"The world is such a big place, and there are many similar people. Maybe I saw it wrong," Seraphina muttered, following Edwin’s gaze toward Ethan’s retreating figure. Her tone carried a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
"It should be," Edwin replied evenly.
Seraphina interrupted the mont. "Has everyone finished eating? It’s ti to go." Her voice was light but firm. The group nodded in unison, rising and leaving the inn behind.
They had long surpassed the need for sustenance after cultivating to their levels, but shared als were still essential—more for minds than bodies. For them, als favored calm and companionship, monts of respite in lives carved from fierce ambition.
Ethan made his way to the heart of Sun Moon City, where a vast crowded square sprawled beneath the expansive sky. At its center rose a great stone platform gilded with ancient engravings and surrounded by thousands of expectant faces.
Most of the gathered were young cultivators—the challengers draped in quiet tension. The others were spectators, their eyes alight with anticipation, murmurs rippling like wind through dry leaves.
Pushing through the crowd with asured grace, Ethan’s gaze settled on three elegant figures stationed atop the stone platform.
Two n and one woman, each cloaked in traditional robes that symbolized ancient lineage and authority. They carried themselves with unyielding poise—elders representing the three aristocratic families governing Sun Moon Lake.
The n, elders of the Emberveil and Silkrain families, were seasoned, middle-aged cultivators marked by grizzled wisdom and worn strength.
The third, an imposing figure of feminine grace, was Luna Stormjade—the forr eldest lady of the Stormjade family’.
She stood commandingly with her arms crossed lightly over her chest, the fabric of her tight lilac robe outlining the bold arcs of her form. Every glance caught by the soft sway of her hair, every breath seemingly attuned to the quiet beats of admirers’ hearts.
A subtle, knowing smile rested on Luna’s lips as she flipped her hair with practiced ease. The simplicity of the gesture carried seductive power, stirring restless breaths and quickening pulses amongst the crowd. Young cultivators watched, entranced, their gazes unwilling to stray.
"This ti, the Stormjade family has sent Luna Stormjade herself to guard the arena," whispered one observer nearby, voice tremulous with awe.
"It’s not easy to win a spot with her presence."
"Yes," a companion replied, voice low but thick with respect.
"Luna Stormjade is at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence realm, while the other two elders are late-stage cultivators of the Tribulation Transcendence realm."
"Luna Stormjade is stunning," another murmured, "the forr eldest lady of the Stormjade family. She wields beauty with thunderous strength."
"None of that matters. She’s married now!" A scoff, tinged with envy, passed between so young cultivators.
"A married woman?" The tone shifted soft, as if that was a sign of deeper allure.
"Isn’t that a plus?" The words barely disguised a smirk.
Nearby, a tacit endorsent ca with raised thumbs and knowing nods.
"Has she mastered the art of charming?" Ethan whispered conspiratorially. "That woman’s a vixen, if ever there was one."
he secretly laughed, amused by Luna’s coquettish display atop the platform. So skilled at weaving allure into danger, she commanded attention as well as fear.
Luna’s beauty was undeniable—her figure sculpted and ripe, her presence both regal and enticing. Attracting n was part of the world’s rhythm, and she danced upon its strings with dangerous ease.
Yet, in the depth of his calculating mind, Ethan felt no stirring. As his gaze shifted, he caught sight of four groups sitting directly opposite to the platform—groups distinct from the elders.
Their uniforms marked them apart; these were representatives of the three aristocratic families themselves, flanked by another formidable presence—five mbers of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.
Two sat regally, three stood, their eyes sharp, bodies relaxed yet always alert. At the center, an aged figure with the aura of countless battles—the seemingly ageless man—presided with quiet authority.
Next to him sat the familiar figure of Ava, her youthful stature belying the weight of her status.
Ava’s finger pointed discreetly. "Old Oswin, that’s Aether," she whispered.
"Mm," Oswin grunted, eyes narrowing as he sent probing ntal tendrils toward Ethan, but found the layers of concealnt unyielding.
"Oswin, what do you sense?" Ava asked softly.
"It still doesn’t work," Oswin replied. "I can’t detect his exact realm, and this mask on his face—it’s not a ordinary mask."
Suddenly, a sharp-eyed youth nad Luke stepped forward, shoulders squared and gaze unwavering.
"Luke, your mission is to monitor this masked figure. Watch his every move in Sun Moon Lake," Oswin instructed gravely.
Luke’s brown eyes burned with unspoken challenge. "Understood." His attention locked on Ethan’s form like a hawk aiming at its prey.
Ethan noticed the intensity of that fiery gaze and t it slowly with a calm steadying breath.
Behind the mask, his eyebrows lifted slightly.
The crowd around lted away as his mind opened, Heaven-piercing Mind Eye unveiling what Luke sought to hide.
Luke’s secret was clear to him—a rare and thrilling revelation.
"A pure physical cultivator," Ethan mused internally. "Interesting..."
Despite concealed aura, the secret thod Luke used to mask strength cracked beneath Ethan’s gaze. He saw the blue dharma body subtly around Luke, imbued with the wind-sword intent.
"His body cultivation is at the edge of the Nirvana realm," Ethan acknowledged with sharp excitent.
It was a mont unlike any in years—an encounter with a peer of physical cultivation, soone else who had mastered concealnt but faltered here.
Ethan withdrew his mind quietly but thoroughly, locking eyes briefly with Luke.
In that flash, electricity seed to crack the thin air between them.
Luke frowned sharply, feeling invasion of his mind. Yet he dismissed it as illusion borne of tension.
Snarling, he turned away with contempt and whispered to Oswin, "Old man, that kid plans to compete for a quota. Shouldn’t we prevent him?"
Oswin’s eyes glead with understanding. "You an pick the sa elder for challenge, forcing a battle between you and him?"
Luke tightened his grip, a smile playing on his lips. "Exactly."
A/N:
Extra Chapters
100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters
200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters
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