"What are you laughing at!"
Aiden Zhou suddenly sensed something was off deep inside.
But staring at Master Lin from Seacrest right in front of him, he couldn’t sense even a hint of qi fluctuation from Evan’s body.
Aside from that, Aiden Zhou didn’t see any sign that Master Lin from Seacrest was preparing to cast any mystic arts either.
Earlier, Evan had casually conjured over a hundred force-qi swords into a sword-net. Even though Aiden acted like he didn’t care, deep down he was actually pretty shocked.
But now, Master Lin from Seacrest clearly wasn’t making any moves, and there was nothing odd happening around him.
The sword-net hanging in midair, made of qi swords, was also melting away like snow under Aiden’s mystic arts.
He was obviously already standing in an unbeatable position.
Yet deep down, Aiden Zhou still felt an indescribable sense of unease.
That unease kept growing, until it left her whole heart burning with anxiety.
Luckily, the orange glow around his body was already fully formed.
The power inside that orange light was enough to make countless people stare in awe.
"You’re not even worthy of me making a move."
Evan Lin shook his head lightly, hands clasped behind his back.
The moment he finished speaking, Aiden Zhou felt that the qi swords blocking his path—which had slowed his ascent just a bit—had actually vanished completely.
This time, they didn’t disappear because of his mystic arts—they were truly gone, for real.
"You admit you can’t win, so you’re planning to surrender early?"
Aiden Zhou’s face darkened as he kept channeling his mystic arts.
"Dusksun Cinder Art is an absolute technique my master, Grandmaster Victor Zhou, personally taught me. Its principle is to condense the last ember of daylight as the sun is about to fall in the west!"
"This is fire from the sun itself. Its power is unmatched—it can vaporize every drop of blood in your body!"
After the force-qi sword-net vanished completely, Aiden Zhou felt the pressure around him suddenly lighten.
His whole ascent sped up, shooting upward way faster than before.
To the onlookers, Aiden Zhou in midair was now just a mass of orange light. The higher he rose, the denser that orange glow became, along with a terrifying heat.
"Yeah, and then?"
Evan Lin nodded, watching Aiden Zhou come at him without a ripple in his expression.
"Then you die! What do you mean, 'and then'?"
Before Aiden Zhou could reply, Liam Li already shouted impatiently.
He stared at the approaching Aiden Zhou below and yelled, "Don’t hit me by accident!"
"Aiden, bro, just finish off this kid already, but don’t hurt me—I’m one of your own!"
Liam Li was practically bouncing with excitement.
He could barely contain himself—he just wanted Aiden Zhou to hurry up and get close, so he could wipe Master Lin from Seacrest right off the map.
But Liam Li was getting nervous—after all, fists and feet don’t care who they hit, and mystic arts are even scarier.
If even a stray hit landed, Liam Li would probably get blasted to smithereens.
You think just because Liam Li is under your foot, my mystic arts can’t touch you?
Aiden Zhou’s mind suddenly clicked when he heard Liam Li’s words.
He snickered, muttered a chant, and flicked his finger—an orange glow, a bit weaker than before, wrapped up Liam Li.
Ah, that explains it!
No wonder you’re so cocky—thought with Liam Li under your foot you could just chill, thought his presence would keep me from really doing anything to you. But you messed up!
Now that Liam Li is under my protection, my mystic arts won’t touch him. So, Master Lin from Seacrest, you’ve lost your biggest shield!
Aiden Zhou let out a big laugh.
He used to wonder if Master Lin from Seacrest was really as calm as he looked, but now he thought he’d cracked the code—and his mood shot up.
What a pathetic know-it-all.
Evan Lin shot him a look and shook his head. "I’m not making a move against you—I just want to give someone else a shot."
Let’s see how long you, Aiden Zhou—the number-one disciple of Grandmaster Victor Zhou—can last against someone I’ve casually coached.
Evan Lin’s words hung in the air.
Everyone watching froze for a second.
Even though they were pretty far away, every time Evan Lin and Aiden Zhou spoke, everyone could hear them loud and clear.
So when those words hit their ears, a bunch of people were left speechless.
"What’s Master Lin from Seacrest getting at? I don’t get it," someone asked, scratching their head.
"Wait, does he have a disciple here or something?" another person asked, totally baffled.
Master Lin from Seacrest isn’t even that old. He’s already taking disciples? Even if he did, how much time would he have had to actually train them?
I bet Master Lin from Seacrest feels like he’s not on the same level as Aiden Zhou—he came here looking for Grandmaster Victor Zhou, but the grandmaster didn’t show, just sent his disciple to brush him off. That probably ticked Master Lin off, so now he’s making excuses not to fight.
People kept speculating and guessing.
Nah, it’s not that he doesn’t want to fight—he just knows he’d lose, but for the sake of face, he can’t admit it, so he’s making up excuses!
Totally! Master Lin from Seacrest probably never imagined even a disciple of Grandmaster Victor Zhou would be this tough. He looks calm on the outside, but inside, he’s gotta be freaking out!
Speculation kept swirling around.
"A disciple?" Queenie Tong glanced at Serena.
"It must be her."
Serena gave Queenie Tong a little nod.
They exchanged a look, totally on the same wavelength, then glanced down toward the rooftop below.
From this angle, you could just barely see the open-air pool on the balcony outside the guest room.
Looking over from a distance, half the pool was bone dry, the other half nearly frozen solid—seriously weird.
But everyone’s eyes were glued to Master Lin from Seacrest and Aiden Zhou, so almost nobody noticed this oddity.
What a shameless blowhard!
Aiden Zhou scanned the area, alert, but all he saw was empty sky—no sign of anyone else.
Quit with the spooky act already—it won’t work!
I’m a mystic arts cultivator, and my technique is fully formed. You’re just a martial brute, Master Lin from Seacrest—how are you supposed to compete with me?
Now, get ready for your punishment!
Aiden Zhou barked out a shout, about to unleash his mystic arts for real.
The orange glow around him hit its absolute peak, the heat flaring up another notch.
But right then, the boy standing there shifted his gaze toward a certain direction, a faint smile playing at his lips.
Ten seconds.
Make him kneel.