The air in Silverwood Prefecture was damp, carrying the earthy scent of rain-soaked flagstones. Wet lanterns hung from the eaves of the street-side shops, their halos blurring into pools of warm yellow on the wet ground. Unlike the wild wind of The Gryphon's Roost Mountains, which smelled of pine needles and blood, the air here was mundane, a mixture of steam from food stalls, the scent of horse feed, and the faint odor of the crowd.
Valerius Caedo led the horse, his steps silent. His dusty linen clothes blended in perfectly with the hurried merchants and porters around him, making him completely inconspicuous. He turned his head slightly, his voice so low it was like the wind slipping through a crack in the carriage curtain. "My Lord, the food vendor across the street has wiped his clean pot seventeen times in the last fifteen minutes, but his eyes have never left us. And those two porters taking shelter under the eaves—the soles of their shoes are clean enough to see a reflection in, yet their knuckles are thicker than a typical swordsman's."
Finn sat on the driver's bench, his gaze fixed calmly on the magnificent building ahead—The Grand Qian Bank. It lacked the hustle and bustle of ordinary shops. Its facade was made of a single piece of dark ebony carved with simple, elegant patterns. Two stone lions guarded the entrance, polished to a gleam by the rain, exuding an inviolable authority. As if he hadn't heard Caedo's warning, he simply adjusted his slightly damp collar and jumped gracefully from the carriage.
"Wait for me here."
He turned and nodded to Isolde, who peeked out from the carriage. One behind the other, they walked up the bank's steps, meeting the scrutinizing and greedy gazes hidden among the city's crowds.
The heavy wooden door swung open without a sound, releasing a dry wave of air that smelled of old ink and copper coins. The light inside the bank was soft. Rows of tall counters separated the interior, and several clerks in respectable robes moved their fingers rapidly across abacuses, producing a crisp, clicking sound. A hale, white-haired old man emerged from the inner hall. He wore a dark violet brocade robe and walked with a steady gait. His eyes seemed cloudy, but the moment they landed on Isolde, a sharp glint flashed within them, gone in an instant.
His aura was as deep and steady as a mountain. He was, shockingly, a Mortal Peak expert.
"The young lady of House Vance?" the manager's voice was gentle, yet it carried the deep-seated calm of someone long in a position of power. "It has been a while. However... for you to come at this time, I fear it is not very peaceful outside."
His gaze swept vaguely towards the window, the meaning clear.
Isolde's lips moved, the last trace of color draining from her face. She took a simple, antique starstone pendant from her robes and placed it trembling on the counter.
"I... am here to retrieve something."
The manager's eyes narrowed slightly. He nodded without another question, took the pendant, examined it for a moment, and turned back to the inner hall. Soon, two burly guards emerged, carrying a heavy iron-bound wooden chest that was nearly half a man tall. It landed on the floor with a dull thud, heavy enough to make the stone floor tremble.
The manager himself carried a small, palm-sized rosewood box and placed it on top of the chest.
"My lady, as agreed, here are one hundred thousand gold coins, not a single one missing. And... this."
Isolde didn't even glance at the chest of gold. She picked up the rosewood box, held it with both hands, and turned to present it to Finn. Her eyes were hollow, as if she were completing a task that had nothing to do with her. "This... is the fragment of the treasure map."
Then, she pointed to the massive iron chest. "And this. It is all yours. My... transaction is complete."
Finn nodded, wasting no time on pleasantries. He grabbed the copper ring on the chest with one hand. The chest, which weighed at least a thousand pounds, seemed as light as a common piece of luggage in his grasp as he lifted it with ease.
Under the manager's slightly astonished gaze, Finn, carrying the heavy chest, and Isolde, holding the wooden box, walked calmly out of The Grand Qian Bank.
The moment they re-boarded the carriage and the chest of gold was placed heavily on the floorboards, the hidden gazes from street corners, teahouses, and behind market stalls instantly grew feverish, like hungry wolves spotting a stray lamb.
The curtain fell, shutting out all prying eyes.
Inside, the carriage was dim and cramped. Without a moment's hesitation, without even opening the box containing the map, Finn pressed his palm against the cold iron lid of the chest and issued a silent command.
"Deposit all."
BZZT—
The chest, so heavy it made the carriage axle sag, along with the mountain of gold coins inside, instantly dissolved into a shower of light and vanished without a trace.
[Gold deposit successful. Current balance: 100,000.]
[You have received 1,000 basic draws.]
Finn's thoughts moved like lightning.
"Synthesize 100 medium-tier draws!"
[Synthesis successful.]
"Synthesize 6 advanced-tier draws!"
[Synthesis successful.]
His consciousness was instantly pulled into an unprecedented space. It was no longer a simple white or blue wheel, but a vast screen of light as deep and profound as the starry cosmos. Countless stars flowed across it, but two clusters of light were the most brilliant, as if they were the rulers of this celestial expanse.
One was an incandescent orange glow, so fierce it seemed capable of incinerating all of creation. The light coalesced into the form of a murderous battle blade, beside which was a line of incomparably domineering text:
[Peerless Blade Art: The Eightfold Path of the Asura Blade (Orange)]
The other was a noble and mysterious purple halo, within which twilight seemed to flow and stars were born and died.
[Supreme Aura Art: The Violet Twilight Force (Purple)]
For a split second, Finn's breath caught in his chest.
Without hesitation, he wagered all his hopes on this single bet.
"Six-pull!"
The cosmic wheel spun wildly, shaking his entire consciousness! The orange and purple radiances intertwined, becoming a torrent that swept over everything, instantly engulfing his mind!
[Congratulations! You have obtained: The Eightfold Path of the Asura Blade (Orange)]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: The Violet Twilight Force (Purple)]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: The Indestructible War-Form (Purple)]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: The Sylphstrider Boots (Purple)]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: The Font of Life x 3 (Blue)]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: The Spatial Ring (Blue)]
"Extract all!"
BOOM—!!!
A cataclysmic torrent of energy, impossible to describe with words, burst forth from the void and brutally flooded Finn's entire body! This was no longer a stream or a river; it was the entire ocean of stars pouring into his mortal vessel!
At the point of his Ancestral Aperture between his brows, the indestructible barrier that separated Mortal from Champion was as fragile as a sheet of paper before this power. With a soft pop, it was forcefully shattered!
The Ambient Energy of the world, as if finding an outlet, formed a visible vortex of pure light that surged madly into the carriage and into Finn's body!
Within him, a world-altering transformation was taking place. One, two, ten, twenty... a total of twenty-three Nodes of Power ignited along his energy channels like stars, forming an unprecedented, brilliant constellation within him!
One step to the heavens, he had reached the Champion realm!
BOOM!
A titanic wave of energy erupted with the carriage at its center! The entire vehicle was instantly torn to shreds. The horse pulling it let out a pained cry as it was thrown through the air. The surrounding flagstones cracked and splintered, spiderweb-like fissures spreading in all directions. The pedestrians and vendors on the street were all slammed to their knees by the sudden, immense pressure. Those with weaker cultivation even coughed up blood, staring in horror at the epicenter of the storm.
As the dust settled, Finn's figure floated silently in mid-air. His clothes billowed without wind, his black hair danced wildly, and within his eyes, an eerie violet light and a domineering crimson glow swirled together, making him look like a god and a demon combined.
In that instant, the horrified gazes of every martial artist in Silverwood Prefecture were fixed on this spot.
On a high tower in the eastern part of the city, an old man in the lavish robes of an elder violently threw open his window. As he felt that nascent yet unbelievably tyrannical Champion aura, his face turned incomparably ugly.
He recognized the wreckage of the carriage.
"Not good!" A murderous glint flashed in Elder Horace's eyes. "This boy must not be allowed to live! Kill him before his realm stabilizes!"
Before the words had even faded, he had transformed into a streak of light, shooting towards Finn's location