System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 742: Chapter 742: The Plunder of the Crimson Sect

Ethan advanced toward the defensive and logistical heart of the Crimson Sect. In his wake, treasure vaults and resource depots lay exposed, but his primary objective at the moment was the air docks.

”Crul, take control of everything that flies,” Ethan ordered in a low voice.

[Understood, Master. Initiating remote link,] Crul’s automated voice responded.

In a matter of seconds, the air docks’ defensive and computer systems were rewritten. Crul hacked into the central terminals and reinforced the command links to prevent any external sabotage attempts. One after another, the ships began to fire up their runic engines. Dozens of Impenetrable-class heavy transport ships and hundreds of Invictus-class attack corvettes aligned their prows, obeying the crul orders taking control of their power cores.

However, in the center of the facility, sheltered in the most protected and reinforced berth of the entire sect, lay a vessel that made all the others pale in comparison.

When Ethan saw it, he stopped dead in his tracks, pleasantly impressed by its dimensions and imposing war design.

”Wow...” Ethan muttered with a satisfied smile. ”This will make a fine carriage to return home.”

[Allow me to activate it,] Crul intervened.

A deafening roar shook the valley as the colossal monster of mystic steel ignited its main runic engines. The ship began to rise slowly, casting a shadow over the central plaza and blotting out the sunlight. It was a gargantuan structure, more than ten times the size of an Impenetrable-class ship.

[According to the sect’s internal records, this vessel is an Annihilator-class battleship,] Crul reported while analyzing the ship’s schematics. [Its standard defensive barriers can withstand attacks from a cultivator in the Half-Step Dao Transformation Realm, meaning that, in real terms, it could not have withstood your direct blows, Master. Its main cannons are also calibrated to inflict damage at the Half-Step Dao Transformation level.]

Crul paused briefly before adding:

[However, it possesses a special overload mechanism. It is capable of executing a massive strike with the full power of a complete Dao Transformation Realm cultivator, though using this feature disables all of the ship’s attack systems due to core overheating.]

Ethan let out a faint, cold laugh as he gazed at the massive shadow the ship cast over the sect’s ruins.

”It seems that was their trump card,” Ethan said. ”They underestimated me far too much... If they had used it from the start, facing them would have been a little more dangerous.”

Ethan ordered all the undead to return to Vel’Kha’Lems. Once the area was clear, he made a light leap, ascending to the upper deck of the Annihilator-class ship. Beside him, the Death Knights materialized, carrying the mutilated and helpless bodies of the Sect Leader and the Grand Elder, throwing them unceremoniously onto the cold metal surface.

”Crul, prepare the cannons for a massive bombardment,” Ethan ordered in an ice-cold voice, staring down at the two dying leaders. ”I want them to watch what remains of their sect burn.”

Neither of the two elders knew who the young man was talking to, but the answer did not take long to arrive. Before their terrified eyes, the hundreds of Invictus-class ships and dozens of Impenetrable-class vessels rose in perfect order, aligning themselves in an imposing semicircle formation over the valley.

In an instant, the sky lit up. A deluge of runic beams and blasts of destructive energy rained down relentlessly upon the ancient stronghold. The main cannons reduced the temples, ancestral halls, and cultivation pavilions to dust. The impact was so colossal that even the surrounding mountains collapsed, erasing any trace of the Crimson Sect from the map. Nothing was left standing—only a wasteland of total destruction covered in flames and smoke.

Ethan gazed at the sea of fire in silence.

”In memory of the fallen of my world...” Ethan whispered softly, raising his eyes toward the horizon. ”See how our enemies have paid their debt. Rest in peace.”

At that exact moment, Ethan felt an internal jolt, as if an invisible chain binding his soul had suddenly shattered, lifting an enormous weight from his shoulders. Surprised, he reached up and touched his shoulder, feeling a strange lightness within his being.

[You have purified a portion of karma, Master,] Crul explained in his mind. [Your world was destroyed as an indirect consequence of you killing the Sect Leader’s grandson, meaning you still carried that karmic weight. Now that you have erased the root cause of that tragedy, that karma has been purified.]

Ethan sighed as he gazed at the trail of fire and ashes left behind.

”Karma is a truly strange thing,” Ethan muttered, shaking his head slightly. ”I didn’t know it worked like this...”

Without wasting any more time, he opened his eyes, fully releasing the energy of his amethyst eyes. Instantly, the world around him seemed to shift in tone as the intricate lines of fate and karma unfolded and took shape before his vision. Through them, he could clearly perceive the few low-rank survivors who were fleeing in terror along the distant paths. However, he had no intention of pursuing them; he didn’t want to accumulate any more negative karma than he already carried unnecessarily.

He shifted his gaze toward the two mutilated old men lying at his feet. Ethan smiled wickedly. He wanted to experiment with soul manipulation and the curses Crul had spoken of, and this pair of bastards were the perfect guinea pigs to test them on.

”Crul, direct the fleet toward the city of Ash,” Ethan ordered as he turned toward the command center. ”Let’s pick up the girls... The time has come to return to the realm.”

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From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

The Melting Tide / The Tidal Horizon / The Sea Mist Ascension

Dao Manifestation Realm

The Incipient Dawn / Laws of the Domain / Reality Shatter

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

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Sword mastery levels

Sword Intent.

Sword Aura.