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

Chapter 629: Chapter 629: The Gambler’s Bet

Ethan did not return to his comfortable standalone courtyard when the darkness fully claimed the mountain. Instead, he chose to remain exactly where he was, sitting cross-legged beneath the shadow of the massive ironwood tree at the checkpoint. Three full days bled away in absolute, unbroken silence. He did not move a single muscle, nor did he consume a single drop of water or food, keeping his physical form entirely locked in place while his consciousness continuously and savagely ground through the complex equations of the sword aura alongside Crul.

During these three grueling days, rumors of the ”delusional rookie doctor” naturally spread through the lower peaks. Roy had quickly caught wind of his master’s bizarre public exhibition. Troubled by the mocking gossip, the young student had secretly slipped away from his own martial training multiple times to check on the junction. Each time he arrived, he only saw Ethan sitting like an unyielding stone statue beneath the carved sign. Roy never dared to step forward or interrupt the deep meditation. He simply watched from a respectful distance before quietly retreating, repeating a single mantra in his heart: Master always operates with absolute, flawless foresight. It is completely beneath my station to question his grand designs.

It wasn’t until the early dawn of the fourth day that the heavy, rhythmic flow of passing disciples finally broke.

A petite, extraordinarily pale young woman slowly detached herself from the main transit crowd. Her breathing was shallow and uneven, her delicate features marred by a stark, sickly gray tint that spoke of a deep-seated internal rot. She stopped directly in front of the carved wooden sign, her hesitant eyes darting between the aggressive text and Ethan’s perfectly still, imposing form.

”Are you... truly a physician capable of assisting with cultivation blockages?” said the girl, her voice a fragile, trembling whisper.

Ethan slowly raised his eyelids, his piercing amethyst eyes locking directly onto her frame. He didn’t even require Crul’s diagnostic sensors to analyze her; with a single, sweeping glance, the intricate, tangled network of her damaged spiritual meridians laid themselves completely bare before his vision.

”Naturally,” said Ethan, his deep voice carrying a dense, unshakeable weight. ”It is an incredibly minor issue for my hands. Nothing within the boundaries of this physical world can hope to hide from my sight.”

To any passing cultivator, such a declaration would sound like the absolute pinnacle of delusional, arrogant charlatanism. But for Ethan, it was a literal, absolute truth. His otherworldly eyes possessed a borderline supernatural divinity capable of stripping away the layers of matter and energy alike. He merely kept the true depth of their visual prowess hidden to prevent triggering unnecessary, fatal suspicions across the sect; according to Crul, the violent, telltale glow of his irises would naturally suppress themselves once his raw cultivation pool reached a higher benchmark, but until then, he simply avoided flaring the core power in the presence of massive crowds.

Ethan smoothly stood up from the dirt, his towering stature completely casting the sickly girl into a long shadow. ”Lead the way to your private quarters so the medical procedure can be executed without public distraction.”

The young woman nodded quickly, a mix of anxiety and desperate hope swirling in her eyes as she turned to guide him down a branching side path.

Her name was Maeve, and her residential courtyard was located within the prestigious middle-tier zone of the outer peak, indicating a moderately high standing among the disciples. Her raw combat cultivation was remarkably decent, currently sitting at the absolute pinnacle of the Spiritual Gathering Realm. However, she had been violently and entirely stagnated at this specific bottleneck for four consecutive, agonizing years. The prolonged compression of unrefined spiritual energy within her closed pathways had eventually birthed a devastating, toxic backflow, eating away at her vital organs.

The Grand Medical Pavilion had previously diagnosed her condition, but the greedy alchemists had demanded a staggering, non-negotiable price of three thousand, five hundred sect points to refine the specific cleansing pill she required. That astronomical amount represented every single point Maeve had painstakingly scraped together over years of performing thousands of life-threatening sect missions.

She had been on her way to permanently surrender her life’s savings to the Medical Pavilion when she had spotted Ethan sitting at the crossroads. Looking at his bold, aggressive guarantee of a tenfold financial reimbursement, a reckless, desperate gamble had formed in her mind. If this bizarre rookie actually possessed a shred of talent, her bottleneck would be shattered for a fraction of the cost. And if he turned out to be a useless fraud, she would simply beat the points back out of his flesh, losing absolutely nothing of value. The odds of the wager were far too convenient to ignore; she was entirely willing to risk a minor fee if it meant keeping her hard-earned fortune away from the predatory alchemists.

They walked through a pair of polished wooden gates, finally stepping into her private courtyard.

The layout was remarkably similar to Ethan’s standalone residence, though the architecture was slightly grander and more spacious, a testament to her senior status. Standing right in the center of the manicured yard was a beautiful, weeping willow tree, its silver leaves rustling softly in the mountain breeze. A dense, soothing layer of natural spiritual energy blanketed the entire clearing, creating a deeply quiet, relaxing atmosphere that was completely and flawlessly suited for meditating on the absolute arts of the sword.

Ethan casually scanned the perimeter, his sharp eyes taking in the stone weapon racks and the smooth, undisturbed training mats.

”Sit down on the central mat,” said Ethan, his voice flat and authoritative as he stepped up behind her, his hand already tracing the hidden energy pathways within his fingers. ”And prepare your mind. The moment I begin, you will experience a sensation your fragile body has never felt before.”

Maeve let out a shaky breath and nodded, hurrying over to the center of the tranquil yard, completely unaware that she had just invited a master predator into the deepest sanctum of her home.

-------------------

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 ??

------

Sword mastery levels

Sword Intent.

Sword Aura.