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

Chapter 819: Chapter 819: The Sphere of Calm

The moment Ethan injected his spiritual sense into the blue orb, the world around him dissolved. He found himself standing in the middle of a vast, empty blue ocean, bathed in a quiet expanse.

”What is this?” asked Ethan, observing the blue horizon.

[It is called the Sphere of Calm], Crul explained within his consciousness. [It was formed from the tears of a Spirit Siren. This sphere allows anyone with a wounded soul to recover. It drags their soul inside and slowly nurtures it. It is an extraordinary lifesaver, especially considering that soul-type treasures are the rarest in existence—exceptionally difficult to find, and even harder to craft.]

Ethan felt a sense of comfort wash over him. It felt like lying on the softest bed as his soul grew heavy. Just as he was about to lose awareness, Crul’s sharp scream thundered in his mind.

[Wake up...!]

Ethan’s spiritual sense was expelled from the orb. A sharp pain shot through his soul, making him stagger back a step as he clutched his forehead.

”What was that?” gasped Ethan, breathing heavily.

[Since your soul is completely fine, the sphere tried to pull it in anyway to nourish it], Crul warned, her tone growing serious.

”It’s a great lifesaver, but that was terrifying,” murmured Ethan, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck. ”I felt so sleepy I couldn’t move a muscle.”

[That is how it feels to have no soul in your physical body], Crul said, watching the blue sphere in his palm. [Your body becomes an empty shell, unable to move, trapped in an eternal dream.]

Ethan tightened his grip around the blue crystal and let out a long breath, storing the relic inside his spatial ring. He knew full well that in the higher realms, where attacks targeted at the spiritual sea and soul were common, a treasure capable of healing consciousness was an invaluable trump card.

Ethan descended to the sixth floor. Seeing Isabella deeply immersed in her trance, surrounded by the freezing air and frost glimmers of the Manual of the Primordial Frost Dragon, he decided not to disturb her. Walking silently, he sat cross-legged a few paces away and drew the Black Chaos Sword.

He placed the heavy blade across his thighs, closed his eyes, and allowed his breathing to harmonize with the weapon’s heartbeat. For a true swordsman, the path of cultivation was not merely about accumulating spiritual energy; one had to merge mind and flesh with their blade. Only then could one break through the barriers into the domain of the Sword Soul and reach the realm of Man-Sword Fusion. As his consciousness merged with the steel, a faint aura of sword intent began to flow in harmony around him.

Meanwhile, outside the tower, the atmosphere in the Imperial Palace was vastly different.

The Emperor was in the grand audience hall receiving a group of high-level guests: emissaries from the surrounding empires. These envoys had traveled from distant realms to witness the final stages of the Imperial Tournament and assess the new generation of geniuses. However, due to Ethan’s actions within the domain, the tournament had been forced to conclude several days earlier than scheduled.

The emissaries, clad in ostentatious imperial robes and bearing banners of their nations, made no effort to hide their dissatisfaction. They exchanged stern glances and quiet murmurs, feeling that the abrupt end of the event was a lack of respect toward their presence and a suspicious maneuver by the empire to conceal information about the new champion.

The Emperor remained seated on the throne, maintaining an unshakeable posture as servants served tea onto the jade tables. Before him, the representatives from the three neighboring empires kept their hands hidden inside their wide sleeves, staring at the cups without making a gesture to taste them.

The first to break the tense silence was the Prime Minister of the Radiant Sun Empire, an elder in golden robes with a sharp gaze who adjusted the brooch on his chest.

”Your Imperial Majesty,” began the Prime Minister in a tone dripping with friendliness. ”We have traveled tens of thousands of miles across borders to witness the greatness of your empire’s youth. However, upon arrival we find the colosseum doors closed and the tournament concluded four days earlier than scheduled. Does the Golden Dragon Empire consider the presence of our delegations so irrelevant as to not even notify us of the change?” 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

The Emperor formed a smile, holding the elder’s gaze without blinking.

”The Golden Dragon Empire values the friendship of its neighbors,” replied the Emperor in a deep voice. ”However, the laws of the domain are not bound to the calendar of men. This year’s trial proved to be considerably more rigorous than anticipated. The participants displayed such efficiency in eliminating arcane beasts that the domain ran out of challenges to offer. Continuing the tournament would have been a waste of time for true geniuses.”

An envoy from the Eternal Night Empire, a pale-faced man in black robes with silver embroidery, let out a dry laugh.

”Efficiency?” chimed in the envoy. ”Or should it be called an uncontrolled anomaly? The rumors circulating through the capital suggest it was not competition that concluded the trial, but a single individual who altered the dimensional plane’s laws at will. If a youth is capable of forcing open the exit portal ahead of time, we wonder whether the Empire maintains control over its borders, or if it is covering up a threat that transcends its jurisdiction.”

The envoy’s words hung in the air like an accusation. The imperial guards stationed along the hall’s pillars tightened their grip on their weapons, but the Emperor raised a single finger, maintaining calm.

”The Empire controls every inch of its territory with a firm hand, Ambassador,” said the Emperor, resting his elbows on the throne’s armrests. ”The champion simply displayed a mastery that exceeded the expectations of the council of elders. Rather than worrying about the security of our borders, neighboring realms should welcome the emergence of a new force that will maintain stability in the region.”

”Stability?” finally spoke the Supreme General of the Divine Wind Empire, a woman clad in silver armor with her hand resting on the hilt of her saber. ”An individual with such power does not bring tranquility to the borders; he creates dread. We also heard Your Majesty issued an Imperial Search Order and a Hunting Decree for this youth’s family, threatening to eradicate eighteen generations of anyone who interferes. Does it not seem that engaging the Empire’s supreme authority over a personal matter of a cultivator with no registered bloodline is a excessive concession?”

The Emperor narrowed his eyes, and the spiritual pressure in the room surged, causing the flames of the jade torches to flicker.

”What the Empire grants to its champions is an internal affair of this crown, General,” declared the Emperor in an imperious tone that sliced through the air. ”When a warrior proves invaluable to our empire, his family becomes the empire’s business. If your nations respect the peace treaties signed three centuries ago, I trust your rulers will instruct your borders to cooperate with the edict rather than question it.”

The three emissaries kept their faces rigid. The threat implicit in the Emperor’s words was crystal clear: any interference with Ethan or the search for his family would be treated as a direct declaration of war against the Golden Dragon Empire.