Chapter 3

The breathtaking woman said nothing. She lifted a pale, slender hand and gave a light wave.

The two ancient bronze doors of the Primordial Hall of Sealed Gods slowly opened. The door on the left blazed with brilliant light, bright as day. The door on the right lay swallowed in endless darkness, deep as night.

The All-Devouring Vein flew out from within. Aeron stared at it and felt a trace of tension rise in his chest.

The woman stepped forward, drew the divine vein into her body, and walked toward him. Her flawless figure swayed with each step.

Aeron gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

She bent over him. Her face was exquisite beyond fault. Her body was stunning. A faint allure lingered between her brows, carrying a soul-deep temptation.

Aeron's heart stirred despite himself. If not for the way she always seemed ready to drain him dry, he would have welcomed the occasional intimate training session.

…

The two rounds of "intimate training" ended quickly.

"Now the All-Devouring Vein will begin merging with you. It will hurt a little. Endure it," the woman said.

'A little?' Aeron felt as if his body were being torn apart from within. Pain stabbed straight through his heart. His energy channels shattered one after another, then the All-Devouring Vein fused into him and slowly replaced the original pathways in his body.

The process moved with agonizing slowness, which made the suffering even worse.

About half an hour later, the pain finally faded. Only then did Aeron's rigid body relax. His clothes were soaked through, as if he had just been dragged out of water.

The woman looked at him, her expression weak, and said, "The All-Devouring Vein has been forged. My losses are too great. I must go into slumber.

"While I sleep, the Primordial Hall of Sealed Gods will release a spirit body to assist your growth. When you become strong enough, I will awaken again..."

Her figure gradually disappeared.

A strange sense of loss rose in Aeron's chest.

Then another figure appeared. This one was also a woman, beautiful in her own way, with striking silver hair. Her body did not appear solid. It looked blurred and hazy, like mist forced into human shape.

The silver-haired woman spoke flatly. "My lady has entered slumber. By her command, I will assist your growth. You have already fused with the All-Devouring Vein. You can now use the trace of power that remains within it to temper your body."

Aeron followed her instructions. He activated the remnant power within the divine vein and began tempering himself.

His flesh and bones changed. What had once been loose and ordinary grew tighter, denser, and stronger. His internal organs also began to toughen.

Cracking sounds echoed from within his body. His shoulders broadened. The lines of his physique sharpened into a balanced definition. Even his proportions moved toward perfect harmony.

When the tempering ended, Aeron tried to circulate the spirit energy within him.

The result stunned him. His spirit energy completed more than 10,000 cycles in a single instant.

When Helena awakened her bloodline power, her spirit energy circulation had only risen from 100 cycles to around 600 in an instant. That change alone, combined with her increased power progression, had pushed her to 38th place on Rovern City's Terra Rankings.

And he was cycling 10,000 times in an instant. Would that not be enough to take first place on Rovern City's Terra Rankings?

"You can now devour spirit herbs to raise your power progression," the silver-haired woman said. "The higher your realm, the stronger the devouring effect of the All-Devouring Vein will become."

Aeron quickly took out a Grade 7 spirit herb. It was part of the compensation they had taken from Garrick. Herbs of this grade were not something he usually had access to.

As he circulated his spirit energy, the herb's spiritual power was absorbed at once.

Aeron was stunned. It was a perfect absorption.

Every realmstrider knew that spirit herbs had limits. Under normal circumstances, a person could absorb at most 30% of an herb's medicinal power. The other 70% would dissipate. Talented realmstriders could raise that rate, but not by much. Reaching 50% or 60% was already considered very good.

The only way to improve an herb's absorption was to refine it into a pill. Ordinary pills preserved around 50% of the medicinal power, high-grade pills could reach 60%, top-grade pills could go as high as 70%, and only the absolute best might approach 80%.

However, this method achieved full absorption, a complete 100%, which was equivalent to swallowing more than 10 supreme-grade pills at once.

Once Aeron fully refined the herb’s power, he advanced from Level 7 of the Spirit Refining Realm to the peak of Level 8. That was not all. He discovered that no impurities remained in his body. The All-Devouring Vein did more than absorb everything; it did so without leaving any residue.

Aeron's pulse quickened. "Then I can keep absorbing without worrying about impurities…"

He immediately took out the remaining spirit herbs. Most were Grade 7, with two at Grade 8. He consumed and refined them one after another.

His progress surged from Level 8 of the Spirit Refining Realm. By the time he used the final herb, he had advanced to Level 5 of the Spirit Condensation Realm.

He had risen eight levels in a single day, something he had never dared imagine. In truth, it had not even taken a full day. It had all happened within half an hour.

Half an hour ago, his level had ranked near the bottom among the younger generation of the Black Zenith Order. Now he stood within the order's top ten.

"The All-Devouring Vein is too strong…" Aeron said, unable to conceal his excitement.

"The All-Devouring Vein can devour the power of all things and make it its own," the silver-haired woman replied with a cold snort. "You merely swallowed a few spirit herbs, and you are already this excited. In time, it will even devour the Primal Cosmic Laws."

Aeron's heart slammed against his ribs. He had thought perfect herb absorption was already monstrous, yet the All-Devouring Vein proved even more heaven-defying.

It could devour the Primal Cosmic Laws themselves. What kind of terrifying sight would that be?

He could not help but ask, "When will I be able to reach that level?"

"When your realm is high enough," she replied flatly. "At present, it is still too low. You cannot even bring out one ten-thousandth of the divine vein's power."

"Is there any limit to how many spirit herbs I can devour?" Aeron pressed.

"There is no limit. As your realm rises, the required grade will rise as well. In time, ordinary herbs will no longer suffice. You will need Treasure medicines, Saint medicines, or even Divine medicines," she explained.

Aeron's chest burned with excitement. The grade issue could wait. As long as absorption had no limit, that alone was enough.

"I have already used up all the spirit herbs I had. It would not be right to take more from the order. Over the years, it has already spent a great deal of resources to raise my realm. I cannot keep asking for more. And most of the herbs I obtained over the past two years ended up in Helena's hands…" he muttered.

A sharp glint flashed in Aeron's eyes. "I know where to go. The Lunewell family."

Over the past two years, Helena had used her status as Aeron's fiancée to funnel the Black Zenith Order's resources into the Lunewell family, both openly and in secret.

The Lunewells had risen rapidly during that time. They now stood on the verge of becoming a first-rate family in Rovern City's western district.

If Helena had not betrayed him, Aeron would not have cared. Now that she had turned on him, everything they had taken would be returned.

…

In Rovern City's western district, the Lunewell estate brimmed with celebration.

Lanterns hung in every corner, and golden-threaded carpets covered the ground. Even the lanterns were crafted with gold foil and gems. The service staff wore brand-new crimson robes adorned with gold and silver ornaments. Wealth flaunted itself in every detail.

Passersby looked on with envy.

"The Lunewells used to be nothing more than a second-rate house. In just two years, they are already on the verge of becoming first-rate."

"That is what happens when their family head, Cassian Lunewell, raises a capable daughter. She first secured Aeron, the Young Lord of the Black Zenith Order, then used his order's prestige and resources to elevate her family," one spectator remarked.

"She is nothing but a whore who knows how to sell herself," another muttered.

"Helena knows how to play the game, but you still have to admit she is impressive," a third voice said. "I heard she awakened her bloodline power, reached 38th place on Rovern City's Terra Rankings, then joined the Beastmaster Order as Garrick Ironclaw's direct apprentice."

"I do not understand," someone else said. "She could have become the Young Lord's wife in the Black Zenith Order. Why join the Beastmaster Order instead?"

"You know nothing," an older man scoffed. "The Black Zenith Order may rank third in Rovern City, but its foundation does not compare to the top ten orders, much less the Beastmaster Order."

At that moment, a young man approached the Lunewell estate's gates.

A guard stepped forward to block him. "Who are you? How dare you barge into the Lunewell estate? Do you seek death?"

The moment he saw the man's face, he froze. "Young Lord… Lord Stormvale…"

"Is your family head here?" Aeron asked.

The guard was about to answer when another young man stepped out. He wore a brocade robe woven from millennium silk and a jeweled crown.

When he saw Aeron, he paused, then sneered, "So, it is you. I thought someone important had arrived. Turns out it is just a piece of trash. What are you doing at the Lunewell estate? Looking for my cousin, Helena?"

He curled his lip. "Forget it. She has already returned to the Beastmaster Order. Even if she were here, she would not see you. A loser should crawl back to where he came from instead of wandering around. With your pathetic realm progress, if something happens to you out here, you will not even have time to cry."

Aeron recognized him at once. He was Thomas Lunewell, Helena's cousin.

Two years ago, before the Lunewells rose to power, Thomas would bow and scrape whenever he saw Aeron. Back then, his face had overflowed with flattery. Now he stood with his chin raised high.

"What? You do not like being called trash?" Thomas sneered. "You think being the Young Lord of the Black Zenith Order means I should fear you? I do not. My family now has the Beastmaster Order behind it."

He tugged at the corner of his mouth. He knew Aeron was only a Level 7 Spirit Refining realmstrider. Why would he fear a piece of trash like that?

"You seem to have forgotten something," Aeron said. "Helena is a Beastmaster member. You are not. Even if you were, do you think I would allow you to speak to me like that to my face?"

Aeron kicked out. A heavy boom echoed through the gate, followed by the crack of breaking bones.

Thomas flew backward, crashed to the ground, and blacked out on the spot.

Aeron strode forward, seized him by the ankle, and dragged him straight into the Lunewell estate.