Evan Chu’s heart was in turmoil. The way things were developing had already gone far beyond his expectations. He’d thought he could just use the Starstones he’d plundered to easily win the Starry Void Sigil, but now it was clear that the Sigil was far hotter than he’d imagined—and the brutal competition in the Star-River Dominion was way crueler than what he’d seen on the surface.
For the Starry Void Sigil, it wasn’t just the weaker forces—just the eight top-tier powers alone were enough to make Evan Chu hesitate. So what if you bought it? The people here came with every intention of flipping the table and stealing it!
Whether it’s the Starry Abyss or opening a Star Core, opportunities like these are insanely rare—and for those powerful clans, the chance to create a true Trial World is just too tempting to resist!
Evan Chu thought for a moment, then said, “I’m willing to cooperate with you to get the Starry Void Sigil, and I can even let your Mansfield Family borrow it for a while—but I have my conditions. First, I’ll pay for the Sigil myself, and once we have it, it belongs to me alone.
If you want a chance to temporarily borrow the Starry Void Sigil, you’ll have to follow my plan and help me out.”
Desmond Mansfield shook his head. What a joke—he was the Mansfield Family’s most talented heir, and Evan wanted him to just be an assistant? Who did Evan think he was?
“No way. Even I don’t have absolute confidence in pulling this off—so what makes you think you do? Everything needs to be discussed together. If you get to decide everything alone, then aren’t we just your tools? Don’t forget your own status.”
Desmond’s words actually reminded Evan Chu of something.
Yeah… He was way too weak right now. Even if he brought out the whole Dragon-Chen Legion, in front of these people, it wouldn’t even make a dent.
“Alright, then let’s change the terms. We can discuss everything together, but when your Mansfield Family borrows the Starry Void Sigil, I have to be present!”
“No way! Absolutely not!”
Evan Chu frowned, and Desmond Mansfield quickly explained, “No, that’s not what I meant. What I’m saying is, not just anyone can enter the Starry Abyss—it takes at least Saint Venerable Realm cultivation to barely get in.”
“Oh, that’s all? Easy. I’ve got my own way—just say yes or no.”
“Wait… you really have a way?”
Desmond asked suspiciously. He wanted to go himself, but his cultivation wasn’t high enough, so he could only wait. But now, Evan Chu was just early Saint Lord Realm—and according to the intel they’d collected, this was just one of Evan’s avatars.
But reliable sources said the last time Evan Chu showed up, his realm was only mid Saint Lord Realm, maybe late Saint Lord at best. So what gave him the confidence to enter the Starry Abyss?
But what Desmond didn’t know—or rather, what his intel network wasn’t strong enough to uncover—was that Evan Chu actually had a terrifying avatar at mid Saint Venerable Realm: Lynton Chu!
“Alright, I get what you’re worried about. If that’s all you want, I can agree. Now, let’s figure out how we’re actually going to grab the Starry Void Sigil.”
“Deal!”
The three Holy Emperor experts of the Mansfield Family didn’t know, nor did the four peak late Saint Venerables. That night, their young master Desmond Mansfield and Evan Chu spent hours hammering out several plans—each one full of deadly risks.
Finally, at dawn the next day, Evan Chu clapped his hands. “It’s decided! We’re going with this one!”
“This one? But I thought the other two plans weren’t bad either.”
“No, no, no—that’s way too risky. I still think the first step is to buy the Starry Void Sigil outright. That way, not only do we leave a good impression with Star-Treasure Pavilion, but even if it gets stolen, if we take it back, it’s totally justified. Everybody knows we bought it first, so whatever means we use to win it back, nobody can say we’re out of line.
But if we do what you said—wait for other people to make a move and then swoop in for the fisherman’s profit—that’s a definite no. Never mind how much time it wastes, or what unexpected changes might pop up; the real problem is, we’re not the only ones thinking that way.
So, our best bet is to snatch the Starry Void Sigil as fast as possible and then get out. If we’re quick enough, we’ll be totally safe. If we get intercepted, then we’ll use the backup plan I just mentioned.
We can drive the wolves to swallow the tigers—wouldn’t that be even better? Who knows, we might get some unexpected gains.”
Seeing how determined Evan Chu was, Desmond Mansfield could only nod. “But you’d better do your best, and try not to drag too many people in. Your legion is still way too weak.”
When Desmond said that, Evan Chu curled his lip. Damn! Just wait—you’ll see how strong we get soon enough!
“Alright, after talking all night, my mouth’s dry. How about we go taste some delicacies? This restaurant’s dishes are really something—every kind of meat comes from special Star-Domain spirit beasts. The flavor is amazing, and they help with absorbing and comprehending Stellar Power.”
Desmond said it, but Evan Chu knew all about it—he’d eaten and drunk plenty in recent days. What delicacy hadn’t he tasted?