Evan Chu slumped down on a giant boulder by the riverbank, his mood hitting rock bottom—no, even lower than that. Was there anyone in the world more unlucky than him? The Frostbane Sect folks were probably worried sick, thinking he was dead or worse. Now he’d fallen into the Divine Battlefield, a place stuffed with monsters and mysteries, and who knew if he’d ever get out alive? Even the air here felt like it was mocking him: "Trash like you, what are you doing in a place like this?" Evan gritted his teeth, humiliation burning in his chest. Was he really doomed to be a pawn, tossed around by fate yet again?
Trying to chase away those gloomy thoughts, Evan pulled out two supreme-grade Starstones and started absorbing their energy. He split his focus, running his absorption at double speed—almost as fast as a Starstone Crystal, and not far off either. If anyone else saw him, they’d probably drop their jaws. But Evan only felt a little less suffocated.
Time slipped by without Evan noticing, night swallowing the world around him. He kept at the Starstones, pouring all his focus into cultivation—maybe if he just got stronger, everything would work out. But just as he was getting into the groove, a massive surge of energy erupted from the river. Evan, lost in his own world, didn’t sense a thing. If this place wanted to kill him, it sure wasn’t subtle about it.
"Heads up, Linfeng!" Luna’s voice—sharp and playful—suddenly cut through his trance, yanking Evan out of his absorption like a slap to the face. He blinked, realizing his Chaos Dragon Force was back up to seventy percent, but Luna’s warning had him on edge. What now? He whipped his eyes open, heart pounding, and nearly choked on his own breath at the horror in front of him.
A monster tens of meters long, its head even bigger than a water buffalo and resembling a dragon, was lunging at him with its bloody maw wide open—clearly intent on swallowing him whole in one bite.
Evan stayed calm in the face of danger and instantly teleported away. The monster missed and snapped up the boulder Evan had just been sitting on, but quickly spat it out—the rock was now reduced to countless fragments.
That boulder had to weigh a few thousand jin at least, and that monster just crunched it to gravel like it was nothing. Evan felt his scalp tingle—this thing’s attack power was just plain savage. Worse, it was pitch black out. If it had been anyone else here, they’d be dead before they even saw what hit them. Evan’s eyes narrowed. It wasn’t luck that kept him alive—it was skill, and a little bit of stubborn fate.
Steadying his nerves, Evan quickly drew the Frostbane Sword from his storage ring. He unleashed Earthsplitter in an instant, the massive sword-qi slamming directly into the beast. A thunderous crash echoed across the silent riverside.
Evan knew Earthsplitter’s power well—especially when fused with five-element energy. It could easily shatter a mountain. But this dragon-shaped monster wasn’t split apart at all; instead, the rebound force sent Evan flying dozens of meters away.
"No way—what the hell kind of monster is this? Its defense is off the charts! I bet it’s at least fifth-layer Saint Martial Realm!" Evan blurted, eyes wide. Wasn’t this supposed to be a river, not a battlefield for freaks?
Just then, the monster spat out a ball of cyan light straight at Evan. It moved incredibly fast—if his reactions had been any slower, he would have been hit. Fortunately, Evan’s speed and reflexes let him dodge with ease.
The light orb missed Evan and shot into the distance instead. When it landed several hundred meters away, a thunderous explosion shook the ground, and the cyan glow burst out, lighting up the night like broad daylight.
That kind of attack power? Evan’s heart skipped a beat. If he’d taken that cyan orb head-on, forget surviving—he’d be picking up his own pieces! The crater left behind was at least a hundred meters wide. Evan swallowed hard. Was everything here this crazy?
The ground all around was split open, crisscrossed with bottomless cracks. This monster could smash mountains with a casual flick—and it was nighttime, when everything was twice as deadly. Evan made a snap decision: he’d retreat for now and come back to settle the score in daylight. No point dying in the dark.
Evan blinked out of existence with a single thought, his body vanishing into thin air. But the monster in the river wasn’t done yet—its hulking form rippled, then burst with cyan light. In the next instant, the terrifying beast shrank and twisted, morphing into a young girl who stood on the riverbank, her eyes burning with ancient pride. If Evan had stuck around, he’d have been floored by the sight—a dragon’s horn jutting from her forehead, the aura of a primordial beast swirling around her like mist.
"Hmph! Lucky you ran fast, or this lady would’ve gobbled you up! Who told you to trespass on my turf, huh? Got a death wish or something?" the girl huffed, her voice brimming with arrogance. If Evan could see her now, he’d realize this was no ordinary girl—she was the Azure Spirit Drake, a living legend with a dragon’s horn and a monster’s bite.
Hovering in the air, Evan finally slowed down, shooting Luna a look. "Luna, what the hell was that thing? It looked almost like a dragon—is it some lost cousin from my Divine Dragon clan or what?"
Luna snorted. "Seriously, Linfeng? Don’t tell me all those Lord Frostbane memories left out the Divine Battlefield’s monster manual! That’s the Azure Spirit Drake—one of the top ten legendary beasts around here. Way back, it hit sixth-layer Saint Martial Realm, and who knows, maybe it’s even stronger now. If you wanna go poke it, better write your will first!"
"Azure Spirit Drake? Seventh-layer Saint Martial Realm? Good grief, even random monsters here are this strong? This thing can’t just be a demonic beast, right? Are you saying there are nine other beasts on this battlefield as powerful as it?" Evan asked in shock.
"Of course there are nine more," Luna quipped, "but after ten thousand years, who knows how many are still kicking? These aren’t your garden-variety demonic beasts—they’re Spirit Beasts, maybe even immortal beasts. Each one’s packing a demon core, and if you’re lucky (or suicidal), snatching one could give your cultivation a real kick."
"Forget it! I’m not poking a hornet’s nest like that. Seventh-layer Saint Martial Realm? With a beast body, it could probably punch through mountains! You trying to get me killed, Luna?" Evan grumbled, half indignant, half terrified.
Sure, demon cores could boost your strength, but risking your life for one? Not worth it. Besides, who said a demon core’s Stellar Power was stronger than a supreme-grade Starstone? Monster crystals were proof enough. Evan wasn’t about to gamble everything for a maybe.
Luna rolled her eyes. "Don’t be thick, Linfeng! Demon cores won’t make you a powerhouse overnight, but they’ll toughen up your Nascent Soul. That’s the real deal. Power up your Nascent Soul and everything else gets a boost. Sure, those Spirit Beasts are sixth or seventh-layer Saint Martial monsters, but if you’re gutsy and quick, you might just bag one."
Evan didn’t quite get what Luna meant, but he knew she was looking out for him. "So, is there any way to deal with the Azure Spirit Drake?"
"Knew you’d ask! Always looking for shortcuts, aren’t you? Lucky for you, I actually have a way to handle the Azure Spirit Drake. The real question is—do you have the guts to try it?" Luna teased, her voice full of mischief.
"If you’ve got a method, it’s gotta be good. Spill it, Luna—I’ll give it everything I’ve got!" Evan’s heart thumped with excitement. Slaying a legendary beast? That was the kind of face-slapping glory he’d dreamed of since forever.
Slaying a sixth- or seventh-layer Saint Martial Spirit Beast? Evan’s blood ran hot—he’d never even dared dream of it before. Still, something didn’t sit right. Why hadn’t these legendary monsters shown up during the ancient Divine Battlefield war? Was there some hidden mastermind pulling the strings, keeping them out of the fight? Evan’s mind raced with wild theories, every answer leading to more questions.
And another thing—how could the Divine Dragon, Obsidian Tortoise, Scarlet Phoenix, and White Tiger not be stronger than these beasts? That just didn’t add up. Was someone pulling the strings from the shadows, keeping the Frostbane crew in the dark about these monsters? Evan’s suspicions ran wild. In this world, nothing was ever as simple as it seemed.
Turns out, Evan’s gut was spot on—the Divine Battlefield’s ferocious beasts were once under the thumb of the Demon Lord himself. Why they didn’t show up for that ancient war? No one knows. Maybe the real puppet master wanted to keep his best cards hidden… or maybe he just liked watching everyone squirm.
"Taking down the Azure Spirit Drake? Easy—if you’re not chicken! But it’s risky as hell. So, Evan Chu, do you dare to try?" Luna’s voice echoed, half mocking, half challenging…