Chapter 55: Chapter 55
The mysterious soul secret power that Azraeth V’ khorath unleashed was unlike anything seen before. Though incapable of breaking the spiritual formations or the immortal weapon that sealed him, it conveyed a message—one only his own soul could hear.
That message had a fixed destination: the ancestral temple’s soul tablet, where the black demon Sect in the blackspire mountain stored each member’s original soul essence. As long as the soul tablet remained lit, that soul was counted among the living.
This was crucial for the demon clan — their unerring gauge of life and death among their people.
"Open the secret method!" Azraeth’s eyes flared blood red, his soul igniting with fierce power to transmit the warning.
His burning will wrote an urgent decree in the air — swelling with words of dark menace, warning the tribe:
"All of the Black Demon Sect, heed this command: A peerless genius has arisen in the Azure Origin Dao Sect. His name is Ethan. Should he grow unchecked, he will become our greatest threat. Kill him.... Eradicate him — at all costs!"
The words condensed into a small, bright red orb that vanished inside the depths of his sight.
Suddenly, Azraeth coughed violently, blood spraying from his mouth. His aura waned, and his cultivation realm visibly dropped.
In the stone chamber, Supreme Elder Ash Burn’s eyes snapped open, sharp and questioning.
"This strange feeling... What kind of trick is that old demon Azraeth V’ khorath trying to pull?" he muttered.
He dispersed his spiritual energy, sending forth a shadow formed from his will to the sealed prison of Azraeth underneath the eighteenth floor.
There, he observed the sluggish demon vomiting blood, confused by his sudden weakening.
"Old ghost, why such weakness? Can you no longer endure the suppression of the formations and the immortal weapon?"
"Or do you blame me, because of what my disciple did to toy with you?" Ash Burn teased.
A raspy laugh escaped Azraeth.
"Old dog Burn, your sect’s shattered formations cause me this state? Do not delude yourself. I merely suffered a temporary lapse in practice."
Ash Burn chuckled, "Stubborn as ever."
"You may do what you want," Azraeth growled.
"but while the Azure Origin Dao Sect lives, you won’t be able to leave this prison and me. And when I break through next, I will utterly destroy you!"
Without another word, Ash Burn’s spiritual body vanished into the shadows.
Inside, Azraeth sneered, "He may rise in power, but one day I will collect the corpses of his precious disciples."
He lifted his head, eyes narrowing coldly at the spot where Ethan sat above him, as if appraising a soon-to-be fallen foe.
Oblivious to these machinations, Ethan focused solely on his practice—absorbing flame energy, refining the Celestial Jade Physique Scripture.
The blue flame within his arms danced wildly, growing ever stronger, fuelling his body’s evolution.
"Insolent old dog," Ethan murmured silently.
Realizing Ethan’s cunning, Azraeth withdrew his innate spiritual fire—quelling all flame energy below.
Yet, Ethan was content. That blaze was ample—easily rivaling the compounding forces of dirt world flower and Mystic Marrow Tempering Lotion.
Beyond the gate lay his passage forward.
"Ethan!" Ash Burn’s voice resonated in his mind.
"Master, what are your orders?" Ethan replied instantly.
"I shall enter seclusion today," Ash Burn said solemnly.
"At my level, it may last ten years... fifty... or more."
"I expect that when I emerge, you will be able to stand on your own."
"I accepted you as my disciple with little demand," he continued. "Only that you fulfill your duties. Whether you protect the sect or not does not concern me. Just ensure that demon Azraeth V’ khorath does not live."
Observing Ethan’s reserved nature, Ash Burn smiled.
"I see your will is strong, but your words are few. Before I seclude myself, I offer you this—top-grade spiritual armor, the Colorful Flowing Fire Armor."
"This armor is attuned for body cultivators who wield flame element."
"I believe your blue flame is innate spiritual fire, fitting this armor perfectly."
"With your strength and this armor’s protection, even a Tribulation Transcendence powerhouse’s all-out assault would falter."
Ethan’s eyes widened.
Top-grade spiritual armor!
Though blessed with many treasures and vast vision, this was a prize so rare, even first peak masters lacked such armor.
"Thank you, Master," Ethan said reverently.
"Take it."
A stream of radiant light burst from Ash Burn’s chamber, forming a shining storage ring which Ethan caught instinctively.
Inside the ring lay the dazzling armor, alongside potent elixirs and piles of spirit stones.
The chamber’s heavy stone door rumbled shut behind Ash Burn, his figure slipping into retreat.
Ethan closed his eyes once more, giving himself fully to the breakthrough course.
....
Seclusion stretches long, yet to the cultivator within, time folds into insignificance.
What seems moments can be decades, and vice versa.
When Ethan finally opened his eyes, the eighteenth floor had changed.
The flame energy was absorbed wholly by his own body and the blue flame.
Not a trace of residual flame energy or demonic energy remained.
A place of ancient peril transformed into a tranquil haven.
Rooting his mind inward, Ethan felt the culmination—a breakthrough.
The power surged within, mysterious and vast, reconstructing every fiber, sinew, and bone.
This transformation was slow but unmistakable.
Half an hour later, he was complete.
His strength was now twenty fold greater.
He stood, fists clenched, and punched the air with such force the world itself seemed to tremble.
A sonic boom rattled the chamber; space trembled faintly.
"The Celestial Jade Physique Scripture is truly saint-grade. The peak of its third stage bolsters physical strength hugely—the twenty fold increase of strength here is terrifying."
Ethan exhaled deeply.
"With my current power, a single punch would kill a cultivator of the Soul Formation Realm. Even the mightiest in the Void Amalgamation Realm would not stand before ten moves unleashed at full strength."
He opened his system panel, reading with measured pride:
Combat Ranking: Middle Stage of Void Amalgamation Realm.
He had grown so much stronger.
A/N:
Extra Chapters
100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters
200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters