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

Chapter 617: Effort pays off

Ethan marched out of the primary gates of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, his heavy black cloak billowing in the wind as he made his way down the winding mountain path toward the frontier town.

He didn’t expect the chaos that awaited him.

The moment his boots hit the dusty main street, the entire bustling market district ground to an absolute halt. The official results of the examination had already been posted on the town’s public broadcast boards via spiritual transmission. The news had spread like wildfire: the violent, unstoppable young promise of the frontier had completely humiliated the arrogant foreign elites, shattering their corrupt systems to seize the absolute top rank.

For the first time in decades, the frontier didn’t have to swallow its pride and feel humiliated by the wealthy core clans.

"Look! It’s Ethan! Ethan Brightsword is back!" said an old blacksmith, dropping his heavy iron hammer with a loud *clang* as he rushed to the front of his shop.

"He actually did it! He took the first place from those core-region bastards!" said a young hunter, leaping over a wooden barricade to get closer to the street.

Within seconds, a massive, roaring crowd erupted around Ethan, treating him like a bona fide superstar. The sheer euphoria in the air was suffocating. Hundreds of townspeople swarmed the path, their faces flushed with pure pride and excitement as they tried to catch a glimpse of the frontier’s champion.

"Young Master Ethan! Please, let me shake your hand!" said a merchant, pushing through the dense crowd with a wide, tearful grin. "You showed those snobs that our frontier steel doesn’t break!"

"You are the absolute pride of the borderlands, boy!" said a grizzled veteran warrior, raising a fist high in the air. "We’ve been looking down at our boots for twenty years because of those core families, but today you made them crawl!"

"Ethan! Give them hell inside the inner sect!" said a group of young cultivators from the local taverns, cheering loudly as they threw flower petals and cheap wine into the air. "Show them what a true frontier wolf can do!"

Ethan kept his steady pace, a rare, slightly amused smirk playing on his lips as he casually nodded to the roaring crowd, his piercing amethyst eyes scanning the sea of euphoric faces. He had never cared much for public validation, but the raw, unadulterated chaotic energy of the townspeople was a welcome change from the stifling, hypocritical silence of the noble pavilion.

He maneuvered through the cheering mob, politely turning down offers of free food and celebratory drinks until he finally reached the quiet courtyard of his hotel residence.

He pushed the heavy wooden door open, stepping inside to find Mary and his now-wife, Louisa, already waiting for him with packed traveling satchels, their faces filled with a mixture of anxious relief and profound pride.

"Ethan!" said Mary, rushing forward to tightly wrap her arms around his waist. "We heard the shouting all the way from the market! The entire town is screaming your name!"

"You really turned their world upside down, didn’t you?" said Louisa. She stepped up beside them, a soft, beautiful smile gracing her lips as her eyes locked onto his with absolute devotion and relief. "The guards at the gate were saying a monster from the frontier had claimed the throne. I knew exactly who they were talking about."

"Grab your satchels," said Ethan. He gently patted Mary’s head before looking over at Louisa, his deep voice softening just a fraction. "The Chief Instructor granted the top ranks the right to bring personal companions into the outer sect residential quarters. We leave immediately."

"Is it true, Ethan?" said Mary, her eyes widening with absolute wonder as she hoisted her small bag onto her shoulder. "Are we really going to live inside the legendary Heavenly Sword Pavilion?"

"Yes," said Ethan. He led them out of the quiet courtyard and back into the main street. "From this day forward, you will never have to worry about the dangers of the frontier town again. You will have the absolute protection of my rank."

The moment the three of them stepped back into the public thoroughfare, the waiting crowd erupted into a fresh wave of thunderous applause and deafening cheers. The sight of Ethan escorting his family toward the mountain caused the townspeople to swarm the path once more, their voices filled with immense respect and overwhelming flattery.

"Look at them! Madame Mary and Lady Louisa!" said a wealthy tavern owner, bowing deeply as they passed by. "You are the luckiest women in the entire province! Your man has secured a future of absolute power and limitless wealth for your household!"

"Congratulations on your grand elevation, ladies!" said an elderly herbalist, throwing a handful of dried luck-leaves toward their path. "Living inside the pavilion means you will eat the finest spiritual food and never face the cold of winter again! Truly, Young Master Ethan has raised your names to the heavens!"

Louisa’s cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of crimson under the intense barrage of public praise. She walked closely by Ethan’s side, her fingers lightly brushing against his heavy sleeve as she looked at the cheering faces of merchants and warriors who used to ignore them.

"They are looking at us as if we are royalty, Ethan," said Louisa, her voice barely a whisper against the roaring crowd. "It feels almost like a dream."

"It is no dream," said Ethan. He kept his eyes fixed on the towering mountain gates ahead, his posture dominant and unyielding as the crowd parted before them like a sea. "This is merely the absolute baseline of what I promised you. The wealth and praise of this frontier town are nothing compared to what we will claim next."

Mary laughed happily, holding tightly onto Louisa’s hand as they walked through the rain of compliments and blessings. Every single step brought them further away from their old, impoverished lives and closer to the grand, dangerous peak of the cultivation world. The townspeople continued to shout their congratulations until the three figures finally crossed the grand threshold of the mountain, disappearing into the majestic, mist-covered domain of the outer sect.

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From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Dao Manifestation Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??