The soft, morning sunlight spilled through the heavy silk curtains of the executive suite, illuminating the grand king-sized bed. Mary and Louisa stirred simultaneously, the lingering warmth of the mattress welcoming them back to consciousness. However, as they reached out, their hands struck empty, cold sheets.

The spot between them was entirely vacant.

A sudden, violent jolt of residual panic spiked through both of their chests. The horrific memories of the previous day flashed across their minds, and without a second thought, they threw the silk blankets aside. Tumbling out of bed in their simple inner tunics, they ran frantically toward the only door that was closed.

SLAM!

They burst into the lavish washroom, their breathing ragged, only to freeze entirely in place.

Ethan was standing directly in front of the porcelain basin, halfway through relieving himself. His midnight-blue linen trousers were dropped around his upper thighs, leaving his sculpted lower abdomen and the sheer, monstrous length of his heavy morning shaft completely exposed to the open air as a steady stream cut through the quiet.

"Ah! Oh my god!" Louisa shrieked, her face instantaneously exploding into a burning, vivid crimson as she slammed her hands over her eyes, though her fingers parted slightly to catch an involuntary glimpse of his magnificent anatomy.

Mary’s jaw dropped, her breath completely caught in her throat. As a mature widow, she knew exactly what a man looked like, but the sheer, terrifyingly thick proportions of the youth’s fully relaxed state were something that completely defied human logic. Her throat went bone-dry, a fierce, sudden heat rushing straight down to her thighs.

"E-Ethan! We are so incredibly sorry!" Mary stammered hysterically, desperately grabbing Louisa’s shoulder to pull her backward into the hallway. "We didn’t mean to—we just thought—"

Ethan didn’t even flinch. He casually finished his business, shook his massive member with an unbothered, fluid motion, and pulled his trousers back up to his waist before letting out a low, deeply amused chuckle.

"There is absolutely no need to panic, ladies," Ethan called out smoothly, his deep baritone dripping with relaxed amusement. "I am just about finished. If you require the washroom, I will be out in just a single moment."

"No! No, it’s fine!" Mary called back frantically from the living area, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. "We... we were just looking for you!"

A few minutes later, Ethan stepped into the main living room, completely dressed in his sleek, midnight-black Star Iron combat suit. The starlight-silver alloy plates over his shoulders and forearms gleamed beautifully in the morning light.

The heavy wooden connecting door clicked open, and young Roy walked inside, balancing two large silver trays laden with steaming bowls of spiritual broth, fresh buns, and sliced beast meat. He had quietly gone downstairs to utilize their room credit to secure a massive breakfast for the household.

Ethan pulled up a chair and sat down, retrieving a smooth, fine whetstone from his spatial storage. As Roy set the food onto the table, Ethan casually drew his plain iron sword, the metallic SHING echoing sharply through the room as he began to rhythmically run the stone along the edge, his amethyst eyes completely focused on the steel.

"Eat up," Ethan commanded softly, gesturing toward the food without breaking his rhythm. "We have a busy day ahead."

Mary and Louisa sat down hesitantly, still blushing furiously from the washroom incident, though the savory aroma of the breakfast quickly helped ground their nerves.

"Sister Mary," Ethan spoke aloud, the rhythmic scritch-scritch of the whetstone continuing smoothly. "I must offer a small apology. I took the liberty of utilizing your half of yesterday’s bounty to purchase this Star Iron combat suit. I fully intended to discuss the transaction with you last night, but given the... chaotic circumstances surrounding our return, it slipped my mind."

Mary snapped her head up, frantically waving her hands in absolute dismissal. "Ethan, please! You don’t owe me an apology for anything! Every single stone from that monkey troop belongs entirely to you. I were just extra luggage on that trail, i did absolutely nothing to earn that wealth. You saved our lives, you took us out of the gutter... you don’t need to ask permission to spend your own money."

Ethan paused his whetstone, lifting his piercing purple gaze to lock onto her eyes with an absolute, unyielding seriousness. "In my world, business is business, Sister Mary. We established a contract before entering the eastern ridge, and a fifty-fifty split was the agreement. Taking your portion without prior notice is a deficit on my part. Therefore, I need to head back out into the wild peaks today to replenish our liquid cash."

"Then I am coming with you!" Mary declared immediately, her protective instincts overriding her fear. "I know the trails, and my bow can still—"

"I’m going too!" Louisa interrupted sharply, her fingers gripping her mother’s sleeve. Her face was pale, but her eyes carried a desperate, stubborn determination. She didn’t say it aloud, but the thought of being left behind alone in the inn, far away from Ethan’s protective shadow, was a nightmare she absolutely refused to entertain.

"Count me in as well, Brother Ethan," Roy added firmly, placing his training katana onto the table. "My body is completely healed, and I need to lock in the experience."

Ethan looked at the trio, reading the subtle, defensive lines of their postures. He knew that leaving them behind would only cause them immense psychological stress.

"Very well," Ethan murmured, sliding his immaculate iron blade back into its scabbard with a crisp click. "Eat quickly. We move as a pack."

An hour later, the small group stepped out of the Golden Pavilion Inn, bypassing the respectful bows of the attendants as they headed toward the northern valley gates.

Roy walked with a newfound discipline, his hand resting tightly on the hilt of his katana. Mary carried her longbow slung across her back, her fingers resting lightly against her quiver. Louisa, however, walked directly between Ethan and her mother, her small hands clutching a single, short hunting dagger.

Her knuckles were white, and her breathing was slightly shallow as she darted her eyes around the crowded streets. Louisa had never liked fighting; the sight of blood and violence universally terrified her. She wasn’t joining this hunt because she wanted to cultivate or kill beasts—she was only here because her heart completely refused to let go of the magnificent, terrifying youth who had become their ultimate sanctuary.

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

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 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

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 ??