entire continent could claim to have.


    A cultivator, as long as they cultivated and advanced, could live for several centuries, so it wasn''t unusual that someone might eventually cultivate or find such an old herb.


    But even so, the number of people who actually had one was very small.


    The judges could feel the pressure of the competition at this point.


    The participant was supposed to be the one under the most pressure, but here it was the opposite.


    Unlike them, Ethan didn''t even bat an eye as he continued to pull out yet another material.


    By now, he had already taken out four, enough to make most pills.


    Only a few specialized pills required the use of a bit more material, but even then, nothing too excessive.


    Ethan took out a few more materials, and luckily for the judges, these were fairly common, sparing them from another heart attack.


    Just as the ten judges breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that they wouldn''t have to witness the refinement of yet another rare material, Ethan pulled out his final refining ingredient. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The judges thought they finally had an idea of what type of pill the other party was creating, and this alone made them frown.


    "Well, this is unexpected," many of them thought, wondering if they had guessed right or not.


    The pill they all assumed Ethan was making was the Minor Vitality Pill, a pill capable of giving a boost to one''s body, making an elderly person feel as if they had the energy of a 20-year-old.


    A very useful pill for many uses.


    That said, even though it was not necessarily simple, it was far from what they expected from Ethan.


    Just as they thought it might be a different pill, Ethan pulled out his last ingredient.


    As the others saw the material, they frowned.


    "What material is that?" they thought as they examined it further.


    The material looked like a smooth stone, almost 15 centimeters long.


    The material had a somewhat oval shape, but not completely, and showed no physical characteristics that would help identify what it was.


    "Could it be some kind of mineral?" some thought, as the material seemed more like a rare rock of some kind.


    Just as many of them had this intuition, the elderly-looking judge noticed a small detail and immediately widened his eyes, standing up abruptly, ready to dash toward Ethan.


    Seeing this, all the others didn''t waste any time and released their auras to hold the judge in his place, frowning and asking him,


    "Old geezer, have you finally gone crazy?


    Did you actually try to intervene during the tournament?" said the woman in pink, not believing that one of them would attempt such a shameful act.


    Although they had all felt the urge to storm the masked boy''s station several times due to the materials he wanted to use for refining, and perhaps hit him for wanting to use those materials, none of them dared to act.


    But how could they?


    They had a reputation to maintain, and no matter how much they wanted to, they wouldn''t throw their reputation away over some materials, precious or not.


    It wasn''t that they wanted to steal them, but simply that they would have preferred not to see them wasted like this.


    After all, it took only a small mistake to turn a successful blend into a disaster.


    And although they believed that an alchemist of Ethan''s level knew what he was doing, they all knew there was never a 100% success rate for refining a high-level pill.


    Even they could not boast a success rate above 60% for a level 3 pill of medium grade.


    This made them afraid that if he failed, those materials would go to waste.


    This was the only reason they wanted to rush over and stop him, but as mentioned before, none of them dared to do such a thing.


    After all, the materials, whether they liked it or not, belonged to Ethan.


    The old man, who hadn''t expected to be restrained by them all, yelled at them while saying,


    "Idiots, haven''t you figured out what material that is yet? We have to stop him, or we''ll regret it for the rest of our lives," he said, even more agitated.


    The others, hearing him, couldn''t help but look puzzled again.


    ''What is he talking about?'' they thought as they re-examined the material, still unable to understand the old man''s overreaction.


    Then one of them noticed a particular characteristic of the material, and for a moment, he froze in shock as he murmured,


    "A Scarlet Essence Heart��"


    The others, who were all close to him, managed to catch his murmur, and as soon as they did, their expressions also changed as they looked more closely at the material.


    What appeared to be an ordinary red stone with a glassy look actually had a slightly soft surface, almost gelatinous to the touch.


    When Ethan first brought it out, they hadn''t noticed, but now that they had heard their colleague, their hearts raced as they analyzed the material more deeply.


    The first to speak was the one closest to the elderly alchemist:


    "It can''t be that, right?


    It''s impossible, where the hell did he find it?" he said, incredulous.


    "That''s right, how could he possibly have such a material?


    The last time one appeared was over 300 years ago," exclaimed the woman in pink.


    The more they examined it, the more the characteristics of the material started to match what they had read in texts about materials so rare they were nearly impossible to find.


    Even the grandmaster alchemist, who was sipping tea in his VIP room, nearly spat out his drink as he watched in shock at the material Ethan had revealed.


    "Holy sh*t, how the hell did he get his hands on something like that?" he exclaimed, completely ignoring the presence of the servant next to him, who was ready to serve, her face now as shocked as his at what she was witnessing.


    She had had the chance to serve many high-ranking individuals, including alchemists, and in the last six years, she had been assigned to Grandmaster Alchemist B��i Hu�� Sh��n three times.


    From what she had seen, he always maintained a composed and refined appearance.


    But now, none of that could be seen; it was as if the image she had constructed of him over the years had suddenly been torn apart.

 Chapter 190 - 190: Mass Heart Attack

    .


    Gradually, all the judges understood the reason behind the elder alchemist''s urgency, and a similar feeling took root in their own hearts as they contemplated the possibility of losing a material of this caliber.


    Who knew when they would see it again, after all, the material, which resembled a mineral, was, in reality, a fruit.


    One of the most miraculous and sought after fruits of all time, for it could make a person''s fire talent soar to new heights.


    Even someone without any affinity for the fire element could develop one and reach an extremely high level comparable to the strongest experts, for instance, the level of fire affinity possessed by the Phoenix Sect Master.


    More importantly, if an expert who already had such a high level were to consume it, they would stand a good chance of gaining insight into their element and achieving an even higher level in their mastery of it.


    All information the Alchemist Association had on the Heart of Scarlet Essence was thousands of years old.


    And only a few of these details had been confirmed as accurate in recent centuries.


    Three centuries ago, news emerged that a Heart of Scarlet Essence had been born in the eastern region of the Phoenix Kingdom, a desert area with the unique characteristic of having an active volcano deep within the territory.


    The fruit ended up in the hands of a member of a tribe living in that area, and as for the person who consumed it, the current rumor is that he is now the ruler of that region, said to have fire talent comparable to that of the Phoenix Sect Master.


    Beyond that, little else was known of him, but the historical records mark this period as a turbulent time, with various powers from across the continent traveling to the desert of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Only a few know what happened once those powers gathered there.


    This fruit had many other uses beyond enhancing a person''s fire talent, and in that extensive list, alchemy was also included.


    Just imagining the number of high-level pills with extraordinary properties that could be created would send any alchemist into a frenzy.


    Therefore, seeing such a fruit reappear after so long clearly stirred excitement among all who recognized it.


    Just as the judges and the grandmaster were lost in their thoughts, Ethan, who had just finished arranging the materials, wasted no time and began refining.


    He used his spiritual Qi and processed the materials at an incredible speed, starting to place them into the cauldron.


    To the shock of the judges, the first material he worked on was precisely the Scarlet Essence Heart.


    At the sight of the Heart of Scarlet Essence being sliced in half, its contents poured into the cauldron, all the judges and the grandmaster alchemist experienced a collective heart attack. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In that moment, a woman''s voice could be heard shouting from one of the VIP rooms of the tournament, but Ethan was already fully immersed in his refining and didn''t notice at all.


    With adept movements, he skillfully handled the ingredients, and in less than a minute, all five materials had been processed and placed into the cauldron.


    As he delved into refining, channeling more and more spiritual Qi into the cauldron to maintain control over the materials and the reactions within, not far from the arena, an elderly man could be seen sitting on the ground, tears streaming from his eyes.


    "Bastards, why the hell did you stop me, why did you stop me?


    That damned brat just destroyed what might be the last Scarlet Essence Heart we''ll ever see," he said, beating the ground.


    Although the sight of the old man was pitiful, none of the judges intervened to lift him or offer consolation, because they were in a similar state, slightly less extreme but still enough to temporarily lose the desire to continue watching the competition.


    Time passed, and all the participants continued refining, focusing hard to avoid distractions despite the growing noise around them.


    The audience, which had been waiting for nearly three hours, began to notice the state of the judges, especially the old man still weeping on the ground, whose figure was particularly eye-catching.


    "Hey, is it just me, or does that alchemist look unwell?" one person remarked.


    "Not just him; the others don''t seem well either," another added, pointing toward the other judges, still seated with their heads lowered.


    As everyone began wondering what was happening, the old man on the ground, who had been trembling moments earlier, slowly rose, bringing a sigh of relief to those watching.


    But just as some tournament staff members were about to approach him to offer assistance, the elderly man lifted his head, still lowered, and looked in a specific direction.


    No one paid much attention to where he was looking, as they were more focused on the fierce expression he wore.


    The weeping old man now had a scowling expression, his eyes blazing as he stared at Ethan''s station.


    "Little brat, just let me get a hold of you and��" he muttered, along with other threats like cooking Ethan inside his own cauldron.


    The other judges, also recovering from the shock of what they had witnessed earlier, noticed the old alchemist, seemingly ready to lunge at Ethan.


    Before any of them could approach him to calm him down, he was already gone from his spot.


    "Oh no."


    The others thought collectively as they jumped to their feet, knowing it was already too late.


    The next moment, the old man vanished from his position, and the sound of flesh colliding with something hard echoed.


    Before anyone could even grasp what had just happened, the figure of an elderly man with one side of his face swollen could be seen rocketing skyward from the coliseum at high speed, disappearing within seconds.


    All eyes turned toward the spot where the sound had originated, and there they saw a masked young man who stopped to wipe his hand for a second before muttering something as he resumed refining.


    "Tch, since when have flies gotten this big?"


    The audience: "..."


    The judges: "..."


    Bai Yu: "..."

 Chapter 191 - 191: Three-Star Master Alchemist

    .


    "Did he just send the judge flying?" someone suddenly asked, breaking the silence that had settled.


    "The real question is, why did the judge throw himself at him?"


    "A fly too big?"


    After the initial comments, the crowd started to murmur as everyone began to talk about what had just happened.


    Everything that had happened in those few seconds had been too shocking for them.


    First, the judges who, for some reason, seemed unwell, with one of them even crying, and then, shortly after, a participant who sent the crying judge flying with a simple slap.


    It was not wrong to say that what they had just witnessed was beyond incredible.


    At a certain point, some even began to wonder if what they had seen was real or not, but looking at the expressions on the faces of the judges and even some participants who could no longer control their expressions and had witnessed a judge being sent flying, they knew it was real.


    The main culprit behind all this, however, seemed unaware of all this and continued to perfect in peace.


    After the initial moments of shock, some of the judges immediately left in search of their colleague outside the coliseum.


    The others, meanwhile, inspected what had just happened.


    The reason none of them managed to react in time to their colleague''s outburst was that, unlike them, most of whom were alchemists with cultivation at the third stage, that old man was already halfway through the Fourth Stage.


    He was indeed one of the few thought to have a chance to reach the level of a Grand Master Alchemist in less than 100 years.


    If such a strong being was sent away with a single slap, then did the one who sent him flying not possess a power even greater than his?


    ''Where on earth did such a monster appear from?'' Once again, the image of Ethan in their minds was modified.


    At first, he was considered a talent like the others, then a talent on par with them, and now?


    They thought nothing in this tournament could surprise them further, but only heaven knew how wrong they were, and it wouldn''t be long before they realized it.


    Thirty minutes before the end of the match, a change began to occur at Ethan''s workstation.


    The cauldron provided by the association, which he was currently using for refining, began to emit a lot of heat, and the intensity was such that it was possible to see heat waves radiating from it.


    Just as the judges, who had calmed down and decided not to intervene for the moment, saw this phenomenon, their expressions tightened as they tried to understand what was happening.


    A normal person seeing something like that would immediately think the cauldron was about to explode or something similar, but these more experienced judges could tell that this wasn''t the case at all.


    Using their spiritual perception, they all sensed a vortex of Qi inside the cauldron that seemed to be absorbing all the spiritual energy present inside it, causing its rotation speed to increase even more.


    Upon sensing this phenomenon, their eyes widened as they understood what was happening.


    "It can''t be; is that boy really trying to refine a pill of that level?" one of them said, once again in disbelief at what they were witnessing.


    "Seriously, how many more hidden cards does he have?


    Is he really one of the younger generation?" said the woman dressed in pink, increasingly doubting Ethan''s age.


    All of them, as soon as they sensed the vortex inside the cauldron, understood what it was.


    When a pill reached the third level, its effects were magnified by several degrees, and the higher the grade of the pill, the more miraculous these effects began to become.


    Not many knew, but the third level was a transitional stage, separating the second level from the fourth.


    A seemingly normal thing on the surface, but in reality, it was much more than that.


    All master alchemists who had reached the three-star grade knew that the third level was like a huge chasm that was nearly impossible to fully bridge.


    This chasm was what separated a two-star master alchemist from a three-star one.


    Those at two stars couldn''t bridge the distance created by this chasm, while those at three stars could, to some degree.


    Being able to bridge this distance even to a certain extent was what allowed three-star master alchemists to refine high-level third-grade pills, a rarity in itself, and the reason behind the difference between two and three-star master alchemists.


    Many master alchemists were still unable to surpass this difference, and those who succeeded understood that the remaining distance to reach the next level of alchemist mastery was far greater than they initially anticipated.


    Only upon reaching this point could one truly understand the greatness of those who successfully crossed the chasm and managed to reach the other side.


    These individuals were, of course, known as Grandmaster Alchemists.


    The three-star master alchemists who had only begun to understand how to cross the chasm knew that the remaining distance to the next level was far greater than they initially thought, which is why there were still so few grandmaster-level alchemists. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, seeing the vortex inside the cauldron made the jaws of many master alchemists present drop because they could tell that the masked boy''s skills had already reached those of a three-star master alchemist, a grade higher than most of them.


    Only two people among the ten judges had reached this grade, and as soon as they saw this phenomenon, they stood up from their seats, not daring to sit down again.


    Not when in front of them was someone who had revealed themselves to be a notch above them.


    It was a sign of deep respect among them for those who were more skilled in this profession, and none of them dared to sit, for that would have been disrespectful toward a senior of theirs.


    To everyone''s surprise, however, even the two alchemists who had been seated and had reached the level of a three-star master alchemist also stood up.


    One of them was the elder alchemist who had been slapped away by Ethan, and the other was none other than the woman in pink.


    They, too, decided not to sit before someone who apparently was on their level.


    The scene of the judges standing up confused many in the audience, and even the commentator, who was also a master alchemist, couldn''t understand their behavior.


    Being the farthest away, he hadn''t noticed what was happening inside Ethan''s cauldron and therefore couldn''t grasp the reason behind their sudden change in behavior.


    "What on earth is going on today?


    First the initial commotion, then colleague Sheng getting slapped away, and now this?"


    The commentator no longer knew what to think of the situation.

 Chapter 192 - 192: Weak Cauldron

    .


    There were still 30 minutes left, but the judges showed no signs of wanting to sit down just yet.


    Instead, all their gazes were fixed on Ethan''s position as he continued his refinement in peace.


    Just as before, some of the other participants who were still refining couldn''t help but glance over at the ongoing murmurs from the audience.


    The sight of the judges looking intensely in their direction only added to the pressure they were feeling.


    Even a few from the expert category glanced up but quickly returned to finish their last pills, not giving too much importance to what was happening.


    None of them had noticed the moment the old alchemist was slapped away by Ethan because everything happened so quickly that there was no time to even register what had occurred.


    Only Xiang Hua and the demonic cultivator sensed something amiss and looked up at that moment.


    The demonic cultivator was certain he''d heard a loud sound and glimpsed a shadow that had appeared and then disappeared; the same went for Xiang Hua, who couldn''t quite grasp what had happened.


    Seeing that no one had stepped in to stop it, they assumed that the situation didn''t concern them, so both returned to refining their final pills.


    They hurried to add the last touches, and just as the final minutes were ticking away, a trembling caught the attention of all the participants.


    The tremor came from one of their cauldrons, and as they were the closest, they were the first to notice it.


    Everyone looked up and directed their gaze toward the sound, and not far from them was the station of the masked boy.


    They didn''t understand what was happening, but just as they were preparing themselves for anything that might happen, they saw several figures approach the cauldron, maintaining a respectful distance, as if they didn''t want to disturb whatever was going on.


    "What''s going on?" many thought as they saw the judges approach that station.


    Xiang Hua was one of them, and as she watched the scene, she remembered what she had said to the masked boy earlier that morning, and reflecting on it, she understood, to some extent, what it might be.


    "So you weren''t really serious in the previous matches," she thought as she went back to finishing her pill.


    Distracting herself too much would ruin the efforts of the last 40 minutes she had spent.


    She knew that whatever was happening, she could see it after a few minutes since the competition was almost at its end.


    On the other side, Ethan had a slightly annoyed expression as he thought to himself.


    ''Tch, the cauldron is too weak to withstand the formation of a pill of this level,'' he thought, and the judges understood this as well.


    Although they had provided the cauldrons, they had done so thinking that level 3 pills would be rare to see, at most one of low-grade level 3.


    So, for safety, they provided cauldrons capable of handling a medium-grade one, to avoid any problematic situations with pill formation.


    None of them had expected that one of the participants would reach such a high level and be able to refine a pill of this caliber.


    So even they now had their brows furrowed as they thought of how to keep the cauldron intact until the end of the refinement.


    After all, they could also see that the vortex had reached a rotational intensity that the cauldron could no longer contain.


    Just as they were considering various methods to resolve the current situation, Ethan, who was refining, suddenly made a gesture no one would have expected at this stage of the pill''s refinement.


    He threw off the cauldron''s lid, and as the contents spilled out, he immediately used his spiritual Qi to capture it and make it float in the air.


    With great mastery, he held the whirling mixture and ensured that it was contained within a diameter of half a meter while personally accelerating the spiral that had formed.


    Seeing this scene, the judges, who were stunned by what they had just witnessed, immediately understood what he was doing. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "H-he''s trying to refine it using only his spiritual Qi," they thought, their eyes widening.


    It was already known that the technique of refining pills with spiritual Qi was difficult to master, so much so that even some of them still struggled with it.


    So refining a pill already in the cauldron with spiritual Qi was still a feat for most alchemists, but what about refining it in the palm of one''s hand without a cauldron using the same technique?


    This was something none of them had ever seen before, so witnessing it sent them all into yet another state of shock.


    "Who on earth is this monster?" they wondered, realizing they had used this term to refer to him quite frequently.


    They were becoming more and more certain that he might be a disguised expert, yet they still questioned how he could have bypassed the device that detected a person''s bone age.


    At this point, even the grandmaster alchemist had recovered and was observing this demonstration of skill with great interest.


    He, too, knew he couldn''t replicate something like this.


    While he did have a certain level of mastery with spiritual Qi refinement, performing it at this level wasn''t feasible even for someone like him.


    The more he watched Ethan, the more he thought this was someone with alchemical abilities close to his own level, in other words, a grandmaster alchemist, but he still lacked enough evidence to affirm this.


    As time passed, the last few minutes were drawing to a close.


    Ethan, who had controlled the spiral all this time, suddenly closed his open hand, on which the vortex was floating, and it immediately began spinning even faster as its visible dimensions started to shrink.


    Seeing this, all the judges held their breath, understanding that the refinement process was nearly complete, and this final step would determine the pill''s success.


    Unlike the judges, Ethan had no expression on his face as he finished refining the pill.


    He already knew the process would go well, and although he could have refined this pill in half the time taken, he held back and took his time.


    After all, for today''s pill, he had used some materials from his two-star herb plantation.


    He had classified his herb garden into various levels, from three-star, the lowest, to one-star, the highest, where herbs of immeasurable value grew.


    Infact, many of the herbs there were believed by many of the mortal realm to be extinct, and if he ever disclosed this part of his garden, he was certain it would start a large-scale war among all the kingdoms to obtain them.


    That said, even if this situation arose, he knew he could handle them with ease.


    The reason he had decided to use one of the two-star materials was because he wanted to refine this particular pill.


    His intention was to catch the attention of the grandmaster alchemist inside the VIP room, and from what he could see, it seemed he had succeeded.

 Chapter 193 - 193: Pill of Eternal Youth

    .


    Ethan''s display had once again captured not only the attention of the audience but also that of the other participants, who one by one began placing their pills into the glass vials.


    From the demonic cultivator to Xiang Hua, they had all finished with their pills and were now watching this incredible demonstration of skill in Qi control for refining pills.


    Hu Xingyan, who had superior abilities among the group, could not help but sigh in defeat as she realized her level of skill was nowhere near what she was witnessing at that moment.


    Even Xiang Hua, who had previously asked Ethna to show the full extent of his abilities, could only stand in awe at the sight.


    Most of those present weren''t even sure what was happening since it was the first time they had seen someone use Spiritual Qi techniques to refine a pill outside a cauldron.


    If Ethan had known what they were thinking at that moment, he would have laughed, for this was not even close to the full extent of his abilities.


    He was already at a level beyond what could be achieved in the mortal plane.


    If he wanted, he could refine this pill in record time, all in the palm of his hand.


    Only Bai Yu knew what a great monster Ethan had become over those 25 years of training in the minor dimension.


    The vortex had shrunk, and after Ethan closed his palm into a fist, the vortex compressed further, condensing into a small sphere about 3 cm in diameter.


    It was emitting an intense light, and even from a few meters away, heat waves could be felt radiating from it.


    The judges, upon seeing this phenomenon, were even more astonished.


    They were already shocked by the fact that the contestant possessed a level of refinement using Spiritual Qi that allowed him to control when and how specific chemical reactions occurred inside the cauldron.


    Now, seeing him also control the vortex of energy created by the pill and condense it outside a cauldron into the final product left them speechless.


    All they could do was stand there in silence, wondering if they had ever seen even a grandmaster perform such a feat.


    The answer they found in their minds was the same for all.


    No.


    They didn''t even know one could train their Spiritual Qi skills to such a level.


    When one became stronger, they had larger reserves of Qi, and their control over it improved, but this level of control was typically used to manipulate large objects.


    Doing so with small ones was challenging, and with many small objects, even more so.


    This was because it required tracking every single item controlled with Spiritual Qi; in other words, it was like dividing one''s mind into multiple parts, each dedicated to a specific task.


    This would be possible for them, but doing it with hundreds or, worse, thousands was entirely different.


    The reason Spiritual Qi manifestation was hard to use for refining was that, while floating the ingredients was easy, it became much more complicated once they needed processing since each ingredient required a different treatment.


    It was even more challenging when the ingredients entered the cauldron because that''s where the magic happened, and tracking every individual reaction with one''s mind while simultaneously manipulating elements with speed was almost impossible for them.


    Ethan had done precisely this and had achieved it in an even more impossible manner since so many elements that would usually remain in the cauldron were now suspended, an even harder feat to control. S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the slightest miscalculation, any of them could have ended up in the wrong place, destroying all the work done so far.


    While the judges pondered deeply over what they had just witnessed, Ethan, who was still refining, paid them no mind and continued undistracted.


    At last, the pill finally took form and gradually stopped spinning.


    Within moments, even the light it emitted began to dim, allowing its contours to be seen.


    Immediately, the judges, who had only just regained their composure, focused their attention on the pill and examined it with their spiritual sense.


    As soon as they did, their expressions shifted, showing a mix of astonishment, relief, disbelief, and confusion.


    The first two reactions were due to the fact that the pill was indeed of the level they had anticipated.


    It was a level 3 high-grade pill, and this alone was considered a success, as pills of this level were challenging to refine.


    As grandmaster alchemists, they knew this better than anyone.


    Upon examining it more closely, they discovered that not only did the pill reach a high grade of purity, but its purity surpassed even that, achieving a remarkable 97% purity, a percentage exceedingly rare.


    None of them, including the two most skilled, could claim to refine a pill of this level with such purity.


    At this point, this pill had already attained a high value in their eyes.


    What remained was to determine what pill it was, and here, they all wore expressions of confusion.


    "I can''t determine what kind of pill this is. Is anyone familiar with it?" asked one of them, looking at his companions.


    Unfortunately for him, when he turned to seek their responses, he saw that they wore similar expressions, none of them seemed to recognize the pill before them.


    This put them all in an awkward position, as it was one thing for the audience not to know the pill, but quite another for master alchemists, experts in the field, to be unfamiliar with it.


    So, while the audience waited for one of them to provide further details on the newly produced pill, they were also waiting for one among them to recognize at least the pill''s name.


    Finally, one of them swallowed his pride, stepped toward Ethan, who had just placed the pill into the vial, and asked,


    "Contestant Nuyu, may I ask, what is the name of the pill you produced?"


    He spoke in a low voice, though the nearby participants could still hear.


    ''What? Did he just ask for the name of the pill?'' thought Xiang Hua in disbelief.


    How could it be that even the judges didn''t recognize the pill created by the masked boy, she wondered, which was the same thought shared by the other participants.


    Ethan, upon hearing the question, didn''t think long and said:


    "Oh, this? It''s called-"


    But just as he was about to reveal the pill''s name, a loud sound of something breaking could be heard, followed by an excited voice.


    "A Pill of Eternal Youth!"

 Chapter 194 - 194: lost recipe

    .


    Everyone, including Ethan, turned to look toward the direction from which the voice came, spotting an elderly man in refined clothing standing a few meters from the arena.


    His gaze was fixed intently on Ethan''s station.


    More specifically, his eyes were on the peculiar-looking pill in Ethan''s hand.


    Before anyone could question him, the old man moved quickly, and appeared before the judges a meter away from Ethan. His eyes were glued to the pill enclosed in the glass vial.


    "The smooth surface, like glass, and those spiral patterns... There''s no doubt, this is indeed the Pill of Eternal Youth," he muttered while continuously examining the pill, mumbling to himself.


    For a moment, silence fell as everyone watched this unexpected arrival who had suddenly started studying the pill.


    While the audience wondered who he was, the judges, who had been trying to determine what kind of pill it was just moments before, were again left stunned by what they saw.


    "G-Grandmaster B��i Hu�� Sh��n," mumbled the judge closest to Ethan, recognizing one of the most renowned figures on the continent standing in front of him. Not just him, but other master alchemists present also broke out of their reverie to respectfully greet him.


    "Let us welcome Grandmaster B��i Hu�� Sh��n," they all said, bowing with hands clasped.


    B��i Hu�� Sh��n, who had rushed here, composed himself and nodded slowly in acknowledgment.


    At this sight, both the audience and participants in both categories were shocked by the revelation.


    "B��i Hu�� Sh��n? That B��i Hu�� Sh��n? Someone pinch me, please."


    "I can''t believe the Grandmaster himself came here personally. I never thought I''d see him today," said another.


    The entire arena began buzzing with whispers, reinvigorated by B��i Hu�� Sh��n''s appearance.


    Even the announcer, just recovering from the grandmaster''s sudden appearance, confirmed his presence, announcing that it was indeed him.


    Ethan, who was directly in front of him, analyzed the man with his spiritual sense, nodding to himself after a moment as he thought:


    ''Not bad. He does indeed have the qualifications to be considered a grandmaster alchemist,'' he concluded, pleased with what he perceived from his analysis.


    For someone at Ethan''s level, he could discern another''s abilities to some extent just by looking at them.


    From this, he could tell that the person before him indeed had some considerable skill in alchemy.


    Of course, he couldn''t fully gauge the extent of the man''s abilities, but he didn''t need to.


    As he finished analyzing him, the grandmaster, remembering why he had rushed to the arena, shifted his gaze back to the pill in Ethan''s hand.


    Looking up at Ethan, he brought his hands together in greeting and spoke:


    "Fellow Alchemist, may this old man ask for your name?" he said with a tone of respect.


    Seeing this, the faces of the judges turned to stone once again as they processed what they had just heard.


    ''Did he just call him "fellow alchemist"?''


    It might seem normal for an alchemist to address another as a fellow alchemist under typical circumstances.


    However, for individuals at the level of master or grandmaster alchemist, doing so was a recognition of the other''s skills, as if placing them on the same level.


    In other words, the judges had just witnessed a grandmaster alchemist acknowledging the masked youth''s abilities and even placing him on equal footing.


    This chain of shocking events had pushed many, especially the judges, to their limit; they felt that one more surprise might make them faint.


    Ethan considered it for a moment.


    He had entered the competition as "Nuyu" and certainly didn''t want to reveal his real name just yet, as, unlike usual cases where a name might go unnoticed, his was rather unique.


    Anyone who knew or had heard of him would immediately recognize him if he revealed his real name now, someone like Xiang Hua, for example.


    After briefly considering his options, he clasped his hands together in a respectful greeting and simply replied:


    "This young one prefers to go by the name Nuyu. It is a pleasure to meet you."


    Upon hearing this, some spectators nearly spat out blood.


    "This lunatic actually chose to call himself Nuyu even in front of the grandmaster?"


    "Maybe he doesn''t know who Grandmaster Bai is."


    "No, that''s impossible. Who doesn''t know Grandmaster Bai, especially if they''re an alchemist? He definitely knows."


    Clearly, Ethan''s decision to use his alias didn''t sit well with the audience, and even some of the participants didn''t know how to react.


    Although Grandmaster Bai maintained a cheerful expression, internally, he was cursing and wondering what sane person would choose to be called "Salted Fish". S��ar?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ultimately, deciding to ignore it, he turned his attention back to the pill in Ethan''s hand.


    "Young friend, if I may ask, this is indeed the Pill of Eternal Youth, correct?" he asked, now nearly certain of its authenticity.


    "Yes, this is indeed the Pill of Eternal Youth," replied Ethan calmly.


    Hearing this, the elderly man became visibly more excited, as did the judges behind him. Finally remembering the pill, their eyes widened as they exclaimed:


    "Wait a minute, this is truly the Pill of Eternal Youth?"


    "But how is this possible? No one has ever managed to create it. Its formula was lost more than a millennium ago."


    The judges were taken aback by this revelation, as the existence of the pill was only known through ancient alchemical texts. No one knew how to refine it, as its formula had been lost long ago.


    All that was known were the effects it had on those who consumed it.


    The Pill of Eternal Youth was a miraculous pill, as it allowed anyone who took it to fully recover their youthful appearance, restoring their body to an age of no more than 20.


    Not only that, but it was said to extend the person''s lifespan by several centuries.


    And this was just part of its miraculous effects.


    It was capable of curing most diseases and physical conditions, both genetic and those acquired over the years from external factors.


    It was a pill that anyone nearing the end of their life or who knew they didn''t have much time left would wish for, as it would grant them a new lease on life, a second life, so to speak.


    This pill''s formula was one that had been repeatedly attempted to be recreated due to its benefits, but despite many efforts, no one had succeeded in creating a recipe that could rival the original.


    Certainly, pills could be made that provided some miraculous effects, but these always came with side effects, making them unworthy substitutes. Some could even create multiple pills that, separately, could provide these benefits but never combined into a single pill.


    In other words, their attempts to replicate it had always been a disaster, one after another.


    Now, seeing that someone had actually recreated that pill made it clear to everyone that the masked youth likely possessed the original recipe for the pill or at least a recipe close to the original.

 Chapter 195 - 195: Friendly conversation

    .


    Finally, the first round of the finals concluded, and the top-ranked contestants in both categories were decided.


    As no surprise to anyone, the winner of the experts'' category was the masked boy.


    Unlike the others, who had also delivered impressive performances, he had outclassed them overwhelmingly, leaving no doubt for the judges about his victory.


    This was because, unlike them, he had refined a high-grade level 3 pill with an exceptionally high level of purity, whereas most of them had refined low-grade level 3 pills, with two participants managing to refine some medium-grade pills.


    Normally, this result would have garnered much consideration, and these participants, Xiang Hau and Hu Xingyan, would have been praised, but unfortunately for them, this year they had to compete against a genius of this caliber who completely overshadowed their pills.


    His pill received great recognition from all the judges, not only for its superiority over the others but also because it was a pill that no alchemist was known to be able to refine, as no one had yet managed to recreate the pill''s recipe.


    With his first place secured, Ethan was escorted away by the Grand Alchemist, who, to the clear dissatisfaction of the other judges, led him into his VIP room, the walls of which were immediately shut.


    Currently, in the VIP room, Ethan and the Grand Alchemist were seated around a table with two steaming cups of tea, chatting.


    B��i Hu�� Sh��n, who had just taken a sip from his cup, couldn''t help but widen his eyes as he felt the effects of the tea.


    ''This tea�� it''s rich with the spiritual essence of wood,'' he marveled, enchanted by the tea he was drinking.


    It had been prepared using tea herbs the masked boy had offered him as a gift for their meeting.


    Initially, he hadn''t thought much of it and had decided to brew some tea while he prepared to ask more about the Eternal Youth Pill, but to his surprise, as soon as the tea arrived, its aroma alone immediately captured his interest.


    Once he took a sip, he felt a deeply relaxing sensation and could tell that a rich essence of the wood element was circulating through his body, relaxing and at the same time strengthening his internal organs.


    Even the waitress who had prepared the tea felt its effects from the aroma alone, and she couldn''t help but wish she could taste even just one sip of it.


    But knowing she couldn''t, she resisted while she poured it into two cups and served it to the masked boy and the Grandmaster.


    While she did so, she wondered how he would drink it, given that he wore a mask over his face.


    To her great surprise, when she finished pouring, the boy with the black mask handed her a small pouch, saying it contained some green tea herbs.


    Initially, she wanted to refuse, knowing the herbs inside were certainly not simple green tea herbs, but very likely the same herbs used to prepare the tea they were now drinking.


    However, with the Grandmaster''s approval, she finally accepted.


    This small gesture by Ethan managed to capture the heart of the young waitress, who now had an even better impression of him.


    If Ethan''s system could display the level of affection people had for him, there would no doubt have been a notification showing the rising impression level towards him, going through the roof.


    As Bai Hu�� Sh��n savored the calming taste and effects of the tea, Ethan raised his hand to his face, about to remove his mask. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Noticing his action, both the waitress and Bai Hu�� Sh��n looked at him with anticipation written all over their faces.


    After all, the person in front of them was someone who had demonstrated unparalleled alchemical skills, to the point that even an expert like Bai Hu�� Sh��n couldn''t help but acknowledge him.


    And yet, nothing was known about this person, not his real name, his origins, or even his appearance.


    So seeing him take off his mask created a sense of expectation in both of them as they waited for him to reveal his face.


    As soon as he removed it, the face that emerged was that of a young man with delicate features, yet at the same time sharp and well-defined, flawless in every way.


    This was Ethan''s real face, not the one he had kept at age 20 all this time.


    Seeing it, the waitress felt her heart skip a beat, nearly fainting on the spot.


    If there had been a system function to show how impressed others were with him, it would have been maxed out at this point, breaking the meter.


    Needless to say, Ethan had just made another "victim" of his natural appearance.


    Even Bai Hu�� Sh��n couldn''t help but compliment him, saying:


    "Young alchemist, this truly is a revelation.


    Now I understand why you keep the mask on your face," he said, nodding.


    "Ha ha ha, if you went around revealing your appearance, all the women in the city might faint," he joked, gesturing toward the waitress, who kept her head lowered to avoid looking at him, practically swooning.


    Hearing the Grand Elder''s words, she realized he had noticed her reaction, and her face turned red.


    Ethan didn''t make much of this, simply saying:


    "Haha, there''s no need to exaggerate. I''m just slightly above average," he said calmly, as though indifferent, though internally he welcomed the elder''s words, expecting him to continue for a bit longer.


    Seeing Ethan''s shameless behavior, Bai Yu almost felt like smacking him across the face.


    She still remembered when, after breaking through to the fifth grade, he told her it was no problem if she wanted a portrait of him to hang in her room.


    Then she beat him for an hour, making him understand that although he''d advanced, he was still far from having the upper hand against her.


    Bai Yu knew that if this training maniac had seized the excuse to go out with his real appearance, he would probably create an uproar wherever he went, almost certainly making enemies of all the men in the city.


    The worst part was that Ethan had indeed considered doing it during their tour of the capital.


    If she hadn''t threatened to beat him up if he ruined their rest day, he probably would have continued doing so.


    Finally, Ethan and the elder had a bit more conversation, creating a friendly atmosphere between them.


    Even the waitress, who had somewhat recovered and become accustomed to Ethan''s face, wondered when was the last time she had seen the Grandmaster so happy interacting with someone.


    Although the only times she had the opportunity to see him were during tournaments, this wasn''t the first time he''d met someone during these events, and he always maintained a majestic air typical of a scholar dedicated entirely to his profession.


    From what she had heard, it was said that all Grandmaster-level alchemists spent most of their time doing research, experiments, and perfecting alchemy.


    Their level of dedication to their profession always inspired young alchemists and encouraged them to aspire to reach their level.


    Finally, the two returned to the main topic, and Bai Hu�� Sh��n, unable to resist his curiosity any longer, asked directly:


    "Tell me, young friend, may I ask how you obtained the recipe for the Eternal Youth Pill?"

 Chapter 196 - 196: To be on good terms

    .


    Although the pill itself held incredible value, far surpassing the mid-grade level 3 pill that Ethan had previously possessed, its recipe was priceless.


    If Ethan truly had the complete recipe for the pill, then this would be a discovery of great importance for the field of alchemy. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This is because if one studied it and uncovered the principles behind it and how it produced so many miraculous effects on the body without any side effects, the alchemical knowledge of the Long Empire would advance by leaps and bounds, enabling the application of these new principles in other professions and even the creation of new alchemical recipes.


    Needless to say, more than the pill itself, what Bai Hu�� Sh��n was most interested in was the recipe.


    Ethan, taking a sip of the still-steaming tea, said calmly,


    "I indeed have the recipe for the pill, but it''s not the one that was lost; it''s one I created myself."


    At these words, Bai Hu�� Sh��n almost spat out the tea he had just drunk and, with some difficulty, said,


    "D-did you really manage to create the recipe successfully?" he asked, still somewhat incredulous about what he had just heard.


    Ethan simply nodded.


    Bai Hu�� Sh��n''s impression of Ethan''s alchemical abilities reached a new height of admiration.


    If before he had been somewhat uncertain, now he was sure that the person in front of him was much more than a simple three-star alchemy master.


    He wouldn''t be surprised if he were already at his level,


    In other words, a grandmaster alchemist.


    "It seems the fifth one has appeared," he thought, pleased that their empire had finally gained another alchemist at their level.


    Being a grandmaster himself, he knew how difficult it was to reach this rank.


    It had taken him over three centuries of continuous experiments and study to attain this level.


    The thought of someone so young achieving this level made it even harder to believe, but facts were facts, and he could only accept it.


    "Those old folks who are so proud of their rank will be tossing and turning in their beds if they find out about this monster," he thought.


    "There''s no need to tell you how important a recipe of this level is to us.


    You''re probably already aware that attempts were made to recreate this recipe many times in the past, all without success," he said, and Ethan nodded.


    Indeed, during his studies on the level of alchemical knowledge in this plane, he discovered that there had been numerous attempts to recover lost recipes like that of the Eternal Youth Pill.


    Many had failed, with only a few successes, and even those were partial.


    At his level, he was able to create a pill with similar or even better effects, but thanks to his system''s lab, he managed to recover the actual recipe.


    Then he found that this recipe had certain basic flaws that didn''t escape the eyes of an expert like him, and he made adjustments, elevating the recipe to the next level.


    Ethan had experimented extensively with the system''s alchemy lab and had to admit that it had many useful functions; this ability to design and recreate certain recipes was only a part of its effective capabilities.


    Ethan had essentially recovered almost all the lost recipes, even enhancing the effects to make them even higher than before.


    His improved recipe was level 4, but he decided to only use the level 3 one as it was already strong enough for the people of this plane.


    In the end, Ethan agreed to give him the recipe for the Eternal Youth Pill in exchange for a future favor.


    Bai Hu�� Sh��n hadn''t expected the other party to hand over the recipe so easily.


    He had anticipated needing to pay a fortune, yet here it was, given in exchange for a mere favor.


    He could only assume that the favor would be something significant, but for now, it was important to secure the pill''s recipe.


    He was sure he could satisfy most of the requests the other party might make, but considering his level, perhaps it wouldn''t be as easy as he expected.


    But that was a problem for the future.


    He also asked if he could buy the pill directly, but Ethan said he intended to put it up for auction after the tournament.


    Although disappointed, he agreed.


    He knew that news of the pill had likely already spread and that those other two old folks would show up in the coming days.


    His only consolation was having the recipe, so regardless of whether he could obtain it or not, he would at least have the means to create it.


    Or so he thought, but when he read the section listing the materials, his expression changed instantly.


    Many of the materials listed were rare, though this wasn''t a problem for him as he already had most of them, and he could easily obtain the others.


    However, there was one particular material he could not find: Scarlet Essence Heart.


    "��"


    Reading this material, his expression shifted from joy to despair as he wondered where in the world he could find a Scarlet Essence Heart.


    The recipe indicated that other types of essence hearts could be used, but the problem was that even those were almost impossible to find, and just like the Scarlet Essence Heart, none had been seen for a long time.


    Although obtaining the recipe was already a great achievement, knowing that there was little chance of actually using it to refine was painful for a dedicated alchemist like him.


    In the end, he could only shake his head.


    He had thought of asking the other party if he had another, but then reconsidered.


    Having one was already too much; having two would be something that even an extremely fortunate person couldn''t hope for.


    And in the unlikely event he did indeed have one, what were the chances the other party would part with such a treasure?


    After all these considerations, Bai Hu�� Sh��n gave up.


    He was at the peak of the fourth stage, so he could tell that the other party was someone no weaker than himself.


    He already had a good relationship with the masked boy, so attempting to ruin it over an herb he might or might not possess wasn''t worth it.


    In the end, he decided to act in advance and gather all the wealth he could to ensure he could secure the pill at the auction.


    Too bad for him, as while he emptied his reserves of gold and other materials, Ethan''s herb garden continued to grow a bountiful harvest of elemental essence hearts.


    From scarlet fire elements to all the others, including the rarest ones like lightning and ice.

 Chapter 197 - 197:

    .


    After a one-hour break to give both participants and the audience time to rest and refresh, the competition resumed.


    Finally, with the first place already decided, it was time for the other rankings to be determined.


    Each of the participants would have to compete in three matches, and naturally, whoever won all of them would take the second place, while those who lost one or more matches would take the remaining positions.


    After another round of matches that managed to excite the audience in the colosseum, even the last rankings were decided.


    Of the remaining four, the demonic cultivator secured the fourth position, while the third place was taken by Hu Xingyan, who narrowly lost to Xiang Hua, who took second place.


    Finally, the last contestant secured the fifth place, and with that, the final rounds in both categories were officially concluded.


    The announcer, seeing the crowd cheering for their favorites, couldn''t help but feel happy inside.


    And how could he not?


    After all, this year''s tournament was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular of the past centuries.


    And all thanks to one person, Nuyu.


    Although the other young generation talents had performed beyond expectations, the one who was always a step ahead was the masked boy.


    From achieving a perfect score in the theoretical test, thus securing a place in the Hall of Fame of the colosseum, to taking first place by defeating all his opponents with a significant margin, he was certainly a dark horse no one expected.


    After giving the crowd time to celebrate, he proceeded to announce the awards ceremony.


    It was time for the top-ranked contestants to receive their well-deserved prizes.


    As he moved towards the stage where this year''s awards would be announced, he paused for a moment, his forehead furrowing slightly.


    ''Hm? Was it just me, or did the ground just shake a bit?'' he thought.


    The tremor appeared and disappeared quickly, leaving him momentarily confused, and judging by the expressions of a few others, it seemed they had noticed it too.


    ''Strange, there are never earthquakes in this part of the continent,'' he thought, hoping it was nothing concerning.


    Ethan, who was on the alignment stage along with the other participants, also noticed the tremor. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With his heightened perception, he quickly identified the source of the quake, discovering it came from none other than the imperial castle.


    He immediately sent a mental message to Bai Yu to ask about what was happening, and in no time, he received the response.


    ''I see, so it has begun,''


    ***


    A few hours before the tournament''s end.


    In the throne room, the emperor sat with a calm gaze directed forward, where a person was bowing to him.


    The room, aside from the two of them, was empty, even though it was still early afternoon, a somewhat unusual sight, but the emperor had ordered everyone to leave and asked his trusted right-hand man to stay behind.


    He continued to look at the kneeling figure of his counselor , who, seeing that the other party wasn''t saying anything, decided to speak and ask.


    "Your Majesty, is there something troubling you?"


    The emperor said nothing and continued to look calmly at the person in front of him.


    This made the counselor feel slightly pressured.


    As this scene unfolded, the shadows of several figures could be seen materializing in various parts of the room.


    Some behind the numerous stone pillars, others in the arches of the room''s ceiling, and some just a few meters behind the throne.


    As these figures appeared, neither the emperor nor his counselor moved, as if unaware of their presence.


    Finally, after a few more seconds, the emperor''s face showed an expression different from before.


    The advisor, noticing this change, looked at the emperor with a puzzled expression.


    ''A smile?''


    Just as he was wondering what had made the emperor show that expression, he finally opened his mouth and uttered a few words.


    "Just as I expected, you managed to infiltrate the imperial castle despite the barrier surrounding it," he said, his voice still calm, as he moved to stand up.


    "But it doesn''t matter. In fact, it''s better this way; this way, the capital won''t have to suffer any damage," he said.


    And just as the counselor, still a bit confused, was trying to understand the meaning behind the emperor''s words, the emperor took out a scroll from his dimensional ring and, looking at it for a moment with an indifferent expression, he turned to his counselor and said.


    "Tell me, do you know what this is?" he asked, referring to the scroll he held in his hand.


    The counselor, who was still kneeling, looked at the scroll with a confused expression for a moment, but then his eyes widened as a flash of realization struck him.


    Immediately, he stood up, rushing towards the emperor, and in that moment, the dozens of dark figures that had appeared also moved.


    The emperor, targeted from all sides, maintained the smile on his face and clenched his hand, setting the scroll aflame.


    Due to the intensity of the flames, it ignited instantly, and suddenly a sphere of energy emerged from his palm and enveloped the entire hall, engulfing it completely.


    What was once a grand, luxurious hall was now nowhere to be seen, and in its place, there was only an endless dark space, where beneath lay an ashen-gray ground that seemed made of collected ash, and above, what could be called a sky cloaked in black.


    In the middle of this infinite space, twelve figures stood, ten surrounding the other two.


    The ten dark figures, whose features were previously hidden, were now revealed, showing a form that no normal being should ever have to witness in their lifetime.


    Completely black bodies, covered in a layer of black smoke, taller than two meters, with long limbs ending in five pairs of claws.


    Their faces bore no expression, in fact, they had no faces at all.


    What they had was a black mass with two white circles in place of eyes.


    All of them stood motionless, surrounding the two, but their attention was solely on one of them, that is, Long Hao, the emperor.


    While the emperor wore a serene expression on his face, his counselor, who had now abandoned any semblance of composure, looked at him with a crazed gaze and said.


    "How the hell did you manage to get your hands on that?" he asked as black smoke began to pour out from him.


    From his feet to his clothes, and even his hair, which began to rise and twist in the air.


    "Oh, that? It was a gift from my wife. You should know her well, no?


    After all, you were the one who ended her life," he said, as a bluish-black aura also began to surround him, and in his hand appeared a large sword made of black metal and other materials of unimaginable value.


    Hearing the emperor''s words, the counselor lost even the last bit of composure he was holding on to, as his skin, from which black smoke was also emanating, started to crack, revealing underneath only a dark mixture.


    "It seems you already know," he said, as by now his entire ''container'' disintegrated, leaving in his place a figure almost three meters tall, made entirely of thin shadows, with elongated limbs, and two long protrusions growing from his head.


    "That woman has been a thorn in our race''s side for a long time. Who would have ever thought that even after she left this world, she would still create trouble for us?"


    he said, his tone, which previously resembled that of a middle-aged man, now a mix of vibrating voices.


    One could feel all the frustration and anger contained within his words.


    "I don''t know why you decided to join us even in this space, but rest assured, I''ll make you regret doing so," he said, no longer restraining his anger.


    The emperor, who hadn''t said a word until now, paid no attention to the demon before him and simply let out a deep sigh as he tightened his grip on the sword''s hilt.


    "Wait for me just a little longer; soon, I''ll join you,


    but first..."


    With eyes glowing yellow and a deep gaze, the emperor prepared to attack.


    And as if a signal had been given, the ten figures also dashed towards him at incredible speed.


    "I''ll deal with him."

 Chapter 198 - 198: Eternal Prison

    .


    The annual imperial alchemy tournament had finally come to an end, and all that remained was the award ceremony.


    Ethan, initially a bit worried by the slight tremor he had felt, decided not to dwell on it too much.


    If she had told him that everything was under control, then it had to be so.


    After all, there weren''t many figures on the mortal plane who could pose a serious threat to her.


    Even those who could were still far from being able to harm her seriously.


    Though her cultivation level was still in the fifth stage, her skills and experience alone were enough to bring anyone at that stage to their knees.


    Ethan knew this better than anyone, as he had often experienced the full extent of her abilities firsthand.


    Just thinking back to those intense training sessions sent shivers down his spine.


    Though the dragon woman was generally calm and playful, she held nothing back when it came to training him.


    Each time, he ended up bedridden for months afterward.


    If it hadn''t been for his foresight in preparing high-level pills to heal himself in such situations, it would have taken him years instead of months to recover.


    He was skilled enough to craft potent pills that allowed him to recover faster, but relying too much on healing pills would do more harm than good to his body.


    As an alchemist, he understood this fact all too well.


    Although his pills could achieve absolute purity, that didn''t mean there wouldn''t be consequences for continued use.


    Between his body developing a natural resistance to these pills, reducing their effectiveness, and his muscles not always having sufficient time to fully heal, his strength wouldn''t grow significantly.


    As the old saying went: "no pain, no gain."


    Though painful, Ethan endured Bai Yu''s brutal training and the subsequent process of natural recovery.


    He was allowing his body''s natural recovery rate to improve, without relying on pills.


    Seeing the results of years of training within his inner dimension, it seemed he had chosen the right approach.


    Though still in the fifth stage, his strength was advancing rapidly, and even at the initial level of the fifth stage, he could already face someone three levels above him.


    At his best, he could even fight opponents up to six levels above.


    Finally shaking himself free from these thoughts, he focused on the awards ceremony.


    Currently, on the grandly decorated stage prepared for the occasion, he and the others in his group, along with the participants from the first category, were all awaiting the judges to finish their closing speeches for the tournament, which could be summarized as follows:


    From thanking the audience for their participation this year to emphasizing that this year''s tournament had been full of expectations for everyone, audience and judges alike. Even Grandmaster Alchemist Bai stepped forward at one point to congratulate some participants who had shown noteworthy performances.


    He congratulated the first-place winner in the first category before moving on to the second, where he congratulated everyone, even expressing his intention to accept a disciple this year.


    Unfortunately for him, the three people he had in mind were unwilling.


    Ethan, because he already possessed an alchemical level probably equal to the grandmaster''s, wasn''t even asked.


    As for the two young women, one was already a disciple of another grandmaster, and the other had decided only to take Feng Huang, the Phoenix Sect''s master, as her teacher and no one else, so she politely declined.


    The Grandmaster, who had expected something like this, simply shook his head, not expecting any of them to accept.


    In fact, his initial target had been only Ethan, but after discovering Ethan''s true level of alchemy, he too had to be removed from the list with great regret.


    The remaining two participants in the second category, seeing they hadn''t even been asked if they wanted to become his disciples, swallowed their disappointment.


    There was no way they could complain. After all, they were speaking about a grandmaster alchemist, whom no one would dare to offend.


    Finally, the closing ceremony of the tournament was almost over, and everyone received their rewards.


    Some made their requests immediately, while others decided to wait.


    Before concluding the tournament, the grandmaster announced that the annual auction of pills would take place in a few days, which pleased many in the crowd.


    The annual auction was one of the most anticipated events after the imperial tournament, because, apart from pills crafted by participants, it provided a chance to see various items for sale, which always managed to capture the attention of many.


    Even more so this year, as two pills crafted by the masked boy had such a high value that many couldn''t wait for the auction to begin, hoping for a chance to acquire them. sea??h th�� N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While all this was taking place, a figure of a cold yet elegant woman appeared outside a large entrance decorated with intricate gold engravings.


    The woman was none other than Bai Yu, who, sensing a strange fluctuation coming from the imperial palace, had come to investigate.


    She noticed various layers of formations and barriers protecting the palace, and though she thought they were decent for this plane, they were no obstacle for an entity like herself. Without any trouble, she successfully entered the imperial palace, standing now before the throne room.


    Sensing the throne room''s interior with her spiritual sense, her eyes showed a hint of surprise as she muttered,


    "Now this is something I didn''t expect to see in this plane."


    She decided to hold back from entering through the doors as she initially planned.


    She had sensed the aura of a formation inside the throne room and knew the formation well, so she refrained from any reckless actions.


    She was slightly surprised to see that such a formation was present in this world, as it wasn''t something mortals should have, after all.


    "Eternal Prison Formation, huh.


    I wonder how they managed to get their hands on such a formation."

 Chapter 199 - 199: Long Hao vs The Demon

    .


    The time it took Bai Yu to reach the location after sensing the formation''s aura emanating from the imperial palace was mere seconds.


    Yet, when she arrived, the battle within the created space had only just begun.


    That said, while the battle among the twelve figures started, she, who was outside the formation, had to figure out how to enter it.


    The formation in question was called the "Eternal Prison Formation," and, as its name suggested, it was truly a prison.


    It had the characteristic of trapping its prey inside, and once someone was inside, their fate was sealed.


    In essence, it was a death sentence for anyone caught within.


    The ways to escape this formation were limited, and most depended on someone performing an action from outside it.


    From the inside, however, there was virtually no way out.


    The main issue with this formation was that it served as more than just a link to this dimension, and once destroyed, even the slight possibility of escape vanished entirely.


    In other words, if she wanted to enter, she first had to arrange an escape route for herself.


    After considering her next move for a moment, she made her decision, and immediately closed her eyes as her body became shrouded in a luminous layer of bluish energy.


    Upon the appearance of this energy, the surrounding air began to tremble, and the temperature of the area swiftly dropped by several degrees.


    Within a few seconds, where she had been standing was now a large block of ice, and if observed closely, one could see it contained the figure of a beautiful woman.


    Before acting, she had also cast a barrier around the surrounding area, one that would prevent anyone who was not at least on par with a third-level, fifth-grade cultivator from entering, in other words, an almost unbreakable barrier for anyone currently present in the capital.


    Even Ethan, with his strength alone, would struggle to damage it, although he did have more than just brute strength; he also had a few tricks up his sleeve to counter the barrier.


    With that said, after securing the barrier and encasing herself in this pillar of ice, a light began to shine from within the pillar, and, in no time, an ethereal figure emerged from it.


    This figure was none other than Bai Yu, in her spiritual form.


    Seeing her current appearance, she recalled some scenes from the not-too-distant past when she had used a similar appearance to leave Ethan''s sea of consciousness.


    Shaking off these thoughts, she turned toward the throne room doors and, with a slight movement, directed herself toward them, passing through as if they were made of air.


    "Let''s see what''s happening inside," she said, disappearing from the spot.


    While one Bai Yu passed through the doors and entered the space linked by the formation, the emperor, who had already started his fight, was not in a good mood at this moment.


    The solid ground, which previously had no imperfections, was now covered with several craters, many of which contained various figures lying scattered about, some missing limbs, others with their heads severed.


    Despite the gruesome scene, he, who had just torn apart yet another part of the enemy forces, showed no signs of relief.


    On the contrary, he was more cautious than ever as he continued his relentless battle with the towering figure of the demon who had once been his right hand.


    "Tell me, what were you hoping to achieve by sending us to this forsaken place, hmm?


    Even you yourself are almost trapped with us now," the demon said, appearing behind the emperor with his claws aimed at the emperor''s head.


    The emperor, anticipating the demon''s move, wasted no time; with a quick swing of his arms, he blocked the attack with his sword, then twisted his torso to swing the blade and unleash a strike at the demon, who was now within his reach.


    The black obsidian-like blade of the sword glowed with a dark blue light, and from it, a condensed Qi slash emerged, splitting the demon''s figure in half.


    The sword''s slash didn''t dissipate and continued to travel for several miles at high speed before finally colliding with something and producing an explosion visible even from miles away.


    However, neither Long Hao nor the demon paid any attention, as each was focused on taking the other''s life as quickly as possible.


    The demon, who had been sliced in two, showed no sign of pain and continued to attack.


    Soon, the two divided parts of his body produced several black tendrils, which grabbed the other part and, in less than a second, fused the demon''s body back together. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As the emperor was dealing with the towering figure, the other ten shadowy figures, brutally mutilated by Long Hao''s deadly slashes, also began to tremble as, one by one, they stood up, reattaching various parts of their bodies.


    The figures, with their almost featureless faces displaying only two white circles, contorted, and soon a single horizontal line appeared across them.


    The line stretched from one side of the face to the other, eventually splitting to reveal what seemed to be an exaggeratedly wide mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth.


    Noticing their behavior, Long Hao narrowed his eyes, sensing that something dangerous was about to happen.


    In less than a second, just as his thoughts concluded, the wide mouths of these figures produced a strange black ray that closed the distance between them and Long Hao in milliseconds, reaching him.


    Immediately, a massive explosion ensued, one that would put even nuclear bombs to shame.


    The blast radius was so vast that dozens upon dozens of kilometers of space were affected by it, and the energy wave it generated traveled even further.


    If something of this magnitude had been unleashed in the Long Empire, a third of it would be obliterated instantly, and the remaining two-thirds would suffer the consequences from the explosion''s residual effects.


    The enormous cloud of smoke it created covered miles of space both in height and width, and the ten shadowy figures who were the cause of it now floated in the air, looking toward the explosion with blank expressions.


    Their ''mouths,'' which had opened, were now nowhere to be seen, leaving their faces once again as a mix of darkness and two pairs of circles that served as eyes.


    In front of them, a large shadow materialized, eventually taking form to reach a height slightly over two meters.


    The demon had survived and was currently looking toward the explosion caused by his subordinates.


    Contrary to what one might expect, his expression was anything but pleased as he looked ahead and muttered.


    "Worthy of the strongest man of the human race.


    Even an attack of this caliber wasn''t enough to eliminate you."

 Chapter 200 - 200: Beast Form

    .


    As the cloud produced by the explosion finally began to clear, a blurred figure could be seen emerging from it.


    However, unlike one might expect, the figure was not that of a man; in fact, the figure''s dimensions were much larger than those of a normal person.


    The more the fog cleared, the clearer it became what was there.


    Where Long Hao had previously stood, there was now a giant crater with a radius of thousands of meters, but this was not what held the demon''s gaze.


    What he was staring at in that moment was suspended in the air above the huge crater, a massive elongated dragon, its sharp gaze fixed on the enemy group.


    "So you''ve finally decided to get serious," said the demon with a smile that seemed more like an exaggerated sneer.


    Long Hao, to avoid taking damage from the attack, released his beast form and successfully saved himself from the explosion''s damage caused by the attack.


    Currently in the air, a long, elongated dragon figure covered the skies of this dimension.


    The dragon''s dimensions were several times larger than those seen in the prince Jiang''s beast transformation.


    The elongated body easily spanned several hundred meters with its floating form in the air.


    It had a figure entirely covered in dark blue scales, two horns similar to those of a bull pointed forward, and two pairs of gleaming yellow eyes, with pupils as thin as needles, fixed in the enemy''s direction.


    The emperor''s majestic beast form was suspended in the air as if he were the governor of the heavens, while he cast his gaze upon the enemy, who seemed far from intimidated by his enormous figure.


    The needle-like pupils of Long Hao further contracted, while the scales all over his body began to glow like fireflies in the dark.


    Then, he opened his enormous mouth, and a yellow-white beam shot from it toward the enemy.


    In less than a millisecond, the beam covered the distance of several thousand meters and reached the other side, and a second enormous explosion occurred, once again shaking the calm of this dimension.


    While all this was happening, an uninvited spectator was watching the entire battle scene from the skies of the dimension.


    Bai Yu, who had successfully penetrated the formation, was now in the skies, witnessing the battle scene between the two sides.


    As she observed, she occasionally muttered something to herself as if assessing what she was watching.


    "Not bad. For a human with a flawed cultivation path, his strength is indeed not small.


    I can understand why he is considered the strongest on this continent," she said, complimenting Long Hao for his performance so far.


    "That being said��"


    Though surprised by the emperor''s performance, she, as a member of the dragon race, could instantly spot several issues with Long Hao''s current transformation.


    Although the human had shown great combat experience and skill, he was clearly not using his beast form to its fullest potential, and the reason for this could only be attributed to the fact that he was not originally a dragon, but rather a human, and as such, one couldn''t expect him to fully master his beast form.


    Even more, with his flawed cultivation path, she could tell that the peak of the Body-Soul Integration stage was the highest he could achieve, beyond which there was nothing for him. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a simple glance, she could see that while he had established a certain harmony with the beast soul he had fused with, this harmony was more forced than something natural.


    In other words, it did not meet the requirements to attempt a breakthrough to the next cultivation rank.


    This was why, when she led Ethan to the third stage, she guided him and set him on the right path.


    She had immediately noticed the flawed method that the humans of this Plane were using, and although she didn''t know why the correct method was lacking on this plane, it was not something that concerned her too much.


    It was enough for her that Ethan didn''t follow that method and instead took the right one, which eventually proved more fruitful for him than she had initially imagined.


    He not only succeeded in summoning and bonding with a spiritual beast, but the beast in question was something that even she, a superior being of the dragon race, instinctively feared.


    In other words, Ethan had won the jackpot, and she was certain that his future progress would not be any less than what he had achieved up to now.


    As she watched the battle from the sidelines, it continued and eventually reached its climax.


    Both sides gave it their all, and by now, both had played all their cards.


    On one side was a battered Long Hao who could no longer maintain his beast form, and on the other side was the demon figure, who, though not visibly so, was also not in a good situation.


    At this point, Long Hao was completely devoid of any strength, and all he could do was watch the battered figure of the demon as it began to recover.


    He was filled with regret over the fact that he wouldn''t be able to end the demon''s life, and this was because, no matter how hard he tried, the demonic Qi that permeated the demon''s body was not something he could eliminate with his attacks.


    In the end, the result was that the demon''s body was damaged, but its demonic Qi was still there, now working to restore his body.


    His only consolation was that, regardless of whether he had won or not, the other side would not be able to escape from here and would remain sealed in this godforsaken place.


    Just as he was consoling himself with this thought, he heard a faint laugh coming from the other side.


    Confused, he raised his gaze, trying to focus his vision on the demon''s figure, who, though battered, began to grin.


    Soon his grins turned to laughter, and finally, after a few seconds, he stopped and said:


    "I bet you''re thinking right now that I have no way out of here, aren''t you?" he said, finally addressing Long Hao.


    Hearing this, the battered emperor had a bad premonition as he heard the demon''s next words.


    "Normally, that would be the case, but you see, I am not alone," he said, as several presences that had almost vanished before began to re-emerge once again.


    The ten figures that had been nearly wiped out by Long Hao''s attacks began to recover and emerge from the remains of the battle between the two.


    Seeing this scene, he still didn''t understand what the other meant, but the dangerous feeling he felt in his heart grew as he watched the ten figures undergo a sudden transformation.

 Chapter 201 - 201: black sphere

    .


    Their ghastly bodies began to writhe, twisting as, one by one, they disintegrated, forming a black mist that started to drift toward the demon.


    "Unlike you humans, with your fragile bodies of flesh and bone, ours are made of energy," said the demon as various trails of black smoke reached him, swirling around him fiercely.


    "More precisely, negative spiritual energy, which you might know as demonic Qi.


    No matter how much you destroy our bodies, you cannot eradicate demonic Qi," he continued as the ten figures completely disintegrated, and the black smoke they produced had nearly enveloped the demon, beginning to form a cocoon.


    "We are creations of a single entity, and as such, we can separate into multiple individuals and rejoin into one whenever and wherever we wish," he said as the cocoon began to emit some energy fluctuations.


    The emperor, sensing these fluctuations, realized that something ominous would happen if he allowed the other side to finish what it was doing.


    With a final effort, he summoned his sword, now bearing several cracks running along its blade.


    Clenching his teeth, he used the last remnants of spiritual energy within his body and concentrated it all into a single point, the blade of his sword.


    It suddenly began to glow, and within seconds, it gained more and more energy, emitting at a certain point waves of power.


    The emperor knew that after this strike, it would likely be the end for him, but at this point, he knew there was no salvation left for him.


    He had already prepared himself to die when he set his plan in motion and activated the formation that brought all of them to this prison dimension.


    He knew that once this was done, there would be no way back for him, but he had no fear of this.


    He had already prepared his mind for all of this, and with no regrets, he decided to use himself as bait to lure the other side out of its lair.


    At this point, he thought his plan had succeeded, and regardless of which of the two sides would win, he knew there would be no escape from here.


    However, with this new turn of events, he felt that if he did not act now, everything he had done until now would have been rendered useless and in vain.


    So, with the last strength remaining in his body, he positioned himself, and with all the force left in his arm, he launched the sword strike made of condensed Qi toward the cocoon.


    The slash flew at a speed imperceptible to the eye and, in an instant, appeared in front of the cocoon, hitting it squarely.


    Immediately, a powerful explosion formed, completely engulfing the pitch-black cocoon, and along with it, a radius of a kilometer around it.


    Needless to say, the area could not withstand the attack, and another massive crater was created while the impact of the attack could still be felt.


    Seeing this, Long Hao, noticing that the black cocoon was no longer there, almost let out a sigh of relief, while finally, his body, which could no longer support itself, gave way, and he collapsed, exhausted, onto the ground. sea??h th�� Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as he let out a weary sigh, preparing to spend the rest of his time in this desolate place, he suddenly felt an aura appear behind him, and before he could turn his head to see who it was, his body was pinned by a dark blade that pierced his abdomen and pinned him to the ground.


    The blade in question was none other than his own sword, and attached to its hilt was his arm, which had been severed without him even noticing.


    He felt an immense pain engulf his entire body, and while he held back any sound of agony, he tried to look at the direction from which the attack came.


    Behind him, there currently stood a tall figure completely shrouded in dark mist, looking down at him with glassy eyes.


    The figure in question was that of the demon, who, unlike before, now had twice its previous size, and even its body, once slender and resistant, had now been replaced by a more robust form, still covered in dark mist.


    The undefined head of the demon, which previously had only two thin, long protrusions with a face barely bearing a pair of eyes and a mouth, had now also changed.


    The demon''s head had stretched backward, as if someone had pulled it to shape it that way, and on it could be seen the two protrusions that aligned parallel to its head.


    The demon''s face, already barely visible before, now presented only a sinister mix of something luminous contained within a dark mist that concealed its features.


    The demon who before merely had an appearance that could make a normal person die on sight, now had an aura surrounding it that seemed to bring forth a strange sensation within him.


    A sensation of chaos, impurity, and loss of control.


    As he tried to resist the pain from the blade embedded in his chest that narrowly missed his heart, he heard the demon''s voice resonate, even more distorted than before.


    "Did you really think that with your pathetic strength alone you could corner me?" the demon said, making the blade lodged in the emperor''s abdomen twist with its demonic Qi.


    Argh.


    The emperor felt a new wave of pain, even more intense, as he sensed the sword embedded in him shifting, damaging his organs even further.


    "You humans tend to be overly complacent; did you truly think that this little scheme of yours would prevent me from leaving this place?" he said, showing a row of aligned, sharp teeth as an exaggeratedly wide grin appeared on his face.


    He raised one of his long hands, and in its palm, a sphere as black as pitch began to condense.


    The sphere started to spin slowly, and little by little, it began to pick up speed as the space around it seemed to distort gradually.


    "Although it''s surprising that someone from this continent managed to lay hands on a formation like this, in the end, your knowledge of it is limited only to its use," he said as the sphere gained more and more strength, now emitting thin bolts of lightning.


    "Come, let me show you how I''ll escape from here before killing you," he said as the sphere at this point had begun to float and gain momentum.


    While the demon smiled at this sight, he didn''t expect a figure to appear beside him, and suddenly a voice resounded near him.


    "It seems you''re not the only thing that has appeared here from the celestial plane."

 Chapter 202 - 202: Dimensional Sphere

    .


    The demon, who until a moment ago was in a good mood, upon hearing this voice so close to him, immediately felt a fright,


    while experiencing a sensation of danger that he had never felt before, resonating throughout his entire being.


    In an instant, the demon''s figure vanished from his initial position and reappeared several dozen meters away.


    Once repositioned, his gaze immediately focused on the place where he had previously stood, and there he saw the figure of a beautiful woman with long gray-white hair, standing and gazing curiously at the black sphere floating in the air.


    ''When did she appear?'' he thought, alarmed by the fact that until the other had spoken, he hadn''t even known she was there.


    The mere fact that someone else was in this place besides him and Long Hao was a cause for concern, as it would mean the other party had a way to enter the dimension opened by the formation; in other words, she was no simple figure.


    What''s more, the fact that she could evade his demonic sense was further confirmation that this woman was not someone simple.


    With just one glance, he could tell she was extremely powerful.


    Her body radiated with repressed energy, which sent the danger receptors in his body into even greater turmoil.


    The more the demon thought about the woman who had appeared, the darker his expression became.


    Finally, he shook off the feeling of danger he was sensing and said:


    "I can tell you are not a human.


    Who are you, and what do you want from me?" he said, detecting the woman''s aura and confirming it was not that of a human being.


    Bai Yu, who was standing near the black sphere that was beginning to distort space around it even more, extended her hand to capture the sphere while saying:


    "What do I want from you, you ask? S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Do not be so full of yourself, demon.


    Even among demons, you are of the lowest rank.


    Aside from your life, I don''t need anything else from you," she said calmly, as if what she had just stated was not an outright threat.


    Seeing the woman''s action to capture the sphere, the demon immediately rushed forward, intending to stop her, but then, hearing what she had said, his mind went blank, and fury rose to his head.


    "I don''t know why you decided to interfere, but now that you are here, leave your life behind," he said, ignoring the sense of danger he felt, throwing himself at her.


    Just as he had vanished from his position earlier, he reappeared there, aiming his enormous claw directly at Bai Yu''s head, intending to eliminate her instantly.


    She, not halting her actions as she successfully captured the sphere, scoffed at this and immediately released a slight wave of her spiritual Qi.


    In an instant, the demon''s claw, now only inches away from her head, froze, and for a moment, nothing happened.


    Then, at a terrifying speed, the demon''s entire body crystallized, and subsequently exploded, leaving behind nothing but shimmering shards of ice.


    The demon, who had given a cultivator at the peak of the fifth stage such a hard time, had just been disintegrated into nothingness by her in less than a single breath.


    Long Hao, who still had a glimmer of consciousness, saw what had just happened and muttered something in disbelief before completely losing consciousness.


    "Who are y-"


    Bai Yu, who paid no attention even as the demon was swept away by her attack, examined the black sphere in her hand for a moment before turning her gaze towards the figure of the emperor of the Long Empire, who lay on the ground, on the verge of death.


    If the people of the empire had seen him in this state, they would have thought they were hallucinating, seeing as he was the most powerful being in the empire, and to see someone like him in this state was not something they considered possible.


    Even the masters of the three governing sects of the Long Empire, if they combined their forces and attacked him, would hardly gain the upper hand; after all, the level difference between them was considerable, and while this disparity could be somewhat ignored at lower levels, in the fifth stage, even a single level difference could determine the victor and the vanquished.


    Only in certain cases would this rule not apply, and in such cases, there would be those defined as anomalies, beings beyond the comprehension of the people, entities like Ethan who, despite being at the first level of the fifth stage, could rival those surpassing him by several levels in this stage.


    Finally, Bai Yu, seeing the pitiful figure of the emperor whose life was visibly slipping away bit by bit, simply shook her head and, with a wave of her hand, extracted the blade of the sword from his body, sealing the wound with her ice.


    With the emperor''s body now floating, she used the black sphere in her hand to open a spatial distortion in this dimension.


    A portal, in other words.


    She recognized this device, and how could she not, since it was something widely used on the celestial plane.


    It was a dimensional sphere, and in simple terms, it acted as a key, allowing entry and exit from certain dimensions.


    Though not an extremely rare object, it was possessed only by certain individuals of a certain standing on the celestial plane.


    As she passed through the portal with the emperor''s unconscious floating body, she could not help but wonder how such an object had ended up in the hands of demons.


    It was one thing for demons to somehow make it to the mortal plane, but another thing entirely for objects like these to appear here.


    Technically, it shouldn''t have been possible unless someone had personally brought it here, but who would do that?


    The few figures capable of such a feat were entities who, under no circumstances, would allow the sphere to fall into the hands of the demonic race, and this only made everything more confusing for her.


    If it were up to her, she would have extracted the demon''s soul and interrogated it, but unfortunately for her, unlike a half-demon, this was, as he had claimed, a product of demonic Qi.


    And as an entity who wielded pure Qi, she was not capable of manipulating demonic energy, hence why she eliminated the demon without hesitation.


    She knew she would not obtain anything useful from him.


    "Haa, it seems that peace on this continent is about to come to an end," she said as she vanished into the portal, which promptly disappeared, leaving the dimension of the eternal prison silent and desolate once more.

 Chapter 203 - 203: Teased

    .


    While this was happening in the imperial palace, a grand celebration was taking place at a luxurious restaurant in the capital.


    The banquet had been organized to celebrate the conclusion of this year''s alchemy tournament.


    All participants who reached the Top 20 in both categories were gathered there, along with their team members, the senior alchemists who accompanied them, and the ten judges who presided over the tournament.


    The tense atmosphere of the tournament was nowhere to be found, and a festive air filled the room as everyone either engaged in conversation or indulged in food here and there.


    Ethan''s team members finally had a chance to unwind and even socialize with other teams, who were no longer their rivals.


    While those in the first category were more sociable, those in the second category were more reserved.


    Most of them still tended to avoid members of other teams, with only a few individuals willing to fully enjoy the party.


    One such individual who wanted nothing to do with others was Hu Xingyan, the girl from the White Tiger Kingdom, who at that moment was focused solely on her lavish meal, paying no attention even to her teammates, who by now knew she was not the easiest person to interact with.


    Hu Xingyan, as she devoured one dish after another, was still frustrated by how the competition had ended.


    As one of the most talented geniuses of her generation, she had expected to outshine all her opponents and secure first place.


    Yet, that position had been snatched away as if it was nothing by someone she hadn''t even known existed until recently.


    The more she thought about her crushing defeat at the hands of the masked boy, the more frustrated she became, eating her food even faster.


    What annoyed her most was that the masked boy had never truly gone all out against her, as proven by his impressive performance in the final positioning rounds.


    Seeing his abilities then was like a bolt from the blue for her, making her realize just how wide the skill gap between them was from the start.


    In fact, the gap was so great that she couldn''t see herself defeating him anytime soon; she felt she might not reach his level even after a hundred years of training.


    This realization depressed her even further, and just like a drunk drowning in alcohol, she was burying her sorrows in food.


    That said, she wasn''t the only one whose pride as a genius took a hit.


    Most of the participants in the second category felt the same, especially the Top 20, who realized that the gap between them and the first-place contestant was something they might never bridge.


    Yan Mei, having come to terms with the situation, wasn''t too surprised at this point.


    Having seen him pull off miracle after miracle, she''d grown somewhat accustomed to it. Even Xiang Hua, to some extent, expected such an outcome.


    But for the proud Xun Wei, witnessing what seemed like the limitless capabilities of the masked boy made him nearly lose his composure.


    On the evening of the tournament''s conclusion, he returned to his family, vowing never to cross paths with that "monster" again.


    The last thing he wanted was to bring the wrath of an alchemist of the masked boy''s caliber down upon his family, which only had a two-star master alchemist as its greatest asset.


    As the geniuses of the Long Empire reflected on their lives and their futures, Ethan, the subject of many of their thoughts, was seated among several mature women who were offering him drinks from all sides.


    These women were none other than the tournament judges and the elder of the Medicine Pavilion who had accompanied his team to the event.


    A handsome and talented man was always appreciated by the opposite gender, and seeing a man like Ethan, whose charm rivaled anyone they''d ever met and whose talent surpassed them all, made him even more appealing in their eyes.


    Although each of them was over 100 years old, they maintained a youthful appearance.


    This was not only due to their high level of cultivation but also because, over time, they had dedicated part of their Qi to preserving their beauty.


    In this moment, where everyone was celebrating and consuming the strongest drinks available in the capital, their usual composure had been thrown out the window, and none of them held back from speaking openly with him.


    "So, tell me, what''s your real name?" asked Shu Ai-Qing, the Medicine Pavilion elder, who had replaced her initial poor impression of him with a much more favorable one.


    "You may refer to me as Nuyu," he calmly replied, unwilling to reveal his true name.


    "How old are you, really?" asked the woman in pink, one of the judges from this year''s tournament.


    "I''m just over 40," he replied, thinking it wasn''t an issue to reveal this detail. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing this, everyone at the table widened their eyes in shock, and the woman in pink exclaimed incredulously,


    "Only 40? Impossible!"


    He couldn''t believe that someone so young had achieved a level of alchemical mastery beyond theirs.


    The others at the table were just as skeptical, to which he merely shrugged, as if to say they were free to think whatever they wanted.


    Ethan had been naturally invited to the celebration after the tournament, but who would have thought that these master alchemists would practically compel him to join their table?


    They were practically treating him as their equal, which, while not unpleasant, soon made him regret accepting.


    Although the company of these master alchemists was pleasant, he couldn''t help but suffer because of a certain dragon woman who was teasing him in his mind.


    "Come on, look at all these beautiful women surrounding you. Why don''t you take advantage of the situation?


    Isn''t it time you showed them what you''re made of, even in that regard?" she taunted, emphasizing the fact that he was still a virgin.


    The situation wouldn''t have been so frustrating if it wasn''t for the fact that the dragon lady herself was apparently a virgin.


    When Ethan retorted that she had no right to tease him given her own situation, she replied that, unlike humans, dragons tended to seek someone more powerful and compatible as a mate.


    In other words, she claimed she had never found the right partner, at least, that was the excuse she gave, and Ethan naturally didn''t believe her.


    Bai Yu, who had returned some time ago, was currently nestled in his arms, in her beast form, as she used a portion of her consciousness within Ethan''s sea of knowledge to interact with him.


    She had promised to explain everything to him once he returned to his quarters since, right now, he was too much of a focal point to slip away.


    He accepted, waiting impatiently for the celebration to end, while mentally noting to teach the dragon lady a lesson in the future.

 Chapter 204 - 204: Demonic Heart

    .


    The celebration continues all night, and Ethan, who had just finished being teased by the women in the group, now finds himself being teased by the men.


    Clearly, they were not happy about the fact that he had drawn the attention of all the women in the audience.


    And this, even though he had restrained much of his natural charm.


    This alone was enough for him to realize that his natural appearance, over time and as his level increased, had reached a point where people in the mortal realm were easily influenced by it.


    This scene reminded him of the first time he met Bai Yu in her human form.


    Even then, he struggled to divert his attention away from her.


    In the end, he drank with them and chatted as if they were all old friends.


    Particularly with Bai Huo Shan, who seemed to have a general fondness for alcohol.


    He treated Ethan as an equal the entire time and ended up discussing various topics with him.


    Ethan also noticed that not only were the women in the group interested in him, but even some of the girls who had been participants in the tournament would occasionally glance at him.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    As a healthy adult man, he naturally appreciated the interest from the opposite sex.


    However, not being used to this situation, he had to admit that he felt a little embarrassed.


    Even Xiang Hua, Yan Mei, and Hu Xingyan cast a few glances his way. Seeing this, he could only laugh while shaking his head internally.


    ''Tch, being too handsome isn''t good for a man''s health,'' he thought, feeling as though he had just uncovered one of the universe''s secrets.


    To this comment, Bai Yu, who resided in his mind, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    Finally, after several hours, the party came to an end, and everyone, drunk or not, left for their respective quarters.


    Ethan, after receiving one or two invitations from some of the women, quickly made his escape.


    He was a firm believer in the saying, "Duty first, pleasure later,"


    And at the moment, his duty was to enter his Minor Dimension and learn more about what had happened that day.


    Bai Yu had already told him about the assassination attempt on the Emperor, but she had left out some details, saying she would explain in greater detail once they were alone.


    So, Ethan reached his quarters and transported himself into his Minor Dimension, where Bai Yu, wrapped around his right arm, emerged from his sleeve and returned to her human form.


    Seeing the beautiful dragon woman transform, he wasted no time and asked for all the details.


    She explained the formation of the Infinite Prison, a technique often used to trap prisoners in a dimension they could never escape from, something that sent chills down Ethan''s spine.


    She spoke of the demon, its battle with the Emperor, and how it ultimately concluded.


    Then, with a gesture of her hand, she made a strange object encased in a piece of ice, roughly the size of a basketball, appear.


    Seeing it, Ethan couldn''t help but ask,


    "What is this?"


    He struggled to determine what was encased within.


    If it had been ordinary ice, he would have had no problem sensing everything frozen within.


    But this was ice produced by Bai Yu, and as such, it contained her spiritual Qi, which interfered with his perception of whatever lay inside.


    "It''s the demon''s heart," she said nonchalantly, as she made the object inside the ice more visible.


    Ethan, finally able to see what was inside, was a bit confused.


    Heart? S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No matter how much he looked at it, the object inside the ice was far from being anything even remotely resembling a heart.


    Sure, he didn''t expect every being to have a heart similar to that of a human, but the object in front of him was too convoluted and distorted to be considered even the semblance of an organ.


    "Unlike other living beings who have a body made up of specific organs, demons are more of a product of spiritual Qi.


    As such, their heart is not something completely physical or defined but rather a concentrated mass of demonic energy enclosed in a sort of core," she explained, sharing everything she knew about demons.


    Though she said this, she admitted that the principle behind how their organs worked was unclear to her, as information about demons was limited.


    What little she knew came from some old documents in the Celestial Plane.


    ''So the thing is a mass of demonic Qi,'' Ethan thought.


    Finally, he made a decision and said,


    "Could you defrost it?"


    "You want to try absorbing it, don''t you?" she asked, already expecting such a request from him.


    He had done it in the past, discovering that his special physique was capable of digesting this energy, converting it to strengthen himself.


    Back then, what he absorbed was merely the demonic Qi of a half-demon.


    Ethan wondered what kind of benefits he might gain from absorbing the Qi of a pure demon.


    So, Bai Yu released her ice, and little by little, the object inside began to disintegrate, transforming into demonic Qi that started to escape.


    She was still a bit skeptical about him absorbing the demonic Qi and warned him that if he even had the slightest suspicion that the demonic energy was beginning to overwhelm him, he should stop immediately.


    He reassured her, and they proceeded.


    The demonic energy began to rise into the air, and Ethan immediately felt that familiar sensation emanating from his body, urging him to absorb it.


    This time, he didn''t resist and drew the demonic Qi into himself.


    Just like the last time, it condensed into a concentrated sphere of all the demonic Qi present and was absorbed into Ethan''s body through his chest, specifically where his heart was located.


    As soon as the sphere of condensed demonic Qi entered his body, Ethan felt the same sensation as before, and just like last time, his body began to heat up while black veins appeared on various parts of his body.


    He could tell that the impact of the demonic energy this time was clearly stronger, but it was also true that his body had already adapted to processing this energy to some extent.


    As a result, this time, he didn''t suffer too much, and within minutes, all the demonic energy was digested by his special physique.


    And, of course, the system notifications didn''t take long to appear:


    [You have gained +351 STR]


    [You have gained +315 AGI]


    [You have gained +53 INT]


    Just when he thought it was over, the system notifications didn''t stop and continued.

 Chapter 205 - 205: Im Screwed

    .


    Ethan, upon seeing the statistics he had received this time, felt satisfied.


    Unlike the last time, his gains this round were not insignificant at all.


    In fact, he had earned what he would probably obtain by leveling up another 5 or 6 times in his current stage.


    Just like the previous occasion, his strength statistic was the one that increased the most.


    However, this time, the difference in gains between STR and agility was not too significant.


    He didn''t know why this was the case but had a few guesses.


    He wasn''t sure what kind of demon Bai Yu had encountered, but she had mentioned it was at the peak of the Fifth Stage.


    Therefore, its strength wasn''t low at all.


    Unlike the half-giant demon that had more strength than agility, this one seemed to possess both, so the statistics Ethan gained reflected those traits.


    Although Ethan wasn''t 100% confident in this theory, for now, he had no way to confirm it.


    That being said, just as he thought this was everything, given that the statistics received were the same as before, the system surprised him by continuing to send notifications.


    Soon, more messages arrived.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +36 Soul Strength]


    [Congratulations! You have unlocked the Minor Demonic Physique]


    [Click here for more information]


    "..."


    Seeing these new notifications, which hadn''t appeared the previous time, Ethan froze for a moment.


    Noticing his odd behavior, Bai Yu, who had been waiting for him to process the demonic energy, couldn''t help but ask, concerned,


    "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine. I just need to check something," he replied absentmindedly while proceeding to open his status screen.


    .


    [------------------------------------


    [Status Screen]


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Body and Soul Integration (Lv. 1)


    Qi: 1,950,000/2,000,000


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    [!]


    Strength: 638 --> 989


    Agility: 575 --> 890


    Intelligence: 551 --> 604


    Soul Strength: 233 --> 269


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 18,204,120


    ------------------------------------]


    .


    Ethan immediately opened his status screen.


    Ignoring the significant increases in strength, agility, and intelligence, his attention focused on his Soul Strength.


    ''Did I just find a new way to increase this stat?'' he thought, ecstatic at the discovery.


    Soul Strength was an important stat for him.


    As such, it was high on his priority list for improvement.


    Unfortunately, methods for increasing it were poor, and while leveling up now provided slightly better gains, it was still relatively slow.


    He knew this stat would be crucial in the future, so if he could, he wanted to raise it as much as possible.


    Until now, he had set aside concerns about this stat due to the lack of effective ways to improve it. But now, seeing this development, he couldn''t help but smile as a thought crossed his mind.


    ''So, all I need to do is hunt more demons, right?''


    Bai Yu, still waiting for an explanation from him, was at a loss for words at the strange smile that appeared on his face.


    For a moment, she considered slapping him to bring him back to reality.


    Unbeknownst to her, Ethan had just found another reason to target the demon race.


    If the demons discovered that someone was not only hunting them but also had the means to do so effectively, they would stop at nothing to eliminate that person.


    Ethan quickly regained his composure and turned his attention to another matter:


    his special physique.


    He immediately noticed a marker next to the name of his special physique and, without hesitation, clicked on it.


    As soon as he did, a new screen appeared before him��one he had never seen before.


    .


    [------------------------------------


    [Secondary Physiques]


    -> Minor Demonic Physique


    ------------------------------------]


    .


    Ethan, upon seeing this new section he hadn''t known existed, focused on the physique the system had just notified him about and opened its information screen.


    .


    [------------------------------------


    [Demonic Physique]


    Grade:


    Minor (1%)


    Description: S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The physique of a low-grade pure demon.


    This physique increases the Host''s affinity with negative spiritual energy, allowing the Host to absorb and process it within their dantian, thereby forming a Demonic Core.


    Forming a Demonic Core will enable your primary physique to digest demonic Qi more efficiently and allow the Minor Demonic Physique to evolve.


    Note:


    Switching from your current physique to the Demonic Physique will alter your appearance accordingly.


    All beings using positive spiritual energy will perceive you as an enemy, while those using negative energy will view you as one of their own.


    ------------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the information displayed on the screen, Ethan didn''t know how to react.


    ''So I can essentially disguise myself as a demon?''


    As this thought crossed his mind, a mischievous smile appeared on his face, and he issued a mental command.


    Suddenly, Ethan, who moments ago seemed lost in thought, clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground.


    The sudden change in the situation left Bai Yu momentarily stunned.


    However, snapping out of her daze, she rushed toward him to assist.


    But just as she was about to reach him, Ethan gritted his teeth and shouted,


    "Stop! Don''t come closer!"


    Seeing this, Bai Yu realized something was wrong.


    Ignoring Ethan''s protests, she tried to approach him, but just as she was a step away, an intense sense of danger made her instinctively retreat and create some distance.


    Ethan, who had stopped convulsing, was now enveloped by a faint dark red aura.


    Bai Yu could clearly see his once healthy skin turning ashen gray, with black veins spreading across his body.


    As the transformation continued, a small protrusion appeared on Ethan''s forehead, growing to about 20 centimeters before stopping.


    A horn.


    It didn''t take Bai Yu long to understand what was happening. Seeing this, she clenched her fists in anguish.


    ''I knew it. I should have stopped him.''


    She blamed herself for not insisting more when he had said he was fine and continued absorbing the pure demon Qi.


    With a heavy heart, she circulated her spiritual Qi into her arm, forming a sharp blue ice sword.


    ''I can only give you a quick and painless death,'' she thought, knowing she had no way to reverse the transformation.


    Seeing how far it had progressed, she believed there was no hope of recovery.


    Just as she was ready to attack and end his life, Ethan, now fully transformed, sensed the danger emanating from Bai Yu.


    Panicked, he turned instantly, intending to shout for her to stop.


    But, unfortunately, his sudden movement was perceived as a hostile action.


    Without giving him a chance to speak, Bai Yu dashed at full speed and appeared beside him, her blade at his throat.


    ''Damn it, this time I really screwed up,'' Ethan thought bitterly.

 Chapter 206 - 206: Events of the Past

    .


    Before Ethan could say anything, Bai Yu''s sword had already reached him. Feeling the imminent danger, he used all his strength to block the attack.


    In an instant, he was sent flying several hundred meters before finally managing to stabilize himself and stop.


    But as soon as he did, he noticed that the dragon woman was already coming at him with a second strike, and in frustration, he couldn''t help but shout.


    "Stop, crazy woman!" he yelled, but immediately regretted his words as she seemed to grow even more aggressive.


    Over the next few minutes, Ethan endured a level of beating that surpassed all the punishment he had experienced in his 25 years of secluded cultivation.


    He had no idea how many times he had narrowly avoided being decapitated.


    If not for the drastic boost to his stats that he had gained that day, he was certain he wouldn''t have lasted long against her.


    In the end, after suffering several broken bones at her hands, he finally managed to calm her down.


    "Hmph, next time, think twice before playing a trick like that on me," she said with a pout, while Ethan was sprawled against a mountainside, battered and bruised.


    It turned out that the dragon woman had already realized it was him after her initial attacks.


    However, this realization only made her angrier, leading to the subsequent beating Ethan endured in those past few minutes.


    Ethan swore to himself that he would never play such a prank on the dragon woman again.


    The events of the tournament had made him forget just how terrifying she could be when angered.


    Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, Ethan swallowed a few Level 4 recovery pills and soon returned to normal, at least mostly.


    As he dispersed his demonic transformation, he couldn''t help but reflect on their earlier fight. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It seems I really can use demonic energy to some extent," he thought, recalling how he had instinctively wielded it as if it were his usual spiritual Qi to defend himself and heal his injuries.


    He had to admit that demonic Qi had its own advantages when countering attacks.


    While Ethan was recovering, Bai Yu, who had calmed down by now, also reflected on their earlier battle.


    She had to admit that Ethan''s strength had increased exponentially.


    Previously, when she fought at full power, he couldn''t last more than a few attacks.


    But now, he had managed to hold his own for several minutes, which was an incredible leap in strength given the short time since his years of seclusion in the minor dimension.


    She thought that if he continued at this pace, he would likely reach the level of power she originally had within a few centuries.


    This fact would undoubtedly put many figures in the celestial plane on high alert.


    Bai Yu''s speed of progress was already considered one of the best, but if someone could rival her progress in less than a thousand years, that person could only be described as a monster.


    She wondered whether this rapid improvement was due to his natural talent or the Seven Sages'' Amphora.


    "Speaking of the amphora, it''s nearly time for the seal to be fully released," she thought, recalling an important detail.


    Once Ethan had fully recovered and promised to make it up to her, their conversation resumed.


    As she had mentioned earlier, she had eliminated the demon, capturing what appeared to be its demonic core.


    After doing so, she also brought the emperor, who had been left near death, out of the prison dimension.


    Using some of her spiritual Qi, she stabilized his condition enough to bring him out of danger.


    Initially, she had planned to leave him in the care of the palace doctors, but she decided to use the opportunity to inquire about certain past events on this continent.


    From the battle she had witnessed between the demon and the emperor, it was evident that the latter seemed to have a deep understanding of the demonic race, almost as if he had encountered them before.


    Her suspicions were confirmed.


    She learned that there had been a great war in the past against the demonic race, which had suddenly appeared on this plane and brought widespread destruction.


    As Ethan listened to her explanation, he picked up on an important point.


    "Wait, what do you mean by different races uniting to fight them? Aren''t humans the only rulers of this continent now?" he asked, puzzled.


    While beasts could develop intelligence at a certain level and even communicate with humans to some extent, such cases were rare, and these creatures lived scattered across the continent.


    But from what Bai Yu was saying, there seemed to have been a proper beast kingdom, much like the human one.


    Bai Yu nodded and replied, "Yes. In the past, there were multiple ruling races, and the humans and beasts were the two most powerful.


    From what I''ve heard, the two sides didn''t have the best relationship, and occasional wars between them were apparently common," she said, deepening Ethan''s frown.


    If what she said was true, then where was the beast race now?


    Could it be that they had been wiped out by the demons?


    As a series of questions flooded Ethan''s mind, Bai Yu continued her explanation.


    "The war between humans and the beast race seemed to go on for several millennia, until a third race appeared," she said, and Ethan immediately knew which race she was referring to.


    "The demonic race," he answered.


    Bai Yu nodded. "exactly. A hostile race that appeared out of nowhere and began spreading rapidly, reaching a level of danger that neither humans nor beasts could ignore.


    From what I''ve heard, after several failed attempts to repel them, both sides decided to form an alliance to eliminate the demon race," she said.


    Just as Ethan was about to ask how their initiative turned out, she continued.


    "But they failed. The power of the demons was too much for the mortal plane''s inhabitants to handle.


    Although their cultivation was confined to the mortal realm''s limits, the demons had other means.


    In the end, both races faced the threat of complete annihilation, and that''s when a certain figure appeared and managed to drive the demons back," she said with a smile.


    A smile that Ethan didn''t immediately understand but soon did.


    "It seems she kept herself busy here before ascending," he said.

 Chapter 207 - 207: The poor Long Jian

    .


    It didn''t take long for Ethna to understand who was being discussed.


    Ying Hua, the previous owner of the Amphora of the Seven Sages.


    It seemed she had played a significant role in halting the advance of the demonic race, though Ethan couldn''t understand how she had managed to this in the first place.


    She was a woman shrouded in mystery, and even Bai Yu, despite traveling with her for an extended period, had never learned much about her personal life.


    What was known was that she had ascended from the Mortal Plane and wielded an artifact of unimaginable power, but beyond that, even Bai Yu was unsure about her past.


    Ethan waited patiently for Bai Yu to continue explaining, and what he learned next was far beyond what he had anticipated.


    Nearly two millennia ago, demons began to emerge in the lower planes, and since then, they had caused chaos and destruction wherever they went.


    This persisted for decades until the situation reached a point that the two ruling races at the time, the humans and the beasts, had no choice but to set aside their differences and collaborate to eradicate this common enemy.


    However, despite their efforts, the results were disheartening.


    It was only when both sides were on the verge of losing all hope that a spark of salvation appeared, a woman who had reached the pinnacle of the Fifth Stage.


    At that time, individuals of such caliber were exceedingly rare.


    She managed to resist the demonic advance, something no one had accomplished since the beginning of the struggle.


    This woman quickly became a beacon of hope for both races, who worked together with her to push back the demonic forces.


    But there was a problem.


    That problem was none other than demonic Qi.


    No matter how many demons they killed, the residual demonic Qi could not be eradicated. It remained there, continuously giving birth to new demons.


    In other words, even if they could hold back the demonic tide, they couldn''t eliminate it entirely. Continuing to fight indefinitely would only lead to more suffering.


    In the end, Ying Hua, the most powerful being on the continent at the time, decided to find a solution.


    She set her sights on a distant realm that had only been mentioned in ancient texts, a place said to be home to superior beings. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Celestial Plane.


    Throughout millennia, no one had ever breached the Celestial Plane. Yet, she showed unwavering confidence that she could achieve what no one else had.


    Before embarking on this journey, he made a drastic decision, knowing that her absence would leave the mortal plane vulnerable to demons.


    She used a powerful artifact to divide the Great Continent into three parts: one for humans, one for the beast race, and one corrupted and left to the demons.


    The three sections of the once-unified land were then sealed off from one another, ensuring that no race could reach the others while she was away.


    The power of the artifact she wielded was beyond comprehension, enabling her to accomplish such a feat.


    Before departing, she left behind three objects, which Ethan was shocked to discover were cursed items.


    One of these objects turned out to be the wooden sword he had seen during the attack by those clad in black.


    As Ethan listened, pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, especially when he learned the purpose of these cursed items.


    If brought together, these objects could unleash a high-level curse, something that should not exist in this plane.


    According to Bai Yu, they could wipe out the entire population of a continent.


    Specifically, the curse was powerful enough to annihilate all life on the unified Great Continent.


    Ethan wondered why Ying Hua would leave such a dangerous weapon behind, but according to what Bai Yu had heard from the emperor, it was meant as a last resort.


    If Ying Hua did not return in time and the barriers surrounding the three parts of the continent collapsed, allowing the demons to return, the cursed objects would be used to eliminate the threat in one fell swoop.


    In other words, it was a failsafe to completely eradicate the demons.


    Ethan couldn''t help but question why she hadn''t simply destroyed the demons if she possessed such a weapon.


    ''She was probably looking for people infected with Demonic QI,'' he thought.


    While Ethan was lost in thought, Bai Yu, to his surprise, pulled out two of the three cursed items right in front of him.


    One was a wooden sword, and the other was a scabbard seemingly crafted to match the blade perfectly.


    "��"


    Ethan looked at the two items, then at Bai Yu, his expression unreadable, before he finally asked:


    "Don''t tell me you stole these from the emperor," he said in an accusatory tone.


    Hearing this, Bai Yu''s irritation flared, and the serious atmosphere was promptly shattered.


    "What do you mean, stole? I took them because the so called emperor can''t keep them safe! I mean, he was defeated by a single demon, and there are probably thousands of them in the sealed demon continent," she retorted, furious.


    "And for the record, I didn''t take them from the palace, I got them from the crown prince," she added.


    Hearing this, Ethan couldn''t help but feel a sense of foreboding.


    Far to the south of the human continent, in a snowy forest near the northern border of the White Tiger Kingdom, lay an nearly unconscious Long Jian.


    Surrounding him were shattered trees and the remains of various animals.


    The proud prince''s expression was no longer one of valor but of pure terror as he trembled, not from the cold,


    but from fear.


    "Who the hell was that crazy woman?"


    Not long ago, he had reached the northern border, where he was supposed to seal the two cursed items in a designated location.


    He had endured a long journey and, despite several ambushes by half-demons, managed to bring the items to this remote place.


    However, just as he was about to complete his task, he discovered a large cavern.


    According to his father, this cave was home to the ruling beast of the area, and he was to show the family crest to gain access.


    But who could have anticipated that a woman with an otherworldly presence would appear out of nowhere, take the items as if they were hers, and, when he tried to resist, pummel him like a child challenging an adult?


    The ease with which he was defeated shocked even him.


    He knew that even in his beast form, he would stand no chance.


    This was confirmed when the guardian beast of the cave appeared, only to flee in terror at the sight of the woman.


    The proud prince had witnessed things that day he would never forget.


    An empire''s pinnacle of power, reduced to nothing, and a terrifying guardian beast fleeing for its life.


    Before leaving, the woman told him to return to the capital as quickly as possible.


    Then, without further explanation, she vanished, just as suddenly as she had appeared.


    But after the severe beating he endured, the prince barely had the strength to make his way back.


    "What the hell did I do to deserve this?" he muttered to himself.

 Chapter 208 - 208: The Stick and the Carrot

    .


    Ethan ultimately decided to set aside the matter of how Bai Yu had acquired the objects.


    Together, they agreed to find a suitable place within his minor dimension to safeguard them.


    While they were still searching for an appropriate spot and preparing it to ensure the objects wouldn''t be lost under any circumstances, he would keep them in his dimensional space.


    It was as if they had been locked in an almost impenetrable safe, the location of which was unknown to all.


    Bai Yu knew that Ethan had a dimensional space, so he wasn''t surprised when he stored the objects there.


    Ethan, however, had no idea where exactly this space existed.


    Wherever it was, it seemed tied to the amphora. This made it sufficiently secure, and even she understood that.


    Thus, she had no issues with him keeping the objects there.


    With that being said, the amount of information Bai Yu had given him was hard to digest. If everything she had said was true, many of his future plans would have to change.


    For example, he had been taking his time with his cultivation.


    He had participated in the Imperial Tournament when he could have easily skipped it and secluded himself for further cultivation.


    Even though he possessed all the means, he often diverted his attention to various tasks, which further slowed his progress.


    Of course, his cultivation speed was already far superior to anyone else''s, whether mortal or otherwise.


    However, he hadn''t felt the need to rush before.


    With his minor dimension, where time was abundant, he believed he could dedicate himself to everything he wanted while maintaining a good cultivation pace.


    But now, with the revelation that the seal on the continents was weakening and that the demons had seemingly found a way to cross it, albeit in very small numbers, it put him on high alert.


    Ethan and Bai Yu did not know the full extent of the demons'' power. Thus, caution was necessary.


    The demon Bai Yu had killed was, in her estimation, at a decent level.


    In other words, Bai Yu could have also defeated it with relative ease.


    She could destroy their bodies, but she couldn''t eliminate their demonic Qi. This became evident when she brought back what seemed to be the demon''s core, which contained all its corrupt Qi.


    She could fight them in large numbers but she could not annihilate them completely.


    So if they attacked in large numbers, she would face problems after a while.


    That''s where Ethan came in.


    With the power of his special physique, he was capable of extracting and absorbing demonic energy.


    In other words, he could truly kill them, permanently. Not only that, but he could also strengthen himself in the process.


    Neither of them knew how many fifth-stage beings the demon race had, but they could safely assume there were more than just one or two.


    Most likely, there were at least several dozen.


    If Ethan wanted to face them all effectively, he needed to grow stronger, and quickly.


    Ethan had already planned to retreat into closed-door cultivation after some time. However, now he knew he would have to accelerate some of his plans.


    He decided that by the end of the year, he would enter closed-door cultivation. In the meantime, he would make some initial preparations.


    He still wished to repay his debt to the White Phoenix Sect.


    Alongside that, there were a few minor matters to address, such as his business relationship with the Peng family and the more immediate issue of the auction.


    During last night''s banquet, the ten judges had discussed the matter with him.


    In the end, they decided to hold the auction a week after the tournament concluded.


    Ethan resolved to settle some affairs during this period before focusing entirely on his cultivation until the day of the auction arrived.


    Among the few things he did during this time was capture the three demonic cultivators.


    Rather than kill them, he decided they would be more useful alive.


    he extracted the demonic Qi from their bodies and placed soul seals on them, marks left on a person''s soul to ensure they could never betray him.


    Essentially, they became slaves.


    His initial idea had been to kill them outright.


    He knew they hadn''t been forced to join the demon race but had done so willingly.


    All except the woman, whose circumstances seemed special. But to Ethan''s eyes, even she was no different from a traitor to her own race.


    Although his soul puppets were performing well and growing more intelligent by the year, their overall work was still lacking in some areas. Ethan decided to remedy this by sending the three to his minor dimension.


    With them there, he could always keep an eye on them and know if they plotted anything against him.


    Moreover, with the soul seal in place, they couldn''t disobey his orders. Thus, even against their will, they became Ethan''s personal gardeners.


    Initially, he had planned to simply execute them.


    After all, with their cultivation regressed to the second stage following the extraction of all their demonic Qi, they would only have a little more than a century of life left.


    In other words, they would die in just a year in the real world, as a century in his minor dimension passed in the blink of an eye.


    To solve this problem, he decided to reward them if they achieved good results.


    Essentially, he gave them a cultivation technique to properly reach the third stage and told them to cultivate in that place while tending to the innermost parts of his herb garden.


    He also promised that if they did a good job, he would provide them with many resources to break through to the fifth stage without any problems.


    At the mention of this, all three seemed pleased and willingly accepted the deal, which they would have had to accept regardless of resistance.


    Ethan didn''t mind having subordinates of this level.


    In his mind, he thought that if he ever ascended, he could leave them behind to take care of his affairs.


    In essence, he was using the strategy of the stick and the carrot.


    Although they bore the soul seal and had no choice when it came to obeying his commands, he planned to reward them gradually over time.


    This way, they wouldn''t feel completely forced but more like employees working in exchange for substantial pay.


    After settling the matter with the three demonic cultivators, he turned his focus to his own cultivation. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A day before the auction, he made the final breakthrough and stepped into the second level of the fifth stage.

 Chapter 209 - 209: Going to The Auction

    .


    Upon advancing to the second level of the Fifth Stage, Ethan had taken yet another step toward the end of the mortal realm.


    From these first two levels, Ethan understood that the remaining ones would also require a significant amount of time.


    Too much time, in his opinion.


    Of course, if the other cultivators of the Fifth Stage overheard him, they would beat him to death.


    Each of them had needed decades to advance through every level, yet here was Ethan, complaining about just a few months.


    They would have spat liters of blood if they had known Ethan''s thoughts.


    Initially, Bai Yu had been one of those people, but after spending several years with him, she realized that normal people and Ethan lived in different worlds.


    There was no point in trying to instill common sense in someone who, with his cultivation speed, wouldn''t understand it anyway.


    Ethan had almost finished all his business in the capital, so after the auction, he was ready to leave, return, and prepare for secluded cultivation.


    He found it somewhat funny that he had just come out of secluded cultivation and, not long after, was already thinking about going back into it.


    Although he wanted to start immediately, he knew it would take at least a few months, if not an entire year, due to the various tasks he had set for himself before retreating into the minor dimension.


    With that said, after completing his breakthrough and taking the time to solidify his new cultivation base, he moved on and finally the day of the auction arrived.


    The locations where auctions were held throughout the year were numerous, especially in the capital, which, as a major city, never lacked events or venues of this kind.


    The tournament auction had been scheduled to take place in a building near the colosseum.


    The building in question, with a majestic appearance, was richly adorned with sturdy wooden pillars crafted from the highest-quality spiritual wood.


    It showcased the advanced architecture of the capital''s edifices and was thus perfect for such an occasion.


    The interior of the building was divided into many sections, but the one of most interest to people was the underground hall, where the actual auction was held.


    Contrary to what one might expect, the underground hall was very spacious, featuring a large stage surrounded by rows of seats arranged in a semicircle, capable of seating thousands of people.


    Naturally, in addition to these seats, there were private rooms available for those willing to pay extra for personal spaces to view and participate in the auction.


    Among these were also VIP rooms equipped to meet any needs of the guests staying there.


    Ethan and four other individuals were currently in one of these rooms.


    These individuals were none other than Bai Huo Shan, the judge in pink, and, to Ethan''s surprise, Hu Xingyan and Xiang Hua.


    Ethan had no idea how these two women had also ended up in this room.


    When he sought an explanation, the grandmaster alchemist replied that one had come in place of her grandfather, who was currently busy in the White Tiger kingdom, and the other had somehow obtained a special permit thanks to the master of the Phoenix Sect.


    Ethan nodded, but what he truly wanted to ask was why these women ended up in his room.


    It turned out that the room was large, designed for great figures to gather here.


    The room was divided into three groups of four seats each, and at the moment, along with their group, there were also some other figures in the other seating groups.


    As it happened, these two, unwilling to sit with those people, decided to join his group of seats, which, while distanced, wasn''t too far away.


    Ethan thought the privacy aspect of these VIP rooms had apparently been forgotten.


    He discovered that, the single VIP rooms were already completely booked, so they had to settle for this one.


    Ethan was sure that, with the influence of Bai Huo Shan and the Phoenix Sect master, there would have been no issues in securing one of these rooms, but in the end, he decided to let the matter drop.


    It wasn''t as if he cared much.


    After the auction, he would be leaving, so he could only tolerate this unexpected company.


    Eventually, turning to the pink-clad woman who had seated herself on his right, he asked:


    "Are you planning to participate in the auction as well?" he asked, recalling the reason the woman was here in the first place.


    As it turned out, the woman was none other than Bai Huo Shan''s granddaughter.


    Ethan had learned this during the tournament''s closing banquet when she drank too much alcohol and caused trouble for the old man Bai Huo Shan, who could only surrender to his granddaughter''s whims.


    Ethan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of a woman who had most likely surpassed 100 years behaving like a drunken teenager.


    "Not really, I just came to watch the auction. My grandfather wanted me to accompany him, and knowing you would be here too, I thought, why not?" she said, in a far more composed manner, very different from how she had been on the day of the banquet.


    Ethan had noticed that the woman was already speaking to him as if they were old acquaintances, and he wasn''t sure if this was normal or not, but he ignored it.


    After all, he didn''t mind.


    In fact, he preferred it this way. He didn''t want to spend all his time talking formally like some sort of noble.


    It wasn''t something that suited him.


    Bai Huo Shan had already expressed his intention to acquire the Eternal Youth Pill, and if not for a few particular people present today, Ethan was sure that no one would have even dreamed of taking it from him.


    Ethan glanced at certain parts of the room, not to observe the walls but to take note of the people also in VIP rooms, several chambers away from them.


    In particular, two individuals.


    "They were quick to arrive as well," he thought as he immediately recognized who these two figures were.


    One was a tall man with a somewhat elderly appearance, gracefully dressed, though his slightly aged demeanor masked the fact that he had lived for several centuries.


    The other was a beautiful woman, equally composed and naturally charming as she observed the beginning of the auction.


    These two individuals, who would surely draw attention if not for the fact they were also in VIP rooms, were none other than two of the four grandmaster alchemists.


    Ethan knew the Eternal Youth Pill would bring several individuals out of their dens, but he was still surprised that even the other two grandmaster alchemists had already arrived.


    Not long after, the auction finally began.


    Presiding over it was a woman with short brown hair, dressed in a refined gown, who, despite not wearing any apparent makeup, still captivated many of the attendees. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With professionalism, she welcomed everyone, and with that, the auction officially commenced.

 Chapter 210 - 210: The Auction Begins

    .


    All the guests had arrived well before the auction''s start, and as the hour struck, the event officially began.


    The murmuring among the crowd quickly died down as a graceful, beautiful woman stepped onto the stage where today''s items would be presented.


    She introduced herself as the host of the event.


    For Ethan, this wasn''t his first time at an auction.


    Seeing the familiar scene brought back memories, both bitter and sweet, depending on the perspective.


    Although that time had marked yet another downfall since his arrival in this world, it was also the moment where, in a way, his life had begun to change.


    As Ethan listened to the woman''s brief introduction, he found his thoughts drifting to someone from his past.


    "I wonder how he''s doing now�� What was his name again? Yang Wei?"


    While Ethna tried to recall the name of his cellmate from back then, the auction officially got underway.


    The highlight of today''s event would undoubtedly be the eternal youth pill, but it wasn''t the only items up for bid.


    As was customary, there would also be other objects, some of which were said to be anything but ordinary.


    From what Ethan had heard, some of the items were rare and well-known, while others were obscure or completely mysterious but had unique characteristics that made them stand out.


    When the nature of such items couldn''t be determined, they often ended up at prestigious auctions like this, where various experts might take an interest in examining them.


    The first lot was a set of low-grade Level 3 pills, followed by a weapon forged from rare metals.


    Just from this initial display, Ethan realized this auction was far superior to most he had known.


    Starting with a Level 3 pill signaled that it was among the least valuable items of the day.


    Considering such a pill as "less valuable" said it all.


    As Ethan observed, he finally saw the young lady from the Kingdom of the Tiger making her move.


    Examining the item that seemed to have caught her attention, he couldn''t help but nod in approval.


    "She has a good eye," he thought as he carefully examined the object.


    The item in question was a talisman made entirely of green jade. According to the host, it was a relic from a famous cultivator of the past.


    She explained that the talisman was a recording talisman, often used to store techniques or important messages, especially given the material it was crafted from.


    That said, while the talisman clearly had some value, it wasn''t particularly remarkable for the experts present. They had undoubtedly seen similar objects before.


    However, with his heightened perception, Ethan was able to examine not just the talisman''s exterior but also its interior.


    While its grade was high due to the material, it wasn''t advanced enough to resist his perception.


    As a result, he could determine the information contained within and concluded that Hu Xingyan''s intuition was sharp.


    Following the talisman, several other items were presented, ranging from pills to materials.


    The competition for materials was particularly fierce, far more so than for the other items.


    Even the woman in pink robes and the two other young ladies participated in bidding for some rare alchemical materials,


    materials that were only slightly rare for Ethan but highly prized by others.


    In the end, Hu Xingyan, who seemed to have an endless supply of funds, secured the material.


    Watching her spend so freely each time she placed a bid, Grandmaster Bai Huo Shan could only shake his head and say a silent prayer for his colleague.


    "That old man�� I''m sure he''ll shed bitter tears when he sees how much his precious granddaughter has spent," he said with a tone of mock sympathy for the White Tiger Kingdom''s grand alchemy master.


    Ethan, seeing this, didn''t know what expression to make, but he noticed that the other two young women seemed visibly irritated.


    He had already sensed a tense atmosphere forming earlier, but now he understood where it was coming from.


    "Haha, it''s great to be young.


    Oh, wait until I get my hands on your pill, then I can be young again!" Bai Huo Shan suddenly exclaimed, giving Ethan, who was closest to him, a hearty slap on the back.


    The two young womens shot him angry glares, but he just smiled as if nothing had happened.


    Ethan was sure that if the old man were ever to meet his end, it would undoubtedly be at the hands of a woman.


    Faced with the situation, Ethan, being a true gentleman, decided to do what he did best: add fuel to the fire.


    "Sister Y��, please allow this humble one to present you with a small gift," he said out of nowhere, pulling out a wooden box.


    Bai Y�� X��n, the woman in pink, glanced at him, thanked him, and began inspecting the box.


    She already had a good impression of this young alchemist, whose level far exceeded hers, which was by no means low.


    For that reason alone, she had wanted to establish a good relationship with him.


    Now, seeing that he was already friendly with her grandfather, she thought it wouldn''t be too hard to strengthen their connection.


    This unexpected gift only confirmed her belief.


    She didn''t overthink the gift itself, considering it more of a gesture than anything else.


    Unfortunately for her, the gift was far from simple.


    As soon as the jade box was opened, a fragrant aroma of medicinal herbs filled the air.


    Inside, she saw a flower, complete with roots, no more than 15 cm long, with gray petals tinged with blue.


    Upon seeing the flower, she immediately understood its significance.


    It was a Dreaming Mist Flower, coincidentally the same material Hu Xingyan had just won.


    At first, she thought this was a gesture to console her for losing the flower to the White Tiger girl, but she quickly realized this flower was far more valuable.


    The Dreaming Mist Flower was a rare alchemical material known to grow only in perpetually mist-shrouded valleys or near stagnant water sources, where sunlight barely penetrated.


    While such places weren''t hard to find, finding one with enough Qi density to nurture this flower was exceedingly rare.


    As a result, whenever a Dreaming Mist Flower appeared at auction, it was quickly taken, sometimes by cultivators, sometimes by beasts.


    The flower previously auctioned had been five years old, already considered rare for such a rare specimen and immediately snatched up. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To her astonishment, however, this flower wasn''t five years old, it was a 100 years old.

 Chapter 211 - 211: We’re Screwed

    .


    As soon as she examined the Dream Mist Flower and sensed how many years it might have had, she almost dropped it in shock.


    Before she could utter a single word, someone else in the room, caught in a frenzy over the flower''s value, exclaimed,


    "Young Friend, how can you give something like that away so casually? If you have anything else to discard, throw it in this old man''s lap instead!"


    This sudden statement came from Bai Huo Shan, who had noticed the Dream Mist Flower in his granddaughter''s hands and was now glaring at Ethan.


    He wasn''t the only one to notice the flower.


    He was not the only one to notice the flower, and even less was he the only one to know its value,


    but knowing that a figure like him was present in the room, everyone tried to contain their surprise, and chattered in amazement in low voices.


    "Hey, did you see that?


    That boy just pulled out a Dream Mist Flower out of nowhere and gave it to the Grandmaster Alchemist Bai''s granddaughter,"


    "Yeah, and not just any flower. If I''m not mistaken, that flower is far older than the one that was just auctioned off."


    "What? Are you serious? To give something like that away as a gift... Could it be that he''s interested in the Grandmaster''s granddaughter?"


    This simple gesture from Ethan quickly spiraled into a much larger commotion than the earlier bidding war over the auctioned flower, which Hu Xingyan had successfully acquired.


    Even she, who had been happy with her purchase, felt a pang in her heart upon seeing this flower.


    Both she and Xiang Hua were sitting close to Ethan''s table, got a better view of the flower and were able to assess its age.


    The two young women, realizing he had just gifted such a rare material, immediately fell into a state of delirium.


    Just like Bai Huo Shan, many others wanted to say the same thing to Ethan, who didn''t care much and simply said:


    "Oh, this? It was just gathering dust in my ring, so I thought, why not give it to someone who could use it?"


    Bai Huo Shan: "..."


    The two young women: "..."


    The rest of the crowd: "..."


    Bai Yu: "Hmm? Who''s causing all this commotion?" she asked mentally, having woken up in her beast form wrapped around Ethan''s wrist.


    Bai Huo Shan nearly spat blood at Ethan''s reply.


    Even he, a respected Grandmaster Alchemist, couldn''t claim to own such an item.


    And yet, here was someone casually handing it over to his granddaughter as if it were nothing.


    He felt more and more tempted to swoop in on Ethan and see what else he was hiding.


    Meanwhile, Ethan, having successfully poured fuel on the fire, turned his attention back to the auction, unaware of the numerous misunderstandings he had sown in everyone''s minds, especially in those of the young women.


    ''You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?'' Bai Yu remarked, now fully awake.


    ''Who, me? Nah,''


    ''The smirk on your face says otherwise,'' she said, shaking her head.


    Ethan had honestly wanted to gift a less rare flower, something around 20 or 30 years old.


    But unfortunately for him, every herb in his garden was at least 100 years old.


    So, he had picked the youngest one available and handed it to Bai Y�� X��n.


    What he hadn''t expected was that even the experts in the nearby VIP rooms would notice the herb''s presence.


    The two Grandmaster Alchemists identified its aura and almost rushed to the source.


    For a moment, they thought the herb sold moments ago might have been much older than initially estimated.


    But then they realized there were two distinct auras, meaning the new herb wasn''t the one from the auction.


    If not for the fact that a colleague of theirs was present, they would have likely barged into the VIP room themselves.


    Instead, they decided to wait until the auction ended to directly question Bai Huo Shan about the herb.


    Unintentionally, Ethan had caused quite the headache for Bai Huo Shan, who quickly realized it.


    The Grandmaster could only glance at Ethan with a look of regret as the young man ignored him.


    ''You bastard, at least give me one too!''


    Despite the uproar, the auction proceeded without interruption.


    More items and refining materials, as well as pills, were displayed.


    After some time, even Ethan''s mid-grade Level 3 pill was put on display.


    There was no need to say that this pill was one of the most anticipated items of the day. As such, it sparked a bidding war that reached staggering amounts.


    For a pill of this level, the current figures were already astronomical.


    But given the situation, the auctioneer knew the bids wouldn''t end anytime soon.


    And so, the bidding war continued for another 20 minutes before someone announced an overwhelming offer and won the pill.


    Even Ethan raised an eyebrow when he saw the final price.


    Although the sum wasn''t directly his, seeing one of his pills sell for such a price made him reconsider some of his previous sales strategies.


    He thought that if he had done something like this before his isolation, it would have had an even better impact on his pill sales.


    But he quickly shook the idea out of his mind.


    Even so, the effect these pills would have today wouldn''t be minor, especially since he had marked the two most precious ones with his Alchemist''s Seal. S��ar?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Meiling, who had been invited to the annual auction after the tournament, was sitting in one of the VIP rooms.


    Watching the pill fall into a rival''s hands only soured her mood further.


    As she observed the pill being carried away, she noticed it bore the alchemist''s seal.


    She already knew who had created the pill.


    After all, how could she not?


    She had attended the tournament, as such, was familiar with Nuyu.


    If it had been up to her, she would have done everything to recruit such a young and capable alchemist.


    But by the time the semifinals arrived, she realized he was beyond their reach, especially after witnessing his performance in the finals.


    "Let''s at least remember his seal. It might be useful in the future."


    Like many others in the field, she wanted to keep track of his future achievements and, therefore, wanted to memorize his alchemist''s mark.


    Unfortunately for her, the moment she saw the mark on the pill, her world fell apart.


    "N-no way..."


    It didn''t take long for her to recall the mark. In fact, it was almost instantaneous. How could it not be?


    The mark in question was that of a brand that had haunted her and many others in the city''s alchemical sector over the past few months.


    There was no way she wouldn''t recognize that mark.


    "We''re screwed."

 Chapter 212 - 212: Elder Sister

    .


    The auction had been going on for quite a while, and before anyone realized it, nearly two hours had already passed.


    For many, this time flew by unnoticed because they were too engrossed in the auction.


    For others, however, the period felt longer since nothing of particular interest had appeared yet.


    One of these person was none other than Ethan.


    Apart from watching his pills being sold and creating some connections, he didn''t know what else to do.


    Thus, he either sat there and watched the auction continue as he examined each item, or, as he had done previously, he handed out items at random to the woman in pink sitting next to him.


    Needless to say, this caused chaos in the hall multiple times. At one point, even the grandmaster alchemists could no longer hold themselves back and stormed into the VIP room where Ethan and the others were.


    At that moment, their group, which was supposed to consist of four people, now had six. Even the two new arrivals ended up merely watching as Ethan continued his "gift-giving" antics.


    At this point, all three grandmaster alchemists were on the verge of capturing Ethan, tying him up, and squeezing out all the treasures he had, as every gift he revealed was in no way inferior to the Mist Flower.


    Even Bai Yu Xin didn''t know how to feel about this.


    On one hand, she was happy to have acquired such a wealth of treasures, any one of which could have triggered a small war.


    On the other hand, she feared that these treasures would only bring her danger. She tried to tell Ethan that there was no need for more gifts and that the ones already given were more than enough.


    Ethan simply replied that none of those present, even if they wanted to, could so much as lift a finger against her in his presence.


    At this statement, the new arrivals almost became furious. However, the moment they felt a faint trace of dragon aura emanating from him, both were petrified with fear, frozen in place.


    The others didn''t understand their sudden strange behavior, mainly because Ethan didn''t release his aura on everyone, just those two.


    Only Bai Huo Shan knew what they had experienced.


    Although he hadn''t suffered the same fate, he knew them well and was somewhat aware of Ethan''s strength.


    This alone was enough for him to draw a conclusion. Sear?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Bah, it wouldn''t be bad to have a son-in-law like him,'' he thought, mistakenly believing that Ethan had a certain interest in his granddaughter.


    Unfortunately for him, reality was far from that.


    After a while, Ethan shifted his gift-giving target from Bai Yu Xin to J��n Y��ng, the grandmaster alchemist woman in the room.


    When she saw her gift, she was stunned for a moment, as she hadn''t expected it, but she immediately accepted it, knowing the value of the herb.


    Unlike before, Ethan had done this as a way to get closer to another grandmaster alchemist.


    Apparently, he had decided to stop giving gifts randomly.


    As he waited for the auction to continue, he began conversing with the other alchemists.


    Although the two grandmaster alchemists were irritated by his favoritism toward women, they held back from saying anything, partly because they didn''t want to beg for those items and partly because they noticed the piercing gaze of Grandmaster J��n Y��ng, warning them to keep their distance.


    Not that it was necessary, among everyone present, the masked youth had proven to be the strongest.


    Bai Yu, who witnessed all the trouble Ethan was causing in the hall, could only shake her head.


    And when she saw him move from one woman to another, she bit his wrist, almost making him curse aloud.


    Only Ethan knew how much willpower it took not to scream in pain.


    The dragon woman, after all, was an expert at fifth stage.


    His high defense wasn''t very effective against her.


    After another 30 minutes, an item finally appeared that caught Ethan''s attention.


    "Hey, do you feel that aura too?" Ethan asked Bai Yu as he examined the newly displayed item with his spiritual sense.


    "Yes, the wood element aura it emits is very strong, and it seems something with an even more intense aura is sealed within it," she replied, perceiving the same energy from the item just placed up for bidding.


    The others in the room, noticing Ethan''s interest, also paid attention to the item.


    What they saw was a seed, about the size of a palm.


    Analyzing it, they found nothing particularly special, but they knew better than to underestimate the young alchemist.


    If he found something interesting in the seed, then it surely held something unique.


    J��n Y��ng, seeing that the masked youth was finally interested in something, decided to buy it for him.


    "Fellow alchemist, let this elder sister get that seed for you as thanks for the gift you gave me," she offered, volunteering to purchase the seed for him.


    Hearing how she referred to herself, Bai Huo Shan and the other grandmaster alchemist nearly spat out blood, with the former exclaiming,


    "Old hag, stop being so shameless. Elder sister? More like grandmother!"


    Just as he was about to continue, he was met with a deadly glare from J��n Y��ng.


    That alone was enough for both men to shut their mouths.


    They knew better than anyone how terrifying this woman could be when provoked.


    Ethan could only sympathize with the two men as he watched them being suppressed by J��n Y��ng.


    ''Don''t worry, I understand your suffering. I, too, am mistreated by a cruel woman,'' he thought to himself, trying to console them.


    Unfortunately for him, he forgot that a fragment of that "cruel woman''s" soul resided in his mind.


    He nearly shouted aloud when he felt Bai Yu bite his wrist a second time.


    Finally deciding to put the matter aside, he turned his attention to the mature woman who had offered to buy the seed for him.


    "Elder Sister J��n Y��ng, there''s no need for you to buy it for me.


    As a man, I couldn''t possibly let a beautiful woman like you spend money on my behalf.


    Don''t worry, it''s just a few spirit stones, nothing I can''t handle myself," he said, causing nearly everyone present to spit a mouthful of blood.


    Even Xiang Hua and Hu Xingyan almost lost their composure at the scene.


    For them, it was the first time seeing this side of the masked youth, and they didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    Only J��n Y��ng was pleased by Ethan''s words and chose not to insist.


    As Ethan prepared to bid, he noticed the two grandmaster alchemists giving him a thumbs-up while murmuring,


    "Well done, brother."


    Ethan had no idea what the two old men were thinking but didn''t dwell on it. Right now, he had an item to win.


    Once the seed was displayed, the auctioneer introduced it and its background.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, what you see is a mysterious seed found in the ruins of an ancient expert''s tomb located in the desert east of the Phoenix Kingdom.


    As many of you may have noticed, it emits a certain healing aura.


    Many of our experts have tried to examine it in recent times without much success.


    In the end, the seed''s owner decided to put it up for auction, hoping that someone who might know more about it would acquire it," she explained, adding a few more words before starting the bidding.


    The initial offer was 1,000 high-grade spirit stones.


    This amount wasn''t excessive for anyone present; in fact, many of them spent far greater sums daily on trivial things.


    That said, no one seemed particularly interested in the seed. Only a few made a bid or two before stopping, thinking it wasn''t worth it.


    In the end, the only one left was a wealthy merchant who decided to participate in a small bidding war just for fun.


    As the auctioneer was about to finalize the sale, a voice rang out from one of the VIP rooms.


    The voice belonged to none other than Ethan.

 Chapter 213 - 213: Bidding War

    .


    Ethan''s participation took many by surprise, especially those currently in the VIP hall with him.


    They had seen this masked young alchemist continuously bring out impressive items but had never seen him actively participate in the auction.


    Seeing the value of his items, many thought that someone with such treasures probably had no need to bid on anything and that he was there merely for entertainment.


    So, when he suddenly made an offer, it caught everyone off guard, including Xiang Hua and Hu Xingyan.


    Their confusion stemmed from the fact that none of them found anything particularly special about the seed.


    Even after hearing its story, they weren''t interested in it. The same was true for most of the other attendees.


    Apart from a few who seemed to be bidding out of sheer competitiveness, no one was willing to waste their money on it.


    The wealthy merchant, who had decided to bid for the seed, smiled when he noticed someone else joining the competition.


    He began to raise the stakes confidently.


    "Let''s see if you can keep up with me."


    This merchant owned one of the wealthiest trade organizations in the kingdom and, as such, had no shortage of funds.


    He had come to the auction for the Eternal Youth Pill.


    Despite his great wealth, his cultivation base remained at the second stage, and due to his low talent, he knew he wouldn''t progress much further.


    He relied on rare medicinal herbs to extend his life.


    Hearing about the appearance of such a miraculous pill, he didn''t hesitate and rushed to the auction.


    Fortunately for him, the auction was being held in a city near the imperial capital, so he managed to arrive within a day.


    Now, he was simply waiting for the pill to be presented.


    In the meantime, he decided to make a few casual purchases, as was his habit.


    By now, he had developed a routine of flaunting his wealth whenever he could.


    With that in mind, he didn''t hesitate as he engaged in a bidding war with Ethan.


    "10,000 high-grade spirit stones," he declared, as if such a sum was trivial to him.


    "20,000," Ethan responded immediately.


    "40,000."


    "80,000," Ethan countered without hesitation.


    Seeing the persistence of his rival, the merchant decided to show him who he was dealing with.


    "500,000 high-grade spirit stones," he declared, causing many to widen their eyes in disbelief. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He''s insane, spending so much on an item like that."


    "Some people just have too much money to waste."


    "Well, I''m not surprised. After all, he''s the owner of..."


    As the crowd continued to chatter about the absurd bidding war, Ethan glanced at the wealthy merchant.


    J��n Y��ng considered stepping in to assist Ethan.


    Although she didn''t understand why Ethan was so insistent on obtaining such an item at such a high cost, the gift Ethan had given her earlier far surpassed the value of anything presented at the auction today.


    She figured spending a few spirit stones wasn''t a big deal.


    For an expert of her level, even spending millions of spirit stones was nothing.


    Just as J��n Y��ng was about to intervene, Ethan spoke again.


    "5 million high-grade spirit stones."


    The crowd: "..."


    The merchant: "..."


    The auctioneer: "..."


    Everyone fell silent at the astronomical sum Ethan had just offered for the seed.


    Even the merchant nearly dropped his jaw at the figure.


    The amount itself wasn''t an issue for him, but spending it on an item like that was an enormous waste of money, even for someone of his wealth.


    He couldn''t understand why the person he was bidding against had offered such an exorbitant number of spirit stones, but wisely, he decided to retreat.


    Although he had wanted to outbid Ethan, even for him, spending money so casually wasn''t an option.


    In the end, seeing the wealthy merchant withdraw, the auctioneer finalized Ethan''s bid with an excited expression.


    After all, she would earn a small percentage of each sale, and seeing the sum that had just been spent, she knew her earnings today would be considerable.


    Finally, the seed Ethan had just purchased was brought to him, and he immediately began examining it.


    ''Just as I thought, within it lies a dense amount of spiritual Qi of the wood element,'' he mused.


    Ethan had purchased the item because of the peculiar wood aura it emitted.


    Now, seeing that it indeed contained a substantial amount of wood-element Qi, he couldn''t help but wonder what kind of plant it might grow into.


    Thanks to the system, which provided him with increasing knowledge of plants and herbs as he advanced in alchemical skill, Ethan had a comprehensive understanding of flora.


    Yet even with that knowledge, he couldn''t identify the seed just by looking at it.


    ''This item would definitely be beneficial for a cultivator of the wood element,'' he thought as he put it away.


    Though unsure of the seed''s origins, he planned to plant it in his herb garden.


    Who knew? Something good might grow from it.


    With that settled, while he was lost in his thoughts, the object that everyone was waiting for, the one that had even drawn powerful figures to the auction, was finally unveiled.


    Needless to say, the commotion it caused was immense, and Ethan watched as a fierce bidding war began.


    To his surprise, the three Grandmaster-level alchemists in their group weren''t the only ones bidding.


    Even the two women participated.


    He could imagine that Hu Xingyan was bidding on behalf of her grandfather, who couldn''t attend today.


    However, Ethan was puzzled by Xiang Hua''s participation.


    Although the pill was beneficial for everyone, it had significant effects on people like Bai Huo Shan, who had already spent most of their lives and could use it to regain a significant amount of vitality.


    Their bodies would also be enhanced, allowing them to cultivate further and reach new heights.


    At first, Ethan thought Xiang Hua was bidding for Feng Huang, but then he shook his head.


    Although she had undoubtedly surpassed 100 years, she was far from the midpoint of her life.


    As a cultivator at the fifth stage, she could comfortably live for more than 1,000 years, possibly even 2,000, if she continued cultivating.


    So, that pill couldn''t be for her, could it?


    Ultimately, Ethan stopped paying attention and merely observed the bidding war for the pill, which quickly reached astronomical ammount.

 Chapter 214 - 214: Market in Chaos

    .


    The bidding war for the pill was fiercer than Ethan had anticipated.


    Initially, he thought that aside from the three grandmaster alchemists and perhaps a few other prominent figures, there wouldn''t be many competitors. But he was gravely mistaken.


    The number of affluent individuals who appeared one after another shocked even Ethan, and all of them had statuses rivaling those of grandmasters. Naturally, they didn''t hold back, competing ferociously.


    The pill, which had initially started at a price of 1 billion high-grade spiritual stones, ended up selling for 30 billion, a sum that could tempt an entire kingdom.


    This amount alone was enough to build dozens of mid-to-high-level cities equipped with state of the art infrastructure.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what to do with this wealth, which far exceeded what he currently possessed. In the end, he decided to set it aside and consider later how best to use it.


    He had long wanted to construct a residence in his minor dimension, but there were several issues to address, such as ensuring that news of his possession of such a place didn''t leak out, and ensuring that the builders wouldn''t return visibly aged after entering in the dimension.


    However, even that issue was resolved thanks to his soul puppets, which, as they evolved further, had already begun constructing a small city for themselves.


    What had started as a small village had, by the time Ethan entered again, begun transforming into a small city.


    Ethan wondered what the city would look like in a few more days after all, in just a few short years within the dimension, much could be achieved.


    For now, the number of residences was quite low, as were the current residents themselves. sea??h th�� novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan, after having twenty or so houses built, halted construction as there was no need for more. The existing ones were more than sufficient.


    If not for this, with his current abilities, he could have manipulated the workers'' memories or even given them a few more years of life.


    So, if he had wanted to, he could have done it.


    He set aside the wealth he had earned, thinking he would discuss with Da Shu how best to use it. For now, it was time for his group to return.


    With his pill already heavily publicized, he was confident that the effects of such promotion would soon be felt, and he was right.


    Contrary to what Ethan had expected, the effects were already being felt in the Sun City market.


    All the major families and organizations that had been pressuring the Peng family to hinder their growth quickly withdrew.


    To the surprise of many who had not participated in the auction, these powerful entities now sought to collaborate in further expanding the Peng family''s business.


    This was a huge surprise for all members of the Peng family, especially those who held a share in the current business.


    Ethan''s portion of the pills was entirely managed by Da Shu, but the family''s businesses were not, so any increase in those profits directly boosted their own earnings.


    The only reason no one in the family tried to pull any tricks on Da Shu was that he could simply sell his pills elsewhere and not through the family''s stores.


    They were already earning substantial profits from selling Da Shu''s products, which were in ever growing demand. It made no sense for them to try to gain even more.


    Though greedy, they knew when to stop.


    So, despite some internal friction, the family''s business never faltered.


    This sudden change in the market startled many of them. And while it seemed like a good thing on the surface, they were cautious.


    Why would the various large organizations that did not need to give themselves a face suddenly ask to collaborate?


    Would this ultimately be more harmful than beneficial to them?


    While everyone was lost in such dilemmas, Ethan, the cause of it all, finally arrived at Sun City.


    His group used a teleportation formation to get as close as possible to the city.


    From there, they traveled aboard a flying treasure belonging to the pavilion elder.


    Ethan, with his current cultivation level, could have arrived sooner by traveling alone.


    But there was no rush or reason to do so, so he enjoyed the journey, sometimes lazing around, sometimes conversing with the pavilion elder, who felt her alchemical knowledge deepen with every interaction with Ethan.


    Upon returning, Ethan planned to visit Da Shu to greet him and get an update on how the business was going.


    But to his great shock, what he discovered upon arrival nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets.


    ***


    In the Imperial Palace


    After a few days, Prince Jian finally managed to return.


    If not for his poor condition, his travel time would have been much shorter. But unfortunately for him, there was no other option, so he could only blame the crazy woman he had encountered.


    He didn''t know who that woman was or why she had attacked him, but he had a nagging feeling that she hadn''t even gone all out against him, a thought that terrified him greatly.


    If it were true, it meant another powerful fifth-stage expert was roaming the empire, unknown to anyone.


    First there was the portal monster, and now there was the woman, no less strong than the demon, he had met a few days ago.


    He wondered why fifth-stage experts seemed to be appearing suddenly from all directions.


    Was it somehow connected to what his father had told him?


    "At least it doesn''t seem like she''s aligned with the demons," he sighed in relief.


    He had already confirmed that the demons had found a way to breach the barrier. But from what little he had learned, they could only do so in small quantities.


    There was still time to prepare for their eventual invasion in the future.


    That said, as soon as he returned, he tried to sense his father''s aura with his dense spiritual sense. In the end, he managed to locate it.


    "Hm? There''s something wrong," he thought, somewhat agitated.


    He already knew something had happened at the palace. When he left on his father''s orders, he had known that something like this could occur.


    Thus, he expected to see anything upon his return.


    And with the words of that woman, he was even more certain that something had happened at the palace.


    Yet, when he returned, things seemed normal.


    For a moment, this gave him some relief.


    But then, sensing his father''s aura, he immediately noticed that it was weak. Moreover...


    It seemed like something was missing.

 Chapter 215 - 215: Unexpected Surprise

    .


    Currently in the Peng family residence.


    Ethan and Da Shu were sitting at a table in the garden, sipping tea while talking.


    After returning to the sect, it had taken Ethan some time to find his friend since he was not at his residence.


    Unsure of where to look, Ethan assumed Da Shu might be out and decided to wait, thinking they would meet later.


    That was when he ran into Lin Huo Li.


    Curious, Ethan asked her about Da Shu''s whereabouts, only to learn that he was staying at his family''s residence to take care of some matters.


    Ethan thought this might be for the best since he had revealed more of his alchemical prowess recently.


    It was a good opportunity for him to plan the sale of more potent pills for the future.


    Ethan personally no longer cared much about the pill business.


    Initially, he had pursued it purely for financial reasons, but now that money was no longer an issue, nor were resources thanks to his minor dimension, his priorities had shifted.


    He continued to run the business to ensure that the Peng family would be able to defend themselves from future enemies, should he ever have to leave.


    With that in mind, he decided to discuss some of his plans with Da Shu, or at least, that had been his original intention.


    ***


    "What?! You got married?!"


    "When did this happen? I''m sure you weren''t married when I left!" Ethan exclaimed, nearly choking on his tea.


    The news hit him so hard he couldn''t process it calmly.


    He had already noticed some peculiar signs earlier, such as Lin Huo Li hesitating when asked about Da Shu.


    Seeing her blush out of nowhere, Ethan had thought the situation was strange, but who would have guessed that the two had progressed this far?


    He couldn''t understand how all this had happened in less than a month.


    Da Shu, already prepared for Ethan''s shock, took a sip of his tea calmly before replying,


    "Well, believe it or not, it all happened so suddenly for me too." His expression seemed to drift as if lost in distant memories.


    Ethan, hearing this, couldn''t help but ask for details, and what he learned was beyond anything he could have imagined.


    After Da Shu confessed his feelings, Lin Huo Li took him to meet her family the very next day.


    Initially opposed to the union, her family eventually agreed after some heated arguments.


    The day after that, the wedding was prepared.


    For some reason, Da Shu''s family also approved of the match as if it were no big deal.


    By the fifth day, the two were already husband and wife, having visited both families to pay respects as tradition demanded.


    They agreed to live together once they reached a certain cultivation level, given their relatively young age.


    What astonished Ethan wasn''t the speed of events but the fact that Da Shu had gone along with it all without resistance, watching the sequence of events unfold.


    He hadn''t convinced Lin Huo Li''s family himself; she had done it.


    According to Da Shu, Lin Huo Li had a fiery argument with her family that nearly ended with severed ties.


    However, she ultimately declared that Da Shu was the wealthy owner of a successful pill business. Upon learning this, her family''s attitude shifted dramatically.


    A similar situation occurred with Da Shu''s family, who, as he later discovered, had accepted the match so quickly because his parents feared he would die a bachelor without ever finding love.


    Grateful to have someone like Lin Huo Li as his partner, his parents wasted no time and wholeheartedly approved of the marriage.


    This was just the beginning of the whirlwind week of events.


    Ethan felt that this sequence of events rivaled the plot twists of dramas from his previous world.


    As he tried to process everything, Bai Yu, in his mind, erupted into laughter. S��arch* The N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the end, Ethan could only offer his friend some sympathy, telling him,


    "At least you secured the woman you like."


    After discussing Da Shu''s peculiar marriage, Ethan shifted the conversation to business.


    He explained how the tournament and subsequent auction had gone, leaving Da Shu momentarily speechless.


    "Wait, are you telling me you won? Not in the beginner category, but in the expert one?" Da Shu asked, astonished.


    He had always known Ethan was a talented alchemist and expected him to rank highly, but taking first place was something even Da Shu hadn''t anticipated.


    ''I guess I underestimated him again,'' he thought, shaking his head.


    After a moment, something else occurred to him.


    "Well, that would explain the behavior of all those families," Da Shu murmured to himself.


    "Hm? What behavior?"


    "Oh, right, you wouldn''t know since you''ve just returned.


    In the past few days, many of our biggest competitors have stopped putting pressure on our business.


    Some of the larger families have even approached us with offers for collaboration," Da Shu explained, going into detail about recent business developments.


    Ethan wasn''t too surprised by this since he had partly expected it to happen, though perhaps not so quickly.


    "Everything seems to be moving a bit too fast these days," Ethan thought, amused by the irony.


    Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside and got to the point.


    "How long do you plan to be away?" Da Shu asked, hearing that Ethan intended to enter seclusion again.


    It wasn''t unusual for a cultivator to do so, if anything, it was unusual for Ethan to have only stayed in seclusion for a month last time.


    However, what worried Da Shu was that Ethan had hinted that this period might be longer.


    "Probably no more than a year, but that''s not the issue.


    In the future, I may need to leave for extended periods, possibly years or even decades, depending on circumstances.


    I can''t produce enough pills to sustain you for that long, so I thought of an alternative," Ethan explained, outlining his plan to train some of the Peng family''s alchemists.


    Hearing this, Da Shu didn''t complain.


    As a cultivator himself, he understood how important Ethan''s cultivation journey was.


    He was already grateful for all the help Ethan had provided his family, and the offer to train their alchemists to a higher level was more than he could have asked for, so he thanked him sincerely.

 Chapter 216 - 216: Meeting

    .


    The following day, at the Peng family manor, Ethan and Da Shu stood in a large hall before a group of seven people, three women and four men.


    On one side of the hall, the patriarch of the Peng family observed.


    Intrigued by Ethan''s proposal, he had decided to personally attend the gathering.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, Da Shu stepped forward and began the introductions:


    "First of all, let me make the introductions," he said, pointing toward Ethan, who was currently in disguise.


    "This is the alchemist who, in recent months, has helped our family sell the high-quality pills that have shaken the market of Sun City," he said, emphasizing key points to give a clearer picture of Ethan''s identity.


    The feats of Nuyu had yet to spread widely among the public of Sun City, and only members of the most powerful factions were aware of him.


    Therefore, it was to be expected that these people did not know who he was.


    The moment Da Shu mentioned that Ethan was a three-star alchemy master, everyone in the room, including the patriarch, was stunned by the revelation.


    The patriarch, who had already recognized Ethan''s extraordinary capabilities, almost spat out a mouthful of blood upon realizing the truth.


    "So all this time, we''ve been benefiting from the assistance of a three-star alchemy master for free?"


    Needless to say, the news of Ethan''s apparent level of mastery shook everyone present to their core.


    Watching their reactions, Ethan wondered how they would react if he revealed that being compared to a great master alchemist would not be an exaggeration.


    But observing their current shock, he thought it might even cause heart attacks if he had said so, and therefore chose to keep his thoughts to himself.


    The individuals summoned by Da Shu that day were all novice alchemists.


    Some of them were mere apprentices, while the most skilled among them was only at the expert level.


    Ethan had specifically requested at least one person from each tier because, depending on the alchemist''s level, his teachings would have varying effects. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For instance, teaching the least skilled alchemist would be simpler in his eyes compared to instructing the most advanced one.


    Because on one hand there was someone highly malleable, whose knowledge was still forming and required solidification, while on the other, there was someone whose knowledge was already solidified, making it challenging to alter within a short period.


    This was because one would take his words at face value, while the other would analyze and compare them with their existing knowledge, which, although not negative, slowed the learning process.


    That said, for his level of alchemy and with the help of some of his skills, Ethan believed it wouldn''t be difficult to teach anyone present.


    He had decided to spend at most a year organizing everything before going into seclusion to cultivate and believed this period was more than enough to transform all present into truly high-level alchemists.


    His goal was to ensure that they achieved perfect mastery, allowing them to in turn train others, thus ensuring that the Peng family would have many more capable alchemists in the future.


    The seven individuals summoned by Da Shu were not chosen at random but rather filtered based on criteria provided by Ethan, which he believed would identify those most suitable for his teachings.


    While Ethan began his initial lessons for the Peng family alchemists, a significant event was unfolding in the capital of the empire.


    In the imperial palace''s conference hall, several figures sat around a large round table with a vacant space in the middle.


    Starting with the emperor, seated in a chair visibly distinct from the others, the lineup extended to the right, where the master of the White Tiger Sect was seated.


    He was a tall and robust man who didn''t bother concealing his toned arms and bare chest, wearing an open, sleeveless shirt.


    His face was angular, his deep gray eyes piercing, and a short beard adorned his chin. Long gray-white hair was tied back behind him.


    Next to him was the master of the Qilin Sect, a man who could be described as the White Tiger Sect master''s opposite.


    Standing no taller than 180 cm, he had a leaner build and a more refined demeanor, with a clean-shaven face that made him appear no older than 30.


    He, too, had long, thick black hair tied back. His gaze was calm, with a faint spark flickering in his dark violet-black eyes.


    Finally, there was the only woman present at the table��Feng Huang, the current master of the Phoenix Sect and Ethan''s mentor.


    Apart from these three and the emperor, Prince Jian sat to the emperor''s right.


    The rulers of all three realms within the Long Empire were present, listening intently with concerned expressions as Long Hao spoke.


    When the meeting was initially called following the alchemy tournament, many of them had doubts about the gathering''s purpose.


    Many assumed the emperor intended to discuss the being that emerged from the portal a few months ago.


    However, when the day of the meeting arrived, they were shocked to see the emperor visibly injured, even missing an arm.


    This sight alone made everyone realize the situation was far more severe than they had imagined.


    After all, Long Hao was the most powerful expert of the fifth stage, and seeing him in this state could only mean that whatever he faced was at a level capable of threatening even him.


    This fact alone made the situation dire, but what they heard next exceeded their expectations.


    "Wait, are you saying the barrier has been breached?" said Jiang Zheng, the White Tiger Sect master.


    "No, but it''s weak enough to allow some of them to cross. In a decade or two at most, it will likely shatter completely," replied the emperor.


    Clearly, this news did not lift anyone''s spirits.


    "Just a decade or two? That''s not much time to prepare. If attacked in our current state, our chances of victory won''t be high," said Lei Jun, the Qilin Sect master.


    Everyone silently nodded at his remark.


    They were all aware of the existence of the demon race and had spent centuries cultivating and strengthening their forces.


    But if what the emperor said was true, they likely still didn''t have enough strength to counter the other side.


    "Is there any chance we can contact


    them


    ?" Feng Huang asked.


    Everyone in the room understood who she was referring to,


    the rulers of the Beast Continent.


    With their alliance, humanity''s chances of resisting the demons would be far greater, something everyone in the room understood well.


    "They are already aware of the situation on our continent.


    From what I''ve learned, they''ve had no attacks from the demons, likely because we hold two of the three artifacts," said the emperor before pausing, reflecting on what his son had told him.


    The discussion among the powers continued for a while longer, as they brainstormed how to make the most basic preparations.


    At the same time, Ethan was engaged in a similar discussion with Bai Yu about the same topic.

 Chapter 217 - 217: First Week of Training

    .


    A week had passed since the meeting, and in that time, apart from teaching the alchemists of the Peng family, Ethan hadn''t done much else.


    Teaching the seven members of the Peng family was initially challenging, mainly due to two alchemists, one at the expert level and the other a Three-Star Adept.


    Both were dissatisfied with Ethan.


    While they could accept Ethan''s superiority and respected his rank, when Ethan told them that everything they had learned so far was practically useless, their pride took a serious blow.


    It''s worth noting that being an Adept-level alchemist of the highest rank was a significant point of pride for most, even more so for someone at the Expert level.


    For these two individuals, who had enjoyed a degree of fame due to their status, hearing that their accomplishments amounted to nothing irritated them greatly.


    Although they didn''t openly oppose him, they decided to remain skeptical about everything they would learn from Ethan.


    Ethan could only shake his head at their childish behavior and realized that if these two weren''t brought in line from the start, they wouldn''t learn anything.


    Thus, he made a slight adjustment to his plans and decided to start with them before moving on to the younger, less experienced members.


    Ethan''s teaching itself wasn''t anything extraordinary.


    What set him apart was his deep alchemical knowledge, both in terms of refining techniques and his understanding of materials.


    On the first day, he summoned these two and asked them to refine some pills.


    He told them to produce the most high level pills they could, and what he saw left him far from pleased.


    One managed to refine high-grade Level 1 pills with a purity of 76%, barely above the minimum requirement for that grade. The other, produced low-grade Level 2 pills with a purity not far from the minimum needed for that level.


    Seeing this performance, Ethan realized that the general standard for alchemists of this level was far lower than he had expected.


    He had already noticed their traditional, inefficient refining methods, but seeing that their final products were subpar only made him shake his head further.


    In the end, he decided to rewrite their entire foundation in alchemy and refining techniques from scratch.


    He called the two of them closer. Thinking they had done a decent job, they approached, expecting praise or acknowledgment.


    What they received, however, was something that left them both grateful and terrified at the same time.


    Ethan decided to use a soul-based technique to link with them and directly transfer knowledge into their minds.


    Normally, transferring knowledge wouldn''t require using one''s soul.


    However, during his studies on the soul and its manipulation, Ethan discovered that combining this technique with others would amplify its effects.


    And indeed, it worked just as he expected.


    As soon as the two stood in front of him, Ethan touched their foreheads with his fingers and overwrote their alchemical knowledge.


    Doing something like this wasn''t easy. It was challenging for both the one performing the transfer and the one receiving it.


    The two felt as if they had been struck by lightning for who knows how long, and in the end, both fainted.


    Ethan didn''t worry about it. He simply woke them up with a slap to the face.


    The two were understandably unhappy with the treatment, but when Ethan told them to refine pills again, they had no choice but to obey.


    As soon as they got to work, they immediately noticed something different.


    For some reason, their understanding felt sharper and more precise, and their refining process seemed smoother.


    They didn''t know what was happening, but they decided to go with the flow and refine the same pills as before.


    The results shocked both them and Peng Yu, the patriarch who was observing.


    The purity percentages of both alchemists'' pills had drastically improved, bringing their creations to nearly the next grade.


    With this first demonstration of his capabilities, Ethan gained everyone''s trust.


    They resolved to follow his instructions to the letter, and the results didn''t take long to show. Sear?h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In less than a week, the two alchemists made tremendous progress.


    One reached the peak of their current rank, while the other advanced to the next, becoming a Two-Star Expert Alchemist.


    The other five, who were still beginners, were no less impressive.


    Nearly all of them were at the apprentice level, meaning they had some theoretical knowledge but little else.


    Their refining skills were almost nonexistent, but Ethan saw this as an advantage.


    It was easier for him to teach them from scratch.


    Using his soul-transfer technique, he imparted theoretical knowledge to all of them.


    This information was engraved into their minds so thoroughly that they knew it by heart, as if they had studied it for years.


    Afterward, Ethan decided to first work on improving their cultivation levels.


    Since they were still beginners, they didn''t have proper refining methods.


    So he planned to teach them spiritual Qi refinement techniques, but for that to happen, they needed to reach at least the second stage of mortal cultivation.


    For the first month, he focused on raising their cultivation levels.


    With his current abilities, helping them quickly reach and surpass the first stage wasn''t difficult.


    By using some body-strengthening pills and techniques he had devised, he managed to bring all of them to the second stage of cultivation in just over a week.


    Normally, something like this would take much longer, but since this involved only the first stage, Ethan could accelerate the process.


    From this point on, they would have to advance on their own. Strengthening the body was one thing, but refining Qi was something he couldn''t do for them.


    Nonetheless, this level was already more than enough.


    Now, with their bodies strengthened and their cultivation bases at the second stage, they could finally sense Qi more clearly, refine it, and even begin to manipulate it to some extent.


    Ethan intended to dedicate the coming months to training both their cultivation and the Qi refinement technique.


    In this regard, the work with these five was more demanding, but it was worth it.


    Seeing the initial results, none of them hesitated or held back.


    They understood that being personally taught by Ethan was an unmissable opportunity.


    While Ethan continued teaching them, Peng Yun, who had just recovered, was once again astonished.


    Not only did he now have two stronger alchemists, but he also suddenly found himself with five second-stage cultivators.

 Chapter 218 - 218: Concern for the Future

    .


    Ethan was currently hovering in the skies above the Phoenix Sect, seemingly waiting for someone.


    As he waited, he couldn''t help but reflect on his recent conversation with Bai Yu.


    Ethan''s initial plan was to provide considerable support to all three realms, hoping their combined strength would grow enough to face the demonic race when the time came.


    However, he eventually realized that the time remaining before the likely invasion wasn''t enough for significant progress in that regard.


    He could provide powerful arrays for both defense and offense, which would certainly help, but it wouldn''t be enough to truly change the outcome.


    The only silver lining was that at least 10 to 20 years remained before a potential invasion, based solely on the barrier that separated the three regions of the continent, keeping them isolated from one another.


    Ethan could sense the barrier''s presence but had little clarity about its nature, proof of its high level of strength.


    At his current cultivation, he could undoubtedly face a peak fifth-stage cultivator head-on. S~ea??h the ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Yu could do so even more effortlessly.


    But even that wasn''t reassuring.


    Beyond the risk of corruption from demonic Qi, something only he currently had a solution for, the sheer number of enemies was a concern.


    Ethan was confident he could handle one or even two fifth-stage cultivators at once.


    But more? He wasn''t so sure.


    And he was certain that the demons wouldn''t have just a few fifth-stage beings, they likely had more than the human race, perhaps even more than those of the humans and the beast race combined.


    While that was worrying, it wasn''t the biggest concern.


    What truly troubled him was the possibility of someone who had already surpassed the mortal realm and stepped into the spiritual cultivation realm.


    If even one such being existed, both Bai Yu and Ethan, at their current levels, would struggle to compete with them.


    So, he had asked Bai Yu if it was possible for an entity of that level to remain in the mortal plane.


    "The chances of someone like that being in their ranks are very low, but it''s not entirely impossible," she had replied, confirming his fears.


    Reaching the peak of the fifth stage within the next decade wasn''t an issue for Ethan.


    At that level, even a group of peak fifth-stage cultivators wouldn''t be a challenge for him.


    But beings who had transcended the mortal realm and entered the spiritual realm were a different matter entirely.


    The gap in power between these two cultivation realms was something that even an anomaly like him couldn''t overcome through talent alone.


    This was something he understood all too well, so Bai Yu''s response left him uneasy.


    Thanks to his minor dimension, he was certain he could reach the peak of his current realm, but he couldn''t be sure about progressing to the next.


    That realm was uncharted territory for him, and he couldn''t make any definitive claims about it.


    Another problem was that even if he did succeed in ascending, he would be forcibly drawn to the celestial plane, a situation far worse in his current predicament.


    Bai Yu had already warned him that in her case, she would almost certainly be pulled back to the celestial plane.


    Since she was originally from that plane, her bond with it was far stronger than his.


    Once Ethan reached the spiritual realm, even the last seal binding her would lose its effect, allowing her to recover her original cultivation.


    At that point, it would be impossible for her to remain in the mortal plane unless she deliberately delayed breaking the seal, keeping it intact even after he reached the spiritual realm.


    Ethan had many thoughts about this and realized that if he wanted to be absolutely certain of protecting the mortal plane from the demons before they could invade, he would have to reach the peak and attempt to break through while maintaining a strong enough connection to the mortal plane to extend his stay.


    If he could delay his ascension for even a few years, he might succeed in eradicating nearly all traces of demonic Qi from the demon continent.


    Thus, instead of focusing on marginally improving the forces of the three realms, he decided to focus entirely on his own strength.


    After wrapping up his matters with the Peng family and settling a few debts he felt he owed the Phoenix Sect, he planned to seclude himself in his minor dimension for intensive cultivation.


    His survival in the impending disaster was nearly guaranteed.


    The same could not be said for the mortal plane.


    Though he had reached a point in his cultivation where most mortal ties no longer held meaning for him, certain fundamental principles remained deeply ingrained.


    He couldn''t force himself to sever them.


    From what he''d learned, forcibly breaking such ties might come back to haunt him later in his cultivation journey.


    To cultivate, one needed a heart at peace, unburdened, strong, and unyielding to anything.


    To achieve this, he had to follow what felt right for him now and cultivate with a light heart afterward.


    This was the best path for him, and he knew it.


    So, he resolved to take care of the second thing that weighed on him the most: his debt to the Phoenix Sect.


    Currently, he was in the skies above the sect, and just moments ago, he had released some of his cultivation to signal the sect master.


    She didn''t take long to sense it and immediately ascended to the skies.


    Ethan had decided to take his original adult form.


    Now, he stood calmly in the air without a mask, watching as a beautiful woman dressed in a red robe with golden embroidery appeared 50 meters in front of him.


    Feng Huang had recently returned from the meeting held in the empire''s capital and had been lost in thought ever since, as no real solution to their problem had been found.


    The most they could do was negotiate with the Beast Continent and see how far they could strengthen their forces in preparation for a possible invasion.


    Though she was a battle maniac, Feng Huang knew the demons were not an enemy to be taken lightly.


    Eliminating a few wouldn''t solve anything, especially knowing they could never be eradicated entirely, a fact confirmed after learning the outcome of Long Hao''s battle.


    Lost in various thoughts, she suddenly felt the heavy aura of a fifth-stage cultivator.


    Alarmed, she quickly tracked the source and rushed to investigate.


    She fervently hoped it wasn''t another fifth-stage entity emerging from nowhere to cause trouble for them, as their plate was already full.


    When she arrived in the skies above the sect, where the aura had come from, she was greeted by the sight of a handsome man standing calmly in the air, gazing at her with a composed expression.


    Seeing him, Feng Huang''s eyes widened slightly as a thought crossed her mind.


    "You''re..."

 Chapter 219 - 219: Soul Pact

    "You''re..."


    Although Ethan''s current appearance was quite different from what it had been over two years ago, certain basic features remained.


    Even though he now looked much older and more mature, it didn''t take Feng Huang long to realize that the person in front of her was Ethan, her direct disciple, a young man who, since he had been under her wing, had never asked her for anything.


    No teachings, no help, nothing at all.


    It was as if she wasn''t his sect master at all.


    In the past, she had thought about testing his combat abilities one of these days, but who would have guessed that Ethan would be so elusive?


    As soon as he finished one matter, he would leave for another.


    The last time, he even locked himself up for closed-door cultivation, which, to her surprise, lasted much shorter than expected.


    Normally, cultivators would enter seclusion when they needed time to cultivate insights or inspirations that could help them develop and strengthen their cultivation base, a process that often took months or even years.


    Yet her dear disciple not only stayed secluded for just a month but emerged already at the third stage of cultivation, with a base so well-hidden it couldn''t even be detected.


    Even back then, she had her doubts about his real cultivation base, but now, seeing him floating in the air as if it were nothing, and sensing the aura she had felt earlier coming from him, she understood one thing.


    "So you''ve been hiding your cultivation base this whole time," she said, unsure of how to view the current situation.


    Normally, such a thing would lead one to suspect ulterior motives toward the sect.


    Yet she was certain that when he saved her during the auction more than two years ago, he wasn''t a cultivator.


    The more she thought about it, the more the existence of the man in front of her became increasingly confusing and uncertain, full of contradictions everywhere.


    Seeing the clear confusion on his sect master''s face, Ethan said,


    "Not exactly. In truth, I only recently reached my current stage."


    At first, Ethan had considered presenting himself as the masked figure, pretending to be an old sage returning to settle a debt with the sect.


    But after thinking it over for a moment, he decided against using any disguises. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Initially, he had done so to keep a low profile, as his strength was still a bit lacking, not high enough to save him from every possible situation.


    After all, as the saying went,


    "The tallest trees are the first to feel the wind."


    He had cultivated in secret for a long time and had now reached a point where he could hold his own against the most powerful forces on this continent.


    Maintaining the same low profile as before would only create more problems than it solved.


    So, he decided not to use his identity as Nuyu and presented himself as he was.


    Although Feng Huang was somewhat cautious about Ethan, she could tell that he didn''t seem to harbor any malicious intent.


    Thus, she accepted his request to move to a more comfortable place to talk.


    In the end, she took him to the highest peak of the mountains where the Phoenix Sect resided.


    From there, Ethan could admire a particularly beautiful view of a lake surrounded by lush vegetation.


    Among the various plants, Ethan could identify many that were relatively hard to find, with some of them even being quite rare.


    Though Ethan already had nearly all the plants present here, he couldn''t help but appreciate the serene aura emanating from the small landscape.


    Near the lake, a tree grew, shading a small table and three chairs.


    Feng Huang led Ethan there, and once they were seated, she asked him for an explanation.


    Ethan knew the list of things to explain was long, but he decided to summarize it into smaller parts and address the most important matter for the moment.


    He used the excuse of having a peculiar physique that allowed him to cultivate much faster, a breakthrough that had enabled him to make giant strides in his cultivation and reach his current stage.


    Naturally, this explanation wasn''t enough, and he knew it.


    But he certainly couldn''t reveal all his secrets, or at least that''s what he initially thought while planning his next moves with Bai Yu.


    That was when she proposed a viable alternative, one that would allow him to assist the sect master while also helping the Phoenix Sect.


    "A soul pact? Like the ones used for slavery?" Ethan asked.


    "The basic concept is the same, but unlike slave marks, which are one-sided, this requires an agreement between both parties," she explained, detailing the various uses of such contracts and how they were widely used in the Celestial Plane.


    Ethan took a moment to recall this very conversation he had with Bai Yu, then finally spoke to Feng Huang about it.


    He concluded by saying, "In a decade or two, I''ll leave for the higher plane, but before doing so, I''ve decided to settle some matters on this plane, including the debt I owe to the Phoenix Sect."


    Before she could say anything, he added,


    "With your current cultivation, the peak of the Mortal Realm is the most you can aspire to.


    If you aim higher, I can help correct your cultivation base and ensure that the sect''s disciples are put on the right path for their cultivation.


    Think of it as my way of repaying the sect''s hospitality over the past two years."


    Ethan then raised his right palm, where a stream of light fragments began to gather.


    In a few seconds, they formed a sphere no larger than a tennis ball.


    He extended it toward her and said, "Are you willing to accept a soul pact with me?"


    The sphere of energy formed in his hand was the contract, which, once infused with the spiritual Qi of both parties, would create an invisible bond between their souls.


    Breaking the contract would destroy the violator''s soul, resulting in their death.


    Ethan didn''t mind helping her with her cultivation, but to do so, given his current level, some of his secrets would have to be revealed.


    Thus, the soul pact was the only way for him to assist her.


    If she accepted, Ethan would proceed with the series of plans he had devised.


    If she refused, there was little he could do.


    Had it been someone else, Ethan wouldn''t have gone this far.


    But for the woman before him, who had once saved his life, he wanted to give her the means to preserve her own in the future.

 Chapter 220 - 220: Battle Maniac

    .


    Currently, in the desert east of the Phoenix Kingdom, two figures stood in midair, keeping a measured distance as they stared at each other without breaking eye contact for even a moment.


    These two figures were none other than Ethan and Feng Huang.


    At the moment, Ethan wore a frown as he addressed the woman before him.


    "Is this really necessary?" he asked, clearly displeased with the situation.


    "Of course it is. Do you really expect me to follow the orders of someone weaker than me? I acknowledge your cultivation base, but if you can''t prove you can defeat me in a duel, there''s no point in me following your plan," she replied, her reasoning full of holes Ethan had already pointed out multiple times before, only to receive the same response every time.


    The woman in front of him had declared she would only accept the soul contract and his assistance to correct her cultivation base if he could prove he was stronger than her, in other words, by defeating her in an all-out duel.


    Ethan honestly doubted that a battle between two experts of their level was a good idea, considering even their weakest attacks could cause massive destruction.


    Even if they tried to hold back, it would be impossible to avoid significant collateral damage.


    That''s why they had moved to the desert on the eastern edge of the Phoenix Kingdom, where no innocent bystanders would be caught in the crossfire.


    Ethan would''ve much preferred for her to accept the agreement normally, without resorting to a fight.


    While he had somewhat expected this outcome from a battle maniac like her, he still had a small hope that it wouldn''t come to this.


    But it seemed that whatever deity was out there wasn''t answering his prayers, and here he was, forced to comply with the demands of the beautiful woman in front of him.


    In the end, he gave in, deciding to finish this fight as quickly as possible.


    Before they began, Ethan activated a series of symbols in the air, forming a large formation that covered several miles.


    Seeing his actions, Feng Huang couldn''t help but ask what he was doing.


    He replied without stopping his work,


    "It''s a large-scale formation that will hide what we''re doing here from prying eyes," he said as he made the final adjustments.


    "The last thing I want is to attract uninvited guests to our fight," he added, his tone still a bit disgruntled.


    Hearing this, Feng Huang nodded in agreement, as she too disliked being interrupted during a fight.


    She appreciated Ethan''s gesture.


    Once he was done and stood still, she couldn''t help but ask,


    "You''re not going to use any weapon?" she said, a little confused.


    At the moment, she was holding a long sword with a vermillion blade and a golden hilt engraved with inscriptions.


    Ethan could tell these were runes with various effects that amplified the sword''s power.


    He shook his head and made a gesture with his hand, motioning her to attack, as he said,


    "There''s no need. This fight will end much sooner than you think," he declared with a calm yet challenging expression.


    Seeing his gesture, she narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased at being underestimated.


    With a crazed glint in her eyes, she attacked without another word.


    Ethan, watching her reveal her warrior side, smiled slightly as he prepared to take her attacks head-on.


    It wasn''t that he was underestimating her, but at his current level, he truly didn''t need to go all out against her.


    He could tell her cultivation base had reached the sixth level of the fifth stage, a level that, for him, was nothing.


    After countless battles against the dragon woman, Ethan was certain he could hold his own against a cultivator at the peak of the fifth stage.


    So what was a cultivator still four levels away from that to him?


    And the next series of events only confirmed his earlier statement. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the Peng family residence, in a spacious area, seven people stood in front of a cauldron, fully focused on refining their pills.


    No one could tell how long they had been at it, but none of them showed any signs of exhaustion as they continued with impassive expressions.


    Finally, after some time, one of them finished the process, extracted their final pill, and carefully placed it into a vial using their spiritual Qi.


    Not long after, the others began finishing one by one, doing the same as the first person.


    Each of them demonstrated a high level of mastery over the technique of manifesting spiritual Qi, a level that rivaled those of many master alchemists skilled in the technique.


    If one of those masters had been present to witness this display, they would''ve been embarrassed to see these seven people performing at nearly the same level as them.


    After all, none of the seven had an alchemy rank beyond the expert level, and even the most advanced among them was only at the peak of that rank.


    That said, there was no doubt that their proficiency in the refinement technique taught by Ethan was impressive.


    Seeing that their final pills turned out well, each of them could only smile inwardly, amazed at how far they had come in less than a month.


    The most skilled among them were two individuals: one of the two Expert alchemists Ethan had trained first and a girl from the group of disciples who had only been at the apprentice level.


    This girl had now reached the expert rank, a full two ranks ahead of her previous level, and was second only to the other expert level alchemist.


    To everyone''s surprise, including Ethan''s, she had proven to be a genius in alchemy.


    Noticing her immense potential in this profession, Ethan had devoted extra time to training her, and within less than a month, her progress had doubled that of anyone else.


    Even Ethan had to admit that, if not for his system, he might''ve been outshone by this little alchemy prodigy.


    As each of them examined their pills, having them appraised by a three-star expert who confirmed their high purity levels, a slight tremor shook the area for a second before stopping.


    Before anyone could question what had happened, another series of tremors followed, lasting for a full minute.


    The quakes alarmed not only them but everyone in Sun City and the surrounding territories.

 Chapter 221 - 221: Helping the Phoenix Sect

    .


    In the desert east of the Phoenix Sect''s domain.


    The once calm and desolate area of the desert was now a scene of chaos and destruction.


    The small hills that used to define the landscape had been leveled, the previously untouched ground now marked by craters and massive gashes resembling the slashes of a giant blade.


    At the center of this disorder stood two figures.


    They were none other than the culprits behind all this havoc.


    One of them, a refined and handsome man, floated leisurely in the air, gazing downward at the other figure, a woman.


    Unlike the composed man, the woman was panting heavily, using her longsword as a support while staring at him with a complex expression.


    "I�� was defeated so easily?"


    Feng Huang, who not long ago had boldly challenged Ethan to a duel, now found herself reflecting on the events of the past few minutes.


    From the start, she had given it her all, unleashing her most powerful techniques without holding back.


    But to her shock, none of her attacks had managed to harm Ethan. He remained aloft, casually deflecting every single strike.


    Even when she engaged him in close combat, her sword was effortlessly stopped by the palm of his hand, which seemed less like flesh and more like iron.


    From sword techniques to close combat moves, nothing seemed to faze him.


    In fact, every attack she launched was brushed aside as if it were nothing.


    Halfway through the fight, she decided to release her beast form, transforming into a massive and majestic phoenix in the sky.


    Ethan, watching this transformation, displayed a fleeting look of interest before returning to his usual calm demeanor, as though waiting for her next move.


    Irritated by his nonchalant attitude, she charged at him at full speed, her confidence fueled by her flames.


    If there was one thing she was certain of, it was the strength of her fire.


    Few knew this, but the beast she had subdued had not only granted her its soul but also a rare flame, one so extraordinary that even among mortals, it was a treasure possessed by only a select few.


    This flame had drastically enhanced the power of her beast form, which, being aligned with the fire element, gained an unparalleled advantage from it.


    This alone had established her as one of the strongest fifth-stage cultivators on the continent. With it, she could even outmatch other sect masters who were at a similar cultivation level.


    Only against the emperor, who was at the peak of the fifth stage, did she stand no chance.


    But against any other fifth stage cultivator, she believed she could prevail, at least in a one on one fight.


    Or so she thought. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan, who had been motionless throughout, simply repelling her attacks, finally chose to counter.


    Just as she closed in on him, he moved his hand, summoning an invisible, overwhelming aura. In an instant, it enveloped her beast form.


    She wasn''t sure what happened next. The moment the aura engulfed her, she lost all control over her beast soul, and within seconds, she was forced back into her human form.


    Before she could even process what had happened, a crushing pressure pinned her to the ground out of nowhere.


    The ease with which he had rendered her powerless made her grit her teeth in frustration.


    Various emotions flickered in her eyes as she stared at Ethan, who had begun descending.


    Surprisingly, none of these emotions were negative.


    Apart from frustration, her feelings ranged from admiration to joy, even excitement.


    "..."


    Ethan, observing her reaction, didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    He was certain she was already thinking about their next battle.


    ''As expected of a combat maniac.''


    Ethan had speculated before that the Phoenix Sect Master might be a reckless person who loved fighting and growing stronger. After today''s brief duel, he was sure of it.


    This woman was truly obsessed with battle.


    Though he thought it was risky to associate with someone like her, he also felt it might work to his advantage.


    He had already defeated her, so she wouldn''t refuse to form a soul contract with him. That alone made things much simpler.


    Her relentless desire to become stronger was an added bonus, making it easier to convince her to follow his guidance.


    He had promised to help her correct her cultivation foundation, but "correct" wasn''t entirely accurate.


    It was more like dismantling her flawed foundation entirely and rebuilding it from scratch.


    This meant erasing decades, if not centuries of cultivation, only to repeat the process with an even more complex method.


    No cultivator would agree to something like that easily, but Ethan believed that after seeing how effortlessly he had cornered her, Feng Huang wouldn''t refuse.


    And just as he predicted, she ultimately agreed to form a soul contract with him, as promised.


    The contract''s conditions weren''t overly complicated.


    It essentially stated that he would help her and her sect grow stronger in exchange for her not divulging his methods or information.


    The most critical point of the contract was the confidentiality clause.


    Ethan knew that helping her within a year or two wasn''t feasible.


    At the fifth stage, even minor adjustments required a lot of time.


    So he decided to use the time difference in his minor dimension to speed up her cultivation after the procedure.


    To keep this method a secret, he proposed the soul contract.


    Otherwise, he would have simply aided the sect with a few defensive and enhancement arrays and left.


    But he knew that wouldn''t help the sect much in the long run.


    With this settled, Ethan could finally move forward with the rest of his plans.


    The next step was to assist the sect.


    He had already provided Feng Huang with a complete and accurate cultivation method.


    This method was designed to adapt to the cultivator''s element and other unique traits.


    After that, he erected several arrays across the entire Phoenix Sect''s territory.


    Many of these were level-three defensive arrays, sufficient to protect the sect from a fifth-stage mortal cultivator.


    He then enhanced the spiritual vein beneath the mountain where the sect was located.


    This spiritual vein, being of the fire element, would primarily benefit fire-aligned cultivators.


    However, Ethan modified his enhancement array so that it could transform the spiritual energy into a more versatile form.


    Once absorbed by the disciples, it would adapt to their element and unique physique.


    So the rest of the month passed in this way.


    By the end, the entire Phoenix Sect noticed a drastic increase in the spiritual energy in the air.


    The commotion was contained by Feng Huang, who, after handling some matters, visited Ethan''s residence.


    Together, they finally departed for his minor dimension.

 Chapter 222 - 222: Little Monster

    .


    Since the day of the battle against Ethan, Feng Huang had been questioning how her disciple had managed to achieve such a high level of power in so little time.


    As someone who had reached the highest cultivation stage in the mortal plane, she was well aware of how difficult it was to attain that level.


    She knew that talent alone wasn''t enough; immense time and patience were also required to cultivate to that extent.


    Feng Huang herself was born with extraordinary cultivation talent, which had allowed her to reach the Fifth Stage in a far shorter time than other Fifth-Stage cultivators.


    In fact, she was the youngest high-stage cultivator among the three reigning sect masters of the empire.


    Although she didn''t show it, she took pride in this accomplishment, but that pride was utterly shattered when Ethan defeated her a few days ago.


    The level of power he displayed wasn''t something one could achieve in a mere two years.


    It wasn''t even feasible to reach such heights in a century, and yet here he was, claiming he had no cultivation two years ago when she saved him.


    Even she knew that was true because back then, she hadn''t sensed any trace of spiritual Qi within him, and judging from his condition, it was hard to believe he had suppressed his cultivation.


    And yet, here he was, after only two years, a Fifth-Stage cultivator.


    To make matters worse, his appearance wasn''t that of someone barely past twenty but rather of a full-grown adult.


    The more she thought about it, the more inconsistencies she found in him.


    In the end, she decided to wait for him to tell her everything as he had promised.


    So, after her defeat, she no longer hesitated and accepted the soul contract.


    When she arrived at his residence, she noticed it didn''t seem like it had ever been used.


    The conditions of the place were akin to those of an abandoned building.


    Dust could even be seen settling on some of the furniture, clearly not just due to a lack of cleaning.


    She didn''t dwell on it for long, and when she finally reached Ethan, he asked if she was ready.


    She didn''t understand the meaning of the question, but as soon as she answered yes, she was struck by a brief sensation of dizziness.


    Her senses were scrambled, thrown into chaos for a fleeting moment before they returned to normal.


    Although the experience lasted less than a second, it was enough to leave her bewildered, especially when she realized she was no longer in the residence.


    What she now perceived was a completely different place.


    She immediately examined her surroundings and realized they weren''t even within the Phoenix Sect, nor for that matter, within the Phoenix Kingdom.


    Since it was her territory, she would''ve immediately recognized it with her spiritual senses. This wasn''t it.


    A flash of confusion crossed her mind as she began observing more details of the place.


    ''Hm? This concentration of spiritual energy��''


    The first thing she noticed was the overwhelming density of spiritual Qi in the air. It far exceeded anything she had ever encountered.


    Just by breathing it, she could tell that her cultivation had progressed, albeit to an infinitesimally small extent.


    As she grew more puzzled by this mysterious location, Ethan, standing a few meters away, smiled and said:


    "Welcome to my world."


    Another month passed.


    During this time, Ethan mostly stayed at the Peng family residence, helping the group of seven alchemists increase their productivity.


    He spent the first day within his minor dimension, helping Feng Huang adapt to her new environment.


    He also assisted her in expelling all the errors in her cultivation base.


    Naturally, this caused her cultivation to regress. By the end of the process, she was left at the Third Stage.


    Normally, it would''ve been even lower, but Ethan managed to preserve fragments of her previous cultivation while removing all the problematic aspects.


    Even so, she ended up two stages lower than before.


    Afterward, he taught her the correct technique and helped her find a compatible spirit beast.


    Thanks to his mastery of soul manipulation, he quickly guided her through the proper methods.


    However, he had to admit that with Feng Huang''s talent, she handled most of the process independently.


    To their surprise, the spirit she summoned was a fire elemental in the form of a miniature phoenix.


    Seeing it, Ethan could only conclude that this was likely due to her having assimilated a phoenix beast''s soul in the past.


    Once she was settled and left in the minor dimension to recover her cultivation properly this time, Ethan returned to the outside world to deal with his affairs.


    By the end of the month, the alchemical abilities of the seven had improved dramatically.


    Currently, five of them had reached the rank of Expert, with one of them at the peak of this rank.


    The remaining two managed to advance to the rank of Master Alchemist, an achievement that thrilled everyone, especially the Peng family patriarch.


    One of the two was the alchemist who had doubted Ethan''s abilities. Now, he was nearly at the Two-Star level.


    The other, to everyone''s surprise, wasn''t his colleague, who had already been at One-Star Expert rank, but rather a young woman among the five who had only been an Apprentice at the start of their training.


    The young woman, named Ming Yu, was a member of a Peng family branch.


    During Ethan''s teachings, it was discovered that she possessed an extraordinary natural talent for alchemy, a talent even Ethan had to admire.


    Eager to see how far she could go, Ethan pushed her to her limits.


    To his surprise, she learned three times faster than her peers, and by the end of the month, she had reached the entry-level rank of Master Alchemist.


    If word got out that a girl barely nineteen years old had achieved such a rank, many Master Alchemists would probably die of shock, questioning what they had done with their lives.


    Although she was currently second in skill, the Two-Star cultivator knew it was only a matter of time before she surpassed him, and he was right.


    One month later, she outpaced him, reaching the rank of Three-Star Master Alchemist.


    Ethan praised the young woman and decided to appoint her as the leader of the alchemist group he had formed.


    No one objected to this decision since everyone had witnessed her capabilities firsthand.


    The only person to comment was Bai Yu, who teased Ethan, claiming he was more interested in young girls than in mature and beautiful women like herself.


    By now Ethan had got used to the dragon woman''s teasing.


    Instead of arguing back, he threatened to withhold Coke from her for a month before returning to his lessons. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The patriarch, proud that his family had produced such a talent, felt he could finally die in peace, but he was approached by Ethan who seemed to have other plans for him

 Chapter 223 - 223: Becoming Young Again

    .


    Ever since Ethan decided to enter secluded cultivation once again, one of the tasks he had resolved to complete beforehand was ensuring that the Peng family could stand on their own, even in his absence.


    Training several skilled alchemists was one step toward maintaining dominance in this side of the Sun City''s market.


    However, Ethan knew it wouldn''t be enough on its own.


    For now, their rivals had retreated, aware that an alchemist of his caliber was backing the Peng family.


    But Ethan understood that as soon as they realized he was absent for an extended period, they would undoubtedly resurface.


    Ethan had already secured the favor of two Grandmaster Alchemists from the empire.


    This alone provided his business with a layer of protection from competing forces.


    However, Ethan knew such favor wouldn''t last forever, and he intended to address this issue.


    "Don''t you think it''s time to start cultivating again?" Ethan asked, looking at the elderly figure of the Peng family patriarch, who stared back with a confused expression.


    "What do you mean?" the old man asked, perplexed by the sudden question.


    He assumed Ethan already knew about his bottleneck, which had kept him from progressing in cultivation.


    Normally, he might have thought Ethan had a solution, but considering his age, the patriarch understood it was likely too late to make up for his lost time.


    Ethan didn''t reply immediately. Instead, he took out a small vial containing a single gray pill with spiral patterns etched onto its surface.


    The patriarch''s eyes widened at the sight of the pill as he immediately recognized what it was.


    "Wait... Is that what I think it is?" he asked, recalling news from a few months back about the miraculous pill that could rejuvenate a person.


    Based on the limited information he had gathered through his contacts, the pill''s creator had participated in the Imperial Alchemy Tournament and sold the final product at auction for an exorbitant price.


    If memory served him correctly, the pill was called...


    "The Pill of Eternal Youth," he muttered in astonishment.


    The longer he looked at it, the more certain he became of its identity.


    "Wait... So you''re the creator of the pill?" he asked, piecing things together. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The patriarch knew the auctioned pill had already been purchased, but he also knew that the alchemist assisting his family had participated in the tournament and achieved impressive results.


    That had led to the Sun City''s factions ceasing all pressure on the Peng family.


    Although he had found their behavior strange, he lacked the full picture.


    Now, seeing this pill, he realized the truth and understood everything.


    Ethan simply nodded and tossed the vial to the old man, who nearly had a heart attack.


    He leaped up with surprising speed to catch the vial before it could hit the ground.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" the patriarch asked, still bewildered.


    "I''m giving it to you. It''s time you regained your strength and resumed cultivating. After all, the Peng family still needs you," Ethan said nonchalantly.


    The old man hesitated. He understood the value of such an object.


    For him, Ethan''s efforts in training alchemists for the Peng family were already an incredible gesture.


    Accepting this pill left him uncertain of how he could ever repay Ethan.


    Before he could voice his doubts, Ethan spoke again.


    "Don''t worry. Producing more of these pills isn''t a problem for me. I''m giving you this so you can protect your family a little longer.


    That stubborn Da Shu, is still too weak.


    He needs more time to reach a level where he can replace you. Until then, I hope you''ll continue to guide and protect him," Ethan explained.


    Ethan had considered ways to help Da Shu improve more quickly.


    However, unless he sent Da Shu into his minor dimension to cultivate, there was no way for him to advance to the fifth stage in a short time.


    Ethan had already allowed Feng Hang to use his minor dimension and didn''t want to introduce anyone else for the moment.


    Instead, he intended to ensure Da Shu could cultivate quickly in the outside world while he himself retreated for a year of secluded cultivation in the minor dimension.


    That year in the real world was equivalent to almost a hundred years in the minor dimension.


    He estimated it would be enough time to reach the pinnacle of the fifth stage and perhaps even surpass it.


    The true challenge would come after reaching the peak.


    As this was his first time, Ethan wasn''t sure how long it would take to break into the Spiritual Realm.


    He also suspected the system wouldn''t assist him this time.


    Eventually the patriarch gave in and accepted the pill.


    Ethan quickly set up a formation around the area to ensure nothing could disturb the absorption process.


    Once prepared, Peng Yun, now seated in the spacious hall of his manor, took the pill and began the process of absorption.


    Among the many benefits of this pill, one was its ability to grant an additional 500 years of life to its user.


    The patriarch, already over a hundred years old, would not have lived beyond 300 years with his current cultivation.


    However, with this pill, he would regain much of his lost vitality and add several centuries to his lifespan.


    The time required to fully absorb the pill varied between cultivators.


    Typically, it took only a few hours to complete the process, and Indeed, after three hours, visible changes began to manifest.


    The temperature of the patriarch''s body rose as black beads of sweat began forming on his skin.


    These were impurities that had accumulated in his body over the years and were now being expelled.


    For most cultivators, impurities ceased to accumulate significantly after the body-refining stage.


    However, due to his stagnant cultivation, the patriarch''s body had continued to accumulate them over time.


    Ethan watched as the process unfolded, from the initial purification to the rejuvenation of the patriarch''s organs, followed by the shedding of old skin to reveal a fresh, healthy layer beneath.


    In essence, the patriarch was undergoing a metamorphosis similar to that of a snake shedding its skin.


    The entire process took seven hours.


    At one point, Da Shu arrived, drawn by the fluctuations in the area, and witnessed the transformation.


    Boom!


    At the end of the seven hours, the patriarch''s stagnant cultivation base surged, leaping several levels to the peak of his current stage, just a step away from reaching the fourth stage.


    He had finally broken through his bottleneck and fully absorbed the pill.


    Where once an elderly man had sat cross-legged on the ground, now stood a youthful figure who appeared no older than thirty.

 Chapter 224 - 224: Crazy Women

    .


    Peng Yun opened his eyes, which now radiated a vibrant energy and an overwhelming sense of presence.


    He had transformed from an old man with only a few decades of life left into someone who had regained his prime years.


    Even his cultivation had surged to the peak of his current stage, just a step away from advancing to the next stage.


    Da Shu, witnessing his grandfather''s rejuvenated appearance, couldn''t help but stand there in shock, mumbling to himself.


    "Hey, Ethan, what the hell did you feed him? Got any of that for me too?" he asked, already imagining all the ways he could use such a miraculous remedy.


    "Sure, I could give you some," Ethan replied nonchalantly, "but then your house would be overrun by fourth and fifth-stage cultivators."


    "Nevermind then."


    While the two chatted, Peng Yun finally stood up and stretched his newly revitalized body.


    Clenching his hand into a fist, he could feel the immense power coursing through it.


    He believed he could now reach heights he had only dreamed of before, heights he never thought he would achieve in this lifetime.


    As Da Shu and Ethan observed the moving sight of the patriarch returning to his former glory, their expressions shifted from joy to bewilderment.


    With trembling hands, Peng Yun grabbed the lower part of his martial robes and peeked inside with a look of expectation.


    "I-it''s alive. The dragon has risen," the old man murmured tearfully.


    While Da Shu nodded in agreement, Ethan couldn''t help but wonder why everyone in this family seemed to be missing a few screws.


    After restoring the patriarch''s body, it was time to boost his cultivation.


    Although Ethan couldn''t immediately push him to the fourth or fifth stage, he could at least ensure that Peng Yun would have a much easier path to get there.


    He taught Peng Yun the method to bond with a spiritual beast and provided him with a collection of high-grade cultivation materials.


    Considering the lack of spiritual energy in this realm, Ethan created a formation in a section of the training grounds. The formation concentrated spiritual energy in the area, increasing its density significantly.


    A month passed in this manner, and the progress Peng Yun made exceeded all expectations. He achieved in that short time what would normally take more than a year.


    Meanwhile, on the alchemy front, another grandmaster had emerged. Ming Yu, in particular, advanced to the level of a three-star alchemist.


    Ethan believed that by the end of the year, the young girl might even achieve the rank of grandmaster alchemist.


    However, he thought it was equally important for her to improve her cultivation.


    The last thing he wanted was for her to become a target because of her exceptional talent. It wouldn''t be surprising if other factions, unable to recruit her, decided to eliminate her instead.


    Although the Peng family patriarch was steadily reaching higher levels, he wouldn''t always be able to protect her. For this reason, Ethan resolved to help her in her cultivation as well.


    While all this was happening in his smaller dimension, hundreds of miles from his spiritual garden, the earth trembled.


    The volcanic region, silent since its formation, erupted violently, unleashing chaos and destruction across the surrounding area.


    Amid the eruption, a figure could be seen at the heart of the volcano. Shrouded in a red-orange aura, she floated above the lava, seated cross-legged as if unaffected by the heat.


    The figure took a deep breath before opening her eyes, which glowed like twin suns capable of peering into one''s very soul.


    As the woman collected herself, a voice echoed nearby. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I see you''ve regained your old cultivation," said a woman''s voice as she appeared at the edge of the volcano.


    It was Bai Yu, who had come to check on the progress of Feng Huang, the woman who had spent the past years cultivating here to recover her former strength.


    Nearly three months had passed since she had moved to this location, almost the same amount of time Ethan had spent on his earlier closed cultivation.


    Unlike him, who only managed to reach the first level of the fifth stage, Feng Huang had not only recovered her fifth-stage cultivation but had progressed even further, reaching the fourth level.


    Her cultivation speed was extraordinary, but the main reason for her rapid recovery was that Ethan had preserved traces of her previous cultivation base. Combined with the abundant fire spiritual energy in the area, her progress had been significantly accelerated.


    Feng Huang could confidently say that, even though she was only at the fourth level, the power she could unleash was enough to suppress most fifth-stage cultivators.


    The only exceptions was the emperor, who was at the peak of this stage, Ethan, whose true strength was still a mystery to her, and the blue-clad woman standing before her.


    During her time here, Feng Huang had gotten to know Bai Yu and discovered that she was the same woman who had killed the demon Long Hao had fought.


    Feng Huang assumed Bai Yu might be Ethan''s master, and while this was partly true since Bai Yu had trained him for several years, it became clear that their relationship was far from a traditional master-disciple relationship.


    She couldn''t explain why, but every interaction with Bai Yu filled Feng Huang with the urge to strangle her.


    Whether it was due to their opposing elemental affinities or something else entirely, the two women couldn''t sustain a single conversation without clashing.


    Ethan had already been caught in the middle of at least two conflicts between these crazy women.


    Accordingly, he made it his mission to keep them as far away as possible. He did not know what was going on in their minds, nor did he care to find out.


    After helping Feng Huang recover her cultivation and providing her with this location to speed up the process, Ethan returned to the external world, where he still had disciples to train.


    He hoped the two women wouldn''t destroy the territory in his absence, though he doubted he could do much to stop them if they did.


    Bai Yu had a playful personality and never held back when provoking the other woman.


    It turned out that Feng Huang also had a mischievous streak, and she always managed to retort, escalating their disputes into full-blown conflicts.

 Chapter 225 - 225: Closed-Door Cultivation II

    .


    After Feng Huang returned to the Fifth Stage, she spent the rest of her time consolidating her cultivation base.


    Since she was still in the minor dimension, she could take her time, as even several days inside would only amount to a few hours in the outside world.


    While she enjoyed Ethan''s small world, another woman was not happy with her prolonged stay.


    "Brat, don''t you think it''s about time you returned to your sect?" said a grumpy dragon woman.


    She had already grown accustomed to using this place as her home, and seeing another woman intruding on her domain didn''t sit well with her, especially since this particular person annoyed her.


    Bai Yu had reluctantly tolerated the presence of the three cultivators, considering them nothing more than Ethan''s servants, bound by his will.


    She thought of them as little more than household pets. However, things were different when it came to the Phoenix Sect Master.


    "Old hag, leave me alone. Can''t you see I''m relaxing?" Feng Huang snapped, unwilling to back down.


    A vein popped on Bai Yu''s forehead as her Qi began to circulate. She was ready to turn the other woman into a living popsicle.


    Before the situation could escalate further, Ethan intervened, whisking Feng Huang out of his minor dimension.


    Feng Huang had been inside the dimension for over 25 years and hadn''t left her isolation to check on her sect even once.


    Though only a few months had passed in the outside world, for her, it had been many years.


    Aside from cultivating, she had spent her final days consolidating her foundation and exploring the various locations within the small world.


    Much to Ethan''s disappointment, number 5 struck again


    The little brat had somehow managed to win over Feng Huang as well, and Ethan was still trying to figure out how.


    Ethan had placed Number 5''s soul into the giant''s body, and now the minor dimension housed a being over three meters tall with the mind of a five-year-old.


    Without Bai Yu noticing, Ethan had secretly applied several seals to the giant''s body to ensure it would never approach his herb garden.


    He knew Bai Yu would disapprove, but his precious herbs were at stake, so he took the risk and managed to do it under her nose.


    Ethan had brought Feng Huang out because he believed it was time for her to check on the Phoenix Sect.


    The increase in spiritual Qi in the air had led to rapid progress in cultivation for many in the sect.


    This rapid progress, however, was not without consequences.


    As the elders went into seclusion one after another to take advantage of the opportunity, the disciples, now under less supervision, had begun to act bolder.


    In no time, this led to problematic situations within the sect. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To calm the chaos, Ethan appeared as Feng Huang''s direct disciple and suppressed everyone with his overwhelming presence.


    His sudden appearance shocked everyone, especially those who had been searching for the Sect Master''s second disciple.


    Even the proud Zhao Ming, who had been eager to challenge the second disciple, could only cower in Ethan''s presence.


    Needless to say, Ethan''s appearance caused quite a commotion.


    The elders, who sensed his presence, refrained from intervening, as they knew who he was, though they couldn''t understand how he had become so powerful.


    The most astonished of all was undoubtedly Xiang Hua.


    Having recently returned from the tournament, she had gone into seclusion after the Sect Master as well.


    She couldn''t understand how her junior had reached this level of power, and Ethan wasn''t interested in explaining.


    He brought Feng Huang out and told her it was time to restore order to the sect.


    In other words, he dumped the responsibility on her shoulders and left.


    Having finished everything he needed to do here, Ethan was now ready to begin his closed-door cultivation.


    He had already helped the alchemists in his family achieve a high level of mastery, with all of them reaching the Second Stage and two advancing to the Third.


    They were now capable of using spiritual Qi refinement techniques to perfection.


    Even the little alchemy prodigy was on the verge of becoming a grandmaster.


    Ethan had wisely decided to let her take that final step on her own, knowing that his interference would only hinder her progress.


    The Peng family patriarch had made significant porgress aswell, reaching the Third Level of the Fourth Grade, an impressive feat considering it had only been ten months since he reached this stage.


    Ethan hadn''t left Da Shu behind either.


    The man had already reached the peak of the Second Stage, and Ethan helped both him and his wife break through to the next level.


    At their age, the Third Stage was a big achievement, so after teaching them how to successfully navigate the Fourth Stage, Ethan left their residence.


    He knew the Fourth Stage wouldn''t pose much difficulty for the two, as both had extraordinary talent.


    He was confident that Peng Yun would guide them through the next stage when the time came.


    With everything in place, Ethan was finally ready to enter closed-door cultivation.


    While he could afford to spend over a year cultivating in his minor dimension, he knew it wouldn''t be wise.


    Once he broke through the mortal realm, any further cultivation would likely force him to ascend immediately, and he wasn''t ready for that just yet.


    First he had to deal with the looming threat from the Demon Continent.


    Finally settling in his relaxation area within the herb garden, Ethan prepared himself.


    The garden, surrounded by rare and mystical herbs, created a pleasant and tranquil atmosphere, perfect for his and Bai Yu''s drinking sessions.


    As soon as he arrived, he immediately spotted the dragon woman munching on one of his Millennial Ice Essence Fruits.


    "..."


    -2.89 trillion high-grade spirit stones.


    Ancient scriptures stated that a single Millennial Ice Essence Fruit had cost the dragon woman ten years of cola.

 Chapter 226 - 226: 100 Years

    .


    While the other kingdoms were busy preparing for a possible war against the demons within the next decade, things were completely different at the Phoenix Sect.


    The increase in spiritual Qi in the air, combined with the improvement of the sect''s cultivation techniques, brought a drastic boost to the cultivation progress of all disciples. They wasted no time and worked hard to take full advantage of this opportunity.


    It wasn''t just the outer disciples who made progress, inner disciples, core disciples, and even the elders joined in.


    Only one person was exempt from all this effort: Feng Huang.


    After years spent cultivating within Ethan''s minor dimension, she had grown accustomed to its unique environment.


    Returning to her old routines was beginning to bore her more and more.


    The only thing that still entertained her a little was helping her first direct disciple, Xiang Hua, with her cultivation.


    Although Xiang Hua had also planned to use this period to advance her own cultivation, her master had asked her to practice a different technique from the one she was already accustomed to.


    Trusting her master, she didn''t put up much resistance and began practicing it, and before long, she started seeing the benefits.


    Unfortunately for her, the biggest challenge wasn''t practicing a new technique but forging a bond with a spiritual beast. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unlike Feng Huang, who had managed to summon a spiritual beast aligned with her element, Xiang Hua faced problems in this area.


    The first beast that responded to her summoning was an ice deer, a spiritual beast of an element opposite to her own.


    Usually, a spiritual beast aligned with one''s element would respond to the summoning.


    However, in her case, beasts with opposing elements continued to appear.


    Perplexed, she sought Feng Huang''s help, and her master quickly identified the root of the problem.


    It turned out that Xiang Hua had a certain affinity for the Ice element as well, something that hadn''t been revealed when she took the elemental affinity test years ago.


    In short, she had two elements, and they were polar opposites.


    This caused no small amount of trouble, and Feng Huang didn''t know how to help her effectively, as there were no techniques suitable for her situation, at least not any that weren''t flawed like her previous one.


    The best they could do was wait for Ethan to emerge from his isolation in a year or two to see if he had a solution.


    However, as luck would have it, someone else intervened.


    Bai Yu, had decided to take a look at the outside world while Ethan was still in seclusion.


    For Bai Yu, although only a few months had passed for Feng Huang, decades had passed for her.


    During this time, Bai Yu hadn''t been cultivating, and with her cola confiscated by Ethan for an indefinite period, the only thing she could do was explore and see if there was anything interesting to occupy herself with.


    Needless to say, the two women hadn''t stopped bickering with each other. Yet, despite this constant friction, Xiang Hua benefited greatly from their interactions.


    While all of this was happening, time within Ethan''s minor dimension passed quickly. The more the years went by, the more changes could be seen.


    From landscapes that continuously shifted to beasts that kept evolving, nothing remained the same during this period.


    Even Zhong Hei continued to advance in rank, eventually reaching the peak of the fifth stage, making him not only the strongest beast within Ethan''s minor dimension but also the most powerful beast in the outside world.


    A beast of this level could rival beings at the peak of the Fifth Stage, something only a few other creatures could manage, and those that could usually took centuries, if not millennia, to reach such a stage.


    For Zhong Hei, however, this was not an issue. Thanks to his mysterious origins, his growth rate was monstrous, second only to Ethan''s.


    The enormous beast had now reached a length of 500 meters and a diameter exceeding 25 meters.


    But his size wasn''t the only thing that had changed.


    His eyes had grown sharper and more intelligent, while the horns on his head had become longer.


    What once resembled a black snake now looked more like a creature evolving into a classic oriental dragon, much like Bai Yu.


    Although Bai Yu had grown accustomed to his presence and even fond of him to some degree, she still felt an invisible suppressive aura weighing on her bloodline.


    She understood that this wasn''t intentional but rather something natural given the disparity between their respective bloodlines.


    She couldn''t help but think that if he ever appeared on the Celestial Plane, many figures would be shaken by his mere presence.


    Time continued to pass, and before anyone realized it, a hundred years had gone by within the minor dimension.


    Even Bai Yu eventually returned.


    After helping Xiang Hua practice a technique she had provided, she wandered aimlessly for a while. Eventually, bored once again, she returned to Ethan''s minor dimension.


    At this moment, in an area not far from the herb garden, a figure hovered in a meditative position, his body beginning to glow.


    Bai Yu stood a few meters away, watching the scene with a worried expression.


    "It''s starting."


    As if her thought had triggered something, Ethan''s glowing figure suddenly began to crack.


    Visible fractures appeared all over his body, from his hands to his feet, even across his face.


    From these cracks, radiant white energy poured out, growing more and more intense as though his body could no longer contain it.


    And then, all at once, it burst free.


    BOOOOOM!


    It was as if an atomic bomb had gone off, unleashing a massive explosion that spanned several miles and reached almost to the skies of the dimension.


    Had such an explosion occurred in the outside world, it would have leveled at least a third of a kingdom instantly.


    Although the dragon woman was within the explosion''s range, she didn''t seem concerned. She remained where she was, her gaze fixed ahead.


    At first, nothing could be seen in the aftermath, but she kept watching, and eventually, something came into view.


    A small white sphere, no larger than a fist, hovered in the air, radiating an intense light.


    Bai Yu didn''t react to the sight of it. She simply continued to watch, her expression still laced with worry.


    The sphere hung in the air for a while without any changes, and then, finally, something began to happen.


    Thin, almost invisible threads of light started to grow from it, spreading and intertwining like roots extending beneath the ground.


    They continued to grow and branch out until, they formed an indistinct figure.


    The threads twisted and wove together, forming a spinal column.


    Once the spine took shape, ribs, a pelvis, and other parts followed.


    Bit by bit, the threads crafted a complete human skeleton.


    Once it was finished, muscles began to emerge, spreading from the head down to the feet, wrapping the skeleton with veins and organs.


    Gradually, the structure was enveloped in skin that grew alongside it.


    In what seemed like an instant, the radiant sphere disappeared, leaving in its place the tall figure of a man with long black hair that had a dark green hue at the end.


    His face was flawless, with well defined features, and his body was perfectly proportioned.


    His clothes had been completely destroyed during the process, leaving his form exposed.


    Yet he appeared unconcerned as he stood there with his eyes closed, showing no signs of life.


    Then, a faint heartbeat sounded from his chest, growing stronger until it reached a steady rhythm.


    Finally, the man opened his eyes, which now gleamed with a crystalline blue hue, tinged with a faint green around the edges of his iris, as sharp as a needle.


    Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and said:


    "So this is what it feels like to reach the Spiritual Realm." ??

 Chapter 227 - 227: Familiar Aura

    .


    With his successful advancement to the next rank, even the amphora began to undergo changes.


    The seals on it glowed once again, and one of them lost its brilliance, leaving only three remaining,a mere portion of what had been present before.


    Ethan, however, didn''t pay much attention to this change and instead savored the new sensation coursing through his body.


    He could feel an immense power circulating within him, ready to erupt at the slightest movement.


    His senses, too, had reached a new level, allowing him to perceive everything with unprecedented clarity.


    His perception had become not only much broader but also more precise, to the extent that he could sense a grain of sand thousands of kilometers away.


    As he adjusted to his new perception of the world, Bai Yu, who had witnessed the entire process, flew toward him.


    She approached without hesitation, not caring that he was naked, as his clothes had been destroyed during the breakthrough.


    Upon drawing closer, she couldn''t help but notice the changes in his body.


    These were not limited to his physical appearance, although she had to admit that he had reached a new level in terms of appearance, but extended to the natural aura that now emanated from his entire being.


    It was an aura that could only belong to a being who had transcended mortal bonds and ascended to the next rank.


    As she got closer, she heard Ethan speak for the first time since he brokethrough.


    "So, do you like what you see?" he asked, entirely unfazed by the fact that he was exposed in front of the dragon woman approaching him.


    Bai Yu, already being used to Ethan''s shamelessness, didn''t back away.


    She gave him a once over before letting her gaze linger on a particular area.


    "Not bad, truly not bad. But if you let it grow any further, you might end up scaring off the girls in the future," she said with a smirk.


    "Oh, don''t worry. I understand if you''re intimidated," he replied, waving his hand to materialize a white robe on his body.


    "Hmph, what makes you think I''d be intimidated by that?" she replied.


    After dressing, Ethan exited his minor dimension and immediately reappeared in the skies above the Phoenix Kingdom.


    He spread his spiritual sense, and in no time, it encompassed the entire human continent.


    But he didn''t stop there.


    He could feel that he could extend it much farther than that.


    Expanding his perception further, it grew to a magnitude that would shame any fifth-stage cultivator.


    It grew once, then twice, then three times, continuing to expand as if there were no limit until Ethan suddenly narrowed his eyes and spoke.


    "I sense them."


    In Ethan''s mind, images of two vast landmasses appeared, one to the south of the human continent and the other to the west. sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had managed to sense the two other continents, and just as he located them, he extended his perception even further, enveloping the two additional continents as well.


    At that moment, as he examined the two continents, he sensed two powerful auras.


    They belonged to beings at the first stage of the Spiritual Realm.


    "So there are indeed beings who have transcended the mortal realm in this plane," he thought, not particularly alarmed by their presence.


    He could tell that the two hadn''t noticed him, and given that they were at his level of cultivation, he didn''t fear them at all.


    From what he could sense, both appeared to be in a dormant state.


    He wasn''t sure why this was the case, but he could make an guess.


    While Ethan was aware of the significant difference between a mortal rank and a Spiritual Realm cultivator, he was confident that as long as they weren''t at a higher stage than him, he could fight and defeat them.


    The one on the demonic side was expected, but the second being at the Spiritual Realm originating from the Beast Continent was a surprise.


    Investigating further, Ethan suddenly noticed something.


    "This aura��"


    Ethan turned toward the direction of the Beast Continent and took a step forward.


    Instantly, he vanished from his spot and, within less than a second, appeared above a large city surrounding what seemed to be a colossal tree.


    The tree stretched skyward, almost reaching the clouds.


    Ethan examined the tree and confirmed what he had sensed.


    "So this is where that seed came from," he thought, Recalling the seed rich in spiritual wood Qi, he had planted in his garden.


    The seed had indeed sprouted and, over the course of a hundred years, had grown into a tree twenty meters tall.


    After noticing its growth and confirming that the tree still appeared to be growing, Ethan created a central area in his garden to plant it.


    Though he hadn''t known what kind of tree it was, he had been certain that within another few centuries, it would grow large enough for him to identify it.


    But now, seeing the colossal tree before him, he understood its origins.


    "A Tree of Life��


    I wonder how it ended up in this plane," Bai Yu said suddenly, appearing beside him.


    She had remained in his minor dimension and managed to follow him here.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to, given the barriers cast over the three continents.


    Now that Ethan had broken through to the Spiritual Realm, the seal on the amphora had weakened significantly, and Bai Yu could easily shatter it if she wanted to.


    However, she chose not to, for now.


    She knew that doing so would cause her to ascend automatically, and she wanted to wait until Ethan had finished his business in this plane.


    The presence of the tree was unexpected, but even more surprising was the fact that the second Spiritual Realm aura he was sensing originated from the tree itself.


    Ethan examined the tree more closely and immediately noticed a humanoid figure within it.


    Now that he could get a closer look at the Spiritual Realm being from the Beast Continent, he could make some assumptions about why it was in this state.


    The being he had perceived within the tree wasn''t a beastman nor a member of any other race.


    It appeared more like a spiritm a wood elemental spirit.


    Though it was Ethan''s first time seeing one, he could recognize it instantly due to certain distinctive traits of its existence.


    He theorized that, being a wood elemental spirit, it might have transformed into a tree over time.


    Just from the energy radiating from its body, the surrounding vegetation would have flourished uncontrollably.


    This was already evident from the vegetation that filled the city and the lush vegetation of the surrounding areas.


    Ethan wondered if the being in the Demonic Continent was in a similar state.


    "Well, since I''m here, I might as well tour this continent," he thought.


    He intended to do the same in the Demonic Continent, though he planned far more than just a simple sightseeing visit there.

 Chapter 228 - 228: Celestial Tree City

    .


    When Ethan learned of the existence of another continent, he was somewhat surprised. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had always assumed that the land he lived on was the only one in existence, believing it to be a vast, singular landmass.


    After all, Earth itself had once been a single large supercontinent.


    But discovering that this world had already split into three separate continents, and not through natural causes, but because of someone''s actions, was undoubtedly a major shock for him.


    Since then, he had often wondered whether the beast race here resembled the ones he had imagined while reading novels in his previous world.


    Depictions of intelligent beasts, as humanlike as they were diverse, capable of assuming humanoid forms, were not uncommon in the novels he had read.


    He found himself wondering if that was the case here.


    At the moment, Ethan was walking through the streets of the grand city built around the colossal Tree of Life, observing his surroundings.


    He had retained his usual appearance, and although he was walking openly in public, no one seemed to notice him.


    ''


    Hmm, so this is how it is,'' he thought, watching the city''s inhabitants go about their daily routines.


    The city itself resembled those of humans, with the sole exception being the unique features that distinguished its residents.


    They had humanoid forms, all of them bipedal rather than the quadrupeds one might typically associate with beasts.


    Despite their humanlike appearances, they each bore distinctive traits such as tails, fur, long muzzles, large ears, and so on.


    The image of fully human girls with nothing more than animal ears and tails was quickly dispelled, something that disappointed him slightly.


    Bai Yu, who still had part of her soul linked to his, sensed his thoughts and nearly kicked him.


    Currently, just like Ethan, she was walking alongside him, examining the city.


    Unlike Ethan, who was seeing the beast race for the first time, Bai Yu was not surprised.


    Coming from the higher heavens, where a wide variety of races coexisted, this was nothing new to her.


    "If it makes you feel better, there are also beastkin like the ones you''re imagining," she said, shaking her head.


    Ethan feigned indifference, but inwardly he was pleased.


    That said, he began to wonder if such beastkin existed in this place.


    After all, he had no intention of blending in by pretending to be covered in fur, nor could he remain camouflaged forever.


    He expanded his spiritual sense across the entire city to see if there were any other types of beastkin and, to his surprise, he found some.


    Eventually, Ethan decided to cast an illusion spell on himself and Bai Yu.


    With this, the two of them would appear as natives of this continent in the eyes of the city''s inhabitants.


    He had no desire to walk around with a mask again, so he opted for this solution.


    Given his current level, his illusion was flawless and could not be discovered by anyone weaker than him, in other words, no one on this plane could uncover his true identity.


    After some investigation, he and Bai Yu discovered that the city was called


    Ti��n Sh�� Ch��ng,


    meaning "Celestial Tree City."


    It seemed the people of this city revered the giant tree to some extent.


    According to what he had heard, once every decade, the giant tree would bless the city, healing all illnesses and, according to some, even bringing good fortune.


    Ethan could understand the part about curing diseases. After all, the tree was anything but ordinary.


    As for the claims about luck, he was skeptical.


    The wood-attributed Qi emanating from the tree could certainly aid in healing, but it had nothing to do with fortune.


    What interested Ethan more was how the tree had ended up here.


    Judging by its size, he estimated that it had been here for millennia, if not longer.


    He had tried asking around, but no one seemed to know when the tree had first appeared.


    It seemed to have always been there, with the city gradually built around it over time.


    Ethan spent the day investigating further and eventually decided to stay at an inn in the city.


    Aside from a few minor details here and there, the city was very similar to a human one, so Ethan had no trouble navigating it.


    Arriving at the inn, he asked for a room for two.


    Though a single room would have sufficed, since neither of them slept and could retreat into his minor dimension if needed, he opted for a room for two to avoid suspicion.


    The receptionist, a rabbit beastwoman, said:


    "Of course, we have several rooms available.


    It will be 3


    fest


    for one night, and an additional 2


    fest


    if you''d like meals included," the receptionist said.


    Hearing the unfamiliar currency, Ethan was momentarily at a loss for words.


    ''Shit, why didn''t I think of this earlier?'' He had spent the entire day exploring but hadn''t once considered that the currency here would be different.


    He had seen some people using what appeared to be silver coins with a distinctive engraving on them.


    He assumed those were the local currency.


    "Dear, did you forget the money at home? If you want, I can lend you some," said the dragon woman pretending to be his companion, clearly enjoying the opportunity to tease him.


    Ethan was tempted to punish her on the spot but restrained himself as he quickly thought of a solution.


    ''Spirit stones should be a universal currency, right?'' he suddenly thought.


    "Do you accept these?" he asked, pulling a spirit stone from his pocket.


    Upon seeing the stone, no larger than a fingernail, the rabbit woman nearly jumped in shock.


    With a panicked expression, she stammered,


    "Esteemed sir, a spirit stone is far too much. I don''t have enough


    fest


    to give you change!"


    It seemed spirit stones were a bit too valuable here, Ethan thought.


    "There''s no need for change; you can keep the rest," he said and finally headed to his room.


    Upon entering, they found a slightly spacious room with a double bed, a table with what appeared to be a lamp, and a window on the left side that offered a view of the city''s darkened streets.


    It was already nighttime, so aside from a few lights, there wasn''t much to see.


    Unlike some human cities, the inhabitants here didn''t seem to stay up late, at least not in this part of the city.


    "What are you planning to do with him?" Bai Yu asked as she threw herself onto the bed.


    "Eh, I was thinking of waiting a bit longer to see what his intentions are.


    But maybe it''d be faster to ask him directly," Ethan replied, vanishing from where he stood.


    "Don''t bully him, or you''ll have to deal with me." Bai Yu warned.

 Chapter 229 - 229: Guo Tao

    .


    In a small shop on the outskirts of Ti��n Sh�� Ch��ng, a boy no older than 15 was sweeping the shop''s floor.


    His name was Guo Tao, and he was a native of this city.


    After the death of his parents several years ago, he and his sister were the only ones left. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To provide for her, he decided to take on any odd jobs he could find in the city, earning just enough for both of them.


    Although life was difficult, he managed to overcome adversity one way or another,


    until two years ago, when his sister fell ill.


    Unable to afford any treatment, even the doctor he had tried so hard to convince to see her admitted that he had no idea of ??her condition.


    Despite his despair, Guo Tao had been tirelessly searching for medicines that might cure her ever since.


    At the moment, his sister''s condition was stable, but only to a certain extent.


    Confined to her bed, he constantly feared that something might happen to her every time he left for work.


    Because of this, he always tried to finish his tasks quickly so he could rush home, buying whatever little food he could afford along the way.


    Today was no different from any other day.


    As soon as his work was done, he received his daily wage and headed to a nearby grocery shop to buy some bread before returning home.


    He had been fortunate to find a job after so long, working at an antique shop, where the elderly owner decided to take him in to help with cleaning and other small tasks.


    This allowed him to earn a modest daily wage, not much, but just enough for him and his sister.


    The mere fact that he now had a somewhat stable job was already a vast improvement compared to his earlier years.


    Back then, he had to scrape together odd jobs around the city daily.


    At least now, the days when he had to skip meals because he earned nothing were gone,


    and that was already a lot for him.


    This also meant he could dedicate some time to searching for a cure for his sister.


    Though he had failed in recent years, he never gave up.


    Guo Tao believed the doctor he had brought back then wasn''t skilled enough, and he thought that if he could save enough money, he might be able to bring in someone more qualified.


    This belief was what gave him the strength to endure his daily hardships and persevere.


    Just as he passed by the grocery shop, his gaze caught sight of a pair of people walking along the city''s main street.


    At first glance, the pair seemed ordinary and unremarkable, drawing no attention,


    but to Guo Tao, they were anything but ordinary.


    "Who are they?"


    He knew of another race besides their own, the humans.


    However, to his knowledge, humans had their own territory far from the city, and they weren''t allowed entry here.


    The thought that this pair might be humans didn''t even cross his mind. Instead, his eyes widened as an idea struck him.


    "C-could they be...?"


    It was common knowledge that once someone reached a certain stage of cultivation, they could assume a more refined bipedal form, one similar to humans, but more elegant.


    This was the first time he had ever seen anyone so strikingly beautiful, especially the woman walking beside the man.


    He could confidently say that he had never seen anyone as beautiful in his entire life,


    and this only solidified his suspicion that they were high-level beings of their race.


    "Maybe they can help me."


    Thinking that beings of their level might have a cure for his sister, Guo Tao decided to deviate from his usual route and began following them, keeping a safe distance.


    By nature, he was skeptical of others, and his recent years had only heightened his caution toward strangers.


    Harsh realities had forced him to mature faster than a boy his age should.


    The more he tailed the pair, the more bewildered he became at how no one seemed fazed by their presence.


    He couldn''t understand why everyone treated the pair as normal people.


    Even in their brief interactions around the city, the reactions were entirely ordinary, something that felt strange to him.


    After all, it was well-known that even a small offense to someone of high standing could ruin a person''s life. Everyone typically maintained a respectful demeanor toward such figures,


    but he saw none of that here.


    After nearly an hour of tailing them, Guo Tao found himself in an alley in front of an inn.


    Seeing the two enter the building, he grew even more confused.


    Why would people of their stature stay at a place like this?


    He began to think that perhaps asking them for help wasn''t a good idea.


    Everything about this situation felt too strange, and if there was one thing he had learned in recent years, it was to avoid troublesome situations.


    But the thought that there might be even the slightest chance to cure his sister was hard to ignore.


    "What if..."


    Just as he was debating whether to leave, a calm voice sounded beside him.


    "Are you lost?"


    Hearing the man''s voice, Guo Tao jumped in fright, taking a few steps back as he instinctively became alert.


    "When did he get behind me?"


    He was horrified at the fact that the man he had just seen enter the inn was now suddenly behind him.


    Ethan, observing the boy''s reaction, noticed something.


    Just as Guo Tao was about to come up with any excuse, Ethan spoke.


    "You can see my real form, can''t you?"


    Guo Tao wasn''t sure what he meant but shook his head, thinking it was better not to reveal he had been following them.


    But then he realized something.


    If these two were truly who he thought they were, it wouldn''t have been difficult for them to notice him.


    With this thought, his expression darkened, his mind racing to find a way out of this situation.


    Seeing the boy remain silent, Ethan took a step toward him and said,


    "Why don''t we have a little chat?"


    Guo Tao felt a chill run down his spine at the man''s smile.


    He turned and ran for his life.


    Unfortunately for him, he was far too slow, and inevitably, Ethan caught him.

 Chapter 230 - 230: Eye of Clarity

    .


    For Guo Tao, the following sequence of events happened far too quickly.


    Somehow, his ordinary day had turned into being abducted by a stranger.


    Now, in the room where Bai Yu and Ethan were staying, Guo Tao sat trembling in front of Ethan, who stared him down with piercing eyes.


    "Well, are you finally ready to talk?" Ethan asked in a low, menacing voice.


    Under Ethan''s intimidating gaze, Guo Tao was shaking, wondering if he could escape this situation at all.


    He wanted to ask for their help to cure his sister, but at the same time, he feared that making such an abrupt request might bring trouble upon himself.


    Seeing the boy tremble, Ethan was about to speak again when,


    Bump!


    Bai Yu smacked him on the head as she approached the frightened boy.


    "I told you not to scare him,


    Don''t worry, he''s just teasing you" she said as she approached him, smiling warmly.


    Witnessing the scene, Ethan thought in frustration S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Woman, why do you make me look like the bad guy?''


    Feeling more at ease with the blue-eyed woman, Guo Tao decided to take a chance and, with great difficulty, said:


    "I-I just wanted to find a cure for my sister."


    Hearing this, an invisible question mark seemed to appear above both Ethan''s and Bai Yu''s heads.


    "My sister�� It''s been years since she fell ill.


    The doctor who examined her doesn''t know what disease she has, so now she''s bedridden.


    When I saw you two, I thought maybe you''d know something about her illness," Guo Tao explained.


    "Hmm? What makes you think we could help? You don''t even know us," Ethan responded coldly.


    Bai Yu nodded in agreement.


    "Well, it''s because you''re strong��?" Guo Tao answered hesitantly.


    "��"


    "��"


    ''What kind of logic is that?'' Ethan thought as he was about to say something but was stopped by Bai Yu''s gaze.


    She turned to the boy and asked gently, "Why do you think we''re strong?"


    "Because of your complete human forms," Guo Tao replied, somewhat confused.


    Bai Yu and Ethan exchanged puzzled glances.


    Then, noticing something unusual, Bai Yu asked,


    "Wait, can you see our true forms?"


    Guo Tao nodded uncertainly, not understanding why the question was significant.


    Ethan couldn''t fathom how the boy could see through his illusion spell, but then an idea struck him.


    ''Wait, I might be able to use that.''


    When Ethan broke into the spiritual realm, he unlocked new system features, one of which was an intriguing item in the system''s shop.


    He opened the system interface and navigated to the shop section.


    ''There it is.''


    He selected the item he was looking for and issued a mental command.


    ''Analyze the boy in front of me.''


    As soon as the command was given, a familiar sound echoed in his mind, and a screen appeared before him.


    Ding!


    Ding!


    [Analysis of the beastman in progress...]


    [Analysis complete.]


    [Information is ready to be viewed.]


    [Cost: 100 Sp]


    Without hesitation, Ethan paid the price, and a status screen listing Guo Tao''s information appeared before him.


    .


    [---------------------------------


    Name


    : Guo Tao


    Age


    : 15


    Cultivation


    : N/A


    Description


    : A boy from the White Wolf race, originating from Ti��n Sh�� City.


    ...


    Abilities


    :


    > Eye of Clarity (lvl. 1)


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    Aside from the boy''s basic information, there wasn''t much else to see until Ethan checked the abilities section and noticed he had one.


    ''Eye of Clarity?''


    One of the system''s functions allowed him to "Analyze," an ability to discern detailed information about living beings or objects.


    So far, Ethan hadn''t found much use for it, but now he decided to test its effectiveness, and the results didn''t disappoint.


    He wondered if this ability was what allowed Guo Tao to see through their illusion spell.


    Ethan selected the ability, and another screen appeared before him:


    .


    [--------------------------------


    [Eye of Clarity]


    Level


    : 1


    Description


    : This ability grants the user the power to pierce through illusions and deception, revealing the hidden truth behind any facade.


    ----------------------------------]


    .


    Reading the description, Ethan couldn''t help but be impressed.


    ''What a broken ability,'' he thought, imagining the various uses for such a skill.


    However, he wondered how a boy with no cultivation base could possess such an ability.


    Judging by their earlier interaction, it seemed Guo Tao didn''t even know he had this skill and considered it a normal trait.


    Ethan was confident in this assessment, as his current cultivation level made it easy to detect lies or inconsistencies in others.


    When the boy said he could see their true forms, Ethan could tell he genuinely didn''t know about the illusion spell Ethan had cast on himself.


    The illusion spell wasn''t particularly powerful, and Ethan had thought it sufficient for their needs.


    But now, reconsidering the situation, he thought he should have strengthened it a bit more.


    In an unfamiliar territory, even a simple stroll through the city could lead to exposure.


    Not that it was a huge problem, but Ethan preferred to avoid unnecessary complications.


    With that in mind, he asked the boy,


    "I don''t know what made you think we could help, but even if we could,why would we?


    What''s in it for us?"


    His tone was serious.


    Personally, Ethan wasn''t too interested in the situation.


    Apart from his curiosity about the boy''s unique ability, nothing else drew his attention.


    He might feel a bit of sympathy for the boy, but that was all.


    Ethan knew firsthand how harsh the world could be, but that didn''t mean he''d go around helping everyone in need.


    His harsh demeanor toward Guo Tao was also a way to teach the boy a lesson, that running to strangers for help could lead to trouble or even death.


    Hearing Ethan''s serious tone, Guo Tao felt a heavy pressure descend on him, making it hard to maintain eye contact.


    Clenching his fists, he struggled to push away the fear.


    He was certain these people could help his sister.


    To him, they were high-level cultivators, perhaps even members of a noble family.


    Surely, they had access to better doctors who could cure his sister.


    Gathering all his courage, he kept his gaze fixed on Ethan''s eyes and said:


    "I-I''m willing to do anything to save my sister," tears streaming down his face.


    "Anything, you say? What if I asked for your life?"

 Chapter 231 - 231: Guo Lan

    .


    The Beast Continent was divided into five kingdoms, three of which were similar to the Human Continent, not in terms of race, but in name.


    In fact, three of the five kingdoms were the Kingdom of the Dragon, the Kingdom of the Phoenix, and the Kingdom of the Qilin.


    To these were added the fourth and fifth kingdoms: the Kingdom of the Tortoise and the Kingdom of the Wolf.


    Ethan wasn''t certain why this similarity existed, but from the little he had learned, not all the inhabitants of these kingdoms necessarily belonged to the main race of the kingdom.


    This wasn''t due to a diverse population, but because the original citizens of the kingdoms didn''t have a completely pure bloodline.


    Only the royal family of each kingdom possessed such a lineage and, as a result, could exercise dominance over their people.


    Guo Tao had mentioned that, although he was originally from this city, his parents were not.


    They came from the Kingdom of the Wolf, which bordered the Kingdom of the Dragon, the kingdom they were currently in.


    The city of Ti��n Sh�� was a large city spanning dozens of miles.


    It was the capital of the Kingdom of the Dragon.


    Thanks to the presence of the Celestial Tree at the center of the city, it had become the most prosperous city on the continent.


    Consequently, it had also been the cause of various conflicts in the past, all of which ended with the Kingdom of the Dragon proving its supremacy over the others.


    Of course, if the other kingdoms were to unite, defeating the Kingdom of the Dragon wouldn''t be impossible.


    but the various divergences between the kingdoms made this almost impossible.


    That said, despite being prosperous, the great city had its darker sides.


    Some areas on the outskirts of the city, over time, filled up with all kinds of people, from those who were running away from the law to those who could not afford to live in the city, and therefore took refuge there and lived each day as if it were their last.


    Near one of these areas was Guo Tao''s home.


    He was fortunate that his parents had managed to secure a small house near the city''s outskirts, a buffer zone between the city and the slums.


    The house itself was nothing special and lacked many daily necessities, but for Guo Tao and his younger sister, Guo Lan, it was more than enough.


    Given the distance to his workplace, Guo Tao spent at least half an hour commuting back and forth every day.


    Currently, within Guo Tao''s modest home, a small girl with white wolf ears lay on a thin mattress, covered by a blanket barely warm enough to keep her comfortable.


    She wasn''t older than ten, but malnutrition and her worsening physical condition due to illness made her look far less healthy than a girl her age should.


    From the moment she was born, she had been lovingly cared for, first by her parents, then by her older brother.


    The death of her parents had brought her immense pain, but it had also been a heavy blow to her brother, who always tried to hide his pain and remain strong in front of her.


    She had always been a perceptive child, so she understood their situation and tried her best not to be a burden on him.


    Even though she was too young to work, she had always tried to be helpful at home.


    But after turning eight, even the small contributions she could make to ease her brother''s burden vanished.


    Now, her days were spent battling an unknown illness that made even small movements a challenge.


    She had gone from feeling unwell and constantly fatigued to being almost entirely immobile. Now, apart from slight movements, she could do little else.


    ''Hm?''


    It was nearly midnight, and her brother, who usually returned in the evening, was nowhere to be seen. This made her a bit anxious.


    Although it wasn''t the first time he had been late, he usually informed her in advance or was at most an hour or two late. Yet now, it was nearly midnight. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite her anxiety, she tried to remain optimistic as she struggled to open her eyes.


    She hadn''t yet told her brother that her condition, which had seemed stable, was beginning to worsen again.


    Even opening her eyes was becoming a challenge.


    Still, no matter how hard it was, she kept trying, fearing that if she gave up, she might never open them again.


    As she tried once more, she heard the sound of the door opening and footsteps entering her home.


    Normally, she would assume it was her brother, but this time, it didn''t sound like just one person, it sounded like several, though she couldn''t tell how many.


    ''Is someone breaking in?'' she thought nervously, struggling harder to open her eyes.


    ''No, not now... please, open!'' She tried forcing her eyes open, but they felt heavier, as if someone had placed weights on her eyelids.


    The footsteps drew closer, and with them, she heard faint voices.


    ''That voice... is it big brother?'' she thought, barely able to recognize her brother''s voice.


    The illness hadn''t just affected her body but also dulled her senses, from her sight to her hearing, everything was growing weaker.


    Minutes passed, but nothing happened. Even the voices had stopped in the meantime.


    This only made her more anxious. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but at that very moment, a strange sensation washed over her body.


    Like water flowing through a dry riverbed, something hit her body, immersing her in a comfortable sensation.


    ''What''s happening to me?''


    The more she felt this strange sensation spreading through her body, the more she got used to it.


    She wasn''t sure what it was, but it was comforting.


    It gave her the same warm, relaxing feeling she remembered from her mother''s hug.


    Slowly, without realizing it, she gave in to the sensation and let herself drift away.


    As she did, her pale complexion began to regain its healthy color.


    Her emaciated features gradually returned to normal as she was surrounded by a faint greenish light.


    She was healing.

 Chapter 232 - 232: Healing

    .


    Ethan, under the sharp gaze of the dragon woman, eventually agreed to help Guo Tao.


    He asked where Guo Tao lived, and with his speed, they reached his home in the blink of an eye.


    From the surroundings alone, Ethan could tell this wasn''t the safest place for children their age, though it was still better than the area beyond this part of the city.


    That said, the house they lived in was small, just big enough for a small family of three, maybe four people.


    From the exterior condition of the house, it was evident that it was quite old and definitely in need of some repairs here and there.


    But that wasn''t the most important thing right now.


    With his spiritual sense, Ethan had already detected the figure of a small wolf girl lying in a room at the back of the house.


    Noticing her frail figure with his spiritual sense, he couldn''t help but furrow his brows.


    "Hm? This is..."


    Scanning the girl''s body with his spiritual sense, he quickly determined her current state and realized it was far from stable.


    At this rate, the girl would likely cease breathing completely in no more than three months.


    He could feel the disease spreading through her body, which was already 90% covered.


    She certainly wouldn''t survive much longer. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The nature of the illness made Ethan think of several diseases, but he decided to examine the girl''s condition more closely before drawing conclusions.


    Without wasting any time, he entered the house and headed straight to the small room where the girl was resting.


    Guo Tao, seeing that his sister still hadn''t woken up, immediately feared the worst and tried to wake her, but Ethan stopped him. Instead, Ethan released his spiritual energy to probe the girl''s physical condition.


    His energy enveloped her entire body, allowing him to examine the illness spreading within.


    "Hm?"


    Ethan frowned as he found this illness somewhat familiar.


    "Is this... Demonic Qi?"


    Thinking he might have made a mistake, he rechecked the disease, but the more he examined it, the more it seemed similar to Demonic Qi.


    "A variant? How did she get infected by this?" he wondered, his frown deepening.


    Ethan thought the Beast Continent was yet to encounter demons, but seeing this, he was forced to reconsider.


    He planned to examine the continent once again, but for now, he focused on purging the Demonic Qi from the girl''s body.


    With a mental command, his Qi within the girl''s body began to move, covering all traces of the disease. With another command, it started to flow toward a single point.


    The girl''s body began to convulse slightly, and seeing this, Guo Tao became alarmed and agitated.


    "Sister! What''s happening to her?" he asked Ethan in a panic.


    If it weren''t for Bai Yu stopping him and reassuring him to trust in Ethan''s healing abilities, Guo Tao would have rushed toward him.


    Bai Yu herself had noticed the Demonic Qi within the girl and could tell it was more like a virus originating from Demonic Qi that had infected her.


    She, too, wasn''t sure how it had appeared here, but one thing was certain: if this virus was circulating within the Beast Continent, there was likely a source somewhere. In other words, demons had already arrived on this continent.


    She thought it was highly likely that the same thing could happen in the Human Continent if she and Ethan hadn''t eliminated the demons there in time.


    Bai Yu wondered how many such cases there were, as Guo Tao''s sister was the only infected person they had encountered so far.


    Although she couldn''t track down all traces of this virus or its source, she was convinced that Ethan could. So, she waited until he was finished before investigating the virus''s origin.


    Ethan''s spiritual energy directed all of the disease within the girl''s body toward her mouth. As her body continued to convulse, black smoke began to pour out of her mouth.


    "W-what is that?"


    Seeing this, Guo Tao couldn''t help but ask in worry.


    "That''s your sister''s illness," Bai Yu replied simply.


    "Illness?"


    Realizing that Ethan was treating his sister by extracting this black smoke, Guo Tao finally understood that these two people might truly be able to help his sister.


    This realization hit him hard, and his eyes started to water. But he held back his tears and watched anxiously as more black smoke continued to pour out.


    In just a few seconds, a small sphere, about the size of a fingernail, appeared in the air. With a slight motion of his hand, Ethan absorbed it into his body, where his physique refined it immediately.


    Ding!


    [You have gained a small amount of STR.]


    Noticing the slight strength he had gained, Ethan wasn''t particularly surprised.


    He hadn''t expected to gain much from such a small amount of Demonic Qi, it was almost negligible compared to what he had absorbed before.


    He also noted that the system didn''t specify how much strength he had gained, only that he had received "a small amount."


    It was likely that the amount of strength was too small to even register as a single stat point.


    Ethan didn''t dwell on it too much. After purging all traces of the disease, he channeled some wood-element Qi into the girl''s body, and a visible change immediately occurred.


    Her skin, which had been slightly shriveled and pale, regained its color, becoming healthier and more vibrant.


    The dark circles under her eyes disappeared, and even the silvery fur on her wolf ears regained its luster.


    Guo Lan finally managed to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was Ethan''s handsome face, which was currently the closest to her.


    With some effort, she sat up, still a little confused about the situation. She looked at the handsome man beside her and murmured, "So, this is heaven?"


    Hearing her murmur, Ethan gave her a gentle smile and replied,


    "No, it''s still too soon for you to visit that place."

 Chapter 233 - 233: Han Lei

    .


    Guo Tao had imagined countless times the day his sister would rise from that bed completely healthy, just as she once was.


    So, when he saw that what he was witnessing was real, he rushed towards her and gave her a tight hug.


    Guo Lan, still coming to terms with the fact that her body seemed to have healed, saw her brother rushing over and wrapping her in a hug.


    Although the sight of his siblings was touching, Ethan didn''t pay much attention.


    He was lost in thought.


    Bai Yu, on the other hand, was happy.


    Noticing Ethan''s lack of attention to the scene, she nudged him lightly on the side, giving him a sharp glance.


    ''What?''


    He wasn''t sure why the dragon woman was throwing him such looks.


    Finally, Guo Tao broke away from the embrace and turned to Ethan, and said:


    "I... I really don''t know how to thank you. I''m willing to do anything to repay this debt I owe you," he said in a humble tone.


    Seeing her brother addressing the handsome man so respectfully, she realized it was him who had healed her.


    Struggling to get up, she prepared to thank him as well.


    "Don''t worry about it. It wasn''t anything too difficult," Ethan said, gesturing for them to remain seated.


    It was true, it hadn''t been particularly complicated to eliminate the demonic Qi in the girl.


    Besides, he knew that if he dared ask for anything in return, he''d likely have to face an angry dragon woman.


    After scaring him a little, Ethan eventually agreed to his request for help and had set off with him to his home.


    In truth, there wasn''t anything the young man could offer him, and it didn''t cost Ethan much to help him, so he accepted without much fuss.


    And, well, Ethan could tell Bai Yu had a soft spot for children. He knew she would have forced him to accept even if he tried to refuse, so one way or another, he would have ended up curing the girl.


    Although, he had to admit this small incident turned out to be useful in a way. He had now discovered the presence of demonic Qi even on this continent.


    Ethan was certain that demons had managed to infiltrate here as well, which was a cause for concern, as the Long Hao still believed the Beast Continent was safe.


    What confused him was the fact that Lon Hao seemed to be certain that there were no demons in the Beast Continent, and that was because his contact with this continent had assured him that there were none.


    Ethan didn''t know if they were unaware of the demons'' presence or if they were simply trying to hide it, which he found highly unlikely, but it was still a worrying matter.


    Initially, he had only planned to make a brief visit here before heading to the Demon Continent.


    But now, with this discovery, he realized he needed to deal with the situation here first. Otherwise, eliminating the demons on the Demon Continent wouldn''t be enough.


    Within a few years, the Beast Continent would become completely corrupted.


    ***


    Meanwhile, to the east of the capital, in a mountain range, stood a grand palace that would shame any structure on the Human Continent.


    The palace was imposing, built entirely of white marble that reflected the light with a faint golden glow.


    Its towers soared into the sky, solid and well-defined, while the broad staircases led to a monumental entrance adorned with dragon-shaped carvings.


    Inside, the space was vast, with large columns supporting the high ceiling and intricate engravings that echoed the theme of the royal dragon family.


    Currently, in the palace''s main corridor, a man dressed regally was walking alone through the expansive hall.


    The man stood out due to the two small horns on his head and his reptilian-like eyes.


    He was Han Lei, the third son of the current king of the Dragon Kingdom.


    As he walked, he heard a voice reach his ears:


    "Young Master Lei, the curse has been cast on the surrounding kingdoms.


    In a few years they will all be ready to be conquered," the voice said.


    Han Lei didn''t turn around or stop. He continued walking at a moderate pace, a grin forming on his face.


    "A few more years, you say?


    No, I''ve already waited far too long. At this point, it shouldn''t be a problem to unleash the curse and subjugate the five kingdoms with ease, right?" he said, displeased with the news. S��arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "..."


    The voice didn''t respond immediately, remaining silent for a few moments before finally saying:


    "It is possible, but this would be no different from ruling over a pile of corpses, Young Master.


    Are you truly fine with this?" the voice asked, attempting to persuade the third prince to reconsider his approach.


    The speaker was Han Lei''s personal servant and mediator between him and the demons.


    Due to a demonic contract, the servant was incapable of refusing Han Lei''s orders, let alone betraying him or revealing his plans to the king.


    Thus, he could only try to steer Han Lei towards the least destructive path for the kingdom.


    Although he believed someone like Han Lei wasn''t suited to rule, it was still better than seeing the kingdom completely consumed by flames.


    For the time being, his options were extremely limited and he tried to exploit every little opportunity that came his way.


    However, he soon realized he had underestimated the madness of the third prince.


    "So what?


    They are our subjects, and as such, they should be honored to contribute to my cause.


    Losing a few lives isn''t that important. The important thing is to successfully dethrone my father," Han Lei said, his eyes glinting with unstable light.


    A maid passing through the corridor overheard his words and, terrified, tried her best to avoid meeting the prince''s gaze as she continued on her way.


    She knew that what she had heard could very well be fatal to her, so she tried not to draw attention to herself in front of the crazed prince.


    Unfortunately for her, luck was not on her side today.


    "Hey, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?" Han Lei suddenly said, no longer in the corridor but right behind her.


    The maid felt a chill of dread run through her body. Struggling to turn around, she bowed deeply.


    "Y-your Highness, I was just taking the dirty laundry to the castle''s laundry room," she said, trying to appear as composed as possible.


    She didn''t want him to realize she had heard what he said, though it was hard to avoid, given how loudly he had shouted those things.


    "Oh, really? That''s a relief. After all, what would we do if we didn''t have clean clothes when we needed them, right?" he said with a smile, motioning for her to go.


    Thinking she had escaped unscathed, the maid bowed and continued, trying not to appear in a hurry.


    The farther she walked, the lighter the weight of fear pressing on her heart became.


    Just as she neared a side corridor leading to the castle''s laundry, she suddenly froze, her body going rigid.


    A hand gripped her shoulder, and before she could even flinch, Han Lei''s voice resounded once more.


    "By the way, did you happen to hear what I said earlier?" he asked.


    "N-no, I swear I didn''t hear anything," she replied.


    Han Lei nodded, then, leaning closer to her ear, he whispered:


    "I see. Then tell me, why is your body trembling?"

 Chapter 234 - 234: Babysitter

    .


    In the capital of the Dragon Kingdom, the sun was finally rising.


    At that moment, on the roof of a tall building, two figures were sitting and chatting.


    "Let them stay in my minor dimension? Woman, do you think that''s an orphanage or something?" said Ethan, not understanding the sudden idea of the dragon woman.


    "Well, why not? After all, you basically have an entire unused world.


    If we leave them like this, they risk getting into trouble sooner or later.


    We might as well let them stay there so they can live in peace. I don''t think they''ll mind," she said.


    Ethan could only shake his head.


    "That''s not the point. You can''t just pick up random people and toss them into my minor dimension like it''s nothing.


    We''ve already helped those two more than enough. They''ve been living on their own for a couple of years now, and continuing to do so won''t be too hard for them.


    There''s no reason to bring them into my minor dimension, where at most, in a century or two, they''ll die," he said, reminding her that time there passed much faster.


    "We can teach them the cultivation," she said, refusing to back down.


    Ethan really didn''t know how to handle this woman.


    In terms of maturity, she should surpass him, yet here he was, reasoning with her over something so simple.


    He wondered how she had managed to surpass the mortal realm when she still harbored so many worldly emotions.


    Having them wasn''t wrong, but letting them cloud your judgment was.


    "Why not just teach them to cultivate out here? With our help, it won''t take long for them to reach a decent level of strength to survive on their own, not that they need it, anyway," he said.


    "Tch, and you say you always indulge my wishes. Look at you now; you can''t even do something this simple?" she said, pouting.


    "��"


    Something simple? Since when had babysitting become simple?


    Ethan was really tempted to punish the dragon woman for all the trouble she was causing him.


    "And it would be good for you too. After all, the brother isn''t the only special one;


    the girl has a unique physique as well.


    If properly cultivated, she could reach the peak of the Spiritual Realm in a little over a thousand years," she said, referring to a discovery they had recently made.


    After Ethan finished healing her, he tried to inspect her and discovered she indeed had a rather unique physique,


    the White Orchid Physique.


    The system classified the physique as rare, but since he didn''t know much about it, he could only turn to Bai Yu, who was more experienced in this field.


    She, hearing the Physique''s name, was amazed, and immediately rushed to examine Gao Lan''s body.


    She confirmed that it was indeed the White Orchid physique, an extremely beneficial physique for females.


    According to her, there were two versions of this physique, one for each gender.


    From what she had heard, people who had this physique in the past showed extraordinary progress in cultivation, and almost every one of them who lived long enough reached the peak of the Spiritual Rank,


    the level of a superpower in the Celestial Plane.


    Ethan wasn''t as shocked to learn more about the physique as he was by the fact that they had encountered two people with rather rare physiques and abilities.


    He wasn''t sure if it was just a coincidence or something like divine providence, but that would imply someone''s hand in all this.


    As absurd as it sounded, if it were true, it meant someone had their eyes on him or on the events involving him and those that might involve him in the future.


    Needless to say, none of these possibilities reassured Ethan, but for now, he had a more immediate problem to deal with, convincing Bai Yu.


    In the end, he sighed and said,


    "I really don''t understand why you''re so determined to gather every talent you meet, but if you decide to personally take care of them, then I suppose I can agree."


    Bai Yu, who had been pouting, was happy upon hearing this and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.


    Ethan was certain that if it had been someone below the fifth rank, they would''ve definitely broken a few bones at best.


    At worst��


    Initially, he had planned to say something like, "You''ll have to give up cola in exchange for this," but he had a feeling that would get him into trouble with her in the future.


    Letting those two roam his minor dimension wasn''t really a big issue.


    What bothered him was that if he did, he''d inevitably end up taking care of them in some way.


    A sense of responsibility.


    And he knew he didn''t have time for that, nor would she in the future once she ascended.


    He simply thought that there was still some time before he and she ascended to the Celestial Plane, and during that period, those two brats would grow enough to start walking their own path.


    In the end, he left the task of asking them if they wanted to travel with them to Bai Yu. The two, though hesitant, accepted.


    With that settled, Ethan also decided it was time to investigate this continent further.


    He intended to eliminate all hidden threats, and to do so, he would have to start here before moving to the other continent.


    He also knew he had to check the Human Continent.


    For all he knew, he might have unwittingly been unaware of the presence of this strange demonic Qi virus.


    Just in case, he planned to check the Human Continent after finishing his work here. Sear?h the ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With that, he moved into the skies above Ti��n Sh�� City and once again released his spiritual sense over the entire continent, this time focusing all of it solely on the Beast Continent.


    An infinite stream of information flooded his mind, which his brain processed at an incredibly high speed.


    At his current level, processing billions of pieces of information in seconds wasn''t too complicated.


    While cultivators didn''t usually examine every single detail that entered their perception range, Ethan had decided to do so, as he wanted to detect even the smallest particle of demonic Qi in the air.


    The process continued, and after a few seconds, he stopped, his gaze turning toward the Tree of Life at the center of the city.


    "Is it just me, or did it just react to my spiritual sense?"

 Chapter 235 - 235: Infestation

    .


    Ethan''s perception had already detected many auras tainted with traces of demonic Qi, far more than he had expected.


    As he made this observation, he noticed that the elemental spirit within the Tree of Life seemed to react to his persistent spiritual sense.


    Opening his eyes, he gazed at the towering tree and, with a swift movement forward, appeared next to it.


    Raising his hand, he placed it on the trunk''s surface, closed his eyes, and sent a small amount of spiritual energy into the tree.


    "Hm, it looks like he responded. Could it be that it''s waking up?"


    He asked himself as he continued to send Qi into the tree.


    The elemental spirit was certainly not an enemy.


    In fact, one could say it was the natural nemesis of demonic Qi due to their opposing natures.


    And as the saying goes, the enemy of your enemy is your friend.


    That said, it wasn''t as though he truly needed its help, but he was definitely interested in how it had ended up here in the first place.


    After all, this Tree of Life shouldn''t even exist in the mortal realm to begin with.


    Just as Ethan was attempting to see if he could awaken the elemental spirit within the tree, several figures darted toward his location. In no time, he found himself surrounded by numerous beings, each at the Fourth Stage or higher.


    "Who are you, and how dare you fly above the skies of the city?


    Don''t you know it''s forbidden to fly near the royal capital?" said a beastkin, half Ethan''s height, stepping forward from the group.


    The beastkin wore what appeared to be armor, complete with a helmet, the visor of which was lifted, revealing his distinctive features, a long snout and two rounded horns protruding from holes in the helmet.


    Ethan, who had already sensed the presence of the guards, did not pay attention to them, and continued his work, noting that the pure Qi he was transmitting was being absorbed by the elemental spirit within the tree.


    ''It seems to be low on energy,'' he thought as he observed this.


    He wasn''t entirely sure why the spirit was in a dormant state, but he could tell it lacked the strength to awaken.


    It was like it was in a coma.


    Ethan wondered why its body hadn''t automatically absorbed natural energy from its surroundings all this time.


    After all, this was something a spirit''s body would do instinctively when depleted of energy. Yet here it was, now feeding on his pure Qi.


    The guard, seeing that he was being blatantly ignored, was clearly displeased. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a golden spear into his grasp.


    "I don''t know who you are, but since you''ve violated the kingdom''s rules, you will be judged accordingly.


    Surrender peacefully, and don''t resist, or else..."


    Just as the guard was finishing his sentence and preparing to approach Ethan to apprehend him, he was struck by an invisible force.


    In an instant he lost consciousness and fell from the sky.


    At the sight of this, the others became alarmed and some rushed to capture their fallen leader.


    As they did, the remaining guards drew their weapons and aimed them at Ethan, all on high alert.


    It seemed that Ethan''s threat level had risen significantly in their eyes.


    Just as they hesitated to act, Ethan, who had been ignoring them, suddenly spoke.


    "If you value their lives, you''d best retreat immediately. I''m not in the mood for games," he said calmly, yet in a voice that all the guards could clearly hear.


    They exchanged glances, trying to determine who he was suddenly addressing.


    Just as they were about to question if they had misheard, a figure appeared before them.


    The figure faced Ethan, who didn''t even flinch at the presence of the newcomer, continuing his actions undisturbed.


    "Who are you, and how did you manage to perceive me?" asked the imposing figure of a man dressed in regal attire, gazing at Ethan with a hint of caution.


    The man in question was none other than the eldest son of the current king of the Dragon Kingdom, as well as heir to the throne.


    He was the Crown Prince Han Yu, Han Lei''s elder brother.


    He had been nearby when he noticed the commotion in the air and decided to investigate the situation.


    Unfortunately for him, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t discern the cultivation level of the other party.


    Seeing Ethan''s appearance, he couldn''t help but think he was human, though he quickly shook his head.


    After all, while there were humans on this continent, none had reached a stage higher than the Third.


    This was primarily due to the lack of resources to take the next steps in their cultivation.


    Thus, he speculated that Ethan might be a high-level beastkin, which could explain why he couldn''t determine his cultivation.


    This, however, was even more surprising since Han Yu himself was currently at the peak of the Fifth Stage of cultivation.


    Anyone stronger than him would essentially be at the peak of this realm, a feat achieved only by his father and the rulers of the other four kingdoms.


    Knowing all four rulers personally, he was certain Ethan wasn''t any of them, which only made the situation more suspicious.


    Now that his presence had also been detected, he felt even more certain that the other party wasn''t someone ordinary.


    He could only hope that Ethan wasn''t a threat to them. After all, a conflict between Fifth Stage powers was far from ideal for the kingdom, especially in the royal capital.


    So he tried to gather information about the other side to see what his intentions were.


    Unfortunately for him, Ethan couldn''t care less about making a small talk with him.


    Without even glancing at him, Ethan continued what he was doing, while saying:


    "You know, when I came here, I thought the Beast Continent was in a better state than the Human Continent. But it seems your situation is even more chaotic than ours.


    Even your king is in a weakened state, and demons are roaming this continent as if it were their own home, yet you don''t even seem to notice."


    He spoke, clearly dissatisfied with the other party.


    When he had first extended his perception to find traces of demonic Qi, he had immediately noticed many things.


    The more he observed, the more astonished he became at how much worse the situation was on this continent compared to the Human Continent.


    Basically, two of the five kingdoms were already fully infected, while the others were in the process of being infested.


    At this point, all the demons needed to do was activate the virus they had spread, and more than 60% of the Beast Continent would fall into their hands. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Needless to say, their chances of escaping this situation were far from good.

 Chapter 236 - 236: Dormant State

    .


    Hearing Ethan''s words, everyone''s eyes widened, while the crown prince, standing further ahead, narrowed his eyes.


    ''How does he know about my father''s condition, and more importantly, did he just say he''s from the human continent?''


    In those few words Ethan uttered, there was simply too much to process.


    The matter of the demons roaming the continent was already a matter of the utmost importance, and this, coupled with everything else that could be deduced from the man''s words, raised the seriousness of the current situation by several notches.


    Gesturing toward the guards, the prince made a sword appear in his hand and said as he pointed it at Ethan:


    "I have no idea who you are or whether what you''ve said is true, but I must courteously ask you to come with me."


    Ethan, once again, paid little attention to them and simply said,


    "If I were you, I''d be careful who you point that weapon at," he remarked while releasing a small fraction of his power.


    Unfortunately for them, that small fraction of power was like a tsunami that overwhelmed them all. S~ea??h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the soldiers suddenly vanished, falling unconscious, while the crown prince barely resisted, though he was scarcely conscious.


    ''T-This pressure... Who on earth are we dealing with?'' he thought, completely alarmed.


    From what he understood, the other party seemed to come from the human continent, but as far as he knew, humans had power levels similar to theirs, perhaps even slightly inferior. Yet here stood someone who, without even moving, had knocked nearly all of them out.


    He knew this wasn''t the power of someone at the peak of the Fifth Stage; it was something that went beyond that stage.


    Although the first interaction with them wasn''t peaceful, in the end, the prince had to bow his head and courteously escort Ethan to his family''s royal palace.


    Ethan, too, didn''t cause further trouble for these people and told them to lead the way.


    From that brief interaction, he had already noticed that they seemed aware of the existence of two other continents, though they didn''t appear to know about the demons who had already invaded their continent��something he had hypothesized before and now had more or less confirmed.


    He wanted to see what the rulers of this continent were up to, and more importantly, he intended to deal with a small problem in this particular kingdom, which was why he headed to the royal palace.


    As they walked, Prince Han Yu couldn''t help but ask,


    "If I may, esteemed guest, could I ask you a question?" he inquired with a 180-degree change in attitude.


    Initially, he thought Ethan was strong but not too difficult to handle, at least not for him, one of the most powerful beings on their continent. But after being sort of slapped in the face by Ethan, he realized he was nothing more than a frog in a well.


    What he thought was the pinnacle of their world apparently wasn''t at all, and this realization left him feeling conflicted.


    On one hand, he was glad to know there were higher power levels beyond the Fifth Stage, but on the other hand, he was terrified by the fact that almost no one seemed to be aware of this.


    He thought perhaps his father might know something. After all, he wasn''t just the king of this kingdom but probably the most powerful among the rulers of the five kingdoms.


    Ethan merely nodded and said nothing, signaling to the other party that he could speak.


    "You said demons have already started invading our continent. Is that true?" he asked cautiously, trying not to offend him. After all, he was questioning what Ethan had previously stated.


    "Yes, and your father''s condition is also related to this. But let''s not discuss this now. First, take me to him," Ethan replied, and after that, the prince dared not ask any more questions.


    Seeing the submissive behavior of the prince, the guards stationed at the castle couldn''t help but exchange confused looks.


    "Who is that person walking with the prince, and why does the prince seem to treat him so well?"


    "I don''t know, but I''m sure he''s not one of the other four rulers of the kingdoms. I''ve seen them, and none of them even remotely resemble him."


    The guards were baffled by what they had witnessed and could only look at each other in confusion.


    Unlike the few who had gone to the Tree of Life to see who had dared to break the kingdom''s rules, these guards had stayed inside and were thus unaware of what had happened moments ago.


    In no time, Ethan, escorted by the prince, finally arrived before the throne room''s doors, and the prince stepped aside to let him enter.


    The throne room''s doors were 10 meters tall and entirely made of a rare mineral resembling gold.


    They were richly adorned with intricate carvings depicting various scenes and rare gemstones, but none of this interested Ethan.


    With a faint sound, the doors began to swing open, and after a few seconds, Ethan finally took a step inside.


    As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a gigantic hall, which seemed more like a large cave carved into the mountain, decorated like a royal hall.


    At the far end of the hall stood a massive platform raised just two meters above the hall''s floor, with a series of steps leading up to it.


    The platform was very wide, and currently on it lay a gigantic black dragon, seemingly immersed in a deep sleep.


    Seeing the great figure of this kingdom''s ruler, Ethan couldn''t help but compare it to Bai Yu''s beast form, and he had to admit it was nothing special in comparison to her.


    Shaking his head to dismiss such thoughts, he scanned the body of the great black dragon.


    ''It seems the infection has already spread to almost his entire body,'' he thought, recalling the condition in which he had found Guo Tao''s sister.


    She had been very close to succumbing entirely to the infection, but the dragon before him was already at that stage, with only a thin thread of life remaining in him.


    Ethan could tell that the infection within him was much stronger than that in Guo Lan, which was why this Fifth-Stage being before him was already in such a state compared to her.


    As he confirmed the dragon''s condition, Prince Han Yu, standing behind him, saw his father''s current state and sighed in sadness as he said,


    "He began feeling unwell about a year ago, and since then, we''ve kept it a secret while searching for a cure for his illness. But not knowing what it was, we couldn''t treat him properly, and in the end, he ended up in this state," he said, frustration clear in his voice.


    He had summoned all the most skilled doctors and alchemists to examine his father''s condition and find a cure, but none of it helped since none of them could identify the problem, and as a result, none could find a suitable cure.


    In the end, his father gradually lost more and more control over his body and ended up in this dormant state, which was a way to preserve the last traces of life within him.


    Han Yu knew this wouldn''t last forever, and he had to find a remedy before even those last traces of life disappeared. So, he searched far and wide but ultimately failed.


    When today he heard that this powerful individual knew the cause of his father''s illness, that flame of hope, which had almost completely gone out, reignited, and so he didn''t hesitate to bring him here, hoping for a miracle.

 Chapter 237 - 237: Mother and Daughter

    .


    In the corridor leading to the royal hall of the castle, a beautiful, mature woman was walking alongside another slightly younger woman who resembled her somewhat.


    The mature woman was Han Ling, queen of the Dragon Kingdom and mother to Han Yu and Han Lei.


    The slightly younger woman walking beside her was Han Fei, Han Yu''s younger sister and the third-born child of Han Ling.


    Currently, mother and daughter were making their way to the throne room to check on the condition of Han Wei, the king.


    By now, these visits had become routine, yet neither of them ever tired of going regularly.


    Although it was painful for them to witness Han Wei''s increasingly grave condition, they still hoped to one day see the mighty dragon, who had ruled the continent for millennia, return to his former glory.


    Just like Han Yu, they too had done everything they could to find a cure for the illness, but they also ended up empty-handed.


    As they walked, Han Fei couldn''t help but ask with a thoughtful expression.


    "Mother, I heard that someone dared to fly over the city today, and that Big Brother personally went to capture them," she said, recalling some chatter she overheard from the servants.


    She asked for details and learned that someone had violated the kingdom''s rules, which surprised her. After all, for centuries, no one had dared to do such a thing, knowing full well it would only lead to death.


    Aside from the royal family or the kingdom''s guards, no one was allowed to fly in the skies above the city. This rule was not only for security reasons but also out of respect for the dragon royal family and the gigantic tree that had brought prosperity to the kingdom for millennia.


    Hearing that someone had done such a thing piqued her curiosity, and she wondered who could be bold enough to attempt it in broad daylight.


    "Yes, but don''t worry, your brother will take care of it," Han Ling said, shaking her head.


    She knew what was going through her daughter''s mind and couldn''t help but wonder when she would finally mature.


    Han Ling knew her daughter very well and was aware that one of this young woman''s favorite hobbies was seeking trouble.


    She wouldn''t have been surprised if she had heard that Han Fei had personally gone to the site of the incident to watch the capture.


    With that, mother and daughter finally arrived at the throne room.


    Seeing that the grand doors of the hall were open, they wondered if Han Yu had already returned and had come to visit his father.


    After all, apart from the second-born of the family, all of them frequently visited here.


    Expecting to find Han Yu inside, the two women entered the hall. What they saw next, however, left both of them in shock, unable to move as they stood frozen by the sight before them.


    "Dear," Han Ling couldn''t help but cover her mouth in astonishment as she looked at her husband standing upright, completely restored, as he once had been.


    How many times had she imagined seeing this scene in recent months? Yet she knew it was something that would never come to pass.


    And yet, here she was, witnessing her husband, who should still have been on his deathbed, awake in his human form, with no signs of illness whatsoever.


    With tears in her eyes, she was about to move toward him when a second wave of shock struck both her and Han Fei.


    Han Wei, who was now standing in his human form, lowered his head, knelt, and murmured:


    "This humble king welcomes the esteemed guest to his humble palace," he said in a voice devoid of any superiority, filled instead with what seemed to be reverence.


    He was not the only one to do so. Everyone in the hall, the guards at the sides and even Han Yu, knelt as they echoed the same words.


    The two women were stunned by this incredible scene, and both turned their gazes toward the figure seated on a grand throne made of finely sculpted, precious marble.


    Seeing the figure of the handsome man gazing neutrally at Han Wei and the others, both women felt something stir within them.


    They didn''t know why, but as they looked at the man''s figure, both felt an urge to bow before him.


    Han Fei, in particular, found herself completely captivated when she looked into his crystal-blue eyes, losing herself in them as she admired the sight of the unknown individual currently seated on her father''s throne.


    While mother and daughter remained stunned by the sight before them, Ethan, who was currently sitting on the king''s throne, observed the scene with a neutral expression.


    After being brought to the throne room by Han Yu and seeing the condition of the king of this kingdom, he immediately understood the cause and made a gesture toward him to draw out all the demonic Qi invading the great black dragon''s body at once.


    With his slight movement, several black smoke tendrils began to emerge from the king''s sleeping figure, quickly condensing into a small sphere, which Ethan then absorbed. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unlike when he had cured Guo Lan, this time, he gained one strength stat point and one intelligence stat point.


    It was clear from this that the Qi that had invaded the king of this realm was far denser than the one that had infected the wolf girl, and consequently, the power he gained was greater, though still insignificant compared to when he had absorbed the Qi of the demon and the half-demon.


    It was evident that the individuals who were merely infected by this demonic Qi carried only small amounts within them, which made sense given the method by which they were being infected.


    Most likely, only after a victim had been completely taken over and transformed into a half-demon would the amount of Qi within them increase drastically.


    With that, the process was swift, and in a short time, it was completed, leaving behind the body of the great dragon, which, now free from the effects of the virus, began to heal.


    Seeing this scene, Han Yu, who was standing behind Ethan, widened his eyes as he realized that the black sphere of energy extracted from his father was undoubtedly what had been afflicting him. This awareness made him understand that his father had just been cured by this mysterious individual as though it were nothing.


    He could also tell that his father''s condition was quickly improving, which was a huge relief for him.


    Unfortunately, just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, something happened.


    His father, who had been in a dormant state, suddenly opened his eyes and began to rise slowly.


    What alarmed him, however, was not this but the madness he saw in his father''s eyes.


    "Oh no."

 Chapter 238 - 238: Reverence

    .


    Han Wei, who had sealed the last traces of his life to preserve himself for as long as possible, finally felt his consciousness awakening as the malignant energy that had continued to invade and weaken his body began to rapidly dissipate.


    ''What is happening?'' S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wondered, as he finally felt his body immersed once again in pure spiritual energy that began to circulate within him, filling his meridians and flowing throughout his body, eventually reaching his core, which had been completely depleted for some time.


    ''W-what�� am I finally recovering? But how? Is it possible I''ve been cured at last?'' he thought, his consciousness still in the process of awakening, leaving his thoughts slightly confused and slow.


    He tried to open his eyes, and with some effort, he finally managed to open them slightly.


    Although his vision was blurry, he could make out a bit of his surroundings. In his field of vision, a humanoid figure stood a little distance away, alongside someone else.


    He didn''t know who they were, and with his vision still unclear, he couldn''t discern the two people properly.


    But this didn''t stop him from momentarily perceiving a faint trace of energy familiar to him emanating from the person in front.


    ''Wait, this energy...''


    His eyes widened as memories of a painful past suddenly flashed through his mind.


    ''A Demon,''


    Recalling what that energy represented, he was struck by a sudden wave of rage.


    With the little strength he had just recovered, he stood up and glared menacingly at the figure of the man standing before him.


    With his mind still clouded, he failed to distinguish Ethan or his son, who stood slightly behind.


    Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and focused the meager energy he had just accumulated into it.


    "Oh no."


    Han Yu, standing behind and seeing the madness in his father''s eyes, realized something bad was about to happen. But just as he moved to stop him, something shocking happened in front of him.


    "Down."


    Ethan, unshaken by the sudden attack of the black dragon, gave a simple command.


    The command carried an unimaginable pressure for Han Wei, who suddenly felt his body lose control before...


    Thud.


    He was suddenly crushed to the ground and his size shrinking rapidly.


    In just a few seconds, the mighty dragon was replaced by the figure of a middle-aged man, panting on the floor, his mind gripped by profound terror.


    "What on earth just happened?" he murmured, his body trembling uncontrollably.


    Moments earlier, he had sensed the energy of a demon and was preparing to attack.


    But out of nowhere, his entire being had been struck by an invisible force, and before he knew it, he was in his human form, pinned to the ground.


    He didn''t know what was happening, but he felt his entire being submitting to the figure of the man who continued to look at him with a neutral expression.


    Tap, tap, tap.


    As he began to catch his breath, he heard footsteps approaching him and immediately knew it was likely the man from before.


    ''Who on earth have I just offended?'' he thought, still terrified by the oppressive sensation he had just felt.


    The man''s footsteps continued until he stopped beside him.


    But before Han Wei could even lift his head to see who it was, the man walked past him and continued forward.


    Huh?


    It wasn''t just Han Wei; even Han Yu, who wore a mortified expression while witnessing everything that had just occurred, noticed Ethan''s movements and tried to see where he was headed.


    ''Wait, he''s not going to...'' And just as he suspected, Ethan reached a white throne made of marble and other precious materials, seated himself on it as if it were nothing, and cast a glance at the father and son.


    Seeing that look, both of them froze, realizing something.


    ''Those eyes�� why do I feel this sensation?''


    Han Yu didn''t know why, but he felt an inexplicable urge to prostrate himself before the gaze of the mysterious figure.


    He wasn''t the only one feeling this way. Even Han Wei and the guards within the hall felt a similar sensation as they stared at the figure seated on their king''s throne.


    Han Wei, now regaining some clarity, recognized those eyes and felt the sensation emanating directly from his bloodline. He suddenly recalled something.


    ''Only someone with a bloodline purer and stronger than mine can make me feel this way,'' he thought, piecing everything together as his eyes widened.


    ''Could it be that he comes from there?'' he pondered, almost certain of his hypothesis.


    And as he realized this fact, he knelt on the ground and said:


    "This humble king welcomes the esteemed guest to his humble palace," he said.


    His voice lacked any tone of superiority, replaced entirely by what seemed like reverence.


    Seeing this scene, even those who had already been struggling to resist the oppressive gaze of the mysterious figure also knelt, saluting him respectfully.


    Han Yu could form an idea of what was happening, but the guards didn''t understand and didn''t care.


    The fact that they felt this was the right thing to do and saw that even the emperor dared not show disrespect toward this person was enough to make them bow.


    Ethan, sitting on the throne in a relaxed manner, said nothing at this sight, continuing to look ahead.


    He had expected something like this to happen. After all, his bloodline was directly inherited from Bai Yu, one of the most powerful dragon races in the celestial plane.


    This, combined with the bloodline of Zhong Hei (his spiritual beast), made it natural for beings still trapped in the mortal realm to be unable to resist the command imposed by their own bloodlines.


    The scene continued for a while longer until Ethan decided it was time talk about the main reason for his visit to the palace..


    He had no intention of wasting more time on all this and only wanted to deal with the troublesome situation in this continent before heading to the demon continent.


    "You may rise," he said calmly, noticing that two other figures had just entered the hall.


    From their appearance alone, he could deduce who they were, but he didn''t care and directed his attention to Han Wei.


    "Tell me, do you have any idea what illness afflicted you, leaving you in that state?" he asked, deciding to see if Han Wei knew anything.

 Chapter 239 - 239: The Disappeared Demonic Seed

    .


    The king, hearing the sudden question, shook his head as he replied in a composed tone:


    "No, unfortunately not. Before ending up in that state, I sought answers from numerous skilled alchemists and court physicians, but none of them were able to understand what it was or how to cure it.


    This eventually led me to go into hibernation to preserve my life as long as possible," he explained, not dwelling too much on the details.


    He knew that the other party already had some understanding of the situation, so he didn''t elaborate on everything in detail.


    Ethan nodded in agreement.


    "You were infected by a demonic Qi seed," he said without delving into what a virus was or explaining the mechanics of infection.


    Simply referring to it as a seed, a spiritual seed, was enough to convey the idea and make people of this world understand the concept.


    Hearing Ethan''s words, both Han Wei and the others widened their eyes in shock.


    Just as Ethan had expected, the people of this continent were aware of the existence of demons.


    He wasn''t sure whether everyone knew or only those of a certain status, but it didn''t matter.


    As long as they understood who the demons were and were aware of the threat they represented, their conversation would progress more smoothly.


    And, just as he had thought, Han Wei grasped the situation and said:


    "So someone implanted this demonic seed in me, but that shouldn''t be possible, after all, the demons are still seal-"


    Only then did his eyes widen in realization.


    He had been conscious when he heard the news of some demons invading the human continent.


    In fact, he had personally confirmed whether their barrier had been compromised or not.


    After all, he held one of the three cursed objects left behind by their savior two thousand years ago. S��arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thanks to it, they could sense the state of the barrier, just as they could open a portal between the three continents, the beast continent and the human continent.


    It was also possible to open one to the demonic continent, but he didn''t know where the third object was.


    After all, two of the three had been entrusted to them, and the third, as far as he knew, had been lost somewhere.


    He would have never imagined that this object had already been found and was now in Ethan''s hands.


    Ethan, too, had already noticed a bracelet with a violet pearl embedded in it on Han Wei''s wrist. He could immediately tell that it was the third cursed object.


    He planned to take it with him once this matter was resolved. After all, it was far too dangerous to leave it in the hands of a mortal realm individual, and he was fully aware of this fact.


    Although the conflicts between the two races had ceased long ago, there was no guarantee that once the demons were eliminated, the conflicts would resume.


    Even so, Ethan had made preparations for such an eventuality.


    But that was a matter for later; for now, he had more urgent things to address.


    So he said:


    "It''s just as you imagine. The demons have already set foot on this continent, and not only that.


    Unlike the human continent, your continent could already be said to be almost half lost," he stated without sugarcoating his words.


    Clearly, hearing such grave news, everyone''s eyes widened in terror as they stammered:


    "N-no, how is that possible? I''m certain the other kingdoms are still intact; I checked them personally before entering my dormant state," Han Wei said, struggling to believe that part of their continent was already doomed.


    "Whether you believe it or not, this is the reality. But don''t misunderstand my words," Ethan interrupted their thoughts before they could spiral.


    "I said


    almost


    .


    As of now, the same disease that afflicted you has already infected more than half of the people on this continent. It just needs the activation signal before it spreads completely among these individuals," he explained.


    ***


    In another part of the Dragon Kingdom''s capital, a figure was speeding through the air at high velocity when something caught his attention.


    "Hm?"


    Pulling out an object from his dimensional ring, he discovered it was the communication talisman used by his family in case of emergencies.


    Seeing it, Han Lei frowned as he held it in his hand, contemplating.


    ''Return to the palace immediately?''


    Han Lei wasn''t sure what had happened, but for his family to send a message via the talisman, requesting his immediate return, was definitely no trivial matter.


    Tch.


    With an annoyed expression, he put the talisman away and headed towards the mountain range where the royal palace resided.


    Given his cultivation base, it wouldn''t take him more than 30 minutes at most to reach the palace, so he sped towards it.


    As he flew, his thoughts drifted to the meeting he had a few hours ago.


    One of his subordinates had informed him that one of the various traces of the demonic seed present in the capital had suddenly disappeared.


    Although tracking every infected individual was an impossible task for them, monitoring a few in a city still in the early stages of infestation wasn''t too difficult. As such, they had been able to detect that one of the vessels for the impending infestation had vanished.


    Although the matter itself wasn''t overly alarming or significant, Han Lei had no intention of leaving any variable that could interfere with his plans unchecked. Hence, he had personally gone to investigate.


    He didn''t know the identities of those who were vessels for the infestation, but he could identify them through special means. Thus, he discovered that the last known location of the vessel was in an area near the city''s outskirts.


    Unfortunately for him, upon reaching the site, he couldn''t find any trace of the vessel or the infection.


    It was as if it had completely disappeared, which should have been impossible. After all, even if the host were to die, the demonic seed would not.


    But he found no trace of it, which made him feel uneasy.


    He had intended to contact the demons and personally inquire about the progress of the plan, but this sudden call forced him to postpone it.


    He didn''t know what had happened at the palace, but he hoped it wasn''t anything too problematic.


    He had already made all the necessary preparations, and the plan was close to beginning.


    He couldn''t wait to see everyone''s expressions when he finally claimed the throne.


    With this in mind, he sped toward the castle, unaware of what awaited him there.

 Chapter 240 - 240: A Change of Plans

    .


    Han Lei finally arrived at the castle and immediately noticed a strange aura enveloping the place.


    Hm?


    He wasn''t sure what it was, but his sense of foreboding seemed to be on high alert. However, seeing no immediate threat, he didn''t give it much thought.


    His sense of foreboding was weak at first, and being a powerhouse at the fifth stage, he believed nothing could put his life in danger.


    He headed straight to the royal hall, and upon arrival, he noticed his entire family was present, which only piqued his curiosity further about the nature of the emergency.


    The foreboding feeling that had been faint earlier now grew stronger with each step he took toward the hall.


    As he entered and looked around, his gaze naturally fell upon the throne, and in that moment, his expression froze, surprise evident in his eyes.


    Sitting on the throne was a man with long black hair and crystal blue eyes, looking calmly in his direction.


    Han Lei wasn''t sure who the man was, but seeing him sitting on what was rightfully his throne, he was clearly displeased. Yet, he had no time to dwell on that of the because two other figures flanked the man.


    One was his elder brother, who wore a serious expression, but it also seemed conflicted for some reason.


    Han Lei was confused by this, but once again, he had no time to process it because the figure of the man on the other side of the throne left him in shock.


    ''How is this possible?''


    He trembled internally as he looked at the figure of his father, standing and appearing completely healthy, gazing at him with a serious yet slightly peculiar look.


    Seeing his brother and the man sitting on the throne was strange enough, but seeing his father, who should have been on the verge of death, standing there looking healthier than ever filled his mind with dozens of thoughts.


    ''What in the world is going on? Why is he here? Shouldn''t he be on the verge of death?''


    Only at this moment did he realize something was very wrong with this entire situation.


    Just as he was about to speak and ask what was happening and who the man on the throne was, he heard the unknown man''s voice addressing him.


    "A demonic contract, hmm? I see. So, you''ve decided to sacrifice your people for a measly bit of power," the man said with calm eyes that gave the impression they could pierce through a person''s body and directly examine their soul.


    Hearing the unknown man''s words, Han Lei''s sense of alertness skyrocketed, and an astonished expression appeared on his face.


    ''


    What... How does he know?''


    While all this was happening, far to the north of the Dragon Kingdom, in the royal palace of the Wolf Kingdom, two figures were engaged in conversation.


    One was a nearly two-meter-tall man with a burly build, standing by the window and gazing out at the scenery.


    What stood out about him wasn''t just his height but his unique appearance.


    From his ash-gray skin tone to the two imposing, curved horns on his head, everything about him made it clear he was far from a member of the Wolf Kingdom''s royal family.


    Seated on the sofa near where the man stood was the second figure, a woman casually sipping what appeared to be a glass of dark red liquid.


    The woman swirled the liquid in her glass a bit before speaking with a bored expression.


    "He requested a meeting, and yet here we are, and he''s still not," she said as she finished the last sip of the crimson liquid.


    The man by the window remained silent, continuing to gaze outside with a serious expression.


    Receiving no response from her companion, the woman couldn''t help but add,


    "We''ve been on this continent for two years now, and yet the number of times I''ve heard you say anything can barely be counted on two hands.


    Don''t tell me you''ve lost the ability to speak since your transformation," she said, trying to provoke a reaction.


    However, to her disappointment, all she got was a snort and nothing more.


    Seeing this, the woman shook her head, reached for the bottle, and was about to pour herself more of the liquid when she paused, considered something, and then put the glass away, deciding to drink straight from the bottle instead.


    "Speaking of which, I heard something interesting," she said, pausing her movements for a moment as she recalled a recent event.


    The man showed no curiosity, but that didn''t stop the woman from continuing.


    "I heard that in the northern area of our continent, a portal appeared for a brief time," she said, taking a sip.


    The man, who had until now shown no interest in her words, finally displayed a hint of attention.


    And how could he not?


    After all, the appearance of a portal was no small matter, especially considering the continents were still bound by barriers that prevented spatial coordinates from connecting a portal to another continent. This was only possible with one of the three cursed objects.


    "They''ve confirmed the portal wasn''t triggered by anyone from our continent but from another. Guess which one?"


    She turned toward the man again.


    "The Human Continent," she answered herself.


    "It seems someone else has gotten their hands on one of the objects.


    I really wonder what those we sent there are doing. Could it be they let someone from that continent snatch the object? I told you they should''ve sent us instead," she muttered as she drank, grumbling to herself.


    At this point, even the man, whose attention had been piqued for a moment, returned to ignoring her.


    In that moment, as the situation remained calm enough to let both of them be relaxed, a familiar energy fluctuation was suddenly detected by both, causing them to vanish from their places and appear in the skies above the city.


    "This... Tell me this isn''t what I think it is," the woman said, her previously carefree demeanor replaced entirely by seriousness.


    The male demon nodded his head as if confirming her thoughts, and for the first time in a long while, he opened his mouth:


    "It him,"


    Both could tell the energy wave had been triggered by none other than Han Lei himself.


    This wave was a signal to initiate the infection and begin transforming people into demons. However, the problem was that their plan hadn''t intended for this to happen so soon.


    Clearly, something had gone wrong, which put both of them on high alert. They exchanged a glance before nodding to one another.


    "It seems we''ll have to speed things up a bit." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 241 - 241: Trapped

    .


    The trigger signal was too sudden for both of them, and naturally, this threw them both into confusion.


    They realized that the one who had sent the signal was none other than Han Lei, which made the situation even more serious.


    After all, he had been the one to summon them for a meeting, and now this.


    Clearly, something had gone wrong, and both sides understood that they needed to change their original plan.


    Thus, they also decided to take action and initiate the transformation in the other two infected kingdoms.


    Although everything was too sudden, their plan was already at an advanced stage, so they could still make adjustments.


    Just as they were about to send the trigger signal themselves, a shiver ran down their spines as a voice echoed behind them.


    "Well, this is disappointing. I expected there to be more of you."


    Both of them immediately reacted, disappearing only to reappear dozens of meters away from their initial positions.


    With panicked expressions, they turned and looked back to find, near where they had just been standing, a man with blue eyes staring at them with what appeared to be disappointment on his face.


    ''When did he appear there?'' they both wondered as they immediately heightened their vigilance.


    Although they hadn''t been paying close attention, at their level, it was nearly impossible for anyone to evade their detection.


    Thus, seeing someone not only elude their senses but also appear so close to them without their notice made them both cautious.


    Ethan, calmly observing the two demons, couldn''t help but feel disappointed.


    After Han Lei was summoned back to the castle, the situation unfolded rapidly.


    The subsequent sequence of events moved swiftly, as the second prince, realizing he had been exposed, did not try to make excuses. Instead, he acted decisively and unleashed a wave of negative spiritual energy.


    Ethan, seeing what he was doing, understood that it was likely some kind of trigger. Without giving the other party a chance to escape, he neutralized it immediately.


    Pulling him toward himself, Ethan absorbed every trace of demonic Qi from him, eliminating his demonic powers.


    Then, with a single gesture, he dispersed Han Lei''s cultivation base, destroying not only his dantian, but also making its meridians useless.


    He could have eliminated him with a single strike, but after removing his demonic Qi, he decided to leave him in the care of his family.


    Normally, Ethan would kill any enemy to avoid future retaliation.


    However, in this case, even if the other side wanted revenge, he wouldn''t truly be able to harm him. Thus, after paralyzing the prince, he left the palace.


    Now that the demons present on this continent had revealed themselves, there was no longer any need for him to stay here.


    Tossing aside the proud prince, who had an expression of utter despair on his face, Ethan disappeared from his position and immediately reappeared at the spot where he sensed the aura of the two demons.


    From their auras, Ethan could tell that both were at the peak of the fifth rank. He wondered how they compared to the one Bai Yu had fought.


    That said, he had expected to see more of them, but It seemed they had only sent these two to do the job.


    ''Hmm, although the barrier has weakened over time, it is still strong enough to prevent too many of them from passing through,'' he thought, understanding more or less why their numbers were so low.


    In the end, he simply shook his head as he looked at the two.


    "Well, let''s see how many stat points I can gain from these two," he thought.


    The two demons, seeing Ethan looking at them in such a way, felt another shiver as they realized that being captured by this being would end very badly for them.


    Without hesitation, they both sped off in opposite directions, taking something from their spatial rings and crushing it in their hands.


    Ethan watched as both demons were enveloped in a strange black aura, their speed doubling.


    He didn''t move to chase them but instead calmly observed as they fled in opposite directions.


    Clearly, both of them had realized that the being in front of them was far too strong, so they opted for escape.


    Ethan honestly found the situation a little amusing.


    Apart from half-demons and demonic cultivators, he had never really encountered any true demons to fight against before, so he was curious to see them in action.


    Who would have thought that upon his first encounter with them, they wouldn''t even try to fight but would instead immediately flee?


    Watching the two flee into the distance, Bai Yu, who was wrapped around Ethan''s wrist, appeared in her human form beside him and asked:


    "Aren''t you going to eliminate them?" she asked, a little confused by what he was doing.


    Ethan smiled and simply said:


    "Wait and watch," he replied.


    Bai Yu didn''t understand, but just as she was about to speak again, she immediately noticed something.


    Eh?


    The two demons, who had already traveled several miles away, reappeared in their original positions, confusion written all over their faces.


    Just like Bai Yu, they were unsure of what had just happened and could only dart off again.


    Moments later, they reappeared once more in the same spot, this time no longer confused but terrified.


    Although they didn''t know what was happening, they could at least tell that they were trapped, and this realization terrified them both.


    Bai Yu, who had been observing the entire scene, thought for a moment before realizing what was happening. She asked:


    "So you''ve sealed this area in a formation," she said, understanding the situation.


    Although she was certain that the demons stood no chance against Ethan, that didn''t mean they had no means of escape.


    Setting up this formation had essentially eliminated their escape route. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had already told Ethan about the black sphere and her fight with the demon at the imperial palace on the human continent.


    Thus, Ethan already knew that these demons not only had the means to cross the barrier but also possessed items from the celestial plane.


    The last thing he wanted was for them to use such items to escape from him repeatedly. Hence, he had devised this formation, which trapped the area in a loop.


    Escape was impossible unless the formation master was defeated or the formation itself was destroyed.


    Ethan was confident that he could eliminate anyone as long as they were in the fifth rank. Now, even those at the early stages of the Spiritual Realm were within his reach. That said, this didn''t always guarantee he could succeed on the first attempt.


    This might give his opponents enough time to escape, something he couldn''t necessarily prevent.


    He may have ascended to a level where no one on this plane could face him, but that didn''t mean he would let it go to his head.


    In the end, seeing that the two demons had given up trying to escape and instead seemed ready to attack him, Ethan looked at them and decided not to waste any more time.


    It was time to start cleaning up this continent.

 Chapter 242 - 242: Difference in Strength Between Cultivation Realms

    .


    Currently, in the skies above the royal castle of the Wolf Kingdom, Ethan floated as he finished absorbing the demonic Qi of the two demons.


    He had to admit that defeating them had been much easier than he anticipated.


    It was as if a Fifth-Stage cultivator of the Mortal Realm were fighting a First-Stage one.


    At first, he wanted to see what the two had in store for him, but after a short while, he got tired of their failed attempts to overpower him and decided to end the fight.


    Once done, he wasted no time and absorbed all their demonic Qi. As he did, he noticed how their bodies began to disintegrate into particles, which were subsequently absorbed by him as well.


    This only confirmed what he had heard from Bai Yu, that these beings were products of negative spiritual energy.


    As such, their entire essence was negative energy that he could absorb, leaving behind practically nothing.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +231 STR]


    [You have gained +200 AGI]


    [You have gained +115 INT]


    [You have gained +72 Soul Strength]


    He had to admit that this method of gaining stat points wasn''t bad at all, and if he were still in the Mortal Realm, this stat increase would be equivalent to dozens of levels.


    Unfortunately for him, this wasn''t the case in the Spiritual Realm.


    While this amount of stats was good, considering all the changes in strength he had experienced during his ascension to the Spiritual Realm, it no longer seemed that significant.


    Ethan opened his status screen to check the percentage increase in his demonic physique.


    After all, this was the only known method to improve it, so he needed to get an idea of how much it could grow by absorbing two low-level pure demons.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (Basic)


    QI: 23M / 50M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 9890 �� 10121


    Agility: 8900 �� 9100


    Intelligence: 6040 �� 6155


    Soul Strength: 269 �� 342


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System points]: 518 M


    -------------------------------]


    .


    All of Ethan''s stats had increased almost tenfold after ascending, which was a considerable boost to his power.


    Right after finishing his ascension to the Spiritual Realm, he had immediately noticed the explosive strength contained within his body.


    He could confidently say that a normal punch of his could most likely kill a Fifth-Stage cultivator of the Mortal Realm, something that was previously unimaginable for him.


    He could only wonder how strong Bai Yu would become once she restored her previous cultivation base, which was much higher than his current level.


    That said, he had noticed that the only stat that hadn''t increased when he ascended was his Soul Strength.


    He wasn''t sure why, but if even ascending to the next realm didn''t increase it, he wondered how cultivators who had reached the Divine Realm had managed to do it, considering it was an important component for ascending to divinity, or at least that''s what he had heard from Bai Yu.


    However, even she seemed to know very little about it.


    He had asked her some time ago how beings in the Spiritual Realm increased their Soul Strength, and she explained that they had to continuously absorb rare materials and spend decades cultivating to strengthen their souls, something he managed to achieve simply by leveling up.


    In fact, Bai Yu had vented to him about how, due to the Amphora, he had an enormous advantage in this aspect.


    He wanted to say that high-level creatures like her had naturally much stronger souls than humans, but he decided not to rub salt in the wound.


    From what he understood, unlike the Mortal Realm, which had five cultivation stages, the Spiritual Realm had six. Instead of being divided into ten levels, it was categorized by levels of comprehension.


    Ethan was still new to this realm, so his understanding of how it worked was minimal.


    If he remembered correctly, instead of ten levels, there were comprehension grades ranging from basic to high for each stage.


    He was currently at the first stage, and his progress within this stage was only at the basic grade, meaning he was still at the very beginning.


    Ethan planned to take some time after this to further stabilize his new cultivation base and explore this new realm of cultivation more thoroughly.


    Switching to the screen that displayed his secondary physiques, he saw that the percentage of his demonic physique had increased by 0.2%.


    "..."


    "Well, I guess it''s better than nothing," he thought, closing the system screens with a hint of disappointment.


    He had been expecting an increase of about 1% or 2%, yet he hadn''t gained much at all.


    He wondered how high he could push it after dealing with the Demon Continent.


    He didn''t know how many demons were present on the continent, but he was certain that a significant portion of the population consisted of half-demons, individuals infected by demons.


    He only hoped that the actual number of demons wouldn''t be too low.


    That said, with his spiritual sense still covering the entire continent, he could sense that the infection hadn''t been fully unleashed yet, which was a good sign.


    Raising his palm, he condensed a series of symbols materialized using his pure spiritual Qi.


    The symbols appeared one after another until what seemed like a luminous disk formed in his palm, with the symbols arranged in various points across its surface.


    Bai Yu, who was nearby, couldn''t help but ask upon seeing the formation:


    "Is that a formation?" she asked uncertainly.


    From her knowledge, formations could vary greatly, but they generally required a certain base and specific anchor points to sustain them.


    The disk in Ethan''s hand seemed to encapsulate those points within a circular ring, something she had never seen before.


    Hearing the dragon woman''s question, Ethan simply replied as he allowed the formation to float upward.


    "Yes, it''s a bit different from the usual ones, but its function is similar to those you''re familiar with," he said.


    He had been inspired by the magic circles often seen in novels and manga from his previous world.


    He chose this form because he found it most suitable for the task the formation would perform.


    He knew he couldn''t go from individual to individual to extract traces of demonic Qi from them, as doing so would take an eternity.


    Clearly, this wasn''t the most efficient method.


    So he came up with this formation, which was basically a simple formation that produced rain and manipulated the air in the environment to condense it into water droplets.


    He modified and upgraded it from a Level 2 formation to a Level 4 one, making it powerful enough to handle the task he needed it to perform.


    As the formation floated higher, it began to spin slightly while its size visibly increased.


    Its diameter grew from 10 cm to 1 meter, then to 10 meters.


    It kept expanding, and within a minute, its size covered the entire continent.


    Bai Yu had to admit she hadn''t expected this, but she still didn''t understand how it would help them get rid of all the demonic Qi.


    Just as she was about to ask Ethan for further explanation, she sensed a slight change in the environment.


    "This��" S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    In the Dragon kingdom , at the peak where the royal castle stood, Han Wei sat on his throne with a disappointed expression, wondering what he had done wrong to end up being betrayed by his own son.


    He had struggled greatly to accept the fact that his son was not only a traitor to their race but also wanted to eliminate his family for the throne.


    For him, this betrayal had been a much harsher blow than he had anticipated. Yet, despite this, he suppressed his personal feelings and ended Han Lei''s life with his own hands.


    As the ruler of the kingdom, he had responsibilities toward his citizens but also toward his family.


    He could tell that the hatred his son harbored, now that he had been turned into a cripple, was not something that would fade with time.


    He knew there was truly no possibility of redemption for him, so he decided to end his life in the most painless way possible.


    The discovery of Han Lei''s betrayal had not only been a severe blow for him but also for the rest of the family, especially for Han Ling, the queen.


    She was in an even worse state than he was.


    As he was lost in his thoughts, he was momentarily distracted as he raised his gaze upward with a confused expression.


    He had suddenly felt an enormous spiritual power in the air and tried to determine what it was.


    He appeared directly above his castle, and that''s when he saw it.


    "In the name of the heavens, what in the world is that..."


    He murmured, stunned by the incredible sight of the enormous formation that seemed to stretch for miles.


    He couldn''t even see its end, and this realization terrified him even more.


    He wondered whether another calamity was about to strike their continent.


    Just like him, the entire population of the continent witnessed the majestic sight of the enormous formation that covered the entire sky of the continent.


    Whether they were from the dragon kingdom or the other Kingdoms, everyone could see this shocking phenomenon.


    Needless to say, this created widespread panic everywhere. However, the cause of this phenomenon couldn''t have cared less.


    As Ethan saw that the formation was finally set, he activated it and began watching the grand spectacle that was about to unfold.

 Chapter 243 - 243: Disinfecting the Continent

    .


    While everyone was still confused and even a little frightened by the phenomenon in the sky, the formation that had just finished positioning itself above the skies of the beast continent began to illuminate.


    A vast amount of pure Qi was being absorbed into it.


    A significant portion of that Qi came directly from Ethan, while the rest was drawn from the surrounding environment.


    Seeing the object in the sky begin to shine, many started to panic, but before anything could escalate,


    Tic.


    A drop fell to the ground, dampening the earth, which had been quite dry just moments earlier.


    It didn''t take long before more droplets began to fall, one after the other, and seeing this, people started to wonder why it had suddenly begun to rain.


    "Hmm, is this rain?" a beastman said as he tried to taste the droplet that had landed on the palm of his hand.


    Others followed his lead, and strangely, the water tasted sweet.


    Before anyone could even begin to question this, a refreshing sensation spread throughout their bodies.


    An elderly beastman, feeling this rejuvenating energy, showed an expression of ecstasy as he muttered things like,


    "The heavens have decided to grant me a few more centuries of life."


    While the inhabitants of the entire continent were still coming to terms with this strange phenomenon, the beastmen with cultivation levels at the second stage and above realized that these droplets weren''t water at all but rather condensed Qi.


    "Holy sh*t, this Qi is incredibly pure. With just one drop, I can feel my cultivation improve slightly," said one of them, immediately recognizing the composition of the droplet that had fallen on his muzzle.


    Just like him, many others noticed this as well, and their initial fear turned into joy. Many began to meditate, preparing to refine these drops of Qi.


    Unfortunately for them, before they could take any action, the drops of pure Qi began to move.


    As if time itself were reversing, they suddenly started to float before flying back up into the sky.


    The droplets of Qi, which had covered nearly every surface, both external and internal, across the continent, began to ascend slowly.


    Even places like the interiors of houses or underground caves weren''t spared.


    Once absorbed into the ground, the droplets traveled quickly, penetrating to depths of thousands of miles.


    Essentially, Ethan had programmed them in such a way that no trace of demonic Qi, whether present in the air, inside any living being, or within objects, would be spared.


    Now that the first phase was complete, these Qi droplets began returning to the air.


    Many cultivators, witnessing this scene, wore horrified expressions as they desperately tried to snatch even a small trace of the pure Qi that had rained from the sky.


    But too bad for them, the owner of this energy was too powerful for them to steal the fruits of his hard work.


    The droplets rose, gathering near the formation, and then, as if they had a will of their own, they converged toward a single point, the center of the formation.


    Just as quickly as they had fallen, in mere seconds, the droplets returned, merging into a single point.


    They formed a small sphere of light, within which appeared to be a reddish-black core.


    As the particles of pure Qi returned, the massive formation that had amazed many began to swirl and shrink continuously until it reduced to the size of a disc, just slightly larger than the palm of a hand.


    The only difference was that this time, the formation contained the sphere of pure Qi floating comfortably above it.


    Ethan, who had calmly waited for everything to finish, gave a slight command.


    The disc, along with the sphere of Qi above it, moved toward his palm, and upon landing, the disc-shaped formation dispersed, leaving only the slightly transparent sphere that revealed the reddish-black core within.


    Seeing this, Bai Yu, who had been silently observing everything alongside Ethan, couldn''t help but ask,


    "So, this is how you intended to retrieve all traces of demonic Qi?" she said as she stepped closer, examining the luminous sphere in his hand.


    Ethan nodded simply. With a light squeeze of his palm, he reduced the sphere''s size to that of a pill with a diameter no larger than three centimeters.


    Without hesitation, he swallowed it.


    Watching this, Bai Yu could only shake her head.


    If this had been in the past, she would have strangled him while trying to make him spit out the sphere containing traces of demonic Qi.


    But after all this time, she had come to understand that Ethan was truly immune to the corruption brought by demonic Qi


    In fact, his body could absorb and refine it, something no positive spiritual energy cultivator could achieve.


    DING!


    [You have gained +23 STR.]


    [You have gained +13 AGI.]


    [You have gained +9 INT.]


    [You have gained +1 Soul Strength.]


    Seeing the meager amount of stats Ethan had gained, he wasn''t particularly surprised.


    In truth, he had expected to gain even less than this.


    After all, when he healed Guo Lan, he hadn''t received a single stat point, and the increase in power he felt was almost nonexistent.


    So multiplying that amount by a few billion people would only yield such a small gain.


    He didn''t dwell on it much. In the end, he decided to probe one last time to ensure he hadn''t missed any traces of Qi left in the air or hidden in some particularly secluded areas.


    After a while, he finished probing and confirmed that all traces had been eliminated.


    Naturally, with this, his little trip to the beast continent came to an end, and it was finally time to head toward the demonic continent.


    Using his spiritual sense, he had already gotten a general idea of the place''s situation, but he was curious to see the continent''s current state in person.


    From his previous examination, he had already sensed several things in the demon continent, and by doing so he had been able to get an idea of ??the power level of the inhabitants there.


    He had confirmed that a good part of them were more or less at the same level as the humans and beastmen, but he had detected several fifth-stage auras, including about ten at the peak of fifth-stage .


    This was without including the one killed by Bai yu and the two killed by him.


    It was quite clear that the overall strength of the demon continent was already a step higher than the other two continents. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was certain that if they were to go to war now, excluding the possibility of winning, even resisting for too long would not be possible for them.

 Chapter 244 - 244: End of the Slumber

    .


    In a vast land, hundreds of miles away from the Beast Continent, a desolate landscape stretched out.


    The ground was dry, cracked by countless fissures that snaked like wounds.


    A hissing wind stirred up clouds of gray dust, and the very air seemed burdened with an invisible oppression that would suffocate any normal person.


    The sky above this barren land was completely covered by a vast blanket of dark clouds, making it almost impossible for any beam of light to penetrate and strike this dead land.


    Toward the northern center of this vast land, there was an irregular depression, a wide rift that stretched for who knew how many miles.


    Here, the earth was darker, as if it had been stamped with large amounts of ink.


    In the depths of this rift, in an area where visibility was completely absent, the sound of a faint heartbeat echoed.


    The sound of the heartbeat broke the silence that had permeated this place for who knows how long, but it lasted only for a second before stopping.


    The place returned to silence, as it was before, until a second heartbeat echoed, this time a little louder, followed by another.


    It was as though something buried deep within the earth was finally beginning to awaken.


    Various beings, scattered across different parts of this vast land, sensed this change in the great rift as they turned their gaze toward it.


    To the east of this large depression in the land, a mountain tens of thousands of miles high began to tremble, and in an instant, the summit of the mountain exploded, sending large amounts of debris and smoke everywhere.


    And while all of this was happening, a large silhouette of several meters could be seen where the summit had once been.


    Before even a few seconds passed, the silhouette turned its head toward the rift and mumbled something incomprehensible before shooting at an incredibly high speed toward it.


    While all this was happening, in the Beast Continent, in the skies above the Wolf Kingdom, Ethan, who had just finished absorbing the demonic Qi and was ready to leave, turned his head toward a direction as if sensing something.


    His expression was impassive as he kept his gaze fixed in that direction before giving a slight smile and saying:


    "It seems to be waking up."


    He said, and Bai Yu, who was next to him, could get an idea of what was happening.


    "Well, isn''t it time to take this lady to our next destination?" she said jokingly.


    "Certainly, milady, but first allow me to settle another matter quickly," he said as he turned his gaze toward the direction of the Dragon Kingdom.


    "Hm?"


    Bai Yu, noticing his gaze, also shifted her attention toward it, and only then did she realize something.


    "It''s about time you showed yourself, don''t you think?" Ethan''s voice resonated behind her.


    In the city of Ti��n Sh��, the population, which had just started to calm down, was shocked once more as they saw something that none of them would have ever expected to witness.


    The massive tree that had towered over the city for thousands of years was now glowing, as an intense greenish aura enveloped its entire surface.


    The people nearby could feel a sensation of warmth emanating from the tree, and for some reason, their entire being felt revitalized.


    While this sudden phenomenon attracted the attention of the people once again, Han Wei, who had just recovered from what he had witnessed earlier, sensed this immense aura suddenly coming from the giant tree at the center of the capital.


    Being at the peak of the moral realm, he could perceive an immense force enclosed within this aura, and instinctively he couldn''t help but compare it to the figure of that unfathomable being who had visited their realm not long ago, and who was also most likely the cause of that enormous luminous disc that had appeared in the sky.


    "Just, what the hell is happening today?"


    He asked, a little overwhelmed by the continuous series of shocking events that were happening one after another.


    First the discovery of the invasion, then his son''s betrayal, then that enormous phenomenon, and now this.


    He wondered if this was a sign that the end was coming for their race.


    He never would have expected the tree they had revered for many generations to emanate such a terrifying aura.


    While everyone was immersed in the beauty of the giant tree glowing, it began to tremble, and several green particles began to fly away from it.


    From the delicate leaves to the branches of the tree, these particles of green light flew out in large quantities, and in a few seconds, the green glow that had covered the entire tree began to fade until it returned to its original state.


    As the tree returned to normal, the green particles flew into the air, reaching several miles in height, before beginning to converge into a single point.


    Gradually, the particles condensed until they formed a large cocoon of light, which began to crack open as a figure, curled up in a fetal position, began to be glimpsed from within it.


    With a slight movement, her eyelids fluttered before she finally opened her eyes.


    The cocoon of light, which had previously enveloped the woman, was now almost completely disintegrated, and in its place stood the slender figure of a woman with long green hair and eyes like two emeralds, fixed on a distant point.


    There, miles away, her eyes met another pair of crystal blue eyes that emitted a strange force of attraction toward her.


    With a soft step, she disappeared from her position, and in the next instant, she was already standing in front of Ethan, looking at him with a curious gaze.


    Seeing the woman with green hair appear suddenly in front of Ethan, Bai Yu narrowed her eyes as she muttered.


    "Wouldn''t it be better if you put something on?" she said, noticing that the woman''s entire being was exposed.


    But as if she hadn''t heard her, the woman ignored Bai Yu and continued to examine Ethan as if he were some rare species.


    A vein appeared on Bai Yu''s forehead as she saw the woman ignore her.


    She was almost tempted to turn her into a living popsicle, but before she could say anything.


    The woman, who had been examining Ethan for a while, finally opened her mouth and said:


    "Zaril no''mek thavna, osa''drin kul fehara," she said in a soft, melodious voice.


    Hearing this voice, Ethan didn''t understand what language it was, but for some reason, he felt he could understand what she had just said.


    This realization made Ethan recall the first time he had set foot in this world, and although he didn''t know the language of the place, he was still able to speak and understand.


    He tried to replicate the sensation he had felt that time and linked it to what he was perceiving now, and said: S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Venar do''thal zir, en''kai nor valen."

 Chapter 245 - 245: Amnesia

    .


    At the sight of Ethan, who not only seemed to understand but also spoke the language, both women were shocked.


    On one side, Bai Yu stared at Ethan in disbelief because of what she had just witnessed. She knew this was the language of the elemental spirits, a very ancient language that only a few non-elemental beings had managed to learn.


    It was a language she herself didn''t know, and the same should have been true for Ethan.


    Yet, against all expectations, he not only knew how to speak it but was very fluent.


    On the other side, the green-haired woman was stunned for a moment before her eyes sparkled with joy as she spoke:


    "You can understand me! What a relief! But wait, you''re not a spirit, how are you able to speak my language?"


    She asked, delighted to have found someone to converse with, yet also curious about how the man standing before her, clearly not a spirit, could understand and even speak her language.


    Ethan opened his mouth again, trying to replicate what he had done before, focusing on the sensation he felt when he spoke, and said:


    "I''m not entirely sure why, but it seems I can understand you, and apparently, I can also speak your language. But leaving that aside for a moment, why aren''t you wearing any clothes?"


    He said this while awkwardly looking away.


    Though he was over a hundred years old now, some things didn''t change easily.


    After all, the situation was becoming somewhat uncomfortable, and he could feel the piercing gaze of the dragon woman, who didn''t seem pleased with the whole scene.


    The green-haired woman looked at herself and then at him, confused, and asked:


    "Why should I wear clothes? They''re bulky and useless. We spirits aren''t used to wearing them, you know?"


    Ethan almost choked upon hearing this.


    ''Do they all walk around naked or what?'' he wondered, realizing this might become a headache in the future.


    In the end, after some effort, Ethan managed to convince her to wear something. Now her body was covered by a simple white robe as soft as silk, modest in its design.


    Once that was settled, Ethan had to deal with the dragon woman, who seemed to have her fair share of questions for him. He assured her they would discuss things calmly later.


    He couldn''t waste too much time on this issue, as there was another spiritual realm being awakening, requiring his attention.


    Ethan''s massive formation had been enough to awaken the consciousness of the two beings who had been asleep.


    The green-haired woman''s consciousness had already been in the process of awakening due to the pure Qi Ethan had injected into her some time ago.


    So, when the rain of pure Qi fell upon the Beast Continent, she was able to fully awaken.


    The other entity present on the Demonic Continent, however, had most likely sensed the enormous amount of pure Qi, which Ethan assumed had triggered its awakening.


    He could tell the being hadn''t fully awoken yet, so he didn''t want to dwell on the matter any longer.


    Although he was curious to know why an elemental spirit of her level was in this plane, he had to postpone the inquiry because an unexpected problem had arisen.


    "So, you don''t know how you ended up in this plane?" Ethan asked with a frown, watching the green-haired woman look around to figure out where she was.


    "And you also don''t know who you are or what your name is, correct?"


    "Yes," she replied, nodding vigorously.


    Ethan didn''t know what to think about the current situation.


    He had wanted to awaken her from her slumber out of curiosity about how she had ended up here and possibly to gain some information about the war from two thousand years ago.


    After all, that Tree of Life had existed for several millennia, so it must have been around during the that period.


    But it looked like none of that would happen, as she seemed to remember very little beyond being an elemental spirit and a handful of other things.


    Ethan glanced at Bai Yu to see if she had any suggestions on what to do about this situation, to which she responded with a shrug.


    Ethan had transferred to her the knowledge of the common language used among the various races, so their brief conversation could also be understood by Bai Yu.


    In the end, Ethan could only shake his head as he prepared to leave.


    "Well, it was brief, but it''s time for me to go. I wish you the best of luck," he said, thinking there was no point in lingering on this issue.


    The woman was strong enough to protect herself, at least from anything in this plane.


    He could also tell she wasn''t a malicious being, especially since she was a wood elemental spirit.


    Bai Yu had told him that such spirits were inherently calm and friendly by nature. From their brief interaction, he could confirm this information.


    He was sure that she wouldn''t cause any trouble, so since there was nothing else to do he prepared to leave.


    Bai Yu transformed into a smaller version of her beast form, coiling herself around his neck and resting on his shoulders.


    Seeing him ready to depart, the green-haired woman became agitated, floating immediately closer to him and saying:


    "Hey! You''re not going to leave me behind, are you?" she asked in a voice tinged with panic.


    Hearing her, Ethan turned toward her and said:


    "Well, yes. Why not?" he asked back.


    He had no further business with her, so it didn''t make sense to stay, nor did he have any free time. He had a whole continent to purify after all.


    "What do you mean, ''why not''?


    You woke me from my slumber, and now you think you can just run off as if nothing happened? It''s your fault that I''m in this situation, so you need to take responsibility"


    "..."


    "..." S��arch* The ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''What do you mean it''s my fault you''re in this situation?''


    Ethan didn''t know what to say about the woman''s twisted logic, and even Bai Yu looked at her as if she were crazy.


    In the end, thinking that amnesia wasn''t the only thing afflicting this woman, they both ignored her. With a deliberate step forward, Ethan disappeared from his position.


    "..."


    ''Did he just abandon me?''


    Furious, she also moved forward in the direction Ethan had gone and vanished.


    As a spiritual realm being, traveling at high speed was a natural ability for her.


    However, she soon realized there was a problem.


    ''He''s faster than me,'' she thought, sensing that her body hadn''t fully recovered yet.


    After all, she had been asleep for who knows how long, and her body needed time to regain its full strength.


    Although she had managed to recover a significant portion of her powers thanks to Ethan, she was still far from her optimal state.


    This left her speed much inferior to Ethan''s, who at that moment had already appeared in the skies above the Demonic Continent.


    ??

 Chapter 246 - 246: You Talk Too Much.

    .


    Near the great rift in the vast demon continent, a towering figure several meters high appeared in the air, its gaze fixed downward.


    The tall figure had no discernible features, as its entire being was shrouded in a dark mist from which tendrils occasionally emerged and then disappeared.


    The entity, whose form was not entirely stable, continued to direct its gaze downward.


    "The Lord is awakening," a raspy voice echoed from the figure, though no mouth could be seen anywhere.


    The only visible feature where its head should have been was a swirling vortex of black and white.


    While the massive demon figure hovered in the air, staring at the gigantic fissure in the ground, it sensed the presence of other figures. One by one, they appeared in an instant, completely surrounding the rift.


    Each of these figures had unique appearances.


    Some, like the towering figure, lacked distinct features, while others had recognizable characteristics.


    From those with horns onto their heads or foreheads to those who bore tentacles instead of limbs, they were all varied in form.


    All of them floated in the air, their gazes fixed on the rift.


    These were the ten ruling beings of the demon continent, the ten entities at the pinnacle of the mortal realm of cultivation.


    They had all felt the demonic Qi fluctuations emanating from this place and had rushed here without delay because they all knew what it signified.


    Their ancestor, who had gone into seclusion more than two thousand years ago, was finally awakening once more.


    One of the rulers, a black skeleton engulfed in flames and cloaked in a mantle, broke the silence, saying:


    "The ancestor''s awakening is happening much earlier than we expected. Could something have gone wrong?" he asked, finding the situation a bit odd.


    "No, that shouldn''t be possible. After all, when the ancestor entered seclusion, he had already reached the peak of the mortal realm. Could it be that he has already broken through to the spiritual realm and is now awakening?" another replied.


    The ancestor''s awakening was an event none of them had anticipated happening so soon. Consequently, they were all a bit uncertain about the situation.


    That said, they could sense that the ancestor had reached a new level of strength, which alone was a cause for celebration, as it meant their race would become invincible on this plane of existence.


    "If that figure from back then dares to show himself again, I''d like to see how he''ll repel us this time," one of them said, recalling how they had been confined to this continent.


    The hatred they bore for that being was immense, and all of them could hardly wait for the barrier that had trapped them on this land for so long to finally shatter, allowing them to invade the territories that the being had so desperately sought to protect.


    The conversation between the various entities continued as they felt the presence at the bottom of the great rift grow stronger.


    All of them could tell that their ancestor was nearly fully awakened, and none of them wanted to miss the moment.


    As all this unfolded, none of them noticed a figure high in the sky observing the scene with a curious gaze.


    Seeing that they didn''t seem to perceive him, he couldn''t help but comment.


    "Well, it''s certainly crowded here," he said, quickly estimating the combined strength of everyone present.


    He could tell that these were the top powers of the demon continent and, as such, could affirm that they were undoubtedly stronger than those of the other two continents. sea??h th�� N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of them, in particular, seemed to be slightly ahead of the others at the peak of the mortal realm of cultivation.


    Hearing the sudden voice from above, all ten rulers raised their gazes, alarmed by the fact that they hadn''t detected the presence of the figure at all.


    "Who the hell-"


    The black skeletal figure in the mantle was about to ask who it was when he noticed the man''s features and immediately realized something.


    "A human."


    Just as he did, the others also identified Ethan, and upon seeing that the being was none other than a human, they were all shocked.


    After all, there were no human beings on their continent, and it was hard to believe that he had crossed the barrier.


    They themselves had had to make considerable efforts just to send a few of their own through it.


    Surely, the barrier that covered the three continents was still strong enough to prevent easy travel between them.


    For a moment, they thought their eyes were deceiving them, but soon one of them rose into the air and appeared at a reasonable distance from Ethan.


    "Who would''ve thought that a rat could sneak into the continent? I wonder, though, why you chose to come here to die instead of staying hidden in some hole," said a ruler resembling a centaur.


    It wasn''t that he underestimated Ethan, just the fact that this human was here in the first place suggested he had some abilities.


    That said, demons inherently viewed themselves as superior to others, particularly humans, whom they often regarded as the weakest race, whether in this celestial plane or here.


    He was curious to know where this human had come from and intended to toy with him for a bit before eliminating him.


    Hearing the demon''s words, Ethan smiled and replied.


    "And why shouldn''t I?


    Who should I fear, you?" he said in a calm voice.


    Hearing this, a vein bulged on the head of the demon, who resembled a minotaur.


    "You''ve got quite a sharp tongue, haven''t you?


    Fine, let me see where all this confidence comes from," he said, raising his hand.


    A black cloud formed above it, twisting and elongating into what appeared to be a massive hammer.


    "I usually don''t use my weapon to kill weaklings like you, but I''ll grant you the honor of dying by it since you managed to get this fa-"


    Before the demon could finish his words, his body exploded, and within less than a second, every trace of him was completely disintegrated.


    "Tch, why do you talk so much? If you''re going to attack, just do it."

 Chapter 247 - 247: Overwhelming Power

    .


    The death of their companion was so sudden and swift that the remaining nine rulers took a moment to process what had just happened.


    "What... I didn''t even see him make a move," one of them thought, but similar thoughts filled the minds of the others as they tried to comprehend what they had just witnessed.


    On the other hand, Ethan paid them no attention. He simply absorbed the sphere of demonic Qi he had condensed from the demon he had just slain.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +331 STR]


    [You have gained +110 AGI]


    [You have gained +75 INT] Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You have gained +50 Soul Strength]


    Observing the disparity in the stat points he had gained, Ethan could roughly deduce the demon''s abilities.


    Not that he needed to. Even a brief inspection had already told him much about it.


    Seeing the low INT statistic he had acquired, he thought the demon was probably all brawn and no brains.


    While immersed in absorbing the demonic Qi, the other rulers, initially caught off guard, quickly regained their composure. Without hesitation, eight of them launched a combined attack at the figure above.


    Earlier, they might have underestimated this unwelcome spectator. However, after witnessing such a grand display of power, none dared take him lightly.


    With a nod, all but one of them charged at him, unleashing their most potent attacks.


    None of them held back, nor could they afford to.


    They weren''t sure what had happened to their companion, but if the other party could eliminate one of them with such ease, then it was best to eliminate him as swiftly as possible, leaving him no chance to counterattack.


    BOOOM!


    The combined force of eight beings at the peak of the mortal rank was no small thing. In an instant, a massive explosion erupted, obliterating everything within a radius of several leagues.


    The power of this attack was akin to that of a large-scale nuclear bomb. The explosion''s radius spanned several miles, with the shockwave propagating at least another dozen miles.


    Needless to say, any living being near the area was instantly annihilated by the attack.


    The eight demons, hovering in the air and observing the aftermath of their combined assault, couldn''t help but frown. One of them asked with a serious expression:


    "He should be dead, right? There''s no way anyone could survive an attack like that," said the demon resembling a black skeleton clad in a cloak.


    The others nodded, thinking the same thing. Then, one of them, frowning deeply, glanced in another direction and asked:


    "Gu�� Y��n, why on earth did you stay back?" He clearly wasn''t pleased with the ninth demon ruler, who had refrained from joining the attack.


    The demon named Gu�� Y��n didn''t look at the speaker. Instead, he directed his gaze toward the area where the attack had been launched and calmly said:


    "Because none of us are strong enough to fight him, so there''s no point in me attacking," he said with a steady voice, as if what he had just declared was nothing alarming.


    Hearing his words, all eyes turned toward the explosion site, as if searching for something, or, in this case, someone.


    None of them doubted what their colleague had said, as among them, he was the strongest, second only to their ancestor in terms of power.


    If he said they were no match for the human, then they likely weren''t.


    Seeing no one, they wondered if Gu�� Y��n had been mistaken. The demon who had spoken before said:


    "Maybe. But there''s no way he can escape that attack unscathed, right?" he asked, but his colleague remained silent, continuing to stare in the attack''s direction.


    At that moment, while they all wondered whether or not they had succeeded, a calm voice sounded from behind them.


    As soon as they heard the voice, a chill ran through them. They turned their gazes toward it and there he was.


    The human they had just attacked now stood in midair with the same bored expression as before, calmly looking at them.


    No matter how they examined him, they couldn''t find a single injury, not even a scratch. Coupling this with what Gu�� Y��n had just said, all of them lost their fighting spirit.


    "H-How is this possible? He can''t be this strong, can he? Unless..."


    Realization dawned upon them one by one as they began looking at the human with terror on their faces.


    "Could it be..."


    All of them simultaneously wondered if the human before them had already severed his mortal ties and ascended to the spiritual rank.


    This realization hit them like a bucket of cold water. They understood their situation was far worse than they had anticipated.


    Even if they were mistaken, based on what they had already seen, it was clear that none of them stood a chance against him.


    At this point, they could only hope their ancestor would awaken soon. Unfortunately for them, fate wasn''t so kind.


    "Well, I wasn''t expecting much, but your attack was rather disappointing," Ethan said as he looked at the eight demon rulers in the air, as if they were already walking corpses.


    Hearing these words, none of them wasted any time. They immediately tried to flee. However, the moment they made even the slightest movement, they felt their entire beings freeze in midair, as an oppressive force struck all of them.


    "Why is it that every one of you always tries to escape after the first attack? Do you really have such low self-esteem?" he asked with a displeased tone.


    Even the two demons he had encountered on the beast continent had opted to flee the moment he arrived. And now, these ones too.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand why, but knowing how these creatures had caused chaos and destruction in the celestial plane for so long, he had expected more from them. Yet, so far, every demon he had met was more cowardly than the last.


    Hearing Ethan''s words, the demons wanted to cry, thinking:


    ''Low self-esteem? What else are we supposed to do against a monster like you?!''


    The demon resembling a black skeleton in a cloak, realizing how precarious their situation had become, hesitated no longer and immediately channeled his demonic Qi toward his forehead.


    ''Who would''ve thought I''d have to resort to this so soon,'' he thought.


    On his forehead, where there had been nothing before, Some symbols began to appear.


    As they absorbed the flow of demonic Qi, they started to glow, and in an instant, the demon''s entire figure disintegrated.


    Seeing this scene, Ethan''s expression lit up as his gaze shifted toward a certain direction.


    "What an interesting technique," he thought, as his vision instantly spanned hundreds of miles and locked onto what appeared to be a cave.

 Chapter 248 - 248: The Awakening of Mo Yan

    .


    In a dark space where no light could penetrate, a creaking sound echoed, followed by the heavy thud of something falling.


    Thud.


    Inside what seemed to be a rectangular container made of a black, pitch-like stone lay the figure of a skeleton.


    It bore no particularly distinctive features, except that all the bones in its body were as black as coal.


    After what appeared to be the lid of the container, resembling a coffin fell, nothing else happened, and the environment returned to its previous silence.


    Within the coffin, the figure of the black skeleton, which had remained there for who knows how long, finally showed some sign of life.


    The eye sockets, empty just moments before, now contained a dark blue flame burning within them as a series of symbols appeared on the forehead of the skeleton''s skull.


    Suddenly, it began to move its body, and with some difficulty, it sat up in place. Sear?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I need to leave here before he finds me," it murmured, feeling its body enveloped by demonic Qi.


    Suddenly, a cloak similar to the one it had worn before self-destructing materialized on its form.


    If it was true that the human was already a being who had ascended to the spiritual reakm, then it was certain that it wouldn''t take him long to find him.


    Thus, the skeleton moved, seeking to take advantage of the vast distance between them to gain some margin and escape to a more remote place where it could hide until its ancestor was fully awakened.


    Now, it could only place its hopes in its ancestor to defeat that human.


    With that, it dashed at high speed, and in no time, it reached the entrance of the cave.


    As soon as it exited, ready to speed off in a specific direction, it felt a sudden pressure pinning it to the spot.


    Before it could even allow panic to set in, its body was moved, and in the next moment, it found itself exactly where he had been before he had self-destructed.


    What��


    The scene of their companion using a technique to escape, only to be brought back here, surprised the others who were still immobilized.


    Clearly, the most shocked of all was the skeletal demon himself who, realizing that he had returned to his previous position, was struck by immense disbelief.


    ''H-How did he do it?'' he wondered, never expecting to be captured so quickly.


    With this failed escape attempt, even the faint glimmer of hope it had for freedom was extinguished, and it knew its death was imminent.


    On the other hand, Ethan, after his initial surprise, recomposed himself, ready to put an end to the lives of these eight demons.


    He had been momentarily startled because, although his prison formation was active, the other party had managed to destroy its physical body and transfer its soul into another, already prepared body through a special technique.


    Though he hadn''t anticipated something like this, he didn''t dwell too much on it.


    He immediately recaptured the demon and, with a mental command, adjusted some symbols within the formation to make it harder to breach.


    Ethan knew his formation was far from perfect, so he would continue to improve it over time.


    ''Maybe it''s time to upgarde my skills,'' he thought.


    He had initially intended to play with them a bit, to see if they had anything interesting to show him.


    But aside from the skeleton that had almost managed to escape, the others hadn''t done anything particularly remarkable, in his opinion.


    At this point, in Ethan''s eyes, the only thing that distinguished them from spiritual energy cultivators was the fact that unless one had methods to eliminate demonic Qi, they wouldn''t die easily.


    Unfortunately for them, Ethan had such a method, and it was one that benefited him greatly.


    He could sense that the being slumbering deep within that rift in the ground was almost fully awakened, so he decided to end this pointless battle.


    With little effort, he eliminated them all instantly.


    And at the sight of their companions being annihilated as if they were nothing, even the demon who had refrained from attacking Ethan initially, knowing he was far stronger than them, was left stunned by how effortlessly they were eradicated.


    But this was something he had expected.


    The next thing to happen was that his companions were disintegrated, only to transform into pure demonic Qi that Ethan absorbed, just as he had done with the first one to attack him.


    This, of course, terrified him, but it was reassured by the thought that he wouldn''t meet the same fate as its companions, because it could sense that his ancestor was almost fully awakened and would surely perceive the situation here.


    He believed that his ancestor wouldn''t stand idly by while their race was being eradicated by this strange human.


    At least that''s what he thought, but who could have predicted that the reality would be very different from all this.


    In the depths of the rift in the ground, the figure of a large black cocoon could be seen.


    The cocoon, which until not long ago had begun to show signs of life, was now glowing faintly, with a reddish-orange light emanating from it.


    Scccrrriiitch... rrriiiip...


    With a sickly yet somehow sinister sound, the elastic surface of the cocoon, which seemed to be formed from countless small fibers, began to tear apart as what appeared to be long, thin fingers gripped the edges of the tear and widened the opening further.


    Effortlessly, the surface of the cocoon was ripped apart, as two pairs of skeletal arms emerged from within, clutching the sides for support as the rest of the enormous body was pulled out.


    "Haa�� finally," a slightly hoarse voice echoed in the deep cavern of the rift where the cocoon had been.


    Following the voice, a towering being nearly ten meters tall finally rose, gradually regaining all its senses.


    "At last, I have reached the spiritual rank��" the figure said, as black mist began to appear around it and slowly enveloped its entire form.


    Gradually, the mist began to condense into black garments, and with a gesture of its hand, part of the mist started to mold and extend, transforming into what appeared to be a long scepter.


    Where once stood a torn cocoon and a thin, towering figure, now stood nothing but a black-robed form hovering above the ground.


    The figure had no flesh, and the only distinguishable features were its long skeletal limbs protruding from the black robe and what seemed to be a large red-and-black orb visible in its chest area, surrounded by what looked like multiple sets of ribs.


    The lower half of the body lacked legs, and the upper half featured only a black hood. Inside the hood was pure darkness, where any normal person attempting to look inside risked being swallowed by it.


    Mo Yan, who had gone into seclusion for over a millennium, had finally awakened.

 Chapter 249 - 249: Run away

    .


    He, basking in the immense power that coursed through his entire being, finally extended his senses to observe how the world had changed in his absence.


    He was certain the barrier imprisoning his race on this fragment of land was likely still there, but he believed that with his newfound strength, he could finally break it.


    He wanted to see the state of his race, and as his spiritual sense expanded beyond the rift''s space, he immediately perceived several figures at the peak of the Mortal realm.


    He recognized all of them. Upon seeing that they were still alive and that some had even become stronger, he felt a sense of satisfaction.


    "It seems that they have not been idle in my absence," he thought.


    But his happiness was short-lived. Not long after, he sensed nearly all of them being eliminated by an individual who displayed no trace of demonic Qi.


    Upon perceiving this, his rage surged.


    He was prepared to intervene and personally deal with this being, but what he saw next left him shaken.


    "Him�� it can''t be."


    Initially, he hadn''t sensed the full power of this figure, but it didn''t take long for him to gauge his cultivation level.


    The realization sent him into shock.


    Another being had reached the spiritual realm, just like him.


    He had believed that once he ascended, it would only be a matter of time before his race could conquer this plane.


    Yet, he hadn''t expected to encounter another being at his level, and not just one.


    He sensed the presence of yet another individual in the spiritual realm approaching this location, shocking him further.


    Since when had beings of the spiritual realm become so common, he wondered.


    But his surprise didn''t end there.


    He then observed his subordinates, who had just been eliminated, unable to reconstitute themselves using demonic Qi.


    Instead, they had been captured and absorbed by this being.


    This was the final blow, not of rage, but of fear.


    If there was one thing demons were confident in, it was their inability to truly die.


    As manifestations of demonic Qi, they could reemerge from it after death, with small traces of consciousness allowing them to return over time.


    For this reason, killing them was nearly impossible, a trait that had caused significant trouble for the beings of the celestial plane.


    Yet here he was, witnessing a being devouring his race as if it were nothing, erasing their existence entirely.


    He could tell that the being had grown stronger by absorbing his kind, and this realization terrified him.


    He struggled to believe what he had just witnessed.


    He had thought that with his newfound strength, nothing could threaten him.


    Yet, not only had he encountered two other beings at his level, but one of them was capable of completely eradicating his kind.


    ''I must ascend immediately,'' he thought, realizing he could no longer remain in this plane.


    All his plans for conquest had gone up in smoke. He knew that to survive, he needed to ascend and regroup elsewhere.


    ''I must contact them as soon as possible,'' he thought, disappearing from his position and reappearing dozens of miles away in the sky. His body began to glow with a black light. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can sense it," he murmured.


    But just as he focused to deepen his perception, a voice rang out from behind him.


    "Now, I really want to know if running away is a trait of your race, "


    ***


    Ethan, having successfully killed the eight demons and absorbed their demonic energy, immediately felt his strength increase significantly.


    DING!


    [You have gained +1431 STR]


    [You have gained +1350 AGI]


    [You have gained +875 INT]


    [You have gained +589 Soul Strength]


    His stats had increased by at least 10%, with some even improving by 20%.


    Seeing this boost in power, Ethan grew increasingly certain that hunting demons was the best way to rapidly grow stronger.


    The sheer amount of Soul Strength he was gaining from killing them was far from insignificant.


    He checked his Demonic Physique and was finally pleased to see that it, too, had improved by a considerable margin.


    .


    [------------------------------


    [Demonic Physique]


    Grade: Minor (27%)


    Description: The physique of a low-grade pure demon.


    This physique increases the Host''s affinity with negative spiritual energy, allowing the Host to absorb and process it within their dantian, thereby forming a Demonic Core.


    Forming a Demonic Core enables the primary physique to digest demonic Qi more efficiently and allows the Minor Demonic Physique to evolve.


    Note: Switching from your current physique to the Demonic Physique will alter your appearance accordingly.


    All beings using positive spiritual energy will perceive you as an enemy, while those using negative energy will view you as one of their own.


    -----------------------------]


    .


    Ethan had honestly expected to surpass 50% easily with all the demons he had just absorbed, but reality seemed less generous than he had anticipated.


    He wasn''t sure why it took so much to improve the percentage of his Demonic Physique.


    After all, it was a physique similar to that of the demons he had just killed, which would make him a low-grade pure demon in their eyes.


    Yet, even after absorbing nine of them, he couldn''t make significant progress in this regard.


    In the end, he could only shake his head, thinking that it was still better than nothing.


    After all, the Demonic Physique wasn''t currently of much use to him, so he didn''t feel irritated about it.


    That said, he turned his attention to the demon who had remained on the sidelines the entire time.


    Seeing that the other party hadn''t made a move throughout, he couldn''t help but ask:


    "I can sense you''re clearly stronger than all the others I just killed, yet you haven''t made a single move this whole time.


    Is this your way of throwing in the towel before even trying to fight?"


    Ethan could guess what the demon might be thinking, but he wanted to hear it directly.


    The demon, having just sensed his lord fully awaken, spoke with a joyful voice.


    "Of course, I know I can''t fight someone of your level, so it''s pointless for me to make a move.


    After all, even if I had joined the attack, it wouldn''t have changed anything, right?" he said.


    But Ethan didn''t respond, calmly staring at him.


    "Don''t worry about me; you should worry about our ancestor instead," the demon continued.


    Though his expression couldn''t be seen, as he lacked a face, Ethan was certain he would be smirking or something similar if he could.


    Seeing how confident the other party was, Ethan finally smiled, pointed in a seemingly random direction, and said:


    "Oh, really?


    Then why is your so-called ancestor currently fleeing in that direction?"

 Chapter 250 - 250: Ethna vs Mo Yan

    .


    Ascending from one plane to another was no simple matter, and any being who had broken their mortal bonds to reach the spiritual realm knew this very well.


    This was because, once they arrived at this realm of cultivation, their connection to the mortal plane would grow fainter while a bond with the celestial plane would begin to manifest.


    This first part was the easiest since beings would instinctively feel a connection forming slowly with the celestial plane.


    However, it was a challenge to fully perceive and consolidate this connection, especially correctly, so that it could be used as a path to reach the higher plane.


    It was this part that was the most problematic because if one didn''t make the proper preparation, they risked ending up in some spatial fracture.


    In the best-case scenario, they might save themselves but end up in some remote dimension. In the worst-case scenario, they would die.


    Mo Yan, who had already started perceiving the existence of a higher plane, tried to consolidate his connection with it as quickly as possible and attempt ascension.


    He knew that doing so under these circumstances was far from ideal, but if he didn''t act now, he risked ending up fighting two beings of his level.


    This would either leave him seriously injured for a long time, unsure if he''d ever recover enough to attempt ascension again, or cost him his life at their hands.


    Having few options at his disposal, he decided to attempt ascension now.


    Unfortunately for him, luck was not on his side today.


    Hearing an abrupt voice, he had to interrupt the process and immediately be on guard against the human who had appeared out of nowhere.


    Although ascension required time, he had thought he could start the process and leave, adjusting the coordinates once he was out of this plane. At least this way, he wouldn''t risk being interrupted. However, it seemed even that was no longer an option.


    Seeing the human who had appeared, he frowned and said,


    "Human, I spared you even when you wiped out my subordinates. Don''t make me regret that decision."


    He understood he no longer had any real way to escape.


    Having only recently awakened, his powers had yet to fully stabilize, making a fight risky at this point.


    His chances of victory weren''t high at the moment, which was why he hadn''t gone to save his subordinates first and instead decided on a tactical retreat, attempting to ascend much earlier than planned.


    But now, seeing the other party had already caught up to him, he knew he had no choice but to muster as much strength as he could and fight.


    "Spared me? Strange.


    I could have sworn you were just running away a moment ago," Ethan replied, unfazed by the thought of confronting the demon.


    He had already sensed the demon''s condition when it awakened and had understood its intentions when he saw it flee.


    Just like the demon, Ethan also felt an invisible connection to another place, and to him, that place was undoubtedly the celestial plane.


    He wasn''t sure how to use that connection to ascend, but he had decided not to dwell on it for now.


    He would ask Bai Yu about it after dealing with this demon.


    Although he believed the demon, if discovered in the celestial plane after ascending, would be eliminated immediately by its powerhouses,


    he didn''t want to risk sparking an infestation of demonic energy as had happened millions of years ago.


    More importantly, he didn''t want to lose his free source of stat points.


    Thus, he immediately erected several formations to seal the area within tens of miles.


    The last thing he wanted was for the other party to take their battle elsewhere, or worse, to another continent.


    Seeing the other party had no intention of letting him go, the demon sighed and prepared to fight.


    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you," the demon said, deciding to go all out.


    He knew he wouldn''t come out of this battle unscathed, but he didn''t believe he would lose if he gave it his all.


    With that, he channeled demonic Qi into his scepter, and immediately, a curtain of smoke began to spread from it.


    The smoke enveloped the area instantly, and seeing this, Ethan didn''t take it lightly and readied himself.


    After all, his opponent was not a being of the mortal rank but one at his own rank.


    Thus, he dared not be careless in this situation.


    With another wave of the scepter, the black smoke that had filled the area began to swirl, and soon, several condensed spheres of smoke formed in the air, trembling and changing shape.


    The spheres transformed into what appeared to be several beings entirely made of shadow.


    The only distinguishing feature they had was that each had a different shape, and all bore only a mouth on their face and nothing else.


    They were like living shadows, and from their aura, Ethan couldn''t determine their level of strength.


    "Let me show you the true power of our race," the demon said as his black robe began to flutter with various streams of demonic Qi surrounding him, emanating a heavy aura throughout the environment.


    "Well, it seems you''ve decided to give it your all right from the start," Ethan thought as his eyes began to shine with a blue light.


    His pupils narrowed further, becoming thin as needles, while a terrifying and menacing aura began to radiate from his entire being.


    He hadn''t had a chance to unleash his full strength since his ascension, so he wasn''t yet aware of the full extent of his power.


    That said, he could feel a great strength within him and thought this was the perfect moment to test it. sea??h th�� ��ovelFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Yan, sensing the terrifying aura, couldn''t help but frown as he thought,


    "This aura... it''s not that of a human."


    He was certain the other party was human, yet he could tell this aura was more akin to that of a beast rather than a human.


    Not just any beast, but a dragon.


    In the past, he had fought against experts from the human race and even those from the beast race, but none of them had ever emanated an aura like this.


    This confused him for a moment, but he didn''t dwell on it too much.


    Seeing that the other party was also ready to attack, he intensified the power in his scepter and commanded the creatures he had summoned to advance.

 Chapter 251 - 251: The Anomalous Human

    .


    As the battle between the demon and the human began, another spirit realm level entity finally reached the demon continent. S��ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Arriving there, the green-haired woman, now with an angry expression, slightly twisted her face while examining the corrupted land of this continent.


    ''Why is this air so impure?'' she thought, instinctively wrapping her nose in a thin layer of wood-element spiritual energy.


    She didn''t know what this place was, but she didn''t like it at all.


    "That despicable man, how could he abandon a woman in distress and leave as if nothing had happened?" the green-haired woman muttered angrily, looking forward to teaching Ethan a lesson as soon as she met him.


    But just as this thought crossed her mind, her attention shifted to various energy fluctuations emanating from a spot not far from her location.


    ''Hm? It seems like someone is fighting down there,'' she thought, deciding to take a look.


    She believed that she might also encounter that man there, so she headed in that direction at full speed.


    From the energy fluctuations, she could tell that the two beings battling were very strong, likely at her same level.


    She knew that the man who had awakened her had a strength similar to hers, so she thought he might be there.


    With her speed, which was at the early stage of the spiritual realm, it didn''t take her long to reach the battle site.


    But just as she was getting closer, her eyes caught something, and she immediately halted her advance, disappearing from her position, only to reappear several miles away.


    There, she saw a stunning woman dressed in blue, floating gracefully as she watched in the direction of the battle.


    The green-haired woman couldn''t help but approach her, saying:


    "You''re the woman who was with that human, right?" she asked, recalling Bai Yu.


    Bai Yu, who had already sensed the presence of the green-haired woman, paid her no attention and continued to gaze ahead.


    To the eyes of an ordinary observer, it might seem as if she was staring into the void.


    But to the eyes of high-level cultivators, an enormous battle was taking place much farther ahead, one that would shake the hearts of many if they witnessed it.


    Ethan had decided to move Bai Yu into his minor dimension, but she had refused, stating that she wanted to watch the battle.


    Not wanting to involve her in the crossfire, he had left her at a location far enough from the battle site.


    At her current cultivation level, she was just a step below the beings at the early stage of the spiritual realm and would risk severe injuries if she participated in the fight.


    Ethan was sure that at her true cultivation level, she could wipe the floor with the demon easily, but for now, her cultivation base was still sealed at the spiritual realm, so he could only leave her in a relatively safe place.


    Meanwhile, as the dragon woman ignored the elemental spirit, Ethan and the demon had already been fighting for some time, gradually escalating the intensity of their attacks with every passing second.


    Initially, there had been several black figures, but now there were strange, shadow-like creatures surrounding the area, each possessing a level of power similar to that of a being at the early stage of the spiritual realm.


    Ethan was initially surprised by this discovery, but he soon realized that summoning these creatures had put a strain on the one who had summoned them.


    He could tell that the demon wouldn''t be able to sustain their summoning for too long, so he decided to make things as difficult as possible for him.


    With a wave of his hand, Ethan conjured several sparks in the air, which quickly multiplied from tens to hundreds, then to thousands.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see that these sparks all took the form of blue-colored petals.


    The demon, seeing this, suddenly felt a sense of foreboding and murmured:


    ''Is that... a rare flame?'' he thought, but there was no time to confirm, as in the next instant, Ethan unleashed his attack.


    The demon wasted no time and condensed his spiritual energy into various symbols in the air, forming seven thick layers of barriers around him.


    Ethan, seeing this, smiled as he murmured:


    "You''ll need something more strong than that to survive this attack."


    As if his words had become reality, the petals rained down like thousands of lights upon the demon and his summoned creatures, and as soon as they struck the barrier''s surface, they exploded.


    BOOOOOOM!


    Like a chain reaction, the entire area was instantly illuminated by an intense light as a devastating explosion shook the ground.


    Although the explosion was contained within the barrier, the energy fluctuations it caused were enough to damage the surrounding environment.


    The ground was leveled, and large cracks began forming on its surface, while the seismic waves generated by the explosion spread far and wide, reaching various parts of the demonic continent and causing chaos everywhere.


    While the rest of the continent plunged into chaos, inside the formation, Ethan, who had just unleashed a wave of destruction upon the demon, did not relax.


    He raised his right hand to the side, condensing a sword made entirely of pure wood-element spiritual energy.


    Without hesitation, he slashed downward, and suddenly, the enormous explosion enveloping the space within the barrier was split in half.


    In the space created by the cut, the battered figure of the demon could be seen, who had managed to dodge the blow just in time, but had lost two limbs in the attempt.


    Unlike him, however, the creatures he had summoned weren''t so lucky.


    All those within the trajectory of the attack were hit directly and eliminated on the spot.


    That attack carried a potent wood aura, enhanced by Ethan''s pure Qi. It had been enough to obliterate the creatures formed from demonic Qi.


    Mo Yan, witnessing this scene, was momentarily stunned.


    While avoiding damage from the previous attack, his instincts had warned him of grave danger, and without hesitation, he had thrown himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the full brunt of the attack.


    He wasn''t sure why he felt this sense of mortal danger, but now, seeing his creatures being annihilated, he understood the reason.


    "What on earth is that aura?!"


    He could sense the strong wood element within it, but that alone wouldn''t have been enough to destroy demonic Qi, and he knew it.


    Yet he could feel that there was something else in that attack, something that even demonic Qi couldn''t withstand.


    Watching his subordinates be eliminated and their essence absorbed by this being, Mo Yan had already realized that this human was an anomaly.


    At that moment, he had felt Ethan''s strength increase significantly, something clearly related to his physique.


    After all, special physiques were not uncommon in the mortal or heavenly planes. Even demons could develop certain unique physiques.


    But it was one thing to have such a physique; it was entirely another to launch attacks that could eliminate demonic Qi.


    In the demon''s mind, the level of danger posed by Ethan had risen to an entirely new tier.

 Chapter 252 - 252: Demonic Language

    .


    The battle between Ethan and the demon went on for hours, with neither side managing to gain the upper hand, or at least, that''s what the demon thought.


    But soon, he realized it wasn''t because the human was unable to gain the advantage in their fight.


    Instead, it seemed the human was using him as a test subject for his various attacks.


    Obviously this realization makes him a furious.


    "You little bastard! Don''t think you can underestimate me!" he bellowed in anger while raising his scepter.


    Several symbols began to form in the air.


    Ethan, who had just destroyed yet another zombie-like creature with a punch infused with his pure Qi, saw this unfolding scene.


    However, he didn''t stop his opponent. Instead, he turned his gaze to the symbols that were beginning to spread in the air.


    The symbols were written in an unknown language and were primarily composed of red energy.


    Although Ethan had never seen these symbols before, that didn''t mean he had no way of deciphering the language.


    In fact, as soon as he began analyzing the symbols in the air, a familiar sound resonated in his mind, and a blue screen appeared before his eyes.


    DING!


    [Unknown formation detected.]


    [Analyzing...]


    DING!


    [Analysis completed successfully.]


    Ethan wasted no time in absorbing the information.


    While he believed he could gain the upper hand against the demon in front of him, that didn''t mean he would underestimate him.


    Indeed, throughout their entire fight, Ethan had maintained a certain level of caution toward his opponent, all while testing his abilities on him.


    He had found an opponent of the same cultivation realm and didn''t want to miss the opportunity to test his newfound strength.


    And he had to admit, his power so far had not disappointed him at all.


    He was certain that if he wished, he could obliterate the entire continent with a single attack.


    Essentially, he was a god in the mortal realm.


    He understood why beings who ascended from the mortal realm to the spiritual realm were eventually forced by the will of the heavens to ascend.


    Allowing a being of his level to roam freely in this plane was akin to condemning it.


    A single whim of his could cost this plane dearly.


    As soon as he accepted the information from the system, he felt a sudden wave of knowledge flooding his mind.


    Immediately, a new status screen appeared before him.


    .


    [-------------------------------


    [Formation of the Thousand Calamities]


    Level: 4


    Description: A summoning formation written in the ancient language of demons, capable of summoning one of the thousand demonic calamities.


    NOTE: The summoned calamity will be random, and the summoning time will vary depending on the amount of demonic Qi of the summoner.


    [Price: 2.000.000 Sp]


    -------------------------------]


    .


    [Do you wish to learn the formation?]


    [Y/N]


    Seeing the information, Ethan understood what the demon was trying to do and couldn''t help but snort.


    Although he was confident in his ability to defeat the demon, he didn''t know what these demonic calamities were. Judging by the level of the summoning formation, however, he could tell it was nothing good.


    Thus, without hesitation, he absorbed the knowledge about the formation. The moment he assimilated the information, he opened his eyes, and a bluish-green light radiated from them.


    He raised his hand and a dark green energy began to condense on it.


    With a gesture of his hand, he materialized a faint symbol in the air.


    Mo Yan, who had been busy setting up the summoning formation, thought he had enough time to complete and activate it.


    After all, he still had a few creatures protecting him from the human in the meantime. But just as he was halfway through the formation, an abrupt sense of danger struck him.


    His gaze darted toward his opponent''s position, and as soon as his eyes focused on him, they narrowed, and he murmured in disbelief.


    "T-That... that''s a demonic rune!" he stammered, shocked at the sight of a symbol as large as a palm floating above the human''s hand, radiating a dark and sinister aura.


    He didn''t know what kind of energy the green aura was, but simply recognizing the symbol and understanding its meaning terrified him.


    He couldn''t understand how the human knew the ancient demonic language, but seeing him use one of the runes needed to erect formations of his race left him speechless.


    Even more so because the rune in question was the primary rune of his formation.


    This made him realize that not only did the human know the demonic language, but he also understood the formation he was building.


    In other words, the human knew exactly what he was trying to do.


    This, clearly, was not a good thing for him. It meant the human would interfere with the formation, not by attacking him directly but by sabotaging the formation itself.


    "Damn it, how the hell does he know our language?" he asked himself in frustration.


    He knew that Setting up the summoning formation would now become more problematic, and he wondered if his beasts would manage to prevent an attack on the formation.


    But just as he was pondering what to do, he saw the core rune of the formation that the human had created begin to tremble, and soon other runes appeared around the central rune.


    "Huh? What kind of formation is that?"


    He wondered, perplexed by what he was seeing.


    At first, he had thought that the other party had created the central rune of his formation to stop his formation.


    However, seeing that instead of using it now that it was fully formed, the human created other different runes, he became confused about his intentions.


    Even more so because he couldn''t determine the purpose of this runic formation.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this,'' he thought as he began to speed up the process of setting up his formation.


    He could tell that whatever it was, it wasn''t good news for him, and he had no intention of waiting to see what would happen.


    What he needed to do now was finish his formation, after which he could take care of that human.


    So, he focused on his formation while mentally commanding his creatures to attack the human.


    If he could interrupt the other party''s formation, or perhaps even ruin it, it would only be a good thing for him. Thus, he decided to use the rest of the three creatures that he had left for a combined attack.


    After all, he knew that these creatures were no longer much help to him, and as such, there was no point in spending further energy to maintain them.


    The giant, contorted creatures, receiving their master''s command, let out a loud roar as they charged at Ethan, who was also in the process of erecting a formation.


    Ethan continued to create runes, paying no attention to the creatures closing in, and in an instant, they had already reached him, ready to attack.


    Just as a giant shadow creature, over ten meters tall with three pairs of arms, was about to attack him, a green light burst forth, and before the creature could even make a move against him, it was eliminated instantly.


    But it didn''t stop there.


    The source of the intense green light, revealed to be a formation made up of the dark green runes created by Ethan, shot upward and soon reached Mo Yan''s formation.


    Mo Yan, who saw that he was nearly done with his work, was already celebrating.


    Just as he was about to complete the formation, he felt that something was wrong and looked in a direction where he saw a strange disc made of various symbols and geometric figures. It had reached the same level as his formation, invading it with relative ease.


    "What is that-"


    And just as he was asking himself what it was, the disc began to rotate.


    Soon, various green lines emerged from it, and in what seemed like an instant, they spread like a spider''s web, covering the entire invisible surface of Mo Yan''s formation and striking every point where the various symbols that maintained his formation were located.


    Mo Yan couldn''t react in time and immediately felt the connection to the formation he had almost finished creating break.


    Before he could do anything, all the runes he had created died out, forming three rings around him.


    And before he could even try to escape the encirclement or break the rings of runes, a green sphere materialized around him, engulfing him inside. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?"


    Bam, bam, bam!


    Mo Yan, clearly panicking due to the sudden chain of events, immediately tried to strike with all his might against the green walls of the sphere in an attempt to damage it and escape.


    However, he quickly discovered that no matter how hard he struck, he couldn''t make even a scratch on the slightly transparent walls of the green sphere.


    "What the hell is this thing? human, let me out of here!" he roared as he continued his attempts to break the sphere.


    "It''s useless," Ethan''s voice echoed.


    He approached the large sphere, several meters in size, and positioned himself at eye level with the demon, who was considerably tall.


    "I must admit, your formation techniques aren''t bad at all," he said with a smile directed at Mo Yan.


    "Look, I even managed to create this little masterpiece," he added, glancing at the points where the three rings made of runes were anchored.


    The demon couldn''t follow what the human was saying, but that didn''t stop him from continuing his curses.


    Seeing this, Ethan smiled and made another gesture with his hand.


    "If I were you, I''d make myself comfortable," he said as the sphere began to tremble, and its size gradually started to shrink.


    "you''ll be staying there for quite a while.," he added, grabbing the green sphere that had now shrunk to the size of a tennis ball.

 Chapter 253 - 253: Spiritual Contract

    .


    Although the battle between the demon and Ethan seemed to have gone on for hours and hours, the total time didn''t even exceed 30 minutes.


    Bai Yu and the green-haired woman, who had witnessed the fight, only saw a lightning-fast series of attacks back and forth, with no real interruption in between.


    On one hand, Bai Yu wasn''t surprised by a battle of this magnitude, as she was used to seeing much longer and more destructive ones.


    On the other hand, the green-haired woman, though also a being of the spiritual rank, without her full memories of the past, could only marvel at the clash between these two spiritual realm beings.


    Even more so seeing that Ethan was not only able to counter the demon but was effectively eliminating all the demonic energy thrown at him.


    As a wood elemental spirit, she felt an instinctive repulsion toward demonic Qi and could tell that this energy was anything but simple.


    Even she wasn''t sure she could completely eliminate the traces of this energy successfully, and yet here he was, a being of her same level, who wasn''t even an elemental spirit, doing it as if it were nothing.


    She had already experienced Ethan''s pure Qi firsthand and could tell it was special because not only did his Qi give her a lot of energy, but she could also feel it was beneficial to her body.


    She was certain that if she could absorb such pure Qi every day, she could advance her cultivation without much difficulty.


    And this, in her eyes, was yet another reason to follow this human.


    Without memories of her past, she honestly didn''t know what to do now that she was awake, so she thought it best to follow this intriguing human.


    Who would have thought that the human would ignore her as if she were nothing and leave without her?


    Now that she had caught up to him, she had sworn she wouldn''t let him get away so easily again.


    After defeating the demon, it was finally time to cleanse this land, corrupted for so long.


    Ethan knew that this time wouldn''t be as simple as it had been with the beast continent because, unlike them, who had merely been affected by demonic Qi, all the creatures of this land were already completely corrupted and were now half-demons.


    Not only was he supposed to purify this land and eliminate every trace of demonic Qi, but he was also supposed to restore these people to normal.


    At first, this task would have been much more difficult and would have required some time for him to devise a large scale formation capable of effectively purifying and restoring the people of this place, but luckily, he wouldn''t have these problems now.


    And that was because he had now learned the demonic language.


    When Ethan had studied the formation made with runes written in the demonic language, he could see the potential of this formation.


    He was confident he could devise an effective way to purify the beings of this continent more efficiently.


    So he wasted no time and prepared to purify this continent, but first, he had another problem to face.


    "Hm? You want to form a soul contract?" he asked with a somewhat confused expression, looking at the green-haired woman in front of him.


    "Yes, let me follow you on your journey, and in exchange, I will offer you my soul contract," she said as if it were a great privilege to enter into such a contract with her.


    Ethan honestly thought the woman before him would only be a source of trouble, and he didn''t see any real reason to enter into a soul contract with her, so he was ready to refuse, but he stopped when he heard a mental communication.


    ''If I were you, I''d accept,'' said Bai Yu.


    Hearing this, Ethan looked at her with a confused expression, as if asking for an explanation.


    ''You see, the soul contract she is proposing is not the same as the one you formed with that woman,'' she said, and Ethan understood that she was talking about Feng Huang.


    "Hm? What do you mean it''s not the same contract?" he finally asked.


    He was certain that if Bai Yu was telling him to accept the contract, there must be a good reason behind it.


    ''You see, elemental spirits are rare even on the celestial plane, and even rarer is one offering their soul contract to someone.


    It may not seem like much to you, but in reality, many would kill for such an opportunity because the soul contract of elemental spirits is highly beneficial to anyone aligned with the spirit.


    Among the many benefits you could gain, the most important one is that your mastery of the Wood element would increase exponentially, reaching the same level as that of elemental spirits.


    For the record, they are the beings with the highest elemental affinities of all,'' she said, and Ethan finally understood.


    Although he had discovered that he had an affinity with all elements and that these affinities were at a good level, he could tell they were far from perfection.


    For example, Bai Yu''s affinity was with the Ice element, a fairly rare affinity, made even rarer because her mastery over it was very high.


    In their fights within his sea ??of ??consciousness, and even in the minor dimension, he had never won against her using only the Ice element, and this wasn''t just because she had more experience than him but also because her Ice was much stronger than his.


    Elemental strength couldn''t simply be increased by cultivating and becoming stronger.


    So, hearing that he would effectively reach the highest possible level of affinity with an element through a contract with an elemental spirit made him realize why they were so rare.


    He could already imagine many beings hunting them to capture and form a contract with them.


    Even though he still had little knowledge of the celestial plane, he could tell that certain things wouldn''t change regardless of which plane of existence one was on.


    And greed and the thirst for power were one of them.


    Just as he was thinking that perhaps accepting the soul contract wasn''t such a bad idea, Bai Yu''s voice echoed once more.


    ''And one more thing, these contracts are a bit different from the soul contract, where both parties decide the terms and share a degree of mutual risk.


    These, in our plane, are more commonly known as spiritual contracts, and unlike what you might think, these contracts are no different from handing over one''s life. Sear?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Essentially, if you were to die, so would she.''


    Eh? ??

 Chapter 254 - 254: Stipulating the Contract

    .


    Hand over her life? Die if he dies?


    Ethan was caught a bit off guard by this information and couldn''t help but glance at the elemental spirit, who seemed to be waiting for his response.


    Seeing her serious expression, Ethan couldn''t help but ask:


    "Just one thing, do you understand what it means to hand over your contract to me?" he asked, thinking that perhaps the green-haired woman might not fully grasp the consequences of such an action.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if she didn''t know. After all, she had lost her memories, so for all he knew, she might not understand the significance of doing something like this.


    Or at least, that''s what he had assumed, but to his surprise, she nodded her head and said,


    "Yes, I''m binding myself to you," she said as if it was nothing.


    Seeing this, Ethan was left speechless once again.


    ''Woman, why do you say it like it''s no big deal?'' he thought, shaking his head.


    "Do you realize we''ve only known each other for less than a day?" he asked, trying for a moment to reason with her.


    A contract with a spirit was tempting even for him, especially now that he knew its benefits, but he felt that accepting it so hastily was like he was tricking the spirit.


    She nodded again without saying a word.


    "And you''re truly okay with giving your contract to someone you barely know?" he asked, unsure of how to get his point across.


    For a moment, he thought the spirit lacked common sense here.


    But to his surprise, the green-haired woman said,


    "Of course I wouldn''t give my contract away as if it were nothing to just anyone," she said with a pout.


    Before Ethan could say anything else, she continued,


    "I can sense that you''re a good person, so you won''t harm me if I give you my contract. And more importantly, I feel that it would also be very beneficial for me to bind myself to you," she said.


    ''Beneficial for her?'' He wasn''t entirely sure what exactly would be beneficial for her.


    He had a rare physique that not only helped him cultivate much faster but also could endure much more than one rare flames, and it could apparently even absorb demonic Qi and metabolize it, giving him the power to transform into a demon himself.


    He also had the anfora, which brought several benefits for him, but none of this seemed to be anything that could help an elemental spirit.


    ''Maybe my special physique has some other function I don''t know about,'' he thought, remembering that both his and Bai Yu''s knowledge of it was very limited.


    He wouldn''t have been surprised if there was indeed something like that.


    In the end, he decided to accept the contract.


    Considering everything he had learned, this contract would only benefit him, and he couldn''t see any downsides to it. So he didn''t think too much about it and agreed. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He raised his palm, ready to form a soul contract, but then remembered that this wasn''t a soul contract but rather a spiritual contract.


    ''How does one stipulate a spiritual contract?'' he asked Bai Yu uncertainly.


    Hearing this, Bai Yu realized he had decided to accept the elemental spirit.


    Just as she was about to explain how it worked, the green-haired woman, who had heard Ethan agree, became excited and dashed toward him.


    Huh?


    Bai Yu, who was just about to explain the process, stopped when she saw the green-haired woman happily throw herself at Ethan.


    Just as she was about to ask what she was doing, her mouth fell open when she saw the woman''s next action.


    She wrapped her arms around Ethan''s neck, who didn''t immediately resist, pulled her face close to his, and to the surprise of both him and Bai Yu, kissed him on the lips.


    ''What?''


    Bai Yu, who witnessed this scene, was stunned for a moment by the green-haired woman''s sudden action.


    Soon, a burst of anger erupted in her as she rushed toward her.


    But before she could even get close and grab her, the green-haired woman''s body began to glow intensely with a soft green light, and in the blink of an eye, she crumbled into countless particles of green light that entered Ethan.


    A symbol resembling a delicate leaf appeared on Ethan''s hand, where he felt a burning sensation for a moment, but it soon faded as the symbol silently disappeared, just as it had appeared.


    Ethan didn''t have time to process this when he felt a sudden surge of power within him, and a faint green hue began to surround him.


    At the same time, he could feel his cultivation base slowly rising, and not only that.


    He began to feel invisible connections forming throughout his being as his senses seemed to expand.


    ''This...''


    He wasn''t certain, but he could feel several signs of life deep within the land of the demonic continent and beyond.


    He also felt a strong concentration of these life signs coming from two specific directions.


    More precisely, from the direction of the beast continent and the human continent.


    Ethan immediately realized what it was and couldn''t help but murmur:


    "I can feel all beings with spiritual wood Qi."


    Ethan was now certain that he could sense the presence of all plants and even, more generally, any being that contained spiritual wood Qi.


    He could say he felt his affinity with the wood element had risen to entirely new heights, reaching levels he hadn''t even known existed.


    He felt these points of life as though they were part of him.


    It was as if he could tell what was happening to them and, in a certain sense, was sure he could even communicate with them.


    But then he remembered the green-haired woman who seemed to have dissolved into particles, and he wondered what had happened to her.


    Ethan, who like Bai Yu, had been caught off guard by the elemental spirit''s sudden action, was left bewildered by the following series of events.


    But now that he had calmed down a bit, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he slowly turned his head to the side.


    There he saw the dragon woman standing in the air with a clearly displeased expression.


    "What?" he asked, uncertain about the situation.


    He didn''t know why, but he felt that the days ahead would not be peaceful for him.

 Chapter 255 - 255: Overwriting

    .


    In the demonic continent, within a forest entirely populated by the remains of withered trees and rotting logs, a figure no taller than 180 centimeters wandered aimlessly.


    The being had no truly distinctive features, apart from being entirely shrouded in a black mist.


    If someone were to see it, they wouldn''t think it was something material, and its sinister appearance would cause any normal person to either flee without looking back or faint on the spot in sheer terror.


    This entity, which seemed to stagger forward in a single direction without any apparent goal or destination, suddenly stopped.


    It froze in place, standing like a statue for several seconds.


    Its head, which lacked a nose or any mouth and displayed only two white circles where eyes might be, began to tremble. The head jerked violently toward one direction, then to another, and then yet another, as though scanning its surroundings.


    It was as if the head were a separate entity from the rest of the body, moving independently. After its frantic movements in every direction, it finally tilted upwards, still shaking slightly.


    The eyes, which had long since been devoid of any emotion, now seemed to reflect a hint of fear.


    Unlike before, it wasn''t only the head that vibrated now. The entire body began to tremble violently, and for a moment, it seemed as though it might dissolve into nothingness.


    But this being wasn''t the only one to experience such a sudden change.


    All the other entities scattered across the continent began to react strangely as well. Some collapsed to the ground, letting out intense, guttural cries of pain, while others seemed to lose their minds entirely, moving about erratically.


    Even the half-demons, who retained a certain level of consciousness, visibly trembled as they gazed at the sky. Their eyes reflected an instinctive fear that rooted them to the spot, unable to move.


    ''W-what''s happening to me?'' he wondered, while his now completely black eyes reflected the image of the sky, while a strange phenomenon was taking place.


    ''Is it because of that�� thing?'' he wondered, struggling more and more to maintain some semblance of clarity in his mind.


    Just like him, many others had the same questions swirling in their heads as they witnessed the incredible sight: streaks of green light flashing across the sky in every direction.


    At a quick glance, these beams of light seemed to contain countless smaller lights, numbering in the thousands, at least in the areas visible to those on the ground.


    If someone could examine these beams up close, they would realize that the lights were none other than green symbols, traveling through the air as though imbued with a will of their own.


    These symbols, each larger than an elephant, were inscribed in a language that neither humans nor beasts could decipher.


    The symbols traveled in predetermined directions, and finally after some time, they all arrive at a certain point in the air and stop floating in place.


    If these various symbols could be observed from above, a large circle formed by them would be visible.


    Soon, the symbols began to rotate, some clockwise, others counterclockwise, like the hands of a clock ticking forward, pausing briefly at each second.


    After a few moments, one of the symbols began to glow brightly, emitting a faint light in front of it. It moved forward, immersing itself in the light.


    One by one, the other symbols seemed to find their correct positions and followed suit, merging into spheres of light that appeared before them.


    In no time, all the symbols had settled into specific positions and entered their respective spheres of light. Once the final symbol merged into its sphere, a visible change occurred in the sky.


    An intricate formation, radiating an intense yellow light, appeared suspended high above the continent.


    The formation, composed of numerous symbols, seemed to grow brighter and brighter, while beams of yellow light shot up from various locations across the land, converging toward the formation in the sky.


    First one beam, then another, and soon many more.


    Before long, a dome made of yellow light engulfed the entire demonic continent.


    This was the protective barrier that, a long time ago, had been cast over the three continents, a barrier designed not only to shield them from external threats but also to prevent internal dangers from escaping to attack the others.


    Now, this ancient barrier, which had lain dormant for two millennia, was once again coming to life, illuminating the entire continent. S��ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the beings of the continent did not know what was happening, they could sense that something was about to occur, and their instincts told them it would be nothing good for them.


    And just as they feared, the barrier began to change.


    At the base of the yellow light beams, where the sources that sustained the barrier were located, a faint green tint began to spread.


    The green hue quickly enveloped the bases and started to rise along the pillars connected to them.


    The symbols that had been absorbed into these sources now appeared to be overwriting the barrier, and in less than a minute, all the light beams had turned a pale green.


    The beams now emanated an aura of vitality, a stark contrast to their previous appearance.


    Even the formation hovering above the dome of light reacted to this change, losing its intense yellow glow, which was replaced by the green hue.


    ''Formation overwriting complete,'' thought Ethan, the one responsible for this transformation.


    With a smile, his eyes glowed a vibrant green, brighter than anything around him, and as if obeying his will, the symbols within the barrier''s sources began to shine intensely.


    Immediately, a new phenomenon swept across the demonic continent.


    "W-what''s happening?" a half-demon stammered as he watched black mist seep out of his body, and not just his, everything around him was affected.


    From the ground to the plants, even the beasts and water sources, everything seemed to emit black mist and particles, which began to rise into the air.


    The purification of the demonic continent had begun.

 Chapter 256 - 256: Sense of Danger

    .


    Ethan initially planned to target small scattered areas across the demonic continent and proceed to purify them, particularly those containing numerous half-demons and other life forms.


    Once he finished with them, he intended to launch a large formation to eradicate all remaining traces of demonic Qi on the continent.


    This process, however, would have taken considerable time, at least months, if not years.


    But he had no faster or more efficient method to purify this land and all the living beings residing on it.


    This changed when he learned the demonic language and the formation techniques based on it.


    He discovered a new way to overwrite formations and command them as he pleased.


    Therefore, he decided that instead of following his initial plan, which would have taken a long time, it would be quicker to overwrite an existing formation and modify it to assist with his task.


    Overwriting formations was nothing new to him.


    He had known how to do it before; after all, anyone who studied this profession would have also known how to modify already completed formations.


    What he gained from learning the demonic language was not a new method of overwriting formations but the properties of this language.


    Unlike spoken language, there were certain ancient and miraculous linguistic forms in the celestial plane that allowed specific effects to manifest merely by being used.


    These were essentially autonomous forces that, when formulated in a certain way, could produce some type of reaction.


    It turned out that the demonic language was one of these, and when Ethan learned the summoning formation of the thousand demonic calamities, he discovered an interesting fact.


    He could effectively manipulate demonic energy through it.


    One of the core principles on which that formation was based was a principle that allowed demonic energy to be summoned, and this principle was also what enabled the summoning of these demonic calamities, which were heavily infused with demonic energy.


    When he learned about this principle, he studied it and soon discovered some applications of it.


    He decided to attempt applying it to the protective barrier that had been left on this continent by Ying Hua, the previous owner of the artifact in his possession.


    He formulated a series of runes based on this principle and placed them at the core of the formation sustaining the barrier over the demonic continent.


    Then, he activated the symbols and overwrote the barrier, incorporating this principle along with some other modifications. The result was that it worked.


    Several black smoke particles began drifting through the air, attracted by something, and they all attached themselves to the walls of the dome.


    While this was happening, the beings affected by this formation were writhing below. Some had already lost consciousness as the black smoke continued to seep out of them, while others began to disintegrate entirely as particles of demonic Qi continued escaping from their bodies.


    Clearly, these were beings directly created from demonic Qi, and as such, nothing remained of them as they gradually vanished.


    Soon, among the beings that were not disintegrated, visible changes began to appear as their appearances started to shift.


    From the half-demons, who felt their skin regain a healthier tone and their forms shrink to a certain degree, to the shadowy figures writhing on the ground as the black mist enveloping them gradually retreated, leaving behind human figures.


    The demonic continent did not only contain beings of the human realm but also those of the beast realm. Soon, all these creatures, which previously had diverse forms and appearances, returned to their former shapes.


    The process, which initially would have taken a long time, concluded in less than a day, by the end of which the barrier was now entirely coated with black particles of demonic Qi.


    Ethan issued one final command to the barrier, which, after more than two thousand years, began detaching itself from the continent, leaving it free as it once was.


    The various beams of light forming the dome-shaped barrier started curling and shrinking, and after some time, where once stood a giant dome now remained only a sphere roughly two meters in diameter, appearing to contain a black, tar-like substance.


    Ethan, seeing this, was not very surprised.


    In a way, he had expected it.


    After all, the corruption on the demonic continent was far greater than that of the beasts. Consequently, its size was naturally many times larger than the small sphere of demonic Qi he had collected at the end of the purification on the beast continent.


    Ethan was unsure how much he would gain from this dense amount of demonic Qi, but he could tell it would be more than enough to provide him with a significant boost in stats.


    Without hesitation, Ethan placed his hand on it and immediately began absorbing it.


    Soon, black veins started spreading across his arm, originating from his hand and extending to cover part of his face.


    While this was happening, a certain elemental spirit hidden within Ethan''s dantian space sensed this malignant energy invading his body. It couldn''t help but feel alarmed as it rushed to exit Ethan''s body and see what was happening.


    A ball of light emerged from Ethan''s chest and quickly materialized into a green-haired woman. As soon as she appeared, she saw the scene of Ethan seemingly absorbing the demonic energy as if nothing were wrong.


    At first, she didn''t understand what the black sphere was, but soon she could tell it was demonic energy. sea??h th�� ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, seeing her "master," so to speak, she couldn''t help but feel alarmed as she rushed toward him.


    "Hey, what are you doing? That thing is harmful, don''t absorb it!" she shouted.


    But before she could reach Ethan and try to pull him away from the black sphere, which was shrinking smaller and smaller, she felt someone grab her shoulder.


    A chill ran down her spine.


    Alarmed by the sudden sense of danger, she was ready to act, but soon she heard a calm voice, which carried an undertone of coldness she had never felt before:


    "So, you''ve finally decided to come out of hiding. Good, very good... Come now, let the two of us have a nice little chat."


    The sense of danger intensified more and more, and she felt that whatever was about to happen to her would not be anything good.

 Chapter 257 - 257: Unexpected Bottleneck

    .


    DING!


    [You have gained +18670 STR.]


    [You have gained +13000 AGI.]


    [You have gained +9000 INT.]


    [You have gained +1000 Soul Strength.]


    Ethan already anticipated that the number of stat points he would gain would be quite significant, given that the corruption on the demonic continent was at an extremely advanced stage.


    In a sense, it was a continent entirely corrupted, with its inhabitants, vegetation, and land all affected.


    This was evident from the amount of demonic Qi he managed to extract at the end.


    Even at a glance, one could estimate it to be hundreds or even thousands of times greater than what he had gathered on the bestial continent.


    Now, seeing the massive number of stat points he metabolized from all that demonic Qi, Ethan had to admit he was a little surprised.


    Almost all his stats had increased by 100%, with some even exceeding that threshold.


    Even his most difficult stat to increase ,the Soul Strength, had received a substantial boost, and Ethan could feel it rising several levels.


    His physical strength had more than doubled, and the same applied to his agility and intelligence. Although they had improved slightly less than strength, as usual, they had still increased significantly.


    ''Hm?''


    While savoring the sensation of overwhelming power coursing through his body, Ethan immediately perceived something unusual.


    ''It feels as though I''ve hit a bottleneck?'' he thought, comparing the sensation to when he had previously encountered bottlenecks in his cultivation.


    But this was strange, he should still have a long way to go in the basic tier of the first stage of the spiritual rank.


    With this doubt in mind, he opened his status screen to see how it had changed and to possibly identify the source of this feeling:


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (Basic)


    QI: 23M / 50M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 11,906 �� 30,000 (+576)


    Agility: 10,573 �� 23,573


    Intelligence: 7,114 �� 16,114


    Soul Strength: 982 �� 1,982


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 518 M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    Seeing his updated stats, he had to admit they were not bad at all.


    "And to think I used to be happy with just an increase of a few dozen stats not too long ago," he thought.


    Compared to the days when his stats grew by tens or even hundreds, this increase was far more significant.


    He became increasingly convinced that hunting demons was one of the fastest ways to grow stronger, at least for him.


    If the beings of the celestial plane heard this, they would undoubtedly spit out several liters of blood.


    They were glad the demons were sealed away somewhere, as they lacked proper means to eliminate them, and for them, demons were a major headache.


    On one hand, there were beings who wanted nothing to do with demons anymore. On the other, there was Ethan, who, if he could, would hunt demons for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.


    That said, Ethan immediately noticed his strength stat.


    Seeing that it had reached a level where any additional points were stored separately, he couldn''t help but think of one thing.


    ''It''s just like back then when I couldn''t surpass the initial bottleneck,'' he thought, recalling how his cultivation journey had begun.


    Back then, due to his unawakened physique, he had to endure the frustration of his cultivation base never increasing directly and instead being stored.


    He wondered if there was some specific requirement he had to meet this time to continue increasing his attack power.


    "I wonder if this is the limit for the other stats as well," he pondered.


    He began to suspect that perhaps 30,000 was the strength limit for the basic tier of the first stage of the spiritual rank. In other words, he might have to advance to the intermediate tier before he could hope to increase his strength again.


    Although this discovery was a bit unexpected, he didn''t dwell on it much.


    Judging by how much his strength had increased upon ascending, he could already estimate how strong someone at the basic tier of the first stage should be. His fight with the demon Mo Yan had only confirmed this.


    He was confident that he was already at the peak of this cultivation tier, perhaps even slightly beyond it.


    Though he wasn''t entirely sure why, something told him he might even be able to take on others at the peak of this cultivation tier with ease.


    In the end, he simply shook his head, closed the status screen, and prepared to assess the state of the demonic continent, which had now been restored to normalcy as it once was.


    But just as he shifted his attention away from the system, he sensed the auras of two women nearby.


    Hm?


    He was certain that the green-haired woman was in his core when he began absorbing the demonic Qi, yet now she was outside and not only that, she was with Bai Yu.


    At first, this wouldn''t have seemed so strange. After all, they were both women, and it was normal for them to meet and talk or do something else together.


    But after the incident of the previous day, Ethan was sure that Bai Yu would have transformed the elemental spirit into a living fairy-like ice statue if she had had the chance.


    He had to promise 200 liters of cola and a date to the dragon woman to calm her down.


    He was certain that if he hadn''t done so, his future would have been bleak, very bleak. S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He vanished from his position and reached a grove below him, where under a tree the two women were sitting around a table, as if they were having a typical friendly chat.


    Ethan might have thought that everything had gone well and that the two had managed to get along, but the rest of the frozen grove prevented him from thinking that.


    He approached the two women and, deciding not to mention the disaster they had caused in the surrounding area, he said, gesturing to both of them to stand:


    "Ladies, would you like to take a look at the continent with me?"


    ***


    Ethan traveled far and wide with both women to visit the now purified demonic continent, to see how the place looked now that every inhabitant residing there had finally returned to normal.


    With Bai Yu, in her rounded beastly form curled around his neck, and Yao Hua, he explored every border of this continent to observe the current situation of the place. He had to admit, it was better than he expected.


    A couple of hours had already passed since he finished purifying the continent, and during that time, it seemed that the people who had finally regained their senses had realized they had returned to normality and had even begun to accept the situation to a certain degree.


    What Ethan thought as he witnessed the touching scenes of different races, mainly humans and beasts, reuniting, and some even celebrating, was that all these beings were inhabitants of this plane from two thousand years ago.


    At first, when he thought about purifying this continent, he wondered what would happen to its inhabitants. After all, most of these people were individuals who had lived more than two thousand years ago and since then, in the form of half-demons and other corrupted creatures, had roamed this continent.


    He wondered if time would catch up to them and they would eventually die after being freed from the demonic energy, or if they would remain the same, as if time had not passed for them.


    And now, seeing that they were all alive and well, with no one seeming to exhibit any anomaly, he understood that his second assumption was correct.


    Although this was, in a sense, a reason for joy, he wondered how these people would interact with each other from now on.


    After all, he intended not only to eliminate the demonic race from this plane but also to reconnect all the continents by creating transportation arrays.


    This would have led the people from the other two continents to arrive here and eventually meet the inhabitants of this continent.


    At first, he had thought that perhaps it was better to keep the three continents separate, so they could continue developing as they had for all this time, allowing the people of the newly purified continent time to recover and restore some order.


    But then, he reconsidered.


    In the end, he stopped overthinking this matter and decided that it was more of a problem for the people of this plane of existence.


    He had a feeling that the conflict between the two races wouldn''t start as it had in the past.


    On one hand, there were those who had already joined forces and perished together, and on the other hand, there were those who, although separated, had communicated and prepared together against a possible demonic invasion in the future.


    Moreover, Ethan had had the chance to meet the main rulers of both continents and had already ensured that the past would not repeat itself.


    Therefore, he didn''t dwell too much on this matter and decided to make an inspection of the human continent, where he intended to check if any traces of demonic Qi remained, as well as to visit an acquaintance he hadn''t seen in several years.

 Chapter 258 - 258: Wei Ling I

    .


    Teleportation devices were nothing new in the mortal plane.


    As long as one had the funds and necessary resources, they could build as many as they wanted and use them as much as they wished.


    In the Long Empire, for example, several teleportation points were scattered across the empire, connecting all the important locations, from large cities to kingdoms, and so on.


    Although their range was limited, even the weakest of these arrays could make a difference when it came to saving some time.


    Of course, the costs of using one were by no means low, but for those who had the means and needed to be in different places due to their business or other matters, these costs were reasonable.


    A bit like private jets in Ethan''s previous world.


    While owning one, constantly refueling it, and covering its year-round maintenance costs could make having one expensive,


    for all the wealthy individuals who had business back and forth in various locations, these jets saved a lot of time, and consequently, the costs were not considered a waste in their eyes.


    Ethan knew that the teleportation arrays of the empire were very underdeveloped, and their maximum range was just a few hundred miles.


    Ethan was aware that the cause of this was the locals'' limited knowledge of arrays and, well, their limited understanding of all professions in general.


    Even he wouldn''t know much if it weren''t for the system.


    That said, what he needed was a teleportation array that could be several times more powerful than what was used in this plane.


    More precisely, an array that had a minimum range of tens of thousands of miles.


    This was because, from an approximate estimate Ethan had made, the distance between the continents was at least over 10,000 miles, a distance that, Ethan could say, was increasing due to the continents not being fixed in place.


    It seemed that something akin to plate tectonics also existed in this plane, which at this point was no longer accurate to call a "plane" but rather a mortal world situated within the mortal plane.


    If it were merely something like a tower with different levels, then once one reached the peak of the mortal rank, it would have been easy to perceive the celestial plane and consequently attempt the ascension, even if the cultivation method they used was flawed.


    But instead, one had to find the presence of the celestial plane and form a connection that would guide the cultivator, already at the spiritual realm, to travel and try to ascend to the higher plane.


    The matter was still a bit confusing for Ethan, but he had never delved too deeply into it due to the fact that, until now, he was far from even being able to perceive the existence of a higher plane.


    That said, Ethan had already used a teleportation array once, and on that occasion, he had had the chance to examine it closely and memorized the formation schema used to construct it.


    He then used his spiritual Qi to generate a sort of light in his fingers and drew in the air the teleportation formation of the human continent.


    He had already developed an upgraded formation model that would ensure that the teleportation''s range wouldn''t have a maximum limit but would work as long as both ends remained intact.


    In other words, even if the continents were to drift a bit further apart in the future, the teleportation would still function.


    In the end, he upgraded the formation from a level 3 one to a level 4, and this level of formation was already considered more than sufficient for this plane of existence.


    He used an entire area as large as a major city to set up this formation. Once it was done, he took a step toward the Beast Continent and, in an instant, appeared at its borders, in the air.


    "Alright, now where should I place it?" he thought, searching for a suitable spot to position the second end of the teleportation array.


    He had decided on the Beast Continent because he was more or less done with his affairs on this continent. Hence, he would find a good spot to set up the teleportation formation here and then immediately move on to the Human Continent.


    It took Ethan a total of about forty minutes to set up the formations across all three continents.


    Thirty minutes were primarily spent setting up the formations on each continent, while the other ten were mostly used to handle a few matters on the Beast Continent, including notifying others about the purpose of these formations.


    Although sooner or later, the rulers of the three continents would discover these formations on their own, he wasn''t sure what they would do. sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had to ensure that none of the three would attempt anything drastic once he was gone.


    The Human Continent was settled in this regard, as was the Beast Continent.


    The newly purified continent, however, didn''t yet have a true ruler, as its population was a mix of beasts and humans.


    They had only recently recovered, and it would take time to establish some form of order and hierarchy.


    After this, Ethan flew calmly south of the Phoenix Kingdom, where a fairly prosperous trade town stood, allowing its citizens to avoid living in complete poverty.


    This was the city of Oston, as well as the first place where Ethan had set foot when he arrived in this world.


    In the countryside of the town, amidst the vast fields, several people were working hard.


    The day was still long, and the afternoon sun beating down on the lands below made working in the fields even more difficult.


    But despite the unbearable heat, the people who had worked here for most of their lives were already used to it, and apart from a few grimaces, no one wasted time complaining about the weather.


    On the contrary, many were happy because this season would make their crops grow faster and more abundantly.


    Putting up with some hard work in exchange for a good harvest was nothing to them,


    or at least, to most of them.


    A young woman, who was no more than 25 years old, was incessantly hoeing the soil, preparing the ground for the next seeding season.


    She had woken up at the crack of dawn, and since then, she had completed several chores, from taking care of her old and sick father to helping other farmers with small tasks, and finally to working the fields, which was one of her main duties of the day.


    With every strike of her hoe against the ground, she couldn''t help but mutter something in an irritated voice.


    Thud!


    "If only I had an ox, I wouldn''t have to do all this work myself."


    Thud!


    "That stingy old man, would it have killed him to lend me his for a few hours?"


    Thud!


    "At this rate, I''ll never finish in time."


    The woman kept complaining as she continued to tirelessly hoe the ground.

 Chapter 259 - 259: Wei Ling II

    .


    She knew that slowing down would only delay her work further, and if she delayed finishing her share of plowing the field, it would delay the planting and, consequently, not only her tasks but also those of the others.


    The week before, she had already made this mistake and ended up losing half of her weekly wage.


    She really couldn''t afford to lose even a single copper coin, or she would feel the consequences in the coming days.


    As she continued plowing, her thoughts wandered, ranging from the most trivial matters to her actions in the past.


    She was currently replacing her father in the fields, as the previous year he had fallen ill and was no longer able to work.


    Before her father''s illness, she used to spend her days leisurely, idling around the city along with a young heir of a well off merchant family from the city of Oston.


    Thanks to her natural beauty, which was slightly above average, she had managed to gain the favor of this young master and hoped it would pave the way for her to change her status from the daughter of an ordinary farmer to the wife of a wealthy merchant.


    But reality had never been too kind.


    Shortly before her father fell ill, she was cast aside by the wealthy merchant, who, apparently bored of her, told her to return to where she came from and forget about him.


    She did not protest because, over time, she had learned that this young master had a rather twisted personality and would get angry even over small matters.


    Knowing she would only meet a bad end if she tried to forcefully win back his favor, she never approached him again.


    She had spent almost an entire year going out with this young master, but during that time, she had managed to maintain her chastity.


    She thought that perhaps it was because she had never allowed the young master to make a move on her that he grew tired of her and, in the end, abandoned her. Ultimately, she could only grit her teeth and accept the situation.


    By then, she was already 22 years old, and normally, girls her age were already married, with some even starting families of their own.


    It would normally be difficult for a girl to get married at this point, as being unmarried for so long was not viewed favorably by anyone, and only girls from wealthy families could afford to marry even at that age without much trouble.


    That said, while marrying at her age might have been difficult, it wasn''t yet a major issue for her, as she still retained her natural charm.


    Many young men in her neighborhood, seeing that she was still unmarried, had proposed to her, only to be rejected without much consideration.


    Having had a taste of wealth while with the young master, she did not want to lower her standards, and thus she ended up remaining unmarried, which caused her no small amount of trouble.


    To make matters worse, her father fell ill a few years later, and his condition worsened to the point that he could no longer provide for himself or his daughter.


    This was like a bucket of cold water that forced Wei Ling to confront reality and wake up.


    Although the idea of marrying another farmer was still something she couldn''t accept, she no longer wasted any time.


    She decided to help her father with his work as best as she could, and although he was reluctant, he agreed, teaching her his trade.


    As memories of the past ran through her mind, the youthful and somewhat handsome face of a boy she had met just over two years ago surfaced in her thoughts.


    At the thought of the boy, she couldn''t help but shake her head while murmuring:


    "I wonder where he is now."


    The person in question had been a wanderer her father decided to help.


    Although the boy seemed ignorant of many common matters, he had proven himself to be a hard worker, assisting her father greatly with fieldwork and easing his burden.


    Though the boy had a slightly above average appearance, to the version of herself back then, who was still involved with the wealthy young master, he was no different from the rest of the farmers.


    As such, she never truly showed him any courtesy, even when her father scolded her for her attitude.


    The boy had stayed with them for nearly a whole year, and just before she was cast aside by the rich young master, he disappeared without leaving any note or explanation.


    She remembered how, back then, she cursed him, saying he had run off after taking advantage of her father.


    That was one of the rare times she saw her father visibly disappointed in her for the words she spoke.


    She could tell her father had grown attached to the boy in some way, and she wouldn''t have been surprised if he had given her hand in marriage to him.


    Just thinking about it, she couldn''t help but shake her head.


    Now that she herself was in his exact position, she could admit that the boy had truly been a hard worker and had indeed helped her father far more than it seemed.


    "I wonder why I''m thinking of him only now.


    Well, wherever he is, I hope he''s living well, at least better than me," she muttered as she continued plowing.


    Finally, after another five hours, evening fell, and she somehow finished her share of the work.


    In the end, she gathered her things, and with the sun beginning to set, leaving an orange trail on the horizon that illuminated the fields, she started walking back to her nearby home.


    Although she hated working in the fields, she had to admit there was a certain sense of satisfaction in seeing her work completed.


    ''Who would have thought I''d be happy about something like this,'' she thought as she relaxed in the calmness brought by the evening, drawing ever closer to her home. sea??h th�� N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her house wasn''t very large; in fact, it was just big enough to hold at most three people.


    With her mother''s death, only she and her father lived there, so even that small house was spacious enough for her.


    After walking for about ten minutes, she finally arrived at her home, and as she approached, she noticed that the house was lit from within.


    "Hm? Father lit some candles?" she thought, a bit confused.


    She knew her father would be awake at this hour, but there was still light outside, and he avoided wasting the few candles they had when it wasn''t necessary.


    So, she quickened her pace slightly and reached the door, taking out the key to open it, only to notice something.


    The door wasn''t locked.


    This increased her confusion and sparked a sense of unease as she hurriedly entered.


    "Father, I''m home," she said, announcing her arrival as she stepped inside, but received no reply in return,


    which only heightened the foreboding feeling growing inside her.


    She quickly closed the door and made her way to her father''s room, thinking something might have happened to him.


    And once she got there, she saw the door to his room slightly ajar.


    Without hesitation, she entered, unprepared for the sight that was about to greet her.

 Chapter 260 - 260: Wei Jun

    .


    Wei Jun slowly woke up, his body now too fragile to perform even the simplest actions.


    The morning light faintly filtered through the window, and as every day, the silence of his home felt oppressive.


    He struggled to rise from his bed, his breath short and labored. He didn''t need to glance at the clock to know that it was likely already nine or ten.


    His daughter, now an adult, had long since left the house for work.


    She had been taking care of him ever since the illness had taken everything from him, forcing him to give up his job.


    Last year, everything had changed. Wei Jun could no longer do anything, not even lift the tools he worked with, nor move with the same agility as before.


    Each day seemed like another step away from the life he had known, a life of hard work, sweat and toil, which gave him purpose.


    Now, everything was gray and monotonous. Each morning, he would wake up, eat the food his daughter prepared, and wonder if this was his life now, a routine repeating endlessly.


    The illness that afflicted him, according to the doctor, was normal for a man of his age. His bones had weakened, and his muscles no longer responded as they once did.


    The strength he had once thought unshakable was gone. He could no longer work the fields, and seeing his daughter take his place pained him deeply.


    His mind refused to accept that it was now her responsibility to carry on.


    He had never been wealthy in his life, and the little money he had saved was nearly depleted, spent on small treatments that allowed him to remain alive.


    If it had been up to him, he would have closed his eyes and embraced death with an open smile, after all, he did not fear death.


    He was a man who had lived a long life full of experiences, both joyous and painful.


    His only regret, and the sole reason he clung so desperately to the faint flame within his body, which every day risked being extinguished, was his desire to see his daughter happy and married, with someone good who could love her and provide for her in his absence.


    Since the death of his beloved wife, Wei Ling was the only loved one he had left, and as a father, it pained him to see her take his place while he slowly withered away.


    "Haa..."


    Currently seated on a rocking chair outside his house, he could not help but shake his head as he thought about how, in the past, he had tried multiple times to find a suitable companion for his daughter, only for her to dismiss them each time.


    Sometimes he wondered where his daughter had gotten this attitude.


    He had always been a humble man, finding joy in the small things life gave him, and his beloved, now departed wife had been the same.


    Thinking about how his daughter had changed over the past two years, solely to help him as the illness weakened him further, made his heart ache.


    He gazed at the clear and bright sky of the day, unable to stop himself from reminiscing about his life, the happy experiences he''d had, such as meeting his wife or purchasing a small home to build their nest and raise their little girl.


    He remembered how happy he had been when she was born, and although many men believed it was better to have a son first, as they could lend a hand when they grew older, he had never thought it was a misfortune that a daughter had been born instead.


    He had his fair share of troubles raising her, but upon reflection, he admitted in his heart that if he could, he would live through those troubles once more, gladly.


    She was his little pride and always had been.


    He then shook his head regretfully, recalling how she had changed after her mother''s death.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, his now weak ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, growing louder.


    Assuming it was a neighbor coming by to say hello, he glanced up to see who it was.


    ''Hm? Who is that man? I''m certain I''ve never seen him before.


    Probably not from around here,'' he thought, turning his gaze away from the man wearing a conical bamboo hat.


    Although it wasn''t common to see strangers passing through, it wasn''t too rare either.


    After all, the agricultural area of the town of Oston had several paths connecting it to small villages or even other towns.


    It wasn''t unusual for someone traveling from those areas to lose their way and end up wandering into this farming region.


    Thinking about wandering strangers, he couldn''t help but recall the face of a certain young man who had stayed at his house a little over two years ago.


    Remembering it, he couldn''t help but shake his head in regret as he wondered what had happened to him.


    He still remembered that while he was waking up early one morning to go to the fields, the young man had left for the city, saying he had found a merchant who was interested.


    From what he''d been told, the merchant seemed very interested in buying his produce, so that morning, Wei Jun had also woken up earlier than usual to sell the freshly harvested goods.


    Who would have thought that he would never see the young man again after that morning?


    In the end, he shook his head yet again as he tried to rise and go back inside to rest.


    It was already afternoon, and he had been outside for nearly two hours.


    Although he was used to the intense summer heat, staying outside for too long would only harm him further.


    Not wanting to endure another scolding from his daughter for staying out too long, he decided to return indoors. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mustering his strength, he rose slowly from the chair to head inside. But just as he took a step toward the door, a sudden wave of fatigue hit him, and he lost his balance.


    ''No, not again,'' he thought as the sudden wave of exhaustion struck him, causing him to faint and leaving him unable to break his fall.


    But just as he was about to collapse, a hand appeared beside him, catching him before he could fall and hurt himself.


    Had he still been conscious, he would have realized that the hand belonged to none other than the stranger he had noticed just moments earlier.


    Ethan, who had just passed by to check on old Wei, couldn''t help but sigh as he carried the unconscious man back inside.


    Nearly an hour after he had fainted, Wei Jun slowly opened his eyes as his vision focused on the familiar ceiling of his home.


    "Eh? When did I come back inside?" he thought, his mind still a bit hazy.


    As he mumbled to himself, he unconsciously tried to sit up in bed.


    And as he was doing this, he suddenly noticed something.


    "This... doesn''t hurt anymore," he murmured, a bit astonished, as he sat up in bed.


    At his age and with his illness, it had been impossible for him to make even the slightest movement without feeling pain in his bones, a pain that grew stronger depending on the intensity of the motion.


    For a while, he had taken medicine to help with the pain, but those had run out long ago, and he hadn''t bought more due to their cost.


    But now, that pain had suddenly vanished. Not only that, but he also felt, for some reason, that his vision was clearer and his body a bit more energetic.


    It was as though, after an exhausting day of work, he had gone to sleep and woken up feeling rejuvenated, full of energy.


    What would normally be a regular sensation for others was extraordinary for him, as he hadn''t felt such strength in his body for years.


    For a moment, he thought he might have died after fainting and was now in paradise.


    But then why did paradise look so much like his home?


    While he was caught off guard by this sudden and unexpected cover, he failed to notice the figure of the man with long, black hair tied behind him and crystal-blue eyes, who was watching him while sitting just beside the bed.


    Seeing that Old Wei had woken up and seemed lost in some thought soon after, the man offered a light smile and said,


    "Old man, time passes, but you never change," he said in a calm voice.


    Hearing the sudden voice coming from his side, Wei Jun, who had momentarily lost himself in happiness, couldn''t help but be jolted out of his thoughts as he turned his gaze to the side, his expression a mixture of confusion and surprise.


    ''This voice... why does it feel so familiar to me?'' he wondered as his eyes fell on the figure of a handsome and refined-looking man sitting beside him, watching him with a small smile.

 Chapter 261 - 261: Meeting

    .


    Wei Jun, seeing this unknown man for the first time, had the feeling for a moment that he had seen him somewhere before, and for a moment he compared him to the figure of a boy who had stayed at his house a little more than three years ago.


    But upon seeing the apparent age of the man before him, he had to dismiss these thoughts. S��ar?h the N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, the more he looked at this person, the more he felt that he knew him in some way.


    He wondered what that person was doing in his house, but then it occurred to him that he might have been the one to bring him in.


    That said, although he wanted to thank the man immediately, he couldn''t help but notice a detail in what the stranger had just said.


    ''Does he know me?'' he thought.


    Seeing the confusion on the old Wei''s face, Ethan smiled and said:


    "Old man, you worked me like a mule for an entire year, and now you''re pretending you don''t even know me, tch,


    seems like your illness has hit your brain as well," Ethan said, shaking his head as if he were disappointed.


    "Problems with my head? You''re the one with problems in your hea-" He almost instinctively gave him a response, but then stopped when his brain finished processing the words, and immediately his eyes widened as he murmured.


    "E-Ethan, is that you?" he said as he rose from the bed.


    Ethan nodded.


    At first, he had only planned to stop by and check how the old man was doing, but seeing that he was alone at home, and on top of that seemed to be ill, he decided to pay him a visit.


    Who would have thought his condition would be so much worse?


    He could immediately tell that the old man''s body was weakened, and this was not only because of his age but also due to several diseases that seemed to have developed over the last few years.


    One of the most obvious, which he had immediately noticed, was osteoporosis, which is a reduction in bone density, and this wasn''t really very rare, especially among the elderly after a certain age.


    Adding to this the other small issues his body seemed to have, it could be said that he was slowly withering away


    Unlike the demon Qi infection, or any other rare disease, this wasn''t really hard to treat, at least not for him.


    Seeing that the old man had fainted outside the house, he picked him up and carried him inside to his room.


    And while doing so, he gave him a quick treatment.


    He hadn''t really done anything special.


    He had only strengthened his body using his spiritual Qi, and had used the wood element in his Qi to eliminate some minor ailments and revitalize his organs so that his body could protect itself to some extent from diseases and other issues.


    In essence, he had made the old man a very healthy elderly person.


    He could live the rest of his years in peace without facing the various physical and mental issues that one encounters at his age.


    Wei Jun was clearly very surprised to see Ethan, and immediately couldn''t help but ask how he was doing and what had happened in the last few years.


    Ethan didn''t go into too much detail about what had happened, simply saying that he had been recruited by a sect, where he had lived for the past few years, and only recently had the chance to leave training.


    Wei Jun, hearing this, was extremely happy for Ethan.


    After all, being recruited by a sect meant becoming a cultivator, and even the weakest cultivator was stronger than an average person, and consequently, enjoyed special treatment.


    Knowing that he was well and had become a cultivator, Wei Jun was happy for him.


    He might have known Ethan for barely a year, but to him, it felt as if he were a member of the family.


    When he disappeared, he went searching for him in the city, and after asking around for a few days, he eventually gave up.


    He wasn''t sure where he had gone or what had happened to him, but as long as he was fine, that was enough for him.


    The two chatted for a while, and Ethan also learned what had happened in the last two years.


    ''Well, I can''t say I didn''t expect this,'' he thought when he heard about the old Wei''s daughter.


    Ethan had to admit that he had hated that woman back then for how she treated him, but that was a matter of the past, and he no longer felt any resentment or sympathy for her.


    He had had his fair share of experiences, and with everything he had been through in the last almost three years, he truly didn''t have the time to think about her, nor was there any reason to.


    Although back then he had thought that she was slightly above average in terms of looks compared to the average girl, after meeting women like Feng Huang, Bai Yu, and even recently Yao Hua, she was no different from an ordinary person.


    Although he didn''t feel any sympathy for that woman, at least he could admire her for deciding to change, and it seemed like she was changing for the better.


    Three years ago, he would never have thought that she would start working personally in the fields of her own will, and yet here she was doing it to support herself and her father.


    In the end, the old Wei, who had smiled more today than in the last two years, couldn''t help but ask Ethan,


    "What plans do you have for the future?


    Apart from cultivation, you must have other things in mind, right?


    Look at you, barely three years have passed, and yet you''ve already become a real man and handsome.


    You must have already courted a disciple or two by now," he said, taking a sip from a cup of wine that Ethan had brought.


    Seeing the old man''s current appearance, Ethan almost compared him to Da Shu and for a moment thought that the two would definitely get along if they ever met.


    He knew that the old man liked to drink every now and then, and decided to get him one of his own wines from his minor dimension.


    Although he wasn''t a big fan of alcoholic beverages, that didn''t mean he had never drunk them, and with a great connoisseur like Bai Yu with him, it was hard not to have any.


    Having said that, he thought about the question the old man asked and couldn''t help but think for a moment before answering.


    "The path of a cultivator is long, and it requires a lot of time, but despite this, I think I''ve been fortunate to have had someone accompany me on this path," he said calmly while taking a sip of wine himself.


    The old Wei might not see it, but Bai Yu was still in her beast form, resting on Ethan''s shoulders.


    She had simply used her powers to hide herself, and although she had said she was going to take a nap, Ethan could feel the subtle pressure around his neck, which didn''t give him a sensation of pain or suffocation, but more like a soft and warm embrace.


    Wei Jun didn''t say anything else, understanding that Ethan had truly changed a lot in these last years, not only in appearance but also as a person.


    He made a toast, and the two talked a bit more before he said goodbye and left on his way.


    The old Wei had asked if Ethan wanted to stay for dinner, but he politely declined, saying that he had some matters to attend to.


    Although brief for Ethan, this small reunion was more than enough.


    It could have been more than 140 years for him since he had last seen him, and although he had severed most of his mortal ties and ascended to the spiritual realm, he still kept many things in his heart, and this person, who to any other cultivator might seem like a simple farmer living at the margins of the realm, was one of them.


    Although he was not a generous person, or at least didn''t consider himself one, he always repaid the kindness he received.


    It might not seem like he had done much for Wei Jun now, but only fate knew what great gift he had given to the old man that day.


    In the minor dimension, in a place a few miles away from Ethan''s herb garden.


    A transparent glowing sphere was floating in the air.


    Inside the transparent sphere, one could see the thin and tall figure of Mo Yan, who, after having tried everything, had already given up and remained in the same spot without moving, giving the impression of being just a pile of old, lifeless bones.


    Unfortunately for him, his prison, which had lasted several days, was about to end, but not in the way he had hoped.


    Suddenly, the figures of Ethan and Bai Yu appeared in the place, standing near the sphere as they watched the poor spiritual realm demon.


    He also noticed their appearance and felt a premonition that something unpleasant was about to happen to him.


    And as if to confirm his premonition, Ethan, who had just arrived, walked towards the sphere, giving a mental command to the three rings formed entirely of runes, rotating around the spherical barrier, and said:


    "Well, why don''t we have a nice chat?"


    he said calmly, smiling at the demon, who found the smile anything but reassuring.

 Chapter 262 - 262: Invasion Plans

    .


    Mo Yan wasn''t sure what the other party wanted to know, but just because he had been captured didn''t mean he would cooperate with them.


    At least, that was his intention. However, who would have thought that Ethan wouldn''t even bother asking him questions and would instead decide to directly scour his soul for information?


    ''Heh, do you really think extracting information from me will be that simple?'' he thought.


    Even though his cultivation had been sealed and his strength limited, it didn''t mean he had no tricks left to play.


    He couldn''t wait for the other party to try probing his soul, for that was the moment he planned to strike.


    Ethan had opened the sphere, transforming the three rune-formed rings into chains that bound the demon in place.


    Approaching him, Ethan was ready to use the soul-searching technique.


    A secretive smile appeared on Mo Yan''s face upon seeing this, and just as he was about to feel pleased, Ethan also smiled at him.


    Ethan raised his right hand and placed it on Mo Yan''s head.


    The demon, who a second ago was rejoicing inwardly, thinking he had caught the other party in his trap, felt a sudden chill as his mind was abruptly invaded by an overwhelming force.


    ''What��''


    The demon, who a moment ago thought he had outsmarted his opponent, suddenly found his vision blurred, and all his thoughts vanished as if they had been swept away by a torrential wave. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The proud demon, who had not even had the chance to put his plan into action, died at that moment, without any chance to counterattack.


    He had thought that once the human entered his mind, he could use demonic Qi to trap Ethan''s soul and corrode him from within. But who could have expected that the other party wouldn''t even give him the chance to fight back in the first place?


    The soul force of the human, usually the weakest aspect, was so overwhelming that Mo Yan''s mind was obliterated instantly, leaving behind only an empty body.


    Her soul, fully exposed, was ready for Ethan to examine.


    Ethan searched the demon''s soul in an instant. During this time, he managed to obtain a ton of information, which his mind classified and examined individually, eventually saving what he needed and discarding the rest.


    Finally, the demon, now no different from an empty shell, was also absorbed by Ethan and converted into stat points.


    [You have gained +12,000 STR]


    [You have gained +10,500 AGI]


    [You have gained +6,000 INT]


    [You have gained +3,000 Soul Strength]


    Seeing the enormous stats he had just received, Ethan could only sigh as he felt his overall strength skyrocket once again.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (Basic)


    QI: 23M / 50M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 11,906 �� 30,000 (+12,576)


    Agility: 23,573 �� 30,000 (+6,427)


    Intelligence: 16,114 �� 21,114


    Soul Strength: 1,982 �� 4,982


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 518M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    He immediately sensed a new bottleneck arise after this increase in strength, and just as he thought, when he opened the status window, he saw that his AGI stat had also reached its maximum limit, which, coincidentally, was exactly 30k.


    For being at the basic stage of the first realm of the spiritual rank, these stats were surely too high. But unlike what he had thought in the past, it seemed that even total power increases had certain limits at each stage.


    He hadn''t noticed this before because he had never reached the maximum limit of the mortal realm in terms of stats, only in cultivation.


    As a result, he had mistakenly believed he could grow infinitely stronger at any stage. But looking back now, such an idea was far too absurd in the first place.


    His physique was dependent on his cultivation, and as such, he could only support a certain level of power. Thanks to his dragon lineage and special physique, that level was much higher than normal.


    Putting that matter aside, he instead turned to the bit of information he had gotten from the demon and his expression was a bit thoughtful as he examined it.


    Bai Yu, who had witnessed the entire process from a distance, approached him. Seeing him deep in thought, she couldn''t help but ask what he had discovered.


    "It seems there are others like him in this plane," he said.


    In itself, this wouldn''t be a problem. After all, Mo Yan was strong, but Ethan was stronger and had defeated him fairly easily, especially after mastering the demonic inscription technique.


    Not to mention the drastic increase in strength he had gained after absorbing the demonic Qi from the continent and subsequently from Mo Yan himself.


    Bai Yu could feel the overflowing power in him and was certain that no one at the same stage as him could match his strength.


    As someone who had originally almost reached the peak of the spiritual realm herself, she could tell Ethan''s power was increasing far too quickly.


    This was a good thing, as it meant that when he eventually ascended, he wouldn''t be easily crushed by others stronger than him.


    But even considering all of this, if Ethan still wore such an expression, it meant the matter wasn''t as simple as it seemed. When he transferred the information to her using the mental transfer technique, she, too, understood why and her expression grew serious.


    When Ethan filtered the information obtained from the demon, he had specifically searched for how their race had managed to arrive in this plane.


    That was when he learned that Mo Yan had come with five other demons. Unlike Mo Yan, who was in the ascension phase, they were already spiritual realm powerhouses, with two of them at the high level of the first stage.


    It turned out that, to avoid alerting this plane''s consciousness, which would detect beings of their level, four of them had gone into hibernation, leaving Mo Yan with the task of conquering the plane.


    Their plan was to take control of the mortal plane and then be awakened by Mo Yan to prepare for an assault on the celestial plane.


    The plan seemed bold and reckless, especially considering the existences in the celestial plane and even worse in the divine plane. However, it appeared their mission was to gain successful access to the celestial plane to reopen the dimensional rift sealed millions of years ago by the gods of the divine plane.


    Ethan thought he would finally have a moment of peace now that he had eliminated the demonic Qi from this plane. Instead, it seemed his workload had only increased even more after this.


    He could only shake his head, thinking that the peaceful life he had hoped to achieve by becoming stronger would have to wait.


    Now that he had discovered the resting place of the other four demons, he could only prepare to deal with them and see if their plans could be nipped in the bud.


    ***


    It had been just over a year since Ethan had last visited the Peng family, and in that time, many things had changed.


    Peng Jun had successfully entered the fifth stage, and the overall strength of his family continued to grow steadily.


    By now, even the alchemists trained by Ethan had made significant progress and had already established a name for themselves, elevating the Peng family''s influence to unprecedented heights, heights that none of its members could have dreamed of reaching before.


    Practically speaking, their family had become one of the most prominent in the Phoenix Kingdom and was highly regarded throughout the Long Empire.


    Many were astonished to witness the Peng family''s sudden rise, achieving such a level in such a short period.


    Their surprise grew even more when they discovered that not only did the family boast numerous master alchemists, but they also had a Grandmaster Alchemist who, to everyone''s amazement, was under 50 years old.


    It goes without saying that this caused quite a stir. Even other Grandmasters decided to personally visit the Peng family to meet this young prodigy who had risen to their level.


    Normally, such a meteoric rise would arouse suspicion, and many would be tempted to make a move against them.


    But, unfortunately for those harboring such thoughts, before they could even grasp the situation, the Peng family had already reached a point where no one could afford to offend them, let alone provoke them.


    The merchants who had struck business alliances with the Peng family after witnessing Nu Yu''s demonstration could only sigh in relief, grateful for their foresight.


    Those who hadn''t taken the opportunity, however, could only lament in a corner, realizing they would never get another chance like this again.


    While all of this was happening, in a room of the Peng manor, an elegant-looking woman, who appeared to be just over 25 years old, gently stroked her slightly rounded belly with one hand.


    Seated by the window, her loving gaze was directed toward a figure outside, who was training intensely, unaware of the affectionate look the woman was sending him.


    That figure was none other than her husband, who was also the future patriarch of the Peng family.

 Chapter 263 - 263: Soul Awakening

    .


    In the minor dimension,


    to the west of Ethan''s great herb garden, there stood a modestly sized town.


    With a population not exceeding 30, and only a few houses without any true public attractions, it was the small village built by the soul puppets that Ethan had created to tend to his herb garden.


    Unlike a short while ago, when these puppets barely knew how to properly carry out the tasks assigned to them, now these beings had developed to a level of consciousness equivalent to that of a human adult.


    Along with their increasing intelligence, various personalities also began to manifest within them.


    There were those who loved to spend their time studying the various animals in the Beast Forest to the east of the herb garden, and those who preferred to lounge on a rocking chair reflecting on their existence.


    Among these countless beings that had achieved a decent level of existence, there was one who seemed to have always remained the same,


    Someone who, from the moment he was created, had caused various problems, someone who managed the impossible feat of gaining the protection of two Goddesses, someone who almost ended up being roasted alive by the very fire he himself had ignited, at the hand of his own creator.


    This someone was none other than Soul Puppet No. 5, the puppet that had the privilege of obtaining a true body made of flesh and bone.


    Currently, this being was in what appeared to be a park while two figures with long furry ears and two white tails ran swiftly around him as he tried to catch them.


    "Come on, No. 5, try a bit harder. You''re so big; it should be easy for you to catch me," said a feminine voice as she dashed past him, whispering something before quickly running off.


    Before No. 5 even had a chance to glimpse the feminine figure, another figure blocked his path and said:


    "No. 5, stop playing. You still have to complete your part of the daily task. If you don''t, the master might actually cook you alive," said the male figure, a young beastkin who stood before him with a worried expression.


    No. 5, who over the years had finally learned a bit of the language, replied:


    "Don''t worry. The master almost never comes here. Skipping a day or two isn''t a problem," he said, completely ignoring the wolf boy''s advice.


    Hearing this, the boy could only shake his head while helplessly trying once more to persuade him to do his part of the task.


    But just as he raised his head to speak to No. 5 again, his eyes widened, and without a moment''s hesitation, he bolted away.


    No. 5, noticing this sudden change, scratched his head as his gaze shifted toward Guo Lan, who also seemed to have vanished without a trace.


    Just as he wondered what had happened to the two of them, a voice rang out from behind him:


    "Oh Really? So skipping a day or two won''t cause any problems, right?" said the voice.


    "Well, yes, as I said, the master won''t..." S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No. 5, still confused, instinctively replied, but just as he was about to finish his sentence, the words got stuck in his throat.


    Trembling, his gaze slowly shifted behind him toward the figure of a black-haired man who had appeared out of nowhere and was now watching him with a slight smile on his face.


    The smile that had stolen the hearts of countless women at this moment seemed like the grin of a devil to No. 5, who stammered:


    "M-Master, I..." Just as he was about to finish his sentence, a gust of wind was heard, and in the next instant, a large figure could be seen flying through the air, headed straight for a specific spot in the herb garden.


    Ethan, who had just finished giving No. 5 a lesson, turned to the side where a dragon woman was looking at him with a displeased expression.


    Seeing her face, he couldn''t help but say:


    "This is your fault. He''s become even more useless than he was before. You need to stop spoiling him, or he''ll keep taking advantage of your kindness," he said discontentedly.


    "Tch, he''s just a child. Let him play a bit. It''s good for him."


    Ethan, hearing this, wanted to argue that this "child" was over a hundred years old and that his peers had already reached a maturity level many times beyond his.


    But in the end, he simply shook his head and shifted his attention in another direction. There, just over a mile away near a tree almost 50 meters tall, a green-haired woman could be seen floating in the air, moving joyfully from one place to another around the tree.


    Seeing this scene, Ethan decided not to disturb Yao Hua and instead looked at Bai Yu, saying as he began to ascend into the air:


    "I feel like I''ve reached the limit of strength I can achieve at this stage. It''s time I devoted some effort to developing my World Seed. Can you please keep an eye on everything here while I''m away?" he asked.


    Though he didn''t specify what exactly she should watch over, she understood and nodded.


    Seeing that the dragon woman was understanding, he nodded in return and flew eastward, quickly soaring over the Beast Forest, which had now grown to a size comparable to the Amazon rainforest of his previous world, an area of over 5.5 million square kilometers.


    The forest''s size wasn''t the only thing that had increased; its flora and fauna had also drastically expanded, presenting increasingly diverse species of animals and plants, each more dangerous than the last.


    If a cultivator at the fifth stage of the Mortal Realm were to venture deep into it, they would have an 80% chance of being eaten by some creature dwelling there.


    The number of beings that had reached a power level surpassing these experts of the fifth stage was by no means small.


    If all these beasts were to be released on the human continent for any reason, it was guaranteed that the human race would be wiped out in no time.


    Even Ethan had to admit that he hadn''t expected such a high level of development in just over a hundred years. However, the development had undeniably occurred, and personally, he liked it that way.


    He was pleased to be the owner of such a small world, which now had its fair share of inhabitants and wonders.


    That said, none of this mattered to him for now.


    In an instant, he flew over the forest and, in no time at all, reached a distance of tens of miles away from the herb garden.


    The place he arrived at was a vast stretch of desert, with only a few hills scattered here and there and nothing more.


    It was essentially the desert of his minor dimension.


    Sensing that there weren''t many living beings around, he made a gesture with his hand, and three Array circles materialized above it. With another gesture, the circles flew off, each positioning itself in a different place.


    One settled below him, serving as a floating platform; another went even lower, sinking into the sandy ground of the desert; and the third rose into the air, ascending hundreds of meters before stopping.


    Once the arrays were in position, he issued the start command, and they lit up. The two arrays at the extreme points above and below him expanded in size until they reached a diameter of 500 meters.


    Immediately, the environment began to change, as what appeared to be glowing blue particles began to form and move toward the third circle, which acted as Ethan''s platform.


    Seeing that everything was ready, he sat on the suspended platform and immediately immersed himself in meditation.


    What he had just done was set up a spirit-gathering array, more specifically, a formation designed to locate and draw toward him all the souls of living beings that had died for some reason.


    These beings, most of which were beast souls, no longer had a proper consciousness to guide them. As such, they wandered aimlessly, invisible to the eyes of others.


    This phenomenon occurred not only within Ethan''s minor world but also in any place inhabited by living beings.


    Wherever life existed, there would also be these wandering spirits of dead beings.


    The reason these spirits no longer had any consciousness was mainly that that part of their soul had entered the cycle of reincarnation, which purified them and sent them back among the living, where they would be reborn as new living beings.


    However, this only applied to mortal living beings.


    For those who had ascended from the mortal realm and successfully reached the spiritual realm, there was another option:


    forming a World Seed.


    This step was a critical milestone for any cultivator at this stage, as the way this process was carried out would determine how good, or bad the subsequent stages of cultivation would be.


    The World Seed would cultivate their soul and ensure that even if they were to die, they would have the chance to reconstruct their physical body as long as they could preserve their soul.


    The first stage of the spiritual realm consisted precisely of creating a spiritual vessel for one''s soul.


    In essence, Ethan was creating a second life within himself at that moment, a life that would sustain him if he ever met his end.

 Chapter 264 - 264: World Seed

    .


    Unlike the mortal realm, which was divided into 5 stages, each of them having 10 levels, the spiritual realm was divided into 6 stages, each split into three phases: basic, intermediate, and advanced.


    These stages were not about the level of strength or cultivation achieved at that stage, but rather the level of understanding and creation.


    If in the mortal realm one trained the foundation to elevate their cultivation and make their body more in tune with their soul,


    in the spiritual realm, the focus shifted to elevating the soul to a higher level.


    This was because, after all, in the mortal realm, the soul couldn''t live without a container,the body, and the body was useless without a soul.


    This fact made every cultivator dependent on either one or the other, leaving them with too many weaknesses.


    If the soul were gravely wounded, such an injury would be no different from death.


    If the body were instead gravely injured, then the soul, though present, wouldn''t be able to do anything, being trapped in a broken container.


    Essentially, the two were too tightly bound to one another, and eliminating either would be enough to destroy a cultivator.


    This, however, changed once one managed to sever their mortal ties and ascend to the next realm of cultivation, the spiritual realm.


    In this stage of cultivation, a cultivator had the opportunity to address the problem of their dependence.


    This solution essentially involved focusing on the primary component of their existence,the soul.


    As long as the soul could be preserved in a certain state, it would be possible to rebuild the body from scratch.


    This would give the cultivator an additional card to play in dire situations, allowing them to preserve their life for longer.


    This card could already be acquired in the first stage of the spiritual realm: the Soul Awakening stage.


    Ethan, at this moment, was slowly gathering the particles of soul remnants from the dead present in his small world and refining them to form his World Seed, which would also become the core of his soul in the future.


    Just as the body had its organ for storing spiritual energy, the soul could also develop one, and this would allow the soul to survive even without the body.


    Forming one''s spiritual core was not simple and required at least two of the six stages of the spiritual realm to complete.


    In the first part, one would lay the foundations on which to construct the astral body, which would allow the soul to exist even independently.


    Within this astral body, one would continue building the spiritual core, which would become the foundation for everything else that would come in the subsequent phases. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to Bai Yu, this process would normally take centuries, as refining a large amount of soul residue was far from a simple and quick process.


    it was like gathering spiritual energy to cultivate, it required a lot of time, which could vary depending on the person and their talent.


    Bai Yu told him that being one of the most talented beings of her race, it took her just over a century to reach the peak of the first stage, an incredible feat,


    at least, that''s what she claimed.


    She believed that, given Ethan''s talent and special physique, he too would take a similar amount of time, or perhaps even a bit less, to achieve it. Thus, Ethan entered his minor dimension, activated the formation that aided cultivators in this stage to gather scattered soul fragments from the environment, and immediately began forming his astral body.


    He wasn''t sure how long it would take, but now that he had halted the demons'' threat, it was fair to say he had earned a lot of time. This time was amplified by at least a hundredfold in this dimension, so he no longer worried and got straight to work.


    He immersed himself more and more in the sensation of the soul particles provided by the formation, and without realizing it, little by little, his body began absorbing them, directing them straight into the depths of his being, where his soul resided.


    Once there, these particles didn''t stop but headed directly into his soul, entering it effortlessly as if nothing stood in their way.


    Gradually, these particles accumulated, and soon a second phenomenon occurred.


    At the center of his soul, an invisible vortex seemed to attract these particles, pulling them all towards it and beginning to converge them into a single point.


    First, one particle entered, then two, and then three.


    The process continued for a while, and finally, after hundreds upon hundreds of particles converged at that point, a faint light began to radiate.


    This light emanated from a tiny millimeter-sized sphere that appeared solid in form but was far from tangible to material hands.


    Around the sphere, a faint layer began forming over the entire outer surface of Ethan''s soul, which, after who knows how long, fully enveloped it and eventually fused with it, rendering the consistency of his soul clearer.


    Ethan had successfully created his astral body and fused his soul into it.


    In other words, he had finally taken the second step towards awakening his soul, successfully advancing to the intermediate level of the first stage of the spiritual realm.


    Although Ethan had entered the intermediate level, he didn''t stop and continued advancing with his formation, as his spiritual core, which had just started to take shape, was becoming increasingly radiant.


    What he was working on creating was the seed of his world, and this World Seed would eventually give rise to his spiritual core in the future.


    When Ethan first heard about the various phases of the spiritual realm, he couldn''t help but ask why this glowing core, which would later become his spiritual core, was called the World Seed.


    Bai Yu replied, explaining that the manifestation of one''s power, their domain,


    could only be formed if the cultivator had a World Seed within them.


    The domain Ethan had previously thought of as merely creating a space where one was stronger turned out to be the so-called inner world he had heard Bai Yu mention in the past.


    In essence, this World Seed was literally a seed of a world that he would develop within himself.


    He had always believed that a cultivator''s inner world resided in their dantian, but it seemed it actually resided in their spiritual core, or more precisely, would be moved there after a certain refinement phase in their dantian.

 Chapter 265 - 265: Improvements

    .


    Ethan, having completely lost himself in his meditation, did not notice the passage of time, which continued to flow as it always did.


    In less than half a century, he had already reached the intermediate phase of the first stage and had begun working on the advanced phase.


    This phase, unlike the initial one, was no easy walk. In contrast to the earlier phase, where he simply needed to gather fragments of the soul, convert them into his body, and absorb them into his soul to condense a world seed, this stage posed a much greater challenge.


    In this phase, he had to strengthen the connection between the nearly fully formed world seed and his soul, reinforced by the shell needed to awaken the latter and finally make it completely independent, in other words capable of existing even without its physical body.


    He had to admit that this phase turned out to be more difficult than he initially thought. Although it took him roughly the same amount of time to complete as the previous phase, the effort he had to exert was twice as great.


    Finally, after almost a century of continuous soul acquisition, condensation, and the successful creation of the invisible bonds that would incorporate his newly formed world seed into his soul, he reached the peak of the first stage.


    Although it felt to Ethan as if only hours had passed, nearly a century had gone by in his minor dimension, and the changes that had taken place during this period were not insignificant.


    From the ever evolving ecosystem of his small world to Bai Yu, who appeared to have subdued the elemental spirit, things had progressed in his absence.


    Ethan finally exhaled a breath of air as his face, still as a statue for so long, finally showed signs of life.


    He slowly opened his eyes, feeling his entire body as stiff as stone.


    Although his external appearance remained the same as before, his aura was completely different. He now exuded a new sense of oppression and majesty, which would involuntarily cause any cultivator below the spiritual rank to kneel before him.


    He took his time savoring the new sensation of his soul, which felt reborn, and eventually stabilized his condition as the natural presence his body emanated was suppressed by his will.


    Without wasting any more time, he disappeared from his spot with a single step, finally returning to his herb garden.


    When he learned of the existence of other demons at the spiritual realm, he didn''t worry too much.


    As long as they were still in the first stage, he was confident that he could handle them.


    That is, provided those he faced were at the early stages of the first stage.


    If those in the advanced phase of the first stage were involved, things would become somewhat problematic even for him.


    After all, they were still high level beings, and while he had considerable strength relative to his current cultivation level, he did not yet consider himself invincible or at least not until he, too, reached the peak of his current stage.


    Now, he was certain he could defeat any of them with relative ease.


    The creation of his world seed led him to reflect on various matters, ranging from the most trivial to the most profound, and among these, the most intriguing were undoubtedly his insights into the natural laws.


    Currently, he had only just started to grasp the basics of these laws, and it would take much longer before he could make real progress. Still, even the little understanding he gained while creating his world seed gave him ideas for some new combat techniques he was excited to try out.


    Thus, he spent some more time in his minor dimension, stabilizing his new foundation of understanding as well as consolidating the cultivation progress he had achieved.


    At this point, Ethan found himself in a situation where, although the refinement of pills remained his best source of Qi, the high number of pills he had created and stored had become excessive.


    For instance, the last time he secluded himself for a century, he had produced tens of thousands of pills of various types, which now sat idly in his storage.


    He had no idea what to do with such an exaggerated quantity of pills, especially since the highest level among them was level 3, a level that was equivalent to a level 1 pill for a cultivator at the fifth stage, in other words, practically useless.


    At his level, only pills of level 4 and above could have any meaningful effect, which is why he has decided to dispose of most of its stockpiles of level 3 and below pills, donating them all to the Phoenix Sect.


    He was certain they would be far more useful in their hands than in his, so he didn''t give it much thought.


    That said, it was still true that if he wanted to cultivate like others, he would have to spend a great deal of time accumulating Qi from the surrounding environment.


    Alternatively, he needed to find new sources of Qi, which, for the time being, were scarce, at least in the mortal plane.


    The longer he remained here as a spiritual realm being, the more he understood that, while he was practically an invincible god in this realm, there were not many opportunities to grow stronger.


    Thus, in one way or another, if a cultivator wanted to progress, they had to ascend.


    Well, every cultivator except him, as he still had one card left to play: the high-level pills.


    Now that he had accumulated hundreds of millions of SP, he increased his skill level to 5, spending nearly 50 million SP in total.


    The cost of upgrading his abilities from level three to level four had been only hundreds of thousands of SP, but going from level four to level five required millions.


    Currently, he had only a few abilities, and the main ones he upgraded were alchemy and array formation. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For the time being, none of his other abilities required immediate improvement.


    By doing so, he gained access to higher-level pill recipes, and when he reached level 5 pills, he finally saw their true advantages.

 Chapter 266 - 266: Interference

    .


    A level 4 pill on its own would be a godsend, while a level 5 pill would be like a living legend manifesting here in the mortal plane.


    According to the knowledge provided by the system and what he had learned from Bai Yu, level 5 pills were highly regarded even in the celestial plane.


    This was because only three-star grandmasters could actually attempt to produce them.


    Below that rank, it was impossible to even try, as the control over the mixture and the chemical reactions was something that mere master alchemists or even newly advanced grandmasters could not manage, inevitably leading to the pill''s failure.


    When Ethan refined a low-grade level 4 pill for the first time, he noticed that although it took almost an entire day, the rewards were far from meager.


    Even for a low-grade pill, one could gain a total of 1,000 SP, which was still within Ethan''s expectations, and 1,000 QI, which, although it seemed small, was a drastic increase considering that a perfect-grade level 3 pill provided only 70 QI.


    This was a significant jump, and it didn''t end there.


    For the subsequent grades, the value increased tenfold, reaching a staggering 1,000,000 QI at the perfect grade of level 4.


    This alone was enough to make it clear that level 5 pills would be nothing short of extraordinary, and for Ethan, who had now reached a level of mastery sufficient to produce pills of this caliber, there were few opportunities to do so.


    This was because producing such high-level pills required equally high-level materials, and for now, he only possessed materials suitable for producing high-grade level 4 pills.


    That said, this level of pill was more than sufficient for Ethan, as the amount of QI he needed could be filled by these pills.


    Now that he was at the peak of the first stage, it was time for him to head to the place where the four demons were slumbering.


    Bai Yu had told him that, before the opening of the separate dimension, demons had never been discovered in their world.


    Therefore, when the gods of the divine plane sealed the rift they had opened, they were fairly certain that none of the demon race would remain alive, especially after a thorough cleansing of the celestial plane.


    It might not seem like it, but the dimensions of the celestial plane were vastly larger than those of the mortal plane.


    According to Bai Yu, the celestial plane was so vast that there were still many unexplored areas, and this was due to various factors, including climatic conditions.


    Intrinsic natural laws made certain regions difficult to traverse, risking death if one was not cautious, while others were protected by abominations, beings neither monsters nor humans with power levels at the peak of the spiritual rank, making it challenging for anyone to venture into their territories.


    Of course, one could certainly form expedition squads to confront them together, but merely assembling a team with so many experts at the peak of the spiritual rank was a challenging task.


    All experts at this level were true powerhouses who had their own territories to manage and would prefer to cultivate and attempt the celestial tribulation in hopes of ascending to divine realm rather than reducing their chances of continued cultivation by hunting a monster on the other side of the world.


    These powerhouses tended to remain in isolation, dedicating themselves entirely to their cultivation, and would not emerge unless a significant event involving them occurred, such as the destruction of their sect or the appearance of a high-grade object, and so on...


    When Ethan heard about the existence of these places, he wanted to ask why they hadn''t considered that some demons might have hidden there, but then he decided not to ask.


    From what he had learned, the gods themselves had participated to some extent in the elimination of the demon race.


    It was impossibile that these so-called abominations could have survived against their power. Therefore, if any demons had managed to infiltrate one of these places, the gods would have surely been able to detect them.


    In the end, from the little information he could gather on this topic from the demon Mo Yan, they had used an ancient artifact to open a second rift.


    Ethan was not sure why, as the demon named Mo Yan did not seem to be someone important in their insurrection group. Consequently, his knowledge on the matter was limited. Still, Ethan could form an idea since he also knew a thing or two about the element of space.


    Although the matter was extremely difficult to actualize, if it were true that the demons had some kind of ancient artifact related to the element of space, then it was possible they had reconnected the spatial coordinates left from the first rift opened by the gods of the divine plane.


    Of course, this was only a conjecture, but with the limited information, there was really little else he could think of.


    In any case, he didn''t dwell too much on the matter, because in the end, he would have to eliminate these remaining demons as well.


    And it was certain that he would obtain important information from them.


    Therefore, after stabilizing his cultivation and training his new combat techniques, he finally left the minor dimension, ready to travel to where the demons resided.


    Ethan had wondered why he had not been able to sense the presence of these beings when, after ascending to the spiritual realm, he had scoured all three continents.


    Indeed, he had even ventured a bit further in the hope of finding other lands, but he found nothing. The only clear traces of demons were primarily from the demonic continent.


    Those on the beast continent, however, were too faint to notice back then, especially because he had not expected any to be there in the first place.


    As such, his attention was not as sharp then. But after he visited and encountered the Guo brothers, he learned of their presence.


    He initially believed that perhaps he had failed to perceive these four demons of the spiritual realm because they had entered a state similar to Mo Yan''s, hidden enough not to be detected by the consciousness of the celestial plane.


    However, the fact was that the consciousness would have only detected them if they had unleashed their power on this plane.


    And then he would have identified any high-level formations with his spiritual sense, yet he did not, and the reason for all of this was that the demons had hidden in the one place no one would have immediately thought of. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A place everyone had avoided, even those at the peak of the mortal cultivation realm. A vast location that seemingly covered most of the mortal plane''s surface.


    The ocean.


    At Ethan''s current level, he could travel from one continent to another with just one step in that direction, reaching the location in an instant. Yet, to arrive at the exact spot where the demons were hiding, he had to take several such steps. Finally, in the middle of nowhere, he appeared in the air.


    No matter where one looked, there was only the great expanse of water, teeming with creatures of all kinds.


    After just a quick and rapid glance, he could identify dozens of beings at the fourth and even the fifth stage within a radius of only a few miles.


    This alone made it clear that the sea was by no means lacking in terrifying beings that lived and ruled there comfortably.


    He understood why no one ever returned alive after traveling a certain distance from the continent.


    If the number of marine creatures at this stage was so great, there was no way anyone could realistically travel long distances in complete safety.


    Even more so because he could sense the presence of several creatures at the peak of the mortal realm, some of them even close to reaching the spiritual realm.


    Feeling the presence of these beings, which seemed to have noticed him, he couldn''t help but shake his head.


    '' Truly a good place to hide,'' he thought as he looked down and sent a spiritual wave into the water.


    Even though he had arrived at the exact location based on the demon''s memories, he couldn''t sense the presence of those four demons. So he decided to explore the ocean depths to confirm if they were really there.


    The spiritual wave traveled at high speed, and in no time, it had already reached a depth of several miles. Yet, despite all this, he could still say there was a long way to go before reaching the ocean floor.


    He continued descending with his spiritual wave, and after a full 20 miles, he finally sensed something. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he finally detected the presence of something below.


    Normally, he would have been able to see what lay even at this depth. Yet, for some reason, his perception of the place was slightly distorted, as if something down there was interfering with his understanding of the environment.


    He didn''t know why, but he suddenly had a certain premonition.


    This wasn''t just due to his instincts but also because a certain object within his sea of consciousness had finally started showing signs of activity after remaining silent for more than a century.

 Chapter 267 - 267: The Demons Awaken

    .


    In Ethan''s sea of consciousness,


    An object floating high in the sky of his sea of consciousness was emanating faint waves of energy, while a new sequence of runes on it began to glow faintly.


    Observing this phenomenon were Ethan and Bai Yu, who had used part of their consciousness to transfer themselves here.


    Both were unsure what had triggered this sudden change, but from what they could see, it didn''t seem like anything would happen for the moment. sea??h th�� nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan thought the cause of this phenomenon was likely his proximity to the location where the four remaining demons on this plane of existence resided.


    After all, it was logical to assume they had something to do with it because after he ascended to the spiritual rank and felt his control over the seal that captured Bai Yu''s soul become more solid, he hadn''t noticed any other changes.


    In fact, the amphora had remained silent since then, floating in the air in his sea of consciousness.


    Ethan still didn''t know much about this artifact, and neither did Bai Yu, but he could sense that the bond connecting him to it was becoming deeper and deeper, and now he could use it to some extent.


    For example, freeing Bai Yu from the final traces of the seal was one such ability, and he also felt that he could utilize the artifact''s power to a certain degree to strengthen his soul in certain challenging situations.


    The more he learned about it, the less he seemed to actually understand the artifact.


    It was clear that he had barely scratched the surface of the artifact''s true capabilities, but it wasn''t as if he could uncover all its secrets overnight, so he could only be patient and discover more about it gradually over time.


    That said, seeing that apart from illuminating a new sequence of runes, the amphora didn''t seem to present any other changes, he could only set the matter aside for now.


    He had already asked Bai Yu if she had any idea what it might be, but even she could only shake her head and reach the same conclusion,


    that something in this place was triggering this phenomenon in the artifact.


    Ethan could only hope that whatever it was, it wasn''t anything too troublesome. But on second thought, anything capable of even causing a reaction from the artifact couldn''t be something simple at all.


    He thought that perhaps it might be the spatial artifact used by the demons to open the rift in this plane, but even this theory wasn''t very credible.


    In the end, he could only shake his head as his body, which had remained suspended in the air, finally moved, descending further and further.


    In no time, he had passed from the sky to the ocean and was now speeding downward at a moderate pace while using his perception to get a better sense of the environment, more precisely the area where the four demons were located.


    He could tell that the demons were sealed in some kind of formation that seemed similar to a sealing formation, but it was more of a "lite" version, with the possibility for the sealed party to manipulate it and leave if they wanted.


    He could tell they were in a dormant state and didn''t know when they would awaken.


    If it was true that there was a demon at the peak of the Soul Awakening stage, then there was a possibility that sensing the presence of someone at Ethan''s level would cause this entity to awaken.


    In fact, Ethan was certain it would, as he could already sense a spiritual sense heading in his direction.


    If this had been a hundred years ago, he would have set up a formation to hide and taken advantage of the fact that the demons were also dormant to eliminate them and avoid unnecessary trouble. But now, at his current level, he didn''t need to resort to such methods, so he allowed the spiritual sense to examine him. And just as he thought, he soon felt movement in the depths of the ocean.


    He had descended for only a few minutes yet had already covered much of the distance separating him from their resting place.


    From this distance, he could perceive the area below much more clearly, and even that invisible interference that had disrupted his perception earlier seemed to have grown stronger.


    Though not strong enough, as he could now form a clear image of the place.


    ''Now, this is interesting,'' he thought as he analyzed the information his spiritual sense had just gathered.


    From what he had perceived, in the depths of the area, on the ocean floor, was imprinted a massive formation, at least a mile wide. And at what seemed to be the center of the formation, floating just above the seafloor, were five spheres of a reddish-black hue.


    One sphere was at the center, and its size was slightly larger than the other four.


    The other four surrounded it and were roughly the same size,


    roughly because, visibly, two of them were slightly larger, but still smaller than the central one.


    From those four spheres, he could sense a consciousness awakening, so he could deduce that these were indeed the four demons that had originally arrived on this plane with Mo Yan.


    But as for the sphere at the center, he couldn''t determine what it was.


    He could tell that it wasn''t alive in the sense that there wasn''t the consciousness of a living being within it, so it definitely wasn''t a demon, or at least it didn''t seem to be. But for some reason, he felt a certain attraction to this sphere, and most importantly, he noticed that the luminous intensity of the new rune pattern on the amphora had slightly increased.


    Seeing this change, he could say that whatever this sphere was, it was certainly what was causing the amphora to react.


    He immediately became alert because whatever it was, it was with the demons, meaning it was something to be cautious of, especially if it could cause the amphora to react, which alone was enough to prove that it wasn''t something to take lightly.


    For now, Ethan couldn''t say anything about the sphere other than the fact that it hadn''t reacted to his arrival, only the demons had.


    And seeing how the four spheres were beginning to writhe, it seemed that they were finally awakening from their slumber.

 Chapter 268 - 268: And what if I am?

    .


    The sea has always been a mysterious place, hiding countless unexplored secrets and unknowns.


    This fact held true both for the old world of Ethan and the new one, where currently the peace that permeated the ocean floor had been disrupted by an abrupt and invisible pressure that had started manifesting everywhere.


    The more seconds passed, the more this pressure grew.


    At a certain point, the surrounding area, where numerous creatures had been wandering just moments ago, was completely abandoned.


    All these marine creatures, regardless of their strength, sensed an imminent danger and fled as far away as possible from that place.


    While all this was happening, the spheres, sources of this danger, began twisting more and more, changing their spherical form from something undefined to shapes of various creatures that were finally starting to take form.


    The process itself did not last long, and within moments, in the place where five relatively large spheres had been floating, only one sphere remained.


    It was no longer surrounded by the other four but rather by four figures, each more menacing and imposing than the others. sea??h th�� N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The four demons had finally awakened from their long and deep slumber.


    As three of them were fully stabilizing their condition, the fourth, who was slightly stronger than the second demon at the peak of the first stage of the spiritual realm, raised its head, gazing toward a human figure above.


    This figure looked down at them with a calm gaze, devoid of any surprise or panic.


    This human figure was none other than Ethan, who had finally reached the ocean floor and was now witnessing the awakening of the four demonic figures.


    Seeing them, he had to admit that demons always had very diverse appearances.


    There didn''t seem to be any predefined physical traits among them.


    Starting with the demon Mo Yan, who resembled a giant skeleton clad in a cloak and holding a scepter, even the others were creatures with completely different forms.


    For instance, the demon who currently had the weakest cultivation base among the present ones was a massive and monstrous being with a hybrid body that seemed to be a mix of various types of animals and other creatures unknown to Ethan.


    Its head resembled that of a deformed wolf, with three irregular yellow eyes that moved independently of one another. Its shoulders were covered with a mane of sharp spikes, while the rest of its body was a tangle of muscles and red scales. Its arms ended in claws, and finally, a long, venomous serpentine tail swayed constantly, ready to strike.


    Then there was the second demon, still in order of ascending strength, who in particular appeared to be a human with altered characteristics.


    Its skin was ash-gray, covered in pulsating veins of a toxic green color. On his face was a single large mouth full of sharp teeth, while in place of eyes there were only two empty, dark chasms.


    He had four slender arms that, despite their fragile appearance, Ethan could feel as if they contained an immense power.


    That covered the two weaker demons.


    Moving on to the stronger ones, who were at the peak of the first stage, one appeared to be made entirely of black smoke that didn''t leave any concrete details except for two white circles that seemed to serve as eyes.


    It was like a living shadow made solely of black smoke, very similar to some species of demons he had encountered on the Corrupted Continent.


    The last one, however, who also had the highest cultivation level, was strangely the most normal looking of them all in terms of appearance.


    It was essentially a humanoid figure, nearly three meters tall, with a robust body and ash-gray skin. Its only distinctive feature, apart from its skin color, was a long black horn on its forehead.


    For a moment, Ethan couldn''t help but think of his own demonic transformation, though back then, he hadn''t reached a height of three meters, and his body had a slightly reddish-black hue.


    That being said, as he examined the four demons, they too, having already detected his presence, were observing him.


    The demon with the wolf-like head and three eyes couldn''t help but let out a slight growl before opening its mouth to speak:


    "A human at the spiritual realm?" it said with a slightly uncertain tone.


    It wasn''t hard to tell that in this plane of existence, beings beyond the mortal realm couldn''t remain here. Consequently, seeing one who had not only reached such a level but was also still here made the situation somewhat strange.


    Although the demons'' power system was a bit different from that of others, they too followed the three basic realms of cultivation. However, how these realms were achieved and the various stages within them were different for demons.


    Even so, he could estimate the other party''s power, and from what he had perceived, the human had a power level similar to its own, which irritated him for some reason.


    Just like him, the other demons had also realized this, but unlike the wolf-headed demon, who seemed annoyed, the other two demons remained silent, waiting for their leader to give an order.


    The leader in question was none other than the humanoid demon with the horn, who remained silent with an unchanged expression throughout the entire time as he continued examining the human in front of them before finally speaking.


    "So, you are the one who has been interfering recently, with our plans," he said in an unfamiliar language, which Ethan managed to understand.


    It was the same language used for the creation of the demonic formation cast by Mo Yan, which Ethan had learned thanks to the system.


    Thus, he was able to comprehend what the demon had said.


    He raised an eyebrow as he noticed a certain detail.


    "It seems he isn''t just talking about the extermination of his race on the Corrupted Continent," he thought.


    It was clear that the demon was also referring to the purification Ethan had carried out on the Beasts'' Continent and the Human Continent. Realizing this, Ethan could tell that the demon seemed to be aware of all this even while in a dormant state.


    He wasn''t sure how it knew, but it didn''t really matter.


    At most, he could look into it himself once he had defeated them.


    With a slight smile, he looked directly into the demon''s eyes and spoke in a provocative tone.


    "And what if I am?"

 Chapter 269 - 269: Physics Lesson

    .


    Needless to say, Ethan''s response did not please the demons at all, especially the one with a wolf like head, who immediately seemed to grow enraged as he reacted:


    "Certainly, courage is not something you''re lacking, is it?


    But it seems you''ve overestimated yourself a bit too much. Do you really think that little power you''ve acquired will save you from us?" said the wolf like demon, ready to make a move.


    Clearly, the news about their race being eradicated had not pleased any of them, especially since they never expected something like this to happen in the first place.


    They had gone into this dormant state only after confirming that there was no being capable of posing an actual threat to them, leaving the task of conquering this plane to their subordinates, led by Mo Yan.


    And yet, who would have thought that when they finally woke up, they would find themselves in a scene like this?


    It was hard for them to believe that the weak beings of this plane could have triumphed over their race, and yet one of these beings had done so, and that being was right in front of them now.


    Just as the wolf demon was ready to charge at Ethan, who still gazed at him with an indifferent expression, he was stopped by their leader, who cast a sharp glance at him before saying:


    "If you really want to attack, I won''t stop you, but let me tell you, that human is stronger than all of you," said the leader.


    Then he turned his gaze toward Ethan and said:


    "For a mere human, you certainly have some abilities, but your decision not to leave immediately after ascending to the spiritual realm and instead remain here and cause trouble for us was not exactly the wisest move," he said.


    Hearing the demon''s words, Ethan couldn''t help but chuckle a little as he said:


    "Oh? And why is that?" he said, clearly not taking the demon''s words too seriously.


    Although he seemed calm and indifferent, he never let his guard down.


    He might have been slightly provocative now, but it was more a way to probe the other side, and he had to admit that compared to his previous encounters, this one was at least leading somewhere.


    He was still vigilant toward them, not because there were four spiritual realm entities, but because his Seven Sages Amphora was still reacting, and that was a cause for concern for him.


    He didn''t know if this reaction from the amphora would lead to something good or bad, so he had to be careful.


    The demon, seeing the other side still calm in front of them, said nothing and gave the signal to his subordinates to attack.


    Ethan could tell that the other side didn''t seem in the mood to talk, and from what he could see, it seemed that even if the leader had stopped his subordinate before, he was still underestimating him a bit.


    Did he really think that if the three of them joined forces, they would have the upper hand against him?


    No, they couldn''t, and the ensuing battle proved it.


    The wolf demon, who seemed to be the most impatient, wasted no time the moment he saw his leader give the go ahead and immediately lunged at Ethan, appearing in an instant behind him with his arm raised and claws ready to claim the other side''s head.


    Ethan, seeing this, made no move and stayed in his place, but just as the other side launched its claw toward him, a gelatinous substance appeared in the middle, stopping the attack from the three eyed werewolf like demon.


    "What-"


    But before the other side could even wonder what it was, the gelatinous substance, which had just absorbed the impact of the blow, lit up as its core, which had been deformed backward, shot forward, bouncing against the claw that had just struck it.


    The wolf-like demon, who a moment ago had attempted to attack, suddenly found the arm he had attacked with missing.


    "ARGH!"


    He howled loudly as he immediately distanced himself from the other side while turning his head toward his missing arm. There, just ahead, he saw a mix of flesh, bone, and blood quickly floating away in the water.


    ''What the hell was that?'' he thought as he suddenly felt fear permeate his entire body.


    The other two demons, who had also acted after the wolf demon, saw this scene and immediately became alert, halting their attacks for a moment.


    They didn''t know what had just happened.


    A moment ago, their companion''s attack had been stopped by some strange substance, and the next moment, their companion had lost an arm.


    All of this had happened in a matter of milliseconds, so fast that they couldn''t understand how the other side had counterattacked while still remaining in the same position as before.


    In fact, he hadn''t even shifted his gaze from them, as if he hadn''t even noticed what had just happened.


    Ethan, seeing the confusion of the two demons, who had stopped their actions, glanced to the side where the gelatinous, transparent substance was floating and said: S��arch* The Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, this? Don''t be afraid of it. It''s just the product of a small experiment I conducted some time ago," he said, as if that explained everything.


    Clearly, the demons didn''t give a second thought to his words, because the so-called thing they weren''t supposed to fear had just destroyed the arm of a spiritual realm entity.


    There was no way they wouldn''t be on guard against that thing.


    Ethan, seeing them, couldn''t help but shake his head, but it''s not like he blamed them or anything.


    When he created some techniques based on his newfound understanding of the laws of nature, this understanding particularly helped him in his manipulation of the elements.


    Thanks to his special physique, he had a certain affinity with all elements, but to enhance this affinity, simply raising his cultivation level wasn''t enough. He needed to deepen his understanding of the natural laws related to these elements.


    So, he used this little bit of new understanding he gained to create some combat techniques and other things, and this was one of the products of that.


    He utilized his water element combined with the properties of the earth element to create this gelatinous substance.


    The idea came to him after he remembered the slimes from his previous world, not the slimes seen on TV, in anime, and so on, but rather natural slimes.


    The so called non Newtonian fluids.

 Chapter 270 - 270: Absolute Suppression

    .


    Ethan remembered a physics lesson he had in high school in his previous world, where the professor talked about these gelatinous substances that were liquid to the touch when no force was applied to them and became solid when pressure was exerted.


    From what little he remembered at the time, these substances were made from a mix of solid particles suspended in a liquid.


    When left undisturbed, the particles moved freely within the fluid, making the substance soft and malleable. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, when force was applied, the particles interlocked, forming a temporary, more solid structure.


    The example used during the lesson was that of water and cornstarch, and Ethan tried to see if he could create something similar based on this knowledge.


    He manipulated the element of water and earth to create a similar situation, and after dozens of simulations he conducted in his mind, he managed to create this substance, which he made more lethal by making some adjustments with his Qi.


    The result he obtained was better than what he expected, and what he had done out of curiosity now turned into something extremely lethal.


    Of course, if a mortal being had done the same, they would have obtained a product that had much less force than his own, because his was characterized by the presence of her Qi, which made the substance far more lethal.


    It was in situations like these that Ethan understood the importance of some of his knowledge from his previous world.


    That said, the two demons who had been on guard for a moment because of the strange substance swirling around Ethan finally decided to act again.


    This time, even that small trace of underestimation towards him was gone, and he could see that they were now seriously trying to defeat him.


    The area that had become desolate and silent due to the awakening of the demons was suddently chaotic, with waves starting to form in the ocean, growing larger and larger until, at some point,


    Boom!


    With a loud crash, a huge amount of water rose, while three figures shot through the air, showing no sign of stopping.


    These figures were none other than the demons, who at that moment were all three in poor condition, covered in damage from all sides.


    Even the shadow demon showed visible damage, as the intensity of the shadows forming it had been reduced to a minimum.


    That said, none of the three had a good appearance, and even the wolf demon, who had condensed his strength in his other arm using demonic Qi, seemed worse than he had been before.


    Soon, another figure emerged from the water, but unlike the demons, this one rose slowly, as if taking its time, and soon came close to where the three demons stood.


    Seeing it approach with the same calm expression as before, the three were clearly not happy, and the wolf demon, who had been the most damaged so far, couldn''t help but growl in frustration:


    "How the hell is it so strong? It''s just a clone!"


    Exactly.


    What was before them wasn''t Ethan''s real body but a clone he created to deal with these three, while the original remained deep in the ocean, facing the demon leader, who, after seeing his subordinates being beaten with ease by the human, had to intervene.


    And while the battle between the three demon and the clone was far from calm, the one taking place deep in the water was on a much larger scale.


    Only from the strong impacts that could be seen forming on the surface of the water could one determine how powerful the attacks of these two entities at the peak of spiritual rank were.


    After all, both were still several miles deep, and even if they could create all this chaos up to the surface of the ocean, the intensity of their attacks would have been felt much more strongly in the depths.


    And indeed, it was so.


    Amidst a mix of water, bones, flesh, and blood from various sea creatures, two beings were clashing fiercely.


    The intensity of both sides was the same, and as of now, neither side seemed to be on the verge of giving in.


    On one side, there was the demon leader, who now no longer had the humanoid form he had before but a much larger, more threatening one, standing at six meters tall, with two more horns on his head and two large black wings, similar to those of a bat.


    It was clear that the demon had decided to give his all from the start, and the brief clash so far could attest that his choice had been the right one.


    The demon who had kept a calm expression throughout, as if everything was under control, now wore a frustrated look as he watched the human figure in front of him, who didn''t seem at all tired from their combat.


    Certainly, the clash barely lasted a few seconds, but within this small span of time, the number of strikes exchanged between the two was by no means small.


    Even more so when considering that the one most damaged by this small battle was undoubtedly him.


    ''Who the hell is this monster? Is he even human?'' thought the demon, not understanding how the other side could be so powerful.


    What amazed him even more wasn''t the fact that the opponent could counterattack with the same intensity of force, but the fact that his demonic Qi wasn''t doing anything at all.


    Normally, no matter how strong someone was, if they came into contact with too many demonic Qi based attacks, they would inevitably be damaged or corrupted to some degree, yet the other side had resisted his attacks with nothing more than bare arms, making it clear that he had no effect at all.


    It was clear that the other side had a method to resist completely against the corruption of negative spiritual energy, and this realization only further pressed the demon, who finally began to understand how the other side had succeeded in the task of eliminating his race from this plane of existence..


    Seeing that the other side made no move, Ethan, who until now had only repelled the attacks, said:


    "It seems that it''s my turn to attack."

 Chapter 271 - 271: Recruitment Proposal

    .


    Before the demon could even register Ethan''s words, his entire body alarmed, and without hesitation, he moved to the right as fast as he could, narrowly avoiding a punch infused with what seemed to be blue flames.


    Without wasting any time, he immediately put some distance between them.


    But just as he was about to pinpoint Ethan''s location, he noticed that, once again, the latter had disappeared.


    This time, he felt there was no time to block the attack, so he instinctively raised his arms to his side, where not even a second later, he took a blow strong enough to leave him momentarily stunned.


    Boom!


    Even though both were fighting underwater, where the immense depth meant the pressure above was incredibly strong, the force of their blows was in no way suppressed. Each strike unleashed enormous waves of energy, waves that traveled far and wide, killing any creature within a one-mile radius.


    At this point, all creatures still near the area had either successfully fled or had failed to do so and now floated as lifeless chunks of flesh and bone mixed with seawater, carried further and further away by each successive wave. S��arch* The n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The demon had already understood that the other side was anything but weak, especially since just his clone had given trouble to three spiritual realm entities, including one at the peak of the first stage, like himself.


    Thus, he gave it his all from the very beginning.


    But who would have thought that even this wouldn''t be enough against such a monstrous opponent?


    The two previous strikes would have been lethal enough to severely injure him if taken directly. And while he had successfully blocked the first, he hadn''t been so lucky with the second.


    Now, he found himself with the bones in his arms completely pulverized.


    That being said, he paid no attention to his injuries. Instead, he looked seriously at the figure of the human, standing not far from him, who still maintained that carefree attitude from earlier.


    Even though he had used his arms to block the lateral strike to his head, he had still suffered some amount of damage.


    With a few movements, the demon readjusted his head, which had been slightly dislocated from his spine, and used his demonic energy to immediately repair his shattered arms.


    Ethan, watching this, made no move and let the other party recover.


    By now, he had already formed a clear idea of the power levels of all four demons present and could confidently say that his decision to go into seclusion to cultivate before coming here was indeed the right choice.


    If he had ventured here earlier, he would have almost certainly risked death. Even though he had been very strong for his current stage back then, he was certain that he would have struggled to handle the three demons.


    If their leader had joined the battle, his chances of survival would have been zero.


    He was glad he had trusted his instincts and Bai Yu''s advice, who was currently watching everything unfold from the sidelines.


    Ethan would have preferred for her to remain in the minor dimension, where she would be safer.


    But she seemed confident in her ability to protect herself against these demons, even at her current cultivation stage.


    Ethan personally thought that it was time for her to release the final seal and regain her strength. However, according to her, the forced ascension process for her would be nearly instantaneous.


    In other words, as soon as she regained her cultivation base, the consciousness of this plane would automatically expel her, sending her back to the celestial plane.


    Thus, she had told him to wait before doing so.


    First, they needed to deal with these four demons and figure out what exactly the object resonating with the Amphora, was.


    Ethan didn''t bother asking the demon directly, knowing full well that no sane individual would reveal their plans, especially when they were losing.


    The stereotypical villains in novels who delivered long, detailed speeches about their plans were unfortunately nowhere to be found here, or at least, not on this plane.


    So, to get the answers, he had no choice but to rely on a soul searching that he would do after the fight with these four.


    That being said, the demon finally finished recovering and looked at Ethan for a moment before speaking.


    "I must admit, never in my life did I expect to be put at such a disadvantage in battle against someone at the same cultivation level as myself, let alone at the hands of a human," said the demon. but Ethan showed no reaction to his words.


    He had long since understood that humans were considered one of the weakest races in the celestial plane, and he knew that even demons held them in low regard.


    Not that he couldn''t understand why.


    After all, he had already cultivated the standard human cultivation method and could confirm that, compared to methods like Bai Yu''s dragon based cultivation, it was vastly inferior and impractical.


    But it was what it was.


    There wasn''t much he could do about it.


    His only consolation was the fact that even among humans, there were experts strong enough to rival the powers of other races, it was just that their numbers were significantly smaller.


    The demon didn''t wait for any response from Ethan and continued:


    "A talent like yours is wasted if you continue along your current cultivation path. Why don''t you join us?


    If you embrace our energy within your body, you''ll be able to reach far greater heights in the future. And the treatment for talents like you within our ranks is far from trivial," the demon said.


    Ethan had to admit that he hadn''t expected such a proposition.


    Who would have thought that the demon who had just been taking a beating from him would decide to recruit him?


    ''How shameless can you be? Are you even in a position to make me such an offer?'' thought Ethan, unsure whether to laugh or cry.


    Ethan could only shake his head as he finally responded:


    "It seems that hit to your head earlier knocked a few screws loose.


    Come, let me give you some free treatment," he said, raising a hand, where a faint blue spark began to form.


    Soon, the spark dimmed slightly, revealing a petal of a blue flower burning like a flame.


    The moment the demon saw the spark in Ethan''s hand, he immediately went on high alert, sensing a certain danger emanating from it.


    Without hesitation, he condensed his demonic energy to defend himself from the imminent attack.


    He wasn''t foolish enough to turn his back on his opponent and attempt to escape.


    He knew that in a battle between experts at their level, attempting to flee was one of the most useless things to try, as there were countless ways for the opponent to exploit such a move.


    In these situations, life-saving treasures were far more useful.


    As he condensed some demonic Qi, the demon tore what appeared to be a paper talisman.


    Soon, the condensed Qi began to writhe and transform into two skeletal figures, both holding a massive, completely black shield.


    Ethan, seeing this scene, couldn''t help but wonder what exactly the demon had just torn apart.


    But he didn''t dwell on it too much. Instead, he pointed the petal at the demon and said:


    "Bloom of the Blue Lotus, First Stage"


    [N/A: Still deciding if this is a good name for the attack. Open to suggestions.]

 Chapter 272 - 272: Fireworks

    .


    As soon as the words resonated, the petal, simple yet refined in appearance, shot forward like a bullet.


    Even though it was traveling underwater, its speed did not seem to decrease, on the contrary, it was increasing further.


    In the blink of an eye, the attack reached the demon, striking its large shield directly.


    Boom!


    As soon as the attack hit the shield, an enormous explosion erupted underwater, spreading in all directions and quickly reaching a radius of nearly a kilometer.


    The explosion, which on the surface would be no less destructive than a nuclear bomb, was suppressed by the immense mass of water present at this depth in the ocean. In contrast to the released energy''s power, it began creating oscillations within the sphere of damage caused.


    The sphere, continuously suppressed by the overwhelming water volume, expanded and contracted repeatedly. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the immense amount of energy released by it was rapidly dissipated into the water.


    Yet, this was not enough to fully contain the power of the attack.


    The waves of energy unleashed by this explosion propagated in all directions, destroying everything within a radius of several miles.


    They created small tsunamis on the surface, which traveled in different directions for quite some time before losing their force and dissipating into the water.


    Ethan, who was the primary cause of this attack, remained in place, while the area around him was protected by an invisible barrier of condensed Qi.


    As he witnessed the power of his attack, he could only marvel at its might with a deep sigh.


    He knew the attack''s power was not to be underestimated because he had already tested it a couple of times in his minor dimension when he was still in the mortal realm.


    Back then, the power of the attack''s first phase had been enough to level the entire mountain of the Phoenix Sect, which, for the record, was a very large and sturdy mountain due to the spiritual vein running beneath it.


    Ethan tested the attack again after ascending to the spiritual realm and had to admit that the damage power reached entirely new levels, as he ended up obliterating several kilometers of territory, leaving nothing behind but a massive, deep crater.


    In fact, that day, Ethan''s small world trembled, and the earthquake caused by him was felt far and wide, creating many disasters along its path.


    Even Bai Yu had not expected the attack''s power to be so immense and told him he should avoid using it there, as it risked overturning his minor dimension if the attack became even stronger.


    This was only the first phase of the attack, and Ethan could say that he could create subsequent stages as well.


    The oscillations of the explosion bubble continued for a while before being extinguished by the surrounding water. Nevertheless, it had done its job.


    Where the demon had once stood with what seemed to be a defensive talisman, now there was nothing left.


    At first glance, it might seem that the demon had been eliminated. However, Ethan did not think for a moment that this was the case.


    Infact, he shifted his gaze back to the sphere positioned on the seabed and saw the demon''s battered figure there. It was breathing heavily, with an entire part of its body missing.


    "Well, it resisted better than I expected," Ethan thought as he moved and reappeared near the sphere.


    Ethan was well aware of how lethal his attack was, and he was certain it was powerful enough to eliminate even experts of the spiritual realm''s first stage.


    That said, he certainly did not believe he would always succeed with this attack. After all, experts at his level had their own hidden cards to play, just like him. Therefore, his goal with this attack was to inflict as much damage as possible on the other party.


    If the enemy managed to survive the attack, then so be it. But if not, that was fine too because they would certainly sustain some damage.


    Indeed, the half-dead demon had undoubtedly suffered significant damage from it.


    While the battle between Ethan and the demon was reaching a turning point, the fight between Ethan''s clone and the other demons was also coming to a conclusion.


    In the area where four figures had once been clashing, only two now remained.


    Ethan''s clone, although having taken a few hits, appeared relatively unscathed, and the spiritual realm demon at the peak of the first stage, the shadow demon, was in much worse shape, far worse than the clone''s condition.


    Both were in a mid-air stalemate, staring at each other, ready to make the next move.


    The shadow demon, who was in the worse condition, became increasingly frustrated as it saw how relatively unscathed its opponent remained. It recalled how the clone had killed the other two demons one by one.


    The first to fall to the human''s hands was the demon that resembled a werewolf.


    It had lost its life miserably after being chopped into tiny pieces by the other party. Before it could even begin regenerating using demonic Qi, the other party didn''t give it the chance.


    With a mere wave of his hand, the pieces, which had transformed into demonic energy, were sealed within a sphere inscribed with various symbols, which then disappeared from the sight of the other two demons.


    This alarmed both of them, and they tried to overwhelm the clone with their abilities, but they failed miserably.


    They ended up losing the second spiritual realm demon as well, leaving only the one at the peak of the first stage behind.


    To this last demon, it was clear that winning against the human before him was impossible.


    Seeing the fate of his two teammates, he knew he didn''t have much chance of victory. Thus, he decided to take a drastic approach, one he would have preferred not to use unless on the brink of death.


    ''You''ve forced me,'' the shadow demon thought in frustration as its energy level suddenly began to rise.


    Along with it, the mist that surrounded it, which had mostly lost its intensity, started to grow larger and more ferocious, as though the demon had regained its previous strength.


    A mouth appeared on the demon''s face, where there had previously been only shadows and two white circles.


    Immediately, black particles began to accumulate within it. In just a few seconds, the particles condensed further, forming a ball about the size of a basketball.


    The demon, having completed its attack preparation, was about to aim when it froze.


    The human, who had been about 500 meters away a moment ago, now stood literally a step away from him, looking at him with curiosity.


    Before the demon could react, the human spoke:


    "Friend, do you really think I''d just stand here quietly while you prepare your attack in peace?" he said, raising his hand.


    Before the demon could do anything, a dark aura enveloped the human''s hand. Seeing this aura, the demon''s eyes widened as it recognized the energy.


    "How-"


    But before it could even think about the impossible thing it had just witnessed, the human directly grabbed the black ball of energy the demon had condensed with his hand. Without hesitation, he shoved it directly into the demon''s mouth.


    The shadow demon was immediately overcome with fear and tried to resist, but the human immobilized him with his aura.


    Having just used up its last reserves of energy for the attack, the demon was no longer able to resist, and it could only tremble on the spot. S��arch* The N?velFire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Has no one ever told you that if you keep your mouth open, a fly might get in?" Ethan said, his words more of a death sentence for the demon as he directly pushed its own attack into its mouth and sealed it with his aura.


    Then, he put some distance between himself and the demon, which tried everything to reopen its mouth, and watched as the fireworks began to unfold.

 Chapter 273 - 273: A Last Desperate Attempt I

    .


    As soon as the battle in the sky ended, Ethan could feel his clone dissipate and return to his body, bringing with it the demonic Qi of the three demons he hadn''t completely destroyed.


    He had sealed them and sent them directly to the minor dimension, a suitable place to hold them while he finished his battle here.


    He had to admit that the other side was quite persistent.


    The fight between the two continued for a while longer, and during this new exchange of blows, Ethan repeatedly pushed his opponent to the brink of death. Yet, every time, the latter managed to partially recover his energy.


    Ethan had noticed that this seemed to be due to an artifact his opponent was carrying, and he was curious to know what it was.


    After all, it had saved him so many times.


    If he could acquire it and use it himself, it would be like having extra lives.


    But he could tell the artifact came at a heavy price, and from what he could observe, the other side could no longer use it.


    He prepared to finally put an end to this battle.


    It had been a good fight, as it had allowed him to test some of his new techniques as well as his recently acquired strength.


    Now he could say with absolute certainty that unless the other side had some strange and powerful artifact, as long as they were in the spiritual realm''s first stage, it was impossible for him to lose.


    Even more so after his stat limits had increased twice, reaching a very high point even for him.


    Although he hadn''t yet reached the high-level limit of the first stage, he was certain he''d get close to it after absorbing these four demons.


    With that in mind, as Ethan was ready to make his next move, the other side, who at this point also realized they were nearing the end of the line,


    looked toward the human who had pushed him to this state.


    Finally, gritting his teeth, he couldn''t help but say:


    "Who would''ve thought that I, Yi Tiao, would be brought to this state, and by a mere human no less," he said, frustrated.


    But he didn''t care if the other side heard him and added:


    "Since we''ve come to this point, let me leave you a parting gift. I''m sure you''ll appreciate it," he said as a dark red aura began to emanate from him.


    A cold presence began to spread from him, and with a deadly calm, the demon raised a hand.


    His skin started tearing along the surface of his flesh, causing black, pitch-like blood to spill out.


    The blood mixed with the surrounding water, creating a visible distortion in the current.


    Each drop dispersed into the water, emitting a faint flame visible even in the darkness of the ocean depths, where no light could reach.


    Seeing this scene, both Ethan and Bai Yu, who was at a safe distance, felt a bad premonition.


    Bai Yu, in particular, narrowed her gaze as she noticed a detail. She quickly sent a mental communication to Ethan to warn him of the danger:


    "Ethan, we need to stop him immediately! We can''t let him comple-"


    Unfortunately for both of them, her warning came too late, as Yi Tiao, with a decisive move, drew dark symbols in the water with his own blood.


    The marks floated and intertwined, forming an ancient seal that pulsed with an unsettling power.


    Each symbol created concentric waves that expanded across the vast sea, like ripples on a calm surface but with a force that shook the depths.


    Then, with an agonizing scream that echoed in the darkness, the demon chanted an ancient spell, and the surrounding water began to twist and boil.


    A deep tremor shook the ocean depths, and the marine currents froze, while the formation around him exploded into a vortex of purple energy.


    The waves went wild, rising higher, and the demon, with a powerful gesture, directed his demonic essence toward the series of symbols he had created.


    They quickly began forming a new sequence, and soon a beam of red light shot downward from them.


    ''Oh no.''


    Directly beneath the area where the demon had erected the formation was the black-red sphere, which, struck by the beam, began to pulse with energy.


    Soon, reality itself started to fracture around it.


    Ethan, seeing all of this, immediately asked Bai Yu what was happening, only to notice that she seemed to have vanished.


    And by vanished, he meant completely disappeared.


    ''Wait, what?!''


    He usually wouldn''t panic in a situation like this because he and Bai Yu shared a mental bond that allowed them to sense each other even if they were on opposite sides of the world.


    Yet, in this moment, he couldn''t feel her presence or that bond at all.


    Just as he was wondering what was happening, the cracks that had spread further and further from the black sphere finally fractured, revealing what lay behind them.


    "In the name of the heavens, what the hell is that?" he murmured as an almost unsettling sight unfolded before him.


    The entire area, which moments ago had been filled with cracks, no longer showed the view of the ocean''s deep waters but rather complete darkness that seemed to expand endlessly in every direction.


    The demon Yi Tiao, who had now been almost entirely consumed by the formation he had just created using himself, spoke before even the last part of him was completely obliterated:


    "Hahaha! If I were you, I''d get comfortable," he said, laughing like a madman who had lost his last shred of sanity. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Now that the portal is open, both you and this plane are doomed," he said as the rest of him disappeared, leaving behind only his laughter, which echoed for a while before fading away as well.


    "The portal? That lunatic actually activated the portal directly in the mortal plane!"


    Ethan immediately realized that the situation was far more problematic than he had expected.


    He had wondered what that thing was and why the amphora reacted to it.


    It turned out that the sphere was precisely the means by which the demons intended to attack. And unfortunately for him,


    the sphere had been activated right here in the mortal plane.

 Chapter 274 - 274: A Last Desperate Attempt II

    .


    Ethan knew that if even one of those beings beyond the first stage of the spiritual rank were to cross the portal, it would mean the end for the mortal plane as well as for him.


    Although he was worried about Bai Yu''s sudden disappearance, he decided to first address the more immediate problem: the sphere.


    The sphere, which had previously remained dormant on the seabed, was now releasing more and more energy, feeding the formation that the demon had erected before disintegrating.


    The formation was fracturing reality at an incredible speed, and if it continued at this pace, it was certain that the portal would open completely and become much larger.


    He wasted no more time and immediately summoned five talismans in the air, each with a different set of symbols on it. Without hesitation, he released these talismans while infusing his Qi into them.


    Soon, all five began to glow, each with its own distinct color.


    The talismans started to move as if they had a will of their own and soon positioned themselves in a circle, while luminous lines began to emerge from each of them, intertwining with one another.


    Each intersection of the lines formed a series of small formations, and these small formations, arranged in a certain way, in turn formed larger ones, ultimately creating a greater circular formation.


    The process, which seemed as if it should take several minutes, was completed in just a few seconds.


    Seeing that the formation had been successfully erected, Ethan activated it immediately. Large quantities of spiritual Qi from the surrounding environment began to accumulate within it.


    Soon, a small luminous shape appeared within the formation. It grew larger and larger, revealing itself to be a radiant white sword of light.


    Without hesitation, Ethan made a gesture with his hand, and the sword, now several meters in size, rose into the air. Its blade was soon aimed at the black sphere.


    Without wasting any time, Ethan made another gesture with his hand, and the sword vanished from its position, streaking forward at an imperceptible speed.


    This was a technique he had learned from Bai Yu during one of their training sessions.


    It was a sword formation based on the five elements of nature, designed to generate a powerful attack.


    At Ethan''s current level, it was strong enough to kill even a cultivator at the second stage of the spiritual rank.


    Ethan didn''t know how strong the sphere was, so he didn''t bother launching a series of attacks.


    Instead, he immediately opted for one of his most powerful techniques:


    the Five Elements Sword Formation.


    In an instant, the sword appeared before the black sphere. Immediately after, a powerful explosion could be heard, one that far surpassed the one generated by his earlier Blue Lotus Flame attack.


    The explosion, which should have been strong enough to reach even the water''s surface several miles above, strangely did not occur.


    "What?"


    Ethan, who had even prepared himself to withstand the explosion from his attack, was stunned when he saw that the sword, which had struck the luminous sphere directly, not only failed to destroy it but didn''t even leave the slightest scratch on its smooth surface.


    Before he could even consider his next move, he watched as the sword suddenly disintegrated, and in an instant, the pure energy particles it had generated were absorbed by the sphere, which now seemed slightly brighter.


    ''Did it just absorb the energy of the attack?'' he thought, somewhat shocked by what had just happened.


    He had hoped to destroy the sphere with that attack, but not only had it done no damage, it had been absorbed, further accelerating the process.


    Needless to say, this only increased the pressure on Ethan, who was now watching as the cracks in reality expanded ever more rapidly upwards.


    At this point, the portal''s size had grown to nearly a mile wide, and at this rate, he could tell it would soon reach the water''s surface in no time.


    ''Damn it, the situation is getting out of hand,'' he thought, frantically searching for a way to destroy that thing.


    Finally, an idea came to him, and his eyes widened for a moment as he thought:


    ''This�� this might actually work,''


    Without wasting time, he immediately darted toward the sphere, appearing right next to it in an instant.


    ''Let''s hope this works,'' he thought as he placed both hands on the sphere.


    He wasn''t sure what the sphere was made of or how to break it, especially since even his strongest attack had failed against it.


    However, he could tell that the sphere contained an enormous amount of highly concentrated demonic Qi, a concentration unlike anything he had ever felt before.


    If he were to compare it to the amount he had received from Mo Yan when he had absorbed it, he could estimate it would take more than a thousand Mo Yans to condense such an amount of demonic Qi.


    Even that estimate was likely very conservative, the actual amount could be far greater.


    His idea was to use his physique to absorb as much demonic Qi as possible to weaken the sphere and then try to destroy it once again.


    After all, the Five Elements Sword Formation was still active, and he was already preparing the next strike.


    The reason he hadn''t considered absorbing all of the Qi at once was because he knew that no matter how good his ability to absorb and metabolize demonic Qi was, there was no way he could handle such a vast amount in such a short period of time.


    He knew that his physique seemed to store the excess Qi for later when he was ready to absorb it, but he was certain that even this had a limit, and that limit was almost certainly far too small for the amount of Qi contained in the sphere.


    ''Yes, I can feel it,'' he thought with relief as he used his energy to draw out the demonic Qi within it.


    Although he couldn''t affect the sphere''s surface, he had noticed that transferring energy into it was possible.


    In other words, if energy could enter, it could also exit.


    What he needed to do now was create a bridge through which he could absorb the demonic Qi, or at least, that was the plan. But what happened next was, once again, completely outside of his expectations.


    It seemed that his contact with the energy sphere had triggered a certain object within his spiritual sea.


    Before he could even begin the process of extracting the demonic Qi, the Amphora of the Seven Sages reacted violently. S��arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Various runes on it began to manifest, and soon after, it released a massive wave of energy that quickly spread in all directions within Ethan''s spiritual sea.

 Chapter 275 - 275: The Amphora Takes Action

    .


    The occasions in which the amphora had directly helped Ethan throughout the time he possessed the artifact had been very few. Yet, every time the amphora acted, something extremely dire was about to happen to him.


    This time as well, the amphora stepped in to save him once again.


    The sphere of energy unleashed by the amphora instantly enveloped his sea of consciousness, but it didn''t stop there.


    It continued to expand, and before Ethan could even attempt to absorb the demonic Qi within the sphere, a glowing dot appeared on his forehead, which soon spread to cover his entire body.


    Before he could comprehend what was happening, the layer of yellow light surrounding Ethan''s body expanded furiously outward, engulfing the reddish-black sphere in front of him, and continued to grow, spreading farther and farther in every direction.


    ''Why is the amphora acting?'' he thought, confused but also on high alert.


    He could tell that the amphora did not act for trivial matters, and based on his past experiences, he understood that if it was acting, it was doing so for a good reason, most likely related to him.


    The expansion of the yellow energy sphere continued at high speed in all directions, and at a certain point, it even reached the black darkness of the portal, which had been advancing relentlessly.


    Soon, the sphere exceeded its initial range, and before long, it swallowed even that.


    Just as Ethan was uncertain about what the amphora was trying to accomplish, the yellow energy sphere that had expanded so massively finally began to slow its progress once it had completely enveloped the ever-growing darkness.


    In just a few more seconds, it stopped altogether.


    To Ethan''s surprise, it wasn''t just the expansion of the energy sphere that halted.


    The opening of the portal itself, upon reaching the edges of the sphere, stopped and could no longer expand further.


    "Is it trying to stop the portal''s opening?" Ethan murmured, confused yet slightly relieved to see that the portal had finally been halted.


    He wasn''t sure if this was the amphora''s intent, but he felt comforted knowing that whatever it was doing, it was working.


    Now the question remained: what to do about the portal?


    Should he continue with his plan and take advantage of the time the amphora had just bought him?


    Thinking this was the best course of action, he prepared to absorb the demonic Qi, but once again, before he could begin to do anything, the energy sphere that had halted the portal''s expansion began to tremble and started to shrink.


    Along with it, the darkness also began to compress. But unlike before, when the expansion had been rapid yet required several seconds, this time it was much faster.


    Almost instantaneous.


    In a moment, the energy sphere collapsed inward, taking with it both the darkness and the black sphere.


    To Ethan''s surprise, those two weren''t the only things taken away by the energy sphere, he too was pulled in, or more precisely, he was sucked into the compressed darkness.


    "Wha-"


    Ethan didn''t have time to process what had just happened because everything occurred literally in an instant.


    In that instant, the darkness that had begun to engulf the seabed disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind but the desolate ocean floor as it had been before, with the sole exception that in a radius of several miles around this area, there were no living creatures.


    ***


    Within Ethan''s sea of consciousness,


    deep beneath the infinite water mirror, a figure was floating.


    The figure showed no sign of consciousness as it drifted, immersed in this spiritual sea of consciousness.


    Ethan, who was floating deep beneath the water mirror, finally showed some sign of life.


    His eyebrows furrowed slightly before they slowly began to open. S��arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn''t know how long he had been unconscious, but finally, as he regained his senses, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.


    For a moment, he felt disoriented, his vision somewhat blurred, but he immediately recognized that this was his sea of consciousness.


    ''How did I end up here?'' he thought, still very confused, as he began to stabilize himself slowly.


    The last thing he remembered was being sucked into the energy sphere released by the amphora.


    He didn''t expect to wake up, not in the physical world, but rather in his sea of consciousness.


    More importantly, he wasn''t even on the surface but deep beneath the water mirror, a place he hadn''t even known he could reach.


    Though he was in spirit form, he felt a slight headache. Having been used to not experiencing such effects for centuries, he had to admit it was unsettling.


    After the early stages of the mortal realm, headaches and other minor conditions like this ceased to exist.


    Experiencing them again after so long was unexpected, though nothing he couldn''t endure.


    Finally regaining both mental and visual clarity, he was able to fully perceive his surroundings, though there wasn''t much to perceive in the first place.


    After all, he was in his sea of consciousness, where there wasn''t much aside from himself, the amphora, and Bai Yu.


    "Wait, Bai Yu��"


    He suddenly remembered her and quickly tried to sense the soul trace she had left sealed within him, allowing her to remain in the mortal realm, as well as providing a means of communication with him.


    "It''s gone��"


    Ethan tried sensing it multiple times but found no trace of her soul. Worse still, he couldn''t even detect the aura of the seal.


    "What the hell is going on?" he thought, preparing to return to the surface to check on the amphora.


    He needed to see if Bai Yu''s seal runes were still active. After all, there were still three remaining, and if they were still functioning, it would mean she was still here somewhere.


    Just as he expanded his perception to locate the direction in which to head, his senses detected something.


    "What are these presences?"


    Deep within the spiritual sea of his mind, Ethan had no sense of what was up or down.


    His orientation was compromised, so he needed to reestablish it. But as he expanded his perception to get a sense of the place and determine where to go, he immediately detected the presence of something nearby.


    "This feeling�� it''s the same as back then," he thought, a bit relieved but also confused.


    The first time he encountered Bai Yu was when she was still in the form of a beast sealed beneath his spiritual sea, and back then, he could feel her presence in the depths.


    The sensation he was experiencing now was the same, but this time, it wasn''t a single presence, but three.

 Chapter 276 - 276: Lost Team Mates

    .


    The three presences he had detected were very close, and it only took him a few moments to reach the location.


    He was currently wandering in complete darkness, much like when he was deep underwater before, unable to see much due to the lack of light in the area.


    The situation here was the same, except that when he was in the ocean, he could still see something thanks to his improved eyesight and highly developed senses, which gave him an idea of ??his surroundings.


    Here, he had none of these advantages, so he could only follow his perception and float in that direction at a moderate speed.


    He arrived at the place very quickly, and just like before, the sight in front of him was no different from before.


    All black.


    The only good thing was that here, his perception was clearer, as he was now closer to the presences he had detected.


    "Wait, what..."


    He immediately began to probe the three presences now much closer to him.


    They were at a proper distance from each other, with one behind him, another to his left, and the last directly in front of him.


    As soon as he began to probe them, he started to get an idea of what they were, since in his mind he could reconstruct what his perception was examining, and the more he continued to examine, the more shocked he became.


    He didn''t know what these presences were, but whatever they were, he hadn''t expected them to be this large.


    Maybe the word "large" wasn''t adequate.


    Huge, they were extremely huge, and this was just the beginning.


    The more Ethan perceived their shapes, the more stunned he became, because he had finally started to form a partial image of what they were, S��arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    or in this case, who they were.


    "Wait, these could be..."


    As soon as Ethan analyzed the figures, he discovered that the three figures were actually three gigantic beasts, and they were in a very similar condition to Bai Yu when she was regaining part of her strength.


    These three beasts were huge, to say the least, and now that Ethan could perceive them clearly, he felt like an ant standing before them.


    The figure on his right was that of a gigantic phoenix, its wings spread as if it were ready to take flight at any moment.


    To his left was the elegant but imposing figure of a Qilin, its body relaxed with its legs slightly bent, and its head slightly lowered, which didn''t hide the pair of long antlers, while like the phoenix, it was in a dormant state.


    Finally, the most massive figure, if not the most bizarre in Ethan''s eyes, stood before him.


    It was what appeared to be a mix of a bull and a turtle, due to its back, which resembled an enormous shell similar to that of a turtle.


    Ethan instinctively compared it to a Xuanwu, but then noticing that it lacked the typical snake-like tail that should rest on its shell, he reconsidered, but none of that was important at that moment.


    The problem was that in his spiritual sea there were now three awe-inspiring beasts, each of which exuded an otherworldly aura.


    He didn''t know what level of cultivation these beasts possessed, but he could tell it was far superior to his own.


    Just being near them made him feel small.


    At first, he didn''t know who they were or how they had appeared here, but then remembering that Bai Yu was in a similar situation, he thought they must have been sealed in the amphora in the past as well.


    Even more importantly, he remembered what Bai Yu had told him when he first met her:


    "She said that she and her companions had been sent into the amphora by Ying Hua."


    This realization made his eyes widen as he began to understand who they could be.


    "A Qilin, a phoenix... yeah, probably, it''s really them," he thought, remembering a conversation she had with him a long time ago.


    He had then asked her how her former traveling companions were. and she told him that their group had been made up of just five members in total, herself, Ying Hua, and three others.


    He was sure these three were the rest of the group she had traveled with, but at this point, he couldn''t help but wonder,


    why now?


    He already had a certain control over the amphora, and with his soul strength now very high, he should have noticed the presence of these three a long time ago.


    Yet, until now, he had no idea they existed.


    He only knew that she had been sealed along with others, but where these others were, he didn''t know, and even she, who had once thought they were sealed somewhere here just as she had been, had begun to doubt this.


    For all he knew, they could have already been freed before her, but this also seemed unlikely. After all, for that to happen, the amphora would have had to activate, just as it did when he acquired it.


    She had immediately sensed it back then, so it was impossible that she hadn''t sensed any previous activation before that.


    "So it turns out they were just hidden here all this time?"


    He wasn''t sure what exactly was happening, but he could only get a vague idea of the situation.


    ''The amphora decided to reveal them only now, but why?'' he thought, growing more and more confused.


    He still didn''t know why he couldn''t wake up, and now this... everything was becoming too confusing for him to make sense of his current situation.


    Just as he was thinking about what to do next, a change, almost imperceptible, occurred in the surrounding environment.


    Hm?


    Ethan wasn''t sure what it was, but soon the three figures, which had been in a dormant state until just a moment ago, began to emanate a slight pressure.


    The pressure gradually increased, while an aura of different colors surrounded each of them, covering all three.


    Ethan wasn''t certain what was happening, but he used his mental strength to protect his soul from the increasing pressure he felt, while looking ahead and noticing that even the environment, which had been completely dark, was beginning to light up, allowing him to see the full appearance of these three enormous figures with his eyes.


    He had to admit that now that he saw them a little more clearly, their appearances were even more majestic, and they emanated a natural aura of sovereignty.


    He didn''t know how to describe it best, but the more he felt the pressure increase, the more he struggled to resist.


    Soon, he noticed a visible change in all of them, as these three figures, which until just a moment ago had been sleeping, all began to open their eyes.


    Or at least, that''s what he thought. But instead of seeing their eyes, he only found three pairs of yellow lights in their eye sockets, while their bodies began to glow brighter and brighter.


    The phoenix was soon covered by an orange-red aura, emanating a powerful fire element aura.


    The Qilin, on the other hand, was enveloped by a bluish-green aura, which emitted a sensation of freshness,


    and finally, the enormous figure, which seemed to be a mix of a bull and a turtle, emitted a brown-yellowish aura that seemed to reflect the element of earth.


    These auras, which covered the figures of all three, exploded in power, while the figures of all three became less and less visible,


    and before he could even get used to the constantly changing situation, the three auras moved, speeding upwards, taking the three beasts with them.


    Ethan was stunned by the entire situation, but he immediately followed the three auras.


    He wasn''t at their speed, but somehow, he was still able to follow them to some extent.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed, but at one point, a light began to appear.


    ''That... could it be the surface of the spiritual sea?'' he thought as he saw the three figures emerge into the light and disappear immediately.


    Seeing this, he accelerated and moved closer and closer to the light, finally arriving near it.


    Without hesitation, he didn''t stop and plunged in too.

 Chapter 277 - 277: Unknown Place

    .


    With a sudden jolt, Ethan finally wakes up.


    Just a moment ago, he was following the three beasts that were heading upwards, toward what he initially thought was the surface of the water in his sea of consciousness, but it seemed he was mistaken.


    As soon as he reached the place, he opened his eyes and appeared to have woken up in the real world, or at least so he believed.


    He didn''t know why, but just the act of opening his eyes seemed like an extremely difficult task.


    "Am I injured?" he wondered as he tried to get up, but he felt a searing pain throughout his entire body.


    He wasn''t sure what exactly had happened in the outside world while he was unconscious, but it seemed that somehow, he had been severely injured.


    While lying down, he could feel a hard and rough surface beneath him.


    Even though Ethan''s body was injured, he could still use a bit of spiritual energy and could tell that he was lying on a rocky surface.


    He wasn''t sure how he had ended up here, but it was still better than remaining unconscious on the seabed.


    That said, he initially thought he might be on an island or something similar near the site of the incident, but instead, he found himself in a completely unknown place.


    He had barely regained a bit of visual clarity, and the first thing that appeared in front of his eyes was... the void.


    "Where the hell am I?"


    he thought, unable to see absolutely anything.


    For a moment, he thought he had gone blind, but he soon dismissed that thought.


    Although his vision only showed complete darkness, in his peripheral view, he could notice something.


    However, lying motionless as he was, he couldn''t determine what it was.


    With effort, he circulated some spiritual energy from his dantian to let it flow through his meridians and repair his damaged body, but just as he began to circulate it, he encountered his second problem.


    "This can''t be happening," Ethan thought, frustrated as he felt every single meridian in his body was unusable.


    It seemed that his meridians had also been damaged, and from their current condition, he could tell they needed external medicines and treatments to be repaired before he could start the internal process.


    He summoned the system, and luckily for him, the screen appeared.


    With everything that had happened recently, he wouldn''t have been surprised if the system had also stopped responding.


    At this moment, he was even struggling to perform an internal scan and couldn''t access his spiritual sea.


    If he could, he would have checked immediately to see if anything had changed within the amphora, but it seemed that for now, he''d have to do without that. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (advanced)


    QI: 100M / 100M


    Physique: Heavenly Body of the Sacred Flames


    Strength: 30,000 �� 42,576


    Agility: 30,000 �� 36,427


    Intelligence: 21,114


    Soul Strength: 4,982


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 468M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    Looking at the information on the status screen, he didn''t see any apparent changes, although he was certain that if there had been an HP statistic, it would currently show a massive drop in health.


    Wasting no more time, he pulled a couple of Level 4 healing pills from his storage and swallowed them without chewing, ingesting them directly.


    Doing so would hurt him more than help, as in optimal conditions, his body would be capable of metabolizing the pill and digesting its healing properties where they were needed. But in his current state, he couldn''t afford to do that.


    He would have to swallow the pill as it was and then gradually consume it from within by using his spiritual Qi and directing it personally to where it was needed.


    Needless to say, this was the process low-level cultivators usually underwent when using healing pills or pills that helped gather Qi a bit faster.


    It was something that took time, and Ethan, who was currently unable to move, had only this to do so he proceeded.


    The medicine''s effects, though slow, were quite effective, and finally, after a couple of hours, he recovered enough to move his body without having to endure a sea of pain.


    He stood up and found a nearby boulder to climb onto to gain a slightly broader view of the place.


    He didn''t know why, but for some reason, even though his health had somewhat recovered, he still couldn''t use his spiritual sense.


    It was as if the ability to do so was still there, ready to be utilized, but the moment he tried, the Qi he used to sense would vanish into thin air.


    Ethan was somewhat puzzled by this, but for now, he had more immediate problems to deal with.


    "I need to fully recover first," he thought as he attempted to enter his spiritual dimension once again.


    Earlier, he had been unable to do so, even though the system seemed to be functioning, and he wasn''t sure why that was.


    But now that he had recovered, he felt that he might be able to, so with a mental command, he teleported and entered his minor dimension.


    Within the minor dimension, on a circular platform with a cone-shaped roof, two people were seated, seemingly having lunch.


    One was a young man who didn''t look older than twenty, and the other was a charming girl who bore some resemblance to the boy.


    The two were none other than the Guo siblings.


    After remaining in the minor dimension for such a long time, both of them had now reached an age well over 100 years, yet their appearance still looked very young.


    This was because, during this period, they had not only advanced in age but also in cultivation.


    In fact, both siblings had reached a very high level of cultivation for their age.


    Guo Tao had reached the peak of the mortal realm and was close to ascending to the spiritual realm.


    He was just one small step away from ascension.


    Had it been up to him, he would have taken that step long ago, but Ethan had told him to take his time to stabilize his cultivation properly and prepare adequately before ascending.

 Chapter 278 - 278: The Guo Siblings

    .


    This is because, unlike his sister, Guo Tao had a cultivation talent that was very average, and it was not wrong to say that if it weren''t for Ethan''s help,


    who had provided him with all the resources necessary to walk his cultivation path smoothly, he would still be at the fourth or, worse, the third stage of the mortal realm.


    Thus, Ethan told him to take his time and do all the steps properly to avoid ending up with weak foundations that would only hinder his future progress.


    That said, unlike Guo Tao, his sister, Guo Lan, had not remained in the mortal realm and had already advanced to the spiritual realm several years ago.


    Although the cultivation of the two siblings had progressed hand-in-hand up to a certain point, Guo Tao''s cultivation needed to stabilize properly toward the end, while Guo Lan''s did not.


    This was due to her special physique, which allowed her to cultivate comfortably without encountering too many difficulties, even more so because she had been taken under Bai Yu''s wing, who personally guided her.


    This further accelerated her cultivation base, which ultimately reached the spiritual realm.


    At present, she was very close to reaching the intermediate level of the first stage of cultivation, and in this sense, she was very near to Ethan.


    However, if one were to consider not cultivation but strength, then Ethan was still several steps ahead, enough to suppress her as if she were still in the mortal realm. This, of course, was due to his rich arsenal, which ranged from his special physical body to his dragon bloodline, and so on...


    If someone were to see them now, they would think they had an easy path because they had lived in a secure place and cultivated under the guidance of beings at the level of Bai Yu and Ethan.


    But only the two of them knew what torturous training they had to endure to get to where they were now.


    Guo Lan, in particular, being taken as Bai Yu''s direct disciple, had been the one most tortured...


    Cough,


    trained, of the two.


    From being thrown into the Beast Forest for several years, where she had to learn to survive while honing her combat techniques, to successfully passing the ice trial that Bai Yu personally prepared to train her element, she had her fair share of experiences.


    But if she had to choose to do those things again, she would gladly do them because, in the end, the results were nothing short of exceptional.


    And so the two siblings enjoyed their dinner before each returning to their respective tasks.


    Or at least, that was their plan, but...


    Swish.


    Soon, next to the wooden platform with a cone shaped roof, a figure of a person appeared.The two, having an idea of ??who he might be, rushed to welcome him.


    They expected to see the familiar figure of Ethan, accompanied by Bai Yu, but what they saw shocked them both.


    ***


    Ethan, who had just arrived in his minor dimension, wasted no time and immediately began the process of healing his body.


    He was glad that his body wasn''t irreparably damaged because, in some cases, he would have had to destroy it and rebuild it from scratch, just as he had done when he ascended into the spiritual realm, a process that would have taken some time this time, since he didn''t need to ascend but rather rebuild himself and restore his cultivation base to its original state. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In other words, he had to start all over again.


    The only advantage in all of this was that, unlike before, when there were specific steps to be taken for each stage of every realm, this time, he would only need to cultivate, something at which he was an expert,since just making a few level 4 pills would be enough to restore his cultivation to its previous state.


    But fortunately for him, he didn''t have to do that .


    "How did you end up in this state, and what happened to Bai Yu? Why can''t I sense her presence?" asked Yao Hua as she finished repairing Ethan''s body.


    Thanks to her high affinity with the wood element, she was the most skilled in this field, and indeed, she managed to restore Ethan in less than an hour.


    That said, she had to admit that, although it didn''t take too long overall, she had to do her best since Ethan''s body was severely damaged.


    Ethan''s condition, coupled with the fact that Bai Yu the person who was practically always present when he was here, wasn''t around, caused some concern.


    Even the Guo siblings, who had found Ethan in this condition earlier, were there, waiting silently for him to recover and give an explanation of what had happened.


    However, the three of them were not the only ones here. Another person was also present, someone who had become Ethan''s subordinate some time ago.


    Chen Yixue, the woman from the group of three demonic cultivators who had become Ethan''s subordinates.


    Ever since they had submitted to Ethan, the three had worked and cultivated in the minor dimension the entire time, and only recently did they have the chance to leave.


    They had practically remained in this dimension for more than two centuries now, and at this point, their cultivation bases, which had been slightly above that of a cultivator at the fourth stage, had now reached the spiritual realm.


    Once they reached this level, Ethan decided to position them on the three continents to ensure that, while he was away, they would prevent any wars from breaking out among the continents.


    He had sent the two male cultivators to the human and beast continents, while Chen Yixue was supposed to be assigned to the continent recently purified.


    However, she hadn''t had the chance to do so as this situation arose before she could leave.


    Thus, among the three, she was the only one who remained here. And currently, like the Guo siblings and the elemental spirit, she was also waiting for Ethan to finish being healed.


    "Thank''s Hua," said Ethan as he finally felt his body brimming with energy, just like before.


    He then looked at the expressions of everyone else and took a deep breath as he said:


    "I assume you all have questions for me."

 Chapter 279 - 279: Too Many Unanswered Questions

    .


    Ethan summarized what had happened before and after the incident with the four demons of the spiritual realm, explaining how he ended up in that state.


    They knew that Ethan had gone to deal with those demons, so they immediately assumed that these demons might have been too powerful, and as a result, Ethan ended up in that condition. However, after his explanation, they understood that this was not the case.


    Naturally, Bai Yu''s absence worried everyone, especially because even Ethan himself was unable to contact or perceive her, which was a cause for concern for all.


    Guo Lan, in particular, had already grown very fond of Bai Yu, and although they had a master-disciple relationship, to Ethan''s eyes, they seemed more like sisters.


    Ethan could tell that the wolf girl had started to see Bai Yu as an older sister, and personally, he thought this was a good thing.


    Clearly, the two siblings had their fair share of difficulties after their parents'' death. Thus, seeing them now healthy and strong, capable of standing on their own two feet, made Ethan feel that perhaps it wasn''t such a bad idea to have taken them in.


    That being said, he naturally omitted the part where he had ended up in his spiritual sea, as well as the matter of the three beasts, whose whereabouts even Ethan himself had no idea of.


    He had thought of taking a look at his sea of consciousness after recovering, and now that he had, he figured it was the right moment to do so.


    So, after explaining the situation and calming the others, he materialized in his sea of consciousness.


    ''Let''s hope to find some answers here,'' he thought as he raised his gaze to locate the enormous amphora suspended in the sky of his sea of consciousness.


    "Wait, isn''t that..."


    Ethan had expected to see some changes in the amphora, more specifically in the runes on it, but he certainly hadn''t anticipated the sight of what was floating beside it.


    Due to the series of events that had unfolded, Ethan had almost forgotten about the reddish-black sphere, which, just like him, had been absorbed by the amphora.


    Who would have thought that the thing would end up in his sea of consciousness?


    ''It seems like the amphora has sealed it,'' he thought as he observed a large rune surrounded by thin inscriptions forming chains wrapped around the black sphere.


    Ethan studied the rune and discovered that it was written in the ancient language of the demons.


    "Seal of the Heavenly Prison."


    Ethan naturally managed to read the characters used, and he had to admit that the naming sense for these sealing techniques was rather peculiar.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what this "Heavenly Prison" referred to, but he had a feeling it had nothing to do with the Celestial Plane.


    That said, he could tell that while the seal was very powerful, he would have been capable of releasing it, though he had no reason to do so at the moment. S��arch* The N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the large amount of demonic Qi to absorb was tempting, he had a more pressing matter to attend to.


    He shifted his gaze toward the enormous body of the amphora and immediately located the section of runes representing Bai Yu''s seal.


    "The runes... they''re missing."


    He had a vague idea of why Bai Yu might have suddenly disappeared, but he didn''t want to believe it. After all, they had agreed to resolve the matter on the mortal plane and ascend together afterward.


    He had the feeling that she hadn''t deliberately released the seals. After all, though the situation had been problematic, it wasn''t so dire as to force her into making such a decision.


    Moreover, there was the matter of the other three beasts that had been awakened in his sea of consciousness.


    He immediately noticed that, along with the runes that formed part of Bai Yu''s seal, several others were missing. He could tell that those were most likely the runes that represented the seals on the other three beasts.


    But now the question arose spontaneously.


    Why were all four completely freed? And why during that particular incident?


    He knew that the amphora was an extremely powerful artifact, perhaps one of the most powerful of all time. Thus, he was sure it had its own consciousness,or at least a level of awareness substantial enough to make decisions, such as releasing Bai Yu''s companions as well.


    But if it had done so, then it must have had a reason. And what that reason was, Ethan didn''t know.


    "Haa... I don''t think I''ll find answers here," he thought.


    Even though his bond with the artifact had grown stronger, he still couldn''t understand its intentions, much less communicate with it.


    He could tell that it could perform small actions, like releasing the seal that had remained on Bai Yu, but aside from these minor things, there wasn''t much else he could do at the moment.


    So, he didn''t waste any more time and exited his sea of consciousness.


    Now that he had recovered, it was time for him to figure out what kind of place he had ended up in.


    Yao Hua had asked if she could accompany him, saying she could be of help, but he refused.


    He had his means to save himself in case of extreme danger, but he wasn''t sure if he could save her as well.


    He was in an unfamiliar place, most likely brought here by the previously semi-open portal. As such, danger could very well be lurking around every corner.


    So, he took no further risks and set off alone.


    He reappeared on the boulder he had climbed earlier to get a better view of the area.


    Once there, he expanded his spiritual sense again, trying to see if this time it would work. Unfortunately for him, he failed once more.


    "It''s as if the medium to expand it is missing," he thought.


    Usually, spiritual sense could take various forms.


    From the kind where he perceived the surrounding auras emitting invisible waves he could detect, to the one where he emitted an imperceptible wave of spiritual energy to scan the area he could cover, but none of this was working.


    Or, to be precise, the waves of spiritual energy he tried to release dissipated immediately, as if this place itself did not allow their existence.


    It was as though they refused to function here, but in a more metaphorical sense.


    He reflected on this for a while, then decided to try something else.


    "Let''s see if this works."


    This time, he didn''t use his pure Qi. Instead, he released his demonic energy and attempted to launch a spiritual wave.


    "It works."

 Chapter 280 - 280: An Elf?

    .


    Ethan had simply thought that if his spiritual sense based on positive energy wasn''t working, perhaps the one relying on negative energy might work.


    After all, the sensation he was experiencing felt as though spiritual energy wasn''t in its usual sphere of influence, which made it impossible for him to use it here.


    He wasn''t entirely sure how to describe the situation, but trying wouldn''t hurt.


    Even if it didn''t work, that would be fine; after all, he still had his own strength. He could fly, explore the area, and so on.


    What was initially just a guess turned out to be correct. Ethan could immediately perceive the vastness of this land.


    His demonic sense, as he decided to call it, traveled rapidly in all directions, covering an increasingly wide radius.


    One mile, two miles, three... six miles.


    At first, Ethan expected that the place he had ended up in was a part of a continent or something similar.


    But soon, he realized that the total dimensions of this so-called piece of land were only six miles, and not uniformly so.


    It was six miles in length and a little over four miles in width.


    The shape of the landmass was irregular for obvious reasons, but the issue was that this piece of land didn''t have anything else beyond itself.


    In the sense that there was no sea not ahead, not around it, not even underneath.


    It was as though this piece of land was floating in a void, and he said "void" because he could literally perceive nothing else.


    "What kind of place have I ended up in?" he thought as he continued to expand his sense to see if he could detect anything else. And then...


    ''Are those... chains?''


    Ethan kept expanding his sense and soon discovered that the piece of land to the east of where he was located was connected to what appeared to be gigantic chains stretching forward for several miles.


    He wasn''t sure what was at the other end of these chains, but he decided to try and find out.


    At that moment, as he was expanding his sense further and further, an oppressive presence seemed to notice his spiritual sense. The moment Ethan sensed the existence of this entity, he stopped immediately.


    ''That thing is stronger than me,'' he thought, instantly perceiving the vast difference in power between himself and the presence he had just felt.


    He knew that, unlike the stages of the mortal realm, where even if the gap in strength was significant, it was nothing compared to the disparity between stages in the spiritual realm.


    In fact, even within the first stage, the increase in power between grades was substantial, and according to Bai Yu, the difference between stages was even greater.


    It was so vast that even for an anomaly like Ethan, who could fight against someone one or two stages higher than him, it would now be problematic to do so.


    The presence he had just felt possessed a level of power many times greater than his. Even though he wasn''t sure precisely what level it was at, he could tell it wasn''t just stage three or four.


    ''did I just risk dying?'' he thought, acknowledging his mistake.


    He had thought that probing the area with his spiritual sense wouldn''t be anything too dangerous, but he had forgotten that he was no longer in the mortal realm but in the spiritual realm instead.


    He still knew too little about this cultivation realm, and this, combined with the fact that he was in an unknown land where demonic Qi seemed to be the functioning energy, made it easy to understand that this place was extremely dangerous.


    He wasn''t sure if the other party had pinpointed his location, so he decided to move away from here while suppressing his presence to avoid being tracked.


    He disappeared and reappeared in a small grove a few miles away from where he had been before.


    He had decided to come here because earlier, while examining the area, he had discovered that there was a small town nearby. So, he decided to head directly there and see what he could learn about this place. After all, even though the place seemed to be floating in a void, it still contained life. He might be able to discover something about this place and perhaps even find a way out.


    From then on, he walked, as he had sensed the presence of what seemed to be guards near the town.


    When he had first noticed their presence, he hadn''t paid much attention, as he had been scanning the area as a whole and hadn''t bothered to examine every detail. But now that he felt their presence again, he could tell that these guards were all at the third stage, and some were even at the fourth stage of the mortal realm.


    "For a town, they certainly have a lot of high-level experts," he thought.


    He would have expected this level of security only in a high-level sect. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, not even high-level sects in the mortal realm had guards of this level.


    At most, they would have cultivators at stages one and two. But stage three and above? That was too strong for mere guard duties. Yet here, it seemed that these power levels weren''t given much significance.


    ''I really need to find time to deal with those three,'' he thought, recalling that he might be able to gain a better understanding if he took care of the three demons defeated by his clone, who were currently sealed and stored in his minor dimension.


    Just as he was a little over a mile away from the town''s entrance, Ethan sensed presences approaching his location.


    He had already felt these presences some time ago but had ignored them since they weren''t on his path. He did, however, wonder why their movements were so irregular. Now, it seemed that they had ended up heading in his direction.


    He didn''t bother changing direction and continued walking forward.


    Finally, after a few more seconds, he heard noises coming from one side of the forest, and soon a small figure emerged.


    When Ethan saw the small figure, he couldn''t help but notice her rather poor condition. He could tell that she was a young human girl, probably no more than fifteen years old.


    ''Hm? she''s not human,'' he thought, noticing a particular detail he had almost overlooked earlier.


    The slim figure, slightly malnourished as though she hadn''t been properly fed for some time now, had silver hair cascading over her shoulders, a small, delicate face that was slightly gaunt with dark circles under her emerald-like eyes, and most importantly, on the sides of her head, she had two long, pointed ears.


    Ethan recalled that even Bai Yu had slightly pointed ears, but he knew that was one of the traits of her human form.


    He remembered almost mistaking her for an elf once.


    But this girl was clearly not from the beast race.


    "Is she an elf?"

 Chapter 281 - 281: Hunt

    .


    In the forest near the town of the Red Moon, a girl with a skinny and malnourished appearance was running desperately.


    Her name was Lin Yu, and she was a slave originally from the town of the Red Moon.


    Unlike most of the slaves who had been captured after their worlds had been attacked, she was born here, so she had never had the opportunity to see the world from where her parents came.


    She had been raised and protected by her parents, and although in a military town like this, where the treatment of war slaves wasn''t exactly the best, she had been fortunate enough to live in safety.


    At least until she was 10 years old, after which hell began for her.


    From the sudden disappearance of her parents to being captured by a slave trader, her life seemed marked.


    But she had been fortunate to catch the attention of a female commander, who decided to buy her and have her work in a mess hall for soldiers so that she could grow up safely and earn a living.


    She lived like this for three years, and although her living conditions were not the best, she was still able to endure and continue living, always trying to stay out of trouble.


    She knew very well that just because she worked in a military mess hall didn''t mean she was safe, even more so because, unlike her, some other slaves who worked here hadn''t had anyone protect them, and had experienced the cruelty of this place.


    The only reason she was safe was because the person who bought her was a commander, and no one dared to do anything bad to her, but that changed when the owner of the mess hall changed, and one of the first things this new person did was sell her to a group of soldiers who had set their eyes on her.


    She thought she would be saved by the commander who had bought her, but the commander had never shown up, most likely on a mission.


    She knew that nothing good would come her way if she resigned to her fate again, so at the first opportunity, she took off and managed to escape the town safely.


    She was able to hide for a few days.


    Just as she thought she might finally be safe and that no one was following her, she was targeted by an arrow that barely missed her heart.


    She wasn''t sure who the attacker was, but she knew it wasn''t anyone good, so she kept running.


    The blood loss, combined with the fact that for the past few days she had been hiding without having eaten anything or having the chance to rest properly, was a heavy blow for her, and in fact, the further she went, the more she felt her strength failing, just as the attacker kept getting closer.


    "No, I don''t want to die,"


    At this point, she didn''t even know where she was running, she only knew that if she stopped, it would be the end for her, so she kept moving forward with the little strength she had left in her body. S��ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Swish


    A rush of wind echoed, and the next second, she found herself on the ground with another arrow, this time in one of her legs.


    The arrow appeared like a silent death sentence, taking away the last spark of hope within her, and unable to endure the pressure from the pain in her chest and the lack of strength due to the great amount of blood she had lost, she passed out right there.


    Her consciousness was slowly dissolving into nothingness, while the regret of not having had the chance to thank the female commander who had saved her that time haunted her, and it accompanied her in what seemed to be her last breath.


    ***


    Ethan, who had seen the elf girl emerge from the forest and keep running, couldn''t help but notice her condition and feel a little concerned.


    "As the first encounter with an inhabitant of this place, it''s quite unusual," he thought to himself while watching the terrible condition of the elf girl, who hadn''t noticed him and kept running forward.


    He had already noticed the arrow sticking out of her back and also saw the other two incoming arrows.


    He made a small gesture with his hand, and one of the two arrows that were coming was deflected a little, which made the girl fall to the ground due to the second arrow.


    He had changed the trajectory of the first arrow because he could tell it was aimed at the girl''s head, and before intervening too much, he wanted to assess the situation.


    A few seconds later, the attackers finally emerged from the forest.


    He didn''t worry about hiding and simply looked in their direction, examining them.


    "Demons."


    He already had an idea of what kind of place this might be, after all, the portal that had brought him here, along with the fact that only demonic energy could be used here, were more than enough clues for him to form an idea of the type of place this could be.


    The attackers were two demons, each wearing armor, with one of them holding a bow and the other wielding what seemed to be a crossbow.


    Ethan could tell they were both cultivators, and judging by their strength, neither of them exceeded the second stage of the mortal realm.


    '' It seems like they''ve used this girl as prey for their hunt,'' he thought.


    The elven girl was clearly not a cultivator, and in fact, there were no traces of spiritual energy or even demonic Qi in her body.


    Ethan wondered why she hadn''t been infected by demonic Qi,


    after all, she had been living in an environment surrounded by demons. It was hard to believe she was still immune to it.


    That being said, he didn''t dwell on it too much and looked over toward the demons who had just emerged, and who had now noticed him.


    "Your hunting skills are getting worse. Look, you can''t even aim at the slave''s head properly," said the one with the bow.


    His companion, who held the crossbow, spat on the ground while pointing it at Ethan.


    "Are you blind or something? It was clearly that guy who deflected the shot," he said, directly addressing Ethan.


    "You, how dare you interfere in my hunt? Do you have a death wish or something?" the demon said, clearly upset about missing the shot.


    At the demon''s accusation, Ethan said nothing and continued to stare at him with a curious look, as if observing a rare species.


    The demon, seeing this, grew even angrier, and his companion, still laughing at him, couldn''t help but pat him on the shoulder and say:


    "Come on, don''t complain. At least now we have an extra prey," he said while turning his gaze toward the elven girl lying unconscious on the ground.


    "It seems like she won''t be able to entertain us anymore, let me finish her off and then I''ll help you with the new prey," said the demon as he raised his bow and materialized an arrow on it.


    Ethan could tell that the arrow had been taken from some kind of spatial object, so he wasn''t surprised.


    He observed these two while thinking to himself.


    He had initially thought of using his demon form to wander around the city because, although he could conceal his presence, doing so in a city where other beings of the spiritual rank most likely resided was not exactly the best choice.


    His only concern was how to blend in among them without being discovered.


    He didn''t know how demons lived with each other, and even though he could rely on his strength to handle most situations, he was sure that an aggressive approach would have only led to his discovery more quickly.


    But looking at these two now, he thought of something.


    ''Well, I could use these two,'' he thought, and as he did, he saw the arrow shoot from the demon''s bow and fly directly toward the elven girl.


    The demon who had shot, put his bow away with a smile on his face, confident in his aim, but just as he did, he heard a rustling sound, followed by a slight pain in his chest.


    ''What?''


    He barely had time to lower his head and see what had struck him before falling to the ground lifeless.


    The demon with the crossbow, who had witnessed his companion''s shot traveling, saw the shot vanish and soon heard the sound of something falling next to him.


    He immediately turned his gaze and saw his companion dead, with his own arrow embedded in his chest.


    ''This aura... what is this?'' he asked himself, trembling in fear, as he sensed a strange aura emanating from the arrow.


    He didn''t know what it was, but if it was strong enough to kill his companion, it couldn''t be anything good.


    With his body trembling, he didn''t even bother to look in the direction of the human and, without hesitation, ran in the opposite direction, knowing full well that the attack had most certainly been the work of the human.


    ''Where the hell did someone like him come from?'' he thought as he used demonic Qi to accelerate his speed and race toward the city.


    ''I have to warn the guards,''


    He knew that whoever it was, wasn''t an opponent he could beat, so he immediately fled the scene, knowing that his only chance now was to reach the city and warn the guards.


    Unfortunately for him, he didn''t even have time for that, because shortly after, he found himself completely drained of strength, and before he could understand what had happened, his vision went dark.

 Chapter 282 - 282: The Elf wakes up

    .


    Ethan wasted no time and, with another gesture of his hand, he completely destroyed the bodies of the two demons, transforming them into spheres of demonic Qi that he took and absorbed.


    He had ensured that their souls were not damaged, so the two spheres, if freed from the seals placed on them, could have completely reconstructed themselves and returned to life.


    But now that they were in Ethan''s hands, they no longer had that possibility and could only accept their fate in silent.


    Ethan didn''t need the entire timeline of their lives, only the part related to this encounter. Therefore, he conducted a quick search of their souls and soon discovered several things.


    Having finished, he could finally focus on planning his next moves.


    He then looked toward the unconscious elf lying on the ground, now drenched in a pool of her own blood.


    It was obvious that if she wasn''t treated soon, she would die on the spot.


    Ethan stared at her a little longer before shaking his head and walking toward her.


    ***


    In a room of an old building, an elven girl was sleeping.


    The building in question had a dated appearance, and anyone passing by wouldn''t think for a second that this was an inn.


    Outside, above the wooden entrance of the building, hung a large sign with the name of the inn: "The Dead''s Haven."


    When Ethan saw it, he immediately thought he was in the wrong place, but according to the information he had extracted from the souls of the two demons, this was a relatively frequented inn by soldiers, offering an environment that was, in a sense, peaceful, and most importantly, away from prying eyes.


    If it weren''t for this last characteristic, he would not have chosen such a place.


    He still remembered how the plump receptionist at the inn''s counter didn''t concern herself at all with the unconscious elf girl on his shoulders, simply asking him what he needed and handing him the key to a room.


    Ethan didn''t have the currency of this place, and while spiritual stones were, in a sense, a universal currency in the mortal plane, they didn''t seem to hold the same value here.


    He had discovered that this place had a counterpart to spiritual stones: demonic stones.


    That said, he used some of the money he found on the dead demon guards and booked the place for a month.


    At the moment, he had just finished healing the elf girl and was absorbing the demonic Qi from the two mortal realm demon soldiers.


    Now that he had time, he could absorb it safely without risking being caught.


    Of course, his minor dimension would have been better for this task, but it wasn''t necessary to go there just to absorb such a small amount of Qi, so he stayed here and quickly absorbed the two demons.


    Ding!


    [You have gained +211 STR]


    [You have gained +150 AGI]


    [You have gained +95 INT]


    [You have gained +32 Soul Strength]


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (advanced)


    QI: 100M / 100M


    Physique: Minor Demonic Physique


    Strength: 42,576 �� 42,787


    Agility: 36,427 �� 36,577


    Intelligence: 21,114 �� 21,289


    Soul Strength: 4,982 �� 5,014


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 468M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    Ethan quickly absorbed the two demons, and just as he thought, the number of stat points gained from the two demons was relatively low, much less than the demons of the mortal rank he killed when he was on the beast continent.


    It wasn''t unexpected, after all, the two were much weaker than those demons, so he didn''t pay too much attention to this small increase in strength.


    He shifted his gaze from his status panel and directed it toward the sleeping elf girl, who now had a much healthier complexion.


    Even the wounds on her leg and the one caused by the arrow that struck her back, nearly grazing her heart, had completely disappeared.


    The elven girl, at this moment, had a slightly furrowed brow, and her eyelids were trembling faintly. sea??h th�� n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ethan thought she might be having a bad dream or something, so he didn''t concern himself too much.


    He had used his wood element to heal the girl, and strangely enough, her body had responded very well to his treatment.


    It seemed she had a certain affinity with the wood element.


    The elf girl''s eyelids trembled a little longer before finally opening.


    Slowly, she opened her eyes as her senses began to return bit by bit.


    ''What happened to me?'' she thought as she gradually regained consciousness.


    She didn''t know where she was, as her vision was still coming into focus, and the only thing she could say for certain was that she was lying on something comfortable, warm, and very soft, similar to a bed.


    But she involuntarily dismissed the thought because she had never had the luxury of affording a proper bed before.


    What she usually slept on was more of a makeshift bed, lacking a mattress or any soft surface, made instead from long leaves woven together to form a net capable of supporting her.


    While those things were not bad, left visible marks on her body, and she often woke up with her back slightly aching due to the uncomfortable position in which she slept.


    Bit by bit, her memories of what had happened began to resurface.


    ''Am I... dead?'' she wondered, recalling what had happened to her, before she lost consciousness.


    She was sure she had been struck by two arrows and had fallen to the ground, fainting.


    It didn''t seem possible that the two demons had let her go just like that, so now, noticing that she felt no pain and even felt much better, as if she had been reborn, she thought perhaps she had died.


    Just as her thoughts were spiraling further, a voice interrupted them.


    "You are not dead."


    Hearing the sudden voice, the elf girl jolted, almost falling out of the bed as she shifted her gaze toward a figure sitting on a chair a few meters away from her.


    ''What a handsome... wait, no, what am I thinking? Who is he, and why is he here? Have I been captured by someone again?'' she thought, starting to panic for her life, which she had just discovered she hadn''t lost.


    Ethan, seeing the elf''s reaction, didn''t know whether to laugh or sigh. Before she could plunge into another series of thoughts, he interrupted her.


    "Calm down, you''re safe here."

 Chapter 283 - 283: 10 Billion Sp

    .


    Although he had spoken calmly, the elf girl instinctively fell silent, as if that had been an absolute order.


    He realized that he had involuntarily activated an ability of his demonic physique, so he immediately dispelled its effects, and the elf girl, now a little terrified, no longer spoke and tried not to look at him.


    Ethan had to admit that there were still things about his demonic physique that he did not fully understand, and this involuntary suppression ability was one of them.


    He had had the chance to test his demonic physique a bit in the past with Bai Yu, but certainly, that was very different from using it constantly in a demonic society, no less.


    He was sure there were other things he still didn''t know, but for now, he didn''t have time for that.


    He looked at the elf, who seemed to remain silent, and said:


    "What''s your name?" Ethan asked, deciding to start with introductions.


    The elf girl, though still a bit scared, tried to gather her courage and said:


    "M-my name is Lin Yu," the elf said.


    Hearing the name, Ethan nodded and replied calmly:


    "Nice to meet you, I''m Ethan. I found you injured on the path outside the city, near the forest.


    You were hurt, so I decided to bring you here.


    Can you tell me what happened to you?" he asked.


    Honestly, if it had been up to him, he would have avoided getting too involved with the inhabitants of this small town, but he knew he couldn''t avoid it forever, not if he wanted to blend in as one of them and safely search for a way out.


    While it was true that he had picked up the elf just to help her, he had also done it for another reason.


    Lin Yu, hearing the words of the handsome demon, lowered her head slightly as the memories of how her days had been in the past week surfaced in her mind.


    Ethan could tell she didn''t seem comfortable talking about it, so he said:


    "If you don''t want to, there''s no need to say anything.


    I was just asking in case you wanted to return to your family or someone you know," he said.


    Hearing Ethan''s words, the elf girl''s body trembled slightly, and clutching her blanket a little tighter, she said:


    "I... have no parents."


    He knew she was a slave, and thanks to the demons'' memories, he could get an idea of the kind of life she must have had before.


    From what he had learned, the two demons had bought her from the owner of a mess hall for soldiers, a few alleys away from this inn, and that she had later escaped from them.


    Beyond that, he didn''t know anything else about her.


    Silence fell in the room as neither of them spoke.


    Eventually, Ethan nodded and moved to get up as he said:


    "I see. Well, it''s time for me to leave, but you can stay here if you want. This room is rented for a month, and meals are included, so you should be fine for now," he said as he approached the door, ready to leave.


    The elf girl was now in good health, and the little he could do for her, he had already done.


    As for the rest, that depended on her.


    He intended to check out a few places in this city, especially one in particular he had discovered by probing the souls of the two demons.


    ''If that thing turns out to be what I think it is, then maybe there''s a chance to get out of here,'' he thought as he reached the door, ready to open it.


    Seeing the demon who had saved her about to leave, the elf girl panicked, quickly getting out of bed, ready to stop him.


    As she moved, she was momentarily surprised that her body didn''t hurt at all.


    At first, she thought he had only superficially treated her and that she wasn''t fully recovered, but now seeing that even quick actions like these didn''t cause her pain, she was momentarily stunned.


    However, she didn''t pay too much attention to it, as her mind was occupied with another thought.


    "Sir Demon, wait," she said, quickly approaching Ethan, who had stopped upon seeing her rush toward him.


    When she saw he had stopped, she approached and forced herself to speak.


    "Can I ask to follow you?" she said with a determined expression.


    ''What?'' Ethan wasn''t sure what he had just heard, so he said:


    "What do you mean you want to follow me?" he asked.


    The elf girl hesitated a bit before saying:


    "You''re not from around here, are you?" she said cautiously.


    Hearing the elf girl''s words, Ethan, for a moment, thought he had been discovered, but then, remembering something, he asked,


    "Oh? And what makes you say I''m not from here?"


    The elf, hearing that Ethan didn''t seem angry, continued:


    "You don''t have the same aura as the people from this place."


    ''Just as I thought.''


    Ethan had initially wondered why she hadn''t been corrupted by the demonic Qi.


    After all, if one lived among so many individuals who were a product of it and also used it, it was difficult for the people here not to be affected by it, even if only slightly.


    In fact, when he was approaching the inn, he had seen many others like her from other races and could tell that although they appeared normal on the surface, they had slight traces of demonic Qi within them that were harmful, some more, some less.


    So, thinking that the elf girl wasn''t yet infected, the matter intrigued him, and he couldn''t help but use the Analysis function on her to see what was special about her.


    And indeed, she did have something special, but he didn''t know what it was.


    And this was because:


    [Signs of a universal law detected within the individual]


    [Law detected: Law of the Harmony of Primordial Light]


    [State: Dormant]


    [Price: 10,000,000,000 Sp] S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When he first tried to analyze her, apart from her basic data such as her name, age, and some other personal information, there wasn''t much else, except for this law.


    He knew that laws could be learned, and he himself was starting to learn them more and more, but seeing someone who already had a law was something new for him, even more so since, although the law was sealed, just to know more about it, he would have had to pay an astronomical amount of Sp.


    Ethan was certain he had never seen so many zeros in his life.


    Even with centuries of effort, he had managed to save just over half a billion Sp, and yet just to learn more about this law, he would have to shell out an astronomical amount of Sp.


    He had no idea what kind of law it was, but the cost alone was enough to tell him it was nothing simple.

 Chapter 284 - 284: Jing Xia

    .


    Ever since she lost her parents, Lin Yu had relied heavily on her instincts to save herself from any kind of trouble.


    After being assigned to work in the soldiers'' mess hall, she continually trusted her instincts to stay out of harm''s way, and those instincts had saved her countless times, far more times than she could remember.


    She wasn''t sure if it was just luck or if this instinct of hers was truly some sort of ability, but she didn''t care. The only thing that mattered to her was knowing she was safe.


    Even on the day when the new director arrived, she felt that this person would bring nothing but trouble. Thus, she tried her best to stay away from him.


    However, due to a small incident, she ended up drawing the attention of those two soldiers, who eventually bought her from the director.


    At that time, she wasn''t able to make good use of her premonition. Now that she was feeling that same instinct react to this person once again, she didn''t want to stand by idly and see how things would unfold for her.


    She felt that if she stayed with this person, she would be safe. So, she had to do whatever she could to make sure he took her with him.


    Seeing the determined look on the elven girl''s face, Ethan couldn''t help but compare it to Guo Lan, the wolf girl.


    Just like Bai Yu, he had taken it upon himself to train the two siblings. He vividly recalled a time when Guo Lan told him that, once she became stronger, she wanted to follow him on his adventures.


    Honestly, he didn''t care about these matters and simply told her that when he thought she was capable enough, he would let her follow him.


    At that time, he didn''t even know what to make of the situation. After all, the girl was already over a century old.


    In other words, she had already become a proper adult, and a strong one at that.


    At that point, all he could do was let her move forward with her life.


    Once they reached the upper realm, his intention was to let the two siblings explore the world on their own.


    While strength was important, experience was even more so.


    Having been beaten multiple times by Bai Yu during their sparring sessions, he understood this very well.


    That being said, as he now looked at the expression on the elven girl''s face, he couldn''t help but associate it with the look he had seen on the wolf girl.


    Shaking his head internally, he thought:


    ''If she were here, she would have taken in a talent like this without even asking me.''


    The girl already possessed a law and had a strong affinity for the wood element.


    She was like a budding seed, full of potential and ready to bloom.


    All she needed was the right guidance.


    ***


    To the north of the inn where Ethan resided,


    in a very large hall, an enormous crimson portal appeared, and one by one, a series of individuals began to step out.


    They were demon soldiers of various shapes and sizes, led by the individual at the head of the group, who was none other than their squad commander.


    The relatively good appearance of the soldiers suggested that they had participated in a relatively simple mission, as apart from the various weapons stained with blood of every color, and a long line of beings resembling human like squids, chained one after the other, they had nothing else.


    Some of them were happy with their mission, while others kept to themselves, but overall, the mission they had participated in was relatively a success.


    Waiting for this team was a demon, two and a half meters tall, with violet skin, black eyes, and not a single hair on its head.


    Seeing the commander of the team approach, the demon made a half bow forward and said:


    "Commander Jing, pleased to see that you have returned safe and sound," said the demon politely.


    The commander in question was Jing Xia, commander of the second army of the general of this legion.


    Although the armor and protective helmet hid the figure of the commander, some feminine features were still visible, such as figure of her slim body or the ponytail left loose behind her helmet.


    The female commander directed her gaze towards the demon offering his greetings and stared at him for a few seconds without saying anything.


    The demon, who had shown a confident and friendly facade, now felt an invisible pressure weighing down on him, caused more by the silence than by the commander''s own aura. S��ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, after ten seconds had passed in this manner, the demon could no longer resist and slowly straightened himself while saying:


    "Would you like me to accompany you immediately to the general to report, or would you prefer to do so at another time?"


    The demon knew the character of this commander, but as per procedure, certain things had to be asked.


    The female commander, seeing the demon in difficulty, walked forward and passed beside him while saying:


    "No, I''ll go now," she said without saying anything else.


    Seeing that she had gone, the demon let out a sigh while complaining internally:


    ''That old bastard really had to send me to welcome her?


    Why is he torturing me like this?'' he thought to himself, cursing his superior who had assigned him the task of greeting Commander Jing Xia''s army.


    Many, just like him, tended to avoid the female commander, not because she had a bad personality or anything, but because anyone who had to deal with her ended up in these suffocating situations.


    She was mostly silent, and unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn''t say a word.


    Dealing with her was difficult for all of them, so they always had to fight to decide who would go to receive the mission report and so on...


    Everyone had tried to converse with her, with many having courted her more than once in the past, but all of them eventually gave up.


    Although her appearance was attractive, her personality made it difficult for anyone to deal with her.


    As the demon with the shaved head stopped complaining and went to record the mission data, the female commander headed towards the general''s castle to report.


    Usually, unless it was something extremely important, like an enemy attack, an important discovery, and things like that.


    All the commanders took their time to rest before going to report directly to the general, but Jing Xia was one of those who preferred to finish her task before taking a break.

 Chapter 285 - 285: Portals

    .


    As she was walking towards the castle, the visor of the helmet she wore magically disappeared, revealing a beautiful feminine face, with slightly dark skin and a pair of ruby-red eyes.


    Her face showed no obvious expression while she walked calmly.


    It was as if she were in her world, isolated from the noisy surrounding environment.


    As she walked, Jing Xia''s thoughts could not help but wander, as the face of an elven girl she had bought a little over three years ago came to mind.


    At that time, she had participated in that auction by chance, intending to see if she could find something interesting.


    Although she didn''t appreciate the sale of slaves, she also understood their necessity.


    Among the various bad uses that other demons might have for them, slaves, although considered at the bottom of the food chain in this place, were also a driving force for their army since many of the small tasks were done by them, and even on missions, they could be useful depending on the type of slave.


    Some were from races very skilled at detecting certain types of presences, others had infallible memories, and some who could command the elements to a certain extent, something their own race couldn''t do because demonic Qi was the opposite of the source of these elements.


    All these factors made slaves very useful in battle for demons, and consequently, it was normal to hold these slave auctions to see what they had to offer, to check if the fellow commanders from other squads had found good products or not.


    It was at one of these auctions that she met the elven girl.


    Back then, she saw no use for the girl either for herself or for her group in battle, so she almost ignored her.


    But then her eyes met the elven girl''s gaze. A shiver ran down her spine.


    There was something in those eyes, something unbearably familiar. For a moment, the world around her went silent, leaving her alone with that face and a memory she thought was dead.


    Was it pity? Was it guilt? She wasn''t sure.


    She had spent the last half of her life this way, surrounded only by battles and destruction.


    At this point, anything else other than these two things didn''t exist for her, but at that moment,


    seeing that innocent, but at the same time familiar sparkle in the elf''s eyes,


    she couldn''t resist, so she bought her.


    She knew that if she ended up in the hands of someone from her race, it wouldn''t necessarily be a good fate awaiting her.


    That was also the first time in a long while that she did something that seemed pointless and would bring her no benefit,


    and that was also the moment when she began to think that the world was not all black and Red.


    ***


    Ethan had taken his time to explore the information about the two demons, so he didn''t overlook any detail regarding this city and the people who lived there.


    From what he had discovered, the city was called the City of the Red Moon, a floating city that also served as a base for the legion of one of the Demon Kings of the demonic race.


    At first, Ethan didn''t know what a Demon King was and what it meant for this city to be a demonic stronghold.


    After all, he could feel a great presence of the Void element everywhere, which meant that this place was most likely some kind of dimensional rift.


    And indeed, it had been discovered that it was.


    This was one of the dimensional rifts of the demonic race that served as a bridge between their dimension and all others.


    Infact, the demons apparently weren''t just a threat to the three heavens from which Ethan came, but they were a threat to the entire universe.


    Needless to say, the news was quite shocking for Ethan.


    He had often discussed with Bai Yu whether there were other worlds beyond the celestial planes or not, and she said that the mortal plane was more like a step where all worlds that couldn''t surpass a certain power level existed,


    the so-called mortal worlds.


    But unlike these, the celestial plane was a single, vast world, still unexplored in its entirety.


    She told him that she didn''t know if there were other similar worlds , like the situation with the mortal plane,


    but it was assumed that there were, even though, as far as she knew, no one had ever come into contact with them.


    Needless to say, when it came to the divine plane, things became even more uncertain, as only a few beings had managed to ascend to that plane, and those beings were none other than the so-called deities of the celestial plane''s inhabitants.


    Ethan took things as they were because the arrangement of a world into planes was one of the most common things he came across in the novels he read in his old world.


    But it was precisely because he was from a different world that he had imagined the various planes of existence were not composed of just a single world.


    And now, with the discovery of these demons who were a universal threat, it seemed his assumption was correct.


    As for the power system, demons had a hierarchy very similar to the military one from his past life, with some additions and modifications. sea??h th�� Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For example, the lowest rank wasn''t that of a soldier, but rather a slave, and in this category, not only were those captured and exported from other worlds included, but also half-demons, like those who had been transformed through demonic Qi, or through relations between demons and other races.


    These people were considered slaves in the eyes of demons, slaves who were not only used for reproduction but also for use in battle.


    The idea of reproduction seemed strange to Ethan at first because although demons could be lustful, the fact that they paid attention to the reproduction of their race didn''t seem normal, especially when considering that all pure demons were supposed to originate from the same source.


    Ethan later discovered that even the offspring of demons born from relations with other species had certain ranks among them, and depending on these ranks, the being born could be considered a slave, or one of their own race.


    Ethan wasn''t sure how exactly this worked, but personally, it didn''t concern him.


    What mattered to him, however, was the part about how this floating land contained various teleportation stations that allowed travel to other dimensions.


    And for Ethan, who was currently stuck here, something like this was exactly what he needed to return.

 Chapter 286 - 286: Demon Ranks

    .


    At the moment, Ethan had no idea how he would use the portal to transport himself to the mortal plane because he had no clue how it worked.


    He didn''t know if some sort of coordinates were required, as depending on the method used, he might or might not be able to return immediately once he had the opportunity to use it.


    That said, for now, the important thing was that there was a way out, and for the moment, he only needed to figure out where it was and how to use it.


    Everything else would come later.


    At first, he had thought of breaking into the place where the portal station was located, but he had to reconsider this option for several reasons, one of which was that this place turned out to be far more dangerous than he had expected.


    As mentioned earlier, the base was a military base and housed an entire armed legion.


    As far as he knew, there was only this city of the red moon, and no other places existed in this floating land.


    But that didn''t mean it could be underestimated.


    And this was because the ranks of the demonic army corresponded directly to their strength.


    If Ethan had to compare it to the cultivation system of beings based on spiritual energy, the following ranks of strength would emerge:


    Slaves: As previously mentioned, they were generally all beings captured from other races or children from relations with other races.


    After them came the Soldiers.


    These were essentially demons who had a cultivation level within the mortal realm.


    These soldiers, in turn, had a further classification ranging from one-star soldiers to three-star soldiers.


    The one-star soldiers were those who had not surpassed the second stage of the mortal realm, which was the Qi Refining stage.


    These soldiers were also called common soldiers because of their high numbers in every army.


    The two-star soldiers, on the other hand, were those at the third and fourth stages of the mortal realm, and these soldiers were called soldiers with potential, to differentiate them from the common ones due to the fact that they were closer to the peak of the mortal realm.


    After them were the three-star soldiers, or all soldiers with a cultivation rank equal to or greater than the fifth stage of the mortal realm.


    These were considered the cr��me de la cr��me and were called high-level soldiers.


    They were essentially those closest to becoming commanders of an army.


    The rank of a Commander was indeed the next on the list.


    Commanders were essentially the leaders of armies, each assigned a certain number of soldiers.


    They could be divided into different types of commanders depending on the needs, and each had a specific number of soldiers, which varied, but essentially every commander was required to lead their soldiers into battle, complete missions, participate in battles, and make them stronger.


    Depending on their performance, the commander was in turn ranked on a performance list.


    Jing Xia was currently in the Top 5 of the most capable commanders, not only because of her personal strength but also due to the performance of her army over time.


    They themselves were a backbone force of the army as a whole because each of them had at least a strength level at the first stage of the spiritual realm.


    All of these commanders were tasked with managing a small group of soldiers each, and they reported directly to a General.


    As far as Ethan knew, this base currently had only one general, and he didn''t know whether a base could have more than one or not, but that wasn''t the important part.


    Even having just one general at the base was a problem for him because these demonic generals were all beings with at least a strength level equal to or greater than the fourth stage. In other words, any one of them could crush him to death with their intent alone.


    Ethan had not yet encountered a being of this stage personally, but he knew that at this point in the spiritual realm, cultivators had already developed their inner world for the most part and consequently had a domain.


    According to what he had learned from Bai Yu, domains were not to be underestimated.


    A single cultivator with a domain could annihilate all others who didn''t have one, no matter if they were at the first stage of the spiritual realm or the third stage of the spiritual realm.


    Bai Yu once simulated a domain in his sea of consciousness to show him what it was like, and he was eliminated in an instant, even when he was located several miles away from her.


    According to what she had said, this was just a taste of the true power of a domain.


    Therefore, Ethan didn''t dare take beings of this level lightly.


    Ethan was certain that the entity that had almost detected him earlier was most likely the general of this base.


    He had been lucky to notice in time; otherwise, he would have been captured almost instantly.


    That said, Ethan knew that there were other ranks beyond the general, but unfortunately for him, his knowledge of these demons was very limited, as the knowledge of the two dmeons he had absorbed was limited


    And this particular point was also the most troubling for him.


    This was because, apparently, this base in particular also had a Demon King.


    Although the presence of a demonic general alone was already a cause for concern for him, he still thought he could trick him and escape successfully.


    However, the existence of someone even above this rank was an individual he could not deceive in any way for now, and this existence was precisely the Demon King of this base.


    He didn''t know if it was bad luck or just pure coincidence that had led him to one of the few demonic bases that also had a Demon King, but the fact remained that he was already here, and all he could do was complain about it, and nothing more.


    Ethan wished he could curse his bad luck. S��ar?h the nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Demon King was an existence that he couldn''t even dream of confronting, let alone escaping from.


    They were beings who had reached the pinnacle of the spiritual rank; in other words, they were beings who had their own complete domain and had comprehended their own law.


    Unlike other races based on positive spiritual energy, demons were very limited in the number of natural forces they could use.


    In fact, the basic elements were already beyond their comprehension because they were opposed to them.


    But this didn''t mean that they didn''t have their own laws.


    There were many, starting with the law of the void, which was a law common to both demonic energy and positive spiritual energy.


    Then there were some counterparts of the elements of positive spiritual energy, like dark ice or demonic flames.


    Then there were elements exclusive to demons, such as blood, poison, and so on...


    Ethan thought that there were likely subcategories of these "exclusive" elements also present among beings who cultivated using positive spiritual energy, with spiritual beasts being an example of this.


    After all, they could use poison since it was characteristic of them.


    He could only attribute this gap in knowledge to the lack of information o the two demons, but that wasn''t what was important.


    What mattered was that a being who had likely already comprehended their law was in this place, and if that being even slightly sensed him, it would be the end of him.


    Ethan eventually shook his head as he set this issue aside for now.


    He knew that continuing to dwell on it would only depress him further.


    ''It seems I won''t be able to use part of my powers for the foreseeable future,''


    He knew he was currently safe thanks to his demonic form, and as long as he didn''t use his spiritual energy, he would remain safe.


    However, he also knew that he would have to live in this place with the constant feeling of a knife at his throat, ready to end his life at the slightest mistake.


    He wasn''t even sure if using his minor dimension would be a good idea within the base because, as far as he knew, spatial fluctuations might alert that being at the pinnacle of the spiritual rank.


    He wasn''t sure why that being hadn''t targeted him yet. After all, he had already used his minor dimension once, but something told him it was just a coincidence.


    For now, his intention was to gather as much information as possible and wait for the right moment to attempt an escape.


    That was all he could do for now, apart from, of course, staying out of trouble,


    although the second part seemed a bit difficult at the moment, and the reason was none other than the elf girl.


    He glanced to his side, where the elf girl was walking, and he couldn''t help but have a somewhat defeated expression on his face as he looked at what she had around her neck.


    A collar.


    Yes, that''s right.


    Ethan was sure that if Bai Yu were here at this moment, she would accuse him of having strange fetishes or something, but there wasn''t much he could do about it.


    The reason why she was wearing a collar wasn''t because he had wanted to put it on her.


    it was quite the opposite.


    The one who had suggested putting it on was the elf girl herself.


    [N/A: Before you let your imagination run wild, just know that there''s a reason for this, and you''ll find out in the next chapter,]

 Chapter 287 - 287: Slave

    .


    Ethan found the situation rather peculiar.


    He was aware that slaves were treated in a certain way in this place, and from the knowledge he had absorbed from the guards, he more or less knew what they could do and what they couldn''t.


    Slaves, depending on their master, also held a certain degree of importance.


    For example, if an ordinary soldier was walking around with a slave, they were required to put a collar on the slave to indicate that they were of a certain level.


    This was because if, instead of a soldier, it was a commander or a general, the treatment of the slave would be slightly different.


    In this case, the slave wouldn''t have a collar but rather a tattoo on the back of their hand.


    The tattoo could vary, from being a generic design for slaves to a personalized one that identified the demon household the slave belonged to, or anything else.


    The important thing was that it was a slave tattoo, a mark that any demon could identify, thanks to a particular scent that only their race could detect.


    The position of this tattoo didn''t necessarily have to be on the back of the hand. Some had it on the side of their neck, others had it stamped on their forehead, and still others in far less accessible places, and so on.


    Among the many other functions of a slave tattoo, the difference between a slave tattoo and a collar also indicated the status of the owner.


    Lin Yu, although purchased by a commander, had never received her slave tattoo, and the reason for this was known only to the commander who had bought and helped her at the time.


    That being said, since that commander was no longer here, and she couldn''t walk around without having one of the two on her, she had arranged for a regular collar to wear.


    Ethan, despite understanding all these things, had to admit that the situation was a little uncomfortable for him


    As far as he could recall, never in his life had he ever walked around with someone wearing a collar.


    From his previous world, where such practices would earn him a one-way ticket to prison, to this world where, by some strange twist of fate, he himself had ended up as a slave and was about to be sold to a madman.


    Looking at the elf girl walking beside him with the collar on as if it were nothing, he asked:


    "Are you sure you want to keep walking around with that thing on?" he asked her once more.


    Hearing his words, she gave him a confident look and replied, nodding her head:


    "Of course. It may not seem like it, but it''s common for slaves to wear these. It''s really not a problem for me to have it on," she said as if it were nothing.


    ''That''s not what I meant.''


    Ethan could only shake his head at the elf girl''s carefree response.


    In the end, when she asked if she could accompany him, he decided to agree.


    Although he wasn''t truly a talent scout like Bai Yu, who sought out talents left and right, he could see that having her around might bring benefits in the future.


    Taking her along wasn''t really a problem, and in fact, it was useful because, although he had absorbed the memories of the two demons, those alone wouldn''t be enough for him to live in this place normally.


    Therefore, her presence could help him in certain problematic situations.


    That said, he didn''t let her join him so readily.


    He set a few general conditions, two of which were the most important.


    1. Don''t ask questions if he does something out of the ordinary.


    2. If others ask, he has amnesia and doesn''t remember who he is.


    The conditions might seem strange to an outsider, but despite that, the elf girl accepted without hesitation.


    Normally, he would have placed a soul contract or something of the sort to ensure the other party''s word, but he felt there was no need in the case of this girl.


    Clearly, she didn''t want to stay in this place either, and as to why, he had no interest in knowing.


    That said, the two of them walked toward a large building in the center of the city.


    The building was large enough to be seen even from a few miles away, and this wasn''t just because of its imposing structure but also due to its rather peculiar shape.


    Ethan, seeing the building in front of him, couldn''t help but frown as the image of a bean came to mind.


    ''What an unusual shape,'' he thought.


    From the city''s architecture, he had assumed the style of buildings here was similar to what he was used to, but now seeing a gigantic black bean-like structure made him reconsider that assumption.


    He knew nothing about the architectural style of demons, nor did he care to. For now, he just wanted to get a closer look at the place he would have to use to escape from here in the future.


    ***


    Meanwhile, as Ethan and the elf girl explored the city, Jing Xia, having just finished reporting to the general, decided to visit the soldiers'' mess hall to check on the elf girl.


    The building where the soldiers dined was a two-story structure, relatively large on the inside and spacious enough to accommodate more than a thousand soldiers at once.


    The number might seem a bit low, considering the actual scale of the demonic army, but it had to be taken into account that those eating here were mainly low-ranking soldiers, specifically those at the one-star level.


    This was because, unlike high-level soldiers who had already reached a point where their bodies no longer needed nourishment from food and could instead sustain themselves directly on the ambient energy, soldiers in the early stages of mortal cultivation didn''t have that luxury, so they ate here.


    Certainly, not everyone came here just to eat. After all, there were plenty of places to eat scattered throughout the city, but this particular place was used by many of them to stay in touch and meet with one another from time to time.


    The competition between the various commanders'' squads was fierce during missions, but when it came time to have a meal here, they all put those matters aside.


    At this moment, as many demonic soldiers were enjoying a peaceful meal, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of something breaking as a heavy pressure fell on the building, causing it to tremble suddenly.


    Boom!


    With a loud noise, one of the walls on the second floor of the building was destroyed, and the figure of a person shot out, flying several dozen meters before crashing to the ground.


    The person who had just been sent flying was none other than the new owner of the soldiers'' mess hall, who, still conscious, was trembling as he looked in fear at the hole on the second floor.


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 Chapter 288 - 288: The Mad Demon

    .


    Having a solid background is always useful, especially in a society where the strong rule, and the weak endure.


    This is an undeniable reality, and in demon society, where strength is the utmost priority, this reality is the norm.


    For the new manager, who, through his family connections, had successfully become the owner of the soldiers'' mess hall, living in such a place was like living in paradise.


    Thanks to the fact that his family had a commander at the second stage of the spiritual realm, he had been able to live a carefree and obstacle-free life.


    With his strength at the peak of the mortal realm, he was qualified to join one of the most renowned squads in Red Moon City, but for an ambitious man like him, that alone was not enough.


    For someone like him, who had always grown up looking down on others, being under someone who at most had one or two stages above his family''s commander was unacceptable, so he decided to take his time to ascend , and create his own squad.


    Given his current cultivation rank, this wasn''t feasible, but he knew it wouldn''t take more than ten years for him to successfully break through to the next realm.


    Meanwhile, his plan was to forge connections and get in touch with as many promising soldiers as possible so that he would already have an army ready when he attained the position of Commander.


    And where better than the soldiers'' mess hall to find such promising individuals?


    He had tried to negotiate peacefully with the previous owner, but the latter refused.


    Being someone unaccustomed to receiving a "no" as an answer, he naturally didn''t take it well, so he made a call, and a week later, he received the mess hall from the same previous owner.


    Seeing the scene of the person who was so firm in their decision earlier, bowing their head and surrendering without protest, made him happy, so he decided not to make the other party ''disappear'' as he usually did.


    That said, he wasn''t someone who would dirty his hands managing something as lowly as a mess hall, so he hired some staff to take care of everything, firing the existing personnel without a second thought.


    The only exceptions to this were the people working in the kitchen.


    That was one aspect of the mess hall that didn''t interest him. As long as those people didn''t cause him any trouble, he wouldn''t pay them any attention.


    At least, that was his plan. But when one of the promising individuals he identified, and to whom he offered a spot in the squad he was creating, asked for a slave who worked in the kitchen in exchange for their loyalty, he didn''t think twice. He personally went to the kitchen to take that slave and hand her over to the soldier.


    At the time, he didn''t think much about the matter because the person in question was a slave, and moreover, one without any kind of mark.


    This could only mean that she was a slave with a low-level master, in other words, a slave he could claim as his property and do with as he pleased without worrying about the consequences of his actions.


    After all, what could her owner do? Thank him personally for taking her without permission?


    He had then mocked the matter, putting it aside without much thought.


    But now, lying on the ground with several bones in his body broken, trembling as he looked toward the figure in front of him, he cursed himself internally for that decision.


    ''Damn it, why her of all people?'' he thought, cursing himself for the umpteenth time.


    Having a strong background had allowed him to do whatever he wanted without worrying too much about offending someone, because even if he did and that person turned out to have some power, he could always negotiate to save his life, as he always had.


    But this only worked if the other party was someone at an equivalent level.


    Like a high-ranking commander at a level similar to his family''s protector.


    Unfortunately for him, this time fate wasn''t on his side, and not only was the other party someone more powerful than his family''s protector, but they were also the person no one would ever want to deal with.


    The commander of the second-strongest army unit in Red Moon City''s base.


    The Mad Demon, Jing Xia.


    She, who usually always had a neutral expression no matter the situation, at this moment had a cold look as a murderous intent emanated from her.


    The pressure from that gaze alone was enough to make any cultivator below the fifth stage faint. For a place filled primarily with low-level soldiers, this murderous intent was too overwhelming, knocking out everyone within a hundred-meter radius. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The killing intent emanating from her at this moment was highly concentrated and was primarily directed toward the person at her feet.


    Had it not been so, by now half the city would have been on the ground fighting for their lives.


    Some other commanders nearby felt this pressure and were ready to intervene to stop whatever commotion was about to start, but as soon as they saw who was the source of this disturbance, they all turned on their heels and walked in the opposite direction, pretending not to have seen anything.


    Everyone in the city knew Jing Xia, and while many held a very serene image of her, as someone who avoided interacting with anyone and minded her own business, they also all knew that this commander was not someone to provoke.


    This was because, currently in the base, no one below the rank of a General could confidently claim to have the upper hand against her in battle.


    This was because she had already reached the peak of the third stage, and many believed she was very close to reaching the fourth stage, an impressive feat considering her age and her nearly nonexistent background.


    She was someone not only feared but also highly respected among all the demon commanders, so no one wanted to get on her bad side,


    knowing that even if they tried, the only thing they would encounter would be the blade of her sword and a spot on her endless list of kills.

 Chapter 289 - 289: The Demon Kings Absence

    .


    Jing Xia did not concern herself with the chaos she had caused and focused her attention on the person in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak.


    Seeing the usually silent figure, who normally acted rather than spoke, say something, the manager thought he might still have a chance to save himself. Unfortunately for him, reality is not always so kind.


    "Who?" she said simply, leaving the manager, who was prepared for anything, slightly confused.


    "E-excuse me, I don''t think I understand what you mean," he stammered, choosing his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to say something that would seal his fate.


    Jing Xia showed no reaction and repeated her question once more.


    "Who was it?"


    This time, he understood immediately what she was referring to and, without hesitation, responded:


    "Oh, the person who bought the slave? Yes, I know who they are, and don''t worry, I know exactly where to find them," the manager said, offering to personally escort her to the soldier in question.


    He was even prepared to grovel at her metal boots if it meant she would spare him, so he had no objections to leading her there himself.


    He desperately hoped this would be enough to at least calm her down a little, but when he met her gaze, he realized it was all an illusion.


    In that moment, he understood that the moment he sold that slave, he had already sealed his fate.


    On the opposite side of the entrance to the Red Moon City, atop a hill that towered over the city, stood the castle of the Demon King of this city.


    The castle, built on the hillside, was grand and majestic, surrounded by numerous spires.


    If Ethan were here, he would have involuntarily associated it with the Gothic architectural style of his previous world.


    Inside, in a chamber, a man sat on a throne made of obsidian-like stone. With his head resting on the fist of his hand, and his eyes closed, he listened to what the counselor was saying.


    He was M�� Li��, the general of this demonic base.


    Currently, in the absence of the Demon King, it was his duty to manage all matters concerning the army, ranging from hearing mission reports from various teams to handling resources for both the city and future expeditions, as well as approving or rejecting a final report to be sent to their homeland about the state of affairs at this base.


    For him, doing all this was nothing new because even if the Demon King were at the base, it would still fall on him to handle these tasks.


    The Demon King, being a prominent figure, could only be disturbed for matters far more significant than hearing simple reports about the outcome of a low-level mission.


    Thus, these tedious matters always fell to him, and unlike the Demon King, he could not delegate these tasks to someone else.


    So here he was, hearing the same things for the umpteenth time.


    Or at least, that''s what he would have wanted.


    But while outwardly he maintained a calm expression as he listened to the counselor''s mission reports, internally, he was a bit unsettled by a recent event.


    "And speaking of casualties, I believe you should see this," said the advisor, handing over a talisman.


    Hm?


    M�� Li��, upon hearing the counselor''s words, slowly opened his golden eyes and focused his attention on the talisman, made of a reddish-black material, floating before him.


    ''This is...''


    He examined the talisman, and his eyes widened slightly as he turned his gaze toward the counselor, who immediately spoke:


    "This morning, we detected that the life-detection talisman of one of our demon commanders sent on a mission had been deactivated," he said, pulling out a document.


    "The talisman belongs to Yi Tiao, the nephew of the King," the advisor said, clearly uneasy.


    And why wouldn''t he be? After all, they were talking about the death of the Demon King''s nephew.


    Clearly, the news was nothing good for them because ultimately, the King''s fury would first be unleashed on them before moving on to whoever had killed Yi Tiao.


    While the counselor reached his own conclusions, M�� Li��, who had calmly listened to the report, now showed a look of realization as he understood the reason behind the Demon King''s absence.


    He had been somewhat troubled earlier because the sudden departure of the King was unusual. S~ea??h the Nov��l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Normally, he remained in his castle, cultivating behind closed doors and further stabilizing his foundations for his eventual divine ascension.


    But a few days ago, he had left without notifying anyone, leading M�� Li�� to think something significant had happened for the King to act personally.


    Now, hearing the report of Yi Tiao''s death, he realized this was most likely the reason.


    He could only shake his head as he set the talisman aside.


    Given the different dimensions, communication via talismans arrived with a certain delay, so it was normal for them to have learned of Yi Tiao''s death only today.


    On the other hand, it was a different matter for a Demon King, who was already at the peak of the spiritual rank.


    For him, learning of this matter would have been much more immediate because he could have felt the connection through their bloodline sever the moment it happened.


    Therefore, it was understandable that he had left immediately rather than waiting to check whether his nephew''s life-detection talisman was active or not.


    M�� Li�� could only shake his head as he pondered how to proceed from here.


    The least he could do at this point was to gather information on the location of Yi Tiao''s death.


    This was not only to prepare an invasion force to complete the task Yi Tiao had failed to accomplish but also to better understand the circumstances of his death.


    If he recalled correctly, Yi Tiao had been sent on a relatively safe mission, and he himself had chosen this mission for him because he didn''t want him to end up killed somewhere.


    After all, he was well aware of Yi Tiao''s reckless nature, and the last thing he wanted was for him to die on a mission that was too difficult.


    Now that he was dead, M�� Li�� had to face his share of responsibility.


    Knowing full well he could not avoid it, he decided to prepare for what was to come.


    The counselor, understanding what the general intended to do, did not wait for orders and immediately handed over the documents regarding the location where Yi Tiao had gone on his mission.


    The counselor also had another life-detection talisman linked to another member who had gone on the mission with Yi Tiao. But seeing that the general was not interested in knowing about him, he set it aside for the moment.


    It so happened that the other member of the expedition was none other than the general''s son, Mo Yan, the first demon of spiritual rank killed by Ethan.

 Chapter 290 - 290: Lack of Information

    .


    Ethan entered the massive building, shaped like a black bean, to see what it was like inside.


    The building was, in every respect, a teleportation station, but unlike what he expected to see, there were no platforms or anything else to indicate that it was one.


    ''This is supposed to be a teleportation station?''


    He thought as he looked around at the large, paved area, completely empty, with no platform or anything remotely resembling a teleportation device.


    He would have asked Lin Yu, but the girl knew even less than he did.


    Apparently, even though she was born here, she still didn''t know all the places in the city, including this area.


    According to what she told him, she had been a slave, and after her parents died, she spent her time either working in the mess hall or returning to the accommodations provided for her. These were nothing special but enough for her to at least rest. S��arch* The ��ov��lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Needless to say, those accommodations clearly lacked various daily necessities, but she made do with what she had and in fact, managed to live relatively well.


    That said, her routine of going back and forth between her quarters and the mess hall hadn''t given her many opportunities to explore the rest of the city properly.


    Even on the few occasions when it was her turn to buy some supplies that were running out, she didn''t venture far from her usual spots.


    So her knowledge of the city was very limited, and Ethan had the impression that the informations he received from the two demons were much more than what she had.


    But even that wasn''t particularly helpful, because one of the two soldiers was a city guard who had never been on a mission due to his low rank and his fear of dying in one of them.


    The other, who did have the opportunity and a decent cultivation base for his age, hadn''t gone on any missions yet because he had only recently enlisted, and his first mission wouldn''t be for at least a couple of months.


    In short, neither of them had any concrete information about the teleportation station.


    The only good thing in all of this was that Ethan, with his cultivation suppressed to the fifth stage of the Mortal Realm, had managed to convince the guard to let them in.


    But that was all.


    Ethan could only shake his head, thinking that he needed to find some time to absorb one of those Spirit Realm demons.


    They surely knew more about this place.


    Even though he couldn''t return to his minor dimension due to the risk of alerting the Demon King of this place, extracting one of those demons was another matter, something he could do even from outside.


    In the end, he thought this was all he could do for the moment; it wasn''t like he was short on time, after all. He was certain that without some coordinates, he wouldn''t get anywhere, and perhaps these demons might actually have the coordinates?


    After all, they had activated the portal in the first place to get here, so surely one of them had to know, right?


    Ethan had already thoroughly examined Mo Yan''s soul and could say that this demon didn''t know much about coordinates or related matters.


    Ethan only thought that maybe he should have preserved the rest of his soul to get more information about this place, but there was no point crying over spilled milk.


    "Come on, let''s go," he said to the elf girl, and the two of them headed outside the building.


    Getting in could be a problem if you didn''t have permission or something to prove you were a soldier, but getting out wasn''t, so they simply exited, ready to head back.


    As they did, Ethan wondered what he should do in the meantime.


    His primary goal was to find a way home, but he knew well that this wasn''t something he could achieve overnight.


    He knew he would remain here for a while, and depending on the circumstances, that "while" could range from weeks to months, if not years.


    Ethan intended to blend into this society, and he had to figure out how to do it.


    He had initially considered becoming an alchemist or array master here, but from the knowledge he had gained, these professions, while they existed, were very rare among demons, and those who practiced them were well-known by everyone.


    He realized that he would attract the attention of the general or, worse, the Demon King if he stood out in this way.


    So, he needed to find something more suitable, something that would allow him not only to live here safely but also to learn more about the place, something that would give him the opportunity to escape at the right moment.


    "Master, why don''t you join a squad?" Lin Yu said when he asked for her opinion.


    Ethan didn''t pay attention to how she referred to him, as the explanation she gave was the same as the collar''s, namely, that if she wanted to pass as his slave in front of others, she would have to act like one.


    And this was one of the things she had to do, at least in public.


    "A squad? Like those that go on missions?" Ethan asked, immediately understanding what she meant.


    "Yes. All demons are allowed to participate in the admission exam.


    From what little I know, the only requirement to join the demonic army and be eligible to join one of the many squads led by commanders is to be at least at the end of the Body Refinement stage.


    The higher the rank, the better the squad you can join.


    With your strength, I''m sure you can join one of the strongest squads in the base," the elf said with excitement, and Ethan, seeing her reaction, couldn''t help but doubt her so-called limited knowledge.


    "Little monster, how do you know all this?" he asked the elf girl, who, not long ago, had claimed to know little about the city.


    "Who are you calling a monster?" she instinctively replied, but then, realizing she had to play the part of a slave, she adjusted her words:


    "Hmph�� I mean, it''s common knowledge in the city. Even slaves like us know it. In fact, some of us who are more inclined toward combat can even attempt to join a squad.


    Of course, our position would still be lower compared to others regardless of our strength, but even this is possible as long as our master allows it," she said, clarifying his doubts.


    "Oh? Then why don''t you join as well?"

 Chapter 291 - 291: Spiritual Qi Pearl

    .


    When Lin Yu heard it for the first time, she glanced at Ethan with an expression that seemed to say:


    Isn''t it obvious why?


    But who would have thought that Ethan wouldn''t care, and instead, the next day, they found themselves outside the city in a small clearing in the nearby forest, with her holding a sword and him standing calmly in front of her, looking at her with an expression that sent chills down her spine.


    "Wait, you don''t mean I have to take the test too, right?" she asked in a slightly trembling voice, fearing what was probably about to happen.


    "Well, yes, isn''t it obvious?" he replied as if it were no big deal.


    "I know I said I''d follow you, but there''s really no need for me to take the test, you know?


    The team allows the participation of slaves who will do the work of porters or material gatherers. There''s really no need for me to go to such lengths," she said, thinking that Ethan hadn''t considered this alternative.


    But unfortunately for her, it didn''t seem like she had a choice.


    "You asked to follow me, and in exchange, you agreed to follow my instructions. I can''t take you around and have to take care of you every time.


    It''s time for you to start cultivating and becoming stronger. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You can''t always rely on others to save your skin," Ethan said, noticing the elven girl''s childish behavior.


    Due to her mature demeanor, he often forgot that the girl was still very young, but he was glad to see that her childish side was still present.


    He might not have gone through her life experiences, but he had faced his fair share of problems as a young man when he was still a student, and his parents had passed away.


    Back then, he had learned that it was better to grow up quickly if one didn''t want to be swallowed up by the rest of the world.


    Seeing the elven girl now, he couldn''t help but compare her to his younger self, so he decided to help her, even if just a little.


    The girl had all the potential to become a powerhouse that would stand out compared to many others.


    The only thing she lacked was resources, and Ethan, who had the means to help her, decided to do so,


    at least enough for her to stand on her own two feet without having to seek help from others, as she had done so far.


    Relying on others wasn''t a problem, but he knew that continuing to do so was unsustainable, and in many cases, it would do more harm than good. It was better to make her understand this as soon as possible.


    "Cultivate? Me?" she said in a low voice, thinking about it for a moment.


    The elven girl had, in the past, thought about secretly cultivating and becoming strong enough to escape from here, but there was one problem.


    In this place, there wasn''t any positive spiritual energy to use for cultivation.


    Since she wasn''t a demonic being, she couldn''t use demonic Qi for cultivation, as doing so would slowly corrupt her body. She would end up becoming a being without a mind, driven entirely by her primal instincts.


    A brainless beast, so to speak.


    Given this, she thought it was better to remain a slave and wait for another opportunity rather than risk cultivating in these conditions and dying by absorbing demonic Qi.


    So hearing the other party say that she had to cultivate brought her neither joy nor anything else.


    She was about to tell him that she couldn''t cultivate because she wasn''t a demon like him, but just as she was about to do so, she heard a rustling sound and saw something small flying toward her.


    Instinctively, she caught it.


    The object''s speed wasn''t too high and it hadn''t been thrown with too much force, so she was able to see it and catch it quite easily.


    Huh?


    She opened her palm and saw a small round object, similar to a bead.


    The object had a smooth and durable surface, as if it were made of transparent glass. Inside, there was a strange white light that seemed to be contained by the outer layer, preventing it from emitting any rays of light externally.


    As she observed it, she felt a faint aura emanating from it, and for some reason, it had a strange effect on her.


    ''I feel�� refreshed?''


    She was a bit confused by this object and looked at Ethan, who had thrown it.


    "That''s a Spiritual Qi Pearl. It will help you by providing refined spiritual Qi, ready to be absorbed into your dantian," he explained as if he already knew what she was thinking.


    "What? This is refined spiritual Qi?" She realized that this was likely condensed spiritual Qi in the form of this bead.


    This explained the refreshing effect it seemed to have on her, just from inhaling its faint aura.


    Naturally, she didn''t know that spiritual Qi could be condensed into something like this, but that wasn''t what surprised her the most.


    What astonished her was the fact that the demon before her possessed such an item.


    She could have guessed that it was something he might have collected during a journey to another dimension, but why keep it with him?


    After all, it was known that spiritual energy and demonic energy were like the poles of two magnets.


    They repelled each other, and it was impossible to assimilate both because they were opposites.


    Just as she was about to ask more about the pearl, she stopped herself.


    She knew the other party had a mysterious background, and although he was a demon, he was very different from others she had encountered.


    His knowledge of this place itself was too limited, something that shouldn''t have been possible, even if he were a soldier from another demonic base.


    But all of this didn''t matter to her then. What mattered was the fact that her instincts told her that following him would benefit her, and from how he had treated her during this short period, it seemed she hadn''t been wrong.


    She naturally had her doubts about him, but she didn''t dare to ask.


    She understood that the other party had his secrets, and it wasn''t wise to meddle too much in other people''s affairs, or she might risk being abandoned by him.


    She might still have her slightly childish side, but she had also developed a level of maturity over the past three years. So she tightened her grip on the pearl and gave a slight bow to Ethan, saying:


    "Thank you, Master."


    This time, however, the word "Master" didn''t mean "owner," but more like a teacher who had decided to help her become stronger.

 Chapter 292 - 292: Tūnshì Shēnyuān

    .


    Ethan did not need this refined spiritual Qi pearl because, although the amount of Qi contained within it was not insignificant, for someone like him who was already beyond the mortal realm, that quantity was far too small, almost negligible.


    It was like a drop of water in an ocean. Too little for his current level.


    He had designed it to help the two Guo brothers when they were still in the early stages of their cultivation.


    As is well known, cultivation consists of gathering Qi from the surrounding environment and using it to refine one''s body.


    In the early stages, this Qi is used to strengthen the body and establish the foundation upon which the rest of one''s cultivation is built.


    The process of gathering Qi had always been something Ethan could skip thanks to the system, which would supply him with the Qi needed simply by producing a couple of pills. All he had to do was allocate the Qi to establish his cultivation foundation.


    Naturally, things changed as he progressed further, but for the first two stages, this method was highly efficient and fast.


    From the third stage onward, he needed to put in his own effort to prepare the core, assimilate a spiritual beast, fuse his soul with it, and so on...


    However, even at higher stages, the process of gathering Qi, which he had skipped thanks to this "cheat," remained an essential step.


    He was now doing a very similar thing by creating this pearl of spiritual Qi that not only gave the ready-made amount of spiritual Qi to the user, just as he received it from the system, by creating the pills, but it was also refined, in other words ready to be used.


    Ethan asked the elven girl if she knew how to assimilate it.


    After all, she might not necessarily have a cultivation technique suited for the mortal realm. Indeed, she had no idea how to do so.


    Consuming the pill and absorbing the refined Qi naturally could make one stronger, but there was a reason cultivation techniques existed. S��arch* The nov��lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Doing it naturally was fine for beasts, which didn''t need techniques or other tools.


    Their bodies automatically handled the rest. However, it was different for humans and similar species, including elves.


    While they could naturally absorb Qi, and since this Qi was already refined, it wouldn''t harm her and would help to some extent, without a proper cultivation method, there was no way she could progress very far.


    Thus, Ethan decided to provide her with a technique himself.


    He didn''t give her the standard one he had received from the Phoenix Sect but instead tailored one specifically for her, basing it on the anatomy of elves, which was not too different from that of humans, though it had its unique distinctions.


    After mentally receiving the cultivation technique from Ethan, the elven girl immediately sat cross-legged and began cultivating, while Ethan secured the surrounding area by slightly expanding his demonic Qi intent.


    The effect was immediate, as the moment he released it to a certain degree, all the beasts within a mile radius scattered and fled.


    While all this was happening, Lin Yu, who had just started absorbing the refined Qi in the pill, didn''t perceive anything and immediately immersed herself in her cultivation.


    Thanks to Ethan''s pill, her cultivation would progress much faster, not to Ethan''s level, but fast enough for her to break through to the Body Refining stage in less than a day, a feat that was difficult even for elves, who had slightly higher cultivation talent compared to other races.


    Thus, while Ethan instructed the elven girl, not only helping her with cultivation but also later with basic combat techniques, both unarmed and armed,


    Elsewhere, someone else was losing their mind over recent events.


    ***


    After confirming the information in the possession of the soldiers'' mess hall owner, Jing Xia wasted no more time with the now half-dead owner and swiftly severed his head without hesitation.


    What seemed like a quick death to ordinary people, however, was far from it to those who knew her.


    Everyone who knew Jing Xia and her achievements on the battlefield understood that what she had just done to the mess hall owner was far worse than death.


    Not only had she extracted all the information directly from his soul, but she had also fed the remnants of his soul to her sword, an artifact very few knew was a demonic soul weapon.


    The real reason why no one wanted to cross her wasn''t that they feared losing, but because they dreaded ending up as food for her sword.


    That demonic sword had another name, and just hearing it made everyone shudder.


    T��nsh�� Sh��nyu��n (������Ԩ)


    This was the name of the weapon, which meant "Devouring Abyss."


    This weapon was a demonic artifact naturally forged in a source of highly condensed demonic Qi, said to have been produced from the corpse of a demonic emperor, a rank above that of a demon king.


    In other words, a demon who had ascended to divinity, becoming a true demon god.


    Many demons had attempted to wield this sword in the past, but all of them were inevitably devoured by it over time.


    This fact alone discouraged all demons in the spiritual realm from trying to claim it.


    However, there was one exception to this rule, and that exception was none other than Jing Xia, who had not only managed to resist the sword''s power so far but had also subdued it to some extent, making her one of the most formidable beings in the spiritual realm.


    She might still be at the peak of the third stage, but thanks to this sword and her natural strength, which was far superior to others at her level, she could be a threat even to fourth and fifth-stage beings if she unleashed the full power of the sword.


    The terror of this weapon was deeply imprinted in all who knew it, and they sympathized with the fate of the soldiers'' mess hall owner, whose soul had been fed to the sword.


    This was also why Xu�� Sh��, the protector of the Xu�� family, the same family to which the new owner of the soldiers'' mess hall belonged, was now trembling with anger.

 Chapter 293 - 293: The Fury of Xue Sha

    .


    Xue Sha had just returned from one of his expeditions and had spent the past few months in seclusion while consolidating his cultivation, which had now reached the peak of the second stage.


    He was very close to ascending to the stage of Domain Expansion, the stage where the spiritual core was finally completed, thus beginning the creation of one''s inner world.


    In other words, the start of one''s domain.


    This stage would elevate him even higher in the ranking of commanders, and he would finally enter the Top Ten of the strongest commanders of the base.


    It might not seem like much, but it was already a point of pride to be a commander in the top 15.


    This meant that you were several levels higher than the other commanders, and consequently, your influence in the base was also greater.


    In fact, within the base, there were many squads, but those with a commander at the spiritual rank numbered slightly less than 50.


    Most of these commanders were at the first stage, with a few near or already at the second stage.


    That said, these were still the majority.


    The minority consisted of those at the peak of the second stage and even the third stage.


    In fact, only 30 people were at the peak of the second stage, with only 10 at the third stage and one at the fourth.


    Beyond this, there was the direct promotion to general of an army of commanders, and such a person would be sent back to their home planet to be reassigned to another base as a general.


    Currently, the Top Ten was entirely composed of commanders at the third stage of the spiritual rank, with those at the peak of the third stage making up the Top Five, among whom Jing Xia held the second position, second only to the commander who had reached the fourth stage.


    Although many believed that in a life-or-death battle between the top two, Jing Xia had a greater chance of winning, it was also true that the first commander had hidden cards up his sleeve, so no one could be truly certain.


    That being said, the first commander had at least four soldiers at the first stage of the spiritual rank in his squad, whereas Jing Xia had only one, and for this reason, she was ranked second.


    Naturally, whether she was first or second did not really matter to her. After all, she relied solely on her strength, not on the prestige and influence that came with her position.


    Xue Sha, who was now on the verge of entering the third stage, would finally enter the Top Ten, and this would make him much more influential in Red Moon City.


    But who would have imagined that just as he was rejoicing over this fact, the news of the death of a promising member of his family would reach him?


    And not just any promising member, but the most promising one in his family.


    The one closest to becoming another squad commander.


    This almost sent him into a rage, destabilizing his cultivation base, which was at a critical point.


    "Tell me who the hell dared to kill a member of my Xue family. I will personally skin him little by little, and then kill all his relatives in front of him, and then feed them to my demon hounds," he said, furious, almost causing the entire Xue family manor to tremble.


    He was currently in seclusion when a servant arrived to deliver the news.


    He could barely contain himself.


    He never would have thought that someone would dare do such a thing in Red Moon City.


    This was not only an affront to the Xue family but also to him, a commander of one of the most powerful armies in the base.


    To him, it was no different from spitting in his face, and this naturally did not sit well with him.


    The servant standing before him, trembling from the suppressive killing intent, was struggling to remain conscious.


    Straining to hold himself together, he spoke with difficulty and said:


    "P-Protector, the person... who killed the young master was Commander Jing Xia."


    The servant struggled to resist the overwhelming killing intent and, in the end, couldn''t finish his words properly, collapsing unconscious.


    But although he couldn''t say it clearly, the other party managed to understand whom he was talking about, and as soon as he heard it, all the anger he had displayed just moments ago vanished, replaced by fear as he cursed.


    "How the hell did he manage to offend that person?" He knew very well who the second commander of the Red Moon City base was, and as such, he was also aware of her strength.


    He knew that if she wanted, she could destroy his entire family, including himself, without too much effort. Thus, he was terrified by the news.


    That being said, he still had a glimmer of anger remaining.


    He knew that if the other party hadn''t made a move yet, she most likely wouldn''t destroy the entire family. S��ar?h the N??eFire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''That woman might be worse than a demon in battle, but she doesn''t dirty her hands more than necessary,'' he thought, knowing well how Jing Xua usually was.


    Everyone knew this, but that didn''t mean they were any less cautious when dealing with her.


    After all, everyone has a limit, and if pushed beyond that limit, there''s no turning back.


    No one wanted to make her reach that limit, and Xue Sha knew that this time, the member of his family had come very close to it.


    Although the death of the family member was a cause for anger, it was even more infuriating that he was powerless against her now, and he knew full well that he would remain so even after advancing to the next stage.


    Bam!


    He punched the ground out of frustration, causing cracks to appear all over the floor, spreading across its entirety.


    The floor was paved with tiles made of a very durable material, yet a single punch had caused them all to crack quickly.


    But this didn''t matter to Xue Sha, who continued to ponder what to do for a while before finally making a decision.


    With his expression still dark, he stood up and, looking in a certain direction, took a step, disappearing silently.


    He had no intention of accepting this humiliation with his head bowed, but he also knew that if he went to bother her, it would only lead to the end of his family, and no one would help them. Therefore, he had to resort to another way to seek his revenge.


    A way he would prefer not to use under normal circumstances.

 Chapter 294 - 294: New Information

    .


    The day passed, and finally, the next day, both Lin Yu and Ethan found themselves in the recruitment area, which was located in the eastern part of the city.


    Upon arrival, they saw that there was already a long line of demons waiting for their turn, and seeing them, Ethan couldn''t help but wonder what time they had arrived.


    It was still early morning, even though the sky was always dark here, so it didn''t make sense to talk about morning or evening in the first place.


    He eventually shook his head and lined up with Lin Yu, calmly waiting for his turn.


    He thought that this was also a good opportunity to examine those who went before him, just to get an idea of what the test would be like.


    While waiting, Ethan took his time to assess the strength of the other participants and discovered that the average cultivation base of everyone was at the second stage, with some at the first stage and a few at the third.


    He had to note that there were no demons at the fourth or fifth stages, and for a moment, he wondered why.


    But then, thinking back to the demon ranking, he could form an idea.


    Soldiers within the second stage were considered common or weak soldiers, even cannon fodder for some.


    In contrast, soldiers at the third and fourth stages were promising and were considered two-star soldiers.


    Here, although the third stage was included, it wasn''t as highly regarded as the fourth.


    Therefore, it was normal to see demons at the third stage attempting to take the test here, unlike those at the fourth stage, who were usually recruited fairly quickly because of their strength and didn''t need to come here.


    This was especially true because those at the fourth stage were usually demons who had already been part of a squad much earlier and had risen in level over time through missions.


    The few exceptions of those not yet in squads were rare cases.


    Needless to say, the situation was very similar for those at the fifth stage, so it didn''t make sense to look for one here in the first place.


    He continued to assess the overall strength of everyone, and in the end, he made his decision.


    He had examined the strength of everyone not only to get an idea of the average strength of the participants but also to decide at what level to lower his own strength so as not to draw too much attention.


    Now that he had seen that the third stage was the highest present here, he decided to lower himself below the third stage and go directly to the middle of the second stage.


    Slightly above average, but not too much, thus staying in a safe zone.


    For now, he just wanted to see how things worked, and once he had done so, he could decide to switch to a better squad.


    This was a possibility granted to everyone because forcing a demon to stay in the same squad even after becoming much stronger would only harm their growth, and for the demonic army, where the soldiers'' strength was crucial, doing such a thing wasn''t beneficial in any way.


    At this point, Ethan had a much better understanding of this place, thanks to the fact that he had finally absorbed one of the three demons yesterday.


    After Lin Yu began cultivating, he took that time to deal with the matter of the three demons in his minor dimension. S��arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Devouring them all was feasible, but he couldn''t do it with the same ease he usually did, and this was because he was in this place, where the slightest mistake could get him caught. Therefore, he took the weakest of the three and absorbed its energy in small quantities.


    The demons were still alive, with their souls still intact, so he could still make good use of them.


    First of all, he took the soul of the demon and performed a deep inspection, this time not overlooking details as he had done with Mo Yan''s soul.


    Back then, he had done so because, although his brain could process information at an astronomical speed, the amount of information was also not low, considering that Mo Yan had lived several centuries before going into hibernation to ascend.


    Thus, instead of examining every single piece, he had directly focused on what interested him. But now he needed to know everything he could, so he spent the entire day and night carefully examining the information, starting with finding out who the demon was and their connection to this city, and then moving on to everything else.


    He discovered that the demon was one of Yi Tiao''s subordinates, the demon who had caused the portal to open.


    He learned that Yi Tiao belonged to a prestigious family of demons in their homeland, which was a dimension much larger than this one, according to the information, far larger than the mortal plane.


    Yi Tiao had come to this place due to a custom of the demons.


    In simple terms, young demons, young being relative, as it referred to those under 1,000 years of age,


    were required to perform mandatory service at one of the bases scattered throughout the universe once they reached the spiritual rank.


    For demons, this was an honor because the better results they achieved, the more prestige they would bring to their household.


    Although it was mandatory, it was rarely necessary to enforce it, as all demons, noble or not, willingly went into battle, each for different reasons, which ultimately contributed to their race.


    In this aspect, one could say that demons were a united race, though they still had their fair share of discrimination among their kind.


    That said, the demon was a subordinate of Yi Tiao, raised by his household to assist Yi Tiao in the future, as in this case when he had set out for the military base.


    He was one of his most promising subordinates, as he had also managed to reach the spiritual rank very early.


    Alongside him, there were only three others, making up Yi Tiao''s squad.


    He learned that their squad had always consisted of five people and had never accepted anyone else, even if they were at the spiritual rank.


    The requirement Yi Tiao had set for joining his squad was to be at least at the second stage of the spiritual rank.


    Being at the first stage might have worked for some, especially since Yi Tiao''s grandfather was the demon king of this base. Thus, even if they were at the first stage of the spiritual rank and could form their own squad, joining Yi Tiao could bring more benefits in the future.


    However, seeing that Yi Tiao wasn''t satisfied with people at the first stage, no one really bothered to join him; after all, at that stage, they could achieve good results on their own.


    It didn''t make sense to join him, and Ethan shared a similar opinion on this matter.


    So, he simply thought the demon was the typical young master who had gotten too full of himself and kept examining the demon''s soul.

 Chapter 295 - 295: Beginning of the Test

    .


    Ethan was initially hopeful about discovering more information about the Demon King, but unfortunately for him, this subordinate had never seen him before, and Yi Tiao''s soul was lost, so there was nothing he could learn from him either. S��ar?h the N??elFir��.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, the information obtained from Yi Tiao''s subordinate was still very useful, especially regarding this base and, most importantly, the functionality of the portal.


    He had discovered that the large space at the center of the teleportation station was an area where portals could be opened.


    A separate platform wasn''t necessary for each portal.


    That large area sufficed, where, depending on the coordinates entered into a device, portals could be opened.


    These devices, however, were only the property of demon commanders and were assigned to them upon their appointment.


    As for the coordinates, the demon didn''t know them, but Ethan learned that perhaps the shadow demon, the second strongest in Yi Tiao''s squad, might know them, as he was Yi Tiao''s right-hand man.


    Ethan, therefore, decided he would also absorb that demon after recruitment.


    That said, although the demon was the weakest in the squad, he wasn''t useless and provided Ethan with a lot of useful information, as well as many stat points.


    Moyan, who had only recently advanced, had given Ethan a considerable amount of stat points, so when Ethan absorbed the demon of the spiritual rank, he expected something a bit more��and indeed, he was right.


    [You have gained +14,000 STR]


    [You have gained +12,500 AGI]


    [You have gained +5,000 INT]


    [You have gained +4,000 Soul Strength]


    .


    [------------------------------


    Name: Ethan


    Cultivation: Soul Awakening (advanced)


    QI: 100M / 100M


    Physique: Minor Demonic Physique


    Strength: 42,787 �� 56,787


    Agility: 36,577 �� 49,077


    Intelligence: 21,289 �� 26,289


    Soul Strength: 5,014 �� 9,014


    [Shop]


    [Storage]


    [System Points]: 468M


    ------------------------------]


    .


    As usual, Ethan''s stats didn''t increase uniformly.


    From the strength and agility stats, which, as usual, were the ones that saw the largest increases of well over 30%, to the intelligence and soul strength stats, which, as always, had the smallest increases among the four, rising by 20% and 80% respectively.


    The soul strength might seem like the stat that increased the most, but over time, it would revert to being the lowest of all, for obvious reasons.


    For now, the stat was already low, so such a large boost appeared significant, but it obviously wouldn''t always be like this.


    That said, even so, Ethan had gained a quantity of soul strength that would take others tens of thousands of years to accumulate.


    According to him, he would reach the quantity of soul strength necessary for divine ascension long before reaching the sixth stage.


    If Ethan had wanted to estimate his power before and after this increase, he would have noticed that his overall total strength had increased by 33%, a significant boost, considering that all he had done was feed the weakest of the four demons to his special physique.


    Needless to say, Ethan couldn''t wait to absorb the remaining two demons, but for now, he would make do with this one.


    He regretted a bit the loss of the demon named Yi Tiao, as he was certain it would have been the one to provide him with the highest number of stats.


    He had always believed that demons were the fastest way to increase his strength, and now he was more certain of it than ever.


    Ethan could form an idea of the average statistics of a demon at the peak of the first stage of the spiritual realm and could say that they wouldn''t exceed 30k.


    Meanwhile, he had already reached that limit during the initial phase of the first stage of the spiritual realm.


    At the moment, he wasn''t certain of his maximum limit for this stage, but for now, it didn''t matter.


    He still had a long way to go and still had that condensed demonic energy sphere inside his sea of consciousness.


    He was certain that the amount contained within it would be high enough to allow him to reach the stat limit for this stage very quickly.


    That said, he wasn''t the only one who received a power boost.


    Next to him, the elf girl, who now appeared much healthier, had also undergone her fair share of improvements.


    Just by looking at her, one could tell that her physical form was much better, as if she had been training her body for years, and the same could be said about her cultivation.


    At this moment, she had reached the peak of the body-refining stage, just one step away from entering the next stage.


    Ethan told her not to advance.


    Although her body could withstand such a rapid advancement, it wouldn''t benefit her in the long term, even more so because she wouldn''t have time to adapt to her newfound strength. Therefore, he told her to stop at this stage for now.


    Although Ethan had also helped her learn some basic combat techniques, both armed and unarmed, she was still at a very early stage.


    That said, he had to admit that despite it being her first time, she learned very quickly.


    He was certain that if he sent her to train in his minor dimension, she would surpass the Guo brothers in no time.


    This was because not only was the concentration of spiritual Qi there extremely high, but she would also have more opportunities to improve in terms of experience.


    Currently, his small world had grown enough and was populated with enough beings to be considered a true world, with various species, both intelligent and less so.


    If he were to throw her into the middle of the forest, as he and Bai Yu had done with the Guo brothers, he was certain that she would not only survive but also grow stronger at a very rapid pace.


    He wasn''t sure if all elves had such a high talent for cultivation, but she certainly did, and he intended to help her make full use of her talent.


    Ethan wondered how Bai Yu would react when they met again next time.


    He was certain that she would want to train the elf girl personally.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, the line of participants continued to dwindle until, after several hours, it was finally Ethan and Lin Yu''s turn.


    By this point, Ethan already had an idea of how the test was conducted, and it was exactly as he had heard.


    The test itself wasn''t anything complicated or something that required too much time.


    In short, to put it simply, they would first examine the cultivation base of the participants and then give them the opportunity to fight for 5 minutes against someone of their same level.


    If they managed to hold out, they would pass; otherwise, they could try again next time.


    Ethan had noticed that, unlike for those at the first rank, those at the third rank were given a choice of whether or not to fight, as their cultivation level was already high enough to be accepted into any squad.


    That said, although many were given this choice, none decided not to fight, and this was because there was an audience watching the tests, and this audience consisted precisely of officials and, more importantly, squad commanders.


    Although the commanders of the top 10 squads weren''t present, that didn''t mean there weren''t other famous commanders there.


    In fact, there were several, ranging from those in the top 50 to even some from the top 20.


    All the participants intended to perform their best in this demonstration of their abilities, hoping to catch the attention of one of them.


    Especially after seeing that the commander holding the 17th position had already recruited one of the cultivators from the third stage of the mortal rank.


    This event had raised everyone''s expectations.


    Many knew they wouldn''t have the same opportunity as that participant, but they hoped to at least receive an invitation from a strong squad, even if it wasn''t in the top 20.


    For soldiers of their level, even those in the top 30 were already significant, so after that participant, the subsequent examination became a bit more intense, and everyone anticipated seeing some good performances.

 Chapter 296 - 296: Weapons Consciousness

    .


    The streets of the Red Moon City were bustling at every hour, from morning till evening.


    Although there wasn''t really a sun to indicate day and night here, the inhabitants of this base had adopted their own schedule, which was very similar to that of their homeland.


    At this moment, it would be evening, and if there were a sun, one would see it setting on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of yellow, orange, and red.


    But for now, all that could be seen was the emptiness of space within this in-between dimension.


    In this atmosphere, where everyone tended to relax their nerves and alleviate the fatigue of the day, a person was walking along the slightly crowded street.


    The person in question was a young woman with white hair and red eyes, seemingly dressed in a mix of armor and casual clothing.


    Although the individual herself was quite attractive, what particularly made her stand out wasn''t these details but the heavy aura that surrounded her.


    From nearby passersby to animals with peculiar appearances, no one dared approach her at this moment.


    Their instincts told them that certain death awaited if they did, and while this wasn''t necessarily true, none wanted to take their chances by crossing her path.


    The woman in question was, of course, none other than Jing Xia, who had just finished raiding a residence.


    Judging by her unhappy mood at the moment, it was clear that she hadn''t been successful.


    As she continued walking along the main street of the city, her thoughts wandered to what she had discovered after visiting the residence of the soldier who had purchased the elf.


    Upon her arrival, she had directly broken into the residence, not only because she didn''t really care about basic courtesies at that moment but also because she could sense that there was no one home.


    There could have been several reasons why the soldier was absent, so she didn''t waste time searching for him around the city but instead decided to rely on an object in her possession.


    She entered the house after forcing open the door and used her demonic sense to scour various corners of the place for anything of value. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She soon found what she was looking for and, with a step, arrived directly at the spot.


    The item in question was nothing more than a thin red strand, almost invisible to the eyes of an ordinary observer who wouldn''t notice it immediately unless specifically searching for it.


    A hair, most likely from the demon he was looking for.


    She didn''t bother picking it up with her hands but instead used her demonic energy to capture it and bring it close to her.


    Then, pulling out an object from her dimensional storage, something akin to a small pouch attached to her waist, she materialized what appeared to be a normal mirror, slightly smaller than the palm of her hand.


    With a movement of her hand, she brought the red strand close to the mirror, which, upon sensing the presence of the hair, began to glow faintly red before pulling the strand into itself.


    In the blink of an eye, the hair was fully absorbed into the reflective surface of the mirror, as if it had been submerged in it.


    Jing Xia, watching the whole process, she didn''t show any expression and just waited.


    After a few seconds, the mirror, which had stopped glowing, lit up once again, but this time, the light was no longer red, it was black.


    Seeing this, Jing Xia''s eyes sharpened slightly as she observed the strand that had been absorbed by the mirror being expelled.


    The strand fell like a light feather, twisting in the air as it descended.


    The mirror floated in the air briefly before she sent it back into her dimensional storage.


    The object she had just used was a locator that all the commanders of the base possessed.


    It was an enchanted item that allowed the user to locate individuals, provided they had something tied to that person.


    From everyday objects to simple body hairs or blood, anything worked as long as it had a connection to the person in question.


    The object would light up in three different ways:


    Red, to indicate that the material used was valid for locating the person.


    Green, to signify that the person had been found, in which case another function could be used to pinpoint their exact location.


    And finally, black, to indicate that the person in question couldn''t be found.


    In these cases, several reasons were possible:


    The simplest being that the person was in a location too distant to be detected, such as a dimension too far away.


    Or more complex reasons, such as the individual being dead.


    That said, in either case, she currently had no way of tracking down that demon. And what was even more frustrating was that she wouldn''t be able to trace the elf girl either, as the object was effective only for the demon race and not so much for others.


    She had already toured the elf girl''s quarters and hadn''t found anything that could help her attempt to locate her. Hence, here she was, clenching her fists in frustration as she walked through the city.


    "It seems you''ve grown attached to that elf," said a feminine voice coming from nowhere.


    Although the voice was clear, no one nearby heard it, no one except Jing Xia herself, who showed no expression upon hearing it.


    "There''s no point dwelling on the matter. If something were to happen to her, it most likely has already happened. Why continue wasting time like this?" the voice continued, but once again, it received no response from her.


    Even though she hadn''t said anything, she tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword at her right side.


    The feminine voice didn''t sound again for a while before speaking once more:


    "Ah, I told you to leave a slave mark on her. At least that way, no one would have dared take her from you," the voice said again, but as she finished her words, it abruptly stopped, and Jing Xia''s footsteps also came to a halt as her gaze shifted in a particular direction.


    ''Hm? What was that?'' Jing Xia thought as she immediately felt her weapon react strangely.


    The voice from earlier was the consciousness of her weapon, which had started communicating with her from the moment she became its wielder.


    Although she was a person of few words, she occasionally liked conversing with the weapon''s soul consciousness.


    This was because they were in the same boat, and in a way, she trusted it, paying close attention to its words.


    Soon, the feminine voice, which had been silent, resounded again, but this time it wasn''t as calm as before:


    "There''s something strange over there... Quickly, take me there," said the agitated voice as Jing Xia felt the weapon being drawn toward that direction.


    It was as if an unknown force was pulling it that way, and since she was bound to it both physically and spiritually, she too could feel this pull.


    Her earlier fury over the elf girl''s disappearance had vanished for the moment, replaced by this sudden situation.


    Without hesitation, she disappeared from her spot, heading directly toward the location where this pull originated.

 Chapter 297 - 297: One-Star Soldier

    .


    When Ethan''s turn came, he stepped forward without hesitation toward the examination area and positioned himself in the center of the field.


    There, in front of him, stood a black-red stone pedestal upon which rested a pitch-black sphere.


    The sphere had a smooth, glass-like surface, and while it seemed plain from the outside, Ethan could immediately sense that the object in front of him was anything but ordinary.


    ''Interesting''


    He could perceive a series of inscriptions within the sphere, and through his senses, he was able to discern their structure and arrangement, easily deducing their purpose.


    The inscriptions in question formed a mechanism designed to absorb demonic energy and, based on its intensity, categorize it into specific grades.


    Ethan had already figured out that this was how the demons precisely determined someone''s cultivation level.


    For someone inexperienced in the art of inscriptions, it would be difficult to bypass the sphere''s control over demonic energy and, consequently, lower their actual ranking. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately for the demons, Ethan was not only a level-4 Array master but also a human with a unique physique.


    These two traits not only allowed him to manipulate the inscriptions within the sphere but also dilute the concentration of demonic Qi in the energy he channeled into it.


    On the opposite side of the sphere stood a demoness with a simple appearance.


    She had short, dark pink hair that barely reached her shoulders, violet skin, and, Oddly enough, despite her small frame and cute face, she had a certain charm.


    Ethan, while not particularly skilled at judging the beauty of demons, could still appreciate a beautiful woman when he saw one.


    That said, in his eyes, the demoness''s charm was only slightly above average.


    Having been surrounded by a certain dragon woman for nearly two centuries, he had become immune to such levels of allure.


    The demoness glanced at him, unable to resist giving him a second look before gesturing toward the sphere and nodding as she said,


    "You may begin whenever you''re ready. If you don''t understand any part of the test, feel free to ask." Her tone was teasing yet kind.


    The other demons nearby, seeing this treatment, were infuriated as they recalled that none of them had even received so much as a single glance from her, let alone the chance to interact.


    "Damn it, where did someone like him come from?" muttered a demon resembling a minotaur, complete with bat-like wings and a snake-like tail.


    "Tch, the world is unfair. Even weaklings like him can get by just because they have a pretty face," sneered another demon with a skinny figure and a donkey-like face.


    "Speak for yourselves. Just wait until it''s my turn. You''ll see her fall at my feet with a single look," boasted another demon, who was immediately mocked by those around him.


    Ethan''s presence undoubtedly drew attention, and even among the spectators, many cast envious and admiring glances his way.


    While a series of murmurs spread, Ethan simply nodded in acknowledgment and placed his hand atop the black sphere.


    Immediately, those who had been gossiping fell silent as an inexplicable chill swept over them, causing goosebumps to rise.


    The sensation lasted only a moment, but it was enough to silence everyone present as they looked around in search of the source.


    Even the demoness administering the test glanced around, caught off guard by the sudden feeling.


    ''What was that just now?'' she wondered, as bewildered as the others.


    Everyone was confused, but no one noticed the expression on Ethan''s face as he let out a sigh of relief while channeling his dark aura into the sphere.


    ''That was close.'' He felt fortunate to have suppressed his aura in time.


    As he released his demonic energy, believing he had sufficiently diluted it, an invisible pressure radiated from him. It wasn''t linked to the concentration of demonic energy but rather to his unique demonic physique, which emitted that sensation.


    Ethan hadn''t seen that coming and was caught off guard too.


    It seemed that his demonic physique had a suppressive effect on others of the same race.


    He wasn''t sure if it was the same ability that had activated when he first met Lin Yu, but for now, that wasn''t important.


    He could only breathe a sigh of relief as he hurried to complete the examination of his demonic Qi.


    He didn''t want any more incidents like this to happen.


    Soon, the pitch-black sphere began to emit a faint yellowish aura that surrounded it. The aura lingered briefly before gradually fading away.


    Ethan wasn''t entirely sure what the phenomenon indicated, but he had a guess.


    ''Yellow stands for the second grade?'' he thought, turning his attention to the demoness.


    The demoness, now out of her temporary daze, had written something on a rectangular stone tablet in her hand.


    She then looked up at Ethan with a smile and said,


    "Peak of the second stage cultivation. You''ve passed the examination," she announced, congratulating him.


    Needless to say, even this treatment was something reserved solely for him, and seeing it, even participants at the third stage struggled to maintain their composure.


    ''You can congratulate him but not me, even though I''m stronger?'' thought a few third-stage demons bitterly.


    Ethan paid no attention to any of them as he stepped aside to make way for the elven girl behind him.


    He intended to introduce her as his servant and request her evaluation as well, but just as he turned to speak to her, he noticed she was looking at him strangely.


    ''Could she have...'' He wasn''t sure, but recalling her unawakened law and affinity for the elements, he began to form some speculations.


    As expected, the elven girl, unlike the demons, had been able to determine that it was Ethan who had emitted that aura.


    However, knowing that he was hiding things, she didn''t dwell on it and stepped forward when he made way.


    Ethan, realizing Lin Yu wouldn''t question him about the matter, set it aside and addressed the demoness.


    "I''d like her to take the examination as well."


    The demoness didn''t ask any questions and simply nodded as she pulled out a different object and handed it to Lin Yu.


    Ethan could tell they were going to use a tool designed for spiritual energy to measure her cultivation level, as the earlier sphere was clearly unsuitable.


    Lin Yu''s examination concluded quickly, and though slightly surprised, the demoness congratulated Ethan for having such a young servant already at the peak of the first stage.


    She handed both of them gray badges marked with what appeared to be a single red star.


    These were proof of their status as one-star soldiers, the minimum requirement to join the demon army and gain the opportunity to join a team for missions.


    Without it, using the portals would attract unwanted attention.


    Ethan glanced at the simple-looking badge.


    He had finally taken the first step toward leaving this place.

 Chapter 298 - 298: Ethans Turn

    .


    Ethan, although he had obtained a one-star soldier badge and technically should have participated in the physical test to demonstrate the extent of his abilities, had the option to skip this part.


    This was because, although he was at the second stage, he had already reached its peak, and that alone was enough to show that he had a minimum level of skill to participate in missions.


    Of course, this didn''t provide any indication of Ethan''s actual combat abilities, but for demons, this wasn''t particularly significant.


    What mattered was that the individual possessed strength and knew how to wield a weapon; the rest would fall into place naturally.


    Thus, when both finished receiving their badges, the demoness asked Ethan if he wanted to skip the practical test.


    Ethan, who hadn''t expected this option, had to think for a moment before making his decision.


    While participating in the practical test could give him an advantage when it came to being selected for a team, it was also true that he could simply let the examination center find one for him.


    After all, that was part of their job.


    It was very similar to leaving one''s r��sum�� and contact information, and then being contacted if a team had an opening or required him after reviewing his credentials.


    Honestly, he had no issue doing either, as in any case, he would gain access to those portals, and that was the most important thing to him.


    He reflected for a moment before saying:


    "No, I''d like to participate in the practical test," he said.


    The demoness''s eyes seemed to sparkle a bit more as she nodded with delight and marked something on the object in her hand.


    Ethan wasn''t sure what that object was, but he assumed she had put him on the waiting list for the practical test, so he didn''t dwell on it.


    He was escorted by her, along with Lin Yu, to the waiting area for practical test participants. After chatting with him briefly, the demoness had to return because she would delay the examination of the others if she lingered.


    She was clearly irritated by the demon who had told her to return and examine him, and she shot him a deadly glare upon arriving, for interrupting her moment.


    Although the demoness wasn''t a high-level cultivator, she still had a cultivation level at the second stage, so her glare gave a slight chill to the demon, who was only at the early second stage.


    Ethan paid no attention to any of this. Instead, he watched the small arena in front of the waiting hall, where a participant''s practical test was underway.


    Unlike him, who was asked whether he wanted to take the practical test, Lin Yu had not been given the same option. This wasn''t because she was at the first stage and thus automatically required to take the test, but for another reason entirely.


    That reason was that she was Ethan''s property, and so she could only join teams chosen by him.


    She couldn''t go to the small arena and fight because it wouldn''t make sense since Ethan made decisions for her, and as per common practice, most slaves joined the same teams as their masters.


    Of course, not as members but merely to follow their masters.


    For Lin Yu, this was a relief. Although she had made tremendous progress in just one day, experience and confidence in her abilities were things that couldn''t simply be gained in a day or two.


    For that, she would need to gain real combat experience on the battlefield or during missions in other worlds.


    Even her badge was different from Ethan''s.


    She didn''t have a one-star soldier badge like him but instead had a one-star support badge with Ethan''s name written as her owner.


    It was clear that the demons tended to make a distinct separation between master and slave, no matter the context, but this didn''t matter to Ethan, nor to Lin Yu herself.


    He watched the clash unfolding before him and had to admit it was far more boring than he had expected.


    Every encounter would last 5 minutes, and the ultimate goal was to endure against the other side, which would have a similar level of strength, until the time expired.


    Of course, there was also the option of defeating the examiner, but 99% of the time, that wasn''t possible.


    Therefore, participants tended to do their best to give a good demonstration of their abilities while also trying to make the battle last until the time limit.


    Even at this moment, the opponent was just someone at the second stage of the Mortal Rank, launching attacks against the examiner. The examiner, however, clearly wore an expression of pity toward the demon.


    Ethan could only shake his head.


    He could tell that the demon had a good cultivation base, but lacked experience and, even more so, proper techniques suited for the weapon he was using.


    In short, the sparring before him was anything but exciting.


    A few minutes into the match, it seemed that even the examiner had grown tired of the participant.


    With a perfect display of skill, the examiner parried the other side''s attack and delivered a powerful blow to the participant''s abdomen.


    The participant didn''t even have time to register the examiner''s movements before being thrown directly out of the arena.


    Needless to say, the other side had miserably failed the test.


    The demons around burst into exclamations, some mocking the participant and others eagerly waiting for their turn to step into the arena.


    No one pitied him, and that was because no one here wanted to be pitied in the first place.


    For demons, that would have been even more shameful.


    Ethan paid no attention to the defeated demon and walked forward to enter the small arena.


    He had waited for quite some time, and now it was his turn.


    As he climbed up, Lin Yu was moved to the spectator area.


    Leaving her in the waiting room with the other participants would inevitably create unnecessary trouble, as many tended to target the weak.


    Of course, they wouldn''t directly attack or anything, but they would definitely cause her discomfort.


    While Ethan had the right to deal with anyone who harassed his slave in such situations, it was also true that if he could avoid such problems, why wouldn''t he?


    Attracting trouble meant drawing attention, and that was the last thing he needed at the moment. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He stepped onto the small raised platform made of gray stone tiles, which were incredibly hard and impact-resistant.


    Just by walking on it, Ethan could feel the texture of the rock beneath him. He could tell it was certainly a mineral not found on the Mortal Plane.


    Thanks to his affinity with earth, he could determine the composition of the rocks, so he could verify whether or not this stone beneath him existed in the Mortal Plane.


    That said, he was only curious for a moment before shifting his focus back to the person in front of him.


    It was still the same examiner from earlier, but this time, his strength was at the peak of the second stage of the Mortal Rank.


    Ethan could tell that the actual strength of the person in front of him was at least at the third stage.


    Most likely, the examiner adjusted his strength based on the participant, so as not to make the battle too unbalanced.


    Of course, there were other factors to consider, such as experience and combat techniques, but those didn''t matter much here.


    After all, no one had ever said it was necessary to defeat the other side, just to endure a battle and simultaneously demonstrate one''s skill.


    As Ethan stepped onto the platform, the examiner naturally assessed him and adjusted his cultivation base to match Ethan''s level.


    That said, while doing so, the examiner couldn''t help but notice the movements of the other side.


    At first glance, there didn''t seem to be anything special about him, but in the eyes of a veteran of many battles, the examiner could tell that this person was anything but ordinary.


    ''It seems someone with actual skill has finally stepped up.''

 Chapter 299 - 299: Weak Recruits

    .


    The examiner was a demon nearly 2 meters tall, with a stocky build and well-defined muscles, fully exposed by his attire, which consisted solely of pieces of armor protecting his arms, chest, and legs.


    He didn''t wear any helmet, and it was clear that his armor wasn''t complete.


    Most likely, he didn''t feel the need to fully equip himself for the examination of the new recruits.


    That said, he was a demon at the third stage of the spiritual rank, making him one of the most powerful individuals at the moment, excluding the various team commanders present.


    He had been assigned to the examination field for this time of the year, and initially, he was curious because he thought he might meet promising recruits who would become the future pillars of the demonic army.


    But, to his great disappointment, this was not the case.


    He hadn''t expected much from the new recruits in the first place, knowing that almost none of them had likely seen any real battle experience. Therefore, he anticipated they would be very weak, both in terms of strength and combat techniques.


    Unfortunately, his expectations were surpassed, and not in a good way.


    In recent years, every time he examined new recruits, he had seen a decline in performance.


    In the earlier years when he had been an examiner, at least the recruits could still show some low level of skill, but now it was as if they didn''t even know how to hold a weapon properly, which clearly disappointed him.


    So, whenever he saw a completely ignorant recruit, he would defeat them without hesitation.


    He now knew that five minutes were wasted on them, so if he saw they had nothing to show, he would eliminate them without thinking twice, just as he had done with the last recruit who was sent flying by him.


    Now, however, when he saw the next recruit step into the arena, he immediately noticed something.


    ''Not bad.''


    Thanks to his long experience, he could determine a certain level of skill just from the posture and the way a person moved.


    At that moment, just by examining how the recruit walked, he could tell they had some ability.


    This made him a bit curious and, at the same time, a little hopeful.


    He truly hoped this one wouldn''t turn out to be another disappointment like the previous ones he had examined today.


    Even the third-stage recruits were far from satisfying, so he still had some skepticism. That said,


    30 seconds later...


    Huh?


    He, who only moments ago had been sure of a good fight with the other side, found himself sent flying by the other side with a single blow.


    It might have seemed like only a few seconds had passed, but for an expert like him, that time was more than enough to make several moves, and indeed, that was the case.


    Initially, he noticed the other side wasn''t using a weapon, so to make things fairer, he decided to do the same, even lowering his cultivation to the peak of the second stage.


    He expected the other side to attack, but to his surprise, unlike the other participants who rushed at him recklessly, this demon didn''t.


    Instead, they took a simple defensive position.


    Seeing this, he was somewhat disappointed, especially since he could spot a few openings in the defense.


    Thinking it was a good moment to expose these openings, he decided to attack.


    One strike, then another, and another. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n��t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In less than five seconds, he delivered several blows, but to his surprise, none of them landed.


    He realized that what he thought were openings turned out to be traps, and in fact, at the previous moment, he felt a slight sense of danger. So, he instinctively increased his strength to the third stage and tried to dodge, but even then, it wasn''t enough.


    The recruit didn''t even give him time to understand where the attack was coming from before he felt a pain in his abdomen, and in the next moment, he was sent flying out of the arena.


    This sequence of events was too sudden for him, and not only that, even the audience, who just a few seconds ago had been cheering for yet another participant to be beaten, found themselves speechless.


    Then, as if to break the brief silence, an examiner at the first stage of the spiritual rank spoke:


    "That recruit... just sent the examiner flying with a single blow?" he said, clearly astonished.


    He had been able to watch the entire battle easily, so he was surprised because he had noticed how easily the recruit executed the attack while avoiding the examiner''s strikes.


    Just like him, other commanders nearby thought the same thing, and immediately, some of them decided to recruit this recruit.


    Even Lin Yu, who was now in the audience, was cheering.


    She knew Ethan was stronger than he let on, but seeing him send the examiner flying so easily still excited her.


    As the crowd suddenly came alive, Ethan, who had just sent the examiner flying, had a grim expression on his face.


    ''How the hell did he not see the attack?'' he thought.


    He had drastically lowered his strength and speed, so he expected the other side to be able to see and resist his attacks, but that wasn''t the case.


    The examiner, though experienced, was still very inexperienced in Ethan''s eyes, who easily blocked his attacks. Instinctively, he wanted to push him back, but he held back and prepared this weak attack in hopes that the other side would finally take advantage.


    But to his surprise, the other party not only didn''t avoid it, but took it head-on, ending up being thrown out of the arena.


    Being thrown out of the arena meant an automatic defeat, so at this moment, he found himself unexpectedly being the winner of the sparring match.


    Just as he thought that the demons here were too weak, he felt a sudden sensation as his gaze shifted in one direction.


    There, positioned on the high wall of the examination area, was a female figure, who, at that moment, was looking directly at him.


    ***


    Jing Xia, as soon as she felt that invisible sensation, immediately rushed toward the area from where it came.


    Although the issue with the elven girl troubled her, this sudden event was something that caught her attention, especially because it involved her soul weapon.


    This was a very powerful soul weapon, and in fact, for a long time, no one had been able to subdue it.


    She, too, had encountered her fair share of difficulties in successfully controlling it.


    And precisely because she had managed to control it successfully and had used it for decades now, she knew how formidable it was.


    So, when she felt the reaction of the weapon to the aura she sensed from that direction, she grew curious.


    She knew that whatever it was, if it had managed to get such a reaction from the weapon, it was most likely not something simple.


    With her speed, she covered the distance between her and the location in no time, and in the blink of an eye, she was on the walls of the examination area for new recruits.


    The fact that her weapon felt drawn to this place intrigued her even more, and now that she was here, she used the attraction her weapon was feeling to pinpoint the source of her reaction.


    ''Found it.''


    Just as she managed to pinpoint the likely source of her weapon''s reaction, her eyes caught sight of a certain figure in the crowd of participants watching.


    And when she focused her sight on that figure, her eyes immediately narrowed.

 Chapter 300 - 300: Absolute-Zero (End)

    .


    Ethan initially sensed a presence staring at him, so he shifted his gaze toward the source.


    However, as he saw who it was, he felt a sensation coming from his sea of consciousness a feeling somewhat familiar to him.


    The amphora was reacting.


    ''It''s started reacting again?''


    This came as a bit of a surprise to him. After all, the amphora had gone dormant again after its last activation.


    But now, it had awakened once more, and the vibrations it was emitting were the same as the last time.


    Ethan was still unaware of many things about the amphora, but he knew one thing: whenever it reacted, it was always to something of considerable importance, just like before.


    But one thing stood out. The vibrations it emitted were never the same.


    They differed each time because the situations were always different, yet at this moment, the feeling it gave was identical to when the portal was opening.


    ''Could it be that the sphere wasn''t its target?'' he thought, realizing something.


    Was it possible that the amphora was reacting to something beyond the portal rather than the portal itself?


    Ethan wasn''t sure, but the appearance of this woman and the amphora''s reaction hinted at something like that.


    That said, he decided to set this thought aside for now as he noticed the woman shifting her gaze from him to the audience.


    Following the trajectory of her gaze, he noted where she was looking.


    ''Hm, she''s looking at Lin Yu?''


    He thought for a moment, then shook his head, thinking he might be wrong.


    Just as Ethan had noticed the woman''s appearance, so too had several others. When some recognized her, panic immediately began to spread as they murmured:


    "That woman, why is she here?" said a commander at the first stage of the Spiritual realm as he recognized the figure standing on the wall.


    Like him, others also recognized her and, just when they were starting to panic due to the recent incident related to her, a strong pressure suddenly covered the area.


    Jing Xia, who had been on the wall a moment ago, now appeared in the area reserved for the audience.


    Seeing this, Ethan immediately noticed where she had positioned herself and quickly realized that she was indeed targeting Lin Yu.


    He wasn''t certain why she would be interested in a slave, but then a thought crossed his mind as he recalled what Lin Yu had told him a few days ago:


    ''Could she be the female commander who bought her?'' he wondered, trying to probe the woman''s aura.


    ''I can''t determine her strength,'' he thought grimly, though he could tell that this person was far stronger than him.


    As the crowd descended further into panic due to the sudden pressure, Ethan heard some murmuring a name.


    ''Jing Xia? Could it be her?'' he thought as fragments of memories from the demons he had recently absorbed came to mind.


    While Ethan began piecing together the situation, Jing Xia, who had appeared near Lin Yu, cast a clearly angry look at her and said:


    "Who dared to put that collar on you?" she asked in a low but sharp voice, loud enough for the elven girl to hear.


    Unlike the others present, Lin Yu didn''t feel the sudden pressure, so she was a bit confused by their reactions.


    However, she didn''t dwell on it for long, as in the next moment, the figure of a woman she knew well appeared before her.


    It was the woman who had saved her back then, the one who had ensured she could live until now.


    It was the female commander she hadn''t seen for some time.


    Lin Yu had never had the chance to properly thank her, so seeing her now made her a bit happy.


    Just as she was about to say something, she stopped when she saw the woman''s clearly displeased expression.


    As she wondered why the woman seemed in such a bad mood, she heard her voice and immediately realized something.


    ''Oh no,'' Lin Yu immediately understood that things could have taken a bad turn if she had said she had become Ethan''s slave.


    She felt a little panicked, unsure whether to tell the truth or not.


    Under normal circumstances, she would have told the truth, but now was definitely not the right time.


    After all, Ethan needed to keep his strength a secret, and if it were revealed that she wasn''t truly his slave, she wasn''t sure how this might affect his recruitment as a soldier.


    Clearly, this put her in a bit of a difficult position, and soon she began to figure out the most effective way to get out of this situation.


    Seeing the elven girl clearly hesitating, Jing Xia''s anger grew stronger as she mistakenly assumed the girl was being forced to stay silent on the matter.


    She raised her gaze from the elven girl to the surrounding crowd.


    With a fierce look, she said:


    "Who is this slave''s master?" she asked, her voice not particularly loud, but still heard by everyone.


    Thud!


    The moment she uttered those words, several weaker demons fainted instantly, while many others visibly struggled to remain conscious.


    She was a powerhouse at the peak of the third stage of the spiritual rank, and even though she wasn''t releasing her cultivation at the moment, Just her aura alone was enough to knock everyone out.


    Thus, those seemingly innocuous words had a disastrous effect on many of those present.


    Several demons fainted, and others were on the verge of doing so.


    Only the commanders present were still standing, albeit barely, and seeing that the situation was taking a bad turn, one of them, aware of the recent events, managed to connect Jing Xia''s words to that matter and said:


    "C-Commander Jing, the owner of that slave it''s right there," said the first-stage commander, pointing at Ethan.


    Jing Xia shifted her gaze from the commander who had just spoken and looked in the direction he was pointing.


    The moment she noticed who he was indicating, her gaze narrowed as she thought,


    ''Is it him?''


    She had already confirmed that the reaction her weapon was having was due to that person, but thinking that he was also the one who had placed the collar on the elf girl made her even more curious about him.


    She immediately tried to probe the other party and soon discovered she couldn''t.


    Hm?


    She could sense a second-stage mortal rank aura from him, but she could tell that was merely his apparent cultivation.


    She was certain his true strength was greater than that.


    This fact made things even more suspicious in her eyes, and soon, she turned towards him while placing her hand on the hilt of her sword.


    Ethan, seeing how quickly the situation was getting out of control, mentally cursed himself for allowing Lin Yu to put on the collar.


    ''Haa... I knew putting that thing on her would cause trouble,'' he thought, frustrated by the situation as he prepared for what was about to happen.


    His only consolation in all this was that the situation was still manageable, although he could tell that his next words might either make things more or less chaotic.


    ***


    While Ethan was getting his welcome into demonic society, elsewhere, light-years away from that dimension, someone else was also receiving a warm welcome.


    "How did they manage to discover me?" thought a ten meter tall demon, frustrated by the situation.


    He was none other than the demon king of the Red Moon City base, Yi Hei, the grandfather of Yi Tiao.


    A few days ago, he had sensed the death of his grandson, and it had infuriated him.


    He used a forbidden technique to try and determine the circumstances that led to his grandson''s death and soon discovered that his grandson had been cornered by a human and had chosen to sacrifice himself to activate the formation that would trigger the mechanism to open the portal.


    Clearly, this didn''t please him at all, but he managed to put aside his frustration as he focused on the more important matter.


    His grandson had successfully opened the portal.


    The mission was to open the portal without alerting the consciousness of that world, so Yi Tiao and his team had been cautious in their movements upon arriving in that plane.


    There were various ways to achieve this, but the most effective was to sacrifice a being of spiritual realm, in other words one of their demon commanders.


    Although the death of a commander wasn''t too concerning to him, they considered it a waste of resources for a world like that, so they opted for the plan that would take more time but was just as effective as sacrificing a commander from their base.


    He had thought the mission was of medium difficulty, not requiring a massive army, so he had allowed his grandson to go there.


    He knew the beings of that place didn''t even reach the spiritual realm, so they wouldn''t pose a threat to his grandson''s team.


    But things had gone terribly wrong, and in the end, his grandson had used himself to open the portal successfully while simultaneously preventing it from alerting that world''s consciousness.


    He was enraged, so he immediately rushed to the location to personally capture the human who had caused his grandson''s demise.


    Or at least, that''s what he thought, but something interfered while he traveled through the portal he had connected to that place with his energy, and soon he found himself being forced to change course as he was transported to a higher realm tied to that world.


    He was shocked by the fact that someone powerful enough to do such a thing existed in that world, and for a moment, he thought it might be the consciousness of the place, but he quickly dismissed that thought as he focused on the force that had altered his path.


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you interfere with me?" he said, frustrated, as he unleashed his power and tried to suppress the opposing force dragging him to a different place.


    Soon, he realized the other party was no simple entity, and just as he considered releasing his domain to escape the situation, he was ejected from the spatial tunnel and found himself in a familiar place.


    He immediately stabilized himself, dispersing the effects of the spatial tunnel he had been traveling through, and soon got a clearer view of the place.


    "This place... could it be that realm?" he thought as he immediately sensed his surroundings.


    He could feel a dense concentration of spiritual Qi permeating every corner of this place, and no matter where he looked, he couldn''t sense any trace of demonic energy.


    He was able to determine a few things about this place right away, and soon, a certain location described in fragments of consciousness left by members of his race in the past came to mind.


    They were fragments of a superior realm that their race had discovered a long time ago, a realm that disappeared from their radar and that they had been trying to track down for many years.


    It was precisely the realm the mission carried out by Yi Tiao''s team had aimed to help them reach once more.


    The Celestial Plane.


    He was shocked that he had managed to reach this place, but he didn''t pay too much attention to it while realizing that his situation was somewhat difficult.


    In the previous counterattack, he had been able to determine the strength of the other party, so he could tell that he had been targeted by someone at a level similar to his own.


    Most likely, someone from this realm.


    He didn''t know if he could face them successfully or not, so he decided to disperse within this area to hide. As soon as he could, he would transmit the coordinates of the location to his base to call for reinforcements.


    Just the thought of this made him happy, and for a moment, he thought that his nephew''s sacrifice had not been in vain after all, because he had managed to find the realm they had been searching for some time.


    Unfortunately for him, things weren''t so simple.


    He didn''t even have time to react when he immediately felt the presence of the entity that had forced him to deviate from his original destination appear once more.


    If it had been just that, things would still have been manageable for him, but soon he felt the presence of three other beings with a cultivation level close to his own.


    "Damn, I can''t stay here," he thought, realizing that his situation was more serious than he had imagined.


    Just as he was about to scatter himself across the area, he immediately felt the surrounding environment begin to change.


    Soon, the sky was torn apart as three enormous pillars of light appeared and struck the ground in three separate locations, all surrounding the area where Yi Hei stood.


    The three enormous pillars encircled a vast area spanning several hundred miles, and each of them emanated an oppressive aura.


    Earth, wind, and fire,


    three particular elements stood out prominently from these pillars as massive figures began to emerge within them.


    Seeing these pillars appear, he immediately understood what was happening as he roared:


    "Do you really think that weaklings like you can trap me so easily?" he shouted, releasing an enormous wave of energy that expanded outward like a bubble in all directions.


    "INFERNO!"


    As if that single word possessed a mystical effect, the expanding energy bubble began to distort reality, surging ever more violently in all directions and targeting the three pillars of light.


    Every area engulfed by the energy bubble became dim as a suffocating aura spread everywhere it touched.


    The surroundings, distorted by the energy, began to wither as visible cracks formed on the ground, radiating intense heat from the fissures.


    Yi Hei''s domain was manifesting.


    Just as the domain continued to expand rapidly, nearing the three pillars of light, another change occurred in the environment, and soon Yi Hei''s domain began to slow down.


    A feminine voice echoed through the surroundings, and soon a chilling aura descended upon the area. S��arch* The n?vel_Fire.��et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Absolute Zero."


    As if those simple words had triggered something, an overwhelming pressure descended on the area, and Yi Hei''s domain, which had already begun to slow, was immediately suppressed.


    Before the demon had time to react, the surrounding temperature began to drop at a dizzying rate, while a thin layer of ice began to cover the surface below.


    Yi Hei sensed danger from the spreading ice and moved away quickly, directing his attention upward.


    The ground started trembling as the layer of ice spread even into the cracks of the fractured earth.


    Soon, with several loud explosions, the earth shattered, and massive pillars of translucent blue crystal emerged one after another. Yet none of this drew the demon''s attention as much as what he saw above.


    "So, you''ve decided to reveal yourself at last," he said, looking with a complex gaze toward the sky.


    As the temperature of the area continued to plummet, transforming the surroundings into a frozen wasteland, another phenomenon struck the area,


    a new rift formed in the sky.


    The section of the sky where the rift had opened fell like pieces of shattered glass, and faintly among the fragments, a humanoid female figure descended.


    To an ordinary person, the figure would be indistinct and blurry, but to the eyes of beings at the level of those present, the female figure could not have been clearer.


    She was a little over 170 cm tall, wearing a classic white robe adorned with blue decorations.


    Her long white hair fluttered slightly, while her piercing crystal-blue eyes, with pupils as thin as needles, fixed intently on the demon below.


    Although her expression was impassive and emotionless, it radiated a coldness far greater than the chilling aura that spread in all directions.


    Yi Hei, watching the appearance of the being that had forced him to change his course, began to feel an overwhelming sense of foreboding.


    He could tell that the woman was at the stage of spiritual ascension, at a level comparable to his own.


    But the more he felt her presence intensifying, the more a realization he had been trying to ignore began to surface:


    his death was drawing near.