"Yes, may I?" Evan asked, glancing at the old man who was still sitting on the bench, leaning against the walls of his own home.
The old man, responding quickly, spoke gently with a slight smile still on his face. "Go ahead," he said, gesturing with his hand to indicate that Evan could enter. Without hesitation, Evan stepped into the house.
"Youth…" the old man spoke again. Evan, hearing these words, turned back toward the entrance and looked at him with curiosity in his eyes. "What is it?" he asked, his gaze showing a hint of intrigue at the sudden call.
The old man looked at Evan with one eye slightly open, then parted his lips to speak. "You don't have to ask for permission every time you want to come in... You can consider this house your second home," he stated, his words taking Evan slightly by surprise. But after a brief moment of processing what had just been said, Evan nodded in understanding and replied, "Alright… and thank you!" He bowed his head slightly with a gentle smile, his eyes glimmering with appreciation, though deep inside, he was still somewhat surprised by the old man's unexpected words.
"There's no need to thank me… Now off you go," the old man said, waving his hand in a shooing motion. Evan gave a slight nod before stepping further inside.
Upon entering, he found himself in a small hallway with four sliding doors. Three of them led to different rooms, while the fourth, positioned to the right, led to a room where Soren kept all his books.
Evan took a few steps forward, his feet lightly tapping against the wooden floor, until he stood before the simple sliding doors that lacked any intricate carvings or decorations. He extended his right hand and pushed the doors open.
Screech… Screech… The doors slid apart, revealing the familiar sight of the room beyond. At its center was a low wooden table surrounded by a few cushions, placed there for anyone wishing to sit and read.
Lining the walls were shelves, some built into the structure, others standing independently, all filled with an impressive collection of books. The variety was vast—histories, medical knowledge, and even texts on spiritual plants.
Evan had been here six times before and already had a general idea of where everything was. Seeing the room again brought a faint smile to his lips as he stepped inside. His steps carried him towards the farthest shelf in the room.
After a few quick strides, he reached the mounted shelf, where several interesting book titles caught his eye—The Five Great Sects, The Line of the Immortals: The History of the Great Cultivation Families, and Timeless Valoz.
These were books he had placed there himself after previously skimming through them, deciding they would be his next reads. Standing before the shelf, Evan pondered for a moment, considering which one to start with. After a brief moment of deliberation, he reached out and picked up Timeless Valoz. With the book now in his grasp, he turned toward the low table and, without wasting a moment, sat down, flipping it open. A subtle smile graced his face.
"Well then… let's begin, shall we?" he murmured before diving into the text.
..........
15 minutes later
Evan was still reading, his eyes swiftly scanning each line of the page. However, as he reached the final words, he suddenly closed the book and stood up, pushing himself off the cushion. Without hesitation, he turned toward the bookshelf where the remaining books awaited.
Approaching the shelf, he grabbed both remaining books at once, then returned to the low table. Sitting back down, he opened one of them and resumed his reading.
...........
40 minutes later
Leaning against the table with his head propped up on one hand, Evan lazily flipped through the pages of his book. His face bore a relaxed expression, though his mind was actively absorbing the information.
"The Line of the Immortals: The History of the Great Cultivation Families…" he muttered under his breath. "Hmmm… A book so dull it could bore someone to death… yet, I must admit, some of the information within is rather interesting."
His gaze drifted toward the book—a volume with a light-colored cover detailing the great families that had shaped the world. Letting out a soft sigh, a faint smile appeared on his lips, though there was still a lingering reluctance in his eyes toward the text.
Reaching out, he picked up the book he had just been reading, flipping through its pages once again. "No matter how I look at it… I can't help but feel both disgusted and fascinated by the actions of these great families over the centuries. There have always been ten of them… but their positions and names have shifted due to various factors… the most significant being their constant struggles for dominance."
He exhaled a deep sigh, shaking his head slightly. "Haaa… Though, from what I've read… not a single family has fallen or risen in rank for the past five hundred years… It might seem like a long time for ordinary people, but for cultivator families, five hundred years is merely a fraction of their existence. Their power can rival that of entire kingdoms, empires… even dynasties."
Setting the book aside, Evan reached for the next one.
"The Five Great Sects…" he read aloud, running a finger across the book's cover. "As the title suggests, this book covers the history of the great sects… established by certain individuals… who eventually began recruiting members, turning them into powerful organizations. However… from what I've gathered, the Five Great Sects have remained nearly unchanged for ten thousand years. The last time a sect fell and was replaced by a new one… was that long ago. And even that new sect has now existed for an unfathomably long time… Their records stretch back fifty thousand years…"
A look of astonishment flickered across Evan's face as he took in this information, marveling at how long cultivators could live. His eyes gleamed for a brief moment before he continued.
"Hmmm… There are five in total… and each one resides on a different continent. As for the continent I'm currently on… It houses one of these sects. A sect located within the Th'el Empire… The Serene Cloud Pavilion… A sect where only women are accepted… Its leader—or rather, its Sect Mistress—is a woman named Grace De Lumier. She is said to be the most beautiful woman to have ever lived… I'd like to see her in person," he mused, a hint of admiration in his voice.
But then, a realization hit him.
"Although… she's over four thousand years old…" Evan murmured, his voice tinged with uncertainty. He wasn't even sure about his own preferences—did he like older women or younger ones? In this world, it probably didn't matter much.
"Ahem," he coughed lightly, clearing his throat, a faint blush creeping onto his face. After all, in his past life, he had never been in a relationship.
"Anyway… moving on. The remaining sects are the Mystic Tide Sect, the Phoenix Tear Sect, the Abyssal Order Sect, and the Iron Heart Sect… That makes five in total… It's strange how most of them are located near seas or oceans," he noted before closing the book and grabbing the last one.
"Hmhmhm… This book… contains a map of the world… with some important locations marked," he muttered, flipping through the pages. "Before, I had no idea what the continents looked like, but now I can see them clearly. And the island I've been living on… isn't really an island. Judging by its size, it's about as large as the smallest continent back on Earth… Haaa… This planet is truly enormous," he whispered, still awed by its vastness.
With that, Evan gathered the books and returned them to their proper places before stepping out of the room. As he did, he noticed that one of the doors was open.
Curious, he approached and saw the old Soren sitting at a low table, sipping tea.
Seeing him, Evan stepped closer and asked, "May I join you?"
The old man looked up at him, a warm smile forming on his face. "Of course," he replied.
.........
Following the vast array of buildings and the mass of people walking through the streets—all moving in the same direction, toward a structure that appeared to be the central hub of this enormous city. Yet, despite its immense size, this place was not a city but a sect—one known as the Abyssal Order Sect.
Inside the grand structure, long corridors stretched endlessly, illuminated only by large lanterns containing flickering candle flames. In one of these dimly lit hallways, a lone figure moved with purpose—a man whose steps were firm and swift.
'Tap…'
'Tap…'
His every step echoed through the corridor as he advanced toward a set of doors at the far end. His face was calm, framed by jet-black hair, and his deep blue eyes carried the serene yet unfathomable shade of the ocean. Despite the visible signs of age on his face, giving away the presence of faint wrinkles, his features remained undeniably handsome.
'Tap…'
'Tap…'
Step by step, he continued forward, nearing the ornate doors. Carved into the wood were ancient symbols—intricate engravings of flames that seemed almost alive in the dim candlelight.
At last, he arrived. Without hesitation, he extended his hand, pushing the doors open.
Inside, three figures sat in silence, positioned on cushions around a low table. The room itself was unadorned, save for the elaborate flame engravings that adorned each wall and a massive depiction of a blazing sun carved into the ceiling.
Hearing the creak of the opening doors, the three figures turned their heads toward the newcomer, their lips curling into knowing smiles. One of them, a man, was the first to break the silence.
"You're finally here… Was something holding you back?" he asked with a faint smirk.
The man who had just entered did not respond. Instead, he merely took a few steps forward and lowered himself onto a cushion at the table. The others watched his movements carefully, their expressions unreadable, revealing nothing of their thoughts.
Moments passed in silence until one of the remaining two figures—a woman—finally spoke.
Her face was composed, her tone cold and measured.
"Now that we're all gathered, we can begin this meeting… regarding that filthy wench, Grace De Lumier."
At the mere mention of the name, her expression twisted with barely contained fury, and her eyes burned with pure hatred.
.
.
.
[A/N:
Hey everyone... I know that two chapters were supposed to be released yesterday, but I didn't want to give you a chapter that felt forced, so I decided not to post it. However, today, there should be an extra chapter to make up for Wednesday's absence.
I also hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don't forget to add the book to your library and consider leaving a small Power Stone to support me—it really helps!
One more thing… this book will remain completely free, as it's the first one I'm taking seriously.
That's all for now—have a great day!]