"Aether, don't go too far!" Ario Emberveil's voice trembled on the brink between outrage and fear.

"Go too far? It's your Emberveil family that's gone too far." Ethan's sneer cut through the heavy silence.

"Putting away spiritual weapons and mental defense? What next—am I to step naked and stand in front of you so that you can kill me?"

His tone was cold, clinical, yet there was an undercurrent of bitterness. Only fools would lower their guard so completely—especially under the scrutiny of families as calculating as the Emberveils.

Ethan had agreed to the test, not out of trust, but to avoid unnecessary trouble. Any notion of courtesy or "fairness" was now stripped away by their brazen attempt at exploitation.

Ario's frustration erupted again, "Aether, you are too presumptuous!" His shout held no real deterrent; it was the squall of a man whose authority was rapidly collapsing.

"Presumptuous?" Ethan's lips curled, an icy smirk etching across his face. With a sudden exertion, his grip tightened on Cecilia Emberveil's throat. Her temples bulged; breath caught in her chest as panic shimmered in her eyes.

Ethan released her and, with a single, measured sweep of his leg, sent her flying from the platform. There was a sharp crack and Cecilia's body slammed into a tree beneath the stone platform.

Her mask fell away, revealing a face as pale as moonlight, delicate but twisted in pain. Blood escaped her lips with a cough, the force of the impact shattering ribs and bruising organs. She clung to consciousness, hatred for Aether burning in her eyes.

He didn't spare her a second glance.

"This is a warning. If you feel wronged, I'll be at the Peace Inn," Ethan said flatly. The calm of his voice, tinged with deadly intent, sent a chill through everyone present.

For a long moment, only silence reigned in the square. The tension was a suffocating shroud—no one so much as breathed.

Ario Emberveil's face was twisted and grim, fists rigid at his side. Their Emberveil family had some background, but it paled beside the likes of the Stormjade family, with their ancestor who was in the fifth-turn Mahayana realm.

Ario himself was at the third turn's peak and was also the strongest in the Emberveil family—no match for Ethan, not even in the wildest hope.

If any in Sun Moon City could challenge Aether, it would be Oswin or the Stormjade ancestor—Mahayana geniuses above the fifth turn. Not the Emberveils.

To summon enough strength to even hope to best Ethan, he'd have to unite the Mahayana elders of all three major families. But the Stormjades and others wouldn't join such a cause—the city hung in delicate balance, and none wished to tip the scales out of spite.

Ario's jaw worked fruitlessly, anger spent. "This kid!" he muttered, unable to accept defeat yet powerless to change it.

On the far side, Edwin watched with undisguised appreciation. "A bit like Ethan… So tough, so arrogant. But strength is the only foundation for such pride among cultivators."

He nodded sagely. "It's good for our kind to have this conviction, as long as one has the strength to back it up."

Still, the impact of Ethan's ruthlessness left the others uneasy. Nearby, Seraphina straightened, eyes sparkling with interest and calculation.

"I must speak with him," she said.

Edwin nodded. "It's best to make allies, or at least friendlier faces, of men like him. I will leave it to the Saint; they say heroes and beauties have always had a strange fate."

Ethan left the platform, a ripple of space opening before him as the crowd instinctively parted. His steps were measured, silent, but before he could fully depart, a striking figure blocked his way.

"Seraphina?" He regarded her coolly, eyebrows lifting in casual suspicion. "Does this woman have yet another problem for me?"

She met his gaze without flinching, chin raised in challenge. "I am Seraphina, saint of the Azure Origin Dao Sect. May I know where Mr. Aether is from?"

Her tone was courteous, yet there was a faint chill beneath the formality—a rival sizing up an equal.

She continued, "Would you be interested in having tea together?"

Ethan stood in silence for a heartbeat, then uttered a single word. "Oh."

He walked past her, neither slowing nor raising his voice.

Seraphina's brow knotted in disbelief—confused and a bit embarrassed by the brush-off. That single syllable spoke volumes. Since her rise to prominence, no one had ever dismissed her so lightly. Apart from Ethan, few dared to feign indifference to her presence.

She stepped swiftly ahead, blocking his path again. "Young master Aether, please wait. I genuinely wish to become friends. Is it really appropriate to depart without a word?"

Ethan paused, then replied with placid indifference, "But I have no intention of making friends with you, Miss Seraphina. Please, return to your affairs."

Her face turned cold.

"You…" Fury smoldered in her chest. Her entire life, she'd been the focus of admiration—her suitors lined up from Holy Peak to Serene Mirror Lake, each desperate for a smile. Aether's indifference was a slap in the face.

"Your Excellency, is this not too rude?" she pressed, her veneer of composure fracturing.

But Ethan was already gone—a ripple in the air and appeared 10 steps ahead, a blur of speed. No one could gauge his movement; not even Seraphina.

Her pupils shrank in shock. "So fast!"

For a moment, she pondered his intentions. Was he demonstrating strength? Was this a challenge—to become stronger, to measure up?

Seraphina's competitive spirit flared. She wouldn't let herself lose face. She gathered her focus and followed, matching his pace with blinding agility.

"Young master Aether," she called, "stay a moment and observe the next challenge. Perhaps your opinion of me may change after what you see."

Seraphina suspected he regarded her as just a "flower vase": outwardly beautiful, but fragile and useless. Geniuses cared little about the sneers of ants, but the views of one's peers—and rivals—carried weight. She was determined to change his mind.

Ethan gave the briefest nod. "Well, go ahead."

Seraphina's lips curled as she ascended the stone platform, confidence and pride restored. Cupping her hands, she addressed the onlookers, her voice rippling across the plaza:

"Seraphina, Saint of Azure Origin Dao Sect. I challenge the Silkrain family—please give me your guidance!"

A collective stir swept the crowd. Seraphina's reputation had long since spread across the territory: stunning beauty, peerless talent—the Azure Origin Dao Sect's brightest star.

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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