Chapter 272 He Did It

Chapter 272

Aldrich was the first one to make a move.

The instant he sensed that powerful aura spreading across the Von Aurelian Family Island, he vanished from where he stood. Caelan followed without hesitation, and the two of them crossed the distance in a fraction of a second, proving just how monsterous their speeds were.

By the time they arrived, the blue pillar had already swallowed the entire training area. They both watched as dark blue lightning crackled within its brilliant depths, snapping through the air in many thick, powerful arcs that briefly illuminated the surrounding landscape.

The overwhelming force from the breakthrough made the ground tremble beneath their feet, and the force coming from the center of the light was so overwhelming that even Caelan instinctively slowed his own approach.

Neither man could clearly see the person standing inside the pillar. The blue radiance was too intense, and secondly the waves of Primordial Essence rolling outward distorted everything behind them. However, they did not need to see the figure to recognize who it could be currently breaking through.

Caelan’s eyes widened.

"Father, this Primordial Essence... It feels like Jade’s!"

Aldrich did not answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the pillar, and his expression, usually as steady as an ancient mountain, and calm as the sea had become unusually serious.

"it seems so"

Caelan swallowed, still struggling to accept what his senses were telling him.

"But.... But that should be impossible, shouldn’t it? I mean, she only recently reached the Ascendant Realm not too long ago. How could she already be breaking through to Master? It should have taken a few years at least."

It was a fairly understandable reaction because this was not merely a matter of talent. The Master Realm was a barrier that countless Awakened spent their entire lives trying to cross, and only a tiny number ever succeeded. Even among the most gifted individuals, the difference between Ascendant and Master could prove impossible to overcome.

Yes talent might open the door, but it could not guarantee that someone would survive the process of stepping through it.

And Jade was still so young.

Aldrich understood his son’s disbelief because he shared it. He had lived long enough to witness the rise of geniuses whose names became legends, and he knew exactly how rare a breakthrough of this level was. The fastest person ever recorded to reach the Master Realm had accomplished the feat at twenty-six years old. That achievement had shocked the entire Awakened world, earning the young genius attention, respect, and no small amount of envy.

For years, that record had stood as a measure of what exceptional talent could achieve. Now, while watching this blue pillar consume the training ground, Aldrich wondered whether his granddaughter was about to shatter that record.

If this really was Jade’s breakthrough, she would enter the Master Realm at an age younger than the previous record holder. She would not merely be considered talented anymore. She would become a once-in-a-generation genius, someone whose future could change the standing of the entire Von Aurelian family.

If Aldrich knew that Alex was the reason behind all of this, his astonishment would have been even greater. In fact, after recovering from the shock, the old fox might have started thinking about countless ways to introduce Alex to some of his other unmarried Awakened granddaughters and even a few of his great-granddaughters. A young man capable of helping people break through to Master would be more valuable than any ordinary treasure, and Aldrich was not the sort of man who would ignore such an opportunity.

But of course, he did not know that yet.

As the blue pillar continued to roar, Aldrich’s expression slowly changed. Surprise gave way to thought, and thought soon became calculation. His eyes gleamed with the sharp light of an old fox who had suddenly spotted an opportunity large enough to reshape the future of his family.

If Jade truly reached the Master Realm, the Von Aurelian family would have three Master Realm Awakened when counting himself and his son. That would restore the balance of power back to how it had always been.

Lately, House of Blumonté had long since held an advantage over them, and that imbalance had forced the Von Aurelians to act with greater caution than Aldrich liked. Their family remained powerful, but at their levels power was not measured by wealth or reputation alone. At the highest levels, the number of Master Realm Awakened could determine which family had the freedom to act and which one had to consider the consequences first.

With Jade’s breakthrough, the scales would shift.

"Good. Good good! What a good granddaughter I have. With her now becoming a Master, I dare to say the scales between our family and the House of Blumonté will once again tip into balance."

Though his words were calm, but there was unmistakable satisfaction beneath them. If Jade succeeded, she would not only secure her own future but also strengthen the position of everyone who carried the Von Aurelian name. The man had never been sentimental enough to confuse affection with strategy, yet he genuinely wanted his granddaughter to rise. She had worked hard, and if she had finally reached this point, then she had earned every bit of the recognition that would follow.

The tremors continued for several more moments before gradually losing their force. The lightning inside the pillar slowed, and the brilliant blue radiance began to contract toward its center. The pressure that had once filled the island eased little by little, allowing the trees to stop shaking and the loose stones to settle against the ground.

At long last, the pillar gradually faded away.

The training ground was revealed beneath the clearing light, and Jade stood at its center.

For a moment, neither Aldrich nor Caelan spoke. The young woman at this very minute seemed almost unreal, as though a goddess had just descended from the sky and chosen to stand among ordinary mortals.

Her long hair stirred in the fading currents of energy, while the last traces of blue lightning slipped across her shoulders before disappearing into her body. Her ocean-blue eyes were bright and sharp, carrying a depth that had not been there before.

Jade slowly raised both hands and stared at her palms.

She could feel the change in every part of herself. The Primordial Essence within her had become denser, more obedient, and far more powerful. Even the air seemed different now, as though she had gained the ability to sense things that had once existed beyond the reach of her perception. She had imagined reaching this realm many times, but the reality was so overwhelming that she needed a moment to believe it.

"He did it," she whispered.

Then she repeated the words, this time with greater certainty. "He really did it."

The memory of Alex crossed her mind, and the shock in her eyes softened. A rare smile appeared on her pristine, drop-dead gorgeous face, transforming her usual cold beauty into something warmer and unexpectedly radiant.

Caelan saw that smile and raised an eyebrow. He had known Jade for years, and he could count on one hand the number of times she had smiled like that. Whatever had happened, it was clearly connected to the person she had just mentioned.

But he filed that detail away for later.

For now, he stepped forward, his expression returning to its usual composed state, although the satisfaction in his eyes was difficult to hide.

"Jade, how are you feeling?"

Jade looked up at him, then at her grandfather, who was still staring at her as though he expected her to disappear. She flexed her fingers once more before answering.

"i feel stronger. Much more stronger than before."

Caelan let out a slow breath.

"You just broke through to Master Realm, and that’s all you have to say?"

Jade glanced at him, her smile fading into a familiar, cool expression. "hmm. If there’s nothing now I’ll be taking my leave to see elder sister."

"Alright you can go."

Aldrich chuckled softly. Even now, she had not lost her composure. However, he could see the new power radiating from her, and he knew that the world would soon hear about what had happened on Von Aurelian Island. Their family would need to prepare for the attention and the opportunities that would follow.

Far away in the Mountains, Alex watched the three distant pillars begin to fade. The tremors finally subsided, and the forest slowly returned to its former quiet, although the clearing around him remained marred by the destruction caused by his own breakthrough.

He studied the sky with narrowed eyes. Judging by the timing, the other breakthroughs should have finished by now. The fact that several people had reached the Master Realm on the same day was bound to cause a stir, especially among the Awakened who understood how rare such an achievement was.

"Looks like today is going to be remembered for a long time," he muttered.

His thoughts returned to the system. He had ignored the notifications while watching the pillars, and he was now curious to see exactly how much his attributes had changed. The increase in strength was already obvious, but he needed to know what had happened to his skill stats.

Still, whatever the panel revealed, he would study it before returning to the city. Moreover after all this he still has to visit Doris and Celine, then after that he’d definitely go shopping for a new house since George had so generously been responsible for the pitiful state of his old one.

"System, show me my panel."