"Father, you're really an idiot..." Zhao Wei sighed, though he understood his father's reasoning.
After all, he had never shared the full truth about Kang Xiang's background with his family. All they knew was that Kang Xiang was a nobleman from the Imperial Capital.
"What do you mean?" Naturally, the patriarch of the Zhao family wasn't foolish. Seeing how frightened his son was of Kang Xiang, it was clear that something wasn't right.
"Have you ever heard of the Five Great Clans of the Imperial Capital?"
"I've heard some rumors about them," Patriarch Zhao replied. As a merchant, he had naturally come across bits and pieces of information about the Five Great Clans.
The same was true for Zhao Ning'an. One of her friends, who was studying in the Imperial Capital, occasionally told them stories about the Five Great Clans.
However, these were merely rumors, and there wasn't any concrete evidence proving the existence of four out of the Five Clans. Over time, even the rumors had started fading into legend.
"One of the Five Great Clans, which is known to everyone in the country, is, of course, the Imperial Royal Family," Zhao Wei explained.
"Everyone thinks the Royal Family holds ultimate power and status, but according to the rumors I've heard, there are four other families that rival the Royal Family in strength and influence."
"The Kang family is one of those four, and the young master is from that family."
Hearing his son's words, the patriarch's mind froze for a moment, and then he collapsed to the floor.
"That's impossible!" Patriarch Zhao's first reaction was disbelief.
Could it really be true that four legendary families, capable of rivaling the Royal Family, actually existed? How could such a thing even be possible?
But if it were true, then…
"Does this mean... I actually tried to manipulate someone like him?" Zhao Chi murmured in disbelief.
Even Zhao Ning'an, who had been silent, showed expressions of fear and panic. She realized how foolish she had been, and her face was now filled with shock.
"Father, although it seems the young master isn't angry yet, we have to be absolutely certain not to upset him. If he truly becomes angry, no one will be able to save us," Zhao Wei warned.
Patriarch Zhao, a man who had always been at the top of Donghai City, was now trembling in fear. No one could have imagined that the esteemed patriarch would one day be reduced to such a state.
"And you, sister, I don't know if you have any feelings for that clown, but if you truly care about our family, you must let go of him," Zhao Wei said firmly to his sister.
Zhao Ning'an, who was still in shock, snapped out of it at her brother's words and nodded, realizing the gravity of the situation.
"I'm sorry, Ye Fan," Zhao Ning'an muttered softly to herself.
---
"I still don't have enough to break through to the next stage," Kang Xiang murmured on the other side of the estate, realizing that he didn't yet have sufficient resources to reach the next cultivation realm.
"It's better to focus on soul cultivation for now," he decided. Soul cultivation was an extremely important aspect of cultivation.
However, due to the current era's limitations, nearly all soul cultivation techniques had been lost. While his family possessed numerous soul cultivation techniques, unfortunately, none of them were compatible with him.
Since the beginning of his cultivation journey, Kang Xiang had delayed soul cultivation. The soul was a very delicate part of one's being, especially in the early stages of cultivation when it was particularly fragile.
For this reason, he had planned to wait until he reached the Dao Sovereign Realm before starting soul cultivation. However, something told him that now was the perfect time.
"System, open the shop."
[Confirmed.]
A glowing blue interface appeared before him. The shop was organized into various categories, offering countless ancient techniques and treasures.
There were ancient weapons thought to be lost forever, techniques believed to exist only in legends, and even items such as Holy Water, Phoenix Blood, and Dragon Tears.
After browsing through the system shop for a few minutes, Kang Xiang finally found the technique he had been looking for.
"1,450 points?" he muttered, noting the steep price.
"Forget it. I have a good cow to milk as much as I need," he smirked, clicking the purchase option and acquiring the technique.
A scroll, styled like an ancient tome, materialized in his hands.
"The Celestial Soul Resonance Technique, huh? What an interesting name."
[Would you like to master the technique?]
"Yes," Kang Xiang confirmed.
Suddenly, a flood of information surged into his mind. All the knowledge regarding the Celestial Soul Resonance Technique was instantly imprinted into his memory.
Thanks to the system, he could immediately comprehend and execute the technique at its highest level.
As Kang Xiang activated the technique, the space around him began to distort, and he found himself cross-legged in a star-filled sky.
Massive, ancient celestial bodies surrounded him, each emanating an overwhelming aura.
Kang Xiang's soul, like a boundless black hole, began absorbing the cosmic energy from the celestial bodies, significantly enhancing its strength and quality.
According to the knowledge he had gathered from the Kang family archives, soul cultivation in the past had been divided into six realms: Awakened Echo, Resonant Initiate, Ethereal Channeler, Astral Infuser, Ephemeral God, and Sovereign Luminary.
Naturally, Kang Xiang's soul was previously at the Early Stage of the Awakened Echo realm. However, as he absorbed the energy of the stars, his soul began advancing rapidly.
Middle Stage of the Awakened Echo.
High Stage of the Awakened Echo.
Peak Stage of the Awakened Echo.
Early Stage of the Resonant Initiate.
...
After an indeterminate amount of time in the starry void, Kang Xiang's soul power finally stabilized at the Early Stage of the Ethereal Channeler realm.
Deactivating the technique, Kang Xiang looked at his current soul power and smiled.
It was important to note that his current soul strength was comparable to someone in the Sacred Realm.
"If I play my cards right, defeating a cultivator in the Sacred Realm shouldn't be a problem," Kang Xiang murmured. His overall power had now reached an extraordinary level.
"Maybe I could even challenge a Half-Great Sacred cultivator, though I doubt I could win."
"Hmm, escaping from a Great Sacred cultivator might not be impossible either... I just need something to test my power against."
"Still, it's not enough. If I want to slaughter all those bastards with my own hands, I need to grow even stronger," a flicker of killing intent flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
"Hm? Looks like it's morning already."