Naturally, it was yet another sleepless night. In both rooms, nearly identical things occurred—each side tacitly understanding what was happening.
Claire Ouyang lay in Evan Chu’s arms and asked, “Linfeng, why won’t you show us that territorial map? Is there some secret? And what do you need that Moonshadow Stone for—what’s it used for?”
“Moonshadow Stone is a must-have for entering the Netherworld. What do you think—is it useful or not? As for the territorial map, I didn’t show it because I was worried it’d kill everyone’s mood. Who knows if there’s any info about getting back to the Heavenly Dragon Empire.” Evan Chu said.
“Just show it to me, okay? There’s no one else here—let me see the result first!” Claire said.
Evan Chu thought for a moment and said, “Alright, let’s hope it won’t disappoint us.” With that, he took out the territorial map the middle-aged man had given him.
Evan Chu and Claire Ouyang sat up, slowly unfolded the map, and looked it over. They found that none of the marked locations or surrounding nations were familiar—not a single one they knew or had even heard of. It was as if they’d arrived in a completely different world.
“How could it be like this? Are we really stuck here, unable to go back? What’s going on?” Claire said, speechless.
“Don’t worry. There’s definitely a place with a Teleportation Gate here. Since people in this region know about the Azure Tide Ruins, someone must have been there before. Tomorrow, we’ll ask that guy—maybe he’ll have some clues.” Evan Chu said.
Honestly, he was even more anxious than Claire. If he missed Rhea Yang’s marriage tournament and she became someone else’s wife, that was the last thing he wanted to see.
Even though Rhea Yang was just an ordinary girl, her deep affection for him had always moved Evan Chu. That’s why he’d promised her in the first place, and now, being trapped in this unknown place was truly frustrating.
The next morning, the four of them rose early, washed up quickly, and left their room. When they reached the entrance of the inn, the middle-aged man was already waiting for Evan Chu.
Seeing Evan Chu and the others come out, the man promptly stepped forward and said, "Good morning, young master! Here is the Moonshadow Stone you asked for. Please check if this is the one you need."
The middle-aged man produced a milky-white stone, translucent and somewhat crystalline. Evan Chu took it, examined it, and said, "This is exactly what I need. Alright, you’ve fulfilled my request—our deal is settled. However, I have one more question for you."
"Please ask, young master. If I know the answer, I’ll tell you everything," the middle-aged man replied.
"Is there a Teleportation Gate here? We need to return to the Heavenly Dragon Empire—have you heard of it?" Evan Chu asked.
"Teleportation Gate? We don’t have one here, but Greenstate Kingdom does. Everyone knows about it. Why are you looking for a Teleportation Gate? As for the Heavenly Dragon Empire, I’ve never heard of it," the man replied.
"Greenstate Kingdom? Do you know where that Teleportation Gate leads?" Evan Chu pressed, recalling from last night’s map that Greenstate lay to the east of Moonspirit.
"They say the Teleportation Gate was left by the White Tiger Clan. Long ago, the king of Greenstate saved a White Tiger elder, and in gratitude, the clan built a Teleportation Gate. If Greenstate ever faces disaster, its people can escape through the gate to the White Tiger Clan, who will help them in times of crisis," the man explained.
Evan Chu and his group exchanged silent glances—this was getting more and more mysterious. The existence of a White Tiger Clan here was completely unexpected. They could only wonder if it was the same as the Sacred Beast White Tiger.
"Alright, we understand. You go ahead with your business—we’re heading out to see the White Tiger Clan ourselves," Evan Chu said.
Immediately, the four of them took to the skies, flying east toward Greenstate Kingdom. As they left, the middle-aged man muttered, "That Teleportation Gate hasn’t been used in thousands of years. Even if you reach it, it probably won’t help. Actually, Moonspirit Kingdom has a Teleportation Gate too, but it’s been sealed by powerful cultivators. You didn’t even let me finish before you left—can’t blame me if you miss the truth."
Evan Chu had no idea that if they’d stayed to hear the man out, things would have turned out differently. The Teleportation Gate in Moonspirit Kingdom actually led to the Sea Dragon Empire. Maybe fate itself was steering Evan Chu toward another adventure.
"Linfeng, does the territorial map show any way back to the Heavenly Dragon Empire?" Luna Chu asked.
"No. This place is a completely unfamiliar world. All we can do is check out the White Tiger Clan—maybe we’ll find a clue. But if that clan really is the Sacred Beast White Tiger, you’d better stay behind in Greenstate when I go. The White Tiger Sacred Beast is guarded by Saint Martial Realm experts, and those people are terrifyingly strong," Evan Chu replied.
"We’ll see when we get there. I honestly don’t understand why we even ended up here. Did Heaven Ape mess up the directions?" Luna Chu said helplessly.
"I’m not sure either. Let’s just hurry up—the sooner we reach Greenstate, the sooner we’ll have answers," Evan Chu said.
Moonspirit Kingdom was truly vast—at least several times larger than the Heavenly Dragon Empire. It took Evan Chu and his companions nearly four days of flying, with more than ten stops to rest. Evan even showed off his fish-roasting skills, much to the delight of Claire Ouyang and the others.
Once they arrived in Greenstate, the four didn’t linger. After asking around, they learned the Teleportation Gate was in the Royal Capital, so they flew straight there.
Greenstate Kingdom was at peace, clearly much better off than war-torn Moonspirit. Many towns didn’t even lock their doors at night. At the Royal Capital, Evan Chu and his group didn’t need any special entry tokens—just a small entrance fee, which made things much simpler.
In a huge plaza in the Royal Capital, Evan Chu finally saw the Teleportation Gate—an ancient construct that looked unusable. But Evan wasn’t worried; he knew Sword Spirit Luna could handle it.
"Let’s find a place to stay. This Teleportation Gate looks broken—it’ll need repairs before we can use it. While I’m working on that, you guys should ask around about the White Tiger Clan. Maybe we’ll find something useful," Evan Chu said.
"Let’s split up to ask around. Lots of people probably know about the White Tiger Clan, but everyone’s story will be a little different. If we collect enough opinions and compare them, we might get the answers we need!" Claire Ouyang said.
"Good idea, Claire. But first, let’s find somewhere to settle in. You three handle the information gathering—I’ll see if the Teleportation Gate can be fixed. Otherwise, we’ll be in trouble," Evan Chu said.
The four of them headed off. Just a few minutes after they left, the supposedly dormant Teleportation Gate suddenly flashed with white light, and an elderly, white-haired man stepped out...
Chapter 595