Evan Chu glanced at the three of them and said, "This enemy’s background is anything but simple. He’s none other than the Blood Emperor, the peerless powerhouse of the Azure Tide Ruins from back in the day. Years ago, he fought a great battle with Lord Frostbane and was severely wounded—his physical body was destroyed. Later, he found someone strong enough to withstand his energy and forcibly possessed them. It’s no surprise you couldn’t defeat him."
But don’t worry, everyone. That battle left him gravely injured, and it’ll take at least eight to ten years for him to recover. Of course, I paid a heavy price myself—it took me over a year just to get back on my feet. Right now, the Blood Emperor’s strength has reached the sixth layer of the Saint Martial Realm."
As soon as Evan finished speaking, the three sect masters felt as if struck by lightning. They stared at him in shock. Someone who hasn’t even broken through to the Saint Martial Realm could actually defeat a sixth-layer Saint Martial expert? It was simply unbelievable—something that probably hasn’t happened in tens of thousands of years of Azure Tide Ruins history.
"Sect Master Evan, your talent truly commands our respect from the bottom of our hearts. But now those four sects have formed an alliance—what’s your view on that?" the Sacred Sword Sect Master asked.
"Those four sects attacked us. Sure, they were forced to obey the Blood Emperor at the time, but I can’t swallow this humiliation. Once I’ve handled my current affairs, I’ll go settle the score with them. Whether I wipe them out or not will depend on their attitude when the time comes," Evan replied.
If anyone else claimed they could destroy the alliance of four major sects, people would think they were crazy. But when Evan Chu said it, no one could doubt it—he actually had the strength to back up his words.
"If you plan to make a move, let me know in advance. Sacred Sword Sect wants a piece of this payback too. We’ll fight them together," the Sacred Sword Sect Master said.
"Bloodfiend Hall won’t be left behind! Evan, you won’t look down on our weaker strength, right?" the Bloodfiend Hall Master joked.
Evan laughed, "Hall Master, you’re joking. Every extra ally means extra strength. I might have the power to wipe them out, but I don’t want to slaughter innocents. If we can keep casualties to a minimum, that’s the best outcome."
"Of course Freewind Palace won’t miss out on something this good! We have a blood-deep vendetta that needs to be repaid. Honestly, I wanted to join forces with Sacred Sword Sect, Bloodfiend Hall, and Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, but I was afraid of the Red-Robe Young Lord. Now that you’ve joined us, Evan, victory is already within our grasp," declared the Freewind Palace Lord.
"Alright, since it’s settled, I’ll let everyone know when the time comes. For now, the food and wine should be ready—let’s all head out!" Evan Chu said.
At the evening banquet, Evan Chu and his wives went from table to table, toasting the guests. Throughout the night, the visiting sect masters and several second-tier sect leaders presented priceless gifts for Evan’s two children.
To be honest, these gifts were less for the children and more for currying favor with Evan Chu himself. Everyone understood this tacitly—after all, with Frostbane Sect’s support, any force in the Azure Tide Ruins would have nothing to fear.
That night, Evan once again used his Earthshift technique to sneak into Selena Yale’s and Selena’s rooms. The two women were at first unhappy about his sneaky behavior, but after a bit of sweet-talking and some skillful hands, he won them over.
The next day was the official wedding banquet. Evan ordered Frostbane Sect to host three days of flowing-water feasts, and everyone drank to their heart’s content. For three days straight, not a single troublemaker showed up—Evan was thoroughly satisfied.
Afterwards, the various sect masters and disciples gradually took their leave. This time, the Soaring Feather Young Lord didn’t come—he felt a bit embarrassed. Instead, he sent a message through the Freewind Palace Lord, thanking Evan for saving his life, congratulating him on his son’s birth, and hoping Evan would treat Serena Dream well. If given the chance, he’d like to become true friends with Evan.
Being able to let go of past grudges made Evan genuinely happy—this way, Serena Dream wouldn’t have any lingering knots in her heart. On the second night, Evan visited Claire Ouyang’s room. As the Mermaid Kingdom’s princess and the first woman he’d officially married, she was the one he felt he owed the most.
That day, Evan called in Heaven Ape and the Violet Thunder Fox, saying, "Now that matters in the Azure Tide Ruins are settled, you two have been here long enough. Why don’t you head back to the Monster Beast Forest for a while? I’ll call you when I need you."
"Evan, even if you hadn’t said it, I was about to bring it up myself. I’ll head back soon—I’m sure Frostbane Sect will thrive under your leadership," said Heaven Ape.
"Big brother, I’m not leaving. I’ve hit a bottleneck and need some real-world tempering if I want any hope of breaking through. I’ll stay here for now!" said the Violet Thunder Fox.
Evan glanced at the Violet Thunder Fox and laughed, "Alright then. But I’ll be entering closed-door cultivation soon. I probably won’t break through, but my strength will definitely grow. Once I’m out, I’ll take you traveling for some real experience. In the meantime, help me look after your sisters-in-law and Shadow."
"Shadow? How’s he doing these days? I haven’t seen him in ages," the Violet Thunder Fox said.
"I haven’t seen him in a long time either. I bet he’s itching to get out, same as Goldwing. Here’s the plan: you three will guard the sect for me, so I can rest easy." Evan said. With a thought, Goldwing and Shadow appeared before everyone.
Right now, Shadow was as huge as a small mountain, immediately drawing the attention of nearby disciples. Goldwing, on the other hand, didn’t change much—his body flashed with golden light and transformed into a middle-aged man.
Shadow’s body flashed red and shrank down to the size of a small dog. He said, "Big brother, you finally let me out! I’ve been cooped up for a year and it’s killing me. I tried to contact you, but you were unconscious. What happened?"
"It’s a long story, Shadow. But tell me—why can’t you transform into human form yet? What’s going on?" Evan asked.
"I’m not sure. Maybe I need to break through one more realm. But that’s tough—I need tons of blood-essence, and with no battles around here, it’s impossible. Guess I’ll just have to let things take their course," Shadow replied.
"So, Shadow, what’s your strength level now?" the Violet Thunder Fox asked.
Shadow glanced at the Violet Thunder Fox and said, "Little Fox, I can tell your cultivation’s surpassed mine, but who knows about actual strength? How about a sparring match sometime?"
"I’m afraid I might accidentally kill you! Better wait until you break through, then we’ll see. Your Bloodshadow Berserker Lion Clan is tough, but my Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox race isn’t weak either," the Violet Thunder Fox teased.
"Alright, enough! Everyone needs to get along. If I hear about any serious conflicts after I leave seclusion, don’t blame me for being harsh. Come on, I’ll take you to meet your sisters-in-law." Evan finished speaking and turned to leave...