Seven days had passed since the Invictus was swallowed by the sea.

Deep within his subconscious, Ethan had made a calculated choice. He had felt the shift in the environment—from the cold, damp misery of the brig to the sterilized, high-energy warmth of the White-Rhino’s medical wing. Sensing no immediate killing intent, he had finally stopped forcing his consciousness to the surface. He allowed his spirit to retreat into the core of the Lightning Seed, letting his body enter a deep state of regenerative stasis. He needed every drop of energy; he knew that whatever lay at the end of this voyage would be far more complex than a simple prison.

On the observation deck of the White-Rhino, the wind whipped against the white and gold banners of the Soaring Dragon Kingdom. Commander Malphas stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the horizon where the faint silhouette of the mainland was beginning to appear.

The sound of rhythmic footsteps announced the arrival of Major Isabella. She looked as impeccable as ever, though there was a slight tension in her brow that hadn’t been there a week ago.

"Has he awakened yet?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of impatience.

"No, Major," Malphas replied, turning to face her. "According to the head surgeon, his mind was pushed to the absolute brink. The report detailed symptoms of extreme, prolonged torture. Every major bone in his body had been shattered at least once, and the duration he spent under that suppression mask... it’s a miracle he still has a functioning psyche. His soul was likely bruised by the needles. The doctors say it could take several more days, or he might never wake at all."

Isabella leaned against the railing, her gaze fixed on the churning wake of the ship. "He will wake. Someone with that kind of vitality doesn’t just fade away. When he does, I want to be notified immediately. I will handle the interrogation myself."

"Of course, Major," Malphas said. He paused, his expression turning grave. "On another note, we are less than twelve hours from reaching the Kingdom’s territorial waters. I have just received a high-priority dispatch from our intelligence network in the neutral zones. The Crimson Sect has just gone absolutely mad."

Isabella turned, her interest piqued. "Define ’mad.’"

"They’ve mobilized three of their remaining *Invictus* ships and hundreds of smaller vessels," Malphas explained. "They aren’t just looking for their missing ship; they are burning every pirate outpost and merchant hub within a thousand miles of where the *Invictus* went dark. They are demanding the return of ’The Core’ and are threatening a full-scale border war if their prisoner isn’t found. They are acting like they lost their own Sect Leader."

Isabella let out a cold, sharp laugh. "The Core? So that’s what they’re calling for. Let them burn the sea; by the time they realize we have him, he’ll be deep within the Dragon’s Sanctum."

"Let’s hope so, Major," Malphas muttered, looking back at the medical bay’s location. "Because if that boy wakes up as angry as the Crimson Sect is right now, we might have invited a disaster onto our own soil."

The situation escalated into a firestorm of blood and political chaos.

At the heart of the Crimson Sect, Sect leader Su bellowed in a rage that shook the very foundations of his palace. His grandson was dead, and now the life-slip crystals of every high-ranking officer on the Invictus had shattered into dust. An entire fleet, a symbol of his personal power, had been wiped off the map.

Driven by a grief-fueled madness, Su had initially turned his fury toward the Black Mountain Family, their long-standing rivals. He launched a brutal, scorched-earth offensive with his personal fleet, but the Black Mountain Family stood their ground. The clash resulted in a bloody stalemate, forcing a temporary and bitter truce.

This ceasefire gave the Sect the breathing room to deploy three more Invictus-class ships to track down the missing vessel. Using a secret, deep-hull tracking device embedded in the original ship’s keel, they didn’t take long to find the coordinates of the sinking.

The forensic reports were damning. Residual energy from the pirate "Iron Hand" was all over the sector.

"Pirates..." Elder Su hissed, his voice trembling with a terrifying calm. "A pack of sea rats dared to touch a Crimson ship?"

The response was a total genocide of the local waters. The three Invictus reinforcements moved like reapers, vaporizing every pirate outpost, merchant hub, and smuggler’s cove they encountered. They were no longer looking for survivors; they were looking for heads.

The primary search fleet continued their path back to the origin point—Ethan’s home island. When they arrived and found the continent a blackened, lifeless husk of ash and craters, they reached a grim conclusion: the Invictus had been ambushed on the return trip. They knew the "Package" had been secured, but they had no idea if it had been stolen by the pirates or lost to the depths.

For four days, the Crimson Sect’s banners dominated the horizon, but the tides of war were shifting against them. Rumors reached the front lines that the Black Mountain Family was negotiating a secret alliance with the Heavenly Sword Pavilion. Fearing a pincer attack that could destroy the Sect, Elder Su was forced to recall the fleet.

Unwilling to let the matter rest, the Crimson Sect issued an astronomical bounty across the higher realms:

A king’s ransom for the return of the Invictus power crystal.

A mountain of spirit stones for the head of the pirate captain.

Information on the "Package" being transported.

They were casting a wide net, hoping to flush out whoever had truly scavenged the wreck. They didn’t yet realize that their prize was currently resting in the most secure medical bay of the Soaring Dragon Kingdom, guarded by a Major who had no intention of letting him go.

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

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 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

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 ??