Silently, Ethan accepted the Lock of True Love. Lily smiled and carefully threaded a delicate silken strand through the lock before tenderly fastening it around Ethan's neck. Time seemed to stand still in the quiet room, the only sound the faint crackling of thick red candles.Beneath the flickering candlelight, Lily's blushing face held an unwavering gaze, as if to etch Ethan's visage into her very bones. Overwhelmed by a sudden tenderness, Ethan pulled her into his arms, and as he looked down at the mixture of unease, surprise, and shyness in her eyes, he leaned in and kissed her.Caught off guard, Lily struggled briefly before succumbing to the sensation of their soft, slippery kiss. When their lips finally parted, she recovered first, her face flushed with anger. "You bully!" She pushed Ethan away and yanked on his ear. Unfazed by the pain, Ethan merely grinned at her sheepishly.Silence settled over the room once more, the atmosphere now charged with a newfound tension. "Li
Henry soon returned, holding a white envelope. The wax seal was intact, indicating it hadn't been opened."Ethan, this letter was written by your mother," Henry said, placing the envelope in Ethan's arms. "When you were only a few months old, your parents came to me, left this letter, and repeatedly instructed me to give it to you only after you reached the Meridian Training Realm. Don't think too much about your father's affairs. The more you know, the more dangerous it is for you. Remember, don't open it until you reach the Meridian Training Realm.""A letter from my father? I have to wait until I reach the Meridian Training Realm?" Ethan was bewildered."Yes," Henry confirmed. "While it's still dark, take the letter and flee. Once dawn breaks, the town's exits will likely be sealed, leaving you with no escape!"Ethan took a deep breath to calm himself, then bowed deeply to Henry. "Hurry up, lad," said Henry, a tinge of melancholy in his voice. "If the opportunity arises, come back
A patrol of guards had just finished inspecting the Occult Shop on the street when they heard a commotion. The trio quickly rushed toward the source of the noise, the Occult Shop."What happened?" demanded a burly, shirtless guard, pushing the young man aside."I don't know. He was already dead when I arrived," the young man answered, his eyes wide with fear. Suddenly, a thought seemed to dawn on him, and he exclaimed, "It must have been Ethan! He's rumored to have an incredibly fast blade, and he holds a grudge against Uncle Caleb!""Ethan?" The muscular guard scanned the long street, but there was no sign of Ethan.The commotion in the street grew louder....At the foot of a mountain in the northern part of the town, there was a stream winding through the underbrush. It was spring, the season of growth and renewal, but this place seemed desolate and barren.As the camera zoomed in, a careful observer would notice a dark, hidden cave at the base of the mountain, near the stream. Th
"Very well, I shall attend to this matter immediately!" said the bald man, turning on his heels and leaving the room without delay.As the bald man departed, a shadow flickered near the rockery in the courtyard, deftly leaping onto the eaves."Hmm?" The bald man rubbed his eyes. Unsure whether it was a trick of the night, he dismissed the thought. After all, everyone in town knew this was Caleb's residence; would any common thief dare to trespass here?The bald man thought no more of it and left the courtyard."Summon Riley to serve me tonight," Caleb nonchalantly commanded after the bald man had left completely."Yes, sir," came a crisp response from outside the hall.Moments later, a timid, beautiful young girl of around sixteen or seventeen, clad in plain attire, entered the room."Master Caleb..." Riley's eyes betrayed her concealed terror. Over a dozen girls had entered the courtyard, all with the same purpose—to serve Caleb in bed. Riley was merely one of them.This was Riley's
"Hm?" The bald man raised an eyebrow. "We were just searching the world for him, and now he's right at our doorstep! Let's go, everyone!"Immediately, the other guards in the inn rose to their feet and followed the bald man, jogging toward Caleb's courtyard."Is it Ethan the Madman?" The other patrons in the inn, who were eating and drinking, quickly put down their cups, paid their bills, and followed suit.The innkeeper had just come downstairs and saw that the once bustling hall was now empty. His face turned green with frustration. "Bad luck! What madman? He's like a jinx!"
The bald man's heart skipped a beat as he came to his senses and hastily instructed his guards to surround Ethan.Trouble was brewing, and the bald man was growing anxious. He never imagined that Caleb, who had been a prominent figure in Stone Town for years, would be defeated by a fourteen-year-old. Hesitant to intervene and save face for Caleb earlier, he never expected this...Caleb's life seemed to be slipping away, impaled by the long blade. If Caleb died, there was still his uncle, a guest official in the Baker family!The Baker family… The bald man shuddered.
Amidst the howling wind, Ethan drifted in and out of consciousness, cradled in the arms of a scarred youth known as Seventeen. It felt as though he was fast asleep.Ever since ingesting the mysterious pill, Ethan noticed a significant improvement in his condition. At the very least, the pain had ceased. The dizziness caused by the poison of the Five Venom Claws had vanished as well. Held by Seventeen, the gusts of wind were so strong they made it impossible for Ethan to open his eyes.Moments later, Ethan felt himself being placed into a warm bed. Overcome by waves of drowsiness, he drifted into a deep slumber, lulled by the distant rumble of wheels.
They stood within a hazy, dark purple realm. A violet sun hung low in the sky, casting its eerie light upon the base of a mountain. The scenery was entirely different from before: the lush tree canopies, peculiar stones, and winding paths were all bathed in a purple glow. The limited visibility rendered everything slightly blurry."What on earth is this place?" Ethan's heart swelled with disbelief. To his knowledge, there had never been such a location on the Continent of Chaos.Overwhelmed by the strangeness, Ethan was momentarily stupefied, following Seventeen mechanically. Seventeen glanced back at him, his gaze devoid of emotion, sending a shudder through Ethan's core as if he were looking at an inanimate obje
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