Boom!
Evan Lin could hear thunderous booms coming from inside his body.
Under the power of the Grand Dao Foundation Art, the river of spiritual qi surged wildly.
Every meridian nourished by spiritual qi was expanding at a visibly rapid pace.
Evan could even feel every cell in his body being filled up by that river of spiritual qi.
The Grand Dao Foundation Art honestly felt like a cheat code.
Crackle!
All the bones in Evan's body crackled like beans popping in a hot pan, sending chills down his spine.
“This technique is honestly a bit terrifying.”
Evan focused on the changes happening inside his body.
With every full circulation of the Grand Dao Foundation Art, Evan's bones grew, his fists and feet got stronger, and right now, he felt like he could punch straight through the planet.
If anyone were here, they'd see that even the air around Evan was being drawn into swirling currents by the spiritual qi moving inside him.
On top of that, layers of black impurities melted into wisps of dark smoke and drifted out of Evan's body.
The Grand Dao Foundation Art kept running nonstop.
After each round of full-body circulation, Evan's spiritual qi was endlessly refined by the Left-Hand Dragon, becoming purer and then guided into the Gathering Spirit Well on his inner spirit platform.
The speed at which spiritual qi circulated kept accelerating.
The Gathering Spirit Well was filling up with more and more spiritual qi.
Spiritual qi refined by the dragon's breath was especially pure, flowing in strand by strand and even coloring the whole spirit well with a shimmering glow.
Coldspire Peak.
Halfway up the mountain, a woman in dazzling red stood there, staring from afar at that burning firewall in the distance.
Her gaze was utterly indifferent, her face expressionless as she looked into the distance.
"That over there—that's Master Lin from Seacrest."
An old man had appeared behind her at some point, grinning as he stared at the distant firewall. "Who would've thought? We've searched for Master Lin from Seacrest for so long and couldn't find him, but in the end, he came to Hong Kong on his own."
"Not only did he come to Hong Kong, but he agreed to meet Grandmaster Victor Zhou at Coldspire Peak for the summit."
"That makes things a whole lot simpler."
"Once he arrives, we'll make him unlock the secrets of the Woman Statue. Our Patriarch will seize the chance to ascend and glimpse heavenly secrets. Then the Bai clan's karmic ties will be cut, Master Lin from Seacrest will die here, and everything ends cleanly."
The old man's voice was slow, but the pride and excitement in his words were obvious.
"After I die with him, will the Patriarch spare Bella?"
Lucy Bai's face remained calm and unmoved, showing no emotion as she listened to the old man's words.
She just kept staring at the distant firewall, as if trying to pierce right through it with her gaze.
"The Patriarch said he would."
The old man's eyes flickered as he smiled. "The Patriarch is hanging on by a single breath, waiting for this opportunity."
"As long as the opportunity comes, not just your sister's life—even yours—the Patriarch will save you both if he can."
As he spoke, the old man glanced at Lucy Bai's brow, where a faint golden half-Woman Statue mark shimmered.
It was a mark that had followed her since birth, like an imprint.
It hadn't faded in all these years—it was always there.
This was the fate of the entire Bai clan.
Ever since long ago, the Bai clan has only ever given birth to daughters.
Besides that, Bai clan women never develop any emotional entanglements with ordinary men.
They all seem like emotionless beings who never need to marry.
Because every generation, the Bai clan women mysteriously become pregnant and give birth to another daughter.
Once the child is born, the mother dies.
And so the cycle continues, generation after generation.
It's like a curse.
The Bai clan has never known peace, generation after generation.
All of this began with the woman who saved the Bai clan so many years ago.
But the curse that's been passed down for generations hit a snag with Lucy Bai's generation.
Because the previous Bai clan woman gave birth to two children.
One was Lucy Bai, the other was Bella Bai.
Lucy Bai stayed as cold as ever, while Bella Bai showed a hint more emotion.
That was the change.
And the words passed down in the Bai clan for generations also mention this.
When the Bai clan bears two daughters, the destined one will return.
The whole Bai clan has been waiting, through endless cycles, for the return of the one who saved them long ago.
Now, after countless years of searching...
That person is most likely Master Lin from Seacrest, standing right here.
"The Bai clan's inherited words say we're to marry the one we've been waiting for, bear his child, and only then can we repay the debt left by that woman."
Lucy Bai spoke calmly, staring at the distant firewall: "He may be a young hero, worthy of the genius reputation."
"But to me, he's just an ordinary person."
"This isn't kindness—it's resentment. Because of him, our Bai clan's fate has been shackled for generations."
Lucy Bai unconsciously clenched her fist, her gaze icy and sharp as a blade, staring quietly into the distance.
"The Patriarch knows all of this."
The old man nodded at her words. "Back then, when your mother came to the Patriarch for help while pregnant with you, she was already fading fast."
"But the Patriarch still spent his cultivation to extend her life, letting her see you and your sister for seven more days."
"Seven days later, your mother passed away like all the Bai clan women before her—her soul returned to fate, leaving only bones behind."
"If not for the woman who saved the Bai clan long ago, your family might've been destroyed. But her methods were cruel—forcing your bloodline to repay the debt. Such tactics are vicious indeed."
"And Master Lin from Seacrest might well be in league with that woman."
The old man spoke slowly.
"So no matter what, Master Lin from Seacrest must die."
"He must pay the price for what he's done."
"And you should know, it was extending your mother's life for seven days that cost the Patriarch so much cultivation, leaving him barely hanging on and forced into seclusion ever since."
"This time, the Bai clan has finally met the one we've been waiting for. That fulfills our purpose. But by helping the Patriarch glimpse heavenly secrets, you also repay the debt for your mother's extended life."
"All karma will be cut. You may not survive, but your sister should finally have a chance at an ordinary life."
The old man spoke softly and slowly.