Sovereign of Chaos

Chapter 15: Stone Town's Rising Star

At dusk the following day, in Storm Clan's Village, inside Robert's dwelling.

The winter air was crisp and cold, the north wind howling.

Robert's family sat around a warm stove, enjoying hot dishes and sipping fruit wine.

"Victor, I'm not trying to criticize you," Robert took a small sip of his wine and sighed. "But look at Ethan. He's three or four years younger than you, and he's already a renowned casting master in the town. This past year, every product from Blue Cloud Forge has been top-notch, and I hear it's all thanks to that young man..."

Victor's hand froze, but he remained silent. Olivia and Eleanor, seated on either side of Robert, also kept their heads down and continued eating in silence. In this family of four, Robert was the undisputed head, his words unquestioned by the others.

A heavy knock on the door was accompanied by a boisterous laugh. "Brother Robert, are you home? It's Caleb."

Robert's brow furrowed briefly before he opened the door with a smile. "Brother Benjamin, what a rare guest! Come in, come in! And what's with the fish?"

"Ha! Today's your 45th birthday, Robert! You think I'd forget about our friendship?" Caleb laughed heartily and took a seat by the stove.

What friendship? Robert thought to himself. You're a bully, and I'm a law-abiding citizen. You swagger about town, while I work the fields and tend to livestock. What kind of friendship could we have?

But given Caleb's reputation for ruthlessness, Robert merely nodded and smiled. "Indeed, who in Storm Clan's Village wouldn't know Brother Benjamin? I hope you'll continue to look out for us. Olivia, what are you waiting for? Fetch some wine!"

"It seems you haven't been keeping up with the news, Brother Robert." Caleb grinned even wider. "I heard that last night, a big cat appeared, and it was your dear nephew Ethan who killed it."

"Big cat? Ethan?" Robert was puzzled. His residence was nearly two miles from Ethan's, and he hadn't heard anything about the incident.

…

In the town,

Within a secret chamber of the Nine Dragons' Shop,

A middle-aged man in a plain green robe, with a beard of the same hue, sat cross-legged. The small chamber was approximately nine square meters, its walls covered in dense indentations. Several large luminescent pearls illuminated the room, revealing every minute detail.

The bearded man opened his eyes and suddenly reached forward with his right hand, grasping at the empty air.

"Shh!"

A burst of energy erupted, and stone dust scattered. Invisible energy left five new indentations in the stone wall across a meter of empty space.

"I'm always just a bit short of the ninth level..." the bearded man muttered to himself. "I hope I can break into the ninth level of the Strong Blood Realm soon... Then the power of my Iron Claw Technique will reach new heights!"

The stone door to the chamber creaked open. A lean azure bull sauntered in and whispered something into the bearded man's ear.

"What?" The bearded man's eyes widened, and his gaze became fierce. "A big cat? Ethan, Edward's grandson?"

...

At dusk, in a certain inn of Stone Town,

The inn was bustling with noise and commotion, nearly eighty percent of the tables occupied.

"Boss, did you hear?" A young man in black robes, eating and drinking at the center table, spoke to the bald man beside him. "I heard that a big cat appeared in the Storm Clan's Village yesterday, and it was killed by a kid named Ethan..."

"A big cat?" The bald man's eyes widened. "Impossible! How could a big cat appear in such a remote place? And how could an ordinary child kill it? You can't believe everything you hear."

At a table near the window, a young man with a ferocious scar on his forehead quietly sipped his wine. His keen hearing had caught the conversation between the black-robed youth and the bald man.

"A big cat?" The scarred young man's eyes narrowed, and then he grinned. "Impossible. If a big cat with that kind of power appeared, no one in Stone Town could stop it. Could it be just an ordinary big cat?"

The young man drained his cup. "Storm Clan's Village, huh? Interesting."

...

In the Storm Clan's Village, within the thatched cottage where Edward once lived,

Faint blue spiritual energy flowed toward the cross-legged Ethan.

Compared to a year ago, the spiritual energy gathered during each cultivation session was noticeably more intense. From outside the cottage, it appeared shrouded in a mysterious haze.

Opening his eyes, a fleeting glint of brilliance flashed within them. The essence of the big cat's life, contained within the gallbladder Ethan had acquired the night before, had evidently advanced his cultivation somewhat.

Having reached the sixth level of the Strong Blood Realm, Ethan felt his cultivation speed slowing down. However, speed wasn't the most important factor for him. With the assistance of the Stone Bead and his excellent aptitude, even a slower pace would still seem astonishing to ordinary people.

The most important thing was that the Azure Ox Method was incredibly expensive. The thought of needing 640 taels of silver for the eighth level of the Strong Blood Realm made Ethan's head spin.

640 taels of silver? With his current earnings of over thirty taels per month at the Blue Cloud Forge, plus his logging wages, it would take a whole year of not eating or drinking to afford it!

In fact, the high cost of purchasing cultivation methods was a significant factor troubling the common people of Stone Town. For an average family of three, a lifetime of not eating or drinking still wouldn't be enough to purchase the complete Azure Ox Method!

By the time one would finally manage to purchase the complete technique, their prime years for cultivation would have long passed, missing the ideal window for practice. Moreover, the Azure Ox Method, a legitimate tome sold in town, was strictly forbidden to be shared privately. Any transgressions discovered would result in imprisonment by the town's guards.

"I need to find a solution..." Ethan muttered to himself.

The thirty years before turning thirty were the most precious years for cultivation, and Ethan cherished each one. As he pondered, a crisp "snap" reminiscent of a dry twig breaking caught Ethan's attention.

"Hm?" Ethan suddenly turned around.

Upon doing so, he was immediately dumbstruck. In the corner of the thatched hut, less than fifteen meters away, stood a colossal, snow-white big cat staring impassively at him. It was even taller than Ethan when standing.

This big cat was almost identical to the one Ethan had slain the night before, but several times larger. The difference was akin to that between an adult and a toddler.

"A big cat? A mutated big cat?" Ethan gasped in shock.

Instantly, Ethan understood that the creature he had killed the previous day was indeed a big cat, albeit a young one. The most striking difference between the two was the imposing aura radiating from the adult. In its icy, indifferent eyes, a natural air of disdain and aloofness prevailed. The surrounding area fell silent, as unknown birds and insects ceased their songs, fearful of disturbing the regal presence before them.

"Unbeatable!" Ethan assessed in a flash.