Ethan Cross found himself unable to refuse Seraphina Vale's pleading gaze—her crescent-moon eyes shimmering with hope.
Delighted, Seraphina swiftly arranged for a chauffeur to escort Ethan back. As he departed, she waved enthusiastically, her excitement uncontained.
This scene did not escape Kael Stormcrest's notice. His jealousy burned like wildfire, his lungs near bursting with rage.
CRACK!
The ninety-nine red roses in his grip were hurled to the ground, their petals crushed beneath the polished leather of his designer shoes.
"That bitch! That ice-cold act of hers—and now she's cozying up to some pretty-boy nobody!" Kael's handsome face twisted into something monstrous, veins bulging along his temples. His temper, always volatile, now raged unchecked.
"What the hell are you staring at? Scram!" he roared at the gawking crowd. Before anyone could react, his bodyguards and lurking paparazzi forcibly dispersed them.
"Lei Hu," Kael hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "Dig up everything on that pretty boy. If he's a nobody… break his legs and dump him in a high-risk supernatural zone. Make it look like the work of an aberration."
His gaze lingered on the spot where Ethan's car had vanished. Behind him, Lei Hu—a towering figure in a black suit and sunglasses—nodded silently before signaling his men to pursue.
Ethan reclined in the Ferrari's supple leather seats, marveling at the luxury. Wealth truly operated on another level.
Though now, he supposed, he was wealthy.
"Drop me off at the commercial district," he instructed.
The driver obeyed, parking smoothly by the curb. Ethan stepped out, ignoring the envious stares, and strode toward a prominent herbal pharmacy—Silas's Herbal Shop.
His goal? Rare ingredients for a medicinal bath to enhance his Xingyi Quan (Form-and-Will Fist) training.
"The poor study literature; the rich train in martial arts."
To forge a body capable of surpassing human limits—of slaying lions bare-handed—required not just grueling practice, but resources. Without medicinal aids, relentless training would only lead to crippling injuries and an early grave.
A true grandmaster's lifetime expenditure on herbs could rival a man's weight in gold. Their blood, steeped in elixirs, carried potency surpassing the herbs themselves.
Ethan, having transmigrated into this world, had luckily retained his former body's honed physique and martial mastery. Now, he stood one step from the legendary Grandmaster Realm—a threshold said to unlock the body's hidden potential, granting power to shake ghosts and defy gods.
With a fresh 10 million in his account, it was time to invest in his ascent.
The shop's interior greeted him with shelves crammed with herbs:
Ginseng
Lingzhi mushrooms
Wolfberries
Polyrhachis ants
Cordyceps
Deer antler velvet
Cinnabar
Tiger's… (ahem)
The air was thick with the earthy scent of aged remedies. A promotional banner hung overhead:
"Spend over 400 yuan, get 20 free-range eggs!"
"The eggs are from our own herb-fed chickens—good for qi replenishment!"
Customers were sparse—mostly elderly patrons browsing tonics. The staff, idle, scrolled through their phones, accustomed to the quiet.
Ethan ignored them, his focus snapping to the shop's corner. There, behind a weathered wooden counter, sat an elderly man in plain Tang-style attire, engrossed in an ancient medical text.
The man—Silas Veyne—looked up, eyes sharp despite his age.
"How may I assist you, young man?"
Ethan handed him a pre-written list. "I require these for a medicinal bath. Can your shop fulfill this?"
Silas scanned the list. His pupils dilated slightly.
This is no ordinary order.
The ingredients—exotic, precise—betrayed a practitioner's hand. Silas set down his book and clasped his fists in a traditional salute.
"I am Silas Veyne, fourth-generation owner of this establishment."
"Ethan Cross." Ethan returned the gesture, his stance subtly mirroring Silas's—a Xingyi Quan greeting.
Recognition flashed between them.
They shared the same martial lineage.
But where Silas had mastered only the health-preserving forms, Ethan wielded the deadly combat techniques—refined through other disciplines.
"Wait here, brother. I'll gather your herbs." Silas's voice warmed with rare camaraderie.
As Silas retreated, Ethan's attention snagged on a news broadcast:
"Breaking news: Beihai City…"