Chapter 429: Seeking the enemy himself Ethan’s incarnation struggled to lift his head. The world before him blurred and twisted, as if reality itself had lost meaning. His soul was torn, cracked in countless places, and every attempt to focus sent waves of pain through his existence. Even so, he could vaguely make out the figure of a middle aged man standing before him. That man felt familiar. Not in appearance alone, but in essence. A deep, instinctive recognition stirred within Ethan’s shattered soul, as if he were gazing at someone he had known across countless lifetimes. Summoning every remaining shred of willpower, Ethan’s incarnation forced himself to stand. His legs trembled, threatening to give out, yet he endured. Then, with genuine respect, he bowed. "Thank you, sir, for saving me." The man studied him calmly, his eyes were profound and unfathomable, as if they had witnessed the rise and fall of worlds. After a moment, he spoke. "Do not concern yourself with gratitude. From today onward, I will be your master." He paused briefly. "My name is Mr. Hunt." At those words, something deep within Ethan’s incarnation resonated, though he could not understand why. Before he could speak again, Mr. Hunt turned his gaze toward the distance, where Jenna and her butler stood frozen in place. The air grew heavy. "Leave the Magus World," Mr. Hunt said flatly. "And never return." There was no anger in his voice, no raised tone. Yet the words carried an absolute authority that made the laws of the world tremble. Before either Jenna or the butler could respond, space folded inward. Mr. Hunt and Ethan’s incarnation vanished. Silence fell afterward. Jenna clenched her fists so tightly that blood seeped from her palms. Her nails dug into her skin, her knuckles white with suppressed fury. "I want both of them dead," she hissed, her eyes burning with venom. The butler did not argue. Instead, he immediately activated a communication artifact and contacted the family patriarch, recounting everything that had occurred. On the other end, the patriarch fell into a terrifying silence. Then his voice erupted with rage and fear intertwined. "Idiots! Absolute fools! Do you want the entire family erased from existence?" His breathing grew heavy. "Return to the family immediately. If you defy this order, I will personally destroy you both." Jenna’s face twisted with resentment, but she knew better than to resist. Her father’s words were law. More importantly, he was right. Anyone capable of casually trading a tenth dimensional artifact for the life of a mere third dimensional being was not someone they could afford to provoke. Without another word, Jenna and her butler left the Magus World and ascended to the ninth dimension. A portal shimmered open within a vast royal palace. It was the palace where Ethan’s incarnation grew up in his childhood. Time flowed differently in the Magus World, millions of years had already passed. Every member of Ethan’s bloodline had long since perished, reduced to dust and forgotten by history. Ethan’s incarnation stood in silence, surrounded by familiar surroundings and the crushing weight of loss he could not forget. He loved his family and friends very much and when they had reached their endings from old age, he couldn’t do anything that time. He was simply not strong enough. Without family, without purpose, he drifted through existence. His cultivation stagnated. His will dulled. He became weak. Abnormally so. Mr. Hunt observed him quietly. Then, without warning, he raised his hand. The world shook. In an instant, Ethan’s entire cultivation base collapsed. Layers of power shattered like glass, dispersing into nothingness. The energy that once defined him was erased completely. Ethan’s incarnation staggered back, staring at Mr. Hunt in horror, as though he were witnessing a demon. Why? If his master wished for his destruction, he could have simply left him to die. Why save him, only to cripple him now? His confusion was written plainly on his face. "Do not look at me like that," Mr. Hunt said calmly. "Your foundation is garbage." Ethan froze. "You attempted to walk three paths at once. Magus, knight, beast master. Jack of all trades, master of none. That road leads only to mediocrity." Mr. Hunt’s gaze sharpened. "So I destroyed it all. Including your magus and knight talents." Ethan’s incarnation felt his heart sink. "You will cultivate only as a beast master from now on." Silence followed. Ethan had indeed possessed all three talents of the world, a miracle by any standard. But deep down, he knew his master was right. He had spread himself too thin, never reaching true supremacy in any single path. After a long moment, he bowed deeply. "I understand." Then he lifted his head, a spark of renewed determination in his eyes. "Shall we catch a beast and begin our cultivation journey,master?" Mr. Hunt allowed a faint smile to surface on his calm face. "We will go to a world where your talent has true meaning." With a casual wave of his hand, space shattered once more. They arrived in a new world. Ethan’s incarnation or Mr. Hunt did not recognize the world, but he immediately closed his eyes and extended his consciousness. His soul resonated with the laws of the realm, and knowledge flooded into his mind. This was a Progenitor level world. The highest authorities here were beings at the Progenitor realm, existences that ruled over the ultimate peak of power out side of an origin world.The planet they stood on, however, was among the lowest ranked within the world hierarchy. The strongest being here was merely a tier one beast master. What intrigued Ethan the most was the cultivation system. It was a world of beast masters. This world possessed nine elusive astral realms. To become a beast master, one had to ascend into the astral realm using spirit power alone. The ninth realm was the highest, while the first was the lowest. The first astral realm contained only common beasts. Dogs, cats, cattle, and other mundane creatures with almost no growth potential. The ninth astral realm, however, housed beings with the potential to grow into Progenitors themselves. Yet access was restricted. Only emperor level beings possessed the mental strength required to enter the ninth realm. Monarchs could reach the eighth. Beings between the thirty sixth and sixty ninth dimensional beings could enter the seventh. The sixth was reserved for tenth to thirty fifth dimensional beings. The fifth realm was accessible to fourth through ninth dimensional existences. Third dimensional beings could at best reach the fourth astral realm, and even then, only if they surpassed tier twenty. On this planet, however, most cultivators were limited to the first three astral realms. Each realm contained nine levels, and only spirit power determined how far one could ascend within them to contract a compatible beast soul. After absorbing all of this, Ethan shared the information with his incarnation. But he deliberately withheld everything beyond the fourth realm. Mr. Hunt spoke again. "Listen carefully. Upon awakening, every person receives a contract seed." "With that seed, they may ascend the astral realm once. It is a single opportunity. Fail to form a contract, and the seed disappears forever. They remain mortals for life." He turned to Ethan. "But you are different. You will receive two seeds." Ethan’s eyes widened. "You may enter the astral realm twice, or contract two beasts in a single ascent." Then Mr. Hunt extended a finger. "I will teach you a cultivation method that strengthens spirit power itself. How far you climb will depend on your will." Ethan listened with rapt attention, his excitement barely contained. This world was dangerous, mysterious, and unimaginably vast. "You will enroll in a school," Mr. Hunt continued. "I will erase your memories." Ethan stiffened. "You will believe yourself to be a fifteen year old boy, awakening tomorrow." Ethan hesitated. "Master... will I forget everyone? My parents? My friends?" "Yes." Ethan’s heart tightened. "But you will remember them again once you gain the power to reverse space and time and bring them back." The sorrow vanished instantly. Ethan smiled. "Thank you, Master. You may erase my memories then." With a simple gesture, Mr. Hunt complied. Morning arrived. Ethan slowly opened his eyes. A middle aged man stood beside his bed, smiling gently. "You are finally awake," the man said. "Hurry and prepare for school. Today is your awakening day." Ethan jolted upright. "I must have overslept from excitement. Thank you, Master." Mr. Hunt had erased everything, replacing it with memories of this world. More than that, he had altered the Grand Dao itself, weaving Ethan’s existence seamlessly into reality. Every teacher. Every student. Every record. All remembered Ethan as if he had always belonged. Now, all that remained was to watch his ascent. .... In the Dragon World, Ethan’s clone stood at the peak of preparation. He had decided to seek out that terrifying being himself. Victory was unnecessary. Survival was enough. If he could escape the battle, then by the next day, he would wield the same power as his enemy. All he needed was to live.