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
Everyone stared at Ethan with excitement, and in their eyes, he saw greed and cruelty, as if they were looking at prey. Some of the younger ones even began to drool."Hand over the food!" a slightly older, dark-skinned youth licked his dry lips and demanded in a deep voice."Yes, yes, hand it over quickly!""Hand it over or die!" Once the dark-skinned youth spoke, the others chimed in, making it clear that he was their leader.Ethan's expression darkened as he looked up at the silhoue
"What incredible defense and strength!" Ethan thought, his eyes narrowing. A stone that size would have taken thousands of pounds of force to throw, but it didn't faze Maxwell. It was clear to Ethan that Maxwell was relying on pure physical strength, without any hint of force manipulation.Maxwell's power was astonishing, and Ethan wondered if he was either gifted or had cultivated a powerful physical defense technique. With a roar, Maxwell charged into the group, wielding the young man in his grasp like a club, causing screams of pain to erupt from his victims."Scram!" bellowed Maxwell, his voice
"Jerky?" Ethan accepted the piece of meat amidst the eager gazes of other boys, grinning, "Let me give it a try." Having spent several hours in Beyond Heaven, he had started to feel hungry."Wow..." Ethan's expression changed abruptly as he chewed on the jerky. He asked Maxwell, "This tastes terrible. What kind of meat is this?"Maxwell looked puzzled and replied innocently, "Well, it's human flesh, of course.""Human flesh?" Ethan's face turned pale, and he immediately dropped the jerky and started retching nearby. He still couldn't accept the idea of eating human flesh, unlike the others who had no idea how much longer they would have to endure such circumstances. Ethan remembered Seventeen's cryptic last words: "Ten days later.""Still acting all high and mighty? Not eating human flesh? Let's see how long you can hold out!" A short, skinny boy sneered at Ethan, his eyes lighting up as he quickly picked up the discarded jerky and stuffed it into his mouth.Just then, a strong gust o
The following day, the purple sun rose as usual, and food was distributed. Watching the young men and women ravenously devouring their meals, fighting over mere scraps and limbs, and even splattering blood with each blow, Ethan experienced a moment of clarity.They should have been enjoying the prime of their youth, but fate was cruel. This was their reality, and their helplessness...On the third day, Ethan was famished. Even the strongest Meridian Training warriors needed sustenance, though their demand was lesser.In this place, there were only two ways to quench one's thirst: rain from the sky or drinking human blood. Unfortunately, there hadn't been any rain for more than half a month, and as for human blood...By the fourth day, Ethan felt lightheaded, his face pallid, his lips cracked and colorless. In merely four days, he was indistinguishable from those who had been there for months.On the fifth day, Ethan started to falter, his mind buzzing.By the sixth day, Ethan wanted t
Ethan remained silent. Because of the Stone Bead, he was destined to be unable to join a team unless he gave up his cultivation. If the secret of his unusual force-stealing ability was discovered, he would be annihilated by the hundreds of thousands of youths, let alone the powerful beings beyond heaven.Hundreds of thousands of people! Ethan wasn't arrogant enough to think he could singlehandedly resist such a number!"No, I prefer to be alone," Ethan shook his head."Brother, I'll go with you," Maxwell added.
Ethan's eyes narrowed, and he turned his head to look at the right-side crowd.A girl, around twelve or thirteen years old, dressed in dirty, blue clothes with mud on her face, was being surrounded and protected by a group of youths.Her hair was very long, reaching her hips, and her melon seed-shaped face was framed by long, fluttering eyelashes and big, sparkling eyes. If not for the dust covering her features, she would undoubtedly be a beauty.She seemed timid and slightly constrained, clearly unaccustomed to being surrounded by a group of youths. Time slipped away, and an hour passed. During this time, a young man who had spent over five hours in the cave emerged."Five hours? It seems this trial ground for a hundred thousand people is truly filled with experts..." Hearing the murmurs around him, Ethan observed the bald youth at the center of a crowd, who appeared quite composed."Bald?" Ethan felt a flicker of surprise. Baldness was rare in most parts of the Continent of Chaos, but the Western Realms were home to a mysterious sect called 'Buddha's Land,' where all members were bald. The sect wielded considerable power in the Western Realms, and its origins were shrouded in mystery.Sovereign of Chaos Chapter 37: Enigmatic Elder
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