A massive surge of sword qi converged into a domineering giant sword, smashing against the barrier with a faint, crisp sound—something none of the three had expected.
In this way, Evan Lin broke open the barrier at the entrance to the Demonic Realm. This time, he wasn't blasted away—just left a bit drained, though a victorious smile appeared on his face.
The two women quickly joined Evan Lin. Seeing his pale face, Jade said, "The barrier entrance has appeared. We should hurry and go in—this opening won't last long, and if we miss the window, we'll have to break it again to get through."
All three knew time was tight, so they rushed into the entrance. As a powerful pulling force swept over them, their figures vanished, and the invisible barrier slowly closed itself again.
Not long after Evan Lin left, a shadowy figure appeared in the sky. "So, you really are Immortal Realm experts. Did you think my Demonic Realm has no true powerhouses? Just wait—three thousand years from now, my Demonic Realm will wipe out your Immortal Realm for good!"
Evan Lin had no idea about this shadowy figure. By now, he and his companions had already arrived in the Immortal Realm. Breathing in a mouthful of Immortal Essence, he felt a strange and wonderful sensation.
"We finally made it back. But this doesn't look like the battlefield where the Immortals and Demons fought. No clue where we are—we've got to hurry and get back to Frostbane Imperial Palace," Evan Lin said.
"I don't really know this place either. Let's find a city and ask around. Can you still fly? If not, let Jade and me carry you," Lynn said.
Evan Lin could only nod helplessly, forcing down another Jadeheart Lotus seed despite the pain. With Shadow and Goldwing both absent, he couldn't ride on Shadow's back or sit atop Goldwing. It seemed he really couldn't afford to let those two leave his side anymore.
After dozens of consecutive teleports, the two women finally brought Evan Lin to a city. They asked a local about the place and learned it was a small city on the far eastern edge of the Immortal Realm, still tens of millions of li from Frostbane Imperial Palace. The news left all three of them deeply frustrated.
"Let's keep moving. With our current teleportation distance, I'm sure we can reach Frostbane Imperial Palace within three days. I've recovered some Chaos Immortal Force, so I can teleport on my own now—no need to trouble you two," Evan Lin said.
The two women didn't argue. Breaking the barrier had drained them too, and with the journey back to Frostbane Imperial Palace so long, they had to conserve energy. So the three kept flying nonstop, pausing only once—about three hours—to recover Immortal Essence.
Meanwhile, back at Frostbane Imperial Palace, Gavin Wei and the others were like ants on a hot pan. "If Boss doesn't make it back today, Selena's body really won't hold out. If he comes back, how am I supposed to explain this to him?"
"Gavin, don't blame yourself. We know you've done all you can. If Selena really can't be saved, it's fate—we're powerless. I believe Evan won't hold it against you!" Yvonne Xuan said.
Shadow and Goldwing stood nearby. Shadow had his eyes closed, deep in thought. Suddenly, he snapped them open and shouted, "Big Brother's back! Big Brother's back!"
"What did you say, Shadow? Evan's really back? Where is he?" Yvonne Xuan asked immediately, and everyone turned to look at Shadow.
"Big Brother's already on his way, but he's still really far off—and it looks like he's injured. At his current speed, he might not make it back until tomorrow," Shadow said.
"What are we going to do? If Dad doesn't make it back until tomorrow, Mom won't be saved!" Lynn Chu started crying again.
"Shadow, which direction is Boss coming from? I'm fast enough to go pick him up—should be able to get him back in time!" Goldwing said.
Shadow glanced at Goldwing and said, "That's the only way. I just used a secret art to sense Boss in the east—fly that way and use your spiritual sense, you should be able to find him."
"Got it. As long as I'm within a few thousand li of Boss, I can sense him. Just wait—I promise I'll bring him back safe!" Goldwing's body flashed with golden light, shrank into a tiny golden bird, and darted out the window.
Seeing Goldwing leave, hope flickered in everyone's hearts. "Shadow, are you really telling the truth? You're not just fooling us, right?" Yvonne Xuan asked.
Of all Evan Lin's women, Shadow was most afraid of Yvonne Xuan and Roxanne Lin. But Roxanne was still in seclusion with the Phoenix Clan and hadn't heard about any of this.
"Of course it's true. Goldwing and I have a soul contract with Big Brother, and I have secret arts to sense him. I've tried many times before, but always got blocked by an invisible barrier—the Demonic Realm's barrier, to be exact.
But now I can sense Boss, which means he's returned to the Immortal Realm. His Immortal Essence is very weak—he must've taken heavy damage. With Goldwing on the job, you can all relax!" Shadow said.
Shadow's words put everyone at ease. "As long as Boss makes it back before dark, Selena can still be saved. Looks like Boss really ran into trouble in the Demonic Realm this time."
"The Demonic Realm is far stronger than we can imagine. Evan must've suffered a lot to make it back alive. Once he brings Selena's remnant soul and the Soul Mushroom, let's not disturb him—give him time to recover first," Yvonne Xuan said.
In Frostbane Imperial Palace, Yvonne Xuan had become the true big sister among the women. Whether by strength or by time spent with Evan Lin, she was always first, and the others quietly accepted it.
Evan Lin and the two women were utterly exhausted. "Looks like we won't make it back before dark. Let's rest and set out again tomorrow," Evan Lin said.
The women nodded in agreement. Just as the three were about to find a place to rest, Evan Lin suddenly heard Goldwing's voice in his mind: "Boss, I'm here! Wait for me!"
The voice startled Evan Lin, like grabbing a lifeline in the middle of the ocean. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "Lingxiao, Jade, we can go home—Old Gold is coming to pick us up!"
As soon as Evan finished speaking, a golden light streaked across the sky, and a tiny golden bird appeared before them. In a flash, it transformed into a giant golden bird.
"Boss, hurry up! Time's tight—we've got to make it back to Frostbane Imperial Palace before dark, or Selena will be in danger!"
Hearing Goldwing, Evan Lin panicked. "Old Gold, use your fastest speed—we have to make it back before dark!"