The atmosphere inside the Jin Family's grand hall remained suffocating.
Several elders continued sweating heavily while others secretly circulated their cultivation techniques to remain conscious beneath the pressure of Kael's presence.
Seeing their condition, Kael sighed.
"System."
"Deactivate Divine Aura."
Ding.
Divine Aura Suppressed.
Instantly, the invisible pressure vanished.
The entire hall seemed to come alive again.
Many elders nearly collapsed into their seats.
Others inhaled deeply as though they had narrowly escaped death itself.
Grand Elder Jin Tae-Wook wiped sweat from his forehead while Elder Jin Mei-Ran silently thanked every ancestor she could remember.
Even Patriarch Jin Seong-Hwan released a breath of relief.
Only now did everyone truly understand how terrifying the mysterious young master before them actually was.
Kael calmly took a seat.
"I did not come here to discuss myself."
His expression became serious.
"I came to discuss the coming war."
The room immediately fell silent.
Kael continued.
"The conflict between the Jin Family and Zhao Family will not remain confined to your territories."
"It will affect Backwater Town."
"It will affect Riverstone Town."
"It will affect Green Willow Town."
"It will affect Ironwood Village."
"It may even spread toward Silver Mist City."
Every elder's expression changed dramatically.
The names Kael listed were exactly the settlements located along the likely battlefield routes.
Jin Seong-Hwan's eyes narrowed.
Inside his heart, shock erupted.
'How does he know this?'
'Only the highest-ranking elders know our military deployment plans.'
'Did he discover it himself?'
'Or does he possess a heavenly secret art capable of seeing the future?'
'Just who exactly is this young man?'
For the first time in many years, the Jin Patriarch felt genuine uncertainty.
Before anyone could speak further, Brown suddenly placed his teacup down.
His voice was calm.
But every word carried dangerous weight.
"We are trying to help."
"I simply do not understand why certain arrogant family members standing outside are speaking nonsense about my master."
Silence.
The elders instantly turned pale.
Outside the hall stood several younger members of the Jin Family.
Among them was Jin Woo-Chan.
The talented but arrogant grandson of an elder.
Standing beside him was another young noble.
Zhao Ren.
A spoiled noble heir known throughout Azure Cloud Province for his arrogance.
The moment they heard Brown's words, their expressions froze.
Nearby stood another young man.
Han Jae-Min.
The son of a wealthy merchant lord.
For years he had been desperately pursuing Jin Hye-Rin, the beautiful daughter of Elder Jin Mei-Ran.
His jealousy toward every talented cultivator in the province had become legendary.
He had already begun viewing Kael as a potential rival despite never speaking to him once.
Kael merely laughed softly.
"Calm down, Brown."
"We are not here to fight."
The simple words immediately dispersed the tension.
Patriarch Jin Seong-Hwan quickly stood.
Using spiritual energy, his voice echoed throughout the entire Jin Estate.
The warning thundered across mountains, courtyards, training grounds, and cultivation chambers.
"Attention all Jin Family members."
"From this moment forward, Master Kael and his companions are honored guests of the Jin Family."
"Any insult."
"Any provocation."
"Any disrespect."
"Will be treated as disrespect toward this Patriarch himself."
"Violators will face immediate punishment."
The declaration shocked the entire estate.
Countless disciples exchanged stunned looks.
Even the arrogant young masters became pale.
For Jin Seong-Hwan to personally issue such a warning was almost unprecedented.
The meeting continued for several hours.
By the time Kael departed, preparations for the coming war had already begun.
The battle would take place in exactly two weeks.
Unlike the nervous elders, Kael remained completely calm.
Two weeks was more than enough time.
Over the following days, Kael immersed himself in training and system missions.
The system seemed more energetic than ever.
Every day brought new quests.
Hunt a rogue beast.
Escort merchants.
Recover lost cultivation manuals.
Destroy corrupted spirits.
Investigate ancient ruins.
The rewards piled up rapidly.
Spirit stones.
Skills.
Rare materials.
Equipment.
Experience.
Even Kael began suspecting the system was trying to prepare him for something far larger than the Zhao Family conflict.
Meanwhile, news spread throughout Azure Cloud Province.
The Jade Phoenix Sect had begun recruiting disciples.
The sect was famous throughout Inter-Galaxy.
Not because of its power.
But because every member was female.
Beautiful female cultivators.
Elegant sword cultivators.
Spirit healers.
Formation masters.
Ice cultivators.
The sect was considered one of the most admired organizations on the continent.
Naturally, countless young men dreamed of joining.
Unfortunately for them...
The Jade Phoenix Sect accepted women only.
One afternoon, after completing another quest, Kael finally allowed himself a rare moment of peace.
Seated within his courtyard beneath a flowering spirit tree, he slowly drank a cup of wine.
For once, he wanted to experience life as an ordinary person.
No battles.
No missions.
No crises.
Just silence.
Unfortunately...
The scene before him was impossible to ignore.
Across the courtyard stood Queen Seraphel.
The proud Spirit Queen.
The ancient sovereign.
The being capable of terrifying entire kingdoms.
And she was behaving like a complete fool.
The object of her attention was a young man named Park Jun-Seo.
A monster hunter from downtown Backwater Town.
Ever since receiving combat advice from Brown, Jun-Seo had occasionally visited the estate.
He was hardworking.
Honest.
Brave.
And completely oblivious.
Seraphel, meanwhile, had become hopelessly fascinated with him.
Whenever Jun-Seo arrived, she suddenly appeared nearby.
Whenever he spoke, she listened attentively.
Whenever he smiled, her mood improved for the entire day.
It was painfully obvious.
At least to everyone except Jun-Seo.
The young hunter remained completely unaware.
Kael watched the spectacle while slowly sipping wine.
Brown sat nearby reading a book.
Occasionally glancing up.
Occasionally shaking his head.
Neither of them intended to interfere.
Kael especially had no desire to involve himself.
His thoughts drifted far beyond Inter-Galaxy.
Far beyond cultivation politics.
Far beyond the coming war.
Toward someone waiting in another world.
Lyra.
The woman he had left behind.
The woman who still occupied a place within his heart.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
No matter how beautiful the cultivation world became...
No matter how many powerful people he met...
No matter how many adventures awaited him...
There were some bonds that distance and time could never weaken.
As sunset painted the sky crimson, Kael quietly stared toward the horizon.
Unaware that beyond the Zhao Family...
Beyond Azure Cloud Province...
And even beyond the great sects themselves...
Powerful eyes had already begun watching him from the shadows.
The storm approaching Inter-Galaxy was far greater than anyone imagined.