The earlier clash between Chu Ling’er and Liu Ruyi didn’t stay in Kaelen Viremont and Chu Huanxue’s minds for long.Honestly, it was brushed off almost immediately, as a small stone dropped into a river. A ripple, nothing more.Not worth thinking about.Soon enough, they arrived at the central grand hall of the Eldravan Empire’s imperial palace.And “grand” didn’t even feel like enough of a word for it.The hall was massive—so large it almost made people instinctively lower their voice without realizing it. Towering pillars lined the space, each carved with ancient imperial patterns that seemed to tell stories no one fully remembered anymore. Golden light bounced off the polished stone floor, giving everything a cold, majestic glow.It felt both grand and… a bit heavy.Like the air itself had weight.And it was already full.Groups of elders from powerful noble families stood scattered around, each surrounded by their younger descendants who were clearly here for the upcoming Winter H

At that moment, the Emperor of the Eldravan Empire kept his eyes on Kaelen Viremont.Really studying him.Not just looking—measuring.Kaelen stood there with that faint, almost lazy smile on his face. Calm. Hard to read. The kind of expression that doesn’t give anything away, no matter how long you stare at it.The Emperor stayed quiet for a while. Long enough that it felt intentional. Like he was turning every word from earlier over in his mind.Then he finally spoke.“Earlier, the Grand Priestess was pushed into such fury that she clearly suffered a major setback… or lost something extremely important. And since Young Master Kaelen managed to retreat safely after provoking her, that means you at least have some ability to deal with her.”Kaelen Viremont just shook his head a little.“No, that’s not quite right,” he said casually. “I did make her lose something important, yes. But I didn’t do it alone. I had help. A companion.”A small pause.“On my own… I’m still not at the level whe

Outside the Eldravan Empire’s national treasury, everything felt… dead quiet.Not peaceful and quiet. More like the kind that makes you lower your voice without even realizing it.Rows of imperial guards stood perfectly still under the dim sky. Black armor, polished so clean it almost looked wet, caught what little light there was and threw it back in a cold, lifeless shine. Honestly, it gave off that uncomfortable feeling—like the air itself was being watched.Each soldier held a long halberd. Not casually either. Firm grip. Locked posture. Hundreds of them lined up in strict formation around the perimeter, not a single one out of place.No talking. No shifting. No unnecessary movement.They weren’t just guards. They were basically a living wall between the empire’s deepest secrets… and everything else.And behind them?The sealed entrance to the national treasury.A place people only talked about in rumors and half-believed stories.Inside that forbidden zone, Kaelen Viremont walked

The moment Kaelen Viremont felt his soul being drained at full speed, his expression finally shifted.Yeah… that confident breakthrough feeling? Gone. Just like that.What was supposed to be a smooth rise in power had turned into something way more dangerous than he expected. The fourth stage of the Fortune Creation Art—this so-called “new innate talent”—was meant to be an evolution.Instead, it felt like something was quietly trying to erase him from the inside.Behind him, that chaotic power cluster kept pulsing like it was alive. Not in a poetic way either. More like a hungry thing that didn’t know how to stop eating.It didn’t just absorb energy.It devoured it.And its target wasn’t his surroundings anymore—it was his soul.Every second felt worse.Kaelen could feel his soul power dropping fast. And that was already after reaching the tenth rank, which normally would’ve been considered solid. But right now? It was like standing in front of a bottomless black pit that just kept pu

The royal gardens of the Eldravan Empire were usually the picture of perfection. Neat paths, rare flowers, nobles sitting politely as if nothing in the world could ever go wrong.But today? Something felt off. Not obvious at first… just a faint pressure in the air. Like the calm before a storm, you can’t quite see it yet.Nobles filled the seats around the central arena. Ministers in fine embroidered robes sat stiffly beside armored generals who looked like they’d rather be anywhere else. The smell of exotic blossoms drifted through everything, but even that couldn’t hide the tension creeping in underneath.The royal hunt had started as a celebration. Young talents of the empire were showing off inside the inner grounds—fighting, competing, trying to impress the imperial court. Everything was going exactly as planned.Until she moved.The High Priestess.She had been sitting high on the viewing platform the entire time. Pure white robes, spotless, almost unreal. Calm face. Quiet prese