Being the leader of the Salvation Alliance is turning out to be a headache for the Blue Clan. There’s no real progress, the higher-ups forbid any attacks, and people below can leave the Alliance whenever they want—after all, they’re not really under Blue Clan’s control.
For the first time, the Blue Clan Patriarch feels powerless. Advancing isn’t an option, retreating isn’t either. All he can do is discuss with internal clan members, but after endless debate, they still have to stick to the current approach: if the insects attack, they go out and counter them; if not, they just keep things as they are.
As a result, outsiders are starting to wonder if the Blue Clan is losing its touch—no new orders, just reacting to insect attacks instead of taking initiative.
This makes a lot of people lazy.
“I wonder how he’s doing now?” Xin Jiang stood outside her quarters and asked Damon Li, who lingered nearby.
Damon Li sighed, worry flickering in his eyes. "He didn’t get killed by that Strange Fiend, did he?"
“No way,” Xin Jiang said firmly.
“Staying here feels pointless.” Damon Li always worried about Xin Jiang’s safety. He wanted to persuade her to leave and let him represent the Shadowhand Guild here alone.
“This is the safest place. If we left, we’d definitely be targeted, and the Shadowhand Guild could get dragged into trouble too. So we have to stay here. The Salvation Alliance may not have much to do with us, but their rules keep us safe.” Xin Jiang wanted to leave, but there were always people secretly following her, so she didn’t dare to go anywhere.
After Xin Jiang explained, Damon Li finally understood, a helpless expression crossing his face.
Evan Yang spent years in seclusion again. When he finally emerged, he looked much more energetic, nothing like the severely wounded state before.
“You’re out?” Warren Dugald was surprised to see Evan Yang come out.
“Yeah.” Evan Yang smiled.
“Did you break through?” Warren Dugald sensed Evan’s aura and couldn’t read his realm anymore—there was only one possibility: Evan had surpassed Warren’s own mid-stage Spirit-Wandering.
Evan Yang nodded slightly. To Warren Dugald, that simple nod was shocking—he’d seen Evan go from early-stage to late-stage Spirit-Wandering, while he himself was still stuck at mid-stage. Warren could only sigh, “Comparing yourself to others just makes you miserable.”
“Don’t say that. You’ll break through too,” Evan said with a smile.
Warren Dugald smiled back. “I’ll take your blessing then.”
“Haha, I’m going to check on her, then I’ll see where we are now.” Evan was already at late-stage Spirit-Wandering, but breaking through to peak would be tough. He really wanted to get out and see what was happening outside.
Warren Dugald nodded and closed his eyes again. Evan Yang headed into the Sky-Piercing Tower to find Winter. As soon as he reached the lower levels, something felt off—his feet crunched on the ground, the sound sharp and crisp, like walking on snow.
But this was inside the Sky-Piercing Tower. How could there be snow? Evan squatted down, puzzled, and found the powder on the ground was green.
Just then, Evan sensed a powerful aura coming from his left. He dodged, and a green mass shot past—like snow, but different in color and composition.
With a thud, the green ball slammed into the tower wall and tumbled to the floor in a heap.
Just then, the creature opened its mouth and sprayed countless green spheres at Evan, like a rapid-fire cannon.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Evan quickly dodged, then zipped behind the creature, grabbed its tail, and dangled it upside down.
The creature hung upside down, staring at Evan with a wronged look in its eyes. Evan felt a wave of frustration just looking at it.
Just then, Winter’s voice rang out, “Sprig!”
Sprig? Evan stared curiously at the creature in his hand. As soon as it heard Winter’s voice, it tugged hard, dropped down, and rushed toward her.
Winter picked up the little creature and smiled, “You’re here?”
“Yeah, what is it?” Evan asked curiously.
“You mean Sprig? That’s the egg you saved.” Winter smiled and stroked the creature’s green body.
“That egg? It hatched?” Evan finally realized the creature was the egg he’d rescued from Connor Hawke.
“Sprig, talk to him—he’s your big brother and savior.” Winter smiled and spoke to the little creature.
The creature widened its eyes, looking a little teary, as if it was about to cry. It jumped off Winter’s hand and hopped into Evan’s arms.
Evan opened his arms and picked it up, then looked it over curiously. “What are these?”
“Crystal Source Powder,” Winter replied.
“Crystal Source Powder?” Evan exclaimed, grabbing a handful to inspect it. After Winter explained, he realized the little guy could spray Crystal Source Powder as an innate ability.
Evan held it close and muttered, “You really are a magical creature.”
“Yeah, I was startled by it at first too,” Winter replied, a smile breaking through her earlier tension.
“Anyone would be startled,” Evan laughed.
“You’re out of seclusion? How come you have time now?” Winter, done talking about Sprig, smiled at Evan and asked.
“Yeah, I’m done. I’m planning to leave soon,” Evan nodded.
“Really? That’s great! I’ve been stuck here so long I’m about to suffocate.” Winter’s eyes lit up, her excitement barely contained.
“Let me check first. Once we’re outside, I’ll let you out.” Evan replied. He knew the tower was still inside a spatial crack, and if he didn’t find a new exit, they’d keep drifting in this void.
“Okay, you go ahead. Sprig and I will wait for you here.” Winter replied.
Evan handed Sprig back to Winter, left the lower levels, and went to the top. He activated his connection with the tower, and the outside situation appeared before his eyes.
(Irrelevant system message. Skipped.)
In the darkness, Evan’s divine sense couldn’t see a single speck of light. He could only control the Sky-Piercing Tower to drift slowly, searching for the next exit.
He kept drifting in one direction until, one day, he finally saw a glimmer of light.
“Finally, some light. Let’s get closer and check it out.” Evan excitedly moved the tower over.
Soon, Evan steered the tower to the crack’s entrance.
He paused just outside the crack, trying to see what caused this spatial rupture.
“So many?” Evan stared, stunned. Insects swarmed everywhere, and in the middle of the chaos, someone was fighting them off.
But it wasn’t a person—it was a wolf-bodied beast: Mad Wolf.
“Mad Wolf? Wasn’t he trapped inside some formation? Could this place be the formation itself?” Evan wondered aloud.
Mad Wolf had no idea his attacks had created a spatial crack, or that someone was coming out of it—especially Evan Yang.
The insects attacked in waves, and Mad Wolf was struggling. Just as they lined up for a final strike, Evan stepped out of the tower.
Mad Wolf was shocked by Evan’s aura and turned to face him. “It’s you!”
“Let’s deal with these first.” Evan smiled, then teamed up with Mad Wolf to wipe out the insects. Once the ground was littered with corpses, Mad Wolf stopped, shocked. “You’re late-stage Spirit-Wandering now?”
“Yeah,” Evan replied.
“You’re a real monster. It’s only been a few decades, and you’re already late-stage Spirit-Wandering.” Mad Wolf was so stunned he could barely speak.
“Forget that. Isn’t this the place you’re trapped?” Evan asked suspiciously.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve been stuck here for over a thousand years.” Mad Wolf sighed.
“Come on, let’s try.” Evan looked around, ready to leave.
“Try what?” Mad Wolf asked curiously.
“Don’t you want to get out?” Evan smiled.
“Of course I want to get out. But how did you even get in here? I’ve studied this place for a thousand years and never found a way out.” Mad Wolf was baffled by Evan’s sudden appearance.
“Me? I came out through that crack.” Evan pointed to the spatial crack.
“Impossible!” Mad Wolf looked at the crack and immediately denied it.
“Don’t believe me?” Evan laughed.
“Yeah, nobody’s ever survived coming out of there, so I don’t really believe it.” Mad Wolf admitted.
With Mad Wolf watching, Evan flashed into the crack, then popped right back out.
Mad Wolf stared, utterly dumbfounded.
“How did you do that?” Mad Wolf was utterly shocked. He’d created countless cracks over a thousand years, but never dared enter—he couldn’t withstand the tearing force, and that’s why he’d been trapped here for so long.
Evan smiled and explained it was thanks to an artifact. When Mad Wolf realized the power came from a treasure, his shock only deepened.
“Alright, enough talk. Let’s go find the exit.” Evan smiled, determination shining in his eyes.
“You really are something,” Mad Wolf sighed, unable to find words.
Evan knew he was special—no ordinary person could do what he did—so he didn’t explain much, just started searching for a way out.
Time passed bit by bit, but they still couldn’t find an exit. Mad Wolf sighed, “It’s useless. I’ve searched every day for years and never found one.”
“You never know until you try.” Evan smiled. He remembered being trapped with the White-Haired Elder in another powerful formation, and an idea struck him: what if they just attacked the formation head-on?
When Evan shared his idea, Mad Wolf shook his head. “It’s useless. I’ve tried countless times.”
“One person couldn’t do it, but two might.” Evan smiled, eager to feel the surge of unleashing twentyfold power.
As a late-stage Spirit-Wandering cultivator, Evan could easily unleash ten times his normal strength, but twenty times was still unstable—sometimes it worked, sometimes not.