Evan Chu's words left everyone deeply puzzled. It was almost impossible to believe that these people could be from the Demon Clan—the Demon Clan hadn’t appeared in the Azure Tide Ruins for thousands of years. But now, with Evan’s claim, many began to realize just how serious the situation had become.
"Sect Master Chu, you say these people were killed by Demon Clan members—do you have any proof? The Demon Clan hasn’t shown up in the Azure Tide Ruins for thousands of years, you know," someone in the crowd spoke up.
"I know this is hard for everyone to accept, but it’s the undeniable truth. I can sense demonic energy lingering in the area—can any of you feel it too?
And that’s not even the main point. I’ve fought a Demon General before—back then, he drained the blood of an entire small clan. At the time, he wasn’t even at the Divine Martial Realm, but now, I’m certain he’s reached the Saint Martial Realm," Evan Chu said.
"Sect Master Chu, where exactly did you fight that Demon General? Could you tell us what happened at the time?" one person asked.
"My fight with the Demon General didn’t happen in the Azure Tide Ruins, so the details wouldn’t mean much to you. What matters is that everyone must stay alert to any unusual movements among the sects—especially the second-rate ones. I have six soul-jade pendants here; anyone willing to help me can take one," Evan Chu said.
Immediately, six people stepped out of the crowd and came before Evan Chu. One of them said, "Sect Master Chu, I’m the Grand Elder of Profound Sea Sect. Our sect is a second-rate force, about as strong as Prime Might Sect. I’m willing to provide you with information—if we spot anyone from the Demon Clan, I’ll notify you right away."
After handing him the pendant, Evan Chu said, "Good. As soon as you spot any sign of the enemy, crush the pendant instantly. That way I’ll be able to rush over at once—maybe I can even save you. You should trust in my strength."
Evan Chu then distributed the remaining pendants to the other five volunteers. One of them was actually the master of a sect, though his was only a third-rate sect with just over five hundred disciples. Evan figured that such sects might be even more likely to catch the Demon Generals’ attention.
After giving a few final instructions, Evan Chu finally left the scene. At this moment, he had no idea where to search next—he could only fly aimlessly through the skies, hoping that one of his pendants would be crushed soon.
Evan Chu summoned Goldwing, climbed onto his back, and let the beast’s sharp eyesight scan everything within a thousand-mile radius—far more efficient than constantly probing with his divine sense.
After flying for half a day without the slightest sign of movement, Evan Chu felt increasingly uneasy—the dark forces seemed to have vanished into thin air.
After nearly a full day of aimless flight, Evan Chu and Goldwing finally descended. They landed outside a sprawling city called Sunset City—a place supposedly named after an ancient legend that the sun once fell here. Of course, that was just a fanciful tale, but it had been repeated so often that the city kept the name.
Evan Chu decided to enter the city for a look. Even though it was unlikely that a Demon General would be lurking here, he might still pick up some valuable clues.
Like other big cities, Sunset City’s gates were guarded. This time, Evan Chu didn’t enter with his real face—he used a disguise to avoid unnecessary trouble.
He paid the entry fee—a high-grade Starstone—and stepped onto the bustling main street. The traffic and crowds reminded him of Golden Ram City, with street vendors everywhere. Evan Chu wasn’t interested in any of that; he slipped through the throng and headed straight for a teahouse.
The teahouse was packed, business booming. Evan Chu found a quiet corner and sat down, quietly listening to the conversations around him.
After scanning the room, Evan Chu realized that almost everyone here was just an ordinary martial artist—the strongest among them hadn’t even reached Fifth-Layer Divine Martial Realm; most were at the Heaven Martial Realm.
One man in particular was a natural storyteller. He’d been talking nonstop ever since Evan entered, and everyone was listening as if he were a professional tale-spinner.
"You might not know this, but the Frostbane Sect Master is insanely strong. He killed the Mist Rain Pavilion Master Victor Zhang with a single sword—Victor was a top-tier Third-Layer Saint Martial expert. That shows just how terrifying the Frostbane Sect Master’s strength really is.
That’s why he said Frostbane Sect would rise up and become one of the Nine Great Sects—and Sacred Sword Sect and Freewind Palace actually agreed with him! The most unbelievable part is that Pavilion Master Selena Yale of Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion turned out to be his woman. It’s almost impossible to believe.
Everyone knows Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion strictly forbids relationships between men and women, but their Pavilion Master broke the sect’s rules. So just how powerful is the Frostbane Sect Master, really?”
Evan Chu couldn’t help but find the whole thing amusing. They were bragging about him as if he were some kind of legend—if only they knew he was sitting right here, he wondered what they’d think.
“I heard the Frostbane Sect Master is just a yellow-haired brat—there’s no way he could be that strong. And the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion Master is supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the Azure Tide Ruins. There’s no way she’d fall for someone like him!” a middle-aged man scoffed.
“Maybe that kid really is a rare genius. Even though Soaring Feather Young Lord is the leader of the Four Young Lords, he couldn’t beat the Frostbane Sect Master. If you don’t believe it, ask anyone who went to the tournament—they’ll tell you it’s true,” the storyteller replied.
None of the people here had actually qualified for the tournament. Everything they said was just hearsay, so they only half-believed it. But one thing was clear: Frostbane Sect really was on the rise.
Just then, three middle-aged men entered the teahouse. All wore wide-brimmed bamboo hats that hid most of their faces, clearly trying not to be recognized. They sat down at a table not far from Evan Chu.
Evan Chu was startled—he couldn’t tell their exact cultivation level, but they were at least Eighth-Layer Divine Martial Realm or higher. Their secrecy piqued his curiosity.
One of the men whispered, “I really don’t want to go back this time. That’s my own sect, after all. A man shouldn’t forget his roots. Even if things are out of my control now, there are some responsibilities I just can’t ignore.”
“If you don’t obey orders, you’ll face Second Protector’s torture. Even without you, we’ll still do what needs to be done. There’s no point resisting—just listen to me. Otherwise, you’ll have an even harder time getting the antidote at the end of the month,” another man said.
Their voices were so quiet that no one else in the teahouse could hear them—but Evan Chu caught every word, and now he was paying close attention to these three…