Chapter 2296

A priceless Blackstar Crystal had been consumed just like that, and Andrew could only sigh helplessly.

Ezekiel had brought this Blackstar Crystal to Chetvine with clear intentions. It was either meant as a valuable gift for someone or for some other important purpose. But now, Andrew had gotten the benefit for nothing.

Despite that, Andrew’s problem still remained unsolved. The Blackstar Crystal had been completely useless against the seal on his energy core.

It seemed he would still need to make a trip to the Grand Auction House under the Reyes family. Then, he could find the mysterious person who had sealed his energy core years ago. Alternatively, he could contact the Eastern Wanderer from the Umbral Peak Sect and ask for guidance.

However, both of these paths were extremely troublesome and difficult. Even with Andrew’s intelligence and abilities, he found them quite challenging.

First, the Reyes family was not easy to mess with, and the Eastern Wanderer was a behind-the-scenes expert of the Umbral Peak Sect. Hence, meeting him would definitely involve many complications.

Second, the relationship between the Reyes family and the Lloyd family was not exactly good. If Andrew went directly to their door, he would definitely be refused outright. Worse yet, it might even trigger a conflict.

Andrew was not afraid of conflicts. At worst, he could just tear off all pretenses and act with ruthless determination. But right now, making enemies for no reason in Chetvine would be harmful and pointless.

At the very least, it would not help with the final seal on Andrew’s energy core.

After thinking it over repeatedly, Andrew could not find a suitable solution and could only take things one step at a time. Perhaps he could contact Reginald.

As soon as this thought occurred to him, Andrew did not hesitate and went straight to find Sheena.

“Sheena, you have my dad’s phone number, right?”

Sheena was sitting with her legs dangling outside the pavilion, swinging them back and forth while eating an orange. She glanced sideways at Andrew and asked, “Why do you want Uncle Reginald’s number?”

She added, “You know perfectly well that he is a busy man right now, running for his life all over the world. He doesn’t have time to deal with you.” The next day, Andrew received the Blackstar Crystal that Brielle had sent over. It was about the size of his palm and looked more like an amethyst than anything else. When he held it in his hand, it felt ice-cold to the touch.

When something was black to the extreme, it became purple.

This crystal seemed to have some kind of mystical energy flowing within it. Aspen looked at it curiously and asked, “Honey, is this thing actually going to help you?”

Andrew smiled and said, “Only one way to find out.”

Sheena walked over, pursing her lips as she said, “The Blackstar Crystal leans toward dark energy. For martial artists, it does more harm than good. If you use it directly, at best it’s a waste, and at worst it could damage your body.”

Andrew nodded slightly. “That may be true, but my body can handle it.”

Sheena rolled her eyes even harder and said, “Last night, you guys made quite a commotion at the Grand Hall. I heard even General Turman was furious about it. His prized student, Luna, claims she knows who was behind it.

Andrew replied calmly, “So what if she knows? I don’t care.”

Sheena replied, “This morning, the military already sent people to question you, but I turned them away. No one dared to step foot inside. But remember, while you’re safe within the Lloyd family’s walls, the outside world isn’t so forgiving. I just came to remind you to watch yourself.”

With that, she flipped her high ponytail and strode off.

Andrew chuckled. For all her attitude, she really had his back.

Gripping the Blackstar Crystal, he began channeling his energy. Then, visibly, the palm-sized Blackstar Crystal began melting like a candle.

However, the melted liquid did not fall to the ground. Instead, it gathered in the air, forming a mass. Within it, the substance seemed alive, consuming itself and bubbling audibly.

Aspen watched with curiosity and could not help but move closer.

Andrew shouted, “Don’t move! If even a drop of that touches you, the consequences could be unpredictable!”

Aspen’s face went pale, and she quickly stepped back.

Andrew carefully reached out his hand to touch the black substance floating in the air. The substance instantly clung to his palm like it had come alive. The mass lifted its tip like a serpent raising its head, then morphed into a sharp spike that suddenly drilled into his flesh.

Andrew let out a muffled groan, his face losing all color. In just a few moments, all the energy from the Blackstar Crystal had entered his body.

Suddenly, he felt his vision go black, and excruciating pain shot through his energy core. However, his mind remained crystal clear. Fighting through the intense pain, he began channeling his energy, circulating it through his meridians.

The energy from the Blackstar Crystal began battling with the true energy in his energy core.

This was exactly the effect Andrew wanted. Only this way could he create an impact on the seal around his energy core.

When he felt the seemingly unbreakable seal beginning to waver, Andrew was delighted.

There was hope!

So, he focused even more intently, continuing to guide the Blackstar Crystal’s energy to assault the barriers around his energy core.

Time gradually passed, and Andrew’s expression slowly changed from initial agony to calm. After more than an hour, he opened his eyes, deeply disappointed.

Both Aspen and Natasha looked at him with great concern.

“Honey, how do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Andrew shook his head and said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just that this Blackstar Crystal was barely useful to me. The effect was so minimal it’s practically negligible.”

Natasha comforted him, “Darling, take it slow. There must be other ways.”

Aspen said with concern, “Honey, whatever you need, we can search for it. As long as you need it, I’ll find it for you without hesitation!”

Andrew smiled, but suddenly his expression changed. He pulled open his shirt and looked down. The Blood-Eyed Black Dragon totem now seemed ignited, becoming scorching hot.

The dragon’s twin horns twitched under his skin, writhing as if the beast itself was awakening inside him.

Aspen gasped, her face filled with shock. Andrew, too, had no idea what was happening.

At the critical moment, a low shout rang out. “Foolish boy, don’t just stand there dazed! Quickly center your energy in your core and focus on feeling the black dragon on your chest. This is your first step toward awakening the totem. It’s crucial!”

Andrew did not need to look up to know who this voice belonged to.

The current head of the Lloyd family, Donovan, had arrived.

Following his advice, Andrew sat cross-legged and closed his eyes again. After a long while, the burning sensation in his chest faded, and the original Blood-Eyed Black Dragon totem looked somewhat different. The two dragon horns were much more lustrous than the other areas, appearing more lifelike.

“Greetings, Patriarch Donovan!” Andrew stood up and bowed respectfully.

Donovan looked at his chest and made appreciative sounds. “I never expected you to awaken your totem earlier than Reginald did. It’s truly unbelievable!”

Andrew asked curiously, “Patriarch Donovan, what exactly is happening here?”

Donovan smiled knowingly. “Andy, fate is clearly on your side. Every member of the Lloyd family is born with a totem. Most people think it’s just a royal insignia, but few realize the power it contains. Unfortunately, almost none can unlock it. Many carry the mark their whole lives without ever awakening it.”

He continued, “The last one to light his totem was your father, Reginald. And now, thanks to the Blackstar Crystal, fate has given you the same chance.”

Andrew frowned slightly. “And this totem power… What exactly does it do?”

Donovan smiled and said, “The specific uses can only be known once the entire totem is awakened. But one thing is certain: your combat ability will become much stronger. Don’t underestimate the power of the Lloyd family totem.

“With your natural talent plus this awakened totem, you can boldly declare that below the martial emperor level, you are unrivaled.”

Laughing heartily, Donovan was in great spirits as he turned and walked away.

Andrew murmured to himself, “I’m unrivaled among those below the martial emperor level? Is that really true?“ Andrew frowned and said, “My dad is still running for his life? That seems unlikely. With his strength, who would dare mess with him once he leaves Chetvine?”

Sheena pursed her lips and replied, “Uncle Reginald is naturally the kind of existence that’s unbeatable anywhere in the world. But he’s fought through dragon dens and lion’s jaws. Over the years, he’s stirred up terrifying figures while searching for a way to deal with your energy core seal.

Andrew didn’t show the slightest worry. He waved a hand. “Just give me his number. I’ll call him myself.”

Sheena thought for a moment and then gave him a number, saying, “This is it. Go ahead and call. But he’s overseas, so he might not be able to answer.”

Andrew said nothing and dialed out, but he got a message that it was a dead number.

Sheena immediately gave him another number.

Andrew called again, but still no one picked up.

Finally, Sheena spread her hands and said, “The last time Uncle Reginald contacted home was half a year ago. You know how it is. He changes numbers constantly to avoid enemies and various troubles. Usually, only he contacts us. It’s very hard for us to reach him proactively.”

Andrew nodded in understanding and turned to leave.

Sheena suddenly called out, “Wait, Andrew, you know he recently married into a family in Vestra, right?”

Andrew’s face darkened as he said, “I’ve heard something about it.”

The fact that Reginald had married into a family in Vestra left him somewhat bewildered. He did not know if it was because he had run out of money and could only sell himself, or if there was some other reason.

Nonetheless, Andrew was certain that Reginald had done it willingly. If he had not wanted to, no force in the world could have made him.

Sheena giggled behind her hand. “Uncle Reginald didn’t just marry into any family. He married into Vestra’s richest royal household. That’s all I’ll say, but Grandpa was the last one to speak with him.”