"Evan, can you act a little more proper? You're already a father, but you still have zero filter when you speak." Claire Ouyang lay in Evan Chu's arms, speechless.
"Alright, I won't say anything. Let's sleep. Tomorrow we'll go check out the battlefield." Evan Chu laughed.
From the next room, Luna Chu's voice occasionally drifted over. It was soft, but with Evan Chu and Claire Ouyang's cultivation, they could hear every word clearly. This was destined to be a sleepless night.
At dawn the next day, Evan Chu got up early. Claire Ouyang quickly freshened up and left the room, but Luna Chu next door hadn't come out yet. Evan called, "Luna, we're heading out first. Take your time to recover."
"Who needs to recover? Evan Chu, explain yourself!" Luna Chu's voice came from inside, then she opened the door and walked out—though her gait was a bit awkward.
"Heh, looks like turning from a girl into a woman really does make a difference! Luna, you're impressive—so when are you going to give me a nephew?" Evan Chu laughed, relishing the rare chance to tease her.
"Evan Chu, you're dead! If you don't shut up, no one will think you're mute!" Luna Chu snapped, her cheeks burning. She knew they must have figured out what happened last night.
Skylar Yule stepped out and said, "Alright, enough. Let's get going! By now Moonspirit Kingdom should have the territorial map ready. We need to find a way home as soon as possible—and Luna deserves proper status now."
The four left the inn and saw the same middle-aged man from yesterday waiting at the door with a squad of guards. As Evan Chu's group appeared, he hurried over and said politely, "Young Master, did you rest well last night? I've brought what you asked for. When would you like to head to the battlefield with me?"
"No need to pick another day. Let's go now—I have things to handle and don't want to waste time." Evan Chu replied.
"Then I'll get the carriages ready. The battlefield is at most ten days away by road—we'll reach it soon enough," the middle-aged man said.
"Carriages? You think we need something like that? Let's go, just the five of us are enough," Evan Chu replied.
The middle-aged man understood Evan Chu's meaning and said, "Then I'll lead the way up front. Young Master, just follow me."
With that, he took off into the sky, and Evan Chu's group followed, flying so quickly that the guards below were left staring in shock.
The middle-aged man seemed eager to show off his speed, quickly pulling far ahead. Luna Chu and Skylar Yule hadn't yet broken through to Divine Martial Realm and couldn't keep up, while Evan Chu and Claire Ouyang flew lazily, not wanting to reveal too much strength.
Soon the middle-aged man noticed the group's slower pace and reduced his speed. Evan Chu and the others caught up, and he said, "At this speed, we should arrive by afternoon. I hope you'll do your utmost to resolve Moonspirit Kingdom's crisis—there will surely be rewards for you."
"Forget the rewards. All I want is the territorial map. By the way, does Moonspirit Kingdom have any local specialties? Or maybe the neighboring nations?" Evan Chu asked.
"Moonspirit Kingdom actually has many specialties. The most famous is the Moonspirit Stone. It's not on the same level as Starstones, but it's still a valuable energy ore. If you need some, I have a few on me and can give you some," the middle-aged man replied.
"Moonspirit Stone? That's the first I've heard of it. What's it good for? Does it contain Stellar Power too?" Evan Chu asked.
"Moonspirit Stones don't contain Stellar Power, but moonforce. It's much weaker than Stellar Power, but easy to absorb. The energy of one low-grade Starstone equals five Moonspirit Stones. Starstones are very rare in Moonspirit Kingdom—most cultivators rely on Moonspirit Stones to train," the man explained.
"Evan, Moonspirit Stones are actually the initial form of Moonshadow Stones. If you can find a Moonspirit Stone vein, you'll get Moonshadow Stones. Moonspirit Kingdom should have them—they're essential for entering the Netherworld. You came to the right place; maybe this is fate," the Sword Spirit's voice sounded in Evan Chu's mind.
After hearing this, Evan Chu had already made up his mind. He asked the middle-aged man, "Do you have any of those extremely rare Moonshadow Stones? They don't have obvious energy, but they're a medium for certain teleportations."
"Moonshadow Stones? Never heard of them. But sometimes, in Moonspirit Stone veins, you find a perfectly transparent stone—maybe that's what you mean. They're considered extremely precious and usually used as ornaments," the man replied.
"I want one of those stones as payment for resolving this crisis. Don't worry—this is a small matter for me," Evan Chu said.
"We'll definitely satisfy you, Young Master. For such a huge favor, not just a Moonshadow Stone—even a whole city, I'm sure the king would give you without hesitation," the man said.
By afternoon, Evan Chu and his group finally reached the battlefield. The situation was much like the old war between the Heavenly Dragon Empire and Sea Dragon Empire—a huge city wall separated the two armies, with one side defending and the other attacking.
The arrival of Evan Chu's group surprised Moonspirit Kingdom's Marshal, who commanded this battle. When the middle-aged man quietly explained Evan Chu's background, the Marshal found it almost unbelievable.
To settle a war single-handedly seemed impossible. The Marshal wondered if Evan was just a braggart, but hearing about his terrifying strength made him half believe, half doubt.
After a brief introduction, Evan Chu and his group climbed to the city wall. Looking out at the dense soldiers several li away, Evan asked, "Do you want the enemy wiped out, or just driven off this territory?"
Evan Chu's words were a bit confusing. The Marshal asked, "You mean you can wipe them out? If you really could, that would be best—Moonspirit Kingdom would have no more worries. But that's just impossible."
"I can slaughter them all within half a stick of incense, whether you believe it or not. But killing so many would violate heaven's will. I'll just deal with enough to make the rest retreat and end the war voluntarily," Evan Chu said.
Claire Ouyang and the others believed him without a doubt, but the rest couldn't accept it—the war had dragged on for years, how could a youth end it in half a stick of incense? They all looked skeptical.
"To save time, I'll just prove it to you. But you'd better not go back on your word, or I'll wipe out Moonspirit Kingdom instead," Evan Chu said, then teleported away in front of everyone...