After freshening up, Logan stepped outside and sat cross-legged on a mat, settling into the lotus position.

Raising his hand slightly, he summoned the orb from his storage ring. It floated out smoothly and landed on the mat before him with a faint shimmer.

He closed his eyes and began to calm his mind. His breathing grew steady... deep, rhythmic, controlled. A moment later, the orb's gentle radiance flickered as spiritual energy began to flow from it, entering Logan's body in a steady stream.

Seconds passed. Then minutes. Then hours.

Yet Logan did not move even once. His body remained perfectly still, his consciousness focused entirely on refining the spiritual energy coursing through him.

Now that he had reached the Ultimate Grandmaster Realm, he could faintly sense the flow of Qi within himself, how much he had already gathered and how much more he still needed for his next breakthrough.

As the Qi surged through his veins, a thought surfaced in his mind. "I'm only one-tenth of the way there. If I want to break through to the next level, I'll need far more time… or stronger resources."

The entire night passed like that. Logan did not sleep for even a moment.

When morning arrived, the first rays of sunlight slipped through the gaps in the window and spilled across his face.

After some time, he finally opened his eyes. Despite staying awake the whole night, there was no fatigue in him. His expression was calm, his face radiant, his mind refreshed.

Stretching slightly, he murmured to himself,

"Though my speed is impressive and I've already reached a level most veteran cultivators from my past life would envy, it's still not enough. After all, I'm nowhere near my peak yet."

"You trained the whole night again," Audrey remarked as she hovered in front of him right then.

"Yes," Logan replied with a faint smile. "Didn't even realize when the time passed."

He stood up, stretched lightly, and changed into a fresh set of clothes before stepping out of his room. His next stop was Rowan's chamber.

When he reached there, he was about to knock, only to find the door already open.

Before he could call out, Rowan stepped outside.

"Ah… Logan. Good morning," Rowan greeted, noticing him at once.

"Good morning," Logan replied. "You're up so early? I thought you'd still be asleep. I actually came to wake you up since we'll be resuming our cultivation right after breakfast."

"I always wake up early," Rowan said with a grin. "The morning breeze feels perfect for training, so it's been my habit since childhood. But Daliah…" He chuckled. "I'm not sure if she's awake yet. Sometimes she sleeps like a rock and it's hard to get her out of bed."

At the mention of Daliah's name, Logan's expression shifted slightly. He couldn't help but recall what Audrey had said about her the night before. A subtle unease stirred in his chest. The easy comfort he once felt around the royal siblings wasn't quite the same anymore.

Still, he managed a light chuckle and nodded. "Yeah."

"Come on, let's see if she's up," Rowan suggested.

"Alright," Logan said, following him as they walked toward Daliah's room, which was only a few steps away.

Rowan reached Daliah's room and knocked lightly on the door. There was no response. He waited a few seconds and knocked again but still nothing.

He tried this a few more times, and the last time with a bit more force.

After a brief pause, the door finally creaked open, and a groggy voice grumbled from inside, "It's so early in the morning… why are you disturbing me?"

Daliah stepped out mid-complaint, still in her sleeping dress, her hair a tangled mess and eyes half-closed.

But the moment her sleepy gaze fell on Logan, her expression froze. Realization struck her.... she wasn't in the royal palace anymore, but in Smith Villa, and worse, she had just walked out looking like that in front of Logan.

Her face turned crimson in an instant. Without saying another word, she gasped softly, turned around, and darted back into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I'll be out in a few minutes!" she called from the other side, her muffled voice filled with embarrassment.

Rowan couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, take your time."

Logan said nothing, only exhaled softly and followed Rowan as they made their way toward the small dining room where the three of them had eaten dinner the the last night.

As soon as they entered, they saw Alice stepping out with a servant, carrying a tray. Upon noticing them, she smiled brightly.

"Good morning, Prince."

"Good morning, Mrs. Smith. But please, just call me Rowan," he said with an easy smile. "After all, Logan's my friend. You don't need to be so formal with me."

Alice chuckled softly. "Alright then, Rowan. But in that case, you'll have to call me Aunty instead of Mrs. Smith too."

"Deal," Rowan replied with a polite smile.

Turning to her son, Alice said warmly, "Honey, I've already set your breakfast on the table. Enjoy it with your friends, and if you need anything, just call."

"Sure, Mother," Logan replied.

With a gentle smile, Alice exited the room, leaving the two boys behind.

They stepped inside and sat down, chatting idly while waiting for Daliah to show up. Time slipped by, and it was nearly thirty minutes before she finally appeared.

Her cheeks were still slightly pink from embarrassment, but she carried herself with as much composure as she could manage.

Without mentioning the earlier incident, they all began their breakfast together.

Once they had finished eating, the three of them made their way back to the courtyard training ground.

They sat down facing each other in a lotus position. Logan lifted his hand, and the familiar orb floated out from his storage ring before settling gently on the ground between them.

As the soft glow of spiritual energy filled the air, the trio closed their eyes and their journey toward the cultivation began once more.

Time passed, and none of them moved even an inch.

Logan was absorbing spiritual energy at a tremendous pace, as if he had been starved of it for days. Streams of energy poured into him endlessly, his cultivation technique working at full capacity. Yet, despite the massive influx of power, his internal energy was increasing at an agonizingly slow rate.

It wasn't that his internal energy wasn't increasing or that it was growing too slowly.

The truth was that with his last breakthrough, his capacity had expanded to such an enormous extent that even absorbing energy at that incredible speed barely made a difference.

In reality, the growth was immense but compared to the vast reservoir his body could now hold, it simply felt small.

Meanwhile, both Rowan and Daliah, though drawing in spiritual energy at a far gentler pace, were steadily approaching their next breakthrough. Their breathing was calm and controlled, and faint ripples of aura began to form around them, clear signs that they were nearing the threshold of advancement.

Hours passed in silence as the morning sun climbed higher into the sky. The courtyard shimmered faintly under the orb's glow, ripples of energy flowing outward like waves in a calm sea.

Logan's breathing was deep and steady, his aura dense enough to distort the air around him. Rowan and Daliah, too, sat unmoving, each lost in their own cultivation state.

Then suddenly faint sound of hooves echoed from beyond the villa's gates... slow at first, then gradually louder. A black carriage came to a halt.

Logan, who had been deeply immersed in his cultivation, slowly opened his eyes.

Rowan and Daliah followed suit, ending their meditation as well.

Noticing the carriage that had stopped nearby, Rowan frowned slightly. "Is your family expecting any guests?"

"Guests?" Logan repeated, glancing at him. "No… I think it's her."

"Her?" Daliah asked curiously. "Who are you talking about?"

"Lilith Starwind," Logan replied calmly.

Rowan blinked. "She's coming here? To see you?"

"Yes," Logan said, his tone casual. "And she mentioned that she wants to cultivate with us."

"What? Such a sudden decision?" Rowan asked, clearly surprised.

"No idea," Logan said with a faint shrug. "But she's talented. If she can learn it and improves, there's nothing to lose."

"That's true," Rowan nodded. "And..."

Before he could finish, the carriage door creaked open. Holding onto the coachman's hand for support, a girl stepped down, dressed in a fitted fighting outfit, her movements graceful yet confident.

Lilith.

Her sharp eyes swept across the courtyard until they landed on the trio. Without hesitation, she began walking toward them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said with a light smile as she approached.

"No, you didn't," Logan replied in a calm voice. "In fact, I was wondering when you'd arrive."

"Is that so?" Lilith said, raising a brow. "Were you already cultivating?"

"Yes," Logan nodded.

"Then… may I join right away?" she asked eagerly.

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