An hour had elapsed, and Sam's awakening continued to surge with might and intensity.
"Stay vigilant," Helena instructed, her senses detecting powerful auras rapidly approaching. Among them, she recognized some familiar ones and a sense of deep familiarity washed over her.
"I am," Lorraine responded with a furrowed brow. "It appears she's personally making an appearance. I had thought she was too arrogant for such a thing."
"Who is she?" Amelia asked, her confusion evident.
"My mother, the Matriarch of the Hailstorm Clan," Lorraine replied with a snort.
In quick succession, brilliant flashes of light illuminated the surroundings, and the formidable auras descended one after another. The first figure to materialize was a woman adorned in opulent white robes with intricate designs. She exuded an aura of maturity even greater than that of Helena and Lorraine, her menacing golden eyes scanning the scene.
Her gaze settled upon the three women, lingering particularly on the elder pair, Helena and Lorraine. A sly smile graced her luscious lips.
"Oh, my dear daughters, how I've missed you," she purred.
"Yes, it's been a while, Mother," Helena replied, her expression stoic. "And we've never missed you," Lorraine chimed in.
The Matriarch sighed dramatically. "It wounds my heart to hear you say that."
Although genuine affection existed between them, none were willing to openly admit it, bound by their shared arrogance and pride. The relationship among the three had always been strong—mother and daughters with a penchant for arguments and the occasional exchange of harsh words. Nevertheless, beneath the surface, their love for each other remained unwavering.
Adriana Hailstorm, the Matriarch of the clan, held a deep love for her children, although she would never utter those words aloud, her pride too grand to allow such vulnerability.
Then, a man clad in rich blue attire entered the scene. He was the Patriarch of the Hailstorm Clan and the husband of Adriana Hailstorm, the clan's Matriarch.
Upon noticing the two women, a complex expression flickered across his face. "My daughters, you've returned."
"Father," Helena and Lorraine responded simultaneously. Helena's gaze held mixed emotions as she looked at her father. She had come to realize that he had never truly cared for her, a realization that had struck when he did nothing to intervene when her former husband had openly betrayed her and taken another wife.
His gaze shifted toward his wife, the Matriarch, his eyes turning cold. "Adriana, are you already aware of our daughters' whereabouts? Why haven't I heard about this?"
"Why should I tell you?" Adriana retorted, her eyes brimming with bitterness.
"You!" The Patriarch was left utterly speechless. He was their father, after all, so naturally, he had every right to know about his daughter's well-being.
Helena and Lorraine exchanged knowing glances. "It appears their relationship has deteriorated even further," Lorraine remarked quietly.
Following the exchange between the Patriarch, the Matriarch, and their daughters, a young woman emerged. She possessed exquisite brown hair and brown eyes, and behind her, a contingent of heavily armored men stood as her guards.
'It seems even the big shots from the Hailstorm Clan have arrived,' she mused to herself.
Approaching the group, she performed a fist-hold salute. "Greetings, Respected Patriarch and Matriarch of the Hailstorm Clan."
Adriana responded casually, "Ah, Princess Yuna, even you couldn't resist the urge to witness the cause of these phenomena, could you?"
Princess Yuna nodded in agreement.
The attention of everyone present shifted towards the radiant light piercing the sky. Though they strained to see, they could only discern Sam's silhouette, concealed by a multitude of Dao patterns.
Not even his face was visible, even when they attempted to use their Spiritual sense to gain a clearer view.
As minutes passed, an increasing number of cultivators gathered to witness the individual responsible for the extraordinary manifestations in the sky.
Gradually, the thousands of manifestations that had adorned the heavens vanished, and the radiant light surging from Sam's body began to retreat, unveiling his figure encased within the myriad of Dao patterns and rhythms.
Sitting there with closed, piercing blue eyes and fiery crimson hair that danced in the air, Sam appeared completely unaware of the commotion he had stirred. Little did he know that he was about to cause an even greater stir.
As his figure emerged from the dissipating light, a singular thought echoed in the minds of everyone present: "He is incredibly good-looking."
Even Adriana Hailstorm, who was witnessing her grandson for the first time, couldn't help but be drawn to his captivating appearance. A seductive allure emanated from him, making it difficult for any woman to resist his charm.
Even Princess Yuna found herself captivated by his presence.
This was just the beginning of a new chapter in Sam's journey, one that promised to be filled with intrigue and allure.
Suddenly, the spiritual energy in the atmosphere began to vibrate and surged toward Sam's body like a hurricane.
"What is he doing now?" Lorraine couldn't help but ask aloud.
Sam's body slowly ascended, hovering three feet off the ground while maintaining his lotus position.
The spiritual energy in the surroundings gathered around Sam, spiraling towards him as his body continued to absorb it voraciously, akin to a ravenous beast. His cultivation soared at an inhuman pace.
Above him, six rays of light burst forth from his body, each forming a pagoda-like structure.
"That young man has cultivated six levels of Daoist foundation and awakened a legendary physique... Just who is this young man, and where did he come from?" Patriarch Alexander couldn't contain his bewilderment and questioned it aloud.
A sly smile played on the Matriarch's lips. "That young man is our grandson, born to our daughter Helena and Willian Flareheart."
"What?" The Patriarch was utterly shocked. He couldn't believe his ears or his eyes.
"I have a grandson?" His eyes fixed on Sam's figure as a heartfelt smile spread across his face. "Now, I have an heir."
Just when they believed everything was over, another beam of light pierced the sky, forming three additional pagodas.
"Seven, eight, nine... Nine levels of Daoist foundation?"
"It's the Supreme Foundation Establishment Realm!"
"I can't believe there's actually someone who achieved nine levels of Daoist foundations."
"He must be the most talented person in this era."
Once again, a surge of violent spiritual energy congregated around Sam, and his cultivation broke through to the Lower Stage Core Formation Realm.
But it didn't stop there.
Middle Stage Core Formation Realm.
Upper Stage Core Formation Realm.
Peak Stage Core Formation Realm.
"What the hell is happening? How can anyone break through two major realms in one go? Is it even imaginable?"
Even Helena, Lorraine, Sophia, and Amelia were shocked at the sight.
Soon, a very beautiful, golden core appeared above Sam, much larger than usual.
Suddenly, the air around them shook as another surge of spiritual energy congregated once again.
Above the golden core, one by one, ten new cores formed under the shocked eyes of these cultivators. Not even Helena or Lorraine were spared from the shock.
Now, along with the Golden core, there were eleven cores in total, each of them different from one another.
The golden core was the largest among them all, while the other ten cores were a bit smaller in comparison. The ten cores also differed in color: red, blue, brown, gray, Arctic, green, violet, yellow, black, and finally white.
One.
Two.
Three.
.
.
.
Eleven cores?
"This is the legendary Eleven Cores Formation Realm."
"I never believed it was even possible to achieve this... yet I see it happening in front of my eyes."
"A supreme Core Formation Realm."
'Is this my grandson? Just what kind of monster did my daughter give birth to?' It wasn't just the patriarch who thought this; even the matriarch was thinking the same thing.
Soon, these realm manifestations disappeared into Sam's body, and he opened his eyes.
...
[A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! 🙏]