Chapter 24 A Familiar Experience, Adrian Mercer’s Resonance

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: A Familiar Experience, Adrian Mercer’s Resonance

After making his decision, Julian Mercer summoned the Grand Elder and instructed him to manage the main family while he was away.

The Mercer Family had only recently established its dominance over Wexford City. Although the threat from the Bellamy and Kessler families had been eliminated, the clan still needed time to consolidate its gains. With several matters requiring attention, Julian could not afford to leave the family without proper supervision.

Fortunately, the Grand Elder had recovered his foundation and broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm. With his strength and experience, he was more than capable of keeping the family in order.

Once everything was arranged, Julian prepared to travel to Briarford City with Edmund Mercer.

They had little time to waste. Elara Wycliffe would soon arrive to deal with her engagement to Ethan Mercer, and Julian intended to be present when she did.

As the two walked through the family grounds, the sound of a sword cutting through the air caught Julian’s attention.

He stopped.

The sound came from a nearby training area.

Someone was practicing basic sword techniques.

Julian followed the sound and soon spotted Adrian Mercer. The young man held a longsword and repeated the same movements over and over. His posture was steady, his steps controlled, and each strike flowed naturally into the next.

At first glance, these were ordinary sword techniques. Nothing about them seemed particularly impressive.

Yet Julian’s eyes gradually narrowed.

Adrian’s movements possessed an unusual sense of harmony. Even when performing the simplest strikes, he instinctively maintained the correct rhythm and balance. His sword did not merely follow the movements of his body. It seemed to move as though it belonged there.

This was an extraordinary talent for the Sword Dao.

Many cultivators spent years learning sword techniques without understanding the principles behind them. Adrian, however, was already beginning to grasp those principles through instinct alone.

Julian watched for a while, quietly assessing his progress.

His talent for the Sword Dao is better than I expected.

He considered teaching Adrian a suitable sword technique.

However, the options available to him were limited. Ten Thousand Blades Return was an advanced sword technique that required a cultivator to reach the Purple Mansion Realm and possess the necessary Yuan force. Adrian had not yet reached that level.

Julian could teach him an ordinary Yellow Rank sword technique, but doing so would hardly make full use of Adrian’s talent.

For the moment, allowing him to continue practicing the fundamentals was probably the better choice.

Only after Adrian completed another sequence did Julian speak.

"Your swordsmanship is improving."

Adrian immediately stopped and turned around. When he saw Julian, he straightened and greeted him respectfully.

"Patriarch."

Julian glanced at the longsword in his hand.

"Why aren’t you using the sword I gave you?"

Adrian looked down at the weapon.

"The sword you gave me is precious. I don’t want to damage it during ordinary practice."

He paused before adding, "Besides, it has special meaning to me. I’d rather keep it safe until I truly need it."

Julian shook his head slightly.

"A sword is meant to be used. Keeping it locked away won’t help you understand it."

Adrian considered his words, then nodded.

"You’re right, Patriarch. I’ll retrieve it."

He went to collect the silver-white longsword Julian had given him earlier. The weapon was a Profound Rank Low Grade treasure, far beyond what most cultivators at his level could obtain.

When Adrian returned with it, Julian looked at him with a faint smile.

"Good. A sword’s worth isn’t measured by how carefully you preserve it, but by what you can accomplish with it."

Adrian held the weapon with both hands and nodded solemnly.

Edmund, who had been observing the exchange, suddenly noticed something else.

"Adrian, your cultivation..."

His eyes widened slightly.

"You’re already at the ninth layer of the Meridian Opening Realm?"

Adrian nodded.

"Yes. I’ve made some progress recently."

Edmund looked at the young man with surprise. He remembered hearing about Adrian’s ruined Dantian and expulsion from the Aldercrest Order. At that time, Adrian had seemed to have lost every possibility of cultivating again.

Yet here he stood, his cultivation restored and his strength advancing rapidly.

Edmund could not help feeling that the world was full of unexpected turns.

Julian did not explain the Immortal Flame or Adrian’s other secrets. Those matters were not something he needed to reveal casually.

Instead, he turned the conversation toward their upcoming journey.

"Edmund, we’re heading to Briarford City to resolve Ethan’s engagement. Adrian, do you know anything about Elara Wycliffe?"

Adrian’s expression changed slightly when he heard the name.

"I know her. She was an Inner Disciple of the Aldercrest Order."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"She’s also acquainted with Kieran Locke, the son of the Order’s Sect Master."

Julian noticed the change in Adrian’s expression.

"Have you had dealings with them?"

Adrian’s fingers tightened around the sword hilt.

"Not directly in the way you might expect. But during my time in the Order, I saw them together more than once. Their relationship seemed unusually close."

He lowered his gaze, and an old bitterness surfaced in his eyes.

"When my Dantian was shattered, the Order expelled me without giving me a chance to recover. Many people who once treated me respectfully turned away. I haven’t forgotten what happened there."

Julian understood.

Adrian had once been a promising disciple. Then, in a single stroke, he had lost his cultivation, his position, and nearly everyone who had supported him. His experience had left scars that would not disappear simply because his strength was returning.

And now Ethan, another member of the Mercer bloodline, was facing a similar misfortune.

Julian looked toward Edmund.

"Tell me again what happened to Ethan."

Edmund sighed.

"Ethan was once the most talented young man in our branch family. Before he reached the age of ten, he had already cultivated to the peak of the Bone Tempering Realm. Everyone believed he would become the pride of the Mercer Family."

"But then his cultivation began to decline. Eventually, he became unable to cultivate at all. No matter what we tried, we couldn’t discover the reason."

"Callum left for the Imperial Capital three years ago, hoping to find someone who could help his son. He still hasn’t returned."

Edmund’s voice grew heavier.

"Ethan’s engagement to Elara Wycliffe was arranged when they were young. Now that his cultivation has disappeared, the Wycliffe Family wants to cancel it. Elara is coming to Briarford City with Kieran Locke, and I fear they won’t come merely to discuss the engagement politely."

Julian listened without interrupting.

Ethan’s situation was remarkably similar to Adrian’s. Both had once possessed promising futures, only to have their cultivation destroyed by circumstances they could not explain.

Yet Adrian had encountered the Immortal Flame and regained his path.

Could Ethan also have an opportunity waiting for him?

Julian’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.

With the Strongest Clan System, the circumstances of his clan members mattered far more than they once had. The main Mercer Family and its branches shared the same bloodline. Their strength contributed to the same Total Clan Sum.

If he could reunite the scattered branches and help their members grow, the entire family would benefit.

More importantly, he would no longer have to watch talented members of his own bloodline struggle alone.

"Don’t worry," Julian told Edmund. "I’ll handle the matter when we arrive."

Edmund’s tense expression eased.

"Thank you, Patriarch."

Julian turned toward Adrian.

"You should continue practicing. Don’t let old grievances distract you from your cultivation. If you become strong enough, you’ll have the power to decide how those matters end."

Adrian took a deep breath and bowed.

"I understand."

He looked down at the silver-white sword in his hand. The weapon had been given to him by Julian, a reminder that the Mercer Family had not abandoned him when others did.

He would grow stronger.

He would master the sword.

And one day, he would return to the Aldercrest Order and settle the debts left behind by his expulsion.

Julian gave him one final nod before leaving with Edmund.

Their destination was Briarford City.

There, Julian would face the Wycliffe Family, discover what had happened to Ethan Mercer, and determine whether another member of his clan was waiting for the chance to rise.

For the Mercer Family, this journey might prove to be more than a dispute over an engagement. It might be the beginning of reclaiming another lost branch of their bloodline.