CHAPTER 272: CHAPTER 272 PERIOD

Evangeline Raven had lived for trillions of untold years.

She was a being who had transcended mortal constraints long ago, a true immortal who had witnessed the birth of stars and the death of galaxies.

Civilizations had risen and crumbled beneath her watchful gaze, emperors had knelt before her, and even ancient beasts long erased from memory had once trembled at the sound of her name.

And yet... in all her unfathomably long existence, Evangeline had never felt such a profound sense of unease as she did now.

The moment her gaze fell upon Riley—the young man her daughter had casually introduced as her master—her immortal soul recoiled.

He was handsome, yes, with a calm, almost disarmingly youthful face, but there was something behind those eyes... something ancient.

Something terrifying. It was as if he were not merely looking at her—but through her.

All at once, the weight of his gaze tore through her spiritual defenses like paper.

Her heart, which hadn’t known fear for eons, skipped a beat.

He sees me.

He saw everything.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

Secrets she had buried beneath layers of cosmic concealment, truths locked away in forbidden vaults of her soul—he swept them aside effortlessly, as if they were mere dust.

No one should be able to do that. Not to me. Not ever.

Her instincts surged. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.

BANG!

Her aura flared to life with a deafening roar, shaking the very air around her.

The skies outside darkened, and the pressure of her immortal presence spread like wildfire through the surroundings.

Servants collapsed to their knees, trembling.

Even the most seasoned cultivators nearby gasped, feeling as if a mountain had suddenly descended upon them.

And yet Riley stood there, utterly unmoved.

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t blink. He didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

Her outburst of power meant nothing to him.

The silent, invisible probing into her very soul continued as casually as if he were flipping through the pages of a book.

Evangeline’s eyes narrowed.

A storm gathered within her, and she considered the unthinkable—Should I strike him? Just one move.

Just enough to make him retreat, or at least acknowledge her power.

But then it hit her—harder than any divine weapon ever had.

If I lift a single finger against him... I will die.

Not in battle. Not in glorious sacrifice. Not even with dignity.

She would simply vanish.

Her immortal instincts screamed, louder than they had ever screamed before.

She froze, every fiber of her ancient being trembling in silent warning.

This man... he did not belong to the realm of the living or the dead. He stood above it.

Beyond it. Older than even the truths she had once believed were eternal.

And then—salvation.

A soft voice broke the tension like morning light piercing through a storm.

"My master is from the Abode of the Ancient One, Mother," Ruby said, stepping forward with perfect composure.

Evangeline’s mind went blank.

The Abode of the Ancient One?

No... that place should not exist anymore. It was a myth—a sealed realm of primordial beings, older than even the first immortals. A name passed down only in hushed tones through forbidden scriptures. A place feared even by the true immortals.

A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, followed by utter disbelief.

Her aura, which had just moments ago threatened to destroy the very ground she stood on, began to waver.

Slowly, she retracted her power, her spiritual pressure dissolving into nothingness like mist before the sun.

A forced laugh escaped her lips as her expression shifted to one of grace and humility.

"You should have said so sooner, my dear daughter," Evangeline said, her tone light, but her heart still thundering in her chest.

"You nearly had your poor mother making a fool of herself in front of our honored guest."

Her eyes turned to Riley, and for the first time in countless years, Evangeline Raven felt small.

She lowered her gaze, cupped her fists, and bowed with practiced elegance—but there was a sincerity in her voice that had not been heard in aeons.

"Please forgive this junior’s offense, Senior," she said quietly.

"I had eyes, yet failed to recognize your boundless presence. I pray you will show mercy for my ignorance."

And in the silence that followed, she waited—not as an immortal, not as a matriarch—but as a student awaiting judgment from a teacher whose depth she could not begin to fathom.

"It’s a small matter," Riley said calmly, his voice smooth and without urgency, yet every word seemed to ripple through the air like a divine decree.

"I’m only here for a short while. I came to settle the marriage arrangements of my maid—nothing more. I believe she should be the one to choose her future, not be handed over like a bargaining chip. Once that’s resolved, I’ll take my leave. I have no intention of lingering."

His tone was polite, even relaxed, but those standing nearby could sense the deeper meaning.

His presence wasn’t something they had invited—it was something they were simply fortunate to survive.

For someone like him to act as an intermediary in a matter as mundane as marriage was not only strange, it was humbling... even terrifying.

What he didn’t say aloud was that he had already seen everything.

When he looked at Evangeline Raven, he had peered into the abyss of her soul, extracting countless trillions of memory with a mere thought.

There was no barrier, no divine defense, no ancient pact that could hide her truth from him.

All that she was, all that the Raven Clan had ever been, now lay bare in his mind like a scroll unfurled.

In doing so, Riley had begun to piece together a clearer picture of the immortal realm—its power structures, its unspoken laws, its forgotten horrors.

It would serve him well in the days to come.

After all, he wasn’t just passing through. A vacation, perhaps.

A quiet observation of a world untouched by time.

And one day, maybe—just maybe—he would return to Earth. But not yet.

Not until he became a true immortal himself.

Evangeline, standing just a few steps from him, forced a tight smile.

Despite the calm look on her face, her heart was pounding.

Her instincts screamed that this was no ordinary being.

Even if she hadn’t already guessed it from his eyes, his bearing, or the dreadful stillness that followed his every step—her daughter’s words confirmed it.

The Abode of the Ancient One.

A realm even she, with all her unfathomable age and knowledge, barely remembered as more than a myth.

A place whispered about in forbidden libraries, referenced in sealed jade slips, buried in scriptures written by long-dead prophets.

It was older than the heavens, deeper than the void, and more mysterious than time itself.

"You honor us with your presence, Senior," she said with a respectful bow, her voice laced with sincerity.

"Please, stay as long as you desire. As for my daughter’s fiancé... and his family... rest assured, the Raven Clan will follow your judgment in this matter without hesitation. If you find them lacking, they will be dealt with accordingly."

Her eyes flickered for a brief moment, betraying her hidden thoughts.

Marriages between powerful clans had long served as a strategic method of consolidating influence, forging alliances, and ensuring mutual protection.

It was no different for Ruby. Her betrothal, arranged millions of years ago, had not been born of affection or personal choice—but of necessity.

Her hand was promised to the heir of another prestigious clan, a union meant to bind two great families together in power and purpose.

Riley gave a simple nod. "Hmmmm..."

He said no more, but that nod carried enough weight to silence a hundred debates.

Evangeline, wise as she was, understood immediately.

She had lived through wars between gods, disasters that had torn stars from the sky, and betrayals that shattered entire realms—and she knew that some beings needed no further explanation.

When they made a decision, reality itself would bend to follow.

Ruby, standing at her master’s side, stepped forward with a radiant smile.

Her eyes sparkled with admiration and a touch of mischief.

"Please allow me to host a grand feast in your honor, Master. The Raven Clan may seem small in your eyes, but we will do everything we can to make your stay worthy of your name."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried far across the courtyard.

Elders standing in the distance bowed immediately, signaling their agreement.

"We shall mobilize the full resources of the clan," one elder declared solemnly.

"Our finest wine, our rarest ingredients, and our most skilled entertainers shall be prepared," another added.

"Even the Night Song Pavilion will be opened, should Senior desire it."

"And our ancestral formation grounds will be cleansed and offered for his meditation," said the third, eyes gleaming with zeal.

It was as if the entire clan had suddenly been jolted awake. Everyone was excited to get to know this great visitor in their clan.