The middle-aged man's realm was decent—early stage Intermediate Supreme.

As for the old man with the gloomy expression, his aura was heavy and restrained, like an ancient tree rooted in blood-soaked earth.

An Upper Supreme.

Ethan's gaze swept over them calmly, already finishing his judgment.

At that moment, several more streaks of light tore through the sky.

Solara, Alix, Shia and Houda.

The moment these figures appeared, the entire Royal Beast Sect froze—then erupted.

"Welcome the Sect Master and the Supreme Elder back to the sect!"

The voices roared out in unison, rolling like thunder waves across the mountain range.

"Sect Master! Supreme Elder!"

Nox's body trembled as he struggled to stand upright. When he saw the familiar figures, his eyes reddened instantly.

They were back.

They were really back.

Relief, shock, and lingering fear collided violently in his chest.

Yet at the same time, confusion surfaced.

Why… why were their realms so strange?

Neither the Sect Master nor the Supreme Elder carried the pressure of Mahayana.

They looked… weaker than before.

Then his gaze drifted to Ethan.

"Alright, alright, no need for all this ceremony," Alix waved his hand casually.

Then his eyes shifted to the intruders.

"I'd like to ask," he said calmly, "who you are, and why you chose to attack my Royal Beast Sect."

The young man sneered coldly.

"You?" He laughed lightly.

"You're not even in the Mahayana realm. You think you're qualified to speak here?"

His severed arm twitched.

With a grim expression, he pulled it back toward himself using spiritual energy, rapidly reconnecting it with rare elixirs and a strange healing technique.

The flesh reattached.

But the meridians remained shattered.

That arm was useless for now.

His eyes locked onto Ethan.

"What realm is this man in?" he thought grimly.

"I didn't even see him move."

"Where was his weapon?"

"How did he strike?"

Behind him, the middle-aged man spoke, his tone low and cold.

"Your Excellency also appears to be a Supreme realm powerhouse. Isn't it beneath your dignity to hide and sneak attack my young master like this?"

"Sneak attack?"

Ethan tilted his head slightly.

"No. That's a misunderstanding."

"It's simply that your incompetent young master failed to react."

The words were flat.

Casual.

Cruel.

The young man's chest heaved violently. Blood surged up his throat, leaking from the corner of his mouth.

Rage burned in his eyes.

Ethan squinted faintly.

That look—calm, mocking, absolute—made the young man's breathing turn ragged.

Ethan then turned to Alix.

"There's no need to choose a spiritual pet," he said indifferently.

"I want the Evil Mantis."

"Bring it to me."

Alix fell silent for a breath.

Then he nodded.

"Yes."

"There will be benefits for the Royal Beast Sect."

Ethan continued, his voice steady.

"From today onward, the Royal Beast Sect will become an affiliated sect of the Azure Origin Dao Sect."

"You don't need to do much."

"You will provide spiritual pets to the Azure Origin Dao Sect and the Blood Tavern on a regular basis."

As one of the four major sects of Skyreach Territory, the Royal Beast Sect possessed unique beast controlling and taming methods.

Countless cultivators relied on spiritual beasts to fight.

A powerful spiritual pet could drastically elevate combat strength.

Ethan wasn't pulling them in out of sentiment.

He was building structure.

A beast reservoir.

A war supply line.

Alix's heart pounded.

Affiliated sect.

Under Ethan. Under the Blood Tavern. Under the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. With the Holy Land of Endless Mountains as an ally.

This was protection beyond imagination.

As for the Evil Mantis?

He understood.

Once such a beast was exposed, they were no longer qualified to keep it.

To hold jade without strength was to court disaster.

Handing it over to Ethan in exchange for survival and prosperity was the only correct choice.

"I'll bring the guardian beast to you," Alix said respectfully.

He vanished.

Shia stepped forward, her voice ringing across the mountains.

"All disciples and elders, obey the order!"

"Activate the sect-protecting formation!"

"Follow Senior Ethan's commands!"

"Yes!"

Nox and the elders immediately sat cross-legged, forming seals.

Formation lines ignited across the mountain.

Even if they didn't fully understand who Ethan was—

They understood power.

And this man was power incarnate.

The young man before them was a Supreme.

His presence alone suffocated them.

Yet Ethan had severed his arm with a single strike.

That fact alone erased all doubt.

The middle-aged man frowned deeply.

"I see that your Excellency possesses considerable strength," he said coldly.

"You should be someone of reputation in Skyreach Territory."

"Yet you act with such arrogance. Isn't that excessive?"

"That's right!" the young man snarled.

"Who are you, brat? State your name!"

"Let me see if you're qualified to stand at my level!"

"Noisy."

Ethan's eyes turned cold.

In that instant—

A killing intent erupted.

It wasn't loud.

It wasn't flashy.

It was absolute.

The young man and the middle-aged man felt their scalps explode with pain.

A chill surged from their feet straight into their souls.

"Danger!" the middle-aged man's heart screamed.

He barely had time to react—

"Retreat!"

The old man moved.

His palm slammed forward as seals formed instantly.

Green wood attribute spiritual energy burst forth.

Massive roots erupted from the ground, intertwining and condensing into a towering shield.

Bang!

A dull explosion shook the sky.

The wooden spiritual shield collided with Ethan's casual attack.

The shockwave tore the bamboo hat from the old man's head.

He was thrown backward dozens of steps through the air before barely stabilizing himself.

The young man and the middle-aged man were hurled away by the residual force, smashing violently into a stone wall.

Blood sprayed.

"Cough—cough!"

The young man spat blood, his eyes burning with hatred.

"Damn it…"

The middle aged man steadied himself, his face grim.

"Young Master," he said gravely, "don't act rashly."

"This man… is extremely dangerous."

"I'm afraid only Mr. Kale can compete with him."

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

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.