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

Chapter 761: Chapter 761: Closed-Door Cultivation

Ethan barely had time to adjust his robes after Isabella’s hasty exit when light footsteps were heard outside the chamber. Two royal maidservants entered, offering an impeccable bow.

"Deputy General Ethan," one of them greeted with respect. "The Princess has sent us to escort you to your new quarters. By order of His Majesty and the Princess, you have been assigned a private mansion."

Ethan nodded and followed them. The residence was located within the royal estate itself, beside the Silver Moon Palace; it was an independent, elegant mansion surrounded by dense gardens and equipped with high-level runic arrays. For Ethan, it was the perfect place to cultivate without interruptions.

Before the maidservants took their leave, Ethan asked them to convey a message to the princess: he instructed them to inform her that he would enter closed-door cultivation to stabilize the lingering side effects from his recent battle a reason Isabella would understand instantly and added that should she need anything at all, she could come find him at the mansion whenever necessary.

Once alone in the mansion’s main hall, he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion and closed his eyes.

"Crul," he called out in his mental space. "It’s time to check the damage and stabilize the origin."

[Understood, Master,] Crul’s voice echoed within his consciousness. [Although the absorbed physical energy is colossal, the backlash from unleashing such power in the last battle left your energy channels unstable. We need to purify your Dao energy before heading to the Empire.]

Ethan nodded internally. With a wave of his hand, he brought out several high-grade spiritual stones and purification pills from his storage ring, levitating them around him as he channeled his technique.

A swirl of crimson and golden light began rotating around his body. The spiritual energy from the garden was drawn in like a cyclone, penetrating his pores to repair and reinforce every meridian and energy channel.

For the next fifteen days, Ethan remained completely motionless, submerged in a deep state of trance. His aura grew steadily denser, refining his Sword Dao and consolidating his foundation toward the Dao Manifestation Realm.

At dawn on the sixteenth day, Ethan opened his eyes. A flash of light as sharp as a blade sliced through the air before him before dissipating.

"Stabilized," he murmured, standing up with renewed vitality.

At that exact moment, soft knocks echoed on the mansion’s door.

"Ethan... are you awake?" Isabella’s voice came from outside, sounding composed yet carrying a subtle hint of shyness. "The delegation for the Imperial City is ready. It’s time to depart."

Ethan opened the mansion door to find Isabella waiting for him. Seeing her, he observed her with a slight tilt of his head.

"What has happened? Why didn’t you call for me earlier?" Ethan asked.

"Since you hadn’t emerged from your closed-door cultivation, I thought you were still injured," the princess replied, averting her eyes to hide the lingering shyness from their last encounter.

"I was injured, but I’ve always been ready to handle whatever you need," Ethan said calmly.

"Nothing bad has happened," she explained, regaining her composure. "As expected, as soon as my brothers received news of what occurred in the south and the defeat of the rebels, they stopped fighting and returned immediately. They are now confined in their own palaces, awaiting our departure for the Empire."

Ethan nodded slowly.

"As expected of them," Ethan commented. "Who will make up the delegation?"

"My father, the Southern General, the Great General, and us will be going," Isabella replied.

"The Great General?" Ethan inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Isabella confirmed with gravity. "He is the strongest person in the realm. I don’t know if he is still stronger than my father after the latter’s breakthrough, but my father always says that because of him, the kingdom remains safe, and no one dares attack us in an all-out war."

Ethan was surprised by the evaluation. It was an exceptionally high appraisal coming from the monarch himself; if there was no exaggeration, that individual had to be beyond the Spiritual Transcendence Realm.

Ethan reached out to Crul in his mental space.

"what comes after Spiritual Transcendence?" Ethan asked.

[The next one is called the True Spirit Physique Realm,] Crul explained in his consciousness. [At this level, your body ceases to be made entirely of flesh and bone and is reshaped by the laws of the world itself. It is a rather complex realm to comprehend. While in Spiritual Transcendence you become vulnerable if you hesitate or fail to understand the nature of attacks, in the True Spirit Physique Realm, the laws fuse directly with your flesh, stabilizing you and wiping out that flaw.]

Ethan processed the information silently, realizing the magnitude of the ally—or rival—he was about to meet.

"I see," Ethan said, turning his attention back to the princess. "Then let’s not waste any more time."

"Let’s go then," the princess said, turning to walk by his side. "Ah, and remember: when you meet the Great General, don’t be reckless. He has a very strange temperament and is difficult to deal with."

Ethan nodded with a faint smirk, making no promises.

The two walked toward the main entrance of the royal fortress, where the delegation was assembling. As they stepped out onto the massive launch plaza, Ethan’s eyes widened in wonder. Hovering just a few meters off the ground was a colossal, fully armed warship, boasting imposing silver armor adorned with intricate gold runic engravings. Ethan was instantly fascinated; the vessel was monumental, vastly outsizing the Annihilator-class ship he had stolen from the Crimson Sect in both scale and presence.

"What is that thing called?" Ethan asked, gazing up at the massive war structure.

"It is my father’s personal warship," Isabella replied with a touch of pride. "It is far superior to the White-Leviathan. It’s called the White-Sea Dragon, and it’s the only one of its kind in the entire realm. Its main cannons can wipe out entire cities in one volley, and unlike standard battleships, it doesn’t require fixed portals to travel—it can generate its own spatial folds to make long-distance spatial jumps."

Ethan stared at the imposing vessel with a spark of excitement in his eyes, knowing full well that the journey to the Golden Dragon Empire was going to be anything but boring.

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