"Thank you, senior!" The young cultivators from the Stormjade and Silkrain families surfaced one after another, bowing deeply to Ethan in gratitude.

Ethan did not respond to anyone. He merely closed his eyes, focusing inward to adjust his physical and mental states after the intense cultivation.

The Stormjade and Silkrain families silently withdrew, turning away without a word.

Underwater, Ethan's eyes snapped open. The Heaven-piercing Mind eyes gleamed with sharp insight.

Now, the once majestic Sun Moon Lake had lost much of its spiritual energy and essence of the sun and moon, reduced to a seemingly ordinary pool of water.

Without the spiritual energy and essence acting as a barrier, Ethan's senses sharpened.

As he dove deeper, he detected an anomaly at the lake's bottom.

At first, with so many cultivators and the dense spiritual energy and essence swirling, the truth was obscured. He had wisely focused on cultivation, sensing but not disturbing anything.

Now, as the crowd thinned and the energy faded, he could examine the lake's depths clearly.

"This is…" A subtle formation shimmered faintly beneath the lake surface.

A large-scale formation, and its quality was exceedingly high.

Even the Four-Elephant Prison Formation Ethan had obtained from the inheritance place could not compare to the formation beneath Sun Moon Lake.

"The aura of this formation is so strong..." Ethan murmured in surprise.

"I'd wager the formation's level is at least immortal realm, maybe higher. It must still be a sealing formation, likely imprisoning an ancient ruin beneath with rare treasures," Onyx's voice echoed mysteriously in Ethan's mind.

"You noticed it too?" Ethan asked softly.

"Of course I did. Since the moment we arrived here, I've been aware, but I kept it to myself," Onyx said with quiet pride.

Ethan merely nodded, masking curiosity. Then he smoothly broke from the water and landed onshore.

A light mist trailed from him, drying his hair and clothes instantly.

"Everyone, thank you for the gifts!" Ethan cupped his hands in a respectful salute toward Sun Moon Lake, eyes bright with warmth.

Ario Emberveil, the heads of the Silkrain and Stormjade families, and Oswin all stared dumbfounded.

Their expressions writhed with confusion, question marks practically floating above their heads.

Why was Ethan thanking the Lake?

"Everyone, may the mountains remain green and the waters flow forever. We shall see each other again."

He bowed again, then leapt upward and soared toward Sun Moon City.

Oswin smiled lightly as he watched Ethan's retreating figure.

"That kid left. He probably hasn't discovered the secrets beneath Sun Moon Lake. Let's return."

Michael emerged from the lake, standing loyally by Oswin's side.

"Should I follow him?" Michael asked quietly.

"Of course," Oswin nodded.

"Understood." Michael instantly transformed into a streak of shadow and light, pursuing Ethan's path.

High above, Ethan sensed a hidden presence trailing him—Michael, blending with the winds.

A low sneer curled Ethan's lips. "Truly, a relentless shadow."

He swept down and slipped into Sun Moon City.

Ethan returned to the Peace Inn where he had stayed earlier, took a room, and sank into a brief rest.

Though the secret beneath Sun Moon Lake remained hidden for now, Ethan's vigilance did not wane; leaving was not yet an option.

Three days later, Ethan emerged from his room.

Removing Onyx's mask, he donned simple blue robes.

His long ponytail fluttered in the breeze, his temperament striking—a blend of charisma and poise.

This sudden transformation surprised the young women around, causing startled gasps and some to shy away.

Onyx's mask was truly convenient.

Now Ethan effortlessly juggled two identities—Aether and Ethan—switching between them with ease.

Meanwhile, three major aristocratic families and the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets had placed spies around Peace Inn, disguising them as vendors, pedestrians, even fortune tellers.

But Aether would remain absent for the near future.

Though Aether's name had spread like wildfire throughout Sun Moon City in recent days, Ethan felt little concern.

Aether was famous, but what did that have to do with Ethan?

Seraphina and her companions had departed via the teleportation formation, heading toward Noble Sun City.

The people of Sun Moon City still murmured excitedly about Aether, but their fervor had lessened considerably since before.

Now was the perfect moment to act.

Ethan left the Peace Inn, cautiously observant.

All around him, various factions had planted spies—some posed as merchants, others as pilgrims, some as fortune tellers.

Curiosity flickered across Ethan's face as he scanned the crowds.

Across the street stood a familiar figure—the man who had eyed him in the Bright Scent Pavilion.

A patient stalker long waiting in the shadows.

Ethan chuckled softly and turned away.

Within minutes, two vendors nearby stood and exchanged whispered words.

"Boss, he's finally out after all this time."

"I almost thought he died in that Peace Inn."

"I said, big things take patience. Let's follow him, find a chance to hit him when he leaves the city. If he's truly from a noble family, we'll have years of profit!"

The black-faced man's eyes glinted coldly as he beheld Ethan's retreating back, already marking Ethan as prey.

Ethan walked along a forest path outside the city.

Suddenly, bursts of dark wind hissed from both sides—a sudden ambush.

Two spiritual attacks followed, swift and deadly.

"Die!"

The black-faced man and his younger brother struck—a late-stage Nascent Soul realm cultivator's moves.

A sneak attack this potent would overwhelm a early stage Soul Formation Realm cultivator.

These men frequented Bright Scent Pavilion and nearby taverns, vigilantly spying on comings and goings.

Finding a wealthy outsider marked for attack, they hunted silently beyond city walls.

Kill him, claim his treasures.

They had failed often but escaped unscathed every time.

With a muffled crash, dust exploded at Ethan's feet.

"Hahaha, let's see if we caught a big fish this time!" the black-faced man laughed cruelly.

"He drinks tea at Bright Scent Pavilion and pays with top-grade spiritual stones like they're dust."

"He must still have a lot of top-grade spiritual stones on him," the lean man said with a smile.

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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