"Big Brother Jin, don't feel strange about this. Back then, you were the one who recognized my worth and gave me a helping hand. I'm just helping you realize your own wish now, so don't refuse me." Evan Lin said.
"Brother Lin, what cultivation realm are you at now? And how did you get acquainted with this Immortal Lord?" Gavin Jin asked in shock.
"Honestly, I'm not even sure what realm I'm at anymore, but I should be able to handle an ordinary Immortal Lord. As for Blazefire Immortal Lord, he's my sworn brother, so you don't need to worry about that." Evan Lin laughed.
At this moment, Blazefire Immortal Lord spoke up: "Boss, since your Big Brother Jin wants to become the City Lord of Coldriver, then there's no time to waste. I'll go notify everyone in the city—anyone who's reached late-stage Golden Immortal Realm can join the City Lord's Mansion as guards.
Da Luo Golden Immortal Realm cultivators can be Protectors, and Ninth-Heaven Arch-Immortal Realm experts can become Elders. I'm sure plenty of people will be eager to join."
"Blazefire, just call me Evan Lin from now on. If you keep calling me 'boss' in front of others, it'll hurt your own status. Go take care of this matter—I want to have a good chat with Big Brother Jin." Evan Lin said.
With that, Blazefire Immortal Lord left the City Lord's Mansion. After Gavin Jin took the second-grade Xianqing Pill Blazefire gave him, he felt much better, though he was still shocked by Evan Lin's monstrous achievements.
"Brother Lin, I truly have no idea how to repay such a huge favor. Please, let me bow to you!" Gavin Jin said emotionally.
"Absolutely not! If you do that, it's like you're looking down on me. Helping you makes me happy, so don't take it to heart." Evan Lin replied.
At this moment, Blazefire Immortal Lord soared into the sky above Coldriver City and roared down, "I am Blazefire Immortal Lord of the Martial Spirit Dominion! Anyone in Coldriver City who has reached Golden Immortal Realm must immediately report to the City Lord's Mansion. If anyone dares ignore my command, their fate will be just one word—death!"
The thunderous shout echoed across the sky above Coldriver City. Evan Lin and Gavin Jin heard it and exchanged a smile, surprised by how domineering Blazefire was—he’d actually ordered all the top experts in the city to come to the Mansion.
For a moment, the entire population of Coldriver City was stunned. Many people knew Blazefire Immortal Lord’s reputation—his name came from his infamous temper—and plenty rushed straight toward the City Lord’s Mansion.
Blazefire Immortal Lord soon returned to the City Lord’s Mansion. Seeing Evan Lin, he said, "Evan, I’ve recruited quite a few top experts for your Big Brother Jin. Let’s go see what kind of people they are."
"Excellent. With these people joining, I doubt anyone will dare threaten Big Brother Jin’s position as City Lord." Evan Lin laughed.
The three of them walked out of the City Lord’s Mansion. Outside, dozens had already gathered. Evan Lin quickly sized up their strength: two Ninth-Heaven Arch-Immortal Realm experts, six Da Luo Golden Immortal Realm cultivators, and the rest were Golden Immortals.
Of course, there were also plenty of onlookers. When the crowd saw Evan Lin appear, they were all shocked—who would’ve thought this youth had such a powerful background, even connected to the Martial Spirit Dominion’s royal city.
Evan Lin addressed the crowd: "I’ve killed the previous City Lord of Coldriver. The city needs a new leader. My Big Brother Jin is willing to take up the mantle. You’re all top experts of Coldriver City—if you join the City Lord’s Mansion, you know exactly what benefits await you."
"That’s right. From now on, Coldriver City will be directly protected by the Martial Spirit Dominion. No one will dare cause trouble here, and the Dominion will give the city its full support. The future is limitless—you’re all smart enough to make your own choice." Blazefire Immortal Lord said.
The crowd was instantly excited. Getting the Martial Spirit Dominion’s backing was a rare opportunity, and it would mean a huge boost in cultivation. One after another, they pledged to join.
After a round of selection, the City Lord’s Mansion appointed two elders (Left and Right Second Elders), four Protectors, and fourteen elite guards. The Mansion’s strength surged instantly.
After that, recruiting more guards and servants—the trivial stuff—was left to others. The next day, Gavin Jin was officially installed as the new City Lord of Coldriver City. Evan Lin had truly helped him fulfill his lifelong wish.
The following day, Evan Lin prepared to leave. Gavin Jin tried to persuade him to stay, but Evan refused—Coldriver City was just a remote small city, not worth lingering in.
After bidding Gavin Jin farewell, Evan Lin and Blazefire Immortal Lord left Coldriver City. Riding on the Celestial Vulture, Blazefire asked, "Evan, is it time to return to the Martial Spirit Dominion now?"
"No rush. I haven’t had enough fun yet. Why don’t you go back and report to the Dominion Lord first? I’ll return in a while—right now, there’s a place I want to check out." Evan Lin replied.
"I’m not going back! If I show up alone, the Dominion Lord might skin me alive. Where do you want to go? With me by your side, you’ll be perfectly safe." Blazefire Immortal Lord said.
"I want to take a look at Solarion Palace. Interested?" Evan Lin grinned.
"Solarion Palace? You’ve got to be kidding. It’s ridiculously far from Coldriver City—even riding this Celestial Vulture, we’d be flying for over half a year. No way I’m going!" Blazefire Immortal Lord grumbled.
Evan Lin was stunned. Was the Immortal Realm really that huge? "You’re not lying to me, are you? If the Martial Spirit Dominion is also far from Coldriver City, how did you get here so fast?"
"The Martial Spirit Dominion has Teleportation Gates and sensing gates in every city. Otherwise, flying from the Dominion to here would take over a month. Besides, in half a year, the once-per-century grand auction will be held—it’ll be insanely lively. I want to buy a few things myself, so I’m not missing it." Blazefire Immortal Lord explained.
"Auction? Is it really that lively? What good stuff will be there?" Evan Lin asked, instantly interested—he was no stranger to auctions, and he’d even met Luna at one before.
"It’s one of the most bustling events in the Immortal Realm. All six great powers send people to attend, and the auctioned items are countless. As long as you have enough Immortal Stones, there’s almost nothing you can’t buy." Blazefire Immortal Lord said.
Evan Lin had plenty of Immortal Stones now. If the auction really had what he needed, maybe he could skip Solarion Palace altogether. And perhaps Luna would show up at this auction too.
"Where’s the auction being held? Are there any restrictions?" Evan Lin asked, his interest piqued.
Blazefire Immortal Lord smiled. "This time the auction is hosted by the Martial Spirit Dominion, in its new capital city. It’s about ten days’ journey from here. Why not head there now and check it out?"
"Let’s wait until it’s closer to the time. I want to go into closed-door cultivation and find a secluded place, ideally somewhere I can absorb Stellar Power from the stars." Evan Lin said.
Blazefire Immortal Lord wanted to say something more but held back. The Celestial Vulture turned and flew toward a deep mountain range...