"Even the Upper Supreme realm experts were unable to do anything to him."

"Moreover, that was his strength from ten years ago. If he's still alive, he's definitely far stronger now."

Thousand Faces spoke in a low voice, his tone restrained but filled with lingering dread.

Over the past decade, he had been repairing his shattered foundation and cultivating in seclusion. He had only just emerged and had no clear grasp of the recent situation in Skyreach Territory. Everything he knew about Ethan was outdated information.

But even those fragments were enough to make his heart uneasy.

"Yes."

Celeste replied calmly.

"You understand him very thoroughly. It seems your time in Skyreach Territory was not wasted."

She turned around and walked out of the cave without another glance.

Thousand Faces followed behind her, maintaining a respectful distance.

"Deputy Pavilion Master," he asked carefully, "are you seeking me out this time because of Ethan?"

"Yes."

Her answer was concise and emotionless.

"It is precisely because of that boy."

"To be honest," Thousand Faces continued, "I have dealt with Ethan before."

Celeste paused briefly and glanced sideways at him.

"You've encountered him?"

"I've just come out of seclusion and don't know much about him. With your help, I shouldn't have any trouble capturing him." Celeste glanced at Thousand Faces as she replied.

"Capturing Ethan…?"

Thousand Faces' expression shifted subtly.

He had not expected Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets to take such decisive action against Ethan.

Something significant must have happened during the years of his absence.

Once Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets moved, few could survive.

Yet deep down, Thousand Faces felt conflicted.

If Ethan was eliminated by the Pavilion, then Ethan's body, storage ring, and the secrets surrounding the incomplete stone tablet would all vanish from his grasp.

He had his own ambitions.

Who didn't desire inheritances and heaven defying opportunities?

"Deputy Pavilion Master," Thousand Faces asked after a moment's hesitation, "what exactly has Ethan done these past years?"

"In Skyreach Territory," Celeste replied coldly, "Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Blood Tavern, and the Endless Mountains Holy Land joined forces."

"Using artifacts obtained in that year, they uprooted all the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets' branches we had deployed there."

"We lost dozens of Supremes."

"And three Guardians."

"…!"

Thousand Faces' pupils contracted sharply.

"Dozens of Supremes… and three Guardians?!"

Shock rippled through his expression.

The Guardians of Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets were among their highest combat forces—Upper Supreme experts, some even touching the threshold of the Ultimate Supreme.

The Great Guardian himself was an Ultimate Supreme.

And Ethan had played a role in killing three of them.

That level of combat power was horrifying.

Compared to ten years ago, Ethan had grown incomprehensibly stronger—perhaps dozens, even hundreds of times stronger.

"How… is that possible?" Thousand Faces muttered.

"Even if he's a peerless genius, at most he should have reached the Inferior Supreme realm."

"What could he rely on to kill three Guardians?"

"An artifact?"

"But without divine power, how could he unleash an artifact's true might?"

Celeste shook her head slightly.

"I cannot confirm the details."

"But it was almost certainly the power of an artifact."

"However, that artifact was likely not in Ethan's hands."

"There is a high probability that a supreme expert from Blood Tavern or Myriad Treasures Pavilion activated it."

"Otherwise, the power would not have been sufficient to obliterate our Guardians."

"The Blood Tavern… the Blood Marquis?" Thousand Faces' eyes narrowed.

"The Blood Marquis is indeed terrifying," Celeste replied.

"And the elder of Myriad Treasures Pavilion is also stationed in Skyreach Territory."

"This operation is not merely about capturing Ethan."

"We must severely wound Blood Tavern and Myriad Treasures Pavilion."

"At the very least, uproot their stronghold in Skyreach Territory."

"To let the world know—"

"Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets is not something to provoke."

Her voice remained steady and mechanical, devoid of emotional fluctuation.

"Deputy Pavilion Master," Thousand Faces said cautiously, "even with you, uprooting Blood Tavern and Myriad Treasures Pavilion will not be easy."

"The Ghost Supreme and Blood Marquis are no ordinary figures."

"Not to mention their divine weapons."

"You are correct," Celeste replied.

"But this is a covert operation. We cannot mobilize too many people."

"I have already stepped into the Ultimate Supreme realm."

"In my eyes, Upper Supremes are nothing more than ants."

"As for divine weapons—"

"They have them."

"And Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets also possesses artifacts."

"…Artifact?!"

Thousand Faces froze for a breath, then ecstasy flickered across his face.

"With an artifact in your hands, Deputy Pavilion Master," he said with a grin, "Ethan will have no chance to escape."

Even if Ethan possessed a divine weapon, how could he resist an Ultimate Supreme wielding an artifact?

This was a crushing advantage.

Yet in Thousand Faces' heart, a darker calculation formed.

If both sides suffered heavy losses, that would be ideal.

"I sense your aura is unstable," Celeste said suddenly.

"Your physical state is not fully adjusted."

"Not yet," Thousand Faces admitted.

"Give me a few more days."

"Seven days," Celeste said flatly.

"I will give you seven days."

"After seven days, you will accompany me to find Ethan."

"Understood."

Thousand Faces bowed slightly.

Celeste glanced at him one last time.

"I hope you will be useful."

"I do not tolerate hindrances."

Her figure dissolved into a stream of dark-blue light and vanished into the sky.

"Hindrance…?"

Thousand Faces chuckled coldly.

He returned to the depths of the cave, sat down cross-legged, and began refining a new substitute body.

Seven days.

Just enough time.

Enough time to prepare for bloodshed.

…

Inside the inn.

Ethan lifted his teacup and took a slow sip.

The bitterness lingered on his tongue.

Food and wine were to be savored—but information was even more valuable.

Throughout the meal, he had quietly listened to every conversation in the lobby.

The word he heard most often was—

Training trial.

Piece by piece, fragmented discussions converged in his mind.

After collecting information, he roughly knew what the training trial was.

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

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