"A major clan? Which clan?" Evan Yang asked in surprise.
"He doesn't know either. They all seemed like powerful figures. As soon as they arrived, they took that man away," Wayne Wu said.
The trail ended there. Evan Yang felt as if something was missing from his heart, making him extremely uneasy. "Was there anything special, or did those clan members say anything?"
"I think my friend mentioned that those clan members said they were taking him back to some place called Blaze Mountain Territory," Wayne Wu recalled after thinking for a moment.
"Blaze Mountain Territory? Where is that?" Evan Yang asked curiously when he heard the name.
Wayne Wu shook his head, indicating he didn't know. So Evan Yang turned to Hannah Nangong beside him, but she also shook her head and said, "I don't know either."
Evan Yang pondered for a moment and decided that while searching for the giant toad and the Tree Heart, he would also look for Blaze Mountain Territory.
So Evan Yang bid farewell to Wayne Wu. Wayne Wu told him to be careful; many people in the palace weren't happy with him.
Evan Yang was well aware of this, but with Hannah Nangong by his side, those Heavenly-Immortals wouldn't be foolish enough to come after him openly. As for others, there was little Evan could do except stay vigilant.
With Hannah Nangong in tow, Evan Yang arrived at the largest nearby city and said, "Let's look for some Immortal Realm maps first."
"Immortal Realm maps?" Hannah Nangong gave him a strange look.
"What?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"It's not that there aren't any, but they're all incomplete. There are many unknown places in the Immortal Realm that no one has ever visited, or areas where Void Grubs appear, which are strictly off-limits. So even if you buy one, it only covers a tiny part of the whole Immortal Realm," Hannah Nangong explained.
"The difference is really that big?" Evan Yang exclaimed.
Evan Yang hadn't expected the Immortal Realm maps to differ so much from reality. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "In that case, let's just buy one for now."
Hannah Nangong nodded, so the two of them found a shop specializing in maps. With the twenty million upper-grade Immortal Source Hannah had given him, Evan Yang wasn't worried about money at all. As soon as they entered, he asked the shopkeeper, "Boss, do you have any Immortal Realm maps?"
"Yes, I've got one that's five percent complete. Want it?" the shopkeeper replied.
"Five percent?" Evan Yang exclaimed. That was way too little—just five percent! Was the other ninety-five percent all blank?
"What, too little for you? That's actually a lot. These maps go for a million upper-grade Immortal Source each," the shopkeeper said.
Evan Yang felt like he was being ripped off, but Hannah Nangong sent him a sound transmission: "That's the going rate for five percent. The highest I've ever seen was a twenty percent map, and those go for several billion."
Evan Yang was stunned when he heard Hannah Nangong say the price was calculated in the billions. Then he asked, "Is there anything more complete?"
"My little shop doesn't have anything like that. If you want a more complete map, you'll have to try the auction market. You might find something rare there, but the chances are very low. If you're just wandering around the nearby star systems, this five-percent map is more than enough," the shopkeeper replied.
As Evan Yang was considering whether to buy it, Hannah Nangong sent him a sound transmission: "I have a five-percent map too, but I didn't bring it. Never mind, let's just buy one."
Hearing Hannah Nangong's words, Evan Yang could only sigh inwardly and said, "Alright, Boss."
The shopkeeper took the million upper-grade Immortal Source and handed the map to Evan Yang. Evan soon discovered that these maps were single-use locked—once activated, only the user could view them, and they couldn't be copied or shared.
Evan Yang had seen plenty of these unique Immortal Realm items before, but experiencing it again still felt unbelievable.
"Well, how is it?" Hannah Nangong asked.
"It's alright. It covers all the nearby star systems," Evan Yang replied.
"Let's go, then. We still need to ask around about where those things might show up," Hannah Nangong said.
"Don't rush. There's still some business to handle. Otherwise, things will never get resolved," Evan Yang said.
"Oh? What business?" Hannah Nangong asked curiously.
"Let's head outside the city," Evan Yang said.
Hannah Nangong followed Evan Yang out to the outskirts, still curious. The area was remote and rarely traveled.
"Why come to a place like this?" Hannah Nangong asked, puzzled.
"Haven't you noticed?" Evan Yang asked.
"Noticed what?" Hannah Nangong asked, still curious.
Hearing this, Evan Yang thought for a moment. Maybe it was because his North Sect natural-disguise cultivation made him extra sensitive to his surroundings, so he could sense someone tailing them.
Of course, Hannah Nangong had no idea what Evan Yang was thinking. While she was still confused, Evan Yang turned toward the back and said, "Come out." His voice sounded calm, but carried a hint of power.
The leaves on the nearby trees shook and fell from the force of Evan Yang's words. Hearing this, Hannah Nangong guessed someone was there, so she swept the area with her divine sense and discovered that, sure enough, someone was approaching through the woods.
"It's you?" Hannah Nangong recognized the person—it was the elder from the other day, the one who handled spirit beasts.
Evan Yang knew he was connected to Quinn Qing, and to have tracked them here, he must have used some method. Evan smiled and asked, "What exactly is your relationship with Quinn Qing?"
The elder had just stepped out. Hearing Evan Yang's question, he was first startled, then chuckled, "Quinn Qing is my young master."
"So you're Quinn Qing's servant. What, did he send you to follow us?" Evan Yang laughed.
"Why should I tell you?" the elder retorted.
"It's fine if you don't. Still, to track us like this, you must be quite the character, and your cultivation isn't bad either—Profound-Immortal realm," Evan Yang said.
The elder was shocked. "How can you see through my cultivation?"
"You don't need to know," Evan Yang replied. He had no intention of telling him that his divine sense was far stronger than most, allowing him to easily spot that the elder was just a low-tier Profound-Immortal.
"You really are remarkable. But today is the day you die here," the elder said with a smile.
"Is that so?" Evan Yang replied.
"Take this!" the elder said.
Hannah Nangong hadn't figured out what was going on before the elder struck—Profound-Immortal, second tier.
Hannah Nangong held back, waiting for Evan Yang's command. Evan saw the elder's fist coming toward him and smiled, "Your turn."
Hannah Nangong grinned, "No problem." She threw a punch—Profound-Immortal, ninth tier, just one step from Immortal Lord. Her power completely overwhelmed the elder and sent him flying.
"Who are you?" the elder retreated, shocked.
"Didn't Quinn Qing tell you her identity?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"Is she the Palace Lord's daughter who's always by your side?" the elder exclaimed.
"That's right. How did you only just realize? Looks like you never pay attention before you kill someone. This time, it might be your end, not mine," Evan Yang laughed.
"Dream on!" the elder cried, desperately trying to escape.
Evan Yang said, "Catch him alive. I need him."
Hannah Nangong responded and went to capture the elder. In no time, he was bruised and battered, subdued at Evan Yang's feet.
"Well? Did Quinn Qing send you?" Evan Yang asked with a smile.
"Why should I tell you? If you're going to kill me, just do it," the elder replied.
Evan Yang bore the elder no grudge, but since the elder tried to kill him, he couldn't just let him go. Evan smiled, "Kill you? I can't bring myself to do that. Instead, I'll let my little companions play with you for a while. When you finally come to your senses, talk to me again."
With that, Evan Yang sealed the elder's powers and tossed him straight into the tower.
"Where did he go?" Hannah Nangong asked curiously.
"I threw him into a spatial artifact," Evan Yang replied succinctly.
"I see. By the way, your ability to seal someone's immortal energy is impressive. How do you do it?" Hannah Nangong asked, intrigued.
"I learned it a long time ago. Didn't expect it would still be useful in the Immortal Realm," Evan Yang laughed.
"Is it from your tiny dimension?" Hannah Nangong asked curiously.
"Yes, that's right. It's from my dimension," Evan Yang nodded.
"That's really odd. How does your tiny dimension have such cultivation techniques—and produce monsters like you?" Hannah Nangong said suspiciously.
Evan Yang just smiled without saying anything. If he revealed all his secrets, who knows what Hannah would think.
"Alright, we might still be under surveillance, so we must be extra careful from now on," Evan Yang said calmly after a brief smile.
After what just happened, Hannah Nangong knew they had indeed been followed and could only do as Evan Yang said.
"I'd like to ask, is there anywhere here to gather information? Wandering around aimlessly isn't working," Evan Yang asked Hannah Nangong after thinking for a moment.
"Let me think." Hannah Nangong pondered for a while, then said, "I've heard there's a place called the Uninhabited Star System outside the Misty Star System. You can find a lot of information there."
"Uninhabited Star System? How do you gather information if there's no one there?" Evan Yang asked skeptically.
"You've misunderstood. 'Uninhabited' just means it doesn't belong to any faction. There's no ruler or administrator, only ordinary people and those who like to hang out there. It's known as the place where news spreads and also a spot for entertainment," Hannah Nangong explained.
"Oh? Is there really such a magical place? Why hasn't anyone taken it over?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"That star system has hundreds of planets—it's huge. Long ago, all the major clans, sects, and factions agreed that no one could occupy it, or they'd be attacked by everyone. It's the central hub, and the teleportation arrays there connect to all the major powers. If anyone took it over, all the clans and sects would be threatened," Hannah Nangong explained.
"So the Immortal Realm really has places like this," Evan Yang said in astonishment.
"The Immortal Realm is full of wonders and oddities. You'll understand in time," Hannah Nangong said.
Evan Yang thought about it—the Immortal Realm was so vast, and a map only covered five percent. Who knew how big the rest was?