As soon as Evan Chu exited the Stellar Secret Chamber, he returned to the main hall. He hadn’t expected that such a simple bout of seclusion would end up taking so much time—it was honestly unbelievable. Then again, some people spend years, even decades, in closed‑door cultivation just to break through a single realm, so his time really couldn’t compare.
Once Evan Chu emerged, word spread instantly throughout Frostbane Sect, and everyone gathered in the main hall, eager to hear what plans he had in store.
At that moment, two children—a boy and a girl—were led in by adults through the doorway. Evan Chu was briefly stunned when he saw them, but quickly broke into a smile and moved straight to greet the kids.
After a year, Lynn Chu and Dylan Chu were already able to walk; they should be able to speak by now too. Evan was about to tease his two children, but saw them both hide behind Selena Yale and Selena, clearly startled by his sudden approach.
“Lin Feng, the kids are still little—if you rush at them like that, you’ll scare them!” Selena Yale immediately protested.
Evan Chu chuckled, saying, “I’m just happy, that’s all! The kids have grown so much so fast—I can’t help but be excited. Come on, let me hold them!”
To these two children, Evan Chu was a complete stranger. They were wary of him, refusing to come near. At that moment, Selena gently coaxed Dylan Chu, “Lan’er, call him Dad—he’s your father!”
Dylan Chu glanced at Evan Chu, and after a long moment finally called out, “Dad!” That single word, when Evan heard it, sounded like celestial music—it left him momentarily frozen, as if turned to stone.
Unable to resist, Evan scooped Dylan Chu up into his arms and kissed his little cheek. But this sudden gesture scared Dylan Chu into tears, and Selena quickly snatched him back, scolding, “How can you be so reckless? You just met him and already made him cry!”
“I... I...” Evan stammered for a long time, unable to get another word out.
"Lynn, this is your father. Quick, call him Dad! Just don't get scared and cry like your brother did," Selena Yale coaxed.
Lynn Chu glanced at Evan Chu, then turned to ask Selena Yale, "Mom, is the sect master really my dad? Is he super powerful?"
"Of course he's powerful. How else could he be the sect master? Hurry and call him! He'll definitely give you something good," Selena Yale encouraged.
"Dad! Mom says you'll give me good stuff, is that true?" Lynn chirped at Evan, her face full of innocent curiosity.
A child not even two years old, already so talkative—Evan was taken aback. He immediately pulled out a Star Crystal from his storage ring and said, "Come here and let Dad hold you. This Star Crystal will be yours."
Seeing the Star Crystal in Evan's hand, Lynn made a dismissive face. "Your stuff isn't fun at all. I don't want it!"
Evan was dumbfounded. This was a priceless treasure, and yet the little girl refused it. Selena Yale could only sigh inwardly at her daughter's stubbornness.
Evan then said seriously, "Selena, Selena, and Alex, thank you all for your hard work. I'll make it up to you when I get the chance. Everyone, please have a seat—there are things I need to ask."
His expression turned solemn. Everyone knew this must be something important. "While I was in seclusion, nothing major happened in the Azure Tide Ruins, right?"
"Sect Master, everything's been peaceful. The dark organization hasn't appeared, and the four allied sects have pulled back a lot, even giving up many properties. Looks like they've realized how serious things are. Do you have any plans? The Freewind Palace Lord sent people several times asking when you plan to take action," Joan He reported.
"Do you all think there's any need to wipe out those four allied sects?" Evan asked.
"Sect Master, we absolutely must. Back then, they attacked Frostbane Sect so fiercely. Even if they were forced by the Red-Robe Youth, two years have passed and they've shown zero remorse for what they did. If we keep this bottled up, it'll eat away at us," the Heavenly Fragrance Grand Elder declared.
"Sect Master, the Grand Elder is right. Even now, those four allied sects still have no true sovereign. I hear they've started calling themselves the Blood Alliance—obviously still tied to the Red-Robe Youth. They're quiet now, but maybe they're just waiting for his return. If we don't remove them, once they've regained their strength, they'll be a huge threat to every sect," the Third Elder said.
"Evan, I agree. You should join forces with the other sects and wipe them out. It'll put everyone's minds at ease, and Frostbane Sect is strong enough now to stand up to them," Selena Yale added.
"Enough. I get it. Frostbane Sect doesn't need anyone else to join in, and neither do the other sects. I can handle it myself. It's just a shame that destroying those four sects means all their wealth goes up in smoke," Evan said.
Everyone was left confused. "Evan, what do you mean? Are you actually going to wipe out all four allied sects by yourself?"
"That's right. I could erase them in half a stick of incense. But all the valuable stuff in their sects would be destroyed, and that's a bit of a waste, so I'm hesitating," Evan chuckled, ignoring the stunned looks around him.
"Sect Master, what realm are you at now? The four sects have tens of thousands of people—how could you possibly finish them off in less than half a stick of incense?" the Grand Elder asked, shocked.
"Heh, I'm still at the Ninth Layer of the Divine Martial Realm. Without a stalk of Netherviolet Orchid, I can't break through. But my attack power now? One move can flatten everything within several hundred li. Under that kind of force, who could possibly survive?" Evan grinned.
His words struck the crowd like a thunderbolt. Such terrifying destructive power was unheard of. With that kind of strength, not only could he wipe out the four sects, he could probably destroy the entire Azure Tide Ruins if he wanted.
"It's a simple solution, but the bloodshed would be immense, and that's bad karma for my future cultivation. Anyone got a better idea?" Evan asked.
"With Sect Master this strong, we should definitely join in. You only need to subdue the four sect masters—the rest we can handle. That way, we get the wealth, solve the problem, and don't reveal your true strength to the world. What do you think?" the Grand Elder suggested.
Evan pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Go notify the other sects—tell them I'll make my move in half a month, so they should prepare. Also, Shadow will come with me this time. The slaughter aura will help him advance."
"Got it, big brother! I definitely won't let you down—and I'll show you just how strong I've gotten!" A small dog sitting atop the hall suddenly spoke, its words ringing out...