Suddenly, the glowing stone in the commander’s hand turned a violent, jagged shade of purple. It began to vibrate so intensely that it burned his palm.

"What... what is this?" the commander stammered, shaking the stone. "The readings... they’re off the charts! It says something is right here! Right above us!"

The Young Master’s bored expression vanished in an instant. He looked up, his silk robes snapping in a wind that hadn’t been there a second ago.

High above them, silhouetted against the dying sun, a figure was descending. He didn’t use a ship, and he didn’t use clunky spiritual flight. He drifted down like a god returning to his throne, his amethyst eyes glowing with a light that made the Crimson Sect’s armor look like dull lead.

"You’re right about one thing," Ethan’s voice drifted down, cool and terrifyingly calm. "The Deacon was a coward. But he wasn’t lying about the danger. He just didn’t have the words to describe what was coming for you."

Ethan landed softly on the jagged rocks, the impact sending a silent shockwave that cracked the ground for a hundred meters. He looked at the Young Master, a dark, predatory smile tugging at his lips.

"I am the Master of this ’dusty room,’" Ethan said, his aura beginning to unfurl like a suffocating shroud of violet smoke. "And I don’t recall inviting any trash to my house."

The commander gripped his spiritual stone, his knuckles white as the light within it flickered erratically. "It’s... it’s malfunctioning!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "One second it registers him at the Spiritual Core level, and the next, he shows as a common mortal with zero energy! This is impossible!"

The guards didn’t wait for a clear reading. They unsheathed their jade-hued sabers and raised their spears, circling Ethan with the practiced precision of predators. Whether he was a master or a fluke, they were trained to eliminate any variable.

The young man in silk robes stepped forward, his eyes scanning Ethan with the clinical detachment one might use to inspect a strange insect. "My name is Su Ni," he declared, his voice carrying the weight of a thousand years of entitlement. "I am of the Crimson Sect, hailing from the glorious Northern Peaks. Kneel now, pledge your eternal loyalty to our Sect, and we shall grant you benefits unimaginable to a wretched ant such as yourself."

Su Ni’s authority was absolute. As the grandson of the Great Sect Leader, his word was law across the continent. In the Northern Peaks, a mere accidental glance in his direction could result in the execution of eighteen generations of the offender’s family. He was a "Silk Pants" in the truest sense—a pampered prince who expected the world to bow simply because he existed.

Ethan remained perfectly still, his expression unreadable. "And what benefits would those be, your Excellency?"

Su Ni’s brow twitched. He was surprised the local didn’t instantly collapse in a heap of grateful tears, but he dismissed it as the ignorance of a barbarian who simply didn’t know the vastness of the heavens.

"I will grant you a status within the Sect," Su Ni said, flicking an invisible speck of dust from his sleeve. "I shall make you an instructor—the highest honor a creature of your station could dream of. You would stand above guards like these. I will name you the King of this tiny island-world, and you shall rule as the supreme authority representing my will."

A female guard, a striking redhead with a finely sculpted face and a cold, piercing gaze, stepped forward. Her armor emphasized a lithe, athletic frame, but her voice was sharp with vitriol. "What are you waiting for? Kneel and thank the Young Master! Are you an idiot, or just eager for a grave?"

"Gratitude is a requirement, not an option!" another soldier barked, the tip of his spear glowing with crimson energy.

Ethan looked at the woman. She was undeniably beautiful—porcelain skin, a firm, rounded figure, and features without a single blemish. In any other circumstance, she would be a prize. But to Ethan, her voice was a grating reminder of the "Old World" hierarchy he had already burned to the ground.

Nobody gave orders to the King.

Ethan turned his gaze back to Su Ni, a faint, mocking glint in his violet eyes. "Honorable Su Ni, it’s an intriguing offer. Truly. I could certainly consider it... on one condition."

Su Ni tilted his head. "A condition? An insect bargains?"

"What if you give me this bitch first?" Ethan said, nodding toward the redhead. "I’ll break her in, part her legs until she remembers who her real master is, and then we can sit down and talk about my surrender. What do you think?"

The air went dead silent.

The woman’s face turned a violent shade of scarlet. "You filthy, low-born animal! I will tear your tongue out and feed it to the void-hounds!" she shrieked, her spiritual pressure erupting.

Su Ni’s calm face finally cracked, his eyes narrowing into slits of pure, cold malice. "You think you can negotiate with us, insect? I offered you a toast of friendship, and you chose to spit in the cup. You have rejected the toast only to be forced to drink the forfeit." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He turned his back on Ethan, his voice dropping to a whisper of death. "Kill him. We have no use for a disobedient bug. Leave his head for the crows."

Ethan let out a low, guttural laugh that seemed to vibrate the very foundations of the mountain. As he did, his aura erupted, a pillar of amethyst light shooting toward the bruised heavens, momentarily parting the thick clouds of the invasion.

The dozens of soldiers who had lunged forward with jade sabers and spears suddenly froze in mid-air. Their faces were twisted in mid-shout, their weapons inches from Ethan’s skin, but they were held fast by an invisible, crushing grip.

[Spatial Control]

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

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 Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / [Locked] / [Locked]