Chapter 31 The Ring Elder Awakens, Ethan Mercer’s Shock!

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: The Ring Elder Awakens, Ethan Mercer’s Shock!

At that moment, the Patriarch’s words echoed through Ethan’s mind once again.

"The Mercer Family has never had a fallen genius. In the future, there may not even be a day when you rise again..."

Ethan had originally thought those words were nothing more than an attempt to comfort him. But after learning about Adrian’s experiences, he finally understood their true meaning.

The Patriarch hadn’t been offering him empty words of consolation. He had placed genuine expectations on him.

Thinking of this, Ethan suddenly felt a surge of warmth spread throughout his body.

His spirit and vitality underwent a remarkable transformation. The lifelessness that had once surrounded him vanished, replaced by an intense fighting spirit. He straightened his back, puffed out his chest, and filled his eyes with determination.

Immediately afterward, he turned toward Adrian, cupped his fists, and expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you, Cousin Adrian! If you hadn’t guided me, I’m afraid I would still be wallowing in despair, wasting my time and squandering these wonderful years of my life..."

Seeing Ethan’s transformation, Adrian nodded with satisfaction. However, he quickly suppressed his smile and deliberately put on a stern expression.

"Things have already come this far. Do you and I really need to be so formal with each other?"

Ethan froze for a moment before understanding what Adrian meant. A look of realization appeared on his face, and he cupped his fists again with a smile.

"You’re right. I was the one being distant. From now on, I’ll call you Brother Adrian!"

"That’s more like it!" Adrian nodded. "Brother Ethan, from now on, I’ll protect you! Anyone who wants to bully you will have to ask whether I, Adrian Mercer, agree!"

"Thank you, Brother Adrian!"

"..."

[Ding~ Detected that the Child of Destiny, Ethan Mercer, has regained his fighting spirit. Clan Fortune +100]

Upon receiving the System notification, Julian Mercer looked at the two young men chatting happily, their mutual understanding and affection evident in every word.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Their experiences had been somewhat similar, so it was only natural that they could understand each other so easily.

And this was precisely the kind of atmosphere Julian wanted to see within his family.

After all, compared to a clan filled with betrayal, infighting, and constant threats of division, he much preferred a united family where its members supported one another and shared a genuine sense of warmth.

...

Over the following several days, the members of the Mercer Family’s main branch in Briarford City packed up their belongings and organized them into a temporary caravan.

Under the watchful eyes of the city’s residents, the caravan departed Briarford City in grand fashion and eventually arrived in Wexford City.

With the reunion of the main family and its branch now complete, Julian gradually became aware of a problem.

The Mercer Family’s current residence was simply too small.

Accommodating the main family and a single branch had already pushed the available space close to its limits. The crowded living arrangements were becoming increasingly inconvenient.

If he brought all the other branches together in the future, the existing residence would certainly be unable to accommodate everyone.

Rather than squeezing more people into the same place, it would be better to find a new clan residence with enough room for the family’s future growth.

But where should he establish it?

Julian fell into thought.

After a few moments, a sudden flash of inspiration crossed his mind.

He remembered a famous mountain range near Wexford City.

Crownfall Mountain!

The mountain range covered an enormous area and contained dozens of peaks. Its main peak, Crownfall Peak, was famous throughout several surrounding cities.

The mountain was tall and steep, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Furthermore, because it was far removed from the bustle of ordinary settlements, the concentration of Spiritual Energy there was far greater than that of Wexford City.

No matter how he looked at it, Crownfall Mountain was an excellent choice for the Mercer Family’s new residence.

Just as Julian was secretly making up his mind, the System’s voice suddenly rang in his mind.

[Ding~ Clan Task triggered: Find a new Clan residence!]

[Task Rewards: Earth Rank Low-Grade Spirit Vein × 3, Earth Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Field × 1 mu, Earth Rank Low-Grade Mountain-Protecting Array × 1 set, Earth Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Spring × 1, Earth Rank Low-Grade Dragon Tooth Rice Seeds × 3 portions]

[Task Time Limit: Within 100 million years]

Seeing that another Clan Task had appeared, Julian immediately broke into a delighted smile.

It was exactly like receiving a pillow just when he needed one. The System really did know how to be considerate!

More importantly, the rewards made his heart race with anticipation.

Any single one of these treasures would cause an enormous commotion if it appeared in the outside world. Countless powerful cultivators and factions would fight desperately to obtain them.

After all, these resources were essential to the development of any powerful faction.

Once the new clan residence had been established and blessed with these treasures, the concentration of Spiritual Energy there might even rival that of the first-rate sects within the dynasty!

One had to understand that those first-rate sects possessed powerful cultivators at the Sun Wheel Realm to guard them.

The Mercer Family, on the other hand, did not even have a single cultivator at the Origin Sea Realm.

The difference between them was enormous.

Julian’s heart grew increasingly excited.

Crownfall Mountain was home to numerous Ferocious Beasts. Some of them had even reached the Origin Sea Realm, and their presence had discouraged nearly every sect from attempting to establish a residence there.

But to Julian, none of that mattered.

With that thought, he immediately took to the sky and sped toward Crownfall Mountain.

...

Before long, Julian arrived at the mountain range’s main peak.

[Ding~ Detected that this location can serve as a new Clan residence. Do you choose Crownfall Mountain to complete the binding?]

Hearing the System’s prompt, Julian didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

He immediately confirmed his choice.

The System’s voice rang out again.

[Ding~ Binding successful. The task of finding a new Clan residence has been completed]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining Earth Rank Low-Grade Spirit Vein × 3, Earth Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Field × 1 mu, Earth Rank Low-Grade Mountain-Protecting Array × 1 set, Earth Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Spring × 1, Architectural Gift Pack × 1 portion]

Julian nodded with satisfaction.

Having read numerous ancient books in the past, he was already familiar with the properties of these treasures.

Spirit Veins were buried underground, where they released Spiritual Energy, transformed the surrounding environment, and increased the concentration of Spiritual Energy in the air.

Spiritual Fields, meanwhile, possessed fertile soil rich in pure Spiritual Energy. They could nourish plants and medicinal herbs, allowing Spirit Medicine of different grades to grow according to the field’s level while significantly shortening their maturation time.

As for the Spiritual Spring, it was formed when enormous quantities of Spiritual Energy transformed ordinary spring water.

Its uses were numerous.

It could irrigate Spiritual Fields, accelerate the growth of Spirit Medicine, and improve both the yield and quality of medicinal herbs.

Even better, drinking the water directly could remove impurities from the body, open up meridians, strengthen the physique, and provide various other benefits.

Adding it to ordinary food could also improve the taste while giving the dishes some of the properties of spiritual cuisine.

For ordinary mortals, however, the Spiritual Spring water was practically a Spring of Life.

Even if someone suffered from a serious illness, a small sip could restore their body to its former condition and eliminate many hidden ailments.

With benefits like these, the water alone could generate an enormous fortune.

One could only imagine the value of the entire Spiritual Spring!

The final reward from the System was a Mountain-Protecting Array, the Spirit-Binding Grand Formation.

Once established, it would suppress the cultivation of any unauthorized powerhouse below the Star Wheel Realm who entered the formation, reducing their effective cultivation by an entire major realm.

Such an effect could prove decisive when defending the clan against powerful intruders.

Unfortunately, the formation required Spirit Veins as its energy source.

Until the Spirit Veins were buried and properly integrated into the mountain, Julian couldn’t set up the Spirit-Binding Grand Formation.

After considering this, Julian’s thoughts shifted.

Immediately afterward, a palm-sized, three-dimensional model appeared before his eyes.

It was a miniature model of Crownfall Mountain.

According to the System’s instructions, he could freely enlarge or shrink the model.

Furthermore, by extending a finger and tapping a particular location on it, he could place the treasures he had just obtained wherever he wished.

Seeing this, Julian’s expression gradually became strange.

The sensation of familiarity was so strong that he almost wondered whether he was playing some kind of architectural simulation game.

He shook his head, pushing the absurd thought aside.

Then he selected a suitable location and buried one of the Earth Rank Low-Grade Spirit Veins.

At that moment, another System notification sounded.

[First Fusion: Transforming the Mortal into the Spiritual, modifying the Spiritual Mountain. Time Required: Seven days]

Julian withdrew his gaze from the miniature mountain.

It seemed there was no need to rush the family’s relocation.

His cultivation had already reached the eighth layer of the Purple Mansion Realm, and breaking through to the Origin Sea Realm was only a matter of days.

He could use the seven days required for the Spirit Vein’s fusion to focus on his breakthrough.

Once he reached the Origin Sea Realm, he could notify the clan members and arrange their relocation to Crownfall Mountain.

That would be the more sensible approach.

Having made his decision, Julian didn’t linger any longer. His figure vanished from the spot as he swiftly returned to Wexford City.

...

Night fell over Wexford City.

Inside the Mercer Family residence, Ethan sat cross-legged on his bed.

He slowly took out the two cultivation techniques bestowed upon him by Julian.

Over the past several days, he had studied them repeatedly. Naturally, he had already discovered that both were powerful Earth Rank Top Grade cultivation techniques.

At first, he had been shocked.

Later, he had struggled to understand why the Patriarch would entrust such precious techniques to someone like him.

Now, he was beginning to understand the expectations Julian had placed upon him.

And precisely because of those expectations, Ethan was even more determined not to disappoint him.

He took a deep breath and began cultivating according to the instructions of the Pure Yang Technique.

Again and again, he circulated the energy through his body, carefully following every step described in the technique.

Yet, regrettably, no miracle occurred.

Nothing changed.

Every trace of Spiritual Energy he absorbed mysteriously vanished as soon as it entered his body.

Without exception.

What on earth was happening?

Ethan’s heart grew heavier with every failed attempt.

He subconsciously clenched his fists and looked out at the bright moon hanging beyond his window.

"Could it be that miracles will never happen to me? Am I destined to remain a useless person for the rest of my life?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

Ethan gritted his teeth and shook his head, forcing the self-doubt from his mind.

He refused to surrender.

He immediately began another round of cultivation.

Time passed slowly.

Before long, Ethan was breathing heavily from exhaustion. Thick beads of sweat covered his body, and his clothes were completely drenched.

Yet despite all his efforts, he had gained nothing.

Still, he refused to stop.

Just as his willpower was approaching its limit and he seemed on the verge of collapsing, an unexpected change finally occurred.

A deep blue light quietly emerged from the darkness.

It was faint enough that it might have gone unnoticed during the day. But in the pitch-black room, its glow was unmistakable.

The sudden anomaly immediately caught Ethan’s attention.

Following the source of the light, he slowly lowered his head and looked at his right hand.

The light was coming from the ring he wore on his finger.

What was this?

The deep blue glow illuminated Ethan’s bewildered face.

Before he could figure out what was happening, the light quickly faded.

Immediately afterward, an aged voice suddenly came from within the ring.

"Kid, it looks like you could use a little help."

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Ethan was so startled that his eyes widened. For a moment, he looked as though he had just seen a ghost.