Chapter 173: Arrival In Groundcrest

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Arrival In Groundcrest

Source Stone

Grade: Low Grade

Effect: Contains a vast quantity of gentle energy without any specific attribute. The energy can be absorbed and refined by the user to improve their cultivation.

The description was straightforward, but Xavier could already see its potential.

"Source Stones contain even more energy than top-grade spirit stones, and their energy is neutral. That should make them useful to almost any cultivator."

He decided to keep them for the time being and test their effects when he had a suitable opportunity.

As for the remaining rewards, most of them weren’t particularly exciting to him. The seventh-grade Great Enlightenment Pill was still worth keeping, but the other returned resources were fairly ordinary by his current standards.

Still, this investment had been quite worthwhile.

Not only had he obtained several valuable pills and a new Source Stone, but his mastery of Ghost Shadow Flash had also advanced dramatically.

Xavier glanced at Maya, who was carefully holding the resources he had given her, and felt satisfied.

His disciple’s cultivation was progressing, and his own strength had benefited from the investment. It was a good result for both of them.

"Mr. X, I have to admit that you’re much stronger than I expected. Even without relying on your sword techniques, you still managed to defeat me!"

Victoria Quill looked at Xavier with a mixture of admiration and helplessness.

Xavier smiled.

"General Quill, you’re underestimating yourself. Your mastery of the Law of Time is already quite impressive. Give yourself a little more time to develop it, and I might not be able to keep up with you."

"That’s enough. Your cultivation advances at an absurd speed. There’s simply no point comparing myself to you!"

Victoria shook her head.

"Hahaha! I’ve just had a few fortunate encounters. There’s no need to be jealous."

The exchange took place behind the Extraordinary Department, in the same secluded area where Victoria had previously undergone her breakthrough to the Divine Power Realm and survived her Heavenly Tribulation.

Night had settled over the surroundings, and a sparring match had just come to an end.

Victoria stood opposite Xavier, looking slightly tired after their exchange.

Earlier that evening, after Maya had gone to the neighboring room to cultivate with Mira, Victoria and Liam had approached Xavier and suggested having a few practice matches. They had also wanted to test how much their abilities had improved.

At first, they considered going to Destiny Space. Its special rules made it an ideal place for combat. Even if a battle became dangerous, there was little risk of anyone suffering permanent harm.

However, Xavier rejected the suggestion.

They had gone to Destiny Space the previous day to fight for rewards and resources. There was no reason to return just to entertain the other martial artists with friendly sparring matches.

Besides, he still had Mira and Maya to consider. If the three of them entered Destiny Space, who would remain behind to protect the two women?

In the end, they settled on the secluded area behind the Extraordinary Department.

Before facing Victoria, Xavier had already sparred with Liam twice. His strength had improved tremendously since their previous encounter, so those matches had been much easier for him than they would have been the day before.

Now, his second sparring session with Victoria had also ended.

Unlike his earlier battle with Liam, Xavier had barely used the Phantom God-Slaying Sword Technique. Instead, he relied mainly on his lightning abilities and incredible movement speed.

Victoria’s Law of Time was particularly troublesome.

She had developed a domain that could slow down the passage of time within a certain area. Anyone caught inside would find their movements greatly restricted, while Victoria herself could move without being affected.

Against most opponents, this ability would give her an overwhelming advantage.

Unfortunately, Xavier was simply too fast.

He combined his natural speed enhancement with Ghost Shadow Flash, pushing his movement speed to an astonishing level. Even when Victoria activated her time-slowing domain, she couldn’t completely suppress him.

The difference in their speed was still too great.

Xavier also used his lightning abilities to attack her repeatedly. Each strike sent powerful electrical currents through her body, leaving her scalp tingling and her movements unsteady.

After being struck more than ten times, Victoria finally admitted defeat.

Compared with Liam, who had reached the Divine Power Realm much earlier, Victoria was still relatively inexperienced. She had only recently completed her breakthrough, so the overall strength she could display was naturally lower.

However, her potential was considerable.

Once she became more familiar with her new realm and developed the Law of Time further, her combat strength could eventually catch up with Liam’s or even surpass it.

After catching her breath, Victoria glanced at the sky. It was getting late, and midnight was approaching.

Xavier noticed her expression and spoke first.

"It’s getting late. I should head back and get some rest. Are you planning to spar with Liam next? If you are, I can stay here at the Extraordinary Department to keep an eye on things."

Liam had been watching their fight with obvious interest. He looked as though he still wanted another round.

Although his enthusiasm for combat wasn’t quite as extreme as Liam’s, Xavier could tell that Victoria was just as eager to test her limits.

It was no surprise that both of them had reached the Star Sea Realm at such young ages. Their talent was certainly exceptional, but their dedication to cultivation was equally impressive.

Victoria shook her head.

"There’s no need. Whenever Liam and I fight, I tend to get carried away. Things can become dangerous before either of us realizes it. We’ll have another match in Destiny Space when the opportunity comes."

Xavier nodded.

"Alright. Get some rest, then. I’ll see you tomorrow."

He had no reason to stay any longer.

Tomorrow morning, at eight o’clock, they were scheduled to leave Valemont for Groundcrest to visit the Shelby Family.

Once Maya’s family matters were settled, they would continue with their original plan and travel to the Tree Demon’s territory.

Xavier wasn’t sure how long the entire journey would take. He therefore wanted to get enough sleep before setting off.

After saying goodbye to Victoria, he left the area.

Mira had decided to spend the night at the Extraordinary Department to keep her mother, Diane Sinclair, company.

With his wife staying elsewhere, Xavier returned to his room and went straight to bed.

He slept soundly throughout the night and woke up the following morning feeling completely refreshed.

After taking care of his breakfast, he received a call from Mira.

"Honey, I’ve decided to leave Valemont with Mr. X."

Her voice carried a hint of reluctance. She was clearly not looking forward to being separated from him, even if the journey was necessary.

"While I’m away, make sure you take good care of yourself. If anything happens, contact my mother, Vice Principal Johnny, or Minister Samuel. Don’t try to handle everything alone."

She paused before adding another instruction.

"And most importantly, don’t forget to miss me!"

Xavier chuckled.

Mira wasn’t finished, though.

"There’s one more thing. Don’t get too close to other women, especially Evelyn Hart. I’ll be checking on you when I return. If I find out you’ve been getting too friendly with anyone..."

She let the sentence trail off, but the warning in her voice was unmistakable.

Xavier couldn’t help smiling.

He was touched by her concern, although he also found her possessiveness rather amusing.

He reassured her that he would take care of himself and reminded her to remain cautious during the journey.

He also brought up Lydia and Snow.

"If those two run out of chaotic energy, just ask Mr. X for more. Don’t let them go hungry."

Recently, the two creatures had been consuming so much energy that they often slept for three to five days after each feeding.

The last time Xavier had given them chaotic energy was the night before yesterday. Based on their usual pattern, they should wake up the day after tomorrow, or possibly the following day.

After reminding Mira about a few other things, he finally ended the call.

However, before he could put the phone away, another call came in.

It was from Maya.

"Master, Uncle Liam told me that you’ll be going to the Shelby Family with us. Is that true?"

Her voice sounded cheerful.

"That’s wonderful! Master, you always say you’re busy, but what exactly are you busy doing? I haven’t seen you for several days. I really miss you!"

Compared with Mira’s lengthy farewell, Maya’s words were much gentler.

At least she hadn’t threatened to investigate his behavior when she returned.

Xavier smiled and comforted her.

"Don’t worry. I’ll be going with you, and I’ll make sure nothing happens to you. Even when I’m not around, I’ll keep an eye on you from the shadows."

He continued reassuring her until she felt better, then ended the call.

After putting his phone down, Xavier leaned back and let out a long sigh.

"Maintaining three different identities is exhausting."

He had to keep track of his real identity as Xavier, his Destiny Space identity as Major, and his cover identity as Graham Cole.

The constant switching was becoming increasingly troublesome.

"I need to advance to the Divine Power Realm as soon as possible. Better still, I should reach the Venerable Realm. Once I’m strong enough that nobody can threaten me, I can finally stop going through all this trouble."

He shook his head and prepared to leave.

Breakfast was already over, and it was time to meet the others.

Xavier smoothly transformed into Mr. X’s appearance, activated his Space Rune Armor, and teleported directly to the rooftop of the Extraordinary Department building.

It was exactly eight o’clock.

Everyone was ready to depart.

This was Xavier’s first time leaving Valemont.

He had expected to travel by car or perhaps take a high-speed train. Instead, Liam had brought something far more interesting.

A flying boat.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary wooden fishing boat. It was not particularly impressive, and its size was just enough to accommodate the five people traveling together.

However, its appearance was misleading.

According to Liam, the flying boat had been crafted by a master blacksmith from the Shelby Family. A miniature defensive formation had been built into its structure.

This formation protected everyone inside from the strong winds, freezing temperatures, and air resistance they would otherwise encounter while flying at high speeds.

It was a rather ingenious piece of equipment.

Xavier examined it with interest.

He couldn’t help feeling a little envious.

If he had the opportunity, he would definitely get one for himself. A flying boat like this was far more convenient than flying through the air with his own abilities or relying on ordinary transportation.

For long journeys, it could save him a considerable amount of energy while allowing him to travel comfortably.

The Shelby Family’s flying boat was also remarkably fast.

Under normal conditions, it could reach approximately one thousand kilometers per hour. Liam had used it to travel from Silverlake City to Valemont the previous day, completing the journey in just one day.

With five people aboard, however, the return trip was somewhat slower.

Even so, it could still maintain a speed of more than seven hundred kilometers per hour.

The group settled into the boat, and Liam took control of their journey.

Before long, the flying boat rose into the sky and headed toward Groundcrest.

The scenery below gradually changed as they crossed vast stretches of land. Xavier spent part of the journey examining the flying boat and considering how he might obtain a similar means of transportation in the future.

After an unknown amount of time, they finally entered the airspace above Groundcrest.

Their destination was not far away. The Shelby Family manor was already within reach, and according to their original plan, Liam intended to land directly at its entrance.

However, just as the flying boat approached the manor, an unexpected group of people appeared and blocked their way.

They had come to stop the visitors.

And every one of them was a member of the Shelby Family!