Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 243: Awakening of the Five Buds

Ethan had no idea that the clone he had painstakingly worked for had long been on Morzan's radar.

Back when he selected the class for his clone, he assumed he had complete control over the decision.

In reality, it was just because that old drunk Morzan had passed out after one too many drinks.

If Ethan knew that was the reason, he'd probably be cursing up a storm right now.

Not only had Morzan made the decision for his main class, but now he was meddling with his clone too.

After meditating, Ethan carefully reflected on the details of his previous battle.

This was the first time he had gained insight through combat. In the past, he had always crushed his opponents with brute force before they could even react properly.

That left him with nothing to analyze. But his fight with Leeroy after he transformed had been different—it had pushed him to grow.

Mostly because Leeroy, in his berserker state, had been strong. Strong enough to withstand eighty, maybe even ninety percent of Ethan's full power.

While Ethan focused on his insights, the Chase siblings didn't disturb him.

Leeroy, having exited his berserker state, was now utterly exhausted. Evelyn stayed close, busy helping him recover.

The only reason Leeroy had dared to transform and chase after Ryan in the first place was because Evelyn was there.

She could bring him back to sanity. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his younger brother's life. One wrong move, and he could've accidentally beaten Ryan to death—with no way to undo his mistake.

Time passed. By the time Ethan finally stirred, the sun had already risen above the clouds. A golden ray of sunlight fell across his face.

His eyes opened slowly, a flicker of light flashing within them.

For a brief instant, the Chase siblings had the eerie sensation that the world dimmed around them.

Evelyn frowned, studying Ethan closely. Her instincts told her something about him had changed. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Ethan's lips curled into a subtle smile. Only he understood what had shifted within him.

In Ethereal, reaching Level 45 meant stepping into what Evelyn had described to him as the stage of Nurturing Energy.

For once, Morzan had actually acted like a decent teacher.

Under Ethan's relentless interrogation (and judgmental comments), he had begrudgingly explained the intricacies of this new stage.

Energy nurturing was the art of taming Primal Essence. Some called it the Aura of Order.

The key of this stage lay in the principle of preservation.

Morzan had even gone on a philosophical tangent, breaking down the ancient meaning of the word "preserve"—something about safeguarding a sacred space within oneself.

Not the upper core of the mind. Not the lower core of raw energy. But the central core—the elusive, golden sanctuary within.

Throughout the night, Ethan had accelerated his internal Energy circulation flooding his mindscape with raw soul energy.

At the same time, he compressed the power within his body, forcing it through a non-existent energy core—channeling it downward like roots seeking nourishment.

The energy flowed up through the tree in his mindscape, while his soul's essence trickled down from the branches.

When the two forces met in the central core, they intertwined, cycling endlessly.

Something shifted.

A chemical reaction Ethan couldn't quite understand had begun.

On the tree's trunk, five tender sprouts emerged. These sprouts were the source of Ethan's transformation. As they grew, they extended toward the direction of his five internal organs. Though they hadn't reached them yet, Ethan instinctively knew that their destination was his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Perhaps, just like how the tree's crown pierced his Mindscape, these sprouts would eventually connect to his organs.

In the depths of the Chaos Realm, Morzan watched Ethan's reckless attempts and muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, sure. Keep screwing around. If you die… don't come crying to me."

But he made no move to stop him. Let the kid figure it out on his own.

Ethan had his own path to follow. Interfering too much would only box him into a set path. That was exactly why Morzan never intervened unless Ethan was at death's door.

Even then, he preferred not to. Ethan had to navigate his own journey himself, even life and death situations. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

However, when the five tender sprouts appeared, even Morzan who had been watching lazily was stunned. He bolted upright, his expression dark with shock.

'What the hell…?'

Not even he understood what mutation had just taken place within the Tree of Life. Because never—not once in the entirety of recorded history had it grown inside a living person before.

This was a first in countless eons.

And Ethan? The so-called 'Vessel,' the one whose physique would have been deemed unfit across every known realm?

Had done something considered to be impossible…

---

"Ethan, you're up. Let's move!" Evelyn stepped forward as soon as his eyes opened, studying them closely.

Ethan smiled. "Yeah."

The four of them set off, trekking along the mountain ridge. Hours passed without incident—four, maybe five.

Then, Leeroy suddenly stopped. He turned back, eyes sharp.

"We're close."

Ethan's heart pounded. Finally…

'Lyla… I'm coming.'

They pressed on for another half hour, during which they encountered a dozen or so unfamiliar faces.

Ethan knew exactly why. Everyone here was headed for the Silverwood territory.

No one knew each other, so they all kept their distance, maintaining a silent, cautious space between them.

Soon, the group arrived at the edge of a towering cliff. A single massive iron chain extended outward, disappearing into the endless sea of clouds below. It stretched for about ten meters before vanishing into the mist.

Beyond that? Nothing but the unknown.

The once silent peak had turned chaotic. A group of people blocked the path, stopping anyone from stepping onto the chain.

"If you're not paying, get lost!" One of them sneered, his nose held high as if he were some untouchable aristocrat.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" someone in the crowd snapped. "We're here for the Silverwood territory—what gives you the right to charge us?"

"Yeah! If you have a problem, go get someone from Silverwood to handle this!"

"Exactly! Let's see what the Silverwood family thinks about the house of Zane robbing people at their doorstep!"

The grumbling spread through the crowd—people weren't willing to cough up valuables so easily.

One of the Zane's enforcers smirked.

"Oh, please. You're all here for the wedding banquet, aren't you? Showing up empty-handed is an insult to both the Silverwood family and the house of Zane."

Someone in the crowd scoffed.

"We're here for the Silverwood heiress' wedding. What the hell does your family have to do with it?"

The Zane's enforcer's smirk widened into a sneer.

"You idiots really don't know? Our second young master, advanced to the Energy Refinement Stage. Think about it—do you really think this wedding has nothing to do with us?

The Silverwood heiress is marrying him. Keep running your mouths, and I'll cut out your tongues myself."

The mood shifted instantly.

The mere mention of the Energy Refinement Stage made the crowd go silent.

Some people even started reaching for their bags, preparing to pay up.

In the current supernatural world,

reaching Energy Refinement was enough to be considered an elite. Many family heads—people in their seventies or eighties, were still stuck at the Energy Nurturing stage.

Breaking past that barrier meant you were a once-in-a-generation prodigy.

And this wedding? The groom would be decided by raw strength.

Everyone knew it.

The tournament between the Noble Eight Lineages would determine the champion, and he would have the right to marry the Silverwood heiress.

Ethan clenched his fists.

"House of Zane" he muttered.

They had the audacity to lay a claim on his woman?