Ethan stepped out of the modest cottage into the cool, damp air of the late afternoon. The two massive silk bags containing his newly acquired fortune were no longer hanging from his belt; with a simple, untraceable thought, he had shifted them directly into the secure folds of his personal spatial space.

As he walked down the dirt pathways of the residential district, he noticed the immediate shift in the environment. Heads turned from window frames, and local residents whispering behind broken fences quickly averted their eyes the moment his gaze drifted in their direction. The news of the alleyway massacre had already spread through the district like wildfire.

This was exactly the reaction Ethan had intended to provoke.

He was fully aware that his time in this frontier town was temporary, and he had no idea what fate awaited the warm, hospitable family currently hosting him once he moved up the ranks. He refused to leave Mary, Louisa, and young Roy behind as a defenseless piece of raw meat for the local scum to devour the moment his back was turned. By completely obliterating three entire mercenary syndicates in broad daylight, he had established an invisible, ironclad boundary around the widow’s home. As long as he breathed, every cutthroat in the province would have to think twice before crossing a merciless, blood-drenched monster like him.

Ethan eventually reached the bustling commercial sector and entered a high-end, heavily secured tailor shop. The moment the shopkeeper—a sharp-eyed, elegantly dressed woman in her late thirties—spotted him crossing the threshold, her internal alarm bells instantly rang.

She took a sweeping look at his pristine white-and-gold inner tunic. The flawless cut, the unique geometry of the hidden stitching, and the sheer elegance of his posture screamed noble lineage. ’An aristocratic heir,’ she immediately analyzed, her mind racing. ’The grand recruitment is still a couple of weeks away, but it seems the high-tier families from the inner provinces are already sending their prodigies early to acclimate to the environment. This one is a big fish.’

Plastering a brilliant, highly professional smile across her face, she hurried over to greet him. "Welcome to my humble establishment, young master! How may this lowly shop serve your esteemed self today? We specialize in high-grade combat attire, formal ceremonial robes, and fully customized orders. We currently have a fresh shipment of Mist Spider silk, meticulously cultivated and woven. I can personally guarantee that the quality of our craftsmanship can effortlessly compete with the finest ateliers in the capital cities!"

The words spilled out of her mouth like a rapid-fire internal monologue; she was entirely determined to secure a massive sale from this exceptional young customer at all costs.

Ethan offered a smooth, polite smile, amused by her commercial zeal. "I would like to purchase a high-tier combat suit. Additionally, I need several sets of daily robes mimicking the exact design of the tunic I am currently wearing. Can your shop copy the pattern?"

The tailor stepped closer, respectfully raising her hands to touch the edge of his sleeve. The moment her fingers brushed the fabric, her professional smile faltered into genuine shock. "My word... what incredible density. Young master, I must be entirely honest—I have never encountered a weave quite like this. The structural integrity is infinitely superior to our finest Mist Spider silk. I can certainly replicate the exact cut and style, but the material available in this frontier town will be of a slightly inferior grade. Before you reject us, however, I can assure you that you will not find a single thread of higher quality in this entire region, my lord."

"That is perfectly fine," Ethan replied, entirely unbothered. "As long as you maintain the identical style, the high collar, and the specific gold engravings, the material difference is acceptable."

"Wonderful! Leave it to our needles, young master," the woman beamed, gesturing toward the reinforced curtain leading to the inner sanctuary of the shop. "As for your combat attire, please follow me right this way."

She led him into a private viewing room where several specialized garments hung on dark wooden racks. Unlike heavy iron armor, which agile swordsmen universally avoided due to its cumbersome weight and restrictive movement, these suits were masterfully crafted from dense leather and flexible fabrics, featuring localized alloy plates reinforcing critical vital zones like the forearms, elbows, and shoulders.

The tailor proudly tapped the chest piece of a dark, sleek midnight-blue combat suit. "This particular piece is the jewel of our current collection, young master. We managed to secure the core metal from a high-tier merchant caravan passing through from the capital. It is reinforced with Star Iron. Its tensile strength and spiritual conductivity are vastly superior to common Cold Steel, though the cost is naturally reflective of its rarity. The baseline price for this combat suit is nine hundred and fifty medium-grade spirit stones."

She paused, watching his facial expression closely before throwing in her final hook. "However... seeing as it is an absolute honor to serve a genius of your caliber before the grand selection, I am willing to offer a direct discount of fifty stones. I can package this elite combat suit and all your custom white tunics together for a flat sum of exactly one thousand medium-grade spirit stones."

The price was an absolute barbarity for a frontier town—the equivalent of a small fortune. Yet, given the genuine scarcity of Star Iron in this border region, the valuation wasn’t entirely outside the realm of reason. More importantly, Ethan possessed absolutely zero attachment to his current funds; he could easily harvest another mountain of wealth whenever he pleased.

"Adjust the fit to my exact measurements," Ethan said smoothly, without a single trace of hesitation. "I’ll take it immediately."

He made a casual gesture, reaching his right hand into the fold of his tunic, using the movement to mask the spatial storage activation. When he pulled his hand back out, he placed the two large silk treasury bags directly onto the wooden table. He opened the smaller cord, precisely counted out sixty-six medium stones to slide back into his tunic, and left exactly one thousand shimmering stones stacked neatly before her.

Seeing how effortlessly and instantly the youth parted with an absolute mountain of wealth without even attempting to haggle, the tailor internally cursed herself. A wave of profound regret washed over her; she berated herself for not inflating the original price tag even higher. She had already padded the total by over a hundred medium spirit stones just to secure a massive personal profit, but looking at the youth’s complete, freezing indifference to the transaction, she realized this young master was operating on a level of wealth that surpassed her wildest calculations.

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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 ??