The Blue Clan—they had long grown numb to all this. Their only target was Evan Yang. In their eyes, those Demon Sect members could eventually be dealt with, but Evan Yang was different. His progress was so rapid that if he kept advancing, they had no idea how to handle him.
Now they could only try to lure Evan Yang out with various schemes, but it was as if he had vanished into thin air—there was no news of him at all.
Not only did the Blue Clan have no word, even the Free Alliance had nothing. Only the Shadowhand Guild people guessed he’d entered that mountain cave. As for when he would come out, they had no idea either.
On the surface, everything seemed calm. At most, someone from the Demon Sect would occasionally be found in Baina City, leading to a brief skirmish—and then things would quiet down again. Meanwhile, Sky Unity Sect had gotten into it with Beastmaster Sect and the Demon Sect, all because of those Mind-Recall Pills.
Sky Unity Sect had sought help from the Blue Clan multiple times, but the Blues simply refused to get involved, leaving Sky Unity’s people extremely frustrated.
But one day, the Blue Clan suddenly announced they’d send two Spirit-Wandering experts to assist Sky Unity Sect. Sky Unity was overjoyed—this meant they now had three Spirit-Wandering experts: two from the Blue Clan, and one, their own sect master.
A single Spirit-Wandering expert was worth dozens of ordinary cultivators. For the Blue Clan to send two at once, everyone assumed it was because of their complicated relationship with the Demon Sect. But only the Blues themselves knew that wasn’t their real goal.
Their true purpose was to keep an eye on two people—both very close to Evan Yang: Elder Lee and Chris Chu.
One day, Sky Unity Sect issued an order: the two Spirit-Wandering experts sent by the Blue Clan were to take Elder Lee and Chris Chu as their disciples—personally instructing them, with no one else allowed to interfere.
This made everyone in Sky Unity Sect curious. Why did they choose these two, and not any other disciples?
"Sect master, Beastmaster Sect just won't hand over those five Mind-Recall Pills. We've gone multiple times, but every time we're forced back. Now they're saying they'll fight Sky Unity Sect to the bitter end," the elder replied.
"That Beastmaster Sect—always the villain crying foul first!" The man snorted coldly.
"So what will you do now, sect master?" the elder asked, curious.
"I've got other matters right now—I can't go to Beastmaster Sect yet. Once I finish here, I'll pay them a visit. I don't believe they'll really refuse to hand them over," the man said, frowning.
"But it's been years—what if they've already used the pills?" the elder said, worried.
"I've thought about that too. If it really comes to that, I'll just borrow some from him." The man turned and went back into the cave, leaving the elder muttering, "Borrow some from him?"
Only the man himself knew who he meant—Evan Yang. He knew Evan had managed to refine twelve Mind-Recall Pills, five of which went to him, leaving seven. If Evan wanted to save someone, he'd need at most one, so that left six. Even if there weren't six left, the man was determined to get a few from Evan.
So he wasn't worried at all that Beastmaster Sect would use up those pills.
Actually, Evan had refined many more, but only he himself knew. What Evan didn’t realize was that he’d been targeted by this man a long time ago.
Especially after hearing about Evan Yang’s recent exploits, the man began scheming—how to make Evan someone he could control.
No one knew what the man was thinking.
And so, the continent passed a few seemingly peaceful years.
"How's the Blue Clan doing now?" Joel Qiao—the corpse possessed by the Thirteen Demon Cults—asked the sect master.
The sect master replied, "The Blue Clan hasn't made a move since their people were rescued by that beggar."
"Oh? I heard they sent two Spirit-Wandering experts to Sky Unity Sect," Joel Qiao asked, confused.
The sect master smiled, "That's because Sky Unity Sect clashed with us—the Demon Sect—and Beastmaster Sect. So they asked the Blue Clan for help, and the Blue Clan sent two people."
"I see. Sky Unity Sect is an alchemist family—lots of pills come from there. If we could take it, it'd be great. But with three Spirit-Wandering experts, it's not worth wasting Demon Sect disciples," Joel Qiao declared.
"Right. So we haven't really fought Sky Unity Sect, but Beastmaster Sect has had plenty of disputes with them," the sect master said.
"All for those five Mind-Recall Pills? I really don't get why Sky Unity and Beastmaster Sects are fighting so fiercely over them." To Joel Qiao, these pills only worked for shut-ins—otherwise, they weren't much use.
"No idea. We traded 1,250 eggs with Beastmaster Sect back then, and now they're all battle-ready," the sect master reported.
"I'm curious—if there's time, investigate why they need those Mind-Recall Pills. As for the Blue Clan, leave them alone for now. Their target is that beggar, so they're not bothering us," Joel Qiao said.
Hearing this, the sect master was stunned for a moment, then slowly said, "Yes."
"Don't be like that. We're pursuing a higher realm. All this fighting—I never really supported it. If you have time, just cultivate. When we reach the next level, taking any city will be easy," Joel Qiao said, unimpressed by the idea of conquering cities.
The sect master understood, but he'd been stuck for years, so he wanted to achieve something impressive and make the Demon Sect stronger—maybe even rival the Blue Clan.
Joel Qiao smiled at the sect master's reaction. "Add more people—find that beggar. I want to know where he is!"
"Why is everyone after him?" the sect master wondered.
"I don't know about others, but I'm sure he got something in that space years ago. Otherwise, he couldn't have reached Spirit-Wandering so fast," Joel Qiao muttered.
"The Strange Spiral Shell from Shadowhand Guild?" the sect master asked, curious.
"Yeah, that's it. Back then, I'd just possessed this body and was weak, so I hid from pursuers and didn't ask carefully. Now, I regret it," Joel Qiao sighed.
"There's someone close to him," the sect master said after listening.
"Oh? You mean that woman?" Joel Qiao asked, already aware.
"That's right. She's already at Fusion Realm, and her cultivation is fast. At this rate, she'll reach Nascent Soul in a few years." The sect master remembered Winter (Livia Liu) well, especially her quick progress.
"She's a beautiful woman, though her cultivation method is strange. But it suits her constitution—doesn't fit us. Still, if she can be useful, use her; if not, keep her close. She might be useful if she gets stronger," Joel Qiao, the old monster, commented on Winter.
"Yes!" The sect master was amazed at how well Joel Qiao understood everything.
"Go now. Next time you come, I want news of that beggar." Joel Qiao said, sounding a bit tired.
The sect master answered and left, leaving Joel Qiao sighing, "Ah, longevity... Even with possession, my strength declines each time. When will I break through? Must I seek the edge of the world?"
No one knew this old monster—worried about his lifespan—spent his days cultivating whenever he could, making a secret decision.
Only he knew this decision.
Not just Demon Sect—even Beastmaster Sect never stopped tracking Evan Yang.
"He's been missing for years—why hasn't he shown up yet?" In a room full of spirit beasts, an old man paced.
Two people stood before him.
They were none other than the Heaven-Pill Duo whose spirit beasts Evan Yang had destroyed years ago.
Seth Nan and Chris Chu—their master was the old man before them, and the original owner of Luna the Jade Rabbit.
"Master, he showed up in Baina a few years ago—and I heard he's already reached early Spirit-Wandering," Seth Nan said, unwilling to accept it.
"Spirit-Wandering already? That's fast—he was just Foundation Establishment back then. If I hadn't heard it myself, I'd think I was seeing things." The old man had sent people to track Evan Yang many times, only for them to be defeated or tricked. Even these two disciples lost their spirit beasts.
"Master, what kind of monster is he?" Chris Chu couldn't believe Evan Yang was so powerful.
"I want to know too. And my beloved Luna—I haven't seen her in years. Without her, I can't sleep at night." The old man never stopped searching for Luna after she disappeared.
"Master, do you think Luna is in trouble?" Seth Nan asked, worried.
"No, she's not just any spirit beast—she'll be fine," the old man replied firmly.
"But Master, Evan Yang is really strong now. If we want Luna back, we have to be careful," Chris Chu warned.
"I know. But I can't let her stay with him forever. She's my contract spirit beast—no matter what, I have to get her back," the old man said, his voice resolute.
The two disciples exchanged glances, then asked, "Master, do you want us to look for her?"
"Yes. If you find her, bring her back to me. If Evan Yang stands in your way, don't fight him head-on. Just report to me immediately," the old man ordered.
"Yes, Master!" the two replied.
After they left, the old man sighed deeply, "Luna... Where are you?"
Meanwhile, Evan Yang was still missing. No one knew where he was.
But everyone was looking for him.
And so, the world entered a time of searching, with the wind rising and the clouds gathering.
No one knew what the future would bring.