Chapter 539: The Last Sunrise Over the Sea of Death
With the air finally clear, Ethan set off on his own. Naturally, he took the blood-red sword that Bongo had kept sealed away for so many years.
Before beginning his next venture, he made a short trip and handed the Ship Key to the Blood King. That single act completed his quest and earned him a passive skill that granted full immunity to Blood Clan corruption. From now on, even in the thick of battle, he wouldn’t need to waste energy resisting their corrosive influence.
Just as the Blood King was preparing to activate the ship and depart, Ethan hesitated, then asked, "Where are you headed?"
The Blood King’s answer was a single word: "Home."
Ethan frowned. "You don’t mean the Blood Realm, do you?"
"I do." His tone turned cold and sharp. "I fled once. This time, I’m going back to reclaim it."
Ethan’s brows knitted. "What if I told you the Blood Realm is under siege right now? Would you still go back?" He thought of his mother, who was leading the assault.
"You mean... the Lord of the Underworld?" the Blood King asked, his expression unreadable.
The question struck Ethan like a hammer. For once, he was the one caught off guard.
"You should worry about your own affairs," the Blood King said flatly, severing the connection through Shatterstar before Ethan could probe further. His parting words were simple: "Farewell."
Ethan lingered on the thought for a while, unsure whether the Blood King would truly stand against his mother. In the end, it hardly mattered. Compared to her, his power was insignificant. She could crush him with a single finger if she wished. Worrying about it was pointless.
With that decided, Ethan turned his focus elsewhere. He ordered Shatterstar to begin mining operations while he immersed his consciousness into the three City Lord Seals. Beastie had told him that once they were fully refined and absorbed into his Mindscape, he would undergo another transformation.
---
Three months later, Ethan finally opened his eyes, having refined all three seals.
Two months earlier, he had completed the Seal of Clearspring. A crescent-shaped island had appeared in the eastern region of his Mindscape, where the seal now hovered above a sapphire-blue stretch of Source Energy lake.
A month later, the Seal of Hurricane had taken root. Another crescent island formed in the west, where the waters shifted to a milky white.
Now, in the north, a transformation was underway. The waters there had already deepened into a pitch-black hue.
Gold, white, black, and blue—the four colors of Source Energy stood distinct and balanced. His Mindscape had once again expanded.
Ethan stood in silence, watching the northern island take shape. The layout was starting to resemble the Sea of Death itself.
As the old stories went, the City of Life and Death once thrived in the south under the protection of the Dragon-Phoenix. The west belonged to the White Tiger, but no city was ever built there; its feral Beast Soul slaughtered any life that dared trespass. The north, domain of the Serpent-Turtle, had once been home to the Forgotten City, before it sank beneath what were now the Extreme North Ice Fields. In the east, Clearspring City had endured unchanged, watched over by the Blue Dragon’s Beast Soul.
Later, for many reasons, the City of Life and Death had absorbed the southern and western territories, becoming the most dominant force across the Sea of Death.
A system prompt flickered through his mind:
[System Notification: The Mindscape has gathered four elemental attributes and is beginning to evolve... Evolved space has been upgraded to a ’Life Space’! You can now bring any living being into this space!]
Ethan’s eyes widened. Any living being? That means I can bring people in here?
Excitement surged through him. Micah had once begged to leave with him, only to falter when Ethan explained the limitations. Back then, there had been no choice; leaving meant saying a final farewell. The flow of time between worlds was so wildly different that by the time Ethan returned, centuries—or even millennia—would have passed. Everyone he cared about would be long gone.
But now, with this change, Micah’s wish could finally be realized.
With the transformation complete, Ethan set his sights on the Extreme North Ice Fields. The Serpent-Turtle was waiting.
Shatterstar had reported two weeks ago that every mineral deposit within a hundred-mile radius had been stripped clean and smelted. Ethan had briefly considered pressing further, but the thought of the haul already in his possession—over two thousand tons of gold—made him hesitate. Such a figure would shake Earth’s economy to its core. Entire nations didn’t boast that much in their reserves. And that wasn’t even counting the diamonds.
’When I get back to Earth, who’ll dare to compare their wealth to mine?’ He could hardly contain his glee. ’I’ll bury them in diamonds. Zachary Steele, Steele Consortium—your time is up. It’s been long enough. I’ll wipe you out in one strike.’
But temptation gnawed at him. In the end, he couldn’t resist. By the time he tore himself away, he had mined an additional five thousand tons of gold.
---
Three days later, Ethan left the Extreme North Ice Fields and turned toward the City of Life and Death.
Far below the ice, however, the Serpent-Turtle discovered what had been taken. A yellow-robed elder stood frozen in a hollow cavern. The walls, once glittering with countless Energy Cores, now looked barren, the few remaining crystals like lonely stars in an empty night.
His body shook. Two tears clung stubbornly to his eyes.
"Ethan... damn you!" he roared, trembling as he charged deeper into the cavern. His muttering echoed off the walls. "It’s over... it’s all over. How could I have let that thief in...?"
Finally, he reached the cavern’s heart and exhaled in relief. Before him sat a massive seashell. Resting inside was a football-sized orb that glowed with a dim yellow light.
"You brat," the Serpent-Turtle grumbled, "at least you had the decency not to take the Mother Core."
---
Thousands of miles away, Ethan was practically drooling over the mountain of Energy Cores piled inside his Life Space.
"So this is what the Noble Eight Lineages are fighting over? Doesn’t seem all that rare to me," he said, circling the hoard like a newly minted tycoon.
Meanwhile, the Serpent-Turtle crouched beside the giant seashell, muttering as he counted on his fingers and toes. "One year’s production... two years... ten years... how much was it again?"
Ethan, of course, was oblivious. Had he managed to pry the Mother Core free, the old turtle would already be tearing across the continent in pursuit.
Back in the City of Life and Death, Dragon Child had returned. She reported that every underground river beneath the Sea of Death had been cleared, before retreating into Ethan’s Life Space. As his bonded beast, she could move freely between realms.
That day, Ethan gathered his companions and announced his departure. He explained everything, making it clear that anyone who joined him would be leaving this world behind forever.
Silence followed. Micah was the happiest of the group, his face brightening with uncontained joy. He had read about Earth many times in Ethan’s journal and had long dreamed of seeing it for himself.
Blackie did not hesitate either. He had something he’d always wanted to say to Ethan but had never found the right moment. Now, the decision to follow him made the conversation unnecessary.
Ormund, once Ethan’s mount, stepped forward too. Their paths had diverged as Ethan’s power outstripped his, but he chose to rejoin him now.
Uncle Jed had already made his decision and confirmed he would go.
The rest remained behind. Their roots, their families, and their lives were here. Ethan didn’t blame them. He understood better than anyone. He was leaving because of the people waiting for him on the other side.
And so the final group was decided: Uncle Jed, Blackie, Micah, and Ormund.
That night, they held a farewell feast. They ate, drank, and celebrated until dawn.
As the first light touched the horizon, Ethan stood outside the main hall, watching the eight suns rise over the Sea of Death. This might be the last time I see this, he thought. Despite all the years he had spent here, he had never paused to watch the sunrise. Not until now.
Behind him, Blackie, Micah, and Ormund stood quietly, sharing the moment. Uncle Jed had already been tucked away into the Life Space the night before, joking that he was too heavy a sleeper to be woken in the morning.
"It’s time," Ethan said at last, taking a steady breath as he prepared to bring the rest inside.
"Wait."
The voice was clear and bell-like.
Ethan turned.
Nora Vance stood there, holding her daughter Dot’s hand. Beside them was another familiar figure, Clara.