System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 678: The Master of the Miracle

The entire mountain peak erupted into an unprecedented atmosphere of pure, unbridled celebration. Disciple factions cheered in the streets, and senior refiners toasted to the birth of their new supreme vanguard.

Down within the ruined courtyard of the facility, Ethan slowly stepped through the debris of the shattered roof, his crimson robes rustling softly in the cool mountain breeze. He let out a low, deeply amused breath, running a hand through his dark hair. The entire sequence had executed with flawless, mathematical precision. His own violent breakthrough into the Golden Core Realm had been completely and beautifully eclipsed by Heidy’s world-shattering ascension. Thanks to the absolute chaos in the sky, not a single tracking array or divine sense from the summit had registered his personal evolution. He remained perfectly hidden in plain sight—operating under the safe, unassumingly dangerous guise of a brilliant, non-combatant medical practitioner while keeping his true, predatory teeth locked firmly behind his Primordial Void mask.

Up in the air, the newly appointed Grand Elder smoothly descended from the clouds, her boots touching the marble terrace with an absolute, feather-light grace.

The Vice Sect Leader and the local Branch Leader immediately glided down behind her, prepared to initiate a formal, high-tier political conversation to fully integrate her into the High Council.

However, before the two supreme masters could even utter a single introductory word, Heidy completely ignored their presence. She didn’t grant them a single glance. Instead, her piercing silver eyes locked exclusively onto the towering, crimson-robed figure of Ethan standing near the doors.

Moving with a slow, deeply and absolute reverence, the terrifying sword master smoothly sank onto both knees right there on the stone floor, lowering her proud head to press her forehead against the marble before the entire astonished public.

"Master Ethan..." whispered Heidy, her melodious voice carrying an intense, unshakable resonance that vibrated across the plaza. "My life, my newly forged sea, and my eternal blade... they belong entirely to you. I swear my absolute, unyielding loyalty to your pavilion for the rest of my days on this earth. Without your divine, miraculous intervention, I would have died a broken relic in the dirt. My path is yours to command."

The Vice Sect Leader’s ancient brow violently furrowed, a deep, incredibly sharp scowl instantly contorting his weathered features as he stared at the kneeling powerhouse. He turned his piercing gaze toward the Branch Leader, his voice dropping into a dangerous, demanding hiss.

"Who exactly is that towering youth, and how in the absolute hell is an newly ascended Sect Protector kneeling before him like a common servant?!" the Vice Sect Leader demanded, his aura fluctuating with deep irritation. "How is it possible that someone of his immense domestic influence has not been properly cataloged in my regional briefings?!"

The local Branch Leader wiped a sudden bead of cold sweat from his forehead, stepping forward with a frantic, respectful bow. "Vice Leader... he is the exact operational target you came to this frontier peak to investigate in the first place. That young man is Ethan Brightsword—the supreme visionary who has systematically transformed this dead sector into the number-one peak on the mountain within six brief months. He is the Immortal Doctor."

"So... he is the rogue physician I came to conquer," muttered the Vice Sect Leader, his ancient eyes instantly narrowing into tight, razor-sharp slits.

Without a single millisecond of hesitation, the Vice Sect Leader unleashed a massive, incredibly dense wave of his divine consciousness, aggressively driving his mental perception straight toward Ethan to thoroughly inspect his meridians, pierce his energetic baseline, and uncover the structural secret behind his medical genius.

But before his divine sense could even come within three meters of Ethan’s frame, a sudden, blinding flash of silver steel cut through the atmosphere.

Clang!

Heidy instantly stood directly in front of Ethan, her silver blade halfway out of its sheath, her eyes flashing with a lethal, unhinged murder-lust as her embryonic Sword Heart violently warped the space around her. She locked her freezing, predatory gaze straight onto the Vice Sect Leader, her knees bending slightly into a flawless, high-velocity combat stance.

There was absolutely zero room for political interpretation. Her body language made the reality crystal clear to every single living soul in the plaza: she didn’t care about his superior rank, she didn’t care about the Central Sect Headquarters laws, and she didn’t care about his ancient lineage. If the Vice Sect Leader took a single, aggressive step closer or attempted to lay a single malicious intent upon her savior, she would unhesitatingly unleash a campaign of absolute, suicidal slaughter to tear his throat out.

The Vice Sect Leader violently recoiled half a step, his breath catching in his throat as a genuine shock rippled through his ancient core. He had never witnessed this level of fanatical devotion from a high-tier cultivator in his entire life. Yet, as he stared at the lethal valkyrie guarding the calm, smiling doctor, Heidy couldn’t have cared absolutely less about his astonishment; her sword was drawn, and her master was her only god.

Ethan stepped forward, his hand coming to rest smoothly upon Heidy’s rigid shoulder. A warm, thoroughly composed smile played upon his lips as his amethyst eyes locked onto the stunned official.

"Calm your blade, Heidy," said Ethan, his deep voice carrying an absolute, tranquil authority that effortlessly cut through the thick tension. "Our esteemed guest merely harbors an intense professional curiosity regarding our medical operations. He has absolutely zero malicious intentions toward our establishment."

The transformation was nothing short of miraculous. The exact millisecond the words left Ethan’s mouth, the terrifying, world-shattering murder-lust that had been warping the spatial vanished as if it had never existed in the first place. Heidy smoothly sheared her silver blade with a soft click, instantly reverting back to that smiling, incredibly submissive woman who stood half a step behind Ethan, her head slightly bowed in absolute compliance.

This display of total psychological dominance only caused the Vice Sect Leader’s internal alarms to scream a thousand times louder.

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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.