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
"Let's start with 'The Great Asura Sutra,'" Ethan decided after a moment's hesitation, choosing to peruse the Cultivation Manual first.After all, 'The Great Asura Sutra' was a peak stage Cultivation Manual that could be practiced directly to the Bone Sacrifice Realm. Cultivation was the foundation, with Blade Techniques merely supplementary. It was like pitting an adult against a newborn baby armed with a precious sword—no matter how sharp the sword, the baby couldn't even lift it, let alone fight.Moreover, this was a peak stage Cultivation Manual! The speed of plundering force during peak stage cultivation far surpassed that of the advanced and initial stages! At present, Ethan was only cultivating the initial stage 'Azure Ox Method,' which, in its entirety, could only be practiced to the ninth level of the Strong Blood Realm.And now, only five breaths had passed since Ethan had entered the stone chamber.Time elapsed, and an hour passed."Hmm?" Ethan, engrossed in perusing The Gr
Late at night the following day, Ethan had been in the cave for fourteen hours. By now, the emotions of the tens of thousands of teenagers outside had reached a peak."Is Ethan even human? How can he stay in the cave for so long?" A freckled teenager exclaimed in amazement."Unbelievable! Could it be that he chose an initial stage Cultivation Manual and Martial arts techniques?""Impossible! One with such extraordinary comprehension would never choose an initial stage Cultivation Manual and Martial Arts Techniques!" A round-faced youth, clearly familiar with the cave's contents, declared resolutely,
"Hmm?" Maxwell rubbed his eyes, the first to spot Ethan, and immediately leaped down from the rock to greet him."Brother, you've finally emerged!" Maxwell exclaimed.His shout instantly drew everyone's attention, and in a flash, all eyes were fixed on Ethan.A bustling crowd gathered around the monument, and the young people were instantly stirred, standing up in unison, their gazes filled with astonishment and disbelief."So, Ethan has finally come out!"
With a casual stance, Ethan swung his right hand, and a chilling flash of light passed by. A loud crack echoed as a tree trunk, as thick as two people's embrace, was chopped clean through.The tree was sturdy, and its trunk was as thick as an adult's leg. Yet, Ethan wielded only a wooden sword.Within the isolated space created by Beyond Heaven, there were no blacksmith shops and none of the bustling atmosphere found in Stone Town's markets. Despite over a hundred thousand people residing in the mountains, the place was eerily quiet. It felt as if they had returned to a primordial wilderness, save for the occasional glimpses of birds soaring in the sky or the rust
"Heh..." Ethan spat out another mouthful of blood and coldly stared at the three approaching men.These three were formidable opponents, definitely experts of the Strong Blood Realm with a cultivation level above the seventh layer. Moreover, they were triplets who could communicate telepathically. With lightning-fast thoughts, Ethan considered his strategies.Usually, Ethan would be confident in fighting three opponents at once. But now, he had been caught off guard and struck by a heavy hammer. His back was stained with blood, and his clothes were sticky. Every time he tried to use his strength, a piercing pain shot through him, limiting his power to about 50%."Whoosh."Ethan drew his blade, dodged the one-armed youth's thunderous hammer, and immediately launched a fierce attack on the third brother, who was raising his stone hammer to strike.Ethan was well aware that the strongest among the three should be the one-armed youth. Despite losing an arm, his power was not to be underes
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