The voice from behind startled Evan Chu. With his current senses, he should have easily detected anyone approaching, but this time there was no sound or sign at all—proof that the newcomer’s strength was extremely high.
And since the person had come looking for him on purpose, their goal was obviously the items he’d won at the auction. There was no need to ask—this visitor was definitely from one of the Ten Great Powers, and most likely had reached the God-Emperor Realm.
Evan Chu slowly turned around, glanced at the newcomer, and laughed. “You only found me now? That just proves how clueless you are. If you want my stuff, it won’t be that easy. So, which faction are you from—Qin Tian Sword Sect?”
“Kid, since I’ve found you today, you’re not getting away. The fact that you lasted this long means you’re somewhat capable, but a mere mid-stage God-Lord is laughably weak in my eyes. If you want to live, hand it over yourself—don’t force me to do it the hard way,” the newcomer said.
The speaker was a white-robed youth, holding a bronze longsword—clearly a divine weapon. Judging by his aura, he was at least mid-stage God-Emperor. With Evan Chu’s current attack power, hurting him would be tough, let alone killing him.
But Evan Chu wasn’t the type to let himself be slaughtered. He glanced around and noticed that the flames in the western mountain range were the fiercest. Maybe instead of fighting head-on, he should stall for time and wait for the Fire Dragon to return.
“You really think I’d just hand over my things? God-Emperor Realm is impressive, sure, but even ants know how to resist. So I’ll resist.” As soon as Evan finished speaking, he activated Light Transformation to hide his body, then shot toward the blazing western mountains at full speed.
It all happened so fast. The God-Emperor youth had expected Evan to run, but didn’t anticipate him turning invisible—that was the most frustrating part. Still, he didn’t panic; his figure flickered and he flew straight toward the spot where the air had been torn open.
The sound of the air splitting meant Evan was flying fast through the sky. All the youth had to do was lock onto that location, then slowly zero in and finally use his Space Domain to force Evan out of hiding.
Honestly, Evan was tempted to try the fifth form of the Wind-God Sword Art. He was sure it’d be devastating, and if he combined it with Ninefold Divine-Dragon Metamorphosis, he might even seriously injure the God-Emperor youth. But in the end, he held back—without absolute certainty, he wasn’t about to expose his true strength.
If that youth isn't killed and manages to escape, my whereabouts will be exposed, making things even more dangerous than they are now. So the only thing I can do is wait for the Fire Dragon to return.
The moment Evan landed, he was immediately hit by a crushing pressure—the aura of a mid-stage God-Emperor. It was far stronger than anything he'd felt before, so intense it made him feel like he couldn't breathe.
But Evan was already adept at communicating with elemental molecules. With a flick of his divine sense, he quickly detected the elemental layers within the Space Domain. Within a few breaths, he resonated with them and eased much of the pressure.
Even though the pressure of a God-Emperor was overwhelming, Evan's current defenses and resistance were enough to bear it. "Kid, aren't you going to show yourself? Or do you need me to force you out to be satisfied?" the youth taunted, his tone arrogant.
Evan said nothing. Right now, inside the opponent's domain, any movement or sound would instantly reveal his position, giving the youth a clear target to attack. For now, there was no way to act without exposing himself.
After waiting a moment, the youth realized Evan hadn't fallen for his trick and smirked. "Not bad, kid. You actually saw through my intentions. But for a mere God-Lord to last so long in my domain is truly surprising."
"I'll say it again—hand over the goods and I'll spare your life. Otherwise, this time next year will be your death anniversary. My patience is limited, so don't force me to use my trump card!"
Evan still didn't speak—not because he was afraid of this God-Emperor youth. If he wanted to leave, it would be easy. Right now, he could use Earthshift to slip into the mountains and move about freely. The structure and hardness of earth and stone in the God Realm were far beyond those of the Immortal Realm, making infiltration and escape much easier.
The youth was starting to get confused. He knew exactly how much pressure his Space Domain exerted, yet after all this time, there hadn't been a sound or even the slightest energy fluctuation. Any normal God-Lord would be half-dead by now.
Even if Evan was stronger than most, there was no way he could last this long. The youth even began to suspect he was mistaken—that maybe Evan wasn't inside his domain at all and had already escaped without him noticing.
But there was one thing he couldn't figure out—there had been energy fluctuations all along, showing someone was flying rapidly. But the moment Evan landed, it all vanished. He couldn't believe Evan hadn't been trapped, yet he couldn't explain the current situation either.
Seeing the youth's puzzled expression, Evan almost wanted to laugh. He knew it wouldn't be long before this guy withdrew his Space Domain, maybe even left altogether. He might not need the Fire Dragon's help to deal with him after all.
Just as Evan expected, the youth withdrew his Space Domain. "No matter where you run, I'll find you. Today, you'll witness the power of my Divine Lifebane Gu!" the youth declared, producing a pitch-black box wreathed in sinister black mist.
Evan could tell at a glance this was no ordinary item. Just hearing the name 'Divine Lifebane Gu' made it clear this was something sinister—and it might really be able to find his current location.
"My Divine Lifebane Gu isn't just any ordinary poison. If you're bitten, even God-Emperors will die, unless they've reached the God-Venerable Realm and can force the poison out. This is your last chance—my Gu can sense all living auras within dozens of li. Once it targets you, it won't stop until one of you dies!" the youth boasted.
Evan knew half the youth's words were bluster and half were true. The Gu was probably extremely dangerous. While his blood was a natural nemesis to all poisons, this Gu was a little different—it could enter his body as a living creature, making it possible for its master to control him from within.
Back in the lower realm, he'd helped people expel Gu poison before—his blood was the bane of all Gu. But now, he didn't want to reveal that secret. For a moment, Evan hesitated, unsure whether to show himself and escape quickly or remain completely still and wait for the Gu to arrive...