After Evan Chu and the Phoenix Temple Master entered the first secret chamber, he immediately sensed the terrifying heat inside. It felt as if he’d stepped straight into a sea of fire.
Evan saw a middle-aged woman sitting calmly on a stone platform, her eyes closed. Flames burned in each upturned palm—not ordinary red, but a deep purple-black.
Evan was secretly startled. She had actually mastered the Netherglass Flame—a truly terrifying fire. Even though he had mastered the fire element, he wouldn’t dare use Fireshift to hide within this flame.
"Que’er, why have you come in? And why bring a human here? Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me unless it was truly urgent?" The middle-aged woman spoke up.
"Master, it wasn’t my idea to bring him. This senior insisted on seeing you, so I had no choice but to lead him in," the Phoenix Temple Master said.
The middle-aged woman opened her eyes. Seeing the Phoenix Temple Master’s injuries, she was shocked. "Who hurt you? Tell me now—I'll let them taste the power of my Netherglass Flame!"
She turned directly to Evan, but with his youthful appearance, she didn’t recognize him at first. "Was it you who hurt my disciple?" she asked, clearly astonished.
"Old hag, I can’t believe you’ve mastered the Netherglass Flame after all these years. Congratulations! But you can’t even recognize me now? Are you getting forgetful?" Evan laughed.
The woman stared at Evan, her shock growing. "You’re... you’re Frostbane? How are you still alive?!"
"Heh, old hag, you’re still alive too, aren’t you? Surprised to see me? Your disciple really was injured by me. If it weren’t for your sake, I might’ve killed him outright—you know my temper." Evan chuckled.
"If you’d really killed my disciple, I’d fight you to the death! You old monster, you’re still as unreasonable as ever. Now, tell me—why did you come to the Phoenix Clan? Don’t tell me you showed up just to see me!" the middle-aged woman said.
"Of course I have business with you. I’m here to take your Phoenix Clan’s Saintess away. This concerns the life and death of the Azure Tide Ruins and the Four Divine Beasts. You’re not going to object, are you?" Evan said seriously.
"Frostbane, I get the feeling you haven’t broken through to the Saint Martial Realm yet. What’s going on? Don’t tell me you still don’t have the Netherghost Violet Orchid?" the middle-aged woman asked.
"If I already had the Netherghost Violet Orchid, I wouldn’t need to take your Saintess away. But let’s be real—your Phoenix Clan’s Saintess is actually my fiancée. Venerable Solus is still lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment. If I don’t break through to the Saint Martial Realm, I’m really not his match. Last year, I nearly lost my life fighting the Blood Emperor again. Not having enough strength is terrifying. How’s your recovery going? Looks like you’ve already mastered Netherglass Flame, so you should be able to fight now, right?" Evan said.
"Roxy is at a critical moment, trying to break through to the third layer of the Saint Martial Realm. If you really want to take her away, I won’t object, but you’ll have to wait until she completes her breakthrough. She’s the Phoenix Clan’s best hope to truly evolve into a Netherfire Phoenix. Back then, I only reached that form by using secret methods—the sequelae tormented me for thousands of years, and now I can’t manifest the Phoenix Golden Body anymore," the middle-aged woman said.
"No rush. I need to restore my Stellar Power too—breaking open that spatial black hole burned a lot of Chaos Dragon Force. The direct descendants of the White Tiger and Divine Dragon have already been found, and I’ve got leads on the Obsidian Tortoise bloodline in the Azure Tide Ruins. Once all Four Divine Beasts are gathered, it’ll be time to enter the Netherworld. That’s probably going to trigger another blood-soaked storm, and I’ll need you to come out and help deal with the chaos," Evan said.
The Phoenix Temple Master only half-understood their conversation, wanting to interject but unsure what to say. Only now did he realize just how terrifying this youth's identity was—even his own Master treated Evan with such respect, proving that Evan’s background was anything but simple.
"Que’er, leave us. I have more to discuss with Frostbane. You’re injured—go into seclusion and heal for a while. I’ll handle Phoenix Clan affairs myself," the middle-aged woman said.
"Thank you, Master. I’ll take my leave," said the Phoenix Temple Master, bowing respectfully before exiting the secret chamber.
Evan, puzzled by her actions, asked, "Why did you send the Temple Master away? Is there something you want to say to me?"
"Frostbane, that ancient battle truly shook heaven and earth. Did you know the Nether Monarch back then was only a clone—not his true body? If a mere clone was that terrifying, just imagine how powerful the real Nether Monarch is after ten thousand years of recovery. I’m honestly worried about you entering the Netherworld," the middle-aged woman said gravely.
"If soldiers come, I’ll send generals; if floods come, I’ll block them with earth. The Nether Monarch is terrifying, but I’m no pushover. Even if I’m outmatched, I can always run. Besides, I’m going to the Netherworld for the Netherghost Violet Orchid, not to pick a fight with him. It should be fine," Evan replied, defiant as ever.
"I’ve said my piece—whether you listen is up to you. I’ll leave this chamber for you to restore your Stellar Power. I’m going out to see how the Phoenix Clan has been these years. Unless it’s urgent, don’t disturb the Saintess," the middle-aged woman said, leaving the chamber.
Once she left, Evan immediately took out several supreme-grade Starstones and began absorbing them. A few days later, his Chaos Dragon Force was fully restored. He stood up and headed straight for another secret chamber—the one where Roxanne Lin was secluded.
At that moment, Roxanne Lin still had her eyes closed, a faint smile lingering on her stunning face. Evan’s entrance didn’t disturb her—he simply stood there, quietly watching her every move.
Three years apart—this kind of longing was almost unbearable. Evan felt the urge to pull her into his arms, but he held back, just standing there silently, watching her.
Two days later, Roxanne Lin suddenly opened her eyes. "I finally broke through. The further I go, the harder it gets," she murmured to herself.
"That’s because you didn’t have a man by your side. If you did, breakthroughs would be a breeze," Evan couldn’t help teasing.
Evan’s voice startled Roxanne Lin. When she saw the man she’d dreamed of day and night, her shocked expression made her feel like she was dreaming. After a long moment, she finally stammered, "Evan, is that you? Is it really you?"
Unable to hold back any longer, Evan strode forward and pulled Roxanne Lin into his arms. "Of course it’s me. I’m sorry—it’s been three years, three whole years before I could come see you. Roxy, you must’ve suffered so much because I was weak."
Tears welled up in Roxanne Lin’s eyes as she choked out, "Don’t say that, Evan. I know you must’ve suffered too to be able to stand here now. Just being able to see you again makes all the pain worth it."
Moved beyond words, Evan kissed Roxanne Lin deeply, sealing their reunion and beginning a new chapter together.