"Serena, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be in seclusion?" Evan Lin asked, surprised to see her.
"I was in seclusion, but I came out when you all arrived at Dream Spirit Sanctuary. I've already broken through to mid-stage Immortal Lord, but advancing further will take a long time, so I decided to come out for now. Are you surprised to see me?" Serena Frost smiled.
"Surprised? I'm not just surprised—I'm floored. I never imagined you'd go through something like that. It must've been unbelievably dangerous. It's all my fault for not being strong enough to protect you. But I swear, I'll personally cut down that dog Victor Situ myself," Evan Lin said, voice heavy with guilt and resolve.
"Evan, did you already get together with Lynn? I heard those unmistakable sounds coming from your secret room—I didn't expect you to be so eager. You really caught me off guard," Serena Frost teased.
Evan Lin was momentarily stunned, shot her a look, and said, "You went to the secret room? So what, did you come here hoping I'd take advantage of you too?"
"Not a chance. I just came to see you. If you want a wedding night, you'll have to actually marry me first. But tonight, I can stay with you—on one condition: you can't cross the final line. Promise me that," Serena Frost said.
"Seriously? Just the two of us, alone in bed, and you expect a hot-blooded guy like me not to try anything? I'm not sure I can hold back. Isn't this just torture?" Evan Lin complained.
"It's a test. Sure, I'm yours sooner or later, but I'm not the kind of woman who gives herself away easily—and Lynn isn't either. She must have her reasons; after all, she's still the Second Domain Lord of Dream Spirit Sanctuary. If she just became your woman now, the disciples here would laugh at her for lowering herself.
You're still without power or influence—even if you're strong, it's not enough for her to just follow you. You have to build a real force, like you did with Frostbane Sect in the lower realm. Only then will you truly be her equal, and no one will mock her for marrying you. This is about Dream Spirit Sanctuary's pride," Serena Frost explained.
"I get it. I've already asked Nolan Nangong to help build Frostbane Imperial Palace for me. Once the palace is finished, that's when I'll marry all of you. And when that day comes, I'm not letting you off easy—every time you set me on fire and don't let me put it out, it's pure torment. A guy could die from that," Evan Lin said.
"I'm just teasing, Evan. I'll head back soon—I know you have a Pure Yang Constitution. If we share a bed, your Pure Yang Qi will definitely flare up, and if I don't give in, it could actually be dangerous for you. So I have to leave, for your own good. I just wanted to check on you," Serena Frost laughed softly.
Right now, Evan Lin wanted nothing more than to pin this little minx down and have his way with her. She knew exactly how tough his situation was and still chose to tease him. But he couldn't force her. "Serena, what if we just go for a walk and look at the night sky over Dream Spirit Sanctuary?"
"It's late—you should get some rest. I know you burned through a lot of Chaos Immortal Force helping Lynn Ling restore her body. It's more important to recover your strength, so I won't disturb you," Serena Frost said. She stood up, walked over, and gave Evan a gentle kiss on the cheek before turning to leave.
Evan Lin wasn't about to let a beauty walk out so easily. He couldn't go all the way, but he could still tease her a bit. He still had half his Chaos Immortal Force left; if his Pure Yang Qi flared up, he could suppress it easily—not like last time when his dantian was sealed. Serena Frost just didn't know that.
He suddenly grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her hard. His hand had already found its way to her chest, gripping it firmly, his touch leaving her breathless.
Serena Frost was instantly jolted—if he kept this up, she'd lose all self-control. A strange, intoxicating mix of pleasure and longing surged inside her, leaving her flustered.
She couldn't let him win—at least not now! That was her only clear thought. With effort, she shoved Evan Lin away and snapped, "I knew you were trouble. Good thing I kept my head—otherwise you'd have devoured me. Being alone with you is way too dangerous. I think I should steer clear of you until we're actually married."
She didn't wait for Evan Lin to respond—Serena Frost bolted out, her face flushed and heart racing. She rushed back to her own room, stripped off her clothes, and slipped into the bath. Seeing several red marks on her chest where he'd grabbed her, she fumed, "That jerk really went too far. Just wait, I'll get even with him!"
Watching Serena Frost leave, Evan Lin couldn't help but laugh to himself. That little minx clearly wanted him, but she was also scared. He'd just have to tease her a few more times in the future.
He left his room as well. After stepping outside the main hall, Evan Lin flashed into the sky, took a quick look around, and landed atop a giant boulder on a mountain peak, settling down to meditate.
He didn't rush to restore his depleted Chaos Immortal Force. Instead, he sorted through the strange new information swirling in his mind—especially the mysterious voice and the single drop of God's Blood inside him, which left him utterly perplexed.
Slowly, he drew the Frostbane Sword from his storage ring. Now, it had become the Frostbane Divine Sword. Just holding it made him feel like a king, as if he could face any opponent head-on.
He channeled a thread of Chaos Immortal Force into the blade, and instantly a burst of white light flared. Sword qi several meters long shattered the air with crackling sounds—a phenomenon he'd never seen before.
Evan Lin felt that with the Frostbane Divine Sword in hand, he could duel even late-stage Immortal Emperors without using Divine Cleave. And now that he'd reached late Immortal Lord Realm, there might not be anyone left who could stand against him.
He was confident about the coming war between Immortal Beasts and the Immortal Realm's cultivators. But one thing nagged at him: the Phoenix Clan and Dragon Clan would definitely be among the beast armies. How was he supposed to handle that? Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
If Roxanne Lin needed to undergo her second Phoenix Nirvana Rebirth, she'd need help from the Phoenix Clan. My Heavenfire could help, but it's far too dangerous—last time, she nearly died. This time, no matter what, I can't let her take that risk. If I can resolve the conflict between Immortal Beasts and cultivators and get them to coexist peacefully, everything else will fall into place.
A wild idea had already taken root in Evan Lin's heart: he would become king—the ruler of the Immortal Realm. Only with both Immortal Beasts and cultivators under his command could true peace be achieved. With that resolve, he drew out supreme-grade Immortal Stones and began absorbing their energy...