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

Chapter 737: Chapter 737: Bound Loyalty

Ethan took the black beetle, and the moment his fingers brushed against it, the insect slid onto his skin, merging into it until it formed a dark tattoo on the side of his palm.

"Can you hear me, Master?" Vel’Kha’Lems’ voice echoed in his mind. "You only need to think to respond."

Before Ethan could emit a single thought, Crul responded from within him with a power so overwhelming that it forced the Lich to his knees in an instant.

[You insignificant worm, you dare to place a mark on the descendant of the Supreme...?! You have nerve,] Crul’s mental voice roared with ancient fury.

The absolute pain the Lich felt left him paralyzed, frozen in visceral terror as he looked up at Ethan.

"My... it seems you met a friend," Ethan said with a cold smile, watching the creature trembling at his feet. "I hope it isn’t anything harmful to me, or else I will take care of finishing what those others could not."

"It is only a soul link, Master! Please, I beg you!" the Lich said, terrified upon sensing the true power within Ethan as he bowed until his forehead touched the ground. "It is only designed to allow us to communicate! There are no hidden motives!"

Crul spoke again in Ethan’s mind, echoing in a glacial tone.

[Since it only serves for talking, let’s see... I want to say a few words to you.]

[Soul Suffering!]

"Argh... aaghh...!" the Lich writhed on the ground, clutching his head as his spectral energy flickered chaotically.

[This skill allows souls to synchronize! So you wanted to take over the Master’s body, you damned bastard!] Crul roared.

"No, that’s not it, I swear, I just wanted to...!" Vel’Kha’Lems screamed, spitting dark essence as his soul was tortured from within. "I just wanted not to die...! I wanted to know who I am dealing with, you are too mysterious, I wanted to understand! It was just curiosity, I swear, it was just curiosity... please, stop!"

[Enough, Crul,] Ethan intervened in his mind, causing the torture upon the Lich’s soul to abruptly stop.

Vel’Kha’Lems fell face-first onto the ground, panting heavily as fine threads of black spectral energy evaporated from his withered body.

"Thank Crul that you are still alive," Ethan said, looking down coldly at the fallen creature. "If you try anything like that again, not even your phylactery will save you from me devouring your soul."

"T-Thank you, Master...! Thank you...!" the Lich stammered with a broken voice, trembling as he tried to pull himself up. "I swear my absolute loyalty to you... I will never commit such reckless folly again..."

Ethan wasted no more time. With a single thought, he activated the energy in his body and shot up toward the heavens at a terrifying speed, leaving behind a trail of shockwaves that made the desert earth rumble.

Following the trace of the bond with his servants and the position marked in the distance, he soared through the skies like a purple and black meteor. It didn’t take long before he spotted a small, quiet town surrounded by hills far in the distance.

On the outskirts of the area, hidden among the vegetation of a nearby forest, stood the figures of Mary, Louisa, the other maidservants, and Ash. A few meters away from them, two imposing Death Knights stood motionless like iron statues, emanating a cold aura that kept any intruder away.

When Ethan descended from the sky, the pressure of his aura forced the two Death Knights to drop to their knees.

Upon seeing the figure falling from the heavens—a humanoid with a divine face, dark horns, amethyst veins running across his torso, and a halo of darkness floating behind his back—the women stifled a scream of pure terror. Mary and Louisa took a step back, trembling violently, unable to recognize the man with whom they had shared their nights.

"E-Ethan...?" Louisa whispered, her voice choked with fear.

Ethan landed softly, deactivated part of his aura, and the armor covering his skin retracted, partially returning to his usual appearance, though retaining the glowing amethyst veins and a terrifying presence.

"It is me," Ethan said. "Gather your things. We are leaving."

Meanwhile, deep within the underground ruins, the Lich stood in front of the massive black stone altar that safeguarded his phylactery. A violent, spectral glow erupted from the runes carved into the structure, as Vel’Kha’Lems began to laugh maniacally, his shrill laughter echoing in every corner of the chamber.

"Thrilling...! It is truly thrilling!" the Lich exclaimed, raising his bony arms toward the vault. "He is...! He is the chosen one, Ancient Master! The chosen one has finally appeared! His chains are about to be broken... The plan you laid out through all these centuries will finally bear fruit!"

Without wasting a single second, Vel’Kha’Lems began to chant an ancient incantation, unleashing a forbidden spell that made the catacomb’s foundations tremble.

Across the entire length and breadth of the tomb, in every corridor and crypt, millions of undead frozen in formation began to collapse. Their bones, armor, and spectral essence dissolved into bursts of dense, dark smoke. That overwhelming mass of death was pulled by a cosmic whirlwind toward the altar, rapidly condensing until it formed a small black sphere floating in the air, pulsing with breathtaking power.

"The Reliquary of the Dead will finally be born anew!" the Lich shouted, gazing at the sphere with absolute, unhinged devotion. "We, the undead, will finally be able to avenge our grievances!"

-------------------

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 ??

------

Sword mastery levels

Sword Intent.

Sword Aura.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!