CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29

The next day dawned grey and bitter, winter frost clustering against the window. Ethan roused from cultivation, slipping fluidly from the lotus pose, his body loose but every sense keen.

The familiar silence of the Serene Mirror Lake hut enfolded him—a silence he’d cultivated and protected for ten years. And yet, even the deepest quiet could be broken by the system’s inescapable voice, which emerged in his mind with a clarity that seemed almost smug:

[It is detected that the host is conscientious and has fished every single day for ten years.]

[Congratulations—won a surprise grand prize! Your Spiritual Eye is being upgraded to the Heaven-Piercing Mind Eye.]

Ethan’s mind sharpened as the lines of text appeared, a vibration running down his spine. He read on:

[Description: The ultimate refinement of the Spiritual Eye—a manifestation of pure, condensed mental power. With this awakened form, all illusions, concealments, and deceptions crumble instantly. No secret technique, hidden formation, or veiled intention can escape this gaze.]

[Mind-Splitting Gaze: Focuses powerful mental force into a deadly glance. When locked onto a target, it attacks their spiritual sea, bypassing physical and defensive barriers.

Minor Effect: Momentary unconsciousness or dizziness.

Severe Effect: Collapse of the spiritual sea, potential mental break or permanent cripple state.]

[True Flaw Perception: Instantly reveals weaknesses in techniques, formations, artifacts, or even Dao comprehension. Can be used to disrupt attacks or perfect cultivation.]

[Absolute Clarity: Immune to all illusions, concealment, and charm techniques. Can also detect soul imprints, possession, or hidden soul parasites.]

The more Ethan read, the more the scope of this transformation sank in. In any battle between great cultivators—where the deciding blow could come in less than a heartbeat—even a microsecond of unconsciousness could spell death.

His new mind eye would not only shield him from trickery or espionage—it could render him the ultimate hunter among tigers and foxes alike.

So now, even if some absolute monster was disguised as a mewling orphan, or some ancient spirit hid its true power and waited to ambush me, I’d see it.

Even the so-called illusions or soul arts of the top sects will mean nothing. From this moment on, no one can ever truly surprise me again.

It occurred to Ethan, with surprising calm, that he would never again experience the kind of dread that haunted his earliest days at Serene Mirror Lake.

No more anxiety about being stalked by the Black Oath or tricked by a cunning inner sect rival. His path would depend only on himself—and his diligence.

Still, such power came with its own danger.

The system’s reward were undeniably valuable, but they could not replace the need for real, grounded effort. He had learned, bitterly, how relying only on system rewards led to ruin.

One step at a time.

He told himself.

Even if my eyes can pierce the heavens, I cannot afford to grow complacent.

Every day must be earned.

That evening, as sunset painted the snow in russet and amber, Ethan finally stirred from meditation.

He opened his eyes—and at once, his vision warped and spun, mental power coalescing into shining blue at the center of his pupils. Misty tendrils of light swirled and danced, the world flickering in and out of crystalline clarity.

He pressed his focus, and everything shifted.

A three-dimensional map burst inside his mind: he saw, without looking, the world around his hut in perfect, uncanny detail. The layout of rooms, lines of spiritual energy in the ground, the featherlight signatures of passing disciples—all rendered with impossible precision.

"It’s so clear..." he breathed, startled by how much more he perceived than before.

Every cultivator nearby was now a beacon of moving color—luminous auras of red, blue, gold, or jade swirling around their bodies.

Their spiritual roots, primary elements, even their cultivation realms radiated outward in a plain, irrefutable symphony of light. No more guessing, no more spies or lurking threats. Knowledge was absolute.

With a conscious effort, Ethan shrank his awareness, pulling his mental power back into normalcy. His eyes dulled, returning to deep, calm darkness.

He glanced out the window, saw the sun slipping behind the trees, and felt the old pull of habit. Time to go fishing, he thought, a wry smile crossing his lips.

Stepping outside casually, barrel in hand, Ethan’s tranquil mood was disturbed by the approach of three disciples clad in Law Enforcement Hall garb—blades at their sides, steps deliberate.

They were young, their faces pink in the cold. The one in front, a slim man with bright eyes, hailed him with practiced politeness.

"Are you Ethan?" he called, voice projecting off ice and stone.

Ethan nodded, "Yes, may I help you?"

The leader stepped forward, posture neither arrogant nor fearful.

"My name is Jake. We noticed you haven’t visited the ancestral tomb today, and it’s nearly sundown. If you enter at night, the cold inside will be far worse than during the day."

Ethan gave a placid nod.

"Thank you. I’ll go now."

For a decade, Ethan had worked—four hours daily in the tomb, never failing his duties. He held to rules, not out of fear, but because order provided cover from trouble. Where chaos reigned, schemes flourished; but as long as no one sought to cause him problems, he’d keep his head low.

Ethan’s Heaven-Piercing Mind Eye activated again, all but instantly dissecting his three visitors.

The leader, Jake, was in the Nascent Soul realm; his companions hovered near the mid-stages of Core Formation. He recognized one from the pair who’d first escorted him to Serene Mirror Lake, so young back then they’d barely grown past awkwardness.

These patrols, he reminded himself, were never undertaken by true heavyweights. Inexperienced, untested, and usually drawn from the pool of children hoping to impress a master or curry favor.

The real powers—the elders and councilors—didn’t waste their time or risk their disciples in the wild night chill of the lake’s edge.

Jake, at least, seemed genuinely kind.

"You should hurry—if you wait any longer, the ancestral tomb will become a place even our elders won’t tread after dark. The cold is too deep; it severs the tomb from the world, and only the boldest or most foolish would enter then. Even Law Enforcement won’t patrol after sundown."

Ethan offered a calm smile. "Noted. I’ll be quick."

But truthfully, the freezing air of the tomb had long since lost its bite.

The foundation laid by years of cultivating the Celestial Jade Physique Scripture ensured his very blood could warm a room if he willed it. If anything, the cold provided a shield. Other disciples—even those with strong roots and high cultivation—wouldn’t follow into the deeper tunnels.

There, Ethan could train in genuine secrecy, free from prying eyes and the unending scrutiny of people like Lilith.

Yes, the true reason Ethan kept working at the Ancestral Tomb went beyond duty or even system requirements.

Within those stone halls, beneath drifts of spiritual deathly yin, he alone was untroubled by the world’s gaze. No one, not even the Black Oath Commander herself, could pierce the silence and shadows there.

What are they after? Ethan wondered, stepping toward the tomb as Jake and the others turned back.

Lilith’s spying, the Empress’s sudden interest, these new rounds of surveillance—what do they want from me, after all these years? Why now?

He shook his head, tightening his blue robe against the wind. The answer would come in time. For now, there was nothing to do but move forward, step by step, and let the world tremble in worry while he grew stronger in the darkness of the tomb.