Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 940: Master of the Nether Sea

Ethan couldn't stop himself. His feet moved on their own, carrying him straight toward the crystal orb. He reached out and lightly touched its surface.

In an instant, a powerful surge of energy burst out like a flood, slamming directly into his body.

His entire frame swelled, overloaded with a force that felt way beyond anything human—untamed, all-encompassing. It was like the world around him blurred at the edges, merging with him.

Within moments, the entire crystal orb dissolved into his body, vanishing without a trace.

Ethan's breathing grew labored. He could feel everything, every subtle shift inside him—his power twisting, expanding.

The energy boiled over, breaking his previous limits in one massive surge. He wasn't just pushing into the next tier—he jumped straight to Tier 33, early stage.

That wasn't even close to where he'd been. He'd still been stuck at the peak of Tier 31—Tier 32 had felt like a distant climb, let alone this.

And Lily… she hadn't left his body. She was still one with him, their connection deeper than ever.

She'd poured all her energy into his, the two power sources intertwining until there was no line between them. Together, they forged a force that brushed up against invincible.

Technically, Lily should've been able to separate from him by now—reform independently with ease, especially with this level of power. But they were bound too tightly now. Neither one could break that link.

The energy from the crystal had fused with them completely. Trying to pull apart now would unleash a deadly shockwave no one could survive.

If someone did want to separate, they'd have to bear the full force of the crystal's engergy alone. And at their current level, that was suicide.

Ethan stood still, focusing inward. Every breath he took felt like it echoed through the whole hellish realm around him. He raised one hand slightly, exhaled, then flicked his fingers.

A jagged crack tore through the sky—clean and precise. From it, a massive portal unfolded, shimmering like a doorway carved into reality itself.

Ethan couldn't help it—his pulse quickened. There it was: proof. He could open a rift to this space whenever he wanted. Come and go freely. Even re-enter the core of the Infernal Plane without resistance.

No hesitation. He stepped through.

A moment later, he was hovering above the vast stretch of The Nether Sea. Below him, a massive force of native warriors was already gathered—armored, floating in formation, brimming with raw killing intent. They'd been preparing to lay siege to Emerald Castle.

But before the assault could begin, the sky itself changed.

A crushing aura swept through the clouds above. The air grew heavy. Every warrior froze.

All eyes turned toward Ethan.

He stood alone in the sky, surrounded by terrifying calm, power surging off him in waves.

"Gone for just a little while," he said, voice rolling across the heavens, sharp as thunder. "And you thought you could go after my people? Seriously—have none of you learned what death feels like?"

He raised a single hand.

From him erupted a blast of wild, unrestrained power, rippling through the sky like a living storm.

With one open-handed sweep, he clamped down on the entire enemy formation. Scores of bodies seized up mid-air, bones crunching, armor groaning under pressure.

Then—

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

A cascade of explosions lit the sky.

One after another, the enemies burst apart, like they'd been caught in an invisible vice and crushed. Blood and flesh splattered across the empty sky, nothing but scraps left tumbling through the clouds.

It was over in seconds.

An army, obliterated. Nothing left but drifting mist and chunks of meat.

Everyone watching froze in horror. Even battle-hardened veterans who'd survived countless brutal fights were shaken to their core.

Not far away, Emerald Castle's own camp had a clear view of the carnage.

Shock swept through the soldiers.

None of them could believe it—none of them had expected Ethan to return with power that terrifying. In such a short amount of time, their lord had become something beyond comprehension.

Ethan knew the truth, though.

The strength he had right now wasn't entirely his. Not really. This overwhelming power came from the fusion—from the orb, from Lily, from the chaos inside him.

It wouldn't last forever.

But while he had it, he wasn't wasting a second.

He lifted higher into the air. His aura poured out in all directions, thick like a tidal wave. The pressure expanded outward, swallowing The Nether Sea entirely.

From horizon to horizon, the world buckled under the weight of Ethan's presence.

"From this moment on," he declared, his voice thundering across the realm, "I am the master of the Nether Sea. Everything here belongs to me!"

"You have two choices—die now, or hand over everything you own."

Like a crack of lightning, his words slammed into every corner of the realm. There was no mistaking it. A new ruler had arrived.

Then he turned, leading the Emerald Castle forces back toward the mountains.

Technically, Emerald Castle already held command of the Nether Sea. But force of numbers wasn't enough—it would take more to consolidate real control.

Fortunately, Ethan now held the region's strongest energy source.

Back in the mountains, Ethan raised one finger. Power surged again, and a massive new rift bloomed open in midair, swirling with chaotic energy.

He pointed past it.

"Behind that gate is a new world," he said. "If you think you can tame what's inside… I'll let you in."

His words were bait—and everyone knew it.

But it worked.

The promise of a new world. Undiscovered energy. A chance to wield true power.

Even knowing that Infernal Essence had a real chance of tearing them to pieces from the inside out…

They didn't care.

They wanted it anyway.

No one backed down from a shot at godhood.

Ethan didn't waste any more words. Power flared from his body again, that overwhelming force surging to the surface as he opened another space portal with a sharp wave of his hand.

But this time wasn't just about exploration.

He was building something permanent now—something massive: a direct, stable resource conduit for Emerald Castle. A link stretching through the Infernal Plane, connecting distant corners of the world.

As portal after portal opened, Ethan steadily joined The Nether Sea to Emerald Castle, weaving the paths together like a web of energy.

Which meant one thing—his forces could now enter The Nether Sea freely.

No restrictions. No barriers.

Soldiers could storm in, draw on the raw power lingering in the very air, and use it to strengthen themselves. Even climb into higher Tiers.

When the experiment succeeded, Ethan's excitement barely stayed off his face.

He honestly hadn't expected it to work this smoothly. But it had.

Which meant the road ahead was clear. He could now funnel an army from Emerald Castle into the Infernal Plane, harvest its endless energy, and march toward true conquest.

Back in the camp, Emerald Castle's forces had already assembled.

A visible shift had taken place. Power buzzed in the air with every breath. Dozens of troops had broken through to Tier 32, their auras thick and dangerous with newfound strength.

Elira stood among them, now sitting squarely at the peak of Tier 32.

The other queens weren't far behind—and some were rising even faster. With clean, potent energy sources fueling them, their strength was compounding with terrifying momentum.

None more so than Queen Seraphine.

Bathed in radiant, holy light, she had already blasted through to Tier 33—making her the strongest individual force in Emerald Castle besides Ethan himself.

With the Infernal gateway now wide open, the entire army practically quivered with anticipation.

There was no hesitation.

Everyone gathered fast, aligning into squads, ready to tear into whatever came next. Some soldiers were drunk on the promise of crushing, violent power in the Infernal expanse… others were captivated by the strange, almost mystical pull of The Nether Sea.

Whatever their reason, they were ready. And Ethan had just given them the key.