Listening to his drunk classmate ramble on and on beside him, Aiden could only shake his head and smile faintly. He didn't know whether those old myths were true, but he knew for certain that immortals were real. He'd been one himself.None of it interested him much. He sipped his red wine instead, turning over his next move in his mind. The most pressing matter was clear: House Wexford of Celestara.Just then, heat flooded through his entire body. At first he thought it was the wine catching up with him, but after a moment he knew better.Something was wrong. Strands of extraordinarily pure spiritual energy were surging outward from his core, spreading rapidly through his whole body. If he didn't absorb it fast enough, he would burst apart and die."Had a bit too much to drink. Going up to rest." Aiden gave Lucy's shoulder a quick pat, and before she could answer, he bolted up the stairs into an empty room and locked the door.Downstairs, Lucy looked a little lost, wanting to check o

Lucy stared at Aiden in disbelief. "How is your strength this high? That felt like a mid-stage Yellow-realm warrior."Aiden chuckled, finally getting a real sense of his own power. But the next moment, he realized with a jolt that the spiritual energy he'd just burned through wouldn't return anytime soon.Does that mean once I run dry, I'm nothing more than a Yellow-realm warrior who's opened four meridians, and only for a little while?Seeing him drift off into thought and ignore her, Lucy pouted, a flash of irritation crossing her face. "Not talking, huh? Fine. Then you can be my sparring partner!"With that, she twisted her body like a willow leaf caught in the wind, moving with startling speed. This was the Willow Leaf Step, a movement technique that mimicked a leaf dancing on the breeze.The gust from her punch snapped Aiden back to attention. He tried to explain, but it was too late. He had no choice but to raise a hand to block while striking forward with his left.Lucy's eyes

That afternoon, Aiden picked up some gifts and snacks and headed to Lucy's house, but she wasn't home. He had no choice but to leave everything with her parents and ask them to pass the message along.There was nothing else he could do. A full day had gone by, and Lucy wasn't answering his calls or replying to his texts. It gave him a headache. She really was angry this time."It's not my fault. I was forced into it. Pure instinct." Aiden sighed, muttering to himself, then turned around.Only to find Lucy standing right behind him, dressed in tight black athletic wear, her figure striking, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead from a recent workout.Aiden went red with embarrassment. Before he could explain himself, Lucy rolled her eyes and spoke first. "I'm going into seclusion for the next two weeks to prepare for my breakthrough to the mid-stage Yellow realm.""And I asked my family about House Wexford. They hesitated before answering, which gave me a bad feeling. So I need to get

The air in the private room turned oppressive again. Aiden was unmistakably firm, clearly unwilling to let Julian walk out."Friend, was there something else you wanted to say to me?" A cold glint flashed in Julian's eyes as he turned with a smile, his pupils suddenly narrowing.Because Aiden had appeared right in front of him without a single sound. Had he not turned his head, he wouldn't have known the man was even there."Tell me why you were meeting Caleb Ward. What exactly did you two come here to discuss?" Aiden's gaze was flat and utterly commanding.Julian's expression stiffened for a heartbeat before he laughed it off. "Friend, aren't you overstepping a bit? Maybe you don't know who I am. Let me be clear: I oversee the underground transactions in this district for the Black Market.""Sooner or later, you'll need the Black Market for something. I'd suggest we become friends. More friends, after all, means more options."Aiden nodded. "Fine. I accept you as a friend. And since

Beyond their own group, several other team members had stayed behind on the spacecraft, standing by as backup while working through contingency plans and clearing out any lingering threats."Griggs, stay sharp and keep the electromagnetic field and pulse cannons ready to fire at a moment's notice. I suspect there are mechanical guardians and smart weapons waiting inside that underground palace."While issuing orders with methodical calm, Redmane studied the terrain and murmured to Aiden, "Don't worry. We know exactly what we're doing."Mount Aurelia stayed evergreen year-round, its paths mostly carved stone steps winding through hidden, secluded stretches of forest. Ancient shrines lay tucked into the cliffs and deep within the old-growth trees.Countless legends clung to this place. In the Age Before the Crowns, it had been a famed sacred ground, even host to the old rite of Heaven and Earth once performed here by rulers of ancient times.Sadly, ever since the old cultivation method