novelraw Chapter 650: Political Currents and Old Enmities
Chapter 650: Political Currents and Old Enmities
Ethan casually threw a heavy, glowing sack containing exactly one hundred thousand mid-grade spiritual stones onto the silver tray. The massive weight of the pure currency let out a crisp, metallic chime that made the hostess’s eyes widen with absolute delight. Without a single word, Ethan rose from the table, his towering figure naturally drawing the submissive gazes of Mary and Louisa, who scrambled to stand up beside him, their hearts still fluttering from the sheer absurdity of the bill.
The three of them walked down the grand mahogany staircase toward the main exit of the Sovereign Dragon’s Feast. But just as they reached the bustling first-floor lobby, a loud, incredibly arrogant commotion exploded at the entrance doors.
A young man wearing a lavish, sapphire-blue silk robe marched into the pagoda, flanked by a massive entourage of inner disciples clothed in bright alchemical orange. He carried himself with an immense, suffocating air of self-importance. Yet, despite his high status, the ironclad receptionists at the front desk had blocked his path, firmly reminding him that his current public cultivation tier did not meet the baseline prerequisites to ascend to the exclusive upper levels.
"Do you have any absolute idea who the hell I am, you pathetic bastards?!" the blue-robed youth roared, his face violently flushing with an ugly, narcissistic rage as he slammed his palm against the reception counter. "How dare you bar my path?!"
Hearing that grating, whining voice, Ethan paused at the base of the stairs, his sharp brows instantly furrowing into a cold, irritated line. He didn’t even need to look closer to identify the speaker.
It was none other than the idiot grandson of the Grand Discipline Hall Elder.
After his disastrous failure during his attempt at courtship and the beating that Ethan had given him his grandfather had forcefully locked him away, ordering him to undergo strict meditative isolation for the past several days to avoid causing further embarrassment. The pampered young master hated Ethan down to his absolute marrow, but he knew with terrifying clarity that he couldn’t simply rely on his grandfather’s enforcement squads to openly crush the rookie this time.
His grandfather had been brutally clear during their last private meeting: there would be no institutional backup for personal grudges. Dangerous, high-stakes political currents were currently shifting across the entire frontier branch, and the Discipline Elder could not afford to get dragged into a messy, exposed power struggle over a mere outer rookie—especially not when the Grand Branch Leader himself was currently under immense, suffocating pressure from the Main Sect Headquarters.
In truth, while the Branch Leader’s sudden generosity toward Ethan—granting him premium commercial deeds and personal protection—seemed almost saintly, it was driven by an act of absolute, desperate survival.
The Branch Leader was currently trapped in a corner. Under the strict decrees of the central sect, every single frontier commander was legally obligated to discover and send a truly magnificent, qualified prodigy to the Main Sect’s triennial Recruitment Tournament. If a branch failed to deliver a viable prospect too many times in a row, the central council would systematically strip the commander of his territorial authority, effectively replacing him with a rival.
For the Branch Leader, every single evaluation over the past several decades had been an absolute living hell. The internal faction elders—including the alchemists and the Discipline Hall—had been systematically hoarding their own genius disciples, hiding them away or delaying their breakthroughs precisely to sabotage the Leader’s administrative record. After more than twenty consecutive triennial failures, spanning over sixty long, agonizing years without sending a single worthy candidate to the capital, the Branch Leader was on the absolute brink of losing his supreme throne.
And then, Ethan Brightsword had literally fallen from the heavens.
An unexplainable medical prodigy who could single-handedly force a Golden Core breakthrough and possess an unbending, stable Spiritual Core foundation at such a young age was exactly the miracle the Branch Leader desperately needed to secure his political survival. He was completely running out of time before the next tournament evaluation, which was precisely why he had bypassed all standard protocols and spared absolutely no expense to tie Ethan directly to his personal banner.
But as the shouting intensified in the lobby, the idiot grandson suddenly turned his head, his furious gaze cutting through the crowd until it locked dead onto Ethan’s massive frame.
"So, you were hiding in this place, you goddamn bastard!" the grandson roared, his finger snapping up to point directly at Ethan’s face as his features contorted with pure, unbridled malice. "After the brutal beating you gave me, did you honestly think things would just end like this?! I’ll make you pay for what you did, you piece of trash!"
The surrounding patrons instantly went quiet, their eyes darting between the furious young master and the towering rookie. The arrogant grandson had attempted to corner and forcefully court two newly arrived female disciples, and Ethan had intervened with a cold, devastating efficiency, leaving the pampered youth broken in the dirt and thoroughly humiliated.
Ethan didn’t even spare him a single glance. Maintaining his steady, unbothered stride, he completely ignored the frantic shouting and continued walking straight past the entourage. Mary and Louisa clutched the fabric of his white robes even tighter, pulling themselves as close to his massive frame as physically possible, their eyes fixed firmly on the floor to avoid the brewing storm.
Seeing himself treated like absolute air for a second time, the grandson’s vision turned entirely red with rage. His hand violently flew to the hilt of his sword, his qi flaring as he prepared to launch a reckless, lethal ambush right there in the lobby.
Before his blade could even clear the scabbard, the beautiful light-blue-robed hostess who had guided Ethan’s party softly cleared her throat. The sudden, crisp sound cut through the tense atmosphere like a physical barrier.
"Young Master," the hostess said, her smooth voice dropping its previous warmth, replaced instead by a chilling, razor-sharp politeness that carried the full weight of the establishment’s backing. "It would be highly wise of you to avoid instigating any martial conflicts within the parameters of our restaurant. Otherwise, our management will be legally forced to intervene and take administrative matters into our own hands. And given the specific location... I highly doubt your esteemed grandfather would choose to involve himself to save you this time."
The grandson froze, his knuckles turning white against his hilt as the cold reality of her warning sank in. He knew she was right; the Sovereign Dragon’s Feast was an unshakeable neutral zone, and his grandfather had explicitly warned him that any further political blunders would result in his total abandonment.
He could only stand there, trembling with a pathetic, impotent fury, as Ethan calmly walked out into the cool mountain night, completely untouched.
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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
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
Dao Manifestation Realm
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
Spiritual Transcendence
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
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Sword mastery levels
Sword Intent.
Sword Aura.