Oswin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, releasing his senses meticulously to sweep across the entire hall.

Yet, no treasures or relics were found.

His voice was calm but firm when he said, "The three family heads can take your people away."

The Stormjade family head opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Oswin's cold snort.

"Is it possible you desire to be removed from Sun Moon City in the near future?"

The room fell silent, the weight of Oswin's threat hanging heavily.

"Farewell."

Faced with such intimidation, the heads of the three families wisely chose not to provoke Oswin further and reluctantly withdrew.

"You all will monitor the three families closely from this day on. I suspect they have been acting dishonestly and deviating from the path." Oswin's command was sharp.

"Understood!" The five Mahayana realm experts behind him accepted the orders without hesitation.

Soon enough, only Oswin remained alone in the hall.

He approached the stone platform, eyes falling on the empty coffin.

"Aether, you'd better conceal yourself well and not show your face, or else..." he whispered darkly.

His fists clenched behind his back with audible force.

One hour later.

Ethan had traveled hundreds of miles from Sun Moon City.

He immersed himself in a deep mountain, ancient forest, discovering a hidden cave to shelter within.

He concealed the cave's entrance and laid out a protective formation.

A crackling fire sprang to life, beside which he spread a mat and settled into a cross-legged meditation.

Before him floated an array of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, the treasures from his dealings earlier with the three major aristocratic families.

There was the Flower of the Earth Veins, the Heart and Eyes of the Sovereign Earth Dragon, the Jade Crystal of Earth Rock.

Even the heart of fertile soil he had obtained through his system.

Each item was a rare treasure of heaven and earth, aged close to a hundred thousand years.

The earth energy contained within them was sufficient to propel his cultivation into the late phase of the fourth level of the Celestial Jade Physique Scripture.

"I'm not far from the peak of the fourth level!" Ethan sighed.

He silently anticipated the moment his essence and blood would transform into Original Power and wondered how much stronger he would become.

He quickly dismissed all distracting thoughts.

The Earth Vein Flower and other treasures floated serenely before him. Reciting mantras softly in his mind, the eight trigrams formation manifested beneath him.

Pure earth-attribute energy poured into his body as he began absorbing their profound essence.

…

Far away, Black Mountain City lay over three hundred miles from the Azure Origin Dao Sect.

To the west stretched the vast Black Forest Mountains.

Althea, cloaked in a simple white dress, a long sword hanging by her side, and a bamboo hat shielding her face, arrived covered in dust.

She raised her head, eyes catching the city gate beside her.

Three large characters read clearly: "Black Mountain City."

Althea paused, glancing warily toward the nearby jungle.

A faint frown crossed her delicate features before fading.

Slowly, she stepped into Black Mountain City.

Seeking refuge, she chose a random inn and went to her room.

Removing her hat, she revealed a strikingly beautiful face.

"Black Forest Mountain has ancient ruins, yet no one mentioned them upon entering the city?" she mused, puzzled.

Such news had been circulated through the Sword peak in the Azure Origin Dao Sect.

The lack of chatter in Black Mountain City made her uneasy.

The ancient ruins of Black Forest Mountain should draw countless cultivators, but the city was instead populated mostly by mortals.

Cultivators were scarce, especially powerful ones.

Throughout her brief time inside the city, she had yet to encounter a cultivator above the Body Integration realm.

Apart from two figures who had secretly followed her.

…

Althea's thoughts darkened.

Those two must have believed she hadn't noticed them.

Little did they know she was fully aware.

Did they think she was weak?

Born with the Natural Sword Body, Althea currently stood at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence realm.

Without unleashing her trump cards, few below the fifth-turn Mahayana realm could challenge her.

Using minimal power, she could easily deal with the cultivators below the Mahayana realm.

"There are two following me," Althea thought.

"One's aura is familiar—a Mahayana cultivator from the Sword Peak. Why would he follow me?"

"Do they not trust me to leave the sect alone and secretly protect me?" she wondered.

The other's aura was unfamiliar, their cultivation in the late stage of the Tribulation Transcendence realm.

Since entering the city, he silently trailed her, but after she arrived at the inn, he slipped away to hide.

Althea's thoughts grew cautious.

"The ancient ruins of Black Forest Mountain might be false. Best to stay alert."

…

Meanwhile, deep in Black Forest Mountain, within a shadowed cave.

Four men in dark robes and masks stood stoic against the stone wall.

A fire flickered at the center, illuminating a beautiful woman dressed in purple and black robes.

Her flowing hair fell past her shoulders, yet the mask concealed her face, leaving only her vibrant purple eyes visible.

Her posture, aura, and figure all marked her as a rare beauty.

She glanced toward the cave entrance as a man wearing a mask and black attire entered.

He knelt respectfully, clasping his fists.

"Saint, Althea, the peak master of Azure Origin Dao Sect's Sword Peak has arrived at Black Forest Mountain."

"She is already here? Excellent," the woman responded coldly yet pleasantly.

"Have the spies near the Azure Origin Dao Sect brought news of Ethan?"

The Saint of the Black Demon Sect inquired.

"No, Saint. Since Ethan emerged from the Inheritance place, no news has come as if he's vanished."

"Haha, he must have received the inheritance and gone into seclusion," the Saint sneered.

"What a genius—a peerless evildoer—a mere rat!" the Saint spat disdainfully once more.

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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