A full week passed peacefully within Kael's estate.
The Spirit Absorption Formation continued operating day and night, drawing immense quantities of spiritual qi from the surrounding spiritual vein.
When Brown finally emerged from cultivation, everyone immediately sensed the difference.
Even Brown himself appeared surprised.
As the Undead Supreme Monarch, he had expected the spirit qi to stabilize his condition.
Instead, something far stranger had occurred.
The pure spiritual energy had gradually transformed his soul itself.
Though he remained an undead monarch, his soul now possessed the purity of a high-grade spirit being.
His transformation abilities became significantly more stable, and for the first time since entering Inter-Galaxy, he could maintain any disguise indefinitely without exhausting his energy reserves.
Brown stood silently for a long moment before laughing.
"So instead of killing me, this world upgraded me."
Kael simply shook his head.
Only Brown could treat a life-threatening condition so casually.
Meanwhile, the Jin Family had become increasingly persistent.
Almost every day, gifts arrived at the estate.
Rare herbs.
Cultivation manuals.
Spirit fruits.
Formation materials.
Even expensive spirit wine.
The Jin Family clearly hoped to form an alliance with the mysterious cultivator living near Backwater Town.
Yet Kael rejected every attempt politely.
He had no desire to interfere too deeply with this world.
After all, he only intended to remain in Inter-Galaxy for one year before continuing his journey.
Unfortunately, the Jin Family interpreted every refusal as evidence that Kael was an even greater expert than they had imagined.
Far beyond Backwater Town, the cultivation world remained as turbulent as ever.
The Heavenly Lotus Sect valued righteousness and discipline but suffered from internal conflict between conservative elders and ambitious younger disciples.
The Black Moon Sect openly pursued power at any cost, creating frequent betrayals among its own members.
The Jade Phoenix Sect appeared harmonious on the surface, yet several elder factions secretly competed for leadership.
The Crimson Spear Pavilion focused solely on martial strength, where internal challenges often determined status.
Meanwhile, the Nine River Alliance struggled against corruption as resource-hungry officials diverted cultivation resources for personal gain.
Greed was an unavoidable part of cultivation.
Spirit stones.
Ancient inheritances.
Rare herbs.
Hidden realms.
Countless cultivators killed and died pursuing greater power.
Even noble families were no different.
Recently, tensions between the Jin Family and the Zhao Family had escalated dramatically.
Both sides claimed ownership of a newly discovered spirit crystal mine beneath Azure Cloud Province.
Several cultivators had already died over the dispute.
Rumors suggested an even larger conflict was approaching.
One morning, while training within the estate gardens, Kael suddenly received another system notification.
Ding!
Emergency Mission Activated.
Objective:
Assist the Jin Family against hostile noble forces threatening Backwater Town.
Mission Rank:
SSS
Rewards:
Unknown
Kael stared at the screen.
Then stared again.
And again.
"...System."
The system remained silent.
"Is this an error?"
No response.
"Have you been hacked?"
The system remained completely speechless.
For the first time in a long while, Kael felt suspicious of his own system.
Shaking his head, he continued through the estate.
Nearby, Queen Seraphel was conducting lessons.
The twelve spirits sat obediently before her.
The elegant Spirit Queen lectured them on spirit magic and spiritual energy manipulation.
Unfortunately, none of the spirits achieved any success.
"Focus," Seraphel instructed.
"We are focusing," replied Whispering Widow.
"Then why is nothing happening?" Seraphel asked.
"Because we're ghosts."
The entire group nodded in agreement.
Seraphel's eye twitched.
Across the courtyard, Brown sat inside a small teahouse reading an ancient cultivation book while casually drinking tea.
The contrast between the two scenes nearly made Kael laugh.
Gathering everyone together, he explained the new mission.
The moment Brown and Seraphel heard that the mission involved the Jin Family, both immediately agreed to accompany him.
A few hours later, they arrived at the Jin Family Estate.
The estate occupied nearly an entire district.
Powerful defensive formations protected the grounds while spirit trees lined the pathways.
Upon learning that the mysterious master had personally arrived, the Jin Family Patriarch, Jin Seong-Hwan, was shocked.
Without hesitation, he summoned the elders from every major branch of the family.
Within minutes, important figures began gathering.
Grand Elder Jin Tae-Wook.
Elder Jin Mei-Ran.
Elder Jin Kwan-Su.
Elder Jin Hye-Jin.
Elder Jin Seok-Min.
All of them wished to discover why the mysterious expert had finally accepted an audience.
When Kael entered the main hall, he was surprised to find so many elderly cultivators waiting.
Following proper etiquette, he greeted everyone respectfully.
However, something immediately seemed wrong.
Several elders looked pale.
Some were sweating.
Others appeared barely conscious.
Kael frowned.
"What happened?"
Before anyone else could answer, Patriarch Jin Seong-Hwan forced a bitter smile.
"Master Kael..."
"We are not injured."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Then why do all of you look like you're dying?"
The entire hall became silent.
Finally, Jin Seong-Hwan answered.
"Your aura is too powerful."
The room fell quiet.
"Our cultivation bases are continuously burning spiritual energy simply to remain conscious in your presence."
Several elders nodded weakly.
One elder nearly fainted.
Another was secretly consuming spirit pills beneath the table.
Kael stood frozen.
For a moment, even he did not know what to say.
He had unconsciously suppressed his aura since arriving in Inter-Galaxy.
Yet the tiny amount leaking from his body was apparently enough to overwhelm some of the strongest members of the Jin Family.
The realization left the entire hall staring at him with growing fear and respect.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Kael began to understand just how terrifying his true strength might appear to ordinary cultivators.