ReadNovel Chapter 598: Gifts
Chapter 598: Gifts
"Sister Mary, you will always be an older sister to me, so I hope you do not mind dropping the formalities now that we are truly family," said Ethan. He flashed a shameless, charming grin, leaning back comfortably in his chair.
"Oh, you sweet-talking tyrant," said Mary. She chuckled heartily, her eyes wrinkling with absolute delight at his words. "If the son of the legendary Brightsword clan calls me sister, who am I to refuse? Let us open these boxes then!"
"Look at this set!" said Roy. He practically lunged at the chest, pulling out a magnificent, heavy bundle of armor that sat beneath the delicate silk clothes.
"I thought the fine robes were beautiful, Roy, but you would look a bit strange testing for the Heavenly Sword Pavilion in just a silk gown," said Ethan. "So, I had that custom-made for you."
"By the gods!" said Roy. He lifted the full-body armor, his young eyes wide with pure, unadulterated awe. "This is spirit-spider silk, but it is reinforced with Star Iron panels! The black and gold design looks absolutely incredible!"
"Put it on right now, foolish boy!" said Mary. She clapped her hands together in excitement, leaning forward to inspect the gleaming metal plates. "Let us see if you actually look like a proper cultivator for once!"
"Look at Ethan’s attire, Mother," said Louisa. She stepped closer to her husband, her timid demeanor completely melting away into pride as she touched the fabric of Ethan’s own robe. "They match perfectly."
"We look like a high-performance team ready to conquer the pavilion," said Ethan. He stood up, adjusting his own black and gold gear, his piercing amethyst eyes flashing with dominant confidence.
"This is the finest defensive gear in the entire sector," said Roy. He quickly strapped the Star Iron chestpiece over his torso, moving his arms around in disbelief. "It feels as light as a normal shirt, but I can feel the defensive inscriptions humming! Brother-in-law, this is too much!"
"Nothing is too much for my family," said Ethan.
"There are jewels here too!" said Mary. She pulled out a small velvet pouch from the bottom of the chest, gasping as a cluster of high-grade defensive rings and necklaces spilled into her palms. "Louisa, your husband is trying to buy out the entire neighborhood at this rate!"
"I tried to stop him, Mother, I really did!" said Louisa. She laughed, her face glowing with happiness as she watched her family celebrate.
"Do not listen to her, Sister Mary," said Ethan. "She was smiling the entire time we bought them."
"I am going to pass that exam with flying colors!" said Roy. He drew his steel sword, posing in his new black and gold armor with a roaring laugh. "The other examinees won’t even know what hit them!"
"You better pass, or I will have Ethan take the armor back," said Mary. She wiped a tear of joy from her eye, the small room filled with booming laughter and festive warmth.
Everyone would think you are a beggar if you fail while wearing that masterpiece, Roy!" said Mary. She laughed loudly along with Ethan, her voice echoing through the small room as Roy playfully pouted in his brand-new armor.
"So, Ethan, my brother, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" said Mary. She settled back into her chair, looking at him with warm curiosity.
"We received a notification that my spatial ring is finally ready," said Ethan. He smiled mischievously, his piercing amethyst eyes locking onto his bride. "That is the only reason we stepped out of the suite today. Otherwise, I would have kept my dear Louisa as my gorgeous prisoner for the entire week."
"Ethan!" said Louisa. Her face instantly flushed a brilliant crimson, but she did not look away. "You can keep me prisoner for the rest of my life."
"Get a room, you two!" said Roy. He covered his eyes dramatically, shouting with a wide grin while leaning against the wall.
"They already had one for four days, you dense boy!" said Mary. She burst into a hearty, uninhibited laugh, thoroughly enjoying the spicy, festive atmosphere of her daughter’s successful honeymoon.
"Besides checking on the ring, I also need to go and clear my debts," said Ethan. He waved his hand casually, as if speaking about the weather.
"Debts?" said Mary. Her laughter cut off instantly, her face blank with confusion. "What do you mean by debts?"
"I bought everything today on credit," said Ethan. He shrugged his shoulders, a shameless grin playing on his lips as he noticed their bewildered expressions. "The merchants in the commercial district know exactly how much wealth people owe me, and nobody doubts my financial power. They were more than happy to open a line of credit for me. It is only about forty thousand medium-grade spirit stones."
"Forty thousand?!" said Mary. She choked on her breath, her eyes bulging out of her head as terror gripped her chest. "Four million low-grade spirit stones?!"
"Mother, please breathe," said Louisa. She quickly rushed to her side, patting her back.
"Four million..." said Mary. She looked at Ethan as if he were a completely different species. To her, a single medium-grade stone was a fortune; her family had been practically enslaved and pushed to the brink over a tiny fraction of that amount. Yet, to Ethan, it was just a number. He looked at four million low-grade stones as if they were just common pebbles on the side of the road.
"Do not worry so much, Sister Mary," said Ethan. "To me, they are just stones. I will collect what I am owed later today, and those merchants will be paid in full before sunset."
-------------------
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 ??