At the center of the lake, a gentle breeze rippled the surface, sending waves shimmering outward.
Beside him, Warren Wu stared blankly, while in the eyes of Queenie Tong and the others, the boy's silhouette stood tall and straight as a mountain peak.
A cold voice spoke, pausing for a moment. Seeing that Evan Lin hadn't replied, the speaker suddenly changed tone: "No matter who you are, the lake you see before you is my Medicine King Valley's Valley-Guarding Sacred Pool. Now that all the little boats have overturned, if you really have the ability, then come into my Valley alone!"
"Let me tell you straight: the water is filled with Medicine King Valley's Hundred-Poison Serpents. If even one bites you, you'll suffer three days of heart-gnawing agony—unable to live, unable to die!"
As if to match that voice, the previously calm lake surface suddenly erupted with a chorus of rustling sounds.
Countless green, triangular-headed venomous snakes poked their heads out of the water. They rose up in dense clusters, so from a distance it looked as if the lake had sprouted a carpet of little snake heads all at once.
The snakes flicked deep crimson tongues and hissed in unison, quickly swarming together until they covered the entire lake surface.
Evan Lin stood at the front, gazing at the mass of green snakes, and shook his head slightly. "You think this alone can stop me? That's way too naive."
"I, Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin, have walked wherever I pleased my whole life. If I want to go somewhere, I go—so what if you have snakes, so what if the boats have overturned?"
Evan spoke calmly, his expression unchanged.
"He says he's Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin?"
"The Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin who shot to fame recently—the one locked in a life-or-death struggle with Medicine King Valley?"
"Wasn't he supposed to be hiding? Why would he actively show up at Medicine King Valley now?"
The crowd was stunned by Evan Lin's words.
Someone couldn't help but tremble with excitement, face flushed red: "No wonder! No wonder he could just casually crush the Young Valley Lord of Medicine King Valley! Rumor has it, Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin can go toe-to-toe with fourth-grade Vajra experts!"
"He even crippled Medicine King Valley's Elder Mark Mu—and that guy's way stronger than Miles Wan, who just got wrecked!"
People started chattering, looking at the boy's back with faces full of respect.
"Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin?"
Lucy Lu heard this and couldn't help but widen her eyes, mouth slightly open, staring at Evan Lin's back as her heart raced.
The name Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin was thunderously famous—in Seacrest Prefecture, he was the undisputed Number One teen!
"He's Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin!"
Queenie Tong, already full of regret after watching Evan's earlier move, heard him claim to be Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin. Her body trembled, face going pale as she stared in confusion, mumbling hoarsely, "He's actually Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin—the teen who shook all of Seacrest Prefecture?"
"How could I have been so blind!"
Queenie had always been proud—ever since she was little, plenty of sketchy guys hung around her, so she kept her guard up. When she first met Evan Lin, she thought he was just another attention-seeking wannabe with a bad case of middle-school syndrome.
But now that the boy's real identity was revealed, she looked again and felt a mysterious depth she couldn't begin to fathom.
Queenie was eaten up with regret, biting her lip and clenching her fists, wishing she could get a do-over.
"How is this possible—how could he be Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin?"
Terence Liao swallowed hard, while Harvey Liao, hearing the name Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin, remembered all the ruthless things he'd done and collapsed onto the ground, legs shaking so badly he forgot all about running away.
"Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin? You actually dare come to Medicine King Valley in person? Do you think you can just walk all over us?"
The voice grew furious upon hearing the name Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin.
Evan Lin let out a cold snort and stepped straight out over the lake.
On the lake, the mass of green Hundred-Poison Serpents saw Evan about to step onto the water. Their icy eyes flashed as their bodies coiled like bows, then sprang forward—all at once, a barrage of green snakes shot toward Evan like arrows.
In the blink of an eye, the whole sky looked like it was covered by a green curtain.
Everyone on shore saw the wall of countless Hundred-Poison Serpents and felt a chill deep in their hearts. Their eyes toward Evan Lin now held a hint of pity.
If even a single snake's fangs touched your skin, the venom would invade your body—basically a death sentence. And now, all those snakes were opening their mouths wide, exposing their cold, gleaming fangs.
Every last Hundred-Poison Serpent surged toward Evan Lin!
"Master Lin, watch out! These Hundred-Poison Serpents are specially bred by Medicine King Valley—the venom in their fangs can be sprayed!"
Beside him, Warren Wu shouted a warning to Evan Lin.
Before he finished speaking, jets of transparent venom shot out from the snakes' fangs, all aiming straight at Evan Lin.
"Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin, let's see how you escape the jaws of these Hundred-Poison Serpents! Medicine King Valley's prestige won't be challenged by anyone!"
Elder Thomas Tu's voice echoed across the lake, cold as ice and thick with killing intent.
Over on the water, Evan Lin's expression was calm and frosty as he stepped forward onto the lake.
In everyone's eyes, Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin seemed to step onto the water—and instead of sinking, he just stood there, defying all logic!
"Wait—Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin can walk on water now?"
"Is this some kind of magic trick?"
"Seriously, he's a hero—his methods are unreal!"
Everyone looked on with awe.
"It's just a shame—there are so many Hundred-Poison Serpents, nobody could fight back against that."
Someone couldn't help but shake their head.
By now, the barrage of venom and the swarm of green serpents were right in front of the boy!
At the critical moment—just a second more and the boy would be swallowed by fangs and venom.
But Evan Lin stayed calm, his posture relaxed, eyes serene and indifferent.
He slapped the water with one hand—a light, casual move. But as his palm touched the lake, his right hand curled and suddenly drew a surge of water upward.
ROAR!
Under Evan's palm, a water dragon burst from the lake—wild and majestic, the entire lake condensed into its body. Evan stood on its head as the dragon soared into the sky.
The dragon's massive tail swept through the swarm of green serpents; all the venom and snakes slammed into it like steel, then were flung far away.
Evan stood atop the dragon's head, hands behind his back, floating in midair as he stared coldly at Medicine King Valley's cliffs: "Pathetic fools, you don't know your place. If Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin wants to go somewhere, nobody can stop him!"
"Break!"