System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 722: Chapter 722: The Lion’s Share

Two weeks passed rapidly. Ethan remained inside his private cabin, resting and waiting as the grand layout took shape. The four allied factions had mobilized nearly their entire military strength. Hundreds of massive warships now hovered over the valley, creating an absolutely impenetrable aerial blockade. Every Sect Leader was present on the frontlines, waiting for the supreme Great Ancestors to finish negotiating the final terms of the campaign.

During this time, Ethan had used the last two remaining vials of the Water of the Dead to refine twenty more divine potions, delivery ten of them directly to the high command to further fuel their obsession.

Inside the primary command sanctuary, the supreme assembly had finally gathered. The Great Ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion sat at the center of the massive obsidian table. The Great Ancestors of the Black Mountain Sect, the Thunder Dragon Sect, and the Evergreen Sect all kept their eyes locked onto the small pink vial resting in his ancient palm.

"As everyone at this table knows well, at our level of cultivation, there is very little in this world that can aid us," the Heavenly Sword Great Ancestor began, his raspy voice echoing with absolute authority. "Standard pills and elixirs have long since ceased to have any effect on our constitutions. However, what I hold here completely changes the rules of the game. As I detailed in the urgent summons, our Pavilion has successfully resurrected a mythical alchemical recipe long believed to be extinct: the Divine Potion."

He swept his gaze across the ancient figures before him. "Every single one of us carries deep, ancient hidden injuries that keep us perpetually confined to the sealed depths of our ancestral grounds. We sit in the dark, praying that the Soaring Dragon Kingdom does not decide to wipe out our descendants, and hoping against hope that one of our disciples will grow strong enough to shoulder the weight we carry."

His expression turned icy. "Even the newly risen Crimson Sect believes they can come and dictate terms to us, simply because they seized a pocket realm abundant in raw resources."

He lightly tapped the armrest of his chair. With a sharp clink, a seamless chunk of the solid stone sheared off perfectly. His Sword Dao was absolute; unlike his descendant Annie, who relied on her unique pupils for a temporary manifestation, this old man possessed a permanently fused Dao Sword Heart.

Behind the table, the regular Sect Ancestors stood in strict, silent rows, watching their supreme patriarchs speak without daring to utter a single syllable.

"Before I demonstrate the undeniable effects of this medicine," the Heavenly Sword Great Ancestor continued, "I will state the absolute conditions of my Pavilion. Know now that they are entirely non-negotiable, and they represent the absolute limit of our compromise."

He leaned forward, his dead eyes piercing the room. "First, the Heavenly Sword Pavilion will claim exactly seventy percent of the total resources extracted from the subterranean tomb."

The other three Great Ancestors instantly slammed their fists against the table, standing up in pure fury. They openly cursed his insatiable hunger, outraged that he was demanding the absolute lion’s share of the spoils before the war had even begun.

"I care nothing for your objections. It is our compromise. If you wish to challenge it, come to me. Believe me, when you taste this potion, you will understand that even if you all came at once, you could not face me," said the Great Ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.

"We have been companions, and we have harbored our fair share of grudges. This is my final proposal: the leader of this alliance will be my Pavilion. If anyone disagrees, think it over after you drink this," said the Great Ancestor.

He tossed a vial to each of the three leaders, making it clear he held several more in his own hand. "After you drink, you will understand," said the Great Ancestor.

The three leaders hesitated, their pride warring with their desperation, but they finally relented. "We will give you face this time. Let us see what makes it so special," said the Great Ancestor of the Black Mountain Sect.

As the liquid touched their lips, their expressions shifted violently. Their ancient, necrotic wounds withered away, and their cultivation energy surged back to its absolute peak. Each of them had been stuck at the threshold—half a step away from the Dao Manifestation Realm. To the world, they seemed only half a level above the final phase of the Spirit Sea Realm, the ’Sea Mist Ascension,’ but the change now was qualitative, not quantitative. Even a thousand practitioners at the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm could not withstand a single entity at the half-step Dao Manifestation level.

As the immense, revitalizing power flooded their meridians, the crushing reality of their situation dawned on them. If each potion allowed them to recharge their vitality, they were not merely facing a peer in the Great Ancestor of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion; they were facing a man who held the key to an infinite source of power. While he could maintain his peak strength indefinitely, they would eventually burn through this dose and begin to wither again.

They realized with cold clarity that they had just walked into a trap.

"We accept your terms. The alliance will be led by the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, and you shall have your seventy percent," said the Great Ancestor of the Thunder Dragon Sect, his voice laced with the heavy, bitter weight of defeat.

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From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

The Melting Tide / The Tidal Horizon / The Sea Mist Ascension

Dao Manifestation Realm

The Incipient Dawn / Laws of the Domain / Reality Shatter

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

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Sword mastery levels

Sword Intent.

Sword Aura.

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