Chapter 34 Adrian Mercer’s Deep Thoughts, The Bizarre Mercer Family!

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Adrian Mercer’s Deep Thoughts, The Bizarre Mercer Family!

Hearing his master’s exclamation, Ethan smiled.

"In recent years, apart from my grandfather, the Patriarch has been the person who has treated me the best."

Old Rowan nodded without committing himself to a response.

The Patriarch had bestowed two precious cultivation techniques upon Ethan without worrying about the consequences of their potential exposure. He had even given him both techniques at once.

Unless Ethan was the biological son of the Mercer Family Patriarch, such generosity was almost unbelievable.

Wait!

A strange expression suddenly appeared on Old Rowan’s face.

"Could you be the Patriarch’s illegitimate son?"

Ethan’s expression froze before he immediately retorted, "How is that possible?! The Patriarch has never even visited the territory where our branch family lives. Besides, he has never married. He’s always been working tirelessly for the rise of our family!"

Old Rowan’s gaze flickered.

If that was truly the case, then the conduct of this Mercer Family Patriarch was genuinely difficult to understand.

Old Rowan sighed.

"Since you already possess the Pure Yang Technique and the Great Sun Body Refining Art, this master won’t embarrass himself by trying to offer you inferior techniques. However, I do have a rather peculiar cultivation technique that I can impart to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cluster of dense, illusory characters appeared before Ethan’s eyes.

"Flame Art"

"This is a cultivation technique I obtained from an ancient ruin many years ago. It’s called the Flame Art!"

Old Rowan paused briefly before continuing.

"Don’t underestimate it simply because it’s only a Yellow Rank Low Grade technique. As long as you continuously refine different kinds of flames, the technique’s rank can keep transforming and improving. Its potential is practically limitless!"

He spoke with considerable confidence.

"I can guarantee that this Flame Art will eventually prove no less extraordinary than the cultivation techniques bestowed upon you by your Patriarch!"

Upon hearing that such a miraculous cultivation technique existed, Ethan’s eyes immediately lit up.

Noticing that his new disciple had finally displayed a satisfied expression, Old Rowan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

If the Mercer Family Patriarch could somehow produce a cultivation technique even more extraordinary than the Flame Art, Old Rowan would have nothing left to say. He would have completely lost face in front of his own disciple!

Fortunately, the Flame Art had finally allowed him to reclaim a little of his dignity as a master.

After firmly memorizing the technique’s cultivation method, Ethan impatiently began circulating the Pure Yang Technique and started cultivating.

Now that Old Rowan had awakened, the old man would no longer need to absorb Ethan’s Spiritual Energy.

In other words, Ethan could finally cultivate normally!

The realization sent waves of emotion surging through his heart.

If someone could choose to be a genius, who would willingly become a useless person and spend the rest of their life trapped in mediocrity?

As the Pure Yang Technique circulated repeatedly, Ethan finally confirmed that the Spiritual Energy he absorbed no longer mysteriously disappeared.

Under the nourishment and tempering of the vast amounts of Spiritual Energy entering his body, his fallen cultivation began recovering rapidly.

...

After a night of cultivation, the sky gradually brightened.

Ethan sat cross-legged on his bed.

Although he hadn’t slept throughout the night, his spirit was exceptionally high.

Feeling the powerful strength flowing through his limbs and bones, he almost couldn’t stop himself from shouting in excitement.

In just one night, his cultivation had not only recovered to its former peak but had also advanced further, allowing him to reach the Meridian Opening Realm, First Layer, a realm he had dreamed of attaining again.

At last, Ethan felt that the world was no longer shrouded in darkness.

Instead, it had become colorful, and his life was filled with hope once more.

When he noticed the first rays of sunlight spilling through the window, Ethan immediately stood up, put on his clothes, pushed open the door, and stepped outside.

He couldn’t wait to share the news of his recovered cultivation with his grandfather, Edmund Mercer, his cousin Adrian, and the Patriarch, Julian Mercer!

After entering the courtyard, he crossed several paths paved with smooth pebbles.

Swish!

A sharp whistle suddenly tore through the air.

Ethan instinctively stopped and turned toward the source of the sound.

Beneath a large tree not far away stood a familiar figure.

It was a black-haired young man with a resolute expression, holding a sword in one hand as he practiced his sword techniques with complete concentration.

Every movement was graceful and fluid, displaying the elegance of a soaring bird and the agility of a swimming dragon. Yet beneath that elegance lay a faint but unmistakable killing intent.

Within just a few breaths, the fierce sword winds surrounding his body had sliced the yellow leaves falling from the branches into countless fragments. The shredded leaves drifted slowly toward the ground.

The young man was none other than the talented member of the Mercer Family, Adrian Mercer.

At that moment, Adrian sensed someone watching him. He withdrew his longsword and raised his head.

Their eyes met.

When Adrian realized that the newcomer was Ethan, surprise appeared on his face.

"Brother Ethan, has your cultivation recovered?"

As a cultivator at the Meridian Opening Realm, Ninth Layer, Adrian could naturally sense the unusual changes in Ethan’s aura.

Ethan quickly calmed his excitement, released a trace of his newly recovered aura, and grinned.

"Brother Adrian! You and the Patriarch were right! As long as someone refuses to give up, miracles can happen. Sometimes, you have to break before you can rise again!"

Feeling the aura of a cultivator at the Meridian Opening Realm, Adrian’s gaze flickered with surprise.

At the same time, he became even more curious about his cousin.

Adrian had obtained an Immortal Flame that repaired his shattered Dantian, allowing him to return to the path of cultivation.

But what opportunity had Ethan encountered?

What had allowed him to recover from his inability to cultivate?

For some reason, Julian’s earlier words suddenly echoed in Adrian’s mind.

Your cousin might become quite interesting to you in the future.

At the time, Adrian had assumed that Julian was referring to the similarities between their experiences.

But now that he thought about it carefully, something seemed unusual.

In the future?

Could it be that the Patriarch had anticipated this very situation long ago? Had he already known that Ethan would recover his cultivation?

Adrian fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, inside the ring on Ethan’s finger, Old Rowan had discovered something unusual about Adrian.

Using his powerful Soul Sense, he immediately detected Adrian’s extraordinary bone structure and cultivation aptitude.

This discovery left him bewildered once again.

With talent like that, Adrian would have been considered a remarkable genius even among the disciples of the great Holy Lands and Imperial Dynasties.

So how could someone with such extraordinary potential have been born into a seemingly insignificant clan?

Old Rowan’s expression grew increasingly solemn.

Determined to resolve his doubts, he carefully expanded his perception, intending to investigate the true depths of Adrian’s abilities.

But as his perception reached deeper, Old Rowan’s expression suddenly changed drastically.

Deep within Adrian’s body, he sensed an unimaginably terrifying aura.

It was so powerful that Old Rowan felt his very soul trembling before it.

He immediately understood that he could not probe any further.

If he continued recklessly, he feared that the terrifying presence would annihilate him completely!

What on earth is wrong with this young man?!

Frightened, Old Rowan hurriedly withdrew his perception, his heart filled with lingering terror.

No matter what, he had once stood at the Great Circle of the Celestial Human Realm.

Yet before that mysterious aura, he had felt as fragile as an ant.

Could something far beyond the Saint Realm be hidden within his disciple’s cousin?

The thought left Old Rowan deeply unsettled.

Fortunately, Adrian’s cultivation was still only at the Meridian Opening Realm.

If he had already reached several higher realms, Old Rowan suspected that he might not even have been able to detect the existence of that terrifying presence at all.