The people around watched Evan Yang, suspicious about whether this unfamiliar youth was truly Liam Yang's son. Some doubted, others were curious. Terry Yang, however, showed a look of terror: "Is it him?"
Terry's father asked curiously, "Terry, what did you just say?"
"Dad, didn't I tell you about Evan Yang? His strength let him defeat peak Profound-Immortal experts while only at the Heavenly-Immortal level. Could it really be him?" Terry felt unsettled, and Evan looked back at him with a strange smile.
Evan Yang's smile was noticed by many, all directed at Terry Yang. The crowd was puzzled—did Evan and Terry have some history? Terry's parents frowned, saying, "Terry, are you sure you didn't mistake him for someone else?"
"I know he can disguise himself, but he really died back then—even his soul was destroyed. Many were there; it's impossible that he survived," Terry Yang frowned. "You'll see soon. Don't be nervous," his mother said, seeing Terry so tense.
Terry Yang knew how terrifying Evan Yang was—only a Heavenly-Immortal, yet able to challenge Profound-Immortal experts. But the idea that he'd come back from the dead was beyond belief. Terry wanted to rush forward and ask Evan if he was really himself, or just here to scare him.
On the field, Evan Yang withdrew his gaze and looked at his opponent, Darren West. Darren smiled and said, "Kid, you're Profound-Immortal, I'm Immortal Lord. Are you sure you want to fight me?"
"I've already decided. I'll see this through, no matter life or death," Evan Yang said.
"Such resolve, not caring about life or death—fine, I'll oblige you," Darren West laughed. He was eager to test his techniques, and Evan was his first experiment. Around them, the crowd started shouting wildly, making the arena even more lively.
The Wine Beggar looked very worried. Seeing this, Lydia Yang smiled and said, "Third Brother, relax. He's much stronger than he appears."
Before this, Terry Yang was still unsure if this was really Evan Yang, so he watched the scene closely, eager to judge by Evan's techniques whether he was the same person Terry once killed.
Steward Gary Yang looked at Evan and Darren West, both ready, and smiled, "Alright, let's begin."
Steward Gary Yang stepped back, leaving Evan Yang and Darren West standing three meters apart, each on guard. Darren still looked down on Evan—in his eyes, Evan was just an eighth-tier Profound-Immortal. No matter what, he couldn't possibly compare to himself.
"Kid, I'll let you make the first move," Darren West said.
"Let me start? If I win, won't you just claim I cheated? Let's just go together," Evan Yang replied with a grin.
"Arrogant," the crowd murmured. "If Darren's giving him a chance, he might actually win. But now, he's got no shot."
"Alright then, I'll show no mercy. Let's begin!" Darren West laughed.
Darren West summoned his flames, his whole body ablaze. Evan Yang did the same, surrounding himself with fire. Both of them wielded flames, but Evan's looked calm and steady, almost weak, while Darren's leapt fiercely, as if ready to devour Evan's fire completely.
But Darren didn't attack right away. Instead, he used his aura to pressure Evan. The crowd saw Evan's flames drifting backward, and anyone with a keen eye could tell that Evan's aura was clearly weaker than Darren's. People started whispering, "He's nothing special. How could a Profound-Immortal's aura compare to an Immortal Lord's?"
"Fourth Sister, if this keeps up, Evan won't be able to withstand the pressure. He'll lose soon," the Wine Beggar said, worried.
"I don't know. Let's keep watching," Lydia Yang replied, uncertain. After all, she hadn't seen Evan kill anyone himself.
"Terry, I don't think he's that impressive. Not as scary as you said," Terry Yang's father commented.
"Maybe he's not the same Evan Yang," he added, feeling relieved after seeing Evan's aura lose ground to Darren's.
On the other side, Patriarch Raymond Yang watched the duel, muttering to himself, "He's just a Profound-Immortal. The gap is too wide. Just from his aura, he's already lost. Doesn't he realize he's at a disadvantage?"
To everyone watching, Evan Yang was at a clear disadvantage. If he kept trying to match Darren West's aura, he'd definitely lose. Darren's flames were already surging toward Evan, and seeing Evan's mediocre performance, Darren felt disappointed—he didn't think he'd need his ultimate technique at all.
Elder Pineleaf, seeing his disciple suppress Liam Yang's son so easily, laughed heartily. "That's all he's got? He's definitely going to lose."
'Elder Pineleaf is right,' Steward Gary Yang agreed with a smile.
The four other elders were curious. Evan Yang's power in the forbidden zone was nothing like this. Maybe he was only strong in ability, but his aura was still as weak as a typical Profound-Immortal.
Terry Yang's mother and father exchanged glances and smiled. If Evan kept losing, he'd be crippled soon. Even if the patriarch showed up tomorrow, it would already be too late.
The Wine Beggar, seeing Evan about to fail, wanted to intervene, but Lydia Yang stopped him. "Let him try." "Try? He's already losing," the Wine Beggar said, worried. "Trust him," Lydia replied.
Hearing Lydia's words, the Wine Beggar could only wait anxiously. Outside the arena, rumors were already spreading. Evan Yang looked at Darren West and smiled, "If that's all you've got, you'd better not keep trying to fight me with your aura."
Evan's words struck like lightning in the quiet arena. Everyone looked suspicious; even Darren West was confused, thinking Evan must be joking. He sneered, "Kid, are you joking?" "No joke. When it comes to aura, you're no match for me," Evan grinned.
The moment Evan finished saying, "You're no match for me," his flames exploded like a silent beast suddenly awakened, instantly enveloping Darren West and surrounding him.
Darren West was shocked and hurriedly retreated to escape Evan's flames, but Evan's fire chased after him. The arena erupted in chaos—no one could believe it. Even Elder Pineleaf, Terry Yang, and the others stood up in shock.
"Yes! He's doing it!" the Wine Beggar cheered. "See, I told you he'd pull it off. So exciting!" Lydia Yang laughed.
Steward Lewis Yang was stunned, while another man watching the action remarked, "How did he do that? Was he just pretending to be weak? Fascinating."
Darren West quickly escaped Evan's fire domain, but his hair, eyebrows, and arms were scorched, giving off the smell of roasted meat. Evan laughed, "Your meat is so tender, Darren. Smells delicious." "You—you!" Darren was utterly humiliated, furious as the crowd started laughing at him. Seeing their ridicule, Darren snapped, "Alright, kid, I underestimated you. Now I'll show you my true power."
Darren West squared off against Evan Yang again, but Evan was no weaker—matching him in speed and strength. The crowd's old prejudices faded as they watched Evan, an eighth-tier Profound-Immortal, keep up with an Immortal Lord. No one had expected this.
Darren West couldn't do anything to Evan, and many people began to look at both of them with new respect. Darren was furious, Elder Pineleaf's face darkened, and Terry Yang and his parents couldn't sit still.
"Damn it, I'll kill you!" Darren West roared, enraged.
"What, angry now?" Evan Yang teased, provoking Darren.
Darren West was already losing his cool, and with Evan's provocation, he decided to use his latest cultivation technique against him.
The crowd was buzzing—some even started cheering for Evan Yang. "Amazing! So strong!"
Terry Yang and those who doubted Evan heard the cheers and looked sour, while Lydia Yang and her supporters clapped and shouted their approval.
Hidden in the crowd, Patriarch Raymond Yang's face bloomed with joy—his once calm expression suddenly brightened, beaming with pride.
"Fourth Sister, I never expected our Second Brother's son to have such talent and explosive power," the Wine Beggar said.
"Yes, it's hard to imagine. I used to think his trip to the forbidden zone was just luck, but now I'm sure he's extraordinary," Lydia Yang agreed.