Just as Theodore was about to retreat the way he came from, the dark figure's head suddenly twisted in his direction; a pair of blood-red eyes were staring at him under the moonlight.Roar!With a loud roar that shook the ravine, the dark figure immediately pounced toward Theodore, splashing the water in the ravine as it did.What was it, if not the Stormback Bear?Theodore was nervous. While it was true that he had decades worth of memories from his ancestor, it was the first time he'd actually met an exotic beast like this in the flesh. It felt completely different.Humans could still be bargained with and tricked, but beasts would neither listen to reason nor fall for clever tricks.Swoosh!Theodore unsheathed the black sword that hung on his belt, not choosing to retreat now that the bear was already pouncing toward him.The Stormback Bear pounced in front of him and stood up on its hindlegs, practically a giant in comparison to Theodore, who looked like a single stalk of b
Theodore breathed out a long breath and stepped into the valley.Gripping the black sword tightly, he remained vigilant of his surroundings. His exit was blocked by the Stormback Bear, and if he couldn't find the herb to use in pill refinement, he'd either starve to death in the valley or become fodder for the beast waiting for him outside.His ancestor was a Lord, after all, so if he found out that his descendant had died in such a miserable way, he would probably be so angry that he would come back from the dead."If spiritual herbs can grow here, there is definitely spiritual energy!"The old man didn't know that he actually picked a spiritual herb even though its spiritual essence was not particularly rich.As Theodore stepped into the valley, he became increasingly aware of how eerie it was. The valley was dark and damp, with its top shaped like the mouth of a bottle, leaving the sides mostly in the shadow. Only in the central area did the vegetation grow abundantly.The val
Then, he tried to recall the runes he had just seen earlier. According to his ancestor's memories, even the person who created the array would have to go through the correct path in order to enter the place hidden by the array."Those runes are placed in the positions of stars, so a normal approach will only lead to being trapped!" Theodore closed his eyes and pondered, while silently reciting, "Dubhe is heaven, vast and grand, Merak is the earth on which we stand. Phecda is man, Megrez is time, and Alioth sings a song, divine. Mizar is law, firm and true, and Alkaid the star, lighting paths anew…"As he chanted, he opened his eyes and started walking according to the positions of the stars.Unfortunately, he failed the first time, but he memorized his path and continued trying. Each time, he took exactly seven steps, each in a different direction.Finally, on his tenth attempt, the fog in front of him split open to reveal a path, and Theodore stepped forward immediately, finding h
Theodore made his way to the spiritual room which housed many different herbs and plants used for pill refinement. After some thought, he plucked out a few before heading to the other rooms.After seeing that the scripture room and treasure room were empty, he walked out disappointedly and returned to the alchemy room.Watching the fire crackle in the furnace, Theodore sent the herbs that he plucked earlier into the furnace. Using his internal energy, he started to control the flames in the furnace, refining the ingredients within.An hour later, Theodore stopped, returning the strength of the flames to how it once was, before leaving the alchemy room.Then, he returned to the spiritual room, took out a bottle of Energy Cultivating Pills, and swallowed one.The pill melted as soon as it went into his mouth, and a surge of immense medicinal energy flooded his body. Theodore immediately guided the energy through his meridians using his internal energy.After two small circulations,
However, the battle only lasted a short while before the Stormback Bear began to tire. It turned to flee, but Theodore was not about to let it go. Seizing the opportunity, he thrust his sword forward, piercing it through the exotic beast's chest.Roar!With a final anguished cry, the Stormback Bear collapsed to the ground, struggling briefly before it breathed its last.Theodore breathed a long sigh of relief, and as he was about to withdraw his sword from the bear's chest, something strange happened. The blade started to glow red, and the Stormback Bear's body began to wither and shrivel up at a visible pace. Within moments, there was nothing left but skin and bones.It was as if it had been dead for years.Theodore carefully examined the black sword, watching as it returned to its original state, and when he finally drew it out of the beast's corpse, not a drop of blood seeped out.The Stormback Bear's body was completely dry."What's going on?!"Theodore gripped his black sw
Once he found out that his grandfather was in seclusion, Theodore immediately rushed to the seclusion chamber. He hadn't even pushed the door open before he heard a violent coughing fit coming from within.Theodore immediately entered the room, and Callum realized what was going on with a bitter smile. "You and Aaron truly are cut from the same cloth…""Well, dad inherited it from you, didn't he?" Theodore asked.Callum couldn't find a word to retaliate. Theodore walked towards him, and said, "Liliana, I have something to talk about with grandpa. Can you come back later?"The young girl immediately left the seclusion chamber and closed the door.Seeing the blood at the corner of Callum's mouth, Theodore took out a bottle of pills and poured out one for him. "Take this, grandpa.""What's this?"Callum hadn't seen any pills made by immortals before, but as an Innate Grandmaster, he could instinctively feel how special it was."Just take it," Theodore said seriously.Without any
A weak candlelight flickered in the dim dungeon of the Ashcroft Manor in Philodorah's outskirts. "It's finally done!" Theodore Yardley said while gazing at his wife with a complicated expression. "I hope you'll keep your promise.""Yes, it's finally done," the breathtakingly beautiful woman sitting cross-legged before him echoed. She was dressed in a red dress that accentuated her voluptuous figure. Her fair skin was smooth and flawless in every way. She was Vivienne Ashcroft—the princess of the Ashcrofts and the most stunning woman of Philodorah.Theodore looked pitifully frail compared to her. His face was deathly pale, and his body was thin to the point of being gaunt. There was only resentment and helplessness left in his eyes. Vivienne rose to her feet and looked down at him. There wasn't a trace of affection a wife should have for her husband in her eyes. Instead, there was only pity. "I will keep my promise and let you go. I will also ensure the safety of your famil
Theodore found himself engulfed by a vast expanse of silver-white light. Strange images flashed before his eyes continuously. At first, they were moving slowly, but as time passed, they started accelerating."Cultivation… Immortal… Sword technique… Immortal Realm… Lord of Eternity!" The images flickered relentlessly, and when they finally stopped, Theodore felt as if his mind was about to explode. "These are… memories. They're a set of cultivation memories!"A complete memory played out at an astonishing speed before his eyes, detailing the entire life of a single person. That person was none other than the Lord of Eternity from the Immortal Realm!"The Immortal Realm!"In Theodore's understanding, immortals were an existence beyond reach. However, the owner of these memories had surpassed even that. He had entered the Immortal Realm and ascended to the highest level as a Lord."No matter who you are, if you were able to break the seal I left behind, then you must be my descend
Once he found out that his grandfather was in seclusion, Theodore immediately rushed to the seclusion chamber. He hadn't even pushed the door open before he heard a violent coughing fit coming from within.Theodore immediately entered the room, and Callum realized what was going on with a bitter smile. "You and Aaron truly are cut from the same cloth…""Well, dad inherited it from you, didn't he?" Theodore asked.Callum couldn't find a word to retaliate. Theodore walked towards him, and said, "Liliana, I have something to talk about with grandpa. Can you come back later?"The young girl immediately left the seclusion chamber and closed the door.Seeing the blood at the corner of Callum's mouth, Theodore took out a bottle of pills and poured out one for him. "Take this, grandpa.""What's this?"Callum hadn't seen any pills made by immortals before, but as an Innate Grandmaster, he could instinctively feel how special it was."Just take it," Theodore said seriously.Without any
However, the battle only lasted a short while before the Stormback Bear began to tire. It turned to flee, but Theodore was not about to let it go. Seizing the opportunity, he thrust his sword forward, piercing it through the exotic beast's chest.Roar!With a final anguished cry, the Stormback Bear collapsed to the ground, struggling briefly before it breathed its last.Theodore breathed a long sigh of relief, and as he was about to withdraw his sword from the bear's chest, something strange happened. The blade started to glow red, and the Stormback Bear's body began to wither and shrivel up at a visible pace. Within moments, there was nothing left but skin and bones.It was as if it had been dead for years.Theodore carefully examined the black sword, watching as it returned to its original state, and when he finally drew it out of the beast's corpse, not a drop of blood seeped out.The Stormback Bear's body was completely dry."What's going on?!"Theodore gripped his black sw
Theodore made his way to the spiritual room which housed many different herbs and plants used for pill refinement. After some thought, he plucked out a few before heading to the other rooms.After seeing that the scripture room and treasure room were empty, he walked out disappointedly and returned to the alchemy room.Watching the fire crackle in the furnace, Theodore sent the herbs that he plucked earlier into the furnace. Using his internal energy, he started to control the flames in the furnace, refining the ingredients within.An hour later, Theodore stopped, returning the strength of the flames to how it once was, before leaving the alchemy room.Then, he returned to the spiritual room, took out a bottle of Energy Cultivating Pills, and swallowed one.The pill melted as soon as it went into his mouth, and a surge of immense medicinal energy flooded his body. Theodore immediately guided the energy through his meridians using his internal energy.After two small circulations,
Then, he tried to recall the runes he had just seen earlier. According to his ancestor's memories, even the person who created the array would have to go through the correct path in order to enter the place hidden by the array."Those runes are placed in the positions of stars, so a normal approach will only lead to being trapped!" Theodore closed his eyes and pondered, while silently reciting, "Dubhe is heaven, vast and grand, Merak is the earth on which we stand. Phecda is man, Megrez is time, and Alioth sings a song, divine. Mizar is law, firm and true, and Alkaid the star, lighting paths anew…"As he chanted, he opened his eyes and started walking according to the positions of the stars.Unfortunately, he failed the first time, but he memorized his path and continued trying. Each time, he took exactly seven steps, each in a different direction.Finally, on his tenth attempt, the fog in front of him split open to reveal a path, and Theodore stepped forward immediately, finding h
Theodore breathed out a long breath and stepped into the valley.Gripping the black sword tightly, he remained vigilant of his surroundings. His exit was blocked by the Stormback Bear, and if he couldn't find the herb to use in pill refinement, he'd either starve to death in the valley or become fodder for the beast waiting for him outside.His ancestor was a Lord, after all, so if he found out that his descendant had died in such a miserable way, he would probably be so angry that he would come back from the dead."If spiritual herbs can grow here, there is definitely spiritual energy!"The old man didn't know that he actually picked a spiritual herb even though its spiritual essence was not particularly rich.As Theodore stepped into the valley, he became increasingly aware of how eerie it was. The valley was dark and damp, with its top shaped like the mouth of a bottle, leaving the sides mostly in the shadow. Only in the central area did the vegetation grow abundantly.The val
Just as Theodore was about to retreat the way he came from, the dark figure's head suddenly twisted in his direction; a pair of blood-red eyes were staring at him under the moonlight.Roar!With a loud roar that shook the ravine, the dark figure immediately pounced toward Theodore, splashing the water in the ravine as it did.What was it, if not the Stormback Bear?Theodore was nervous. While it was true that he had decades worth of memories from his ancestor, it was the first time he'd actually met an exotic beast like this in the flesh. It felt completely different.Humans could still be bargained with and tricked, but beasts would neither listen to reason nor fall for clever tricks.Swoosh!Theodore unsheathed the black sword that hung on his belt, not choosing to retreat now that the bear was already pouncing toward him.The Stormback Bear pounced in front of him and stood up on its hindlegs, practically a giant in comparison to Theodore, who looked like a single stalk of b
Philodorah was surrounded by mountains, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.The largest of these mountains was the Azure Dragon Peak. According to the legends, this place was once overrun with demonic beasts, feasting on the flesh and blood of humans. Later on, the human race managed to rise up, and various immortal sects worked together to eradicate the demonic beasts on that mountain for good.However, deep in the recesses of Azure Dragon Peak, many exotic beasts with the bloodline of those demonic creatures still roamed, possessing bodies far stronger than ordinary animals.And so, no ordinary person dared venture into its depths.With the map obtained from the herb gatherer, Theodore made his way to Azure Dragon Peak, traversing a small path that led deep into the mountains.Every herb gatherer had their own secret route, which was also their livelihood. If Theodore hadn't offered a thousand pieces of gold to the old man, he would have never divulged it.Followi
After the chief steward finished speaking, he promptly left the Clayton family's grand hall without saying another word. It wasn't until he disappeared that the people inside snapped back to their senses, completely bewildered."What's going on?" Joseph looked at Richard."Ashcroft, that scheming old coot! He planned this all along!" Richard cursed angrily. "He's been secretly cultivating Theodore so that the agreement from thirteen years ago would be overturned! Now, we're bound to fight the Yardleys to the death whereas the Ashcrofts reap all the benefits!"Joseph immediately understood the situation, and he gritted his teeth angrily. "The Ashcrofts are far too greedy… What do we do now?""The only solution for us now is to destroy the Yardleys and show the Ashcrofts where we stand on this matter. We've all seen how strong the Seraphic Swordplay is, so if we can get our hands on it, we might be able to hold up against the Ashcrofts if we work together," Richard said, "Although Vi
Then, they returned home.Suddenly, Liliana remembered something and asked, "Theodore, what about grandpa? You already gave the herb away!""I have my ways," Theodore smiled, "You go and check on grandpa; leave the rest to me."Once Lilian had left, Theodore immediately took the old herb gatherer to the accounts room and handed him a thousand pieces of gold.The old man had never seen so much money in his life. He kept bowing in gratitude. Theodore asked, "I have something to ask.""Yes, of course. If I know the answer, I'll surely tell you," The old man replied."Where did you find that herb?" Theodore asked.In his opinion, that immortal herb was precious, but its value paled in comparison to the place that could produce it in the first place. The herb itself contained spiritual energy, so the place where it grew definitely wasn't ordinary. That's why Theodore was willing to give it away so easily.The old man hesitated."I understand that this is your livelihood, but with