System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 618: The Shadow Board

While Ethan escorted Mary and Louisa through the majestic stone corridors of the outer sect, far below the mountain in the chaotic underbelly of the frontier town, a completely different game was being played.

Inside a dimly lit, smoke-filled tavern tucked away in the darkest alley of the market district, a cloaked man sat alone in a corner booth. He tapped a rhythm onto the wooden table before pulling out a small, high-tier communication talisman.

"Send the message to the Fourth Prince immediately," said the spy, his voice barely a low whisper that hissed through the shadows. "The frontier brat has successfully broken through. We failed to intercept or halt his progress. His raw martial strength is far too high for our current local assets to suppress."

Across the very same room, sitting behind a rotting wooden pillar, another hidden figure was composing a nearly identical message, though written in a completely different, reverent tone. This one was addressed directly to Her Highness, Princess Isabella.

These were the two dominant spy factions operating within the borderlands. Both had successfully infiltrated the region to monitor the volatile political landscape, yet their internal coordination had been an absolute disaster. Although the Admiral had explicitly ordered both factions to present themselves to Ethan and assist him by any means necessary, the two groups had used an absurd, endless mountain of bureaucratic excuses to avoid moving. Instead of helping the "Brightsword heir", they had spent the last several weeks aggressively fighting a shadow war against each other, completely paralyzing their own operations out of mutual spite and distrust.

The Fourth Prince’s faction had been the most aggressive in placing obstacles in Ethan’s path. The sudden, brutal ambush by the Red Moon Mercenaries weeks prior had been no mere coincidence; they had been secretly hired and financed by the Prince’s agents. Even the recent monster outbreak that had besieged the shadow spider cavern had been carefully orchestrated by them. Their objective hadn’t been to assassinate him outright, but rather to severely harass, injure, and incapacitate the young monster so he would be physically unable to clear the pavilion’s admission trials. Every single one of those desperate attempts had failed horribly against Ethan’s overwhelming, brutal power.

On the other side of the board, Princess Isabella’s people had been quietly moving their own pieces. The local high-tier armor and clothing merchants who had conveniently offered Ethan their finest wares, and even the mysterious outer elder who had secretly dropped subtle hints and advice regarding the selection rules, were all deep-cover assets working under her banner. They had used their limited influence to insert specific clauses into the trial parameters, fully believing it would give Ethan a fighting chance. In the end, those very rules had resulted in his absolute, crushing victory.

Now, the shifting tides of the selection had triggered an immediate crisis. Princess Isabella would be fully informed of the success, and the Admiral would receive the detailed reports as well.

The underlying rule of their shadow game was simple and brutal: if Ethan had failed or died during the trials, the high command would have done absolutely nothing for them. But now that he had successfully conquered the top rank, the local operatives who had disobeyed the Admiral’s direct orders were in catastrophic trouble. Their rivals would use this massive blunder to have them thoroughly executed for treason.

Inside the tavern, the leader of the Princess’s local faction stood up, adjusting his heavy leather cloak as a cold sweat broke out across his neck. The time for political games and excuses was officially over. He needed to reach Ethan immediately, present himself before the young tyrant, and finally fulfill his original directives before the Admiral’s executioners arrived to clean house.

The leader of the Fourth Prince’s faction, his eyes narrowing into cold slits, stood up from his booth and stepped directly into Ash’s path.

The two men were strikingly similar in appearance—both were remarkably handsome, sharp-featured warriors clad in the pristine, flowing robes of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion. Through years of meticulous plotting, both had successfully climbed the ranks of the sect to officially ostentate the title of outer elders. They represented the absolute pinnacle of the intelligence network sent by the Soaring Dragon Kingdom to infiltrate the pavilion. While they weren’t grand elders and lacked the authority to enter the sacred council chambers, their official status granted them the absolute right to move freely through the entire sect, allowing them to spy and gather intelligence at their leisure.

"You think you won this round, Ash?" said Driz, his voice dripping with suppressed malice as he crossed his arms.

"This time I won, Driz, and you have thoroughly lost," said Ash, a cold, mocking smirk breaking across his handsome face. "You blindly gambled your future on the Fourth Prince, but this entire board was always moving according to the designs of Her Highness, Princess Isabella. Your tragic fate was carved in stone from the very beginning. The eyes of the Princess cannot be deceived. Observe this."

Ash reached deep into his inner pocket and pulled out a small, sealed parchment, holding it up for Driz to see. Written upon it in elegant, undeniable royal ink was a single, direct command:

’Do absolutely nothing. Let Ethan act on his own. He possesses exactly what it takes to conquer the trial.’

"When you and your faction blocked the Admiral’s original orders to assist the boy, my people never actually disobeyed our directives," said Ash, his eyes flashing with triumphant satisfaction. "We were ordered to do nothing, and we followed that command to the letter. But you? You actively tried to sabotage him. Now, you will have to personally render accounts to the Admiral. Tell me, Driz... are you planning to run?"

"Run?" said Driz, letting out a bitter, hollow laugh as his knuckles turned white beneath his silk sleeves. "Run where? If I attempt to flee, I will be hunted to the absolute death by the kingdom’s executioners, and the pavilion won’t take kindly to a rogue elder either. There is no corner of this world where I can hide."

Driz looked toward the distant, mist-shrouded peaks of the mountain, his expression hardening into one of desperate, grim resolve.

"My only remaining choice is to make myself completely useful to the boy," said Driz, his jaw clenching tight. "I will head to his quarters, offer him everything I control, and pray that the Admiral decides to spare my life rather than executing me on the spot."

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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 ??