Chapter 9 The Seventh Senior

• Penny lifted her long legs, and Ethan's face went pale at the sight, quickly stepped back to avoid being cornered.
• "P-Penny, I mean, I helped you out with your injuries before, and what just happened was totally unintentional. Seriously, I'm a decent guy!"
• Penny looked slightly surprised. She was well aware of her own charm. Those men were constantly thinking about how to get her.
• But this Ethan, who could easily win her favour just by sitting still, didn't.
• She smiled with satisfaction, testing this guy naturally for Leah's sake.
• Although the engagement was just a show, it was related to Leah after all, so naturally she took it seriously.
• Despite this guy being somewhat unreliable, at least his character was decent enough.
• "I guess you've got some good qualities, kid," Penny said with a smile before leaving.
• "Some good qualities? Like what?" Ethan blurted out without thinking.
• But he quickly gathered himself.
• Knock knock!
• Soon after, Penny knocked on the door again, entering with a few sets of clothes and shoes in hand.
• Just like a close older sister, she started pairing outfits as she spoke.
• "All the shops are closed now, so I grabbed a few outfits from a street stall. Let's swap out those patches clothes of yours."
• As Penny spoke, she held the clothes up to Ethan's body for comparison. They fit perfectly!
• Her actions were so natural that Ethan was taken aback, his eyes inexplicably moistening.
• "My senior ... "
• "Huh? What did you say?" Penny didn't quite catch it.
• Quickly wiping his eyes, Ethan replied, "Oh, it's nothing, thanks a lot!"
• Penny ... is so kind and thoughtful.
• The last time he was cared for like this was when he was with his seniors.
• "What are you thanking me for? Even though you lucked out, you did save me for real," Penny said, neatly arranging the clothes she had brought.
• "Rest well," Penny said, picking up her crutch and walking out.
• Ethan snapped back and quickly followed downstairs.
• "Penny, how about I help heal your leg injury and heart condition? Isaac left me the silver needles when he left ... "
• "You little troublemaker." Before he could finish, Penny cut in with a smile, turning her head.
• "I've told you before, behave properly. You need to stop exaggerating. Luck won't always favour you."
• "Uh ... " Ethan was left speechless.
• But looking at Penny's expression, he knew she wouldn't believe him.
• Yet, in that instant, his face suddenly changed as he looked up at a room across from them.
• It was just past eleven at night, but the malevolent aura in the hallway had grown stronger.
• "Penny, whose room is that? If we want to break the malevolent aura of the corridor water, the Feng Shui items in that room across from us are crucial! Can you take me inside?"
• "Here you go again with nonsense," Penny said dismissively, but she still glanced up at the room Ethan mentioned. "That is ... "
• "You better not even think about it!" A stern voice interrupted Penny. Leah walked over with an angry expression on her face.
• "I never thought you'd be this shameless, pretending to deceive my aunt. Where did you hear that is my room?"
• Suddenly, Leah felt like Ethan's arrival at their residence was planned.
• "I'm warning you, as long as I'm alive, you'll never set foot in my room!"
• After Leah finished speaking, she returned to her room. Penny shrugged and then suggested Ethan get some rest before leaving herself.
• Ethan smacked his forehead. Talking more now would only lead to more mistakes.
• Never mind!
• Back in his room, Ethan flopped onto the bed, eyeing his pile of belongings. He let out a sigh.
• Today feel like the longest day of my life.
• Aetherbliss was taken over, the Pure Lotus Array was ruined, kicked out of the mountain, and even got dumped.
• "Old man, I kept my end of the bargain with the engagement. They don't acknowledge it, don't blame me later!"
• Ethan said, digging out the ring the old man had given him from his belongings and playing with it.
• His master said it was the Ring of the Temple Master of the Pantheon Hall.
• Spotting a threaded section that could twist, he gave it a spin.
• Click!
• Buzz.
• With the threads locking into place, a sudden sound and an invisible surge of energy burst forth from Ethan, almost like he was sending out a signal to the outside world.
• Ethan jumped in surprise and sat up suddenly.
• But after waiting for a while, nothing happened.
• He stared at the ring for a long moment, but still, nothing happened.
• Ethan tossed it aside casually and then noticed seven photos of little girls in his luggage, each one a beauty in the making.
• As soon as he looked at the photos, he felt a pang of longing.
• "I miss you all so much ... "
• Having travelled with that old man for two and a half years, he had also searched for his seniors, but to no avail.
• However, his master once mentioned that his seventh senior's previous home was in Emberhold, the very city he was currently in.
• They had visited once before but didn't find his seventh senior then; he wondered if he could find her this time.
• Sniffling, Ethan carefully put the photos back.
• He couldn't help but think of his birth parents who had abandoned him in the snow nearly a hundred days after he was born.
• Hmph! They are nowhere near as good as my seniors. I'll never go looking for them in my life; I'll just consider them dead.
• With that thought, Ethan crossed his legs and began to meditate.
• He had become stronger than his master.
• Meditating at night and practising in the morning had become his habit. He never skipped a day!
• The cultivation technique he practised was called the "Infinite Technique."
• His master said he was the first person to succeed in the past thousand years. Many talented and extraordinary people could not compete with him
• He also said that as long as his Nine Suns Poison could be detoxed, this technique could help him ascend to immortality.
• Of course, Ethan had no way to verify if this was true.
• All he knew was that he owed his survival up to now to this technique.
• If he stopped practising, his condition would worsen instantly.
• As he cultivated, he absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy aggressively into his body.
• But practising revealed a stark reality. The spiritual energy in this city was too thin, and there was plenty of exhaust from cars.
• Looks like I'll need some medicinal pills to help with my cultivation. And considering my future father-in-law's condition, he'll also need the Flesh and Bones Elixir. Looks like I need to start looking for herbs to make this elixir.
• His future mother-in-law's family was known for their mastery of medicine.
• Knock knock!
• Just then, there was a knock on the door.
• "Ethan, come out with me."
• It was Leah!
• Ethan glanced at the time, puzzled, and opened the door. "Where are we going in the middle of the night? Don't you know it's not good to go out at two-thirty in the morning?"
• As he spoke, he noticed that Leah seemed off, not as energetic as during the day, and her gaze lacked its usual assertiveness.
• It seemed like she didn't dare to look at him.
• What's going on?
• "Stop talking and come with me," Leah said abruptly, walking ahead.
• Ethan raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. He simply followed her.
• They both got into the car, and Leah drove in silence.
• As the route became more and more remote, Ethan asked, "Where are we going?"
• Leah didn't answer and continued driving.
• After a while, they had already left the city, and the surroundings grew increasingly eerie.
• Ethan frowned. "Where exactly are we going?"
• Leah stayed quiet, her face looking troubled, like she was doing something that went against her conscience.
• Ethan frowned and grabbed the steering wheel firmly.