Chapter 58: Chapter 58
Lyralei was resplendent on his familiar stone bench, draped in a flowing robe of pale blue streaked with the faintest blush of pink and green—her presence wrapped in tranquil majesty.
Her features were a balance of dignity and heroism: the bearing of a leader who had long held authority, yet whose hidden steel showed between sharp brows and level gaze.
She looked like she belonged sculpted in the sect’s ancestral hall—not just as a sect master, but as a woman whose presence could silence a crowd with one wink.
Ethan stepped across the flagstones, slowing his breath.
"Disciple Ethan, I have met the sect master." He cupped his hands in a formal bow.
She pointed gently at the bench. "Sit."
He joined her, not an ounce of worry showing in his posture.
"You still call me sect master already?" Lyralei smiled, fingers tapping the jade tabletop in an idle rhythm.
"If you keep at it, people might think you’re the only authentic disciple left in the sect."
With a casual wave, she conjured forth two smooth jade cups and a pot, pouring tea until the fresh fragrance curled warmly between them.
Ethan helped her fill the cups, but cracked a playful smile.
"It’s only been a little while since I was officially made Master’s disciple." he said.
"I’m still not used to the change."
"A little while?" She arched a brow, lips twitching.
"Master notified me three months ago. You haven’t even visited me once in all that time. Now, by rule and by courtesy, you should call me senior sister."
She took a sip, eyes glinting—it was half a joke, half a challenge.
This again, Ethan thought wryly. Is she testing my nerves, or just staking out new territory now that she’s ’senior’?
"Senior sister wouldn’t know, but the day I entered Demon Sealing Cave—" he started to explain, but Lyralei cut him off with a crisp flick of her wrist.
"Enough," she said, "I know you’ve been in closed cultivation since you first entered." Her eyes softened.
"I was only teasing you."
Ethan was surprised by the ease in her tone. He didn’t expect the Empress to crack jokes, or use banter to bridge the space between them.
Still, it was clear her softer manner was showing for a reason. Now that he shared Master Burn as a teacher—now that he was her junior brother—it would hardly do to treat him as a stranger or underling.
Her voice grew low, just above the wind.
"Ten years ago, I personally ordered your confinement to Serene Mirror Lake. Ten years—locked away. Tell me honestly, did you ever resent me for it?"
That question caught Ethan off guard.
It was so blunt, so oddly kind.
His mind flashed back: his cold, lonely hut; the unfriendly faces; Seraphina’s stubborn arrogance; the endless solitude.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t resented it.
Try throwing anyone into isolation for no good reason and see how they turn out. But none of those emotions registered on his face as he answered, "Anyone would feel something after being sent to the Serene Mirror Lake on unfounded charges."
He lifted his cup and looked Lyralei straight in the eye.
"But as the sect master, and with the Saint as your direct disciple...I hope you’ll weigh future decisions more carefully." His tone was light as ever, but his words struck deep.
She exhaled—almost a sigh, almost a laugh.
"I was hasty in your punishment. Afterwards, I investigated, got to the bottom of things. The one responsible has been taught a lesson and told to apologize. If she hasn’t, that’s her failure, not mine."
Ethan let a crease of surprise show.
"Ah, I see..." But in his heart: ’So that’s why Seraphina tried to apologize—awkward, red-faced, tripping over her words. It wasn’t her idea. She was just following orders. If only Commander Lilith hadn’t shown up, I might have finally given that arrogant saint what she deserved.’
He thought again: for those who won’t face their own mistakes, neither Dao nor destiny will shine long. Seraphina, for all her brilliance, was going down a crooked road.
Lyralei rapped the table, breaking the silence.
"What? Why so quiet?"
He smiled.
"Just picturing that day. If Commander Lilith hadn’t intervened, Seraphina and I might have come to blows."
Lyralei half-smiled. "She said you threw a fit and refused to leave the mirror lake."
"I did refuse," Ethan said. "But I broke no sect rule by staying."
"No, you didn’t." Lyralei’s eyes sharpened.
Ethan continued.
"If someone can’t admit to their faults, life will catch up to them sooner or later."
"Senior sister, you know better than I: the mind is half the cultivation. If the Saint doesn’t grow soon, she’ll be left far behind."
"She’ll need to realize that herself," Lyralei replied, then brushed off the subject.
"But I didn’t actually come just for that old story."
Ethan arched an eyebrow, playing along. "Then why is senior sister visiting me today?"
"It’s about your status." Lyralei stood, her blue and pink-gold robe fluttering in the late sun. Her manner was proud—every inch a leader—but there was affection in her voice.
"You are now my junior brother and, after Master Burn, the peerless talent of this generation. Publicly, you outrank everyone but me. This should be announced to the sect."
She glanced west, where daylight was already bleeding into twilit clouds, the mountains gilded by the last light. Her voice grew gentler, heavier.
"I always knew you had rare comprehension in body cultivation. But even so, I didn’t expect you’d mature so fast, or earn Master’s personal respect."
She turned to face him. "Hundreds of years, Master has only accepted the two of us. Now, you’re above all, and I’m ordered to ensure your safety."
"Master said your talent surpasses even mine. If the outside world hears of you, evil hearts will stir."
She watched the sun slip down. "So, for now, I’ve decided not to tell the sect. If word spreads, someone will surely move against you."
Ethan considered it, face as calm as water. That suited him perfectly—fewer distractions, less attention, more freedom to grow.
"Junior brother, what do you think?" Lyralei asked.
"I think it’s good," Ethan nodded.
A/N:
Extra Chapters
100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters
200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters