Benson Blue, still seething with rage, recounted the whole incident to the Blue Clan Patriarch. When the Patriarch finished listening, he was shocked and furious. "Impossible! He's reached the Spirit-Wandering Realm?"
"It must be something wrong with that tower. Otherwise, there's no way he could have entered the Spirit-Wandering Realm so quickly," Benson Blue said coldly.
"What kind of tower is it, anyway!" The Blue Clan Patriarch was furious seeing his brother lose an avatar. Every Spirit-Wandering avatar meant another life; now Evan Yang had destroyed one.
"I want to know too," Benson Blue replied.
"Great, now he's in the Spirit-Wandering Realm and disappeared, and we've offended the Free Alliance for nothing." At this moment, the Blue Clan Patriarch felt unprecedented pressure. Before, Evan Yang was just a problem—if they offended him, so be it. But now, the man was gone, yet they'd made enemies anyway.
"I will find him!" Benson Blue said angrily.
"How?" The Blue Clan Patriarch knew it would be difficult to find Evan Yang now. The man was gone—who would risk coming here just to die?
"The Free Alliance!" Benson Blue's eyes narrowed.
"The Free Alliance?" The Blue Clan Patriarch already guessed Benson Blue's meaning.
"Yeah. He's connected to the Free Alliance. If something happens to them, there's no way he wouldn't help," Benson Blue said.
"Really? Is that how it works?" Evan asked, curious.
"Yeah, that's how it is. People and us are still different," Old Clam said.
"So which place are you going to pick?" Evan asked after understanding.
"Let's stick to my old place. It's quieter and less likely to be disturbed," Old Clam thought for a moment and said.
Evan nodded, then gave the order. The Firebird sped ahead, and soon they arrived at Old Clam's place.
Old Clam's lair lay beneath a small island.
Evan arrived again, and after entering below, Old Clam's life-bound treasure started operating and separated from Evan. Then Old Clam's treasure spit out something.
Golden Clam Shell? Back then Evan bought it for Old Clam at an auction, not knowing its real purpose. Now he saw Old Clam spit out the Golden Clam Shell.
The Golden Clam Shell then enveloped Old Clam.
Seeing Old Clam wrapped in the Golden Clam Shell, Evan watched curiously.
Until Old Clam said, "Help me with your power, just like how you humans restore bodies."
Hearing he needed to help, Evan didn't slack off and quickly injected power. The Golden Clam Shell shone with gold, and Old Clam worked inside.
Like that, Evan didn't know how many times he paused, how many times he injected power. About a month later, Evan was drenched in sweat, and Old Clam's voice sounded again: "It's finally done."
"Done?" Hearing Old Clam's excited words, Evan perked up and smiled.
"Yeah," Old Clam replied. Then the Golden Clam Shell changed, and an old man appeared before Evan, carrying the shining golden clam shell on his back.
"You look pretty cool," Evan said with a smile, finally seeing Old Clam's human form.
Old Clam, regaining human form after so many years, smiled. "Thanks."
"Look at us, we're so close—no need to thank me. If I had to trade my life for yours, I would." Evan smiled. In truth, he was deeply grateful to Old Clam; since they'd met, Old Clam had helped him out of countless troubles and dangers.
"No need for that, but I like what you said." Old Clam chuckled.
"Without you by my side, I suddenly feel weird." Evan had spent years with Old Clam; now that Old Clam was independent, it felt odd.
"I feel weird too," Old Clam said with a smile.
"Let's go outside. I still can't get used to being in the water." Evan had spent a month underwater and wanted some fresh air.
"Yeah, let's go." Old Clam swam excitedly.
Evan and Old Clam swam out of the cave and came to the island.
"Land feels better." Evan breathed in fresh air.
"Heh, you're not used to water. If it were me, I'd love being in the water—it helps us cultivate." Old Clam laughed.
"That's true. Different people, different ways of life." Evan didn't argue and smiled in acceptance.
Old Clam was about to explain sea beast life when a powerful aura arrived.
"A Spirit-Wandering human here?" Old Clam exclaimed in shock.
"Are you sure it's a human?" Evan also sensed the aura—it was strong, and he wasn't sure he could win if they fought.
"Yeah, I can easily tell the difference between sea beast and human aura." Old Clam frowned.
"Looks like it's coming toward us." Evan realized the aura was already close.
Evan was ready to leave, but Old Clam's words stopped him: "It's him!"
"Who?" Evan's divine sense saw a man in yellow clothes, short hair, and muscular arms.
Just as Evan said "who," the man appeared before them.
"Didn't expect you to escape!" The man glanced at Evan and Old Clam, then focused on Old Clam.
"How are you here?" Old Clam was shocked, and a natural combat aura radiated from him.
"Me? Of course I'm here to hunt. Didn't expect you to really come back." The man's eyes showed the look of a hunter finding prey.
"Go!" Old Clam sent Evan a mental message.
Evan didn't dare be careless. He quickly moved with Old Clam to escape onto the Firebird, but before Evan could call out, the man sneered, "Trying to escape!"
An unprecedented pressure—"puh".
Blood finally spurted out. Since they were by the sea, the blood blended into the water and quickly dispersed. It was hard to tell anything strange, especially since the man's attention was on Evan and Old Clam.
"Kid, how are you?" Old Clam was shocked to see Evan seriously injured.
"Don't bother running," the man sneered.
At this moment, Evan had no chance to resist. The opponent was too strong—even if not Spirit-Wandering peak, he was at least late-stage.
Evan stared at the man. He didn't dare call the Firebird now—the man's reaction was too fast. Even his slightest movement resulted in being shaken and bleeding.
"He has nothing to do with this. Let him go." Old Clam stepped forward and spoke to the man.
"Nothing to do with it? How could he be with you, then? Nothing to do with it? How did I find traces of your aura on him? That only happens if he's been by your side for a long time." The man was convinced Evan was Old Clam's accomplice and sneered.
"You..." Old Clam was speechless, feeling unwilling. He had just regained his body, only to be caught by the same person again.
"You insist I let him go, so I insist I won't. I spent a lot of time looking for you." The man ignored Old Clam and smiled.
Then he locked his divine sense onto Evan, not allowing him even the slightest movement.
"In a moment, let's jump into the water together," Evan sent a mental message.
Old Clam didn't know what Evan meant, but he trusted him.
"Jump!" Evan shouted loudly.
The man locked his divine sense on Evan. When Evan moved, the man snorted, his powerful aura pressed in. Two splashes sounded as they hit the water. At the same time, the man reached the shore, opened his divine sense.
"Where did they go?" The man found no trace of Evan and Old Clam where they jumped.
This shocked him, so he quickly dove underwater to look for clues.
It was a shallow coast, so they couldn't have disappeared far. But the man found nothing—just rocks, sea beasts, and seaweed. No sign of people.
"How could they just disappear!" The man had clearly hit Evan, but now both Evan and Old Clam were gone. Furious and unwilling, he shouted, and water flew up from the shore.