"He must still have a lot of top-grade spiritual stones on him!" the lean man said with a sly smile, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.

When the dust and fog from their attack finally settled, the two men froze in place, stunned.

There was nothing left where they had attacked. No body, no trace of battle—just a bare hole in the ground, surrounded by ashes that drifted past like a fading memory.

"Eh?" the lean man muttered.

"Is this man too weak? Was he really just blown apart?" the black-faced man sneered.

"I think so," the lean man quickly replied. "Let's look for the storage ring."

The two men crouched, beginning to search the area meticulously.

Suddenly, a playful, taunting voice sounded right behind their ears.

"Hey, you two, what are you guys trying to find?"

The two jumped, terror flashing through their eyes as if stung by invisible thorns digging deep beneath their flesh.

Just as they opened their mouths to speak, they felt sharp cuts open their necks.

Blood spilled hot and sudden, filling their mouths and dripping down with a morbid sound.

They tried to scream, but only gurgling blood emerged—their last futile breaths stolen away.

The two robbers collapsed weakly, dying within three seconds of their earlier smugness.

They never learned their killer's identity.

Their final sight was the handsome, gentle smile on Ethan's face—his visage as terrifying as a demon's in their last moments.

Ethan casually raised his palm, and the Profound Purifying Flame floated forth like a spectral serpent, wrapping around the two corpses.

In moments, their bodies turned to ash, vanishing utterly.

This act was the essence of 'robbery cultivation' — a craft beloved by thieves who plundered homes, slew challengers, and seized treasures without hesitation.

Such ruthlessness was commonplace in the world of cultivation.

The solution was simple: either be strong enough to deter them or stable enough not to tempt fate.

Making no sound, Ethan vanished like a shadow and reappeared near the valley housing Sun Moon Lake.

That day, he had fully unraveled the mysteries of Sun Moon Lake.

Though multiple layers of formation protection existed, the formations only sealed above ground.

They left deep subterranean layers exposed.

Ethan had also mastered a technique forged for evasion: the Five Elements Escape Technique.

This technique let him use elemental attributes to vanish and escape undetected—even if lacking innate elemental energy.

He fused with the earth element, shrinking into a speck no larger than an ant.

"The law of the sky is like the earth—shrink!"

He melded directly into the land and slipped through soil toward the lake's floor.

Though formation barriers tried to block him, their power was feeble.

One swift slash of a sword, and the barriers fell like crumbling tofu.

Grasping a silver long sword in hand, the Immortal Sword Remnant Dream, he sliced through successive blockades with ease.

The sword was a Immortal Grade sword, its blade etched by history, gleaming with faint ethereal light.

After several stages, a damp, earthy atmosphere embraced him.

"Almost there," Ethan thought.

Tearing through the muddy soil, he reached the sun-dimmed depths of Sun Moon Lake.

"Recover!" he commanded.

His body swelled back to full size and strength.

Looking upward, the darkened lake surface seemed an eternal night—the sun's light unable to penetrate.

Ethan took out several chunks of high-quality fluorite from his storage.

Fluorite's light-piercing capability was legendary.

Each crystal could illuminate a one-foot radius, casting radiant glow into the murky depths.

He stepped onto the muddy floor beneath the water and instantly sank to his waist.

Underneath, a hard stone slab lay buried in the earth.

His essence and blood surged outward, dispersing the mud around his feet.

The slab was blue stone, ancient and worn smooth with age.

It bore the deep scars of time—etched patterns tracing back uncountable years, telling stories of life's turmoils and vanished epochs.

Suddenly, the slab glowed with white light.

Vast formation patterns flickered alive on its surface like a roaring beast awakened from slumber.

This was the sealing formation.

Ethan knew a number of formation techniques, but this formation's secrets eluded him.

As Onyx warned, its level soared into the immortal realm—or perhaps beyond.

"Indeed, a top-tier formation. The flow of spiritual energy is seamless within it.

Every part resonates with equal intensity; not a single weak spot."

Ethan studied the formation through his Heaven-piercing Mind Eyes.

"Don't waste any effort. Even your strongest attack, unleashed under the mask's power, cannot scratch this sealing formation."

"This formation is at least top-tier Immortal grade. It might not qualify as Saint grade. And even a Supreme Realm powerhouse would struggle to break this Immortal grade formation, let alone a Saint grade formation."

Onyx's reminder was stern and unyielding.

"So Saint grade surpasses Immortal grade," Ethan said thoughtfully.

"What should we do?" he asked.

Instantly, he called upon Alicia in his mind.

"Alicia, I need your help."

[Sorry, Sir, this is beyond my abilities.]

[Other aids, especially formation breaking, are beyond me.]

[But I can tell you how to break the formation.]

"Oh?" Ethan's interest flared.

"How?"

[When your strength reaches Supreme realm, you can break this formation.]

[Or, learn formation arts and become a peerless formation master—then you can break it.]

Ethan sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead.

He knew both routes well.

But reaching Supreme realm would take years.

And attaining the title of peerless formation master was no easier.

"You can rest now."

[Understood.]

"Is this the end of our Sun Moon Lake adventure?"

Ethan exhaled, now standing before a massive treasure door.

But the key to this treasure was absent.

Violence would not open this door.

The challenge was immobilizing.

"Wait a minute." Onyx suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong?"

Ethan had been pacing, examining the slabs beneath his feet.

"This Breath. Does it seem familiar?"

"It is familiar. We practiced here just days ago. There's something unusual about this aura."

"No," Onyx corrected. "I mean the slab you're standing on."

Ethan bent down, narrowing his Heaven-piercing Mind Eyes to study it deeply.

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Capsule - 1 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 3 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

...

Thanks for the Massage Chair: @orlando_whaanga

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.