Villain Seduces to Rise in Status

”But if we wait for it to naturally open, it would take a few more weeks,” Fiora sighed. ”And by then, I’m sure some high-level cultivators would know about it too. It would become far more troublesome.”

Cale nodded, understanding the urgency. He sat down before the door and closed his eyes in concentration.

Using Analyze and Override combined with the mage techniques he’d observed in his previous life, he began threading strands of mana through the door’s mechanism. Each thread was placed with ease, manipulating the internal lock’s configuration.

Click.

The door opened.

”There’s always a key to every lock,” Cale murmured to himself, opening his eyes. ”Either it’s lost, or you just don’t know which one to use. There’s no time to put in a key traditionally; it’s the owner’s choice, after all.”

Fiora stared at him in disbelief.

”Y-you... actually opened it! How did you do it? Even I couldn’t with all the mana theory I’ve learned...”

Cale laughed. ”Heh, it’s just petty tricks. I’ll teach you someday later on.”

He turned toward the open gateway. ”Let’s go in.”

But Fiora stopped him with a gesture.

”No, wait,” she said quietly.

”Hmm, what happened?” he asked, turning back.

”I can guess you have a higher affinity to spirits, so I think it would be better if you go collect the ice spirits. And I can stand guard here so no one enters,” she replied. A small smile curved her lips — so subtle that most observers would have missed it entirely.

Cale studied her face, recognizing the significance of the gesture. Her trust had increased quite a lot.

”Are you sure? I mean, I can get some with a skill of mine, but... sigh, alright. It seems you’re determined,” he conceded, unable to resist her in this moment.

He walked toward the portal entrance, but just as he reached the threshold, he used his Three Steps Technique to blur backward instantly. Before Fiora could even register the movement, he appeared directly behind her, his face close enough to feel her breath.

His lips brushed her cheek softly.

”You!”

Her eyes widened in shock, her hand instinctively reaching toward her face.

”Hehe, see you later~” he called, using the remaining two steps to blur forward into the Spirit Realm before she could respond.

”Bastard!” she snorted, holding her cheek with one palm, unable to suppress the smile she could feel forming despite her indignation.

The Spirit Realm was a world untouched by the laws governing the mortal plane.

Towering ancient trees stretched endlessly toward the heavens, their enormous roots twisting through a forest bathed in ethereal blue light. Streams of crystal-clear water flowed between the roots, shimmering with traces of spiritual energy so pure they seemed to carry consciousness themselves.

Strange flowers bloomed beneath the canopy in colors that didn’t exist in the material world — purples that sang, blues that danced, greens that seemed to breathe with life force.

Countless wisps of light drifted through the air like wandering souls, each one a distinct spirit waiting to be encountered.

It was beautiful in a way that transcended aesthetics.

He began the process of extracting his soul bodies into this realm where spiritual matter was far more accessible than in the material world.

Ten minutes passed,

Then a faint ray of light emerged from his body — a luminescent wisp of his divine consciousness coalescing into semi-solid form. This was the sign he’d been waiting for. His souls could wander this place freely.

”Finally, heheh,” he murmured as an hour passed. Through intense concentration and force of will, he managed to extract two complete soul bodies.

He doubted he could manifest more without possessing an actual soul-splitting technique, and his current methods had limits even for someone of his power.

”Let’s do this quickly,” he instructed his spiritual duplicates. ”A few hours and Li Zhan will find the exact route to his inheritance. You guys go.”

His soul bodies nodded in synchronization and dispersed in opposite directions, moving through the spirit realm like predators released into a garden of prey.

Cale’s main body began his own collection process.

Spirits were similar to souls in many ways, but fundamentally different in nature. Unlike the resentful, chaotic souls harvested from humans, spirits were naturally aligned with their attributes. They were pure expressions of elemental force, uncontaminated by emotional baggage or grudges.

Far superior material for absorption and integration.

However, their individual power was small. Even consuming thousands wouldn’t grant him a full cultivation stage breakthrough.

But the sheer quantity available here — tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands; meant quite the gains over time.

His strategy was to collect ice-based spirits for Fiora, storing them in his Netherworld ring. For himself, he would absorb any other attributes that crossed his path, converting their power into his own reserves.

Fiora stood guard at the entrance, her eyes scanning the forest perimeter for any signs of approaching cultivators.

”Sigh, why does our family not send some powerhouse by suppressing their realm?” she wondered aloud, frustration coloring her voice. The royal family itself hadn’t dispatched any hidden masters despite knowing about this portal’s existence. Many other major factions had done the same.

An inheritance portal only appeared once every century or so. One would think that warranted serious investment in securing it.

Two hours passed.

Fiora’s enhanced senses detected Cale’s approach before she could see him. His cultivation aura was at a Mid-Apex Stage.

Her eyes narrowed with sudden realization.

’Is that his current cultivation? A Mid-Apex Stage cultivator at nineteen!’ she thought. ’And to think everyone other than his father calls him a waste. Is that why Uncle always wants to make him the next heir? Did he know about this potential? But his mother was only one of the main wives, not a concubine but not the first wife. Seems like even Uncle only knows half of his true potential.’

Cale emerged from the portal, his form materializing with the grace of inevitability.

He erected a barrier around their location immediately.

”Sit down here,” he said. ”I will release all the ice spirits. You cultivate while I stand guard, this gate will close in a few minutes anyway.”

A Emperor stage inheritance’s spirit spring was indeed just that — a repository of spirits with minimal inherent threat. Once someone entered and left, it would seal itself automatically, preventing future access until the next cycle.

Fiora settled into meditation as Cale released the ice spirits around her in a pattern. The spirits recognized her ice affinity and moved toward her like moths to flame, their power beginning to integrate into her cultivation base.

When they parted ways afterward, Fiora returned to Rexa, Emma, Elon, and the others while Cale made his way toward Li Zhan’s position in the tomb.

But when he arrived at their last known location, he found only a note.

Written in furious, slashing characters:

[Goddamned motherfucker, I will kill you one day]

Cale laughed at the message,

”Sigh, so what if I saw your naked body? It’s become normal for me now,” he sneered.

When Niva had fallen asleep after put her in the cave, her outfit had been nearly completely torn — damaged by combat and the beast attacks. Her chest and lower body had been almost fully exposed, vulnerable to the cold air of the cavern.

Being the ”gentleman” that he was, Cale had used her storage bag to retrieve a spare outfit and changed her into fresh clothes while she slept.

”Here I am doing free service, and you dare say this...” he muttered with mock indignation. ”Ah! Such blasphemy!”