Evan Chu just grinned, "What if he recognizes me? Does that mean I can't keep playing along like this?"
"We'll see. But I suspect the Golden Dragon Shrine Master has his own troubles—otherwise, why would he have kept you locked up for over twenty years? I just scanned the Dragon Shrine Grand Hall with my divine sense and found your mother is only confined in a sealed chamber, not actually being tortured as the rumors claimed," Luna said.
"That's all I needed to hear. As long as my mom's safe, it's fine—otherwise I'd wipe out this whole Dragon Shrine. Anyone who hurts my family deserves to pay," Evan said.
"Evan, I also discovered a formidable expert hidden in the Dragon Shrine's secret chamber. This person has reached Ninth-Layer Venerable Martial Realm. You need to be careful. Until your bloodline is fully awakened, it's best not to clash with him," Luna warned.
Evan's heart skipped a beat—this place really was crawling with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Still, he wasn't too worried; even a Ninth-Layer Venerable couldn't scare him. If push came to shove, once he revealed his true Divine Dragon body, Evan was confident even the strongest would hesitate. After all, the Primordial Dragon bloodline was the most noble of all.
While Evan was talking with Luna, sweat started to bead on the Golden Dragon Shrine Master's forehead. He couldn't break through the light shield around Evan at all, and that made him anxious. With so many people watching in the Dragon Shrine Grand Hall, his dignity was on the line.
Right then, Evan noticed the flash of panic on the Shrine Master's face and sent a secret voice transmission: "You'd better stop. With your strength, you can't break my shield. Out of respect for my mother, I'm giving you a chance to save face. Don't embarrass yourself."
The Golden Dragon Shrine Master was baffled by Evan's words. He glanced at Evan, about to ask something, when suddenly the shield around Evan vanished. Instantly, the white soul-searching orb covered Evan's body.
But he found his energy orb couldn't enter Evan at all. There was a far stronger soul force present, making it impossible to use the soul-searching technique.
"That's enough. If you keep going, your humiliation won't be my fault—I've already given you all the courtesy I can! I came to Divine Dragon Valley for one reason: my mother. Uncle, don't force my hand. To be blunt, your peak Eighth-Layer Venerable power is no match for me. Maybe the guy in the sealed chamber could fight me, but do you really think the Golden Dragon Grand Elder's spatial domain could hold me? I only let him lead me here because I didn't know the shrine's exact location," Evan said.
The Golden Dragon Shrine Master jolted, yanking his hand back and instinctively stepping several paces away. His face went pale as he stared at Evan, full of disbelief: "Who exactly are you? Why did you call me that?"
His words stunned everyone in the grand hall. No one understood what Evan had just said to the Shrine Master, but it was obviously something huge—otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted like that. All eyes turned to Evan.
"Evan, it's time to tell them the truth. But you must keep your Primordial Dragon body secret—don't reveal it unless you have no choice. I just checked the sealed chamber again and found that the powerhouse inside is actually an ancient Black Dragon, at least hundreds of thousands of years old. I suspect the Dragon Clan's ten-thousand-year seclusion is because of this Black Dragon, and the current Golden Dragon Shrine Master might just be its puppet," Luna said.
This time, it was Evan's turn to be shocked. The impact hit him as hard as his words had shaken the Shrine Master. If the Shrine Master really was a puppet, almost no one would know—otherwise, the Dragon Clan would've exploded long ago. Now Evan realized he had a new mission: for the sake of the clan's peace, he had to destroy that Black Dragon.
After steadying himself, Evan swept his gaze across the crowd in the Dragon Shrine Grand Hall and said, "Twenty-two years ago, a Golden Dragon left Divine Dragon Valley on urgent business. For some unknown reason, she was gravely wounded by a powerful enemy and rescued by a human cultivator named Dominic Chu. Over time, they fell in love, married, and had a child—that child is me. I came to Divine Dragon Valley to take my mother away."
"Golden Dragon Shrine Master, my mother is your younger sister, isn't she? I hope you'll let me take her away. I don't want her to suffer here any longer. Since you're my uncle, maybe I can even help you resolve your current crisis."
As soon as Evan finished, the whole hall erupted. The Shrine Master shuddered and studied Evan's face, finally noticing the resemblance—especially the eyes and nose. Just as he was about to speak, the Silver Dragon Clan Chief suddenly cut in: "So you're that bastard! No wonder you could break Divine Dragon Valley's barriers and get in here. Your mother got what she deserved—of all people, she chose to love a lowly human. Not dragging her back for execution was already merciful."
Evan's face twisted, his killing intent surging. He glared at the Silver Dragon Clan Chief and spat, "What right do you have to speak about my mother? You're just a low-bloodline Silver Dragon—how dare you judge someone with Golden Dragon blood? You're nothing. My mother's suffering was all because of schemers like you stirring up trouble. There's only one fate for scum like you—death!"
Evan practically roared the word 'death.' He stopped caring about the Shrine Master's feelings—after all, the Silver Dragon Clan Chief was only Sixth-Layer Venerable. Evan whipped out the Frostbane Sword from his storage ring, flashed forward, and tore open a spatial black hole right in the grand hall between himself and the Silver Dragon Clan Chief.
Seeing Evan's sword, the Shrine Master realized he truly meant to kill. He'd just experienced how terrifying Evan's power was—his own attacks couldn't break Evan's shield. Now, with Evan ripping open a black hole, the Silver Dragon Clan Chief was basically doomed.
The black hole stunned the Silver Dragon Clan Chief for a split second. Before he could react, a powerful suction yanked him toward Evan's hand—and, combined with the black hole's pull, he was dragged inside. Evan slipped in after him, and in the blink of an eye, the black hole vanished from the grand hall...