"Don't worry, I will never fall easily unless I untie the chains of this world."

Ethan smiled faintly.

Those words were not arrogance, nor were they empty bravado.

They were a calm statement of fact. His road was still long—longer than most could even imagine. Beyond the endless mountains and seas, beyond the shifting dynasties and decaying empires.

There was still the White North waiting for him.

Senior Sister Althea was waiting.

With a casual wave of his hand, all the storage rings left behind by Thousand Faces were swept into his sleeve.

That man had slaughtered countless people in his lifetime. Every identity he wore carried blood, every escape was built atop corpses. The treasures he accumulated were naturally terrifying in quantity and value—a true fortune gathered through sin.

Ethan sat cross-legged and slowly adjusted his breathing.

Divine power flowed smoothly within him, circulating through his meridians like a vast river returning to calm after a storm. The violent fluctuations from earlier battles gradually faded, leaving behind a stable, profound aura.

After a while, Ethan opened his eyes.

One of Thousand Faces' storage rings floated quietly before him.

With the owner dead, the mental imprint within the ring had long since dissipated. Ethan sent out a strand of consciousness, imprinting his own mark without resistance.

"Thank you for the gifts."

Ethan smiled, his tone sincere.

Swish—swish—swish!

Several streams of light shot out from the storage ring and hovered in front of him.

A pile of incomplete stone tablets.

A golden scroll radiating ancient authority.

And a cyan egg faintly glowing with vitality.

Ethan's gaze lingered on them one by one.

The golden scroll, however, made his eyes narrow slightly.

One of the Thirty-Six Supreme Celestial Fiend Methods.

Heaven and Earth Reversal Method.

Lastly, Ethan looked at the cyan egg.

A faint warmth pulsed from within, accompanied by a subtle aura.

A line of information surfaced naturally in his mind.

[Name: Greenjade Firegold Snake]

[Race: Green Snake Clan — Contains Dragon Clan Bloodline]

"So it's the egg of a Greenjade Firegold Snake," Ethan muttered softly.

"And it even carries a trace of dragon blood."

In ancient times, the Greenjade Firegold Snake was an exceptionally powerful species, feared across many regions. Though it still fell short of mythical beasts like the phoenix, it far surpassed ordinary spirit beasts.

Unfortunately, it was still nothing compared to true anomalies like the Evil Mantis.

At this moment, the Evil Mantis remained asleep within the spiritual orb. Most of the Demon Lord's flesh and essence had already been devoured, yet the transformation required time—perhaps years—before it would awaken.

Ethan glanced at the cyan egg and made a decision.

"I'll reward you with this."

Without hesitation, he placed the Greenjade Firegold Snake egg into the spiritual orb, letting it dissolve into the boundless demonic essence within. For the Evil Mantis, this was nourishment—fuel for evolution.

Far away.

The Verdant Lantern Empire, Imperial Capital.

Deep within the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.

Lucas suddenly opened his eyes.

In his hand, a soul jade cracked with a sharp sound.

His pupils shrank violently.

"Thousand Faces… dead?"

His breath grew heavy.

"Celeste?!"

Lucas immediately took out another soul jade.

This one shone with a steady, intact light.

Only then did he let out a long breath.

"Alive…"

But confusion quickly replaced relief.

"Why did Thousand Faces die?"

His figure blurred, and in the next instant, he appeared at the top floor of the main pavilion.

This was the place where his master—Xalor—had gone into seclusion.

Dong. Dong. Dong.

Lucas knocked on the closed wooden door.

"Come in."

A hoarse voice responded, as though it had traveled through thousands of years.

Lucas pushed open the door and entered.

The room was dim and austere, lined with wooden bookshelves filled with ancient texts. At the center sat a rectangular table, beside which an old man in a gray robe embroidered with star patterns sat cross-legged on a futon, his back facing the door.

"Lucas," the old man asked slowly, "have you come to ask for divination again?"

"Yes," Lucas replied.

"But before that, this disciple has something important to report."

His tone was solemn.

The old man paused, then slowly turned around.

Disheveled gray hair hung loosely over his shoulders, partially obscuring his face. Only a pair of eyes—clear, deep, and ancient—were visible beneath the strands.

"Speak," Xalor said, pouring two cups of tea.

Lucas closed the door, sat opposite his master, and placed a cracked soul jade on the table.

"This is… Thousand Faces' soul jade."

Xalor's expression finally changed.

"This man's concealment and escape abilities were peerless," he said gravely.

"Even an Ultimate Supreme would find it difficult to kill him. Unless a Perfect Supreme acted, his life should never have been in danger."

"And yet…" Xalor sighed softly.

"It shattered."

Lucas asked in a low voice, "Master, besides death, is there any other possibility that could cause a soul jade to break?"

Xalor picked up the jade and closed his eyes.

A long silence followed.

When he opened them again, he slowly shook his head.

"None."

"I calculated his life star. It has vanished."

"Thousand Faces has indeed fallen."

"…Ethan?" Xalor asked, looking at his disciple.

Lucas lowered his head. "Nothing escapes Master's insight."

"Yes. I sent Celeste to cooperate with Thousand Faces and eliminate Ethan in secret."

"I never expected this outcome."

"Celeste's soul jade?" Xalor asked.

Lucas handed it over.

"It's intact."

Xalor finally exhaled in relief.

"Good."

"I regard her as my daughter. If anything happened to her, I would not forgive myself."

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them with resolve.

"I will find her location."

"Even if it costs me lifespan."

He placed Celeste's soul jade on the table.

Three ancient copper coins appeared in his palm.

An Eight Trigram formation spread across the tabletop.

The coins were cast.

The wind surged, blowing open the window. Mysterious fluctuations filled the room, stirring Xalor's hair wildly.

Within moments, the soul jade floated into the air, glowing with pale blue light.

"The art of divination—searching for traces!"

Xalor's eyes snapped open, turning an eerie dark blue.

The copper coins trembled violently.

Lucas looked at his master and knew that the divination had begun.

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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