Celestial Heart City, Sword Tower (33rd Floor), Western RealmsIn an elegant chamber, the Sect Master of the Swords Sect, Son of Heaven, was focused on writing calligraphy. This was one of Son of Heaven's hobbies, as well as a cultivation method. With his profound cultivation level, ordinary spiritual stones were useless. Instead, he sought to gain insight into the Heavenly Dao through calligraphy.Suddenly, the air in the chamber stirred subtly, like ripples from a pebble dropped into still waters. Only someone of Son of Heaven's cultivation could sense this fluctuation.Son of Heaven's brows furrowed. He knew what this fluctuation signified - a major event had occurred in the Western Realms, requiring urgent news to be relayed. The entire Sword Tower was protected by powerful formations. Only extremely important matters could cause fluctuations to reach the 33rd floor.With a wave of his hand, Son of Heaven summoned a mirror wall out of thin air.The surface of the mirror wall rippl
The dignified middle-aged man coaxed like luring a child, "It is rumored to be the Azure Dragon.""Azure Dragon?" Dylan Foster stroked his chin, hesitating for a long while before saying, "Dylan is willing to go."...In a guest house in Summons River County."Jasmine, I have to go to Mistshire for a while," Ethan said gravely.He hadn't wanted to say anything but was worried Jasmine would be concerned, so he came to bid her farewell.Ever since visiting the ancestral home, Jasmine had become even more taciturn, seldom speaking during her days cultivating alone at the guest house or taking on some tasks at the tavern. More often, she would go to the Wilderness Mountains, hoping to encounter her sister's return.Unfortunately, Amelia never came back.Jasmine bit her lip and said hesitantly, "Let me go with you. It's too dangerous to seek the Azure Dragon's ruins alone."Ethan shook his head. "It's better you don't. There will be too many experts there. If your identity as a blue blood
Ethan didn't dare act rashly. While there was no limit to entering the fog gate, with the highest restriction being below Ascending to the Peak Realm, Ethan observed for a while yet didn't see a single cultivator below Bone Sacrifice Realm go in. All those entering rushed in from the peak overhead.On the peak were mostly cultivators at Meridian Training Realm or higher, including some at Bone Sacrifice Realm. Ethan even spotted a few terrifyingly powerful youths that made his heart palpitate just from a glance. Though unable to sense with his Spiritual Awareness, Ethan was certain they must be peak Bone Sacrifice Realm cultivators, perhaps even at Ascending to the Peak Realm!The lure of Dragon King's Blood was astounding. It seemed half the Bone Sacrifice Realm and above cultivators in the Western Realms had come, with strong experts from other domains also continuously arriving after hearing the news.Whoosh—As Bone Sacrifice experts periodically flew in through the fog gate, the
Ethan slowed his pace once more, maintaining a hundred yards of distance as he cautiously explored ahead.The crimson corridor was littered with the occasional skeleton, clearly adventurers who had perished while exploring the Misty Forest.These skeletons seemed somewhat different - some were just ordinary white bones, worn down and decaying. But others had bones so pure white they seemed to emit a faint glow.Ethan tapped one with his Moon-Slashing Saber, the clear clinking sound echoing as even a full force slash left no mark on the pristine bones.This was the difference between a Bone Sacrifice cultivator and those below the Bone Sacrifice Realm. The bones of a Bone Sacrifice cultivator emanated a soft glow, undecayed even after thousands of years. Carved and polished, they could be forged into fine weapons.Ethan kicked aside a skeleton blocking his path with a shuffle. As he did, his gaze fell upon an obsidian shard the size of a palm, revealed from where the skeleton had lain.
"Ah..." The young Swords Sect cultivator let out an anguished cry, his eyes filled with extreme terror as his mouth trembled uncontrollably.In an instant, the youth's flesh rapidly aged. The moisture in his skin vanished swiftly, his hair turned gray then fell out. In just ten breaths, a living Bone Sacrifice expert was reduced to bare bones.He was no different from the countless corpses that had lain on the tunnel floor for who knows how many millennia, except that his bones had not crumbled to dust like other cultivators who had encountered the Fountain of Time. Ethan's expression was impassive as he stepped forward and claimed the Swords Sect cultivator's interspatial ring.Rings of the same grade cannot store each other. For example, a spiritual weapon grade interspatial ring cannot hold another ring of the same level. However, other artifacts like weapons and armor can pass freely. Legend says some Divine Stage rings can even hold living people, with space inside vast enough
The molten rock below visibly surged upward. The spiritual weapons shuddered more violently as if about to break free.Eyes aflame, the cultivators watched the prizes hungrily. Buzz.At some point the magma breached the surface, even flowing into the tunnels. Ethan recoiled in shock, retreating deep inside as he watched from afar.Whoosh.As if drawn by an invisible force, the weapons plunged downwards. Swords, boots, axes - all manner of arms sunk into the magma. The waiting masters pounced, scrambling to seize the higher grade ones."Grab it!" a Buddha's Land monk in ochre robes yelled."Steady, don't let this top grade battle boot slip away!" A frenzied look filled a youth's eyes."Scram!" A loose-haired lone cultivator kicked a Foster clansman aside and lunged for a battleaxe.Swish. With a flick of his hand, the purple assassin seized a fine dagger, but the animated blade thrashed wildly, jerking its captor around the chamber."I'll tame you yet!" An old man clung stubbornly to
Time flew by. The next day at the hour of zi, bedlam gripped the chamber again. The weapons plunged as the cultivators scrambled wildly.One could never have too many spiritual arms. Top grade pieces sold for over ten thousand low grade spirit stones outside - nearly a late stage Bone Sacrifice cultivator's entire fortune. Many roaming ones didn't even own decent spirit weapons!As for supreme grade? Generally not for sale.With tens of thousands here, this was a real treasure trove."This top armor is mine." Dylan Foster was bizarre, always grabbing top items. He usually snagged two or three daily! Firstly, his strength was at the Peak of Bone Sacrifice, among the top few hundred. Secondly, his status made others hesitate to contend, especially the roaming cultivators."Damn!" A one-eyed loner ground his teeth as Dylan seized the armor he had claimed, his sole eye coldly tracing the thief before looking away resentfully."Hmm? Medium grade gauntlets?" His eye lit up, catching sight
An hour later. The gauntlets pulsed with azure light before fading to plain black. Simultaneously, they resized to fit Ethan's hands snugly.A sense of resonance arose.Ethan clenched his right fist, swinging lightly.Whoosh.A shrill scream pierced the air from just a casual swing, compressing it violently."Oh? Some kind of effect?" Ethan's brows rose slightly. He smashed his fist heavily into the tunnel wall.Boom boom boom.The dull impact resounded as a yard-deep, three-foot wide crater appeared."Heh, triple amplification!" Ethan grinned.Some spirit weapons had special effects like amplification, explosion, penetration. Of those, amplification was the rarest and most difficult.Even ordinary spirit weapons and immortal weapons lacked effects. Those were usually engraved later, carving arrays on the weapon for amplification, explosive damage etc.Just creating a spirit weapon was arduous. One with extra effects was a rarity, easily increasing value over tenfold! In worth, thes
Juan Baker flipped his right hand and a pitch-black spear appeared.Ethan's gaze had been fixed on Juan Baker and his son the entire time. The instant Juan moved, Ethan realized his intent."You despicable old codger! Don't you dare!" Ethan was so shocked he nearly jumped out of his skin. If Juan Baker had targeted Ethan himself, he wouldn't have batted an eyelid no matter how powerful his opponent was. After all, Ethan's mental resilience was beyond ordinary and with the ancient Azure Dragon's restorative abilities, conventional attacks posed no threat.But for Juan Baker to make a move against Lily was going too far! And it just so happened to be Ethan's Achilles heel!Juan Baker gave a cold smile. Without hesitation, he whipped his right hand down to hurl the spear!At the same time, Ethan sped towards Lily as swiftly as he could.Originally two hundred yards separated Ethan and Lily, but in this life-or-death moment, he seemed even faster than usual. Incredibly, he managed to rus
"Ethan, do you really think you can bully the Baker family so easily?" Juan Baker's face was ashen, utterly humiliated in front of all the major families of Mistwood County. Having his future son-in-law killed and his guest official beheaded right in front of everyone, how could the Baker family continue to hold their standing in Mistwood County if they did not regain some face?Ethan's expression was impassive as his gaze swept over the core members of the Baker family present in the grand hall. Of them all, only four gave him slight pause.Including Juan Baker and his third son Ralph Baker, there were just five Bone Sacrifice practitioners. And now, only four remained after Ethan's handiwork. Such a force was inferior even compared to the Martin family of Hampshire County. Ethan had no patience for idle chatter. He immediately unleashed the Eight Mystical Metamorphoses, his original form and his clone charging at Juan Baker in unison.Speed was paramount. Ethan was currently only a
In the hall, all the "dignitaries" like Anna Patterson and Allan Long watched Ethan and Maxwell with odd expressions, clearly sensing their malicious intent. Yet no one had expected someone to actually crash the Baker family's joyous occasion.For rivals like Anna Patterson, nothing would be better than ruining the Baker family's big day, or even causing their total downfall. So for the moment, all was silent as they waited to see what would unfold.An eerie quiet. Joseph closed his eyes regretfully. He knew of the feelings between his daughter and Ethan, and rather approved of the boy. But his arrival was just too late, and the timing was wrong...After over seven years, Ethan's appearance had changed somewhat, but Charles still recognized him and kept signaling urgently for Ethan to leave quickly.Ethan ignored him completely, back ramrod straight, eyes empty of emotion as he scanned the Baker crowd.Beside him, Maxwell loomed tall and bulky, standing out in the crowd like a crane
"You...you..." Joseph was nearing eighty. Such provocation was too much for him and his face flushed crimson as he gasped for breath."Father!" Charles hurriedly supported Joseph, gently patting his back to help him calm down. "Grandfather!" Lily's hair was disheveled, tears instantly filling her eyes....The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was an auspicious date, at least for the millions of ordinary folk in Mistwood County.Everyone knew this was the joyous wedding day of the Baker family's third young master. Though he already had two wives and concubines, how eminent was the Baker family? The undisputed overlord of Mistwood County, even lording over nearby counties--their might was undisputed.The Baker family was worthy of being called the overlords of Mistwood County. Their extravagant welcoming convoy stretched over fifteen miles, handing out large festive cash gifts to all they met--not just any gifts either, but ten taels of silver per person!Many eyed the money cove
"Two celestial beings..." Lily's lovely face paled and she instinctively drew closer to the ice sculpture.The loud commotion also woke the just-risen Charles, Joseph and the rest. Soon--The main hall doors opened and the Joseph family streamed out, from Charles and Joseph down to the servants, staring curiously at the Baker entourage and the glittering array of treasures before them.Many had never seen such wealth in their lives! Just the gold ingots alone filled three huge chests. That was not even counting the obviously expensive jewelry and other gifts.Filling chests with gold ingots--how rich did one have to be?Likely enough...to buy half the streets in Stone Town!Joseph's brows twitched slightly. "Young Master Baker, what is the meaning of this?"It was normal to offer betrothal gifts, but gifts of such extravagance were no ordinary matter. Despite his advanced years, Joseph's eyesight remained sharp. He knew well the sheer quantity of gold, silver and jewels laid out befor
Lily gazed at the ice sculpture, lost in thought, barely registering her father's words.Charles stepped forward and sat down cross-legged beside his daughter. "Speaking of that Ethan boy, he really is pitiable. Losing his parents early, and his only grandfather murdered too. Seven years ago he finally avenged his grandfather by killing Caleb, but then got taken away by some mysterious youth. No word since--such a shame."He sighed regretfully. The image of that teenager chopping wood behind their hill seven or eight years ago was still vivid in his mind. Charles had liked Ethan quite a bit. At the time, many talented local youths had been vying for Lily's affection, yet he had favored Ethan, even hoping to match him with his daughter. But unexpectedly..."Father, enough." Lily turned her head slightly, revealing a face that could bring kingdoms to ruin. But looking closely, her beautiful eyes held a deep weariness.Seven years--how many such spans are granted in a mortal lifetime? Se
An hour later. The rain grew heavier, coming down in sheets. The dark sky heralded an early nightfall in this gloomy downpour. The Inn of No Worries had long since closed, and the main street was now sparsely populated, with only a few swaying lanterns barely clinging to their poles in the wind and rain.Under the torrential rain's dilution, the traces of the Fountain of Time's poison had completely faded away. As Ethan strode through the ankle-deep water on the street, it splashed out around his steps.A hundred or so yards across from the Inn of No Worries, a bulky figure stood under the eaves of a dilapidated house, hands hanging loosely at his sides. Drenched by the raging storm, he seemed unfazed, standing motionless as the rainwater streamed down his face through gaps in the broken roof tiles."Maxwell? Your hands...they're healed?" From afar, Ethan immediately recognized Maxwell and grinned, hurriedly splashing through the standing water toward him.Maxwell's lips trembled and
The assassin in purple robes stepped forward to flip over Ethan's "corpse", intending to seize Ethan's Azure Myst.But at that moment--Suddenly! Ethan's eyes shot open as the Azure Dragon shard materialized in his hand, stabbing into the assassin's left and right thighs in rapid succession!"Pfft!""Pfft!"Blood gushed wildly as holes appeared in both of the assassin's legs. His expression changed dramatically as he was jolted awake. Ethan pounced forward, gripping the assassin's thighs tightly, stabbing the Azure Dragon shard again and again into his legs! Ethan knew clearly that a Beyond Heaven core assassin of this caliber likely had some kind of spiritual armor for protection. A direct stab to the heart might not take him down in one blow. In an instant, the assassin's legs were pierced four or five times. The extreme sharpness of the Azure Dragon shard rendered his legs basically useless. The assassin's face was sinisterly dark. He did indeed have spiritual armor--a mid-gra
"I must make him come down," Ethan's icy gaze swept over the water pooling on the ground. The rainwater mixed with a drop of Fountain of Time. Although constantly being washed and diluted by the rain, it had not yet fully dispersed and was still extremely toxic!Because of the Fountain of Time, Ethan's movable space was very limited right now. While the purple-robe could float freely in the void, under such circumstances this battle was unwinnable!Ethan flung an initial stage spear towards the purple-robe in the void. He still had tens of thousands of such spears in reserve in his Azure Myst. For offensive means, as a peak Meridian Training expert Ethan could only do this much against Bone Sacrifice Realm and above enemies.Weakened over thousands of yards of space, the spear's power had greatly diminished. The purple-robe casually waved his hand, deflecting the spear aside. It could not harm him whatsoever.Ethan flipped his hand, taking out a night pot emanating a faint azure glow