Hearing the commotion, Evan Chu glanced over to see that Sean Xiao was in grave danger. If that giant sword formed from sword-qi struck him, even with his current Fourth-Layer Venerable Martial Realm strength, Sean would be severely wounded. Sean had been his close friend for years—there was no way Evan could stand by and watch something like that happen to him.
With a flash, Evan swung his Frostbane Sword, unleashing a swift strike that intercepted the attack in the blink of an eye. The massive counterforce sent both him and Sean flying dozens of meters before they could steady themselves.
Now that Thomas Jia had already been killed by Evan, these people were simply no match for him. Even if Star-Cleave couldn't kill them outright, it could still leave them gravely injured. That last sword that saved Sean was a hastily unleashed Star-Cleave.
Sean looked at Evan with gratitude and said, "Frostbane, you saved me again. I honestly don't know how to thank you. Now that the Skyspear City Lord has been slain by you, these people aren't worth worrying about. Let's finish this quickly!"
"Sean, we've been friends for years—don't be so formal. Besides, asking you to face so many opponents of similar strength on your own, and to hold out this long, is already impressive. Since these people are so stubborn, let's just kill them all!" Evan replied.
As for the patriarch who had been blasted away by Evan's sword, he was now coughing up blood nonstop, his whole body limp—clearly suffering severe internal injuries. Most of the damage came from Evan's fusion of five elements and lightning attributes. In terms of raw attack power, Star-Cleave was about equal to his other martial arts, but the elemental fusion made it especially devastating.
"Old Hu, are you alright? This kid is just too monstrous. To have this kind of power at his age—looks like we're in real danger this time!" The Yang Family patriarch hurried over to the wounded clan master and asked.
"I'm not dead yet, but my body isn't really listening to me. This kid's attacks are weird—you get hit and it's like your whole body goes numb, you can't move at all. Who would've thought the City Lord would be killed by him? It's unbelievable." the injured patriarch replied.
"If he hadn't killed our sons, maybe I'd be willing to submit to him. To have this kind of power at his age, his future is limitless—following him would definitely get us somewhere. But losing a son is something I just can't let go of, and I bet you all feel the same!" said the Yang Family patriarch.
"Losing a son is painful, but compared to your own life, it doesn't mean much. I think we should focus on staying alive—there's still time for revenge later. If we lose our lives, there's no chance at all." the injured patriarch said.
"That's right, I think Old Hu is spot on. 'Leave the green hills, and there will always be firewood.' Revenge can wait ten years—we need to endure for now. This kid's strength is overwhelming; we're simply not his match," another patriarch said.
"Evan, they're about to submit to you. What are you planning to do?" Luna flew over to Evan Chu and asked.
Sean Xiao had been fighting these people and hadn't noticed Luna until now. Suddenly, a beautiful woman appeared, startling him—she seemed unreal, more dreamlike than real.
Evan asked with concern, "Hehe, you know I'm impressive, huh? So, how are you feeling now? You seem pretty drained—can I help you with anything?"
"I'm fine. I just need some time to recover. But using the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array may have drawn Solarion Palace's attention. I must enter your body now, so don't disturb me for a while—I need to rest," Luna replied.
A flash of white light turned into a silver miniature sword that flew into Evan Chu's brow. Sean Xiao, standing nearby, watched the scene in shock, finally blurting out after a long moment: "Frostbane, who is she? Why did she enter your body?"
"She's my big sister. Isn't she beautiful? You don't need to ask more. These Skyspear clan heads are about to submit to me—surprised?" Evan smiled.
"No way, right? We just killed their sons, and they're still willing to submit to us? How do you know?" Sean Xiao was more and more shocked by Evan Chu's mysterious insight.
First, his unfathomable strength, yet only Fifth-Layer Saint Martial Realm. Then, a dreamlike girl who turns into a sword and enters his body. Now, he knows their enemies want to submit. Sean was finding Evan more and more incomprehensible.
"Compared to their own lives, killing their sons is secondary. Sons can be 'remade'; once their lives are gone, it's all over. They're submitting just to bide their time for revenge, but I don't care. With their current strength, they can't possibly kill me. Strategically, I have no desire to exterminate Skyspear's great clans. These families control most of the city's industries; if I wipe them out, Skyspear will plunge into chaos. It's more convenient to keep them intact and just seize the City Lord's Mansion, letting them continue running things under my rule," Evan smiled.
"Frostbane, you really are formidable. The Shade Lord owes you another huge favor. Thinking about your future status in the Netherworld makes me half want to punch you out of envy!" Sean Xiao said.
"No matter how high my status in the Netherworld, I don't care. I'm going back to the Azure Tide Ruins. The Netherworld is just a pit stop in my life. I don't care about these empty titles. Sean, I didn't expect you'd care about this stuff—I'm surprised," Evan laughed.
At that moment, the Yang Family patriarch and several others approached Evan Chu, but none made any move to attack. Evan knew their intentions and laughed: "So, you want to attack together? You'd better use all your strength, or I might wipe you out with a single sword strike."
"If we submit to you, will you really spare us?" the Yang Family patriarch asked. If this youth truly intended to kill them all, they would have no choice but to fight to the death.
Sean Xiao glanced at Evan Chu, thoroughly impressed by his foresight. Luckily, he was Evan's friend—being his enemy would be a disaster. Evan said, "You're right to think that way. I know your deference is just a stopgap, a calculated move to survive and seek revenge later, but I don't care. With your level of strength, killing me is impossible."
Here's your first task: reorganize the City Lord's Mansion. From now on, the Shade Clan's primary city in the Netherworld will be based here in Skyspear City. I won't touch your family industries; you'll live as you did before, as long as you obey me. From today, the Shade Clan will be the Netherworld's number-one race under my leadership, and I expect you understand what that means.
The Ghost King and Beast King have already been killed by me. In the future, the Human and Netherkin races will share the same fate. If you're sincere about submitting, prove it through your actions. I'm very interested in Netherghost Violet Orchids—whoever satisfies me most will receive the greatest rewards.