Ethan was genuinely shocked.
The speed at which his weakness had vanished was far beyond his expectations. Even now, as he stood outside the Spirit Pool, he could still clearly remember the crushing sense of frailty he had felt earlier—how his limbs had trembled, how even standing upright had felt like an impossible task. That state, which the System had claimed would require "five full years" of recovery, had been completely erased in less than ten minutes.
For a moment, Ethan simply stood there in silence, letting the reality of it sink in.
Soon, however, the shock faded, replaced by calm reflection.
After giving it some serious thought, Ethan realized that the problem was not that the recovery had been too fast—it was that he had underestimated the Spirit Pool.
He had never looked down on it, not even once. From the very beginning, he had known that the Spirit Pool was something extraordinary. It was, after all, capable of nurturing a monster to the Physique Strengthening Stage. Still, knowing something in theory and experiencing its effects personally were two entirely different things.
This Spirit Pool had just helped him recover five years' worth of spiritual weakness in under ten minutes.
That alone was enough to classify it as a priceless treasure.
"It's terrifying," Ethan muttered softly. "This thing is far more valuable than I imagined."
His gaze lingered on the gently rippling surface of the pool, filled with dense Soul Energy that shimmered faintly under the ambient light. Every drop of it was precious. If refined into pills or absorbed under the right conditions, it could save cultivators years—perhaps even decades—of effort.
A greedy thought surfaced almost immediately.
What if I could take it with me?
The idea was tempting. If he could somehow bring the Spirit Pool along, then the problems associated with Spirit splitting would no longer be problems at all. Every time he weakened himself by splitting his Spirit, he could simply recover here. No five-year wait. No stagnation. No risk of wasting precious time.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel.
Ethan shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Too bad I can't take the Spirit Pool with me."
He knew it was impossible. Even if he wanted to, he lacked the strength, the means, and the qualifications to uproot something of this level. Spirit Pools were not simple objects that could be stored in a ring or container. They were natural—or artificially sustained—spiritual phenomena, deeply connected to the land itself.
Trying to forcefully take it would be no different from courting death.
Still, knowing that did little to ease his disappointment.
"I really need this Spirit Pool," Ethan admitted inwardly. "Especially if I plan to gather other cultivation paths in the future."
His ambition had not wavered.
Ethan still intended to cultivate all six types of cultivation energies!
To others, this goal would sound insane—laughable, even. Cultivating one path was already difficult enough. Cultivating two was dangerous. Three was almost unheard of. Six? That was something only madmen or legends would even dare to think about.
But Ethan was neither normal nor constrained by conventional limits.
He had the System.
He had opportunities others could only dream of.
And he had already walked far down this impossible road.
However, ambition alone was not enough.
To cultivate six types of energies, he would need six Spirits.
That meant splitting his Spirit six times in total.
He was mentally prepared for that. Pain, risk, danger—he had already accepted all of it. What he lacked was not courage, but foundation.
His current Spirit Energy was far from sufficient.
At present, both of his Spirits had a Spirit Energy value of 5.0. That was barely enough to sustain two cultivation paths safely, let alone serve as a foundation for further splitting. Moreover, he still lacked a dedicated Spirit for Nature Energy, which meant another split was unavoidable in the future.
Ideally, before attempting another Spirit split, his Spirit Energy should reach 10.0 or higher. Anything less would be reckless, even with the System's assistance.
And raising Spirit Energy required one thing above all else.
Golden Points.
Ethan glanced at his System panel subconsciously.
He didn't have many Golden Points left.
All he could do for now was accumulate them slowly—through missions, cultivation, and opportunities—and steadily strengthen his Spirit until it was ready for further division.
Another problem soon followed that realization.
This time, it weighed heavily on his mind.
The Spirit Pool would not always be available.
Right now, he had been lucky. The Spirit Pool was here, and it had saved him from five years of wasted time. But what about the next time? Or the time after that?
Each Spirit split would weaken him severely.
Without a Spirit Pool, recovery would take years.
Not once.
But multiple times.
Three additional splits meant fifteen years of waiting—minimum.
That was unacceptable.
He didn't have that kind of time.
Cultivation was a race. A slow cultivator was a dead cultivator.
"This really sucks," Ethan sighed inwardly.
He clenched his fists slightly, frustration simmering beneath his calm expression.
Still, he forced himself to slow down and think rationally.
After a long moment, he let out a breath and shook his head.
Forget it.
Even if I want to cultivate all six paths, there's no guarantee I'll even get the opportunity.
Finding cultivation manuals for six different energies—especially Devil, Evil, and Beast energies—in the Mortal World was close to impossible. Just obtaining three paths already placed him far above ordinary cultivators.
"I can't let greed cloud my judgment," Ethan reminded himself. "Three paths are already a massive advantage."
Satisfied with that conclusion, he finally stepped away from the Spirit Pool.
He turned around and took one last look at it.
Dense Soul Energy still surged within, undiminished despite everything he had absorbed. If he could, he would have stayed here for years, cultivating endlessly. But reality would not allow that.
With a regret-filled glance, Ethan turned his back on the Spirit Pool and left.
He had not forgotten his original purpose.
He was here for one reason above all else.
The Soul God's Inheritance!
And, more importantly, the
Once his resolve was firm, Ethan moved forward, leaving the Spirit Pool behind and continuing deeper into the mountain.
.....
Meanwhile…
Back in Phoenix Feather City, a very different atmosphere prevailed.
"Where is he?"
Young Master Sirius stood in the main hall, his voice calm—but dangerously so.
Those kneeling before him felt their hearts sink.
This calmness was not reassurance. It was the calm that preceded cruelty.
"We… we don't know, Young Master," Derek replied, kneeling with his head lowered, his voice trembling with fear.
He dared not meet Sirius's eyes.
Derek swallowed and continued, forcing himself to speak despite the pressure. "We blocked all his sources of daily needs. We monitored him closely. Every move he made was under surveillance. But when he sensed us… he ran. He was too fast. We couldn't follow him."
"That's right," another follower quickly added, desperation clear in his voice. "Please believe us, Young Master. We don't know what technique he used, but his speed was abnormal. He vanished before we could react."
Young Master Sirius listened in silence.
To an outsider, he appeared composed, even indifferent.
But those who truly knew him felt a chill run down their spines.
Sirius was not a calm person by nature.
He was cruel.
He was ruthless.
And he was an evildoer who took pleasure in crushing those who defied him.
Anyone who crossed his path usually died screaming.
Yet Ethan was still alive.
That fact alone infuriated him.
Under normal circumstances, Ethan would have already been reduced to a corpse. Unfortunately, this was not a normal time.
Killing Ethan outright was not an option.
If Ethan died now, Sirius would become a public enemy. Just as Billie had warned earlier, this was a crucial period for his father. The Patriarch of Phoenix Feather City had already announced his intention to retire due to old age.
The position of Patriarch was about to change hands.
The current Patriarch held the authority to choose his successor.
There were three Deputy Patriarchs in contention.
Young Master Sirius' father was one.
Young Master Robin's father was another.
And the third was a powerful figure who had remained neutral for years.
Any scandal, any mistake, any public controversy could tip the balance.
If Ethan were killed—no matter by whom—the blame would inevitably fall on Sirius. The entire city had witnessed their confrontation. Rumours would spread. Accusations would follow. His father's reputation would suffer irreparable damage.
And if that happened…
Sirius knew exactly what his father would do to him.
That was why he had chosen a subtler approach.
Instead of killing Ethan, he had decided to suffocate him.
Using his father's influence, Sirius secretly ordered every restaurant, food stall, and supplier in Phoenix Feather City to refuse service to Ethan. Anyone who disobeyed would immediately become his enemy.
That was why Ethan had been driven away from the restaurant earlier.
That was why he had been forced to leave the city.
It was meant to break him.
Yet now…
Ethan had vanished.
No traces.
No sightings.
Nothing.
The thought made Sirius' blood boil.
He looked at his kneeling subordinates, eyes cold and sharp.
Useless.
Absolutely useless.
For a brief moment, he genuinely considered killing them all to vent his anger. But he restrained himself. This was not the time to create more problems.
Instead, he spoke.
"I don't care what methods you idiots use," Young Master Sirius said coldly. "Find him."
His voice hardened, carrying unmistakable killing intent.
"And if he's found dead…" He paused, letting the implication sink in. "You'd better be prepared to lose your heads."
Fear spread instantly among the kneeling men.
"Yes… yes, Young Master!" Derek replied hastily, his voice shaking. "We'll search immediately!"
Without wasting another second, Derek and the others scrambled to their feet and rushed out, terrified of what would happen if they failed again.
As they left, Young Master Sirius remained standing alone in the hall.
His expression was dark.
"Ethan," he muttered quietly. "You'd better pray I don't find you."
In his heart, Sirius was already plotting his next move.
And far away, unaware of the storm brewing in the city, Ethan continued his journey toward the Soul God's Inheritance.