Chapter 58: Oh The Party Just Started

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Oh The Party Just Started

The moment the core entered his body, a tremendous yet strangely smooth energy exploded through his meridians. Xavier’s face flushed instantly.

The 7th energy point within him illuminated almost immediately. Then came the 8th. And the 9th.

In the blink of an eye, all nine energy points were shining brilliantly, resonating with one another throughout his body.

At the same time, something extraordinary began to take shape.

A special pathway formed entirely from chaotic energy emerged within him, starting at the first energy point and extending toward the second, then the third, fourth, and onward.

One after another, the energy points were connected. Eventually the pathway stopped after reaching the seventh point.

Xavier understood what this meant. Once all nine energy points were completely connected, they would eventually form a spiritual platform within his body, and that was the threshold of the Spirit Platform Realm.

At that level, a martial artist could directly draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and their strength would undergo a qualitative transformation, allowing them to fight using the surrounding spiritual energy with every movement.

Yet Xavier had not crossed that final threshold just yet, and surprisingly, it was not because the demon core had been exhausted.

He could clearly sense that he had only absorbed roughly half of its energy. The remaining energy had already dispersed into his muscles, bones, and internal organs, and his body would continue refining it naturally over the coming days.

By the time all that energy was completely absorbed, breaking through to the Spirit Platform Realm would be almost inevitable.

Xavier could not help but sigh.

"It hasn’t even been that long since I obtained the system, yet I’ve already gone from an ordinary person to someone standing on the threshold of the Spirit Platform Realm," he said quietly.

His life had truly taken an unbelievable turn. After calming himself, Xavier turned his attention toward the distant figures.

Mira and the others were nearly two kilometers away, yet despite the distance he could still see them clearly.

The continuous improvement of his body had caused his senses to become increasingly sharp, and his eyesight alone was now comparable to that of a bird of prey.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Mira’s group, Grant and the others gathered around the white demon core, examining it carefully.

"This is a Tier 2 Top-Grade Demon Core," Grant said, his expression filled with amazement.

"That giant lion really was at the peak of Tier 2, and judging from the quality of this core, it was clearly no ordinary beast even among peak Tier 2 monsters."

Timothy nodded.

"A demon beast capable of condensing a core this pure must have possessed considerable potential," he said.

The milky white core was almost flawless, without even a trace of impurity. Such a treasure was exceptionally rare.

"If you absorb it directly, your cultivation should increase substantially," Grant explained.

"But there’s one problem. Demon cores contain remnants of the beast’s consciousness, and if you’re not careful, those remnants can trigger inner demons."

He was about to continue explaining how Mira should deal with that danger when he suddenly stopped, his eyes falling on the pill she had just taken out. It was a Saint Essence Pill.

Grant stared at it for a moment before giving a helpless laugh.

"So that’s what you’ve got," he said, shaking his head.

"I suppose Arcadia Academy really does value you highly. They actually prepared a Grade 5 pill for you."

He had initially been disappointed that the Extraordinary Division had failed to recruit Mira.

Now he finally understood why. With resources like these behind her, it was obvious that Arcadia Academy was willing to invest heavily in her future.

Mira and Evelyn exchanged a glance but said nothing. They both knew where the pill had really come from, but there was no reason to explain it.

Mira brought the demon core to her lips and absorbed it. The energy surged through her body, and before long a brilliant light flashed across her eyes.

Her cultivation had advanced, from the 6th star of the Foundation Establishment Realm to the 7th star.

Mira clenched her fists, feeling the powerful energy coursing through her body, and a bright smile appeared on her face.

Now that she had become stronger, she would be even more capable of protecting Xavier. In her mind, her husband was still that seemingly helpless 1st-star Body Tempering martial artist.

A mysterious man, perhaps, but ultimately someone she believed needed her protection.

Then her thoughts returned to the mysterious alchemist who had saved her earlier.

For some reason, the more she thought about him, the stronger the sense of familiarity became.

That casual generosity. That habit of giving her valuable cultivation resources without hesitation. Even the way he had looked at her. It all felt strangely familiar.

Why do I feel like I’ve met him somewhere before?

Mira frowned slightly. After a moment, she silently reached out with her thoughts.

Lydia.

She knew that Lydia, who resided within her body, could see the outside world through her eyes.

Do you recognize that alchemy master? Does he seem familiar to you?

There was barely any hesitation before Lydia answered.

That’s not my husband.

Mira froze.

My husband is very handsome, Lydia continued firmly. He isn’t that person.

Mira was speechless. Of course. That was exactly the sort of answer she had expected from Lydia. Simple. Stubborn. And completely devoted to the mysterious "husband" she constantly talked about.

Mira had tried countless times to correct the way Lydia addressed Xavier, but the girl simply refused to change.

Maybe I’m thinking too much, Mira eventually decided, shaking her head.

How could Xavier possibly be here? He’s only a 1st-star Body Tempering martial artist. There’s no way he could have killed a peak Tier 2 demonic beast with two strikes.

Her gaze drifted toward the direction in which the mysterious alchemist had disappeared.

But Mr. X must have some connection with him.

Otherwise, why would such a powerful alchemist go out of his way to save her, and why would he casually give her such a precious demon core?

Her parents had abandoned her. The Sinclair family had cast her aside.

Apart from Xavier, she genuinely could not think of anyone who would treat her with such sincerity.

The pieces seemed to fit. Mira’s lips slowly curved upward. Her husband might not be beside her right now, but even from afar, he was still finding ways to protect her. Thinking about that, her heart filled with warmth.

Xavier really is the best husband in the world.

The carcass of a peak second tier demonic beast was far too large to fit inside Mira’s spatial ring.

Fortunately, Evelyn’s ring had a much greater storage capacity, so she took responsibility for storing the body temporarily. Once they left the secret realm, she would return it to Mira.

There was still plenty of daylight left, so Grant suggested that they continue exploring rather than head back immediately.

As it turned out, the enormous lion they had encountered earlier had been nothing more than an unexpected encounter, and the following three hours were considerably calmer.

Most of the creatures they came across were mid level second tier beasts.

Every now and then a high level second tier monster would appear, but none posed much of a threat. Mira and Evelyn took advantage of these encounters to sharpen their combat skills.

Grant rarely needed to intervene. Only when they encountered several powerful beasts at once, or a particularly troublesome high level second tier monster, would he step forward.

In reality, he was not there primarily for the exploration.

His actual assignment was to keep Mira and Evelyn safe while allowing them to gain real combat experience, and that was precisely what his superiors in the Extraordinary Division had instructed him to do.

Mira possessed the extraordinarily rare Frost Phoenix bloodline, while Evelyn was the eldest daughter of the powerful Hart family.

Neither woman could afford to suffer an accident. Their superiors had made that very clear, and even if Grant had to sacrifice himself, he was not allowed to let anything happen to either of them.

"It’s getting late," he said, glancing toward the sky. "We should start making our way back."

It was already past three in the afternoon, and the deeper darkness approached, the more dangerous this secret realm became.

But just as he was about to turn around, his expression abruptly changed.

"Wait," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Did you hear that?"

The others immediately became alert. A few seconds later, movement appeared on the distant horizon.

More than a dozen enormous figures were racing toward them.

They were still several kilometers away, but the creatures had already noticed the group and were rapidly closing the distance.

Grant’s expression became solemn.

"High level second tier Steel Hyenas," he said, his gaze settling on the largest creature among them.

"And that’s the Hyena Queen. Peak second tier." His voice became noticeably heavier.

"Get ready. We’re going to have a serious fight."