Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Totem shattered...

"My grandson didn't have much to offer, but after five years of effort between the Thunderfire Demon Cave and the Demon Hunters Alliance, he forged a formation disk for Grandma. It gathers the unique powers of heaven and earth, enhancing her abilities significantly."

"My elder brother also sent a gift, a piece of the starry sky from the Sky Palace to protect Grandma's spirit."

"Why are you all looking at us... Dad already gave all our weapons to Grandma..."

"I'm willing to lead the elders to protect you and establish a magical altar! All twenty-eight of our senior elders have survived their own ordeals; they have the experience."

"Are you really wearing a turtle shell, Grandma?"

"I'll throw in ten Druidic totems! What? These totems were acquired through less than honorable means and carry a curse? Nonsense, the people I dealt with are long gone... Great Aunt, why are you locking me up again..."

After the gift-giving, Luna, feeling content, touched her filled Storage Ring and headed with her clan to the site of her ordeal.

Preparations were thorough.

In just one year, Luna had achieved her breakthrough!

Various notifications caught her eye.

[Totem shattered... Totem shattered... Jade amulet shattered...]

[Luna's palm was scorched by the heavenly thunder, but she finally endured the formidable Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, transforming into a Six-Tailed Fox Spirit— the Thousand Charm Celestial Fox!]

[Awakening the Celestial Fox bloodline, she gained mystical fox abilities: Shadow Multiplicity, Hundred Paths Charm, and Celestial Fox Descent.] Searᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

[Trait gained: Half-Fox— Luna's bloodline fully merged with the fox spirit within her, enhancing her psychic power cultivation speed by 20% and her ability to absorb natural energies by another 20%. She can now blend into human society or, like a fox spirit, draw energy from others to further accelerate her psychic development.]

"Eh?"

Ethan was momentarily stunned, inwardly pitying Nathan for the tough times ahead, as absorbing energy from others meant they'd need significant recovery time. He sighed, "Ah, they won't be able to flaunt their love in front of me every day anymore, which is quite sad for me as their forebearer... ha... hahaha!"

Soon, Luna returned, her half-fox form appearing merely as a peak Emerging Ability to the untrained eye, but she was stunningly beautiful!

Ethan was waiting for Nathan to be upset, but upon hearing the news, Nathan laughed heartily. The couple embraced tightly, with no younger family members around, Nathan passionately kissed Luna, "This is great, my dear! In the Death Coffin, I have endless energy to help you with your cultivation!"

"Look at you, acting all improper at over a hundred years old."

Luna, her cheeks flushed, tapped Nathan on the forehead and took his hand, "Come on, let's get into the coffin."

"Thump."

The coffin lid closed.

Ethan's eyelids and facial muscles twitched as he clenched his fists and slapped his thigh for a long time before returning to the forge to continue his psychic cultivation.

Indeed, Julian's hammering was a more pleasant sound.

...

[Blackwood Year 149]

Ethan sat cross-legged in the middle of a mystical lake, a creation of his clan, absorbing the shimmering reflections and the ever-changing waters day and night.

"Hmph, it infuriates me! So he's a noble from Starlight County, huh? My parents always said that the Duke's Mansion is full of villains. I refuse to marry him just because that old rogue Wind says so!"

Ethan heard a murmuring voice.

Opening his eyes, he saw a woman, Katie, kicking pebbles by the lake.

"Our little proud girl, huh?"

Ethan slightly raised an eyebrow. Nathan had once said that Katie would grow up to be a nation's downfall, but Nathan was often wrong. Katie resembled Edward; both father and daughter had an understated appearance, but Katie had inherited many of Betty's good traits—

Close to nature, with a level heart.

"Hmph, now Michael wants to exploit us at Blackwood too? After selling off his daughter, he won't even spare his granddaughter."

Thinking about Katie's words, Ethan glanced at her personal history.

[From a young age, she was pampered by her family elders and adored by her brother, yet deeply influenced by her family's teachings. Although she was unaware of the many trials her family had faced over the years, nor understood why the druids outside always seemed so arrogant, she too carried the family's pride and often scolded any druid she met.]

[At 13, Duke's Mansion's Michael sent a message, wanting Katie to marry Martin and move to Cedar County.]

[At 16, she was nearly kidnapped by an expert sent by Michael.]

[At 22, Nate, a young genius from Starlight County's Duke's Mansion, proposed a marriage alliance with Martin. However, with Martin's younger generation mysteriously dying off and no successors, Michael once again pushed for Katie to marry Nate.]

[Nate was reluctant about the arranged marriage but was sent by the Walker family to meet Katie at Blackwood. Known as a veteran in romantic affairs, Nate's repeated interactions with the plain-looking Katie only deepened his fascination with her.]

Ethan remained silent for a long time before murmuring, "Old dog Walker, haven't you learned enough lessons over the years to dare trouble my Blackwood?"

He emerged from his meditation.

"Phew."

He exhaled deeply, returning to his familiar room. Even inside, he could feel the storm brewing over the residential area. He frowned, "What kind of tribulation is this? Despite having a complete mastery of the elemental laws, the threat remains significant?"

He squinted, ignoring these concerns, and collected the Tribute Offerings that had piled up in the room during the two major ceremonies into his Storage Ring. Then he asked Lisa to cook a meal. After eating, he sat down at his computer.

He clicked on Katie's profile.

The Forebearer Psychic Position appeared, instructing her to seek out Olivia!

"Oh! Forebearer, the Forebearer is showing its powers!" Katie, having seen the Forebearer Psychic Position manifest only a few times, was excitedly waving her fists. She had grown up hearing tales of the Forebearer, how fearsome it was, once swallowing eighty thousand druids in one gulp.

Seeing the young girl's excitement, Ethan also smiled slightly. Look how well-behaved she is? Surely, she's impressed by the mystery of it all. Although a bit sheltered and naive, isn't this how all Blackwood folks start?

"Do you feel it, Katie? This is the charm of the Forebearer!"

In a jovial mood, Ethan sent her a 'Forebearer's Caress'.

He then clicked on Olivia's profile, signaling her to handle the situation. Ethan took a drive around the neighborhood, traded some items with Alan to lighten his mood after a long stint in the virtual world, and had tea with some neighbors before contentedly returning home.

Just as he was about to re-enter the virtual world, his phone rang.

Ethan frowned, noticing on the game screen that Katie was almost at Dawn Headquarters.

"Hello? Yes, this is Ethan," he answered casually, seeing that it was a call from Orion.

As soon as he finished speaking,

The voice on the other end was somewhat restrained yet gentle, "Um... Ethan, my brother told me to speak nicely to you, asking you to report in soon. Are you busy with something?"

Ethan continued to monitor some interfaces.