In addition to the masked Upper Supre standing at the front, Ethan counted quickly—
Two Interdiate Supres.
Two Inferior Supres.
Twenty-two late-stage Mahayana experts, all Ninth or Eighth turn.
The aura pressing from the three flying boats felt like a mountain chain collapsing from the sky.
Asher clicked his tongue.
"It’s this bunch again. What a sticky piece of candy... can’t shake them off no matter what."
He floated calmly into the air, positioning himself in front of Ethan and the others like a wall of living steel.
Ethan turned toward Rain.
"What’s happening? Why does the Blood Marquis seem to know them?"
Rain exhaled.
Her expression complicated.
"When we left Noble Sun City, we t these people on the road. My brother... had so friction with them." Rain coughed lightly.
"aning, he beat them. But there were many of them. We needed to rush here, so he didn’t continue fighting."
"So they followed."
Ethan nodded slowly.
He now understood why Asher arrived late.
And why Asher looked so annoyed.
But one detail hit him harder than anything—
Rain’s brother... was the Blood Marquis?
No wonder Rain could sit comfortably as the tavern keeper with only Sixth-turn Mahayana cultivation.
No wonder the Blood Tavern dared provoke the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.
Asher was Rain’s older brother.
Everything made sense.
The masked Upper Supre stepped to the bow of the flying boat.
"It’s you again," he said coldly.
Asher grinned.
"Why? Are you surprised to see ?"
"You’re strong," the man admitted, "but I am not surprised. What surprises is that you stand beside our young lady."
"Young lady?" Asher frowned and turned to look back at his tavern mbers.
Who?
He received no answer.
Because the masked man’s eyes were locked elsewhere—
Specifically on Althea.
His thoughts churned rapidly.
Thank the heavens the High Priest read the ons last night... If we ca any later, she could’ve suffered great danger in Skyreach Territory.
"Young lady?" Ethan murmured, startled.
Everyone stared blankly.
Except Althea.
She stepped forward quietly.
"They’re here for ," she said softly.
Ethan’s heart tightened.
His expression hardened seriously.
Asher looked her up and down.
"What is your na?"
"Althea Riverborn."
"Ah." Asher’s eyes widened slightly.
"The Riverborn family of the far White North. No wonder."
The masked Upper Supre imdiately knelt on one knee.
"Commander of the Silver Armor Guards—Valen. I greet the young lady."
Thud!
Everyone on the three flying boats knelt in unison.
"Greetings, Young Lady!"
Their voices rolled like thunder across the shattered valley.
"Miss," Valen continued, "the clan leader commands to escort you back imdiately. Please, do not be willful any longer."
Althea inhaled deeply.
She had known this mont would co.
She had not fled for pleasure—
She fled from a cage.
But destiny had caught up with her.
"Junior brother... Ethan."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I must leave."
Ethan clenched his fists.
His voice was firm.
"Sister, do you truly want to go back? If you don’t want to, no one can force you."
Althea quickly shook her head.
"I asked them to take back," she said softly.
A lie.
But a necessary one.
Ethan fell silent.
Althea stepped upward gently, rising into the air. Her white dress fluttered like snow drifting in the wind.
She whispered:
"I’m leaving, Junior Brother Ethan. Please take care."
She turned calmly, walking toward the flying boat.
The world seed to fall silent.
There was no dramatic farewell.
No passionate declarations.
Just the quiet, crushing weight of parting.
But just when she placed one foot onto the flying boat—
Her calmness shattered.
Althea turned sharply... dropped from the sky... landed in front of Ethan... and rose on her toes—
She kissed him.
It wasn’t gentle.
It wasn’t restrained.
It was fierce, desperate, burning with everything she kept buried for decades.
Rain imdiately covered Solara’s eyes.
Solara tugged at his fingers to peek anyway.
After a long, breathless mont, Althea finally pulled away.
Her cheeks blazed red.
This was the boldest act of her life.
"Senior Sister Althea, I—"
She pressed her finger to his lips.
"Shh. Don’t say anything."
Ethan’s heart pounded.
She leaned closer, whispering:
"Junior brother... Ethan... can you call Althea?"
His voice was quiet but filled with emotion.
"...Althea."
A trembling smile spread across her face.
She would carry that one word for the rest of her life.
"I must return to my clan. There are matters I must face. Once I finish them... I will co to you."
She turned and left, stepping onto the flying boat with no hesitation.
This ti, she did not look back.
She once ran from her fate.
Now, she was walking directly into it—
to break it.
The future of the Riverborn family does not depend on marriage with other families.
She wanted to revive her family by her own strength and restore the Riverborn legacy.
Althea raised her hand.
"Commander Valen, let us return ho."
"Yes, Miss."
Valen nodded—and secretly carved Ethan’s face into mory.
But on the second flying boat, a young silver-armored man with short hair trembled with rage.
His fists clenched as he replayed the kiss he had just witnessed.
"Who is he? How dare he touch the eldest lady?"
"The eldest lady of the Riverborn clan deserves a peerless genius of ancient imperial blood! How can an unknown brat qualify?!"
Valen glanced at him.
"Miss, the clan leader will never approve of you and that boy."
"I will convince my father," Althea replied firmly.
At that mont, a voice whispered in Valen’s ear:
"Master, let deal with that man."
Valen paused.
"Fine. But be cautious."
"Yes."
A sneer ford on the young man’s lips.
Ryan Riverborn stepped forward.
"Boy... I’ll show you the difference between Heaven’s chosen and common trash."
"Don’t dream of the toad eating swan at."
He glared in the direction Ethan had gone.
When Ethan and his party were fully out of sight, Ryan stepped off the flying boat.
A/N:
Extra Chapters
100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters
200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 1 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 2 Extra Chapters
Dragon - 5 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters
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