Chapter 681: Chapter 681: The Call of the Invictus
"Excellent!" said the Vice Sect Leader, his loud baritone instantly cutting through the lingering shock of the crowd. "Then it is thoroughly settled. Let us depart immediately."
Even Ethan had not calculated that the old fox would move with such aggressive, unhinged velocity. Beside him, Mary and Louisa instantly exchanged a brief, slightly panicked glance; the sudden reality of uprooting their entire operational base in a matter of seconds was deeply overwhelming. Heidy, however, merely stood half a step behind Ethan, her face expressionless; to her newly ascended mind, it was only natural that the entire world would rapidly bend to accommodate her master’s trajectory.
"With all due respect, Vice Leader," said Ethan, his calm voice dropping into a smooth, measured register. "I aggressively require a brief window of operational time to properly organize my assets, secure my personal ledger, and pack our essentials before we march."
"Ah, that is a perfectly logical structural request," said the Vice Sect Leader, nodding his head in immediate agreement. "In fact, it would be highly beneficial for your future output to bring your entire trained staff and personal household along. Do not rush. I will personally arrange for your logistics right now."
The ancient master smoothly drew a heavy, intricately carved gold jade token from his silk sleeve, channeling a brief spark of his massive divine sense straight into the communication array.
"Transmit an immediate high-tier dispatch to the central docks," commanded the Vice Sect Leader into the jade. "Deploy an Invictus-class spiritual dreadnought to this specific frontier coordinate without a single millisecond of delay."
He smoothly pocketed the token, turning back to Ethan with a reassuring nod. "The transport is officially en route. You may utilize this brief window to begin packing your assets. The administration will grant you all the preparation time you require."
With those final words, the Vice Sect Leader smoothly turned on his heel and glided back toward the upper terraces alongside the local Branch Leader.
The Branch Leader had fully anticipated this exact logistical outcome from the moment the central authority had crossed into his airspace. However, he harbored zero bitterness; over the last six months, the sheer volume of formidable Golden Core warriors and elite sword masters Ethan had created on this peak had left the branch’s domestic security unbreakable. Even with the divine physician departing for the capital, the Branch Leader’s local position and regional safety were permanently secured.
Ethan turned his gaze toward the massive, cracked structure of his medical pavilion, a deeply amused smile playing on his lips.
"Well," said Ethan, his gravelly voice echoing through the ruined courtyard. "It appears our clinical schedule here has officially concluded. Let us begin packing the perimeter. Gather only our core essential tools and rare medical ingredients; our new capital peak will provide more than enough baseline supplies."
Standing near the examination doors, Meave, Mirah, Cardis, and Clare all stared at him in wide-eyed incredulity. Throughout these six months of unbridled success, they had served faithfully as his primary clinical assistants and private attendants—yet, in their hearts, they had fully expected to be left behind replaced by high-tier capital nobles once Ethan ascended the ranks. To be chosen to accompany him to the legendary Central Sect Headquarters was an world-shattering honor that their low-tier backgrounds could never have calculated.
"Master Ethan is exceptionally magnanimous," said Heidy, her silver eyes locking onto the trembling girls with a stern, icy discipline. "Therefore, secure your personal belongings and bid your farewells immediately. This operational journey may very well be a one-way voyage."
"Do not be so unnecessarily dramatic, Heidy," said Ethan, letting out a low, deep chuckle as he waved his hand casually. "Girls, feel free to bring a few of your close female friends along so you do not experience severe loneliness during the transition. Just ensure you do not recruit a ridiculous, unmanageable multitude."
The four assistants didn’t waste a single second. They immediately broke into a frantic, high-velocity sprint out of the pavilion, fully aware that the operational window was tightly closing and finding their trusted companions across the chaotic mountain peaks would be a grueling race against time.
With the courtyard rapidly clearing, Ethan remained standing near the stone railing alongside Heidy, while Mary and Louisa slowly, hesitantly closed the distance between them. The two women looked visually nervous, their fingers tightly interlaced as they tried to calculate a flawless way to bring up the critical topic of Roy’s outer disciple status.
Ethan watched their tense, anxious body language, a dark, thoroughly amused glint flashing within his amethyst eyes. He knew exactly what they wanted, but he deliberately remained silent, thoroughly enjoying the psychological leverage as he refused to give them a single conversational opening.
Heidy sharply evaluated the shifting, heavy atmosphere between the three of them, her sharp instincts instantly calculating the intimate nature of the situation.
"Master," said Heidy, bowing her head with smooth submission. "I must temporarily excuse myself to sweep the lower storage vaults and ensure the primary core arrays are properly uninstalled. I shall return to your side shortly."
Without waiting for a response, her silver figure seamlessly dissolved into a streak of light, leaving Ethan entirely alone with his nervous women under the open sky.
As Heidy’s brilliant silver aura vanished Ethan turned his gaze back to Mary and Louisa, a slow, deeply mesmerizing smile spreading across his handsome face as he watched them practically vibrating with nervous energy.
"Well," said Ethan, his deep baritone dripping with an unbothered, thoroughly amused confidence as he smoothly crossed his massive arms over his chest. "It appears we should begin organizing our own personal quarters as well. Everything is playing out with flawless precision."
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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.
