At the same time, Ethan also began to absorb the essence of the sun and moon in Sun Moon Lake.

"Onyx, can your devouring power surpass that of the fifth-turn Mahayana realm?" Ethan asked in his mind.

"Fifth turn Mahayana realm?" Onyx's voice echoed with a teasing edge.

"It's just a young chick; it's easy!" Onyx replied with mock confidence.

"But let's agree first, I will get 30% of the energy in Sun Moon Lake," Onyx bargained.

"Thirty percent? That's too much. Ten percent!" Ethan countered firmly.

"Ten percent... you are so stingy. Forget it, ten percent," Onyx muttered in reluctant concession.

"Open the devouring power!" Ethan whispered to himself, his voice low and determined.

His body slowly sank beneath the surface of the water, swallowed by the lake's depths.

Then, a powerful devouring force surged inside him. A vortex materialized in his dantian, spinning at a dizzying speed. Red and blue energies—the pure breath of the sun and the power of the moon—gushed toward him from all directions, drawn by the insatiable hunger of the vortex.

These were no ordinary energies; they were the very essence of the sun and moon, gifts of heaven and earth.

"It's cool, it's cool, it's cool!" Ethan laughed wildly inside his mind, exhilarated by the power coursing through him.

At the same moment, everyone in Sun Moon Lake noticed something was off.

They watched, astonished, as the power within the lake flowed in one direction—toward Ethan.

Even those surrounding Michael weren't spared.

"What the hell?" Michael's expression twisted into a grimace.

"How can that kid suck better than me?" Michael's voice was edged with anger.

Earlier, Michael had monopolized an overwhelming seventy percent of Sun Moon Lake's energy.

Now, that share had dwindled to less than thirty percent.

Everyone else possessed not even a tenth of their original absorbing energy when compared to Ethan.

Suddenly, the lake's surface roiled violently.

A massive whirlpool slowly formed where Ethan had submerged.

The essence of the sun and moon, once streaming toward Michael, abruptly reversed course, now pulled toward Ethan like iron to a magnet.

Ethan captured another twenty percent of the energy.

Michael's share was reduced to less than ten percent.

Ethan alone commanded ninety percent of the lake's total energy.

All eyes turned toward Ethan.

He was no longer visible on the surface; he had submerged deep into the water.

Seraphina and the others, sensing the shift, dove beneath the water as well.

Suspended in the depths, they witnessed the spiritual energies swirling relentlessly, drawn entirely toward Ethan.

Frustrated, they deployed their techniques, desperately trying to reclaim the energy, but their efforts were futile.

There, at Ethan's dantian, a jet-black vortex spun violently.

A fierce suction force radiated from it.

Even from afar, underwater and through ethereal barriers, Seraphina could distinctly feel the terrifying magnetic pull.

She extended her mental energy into the vortex, seeking to understand what immense power was at work.

The moment her probing touch grazed the vortex, her mental energy was devoured—swallowed into the abyss with no trace.

It was as if her strands of consciousness had sunk to the ocean floor, silenced forever.

"This power... what the hell?!" Seraphina's face drained of color as panic bubbled in her chest.

That devouring power was not merely potent—it might even consume her very soul.

"Damn it, this Aether is still hiding this trick!" Seraphina's shock turned to bitter respect.

"This is the true secret of a peerless genius. So many trump cards at his disposal. If this devouring power is unleashed in battle, it would undoubtedly become a lethal weapon!" She clenched her fists, full of awe and dread.

Realizing her predicament, she channeled every ounce of her strength into snatching any stray of the sun and moon's essence she could grasp. Even a morsel was better than nothing.

The elites from the three great families had witnessed Ethan's formidable power.

For a moment, surprise flashed across their faces—but none dared speak.

Their respect for power was etched into their bones.

The strong commanded the rules; the weak were mere ants beneath their feet.

One misstep enraged the strong, and the ants would be crushed with no recourse.

Even the families backing these ants could not alter the balance.

After all, Aether was one who could fight with Oswin—an opponent beyond their standing.

Even if he couldn't beat Oswin, he was still leagues ahead of mere Tribulation Transcendence cultivators.

Among peers, he was an unstoppable force.

And Seraphina, a paragon of the Skyreach Territory, was but a stepping stone to him.

The families, seasoned through countless power struggles, could only grit their teeth and strive to absorb the remaining essence of sun and moon.

Though meager, the spiritual energy they absorbed remained a vital lifeline for cultivation.

Thankfully, Ethan was a physical cultivator and did not draw from the lake's spiritual energy.

This left some spiritual energy for them to gather, a small consolation.

The scene at Sun Moon Lake did not go unnoticed by the heads of the three great aristocratic families and Oswin himself.

Ario Emberveil and the other two family heads frowned deeply but quickly returned to their measured composure.

Aether's strength was an undeniable reality that even they respected.

Young clan members could despair, but such was the natural order.

However, Oswin's expression darkened with worry.

He had sent Michael—an expert who had reached the fifth turn of the Mahayana realm.

No matter Aether's ability, Michael should have been a match for him.

Why then was the competition for Sun Moon Lake's energy so unbalanced?

Confusion wrestled within Oswin as he looked toward Michael.

Michael's gaze met Oswin's with silent questions.

"What's going on?" Oswin finally asked.

"That kid may have practiced some strange technique. He has a powerful devouring power that sucks up all the essence of the sun and moon," Michael explained.

"However, I am hiding my strength for now. Once I release the restrictions, he won't be able to absorb even a trace of the lake's essence," Michael sneered coldly.

"Devouring power..." Oswin repeated thoughtfully, eyebrows knitting.

"Unlock the restrictions," Oswin ordered once more.

"If the restrictions are lifted, the three great families will notice. Will they call us unruly? It would affect the Pavilion of Heavenly Secret's reputation," Michael hesitated.

After all, the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets was a business.

Reputation was their foundation.

"Rules?"

Rules are made by the strong. What can they do if they complain?

The three aristocratic families had thrived in Sun Moon City because the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets had granted them rewards.

How dare they complain if ungrateful?

Special circumstances require special handling.

"We must suppress Aether's arrogance today—or he'll think the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets can be trifled with," Oswin replied icily.

"Suppress him, but do not be too impulsive; we must not let him detect anything unusual," Oswin cautioned.

"I understand," Michael nodded resolutely.

He then shed his restrictions, and an aura belonging to an authentic Mahayana realm powerhouse exploded outward.

Waves of air rippled across Sun Moon Lake's surface, sending concentric circles outward.

Seraphina and the others beneath the water pretended to wake with a start, their eyes widening in shock.

"Mahayana?" they murmured.

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

...

Thanks for the Massage Chair: @Sheng_Mei

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.