"Don't be so absolute about things. As long as you two aren't married, I still have a chance. If you think I've gone too far, Young Lord Ethan, you can challenge me anytime—the winner naturally claims the beauty." Evan Chu said.
The conversation was getting messier by the minute. Even Quentin Wen and the others were left confused by Evan Chu’s words. He never expected this youth to be so serious—willing to go up against Young Lord Ethan just for the Gold Spirit Pearl. He honestly didn’t know whether knowing Evan was a blessing or a curse.
"Young Lord Peak, you can sort out things with Serena Dream and Young Lord Ethan later. Today, since we’ve all managed to gather here, let’s just enjoy Golden Ram Tower’s famous whole-roast golden ram. But before we dig in, I’d like to see you show us a bit of your skill." Lynne Nie spoke up at this moment.
Young Lord Ethan glanced at Evan Chu. Though extremely displeased inside, he didn’t lose his temper. First, he was the host and couldn’t act out; second, Evan Chu’s strength was unfathomable—especially after Quentin Wen said Evan’s speed was beyond description, which made Ethan wary; and finally, he didn’t want to kill anyone in front of Serena Dream and Lynne Nie.
"Young Lord Peak, the saying goes, ‘A fair lady is a gentleman’s desire’—it just proves how charming Serena is, if even someone like you falls for her. If you want her, you’ll have to defeat me and get the Freewind Palace Lord’s approval. Otherwise, you’ll never have a chance." Young Lord Ethan said.
Evan Chu shot Ethan a look, not understanding why he’d say such things. If it were him, he’d never let anyone touch the woman he loved—just like back at Heavenly Dragon Academy, when Ryan Ouyang tried to make a move on Roxanne Lin. If Marcus Gongsun hadn’t intervened, Evan might have killed him on the spot.
Later, he found out Ryan had the White Tiger Bloodline. So much time had passed—he wondered how Ryan was doing now, whether his bloodline had awakened. Someday, to break the Netherworld’s seal, he’d need Ryan’s White Tiger power.
Evan Chu figured Ethan had two reasons for acting this way. First, maybe he didn’t truly love Serena Dream—otherwise, he wouldn’t let another man compete for her. Second, even though Ethan was the top of the Four Young Lords, he was still a cautious type, afraid of Evan’s strength. After hearing Quentin Wen say Evan’s speed far surpassed his own, Ethan was smart enough to realize what that meant.
If he could just stall until marrying Serena Dream, all the trouble would disappear, and he’d lose a dangerous rival. Plus, he’d look magnanimous in front of everyone, letting other young men pursue his fiancée.
"Young Lord Ethan, I know the sect martial gathering is coming up soon. Every sect, big and small, will send their geniuses. I want to challenge you there—whoever loses has to give up on Serena Dream. How about it?" Evan Chu said.
Young Lord Ethan felt helpless when he heard this. He’d already shown Evan as much restraint as possible, but this guy just kept pushing. Ethan snapped, "If you think you’re so strong, Young Lord Peak, why wait for the martial gathering? We can duel right after the auction. Frankly, even if I lost, Serena Dream wouldn’t go with you. I advise you to give up before things get ugly between us."
Evan Chu laughed, "Heh, looks like Young Lord Ethan doesn’t dare make a wager. I’ve said my piece—whether we’re friends or enemies, that’s up to you. Let’s drop it for now. Since it’s our first time gathering, we should drink together. The future can wait!"
"Young Lord Peak, it’s not that Ethan’s afraid of you. He’s just preserving your dignity. In the whole Azure Tide Ruins, there aren’t many men who can make Ethan show such courtesy—you should feel honored. But I’ll say it again: you have no chance. Besides Ethan, I’ll never marry another man." Serena Dream said firmly.
"Alright, I get it. We’ll leave this for another day. Since Saintess Lynne wants me to show a bit of skill in front of everyone, I’ll oblige and show my 'ugliness.'" Evan Chu said.
He immediately filled all the wine cups on the table and lined them up. "Today, I’ll let everyone taste my Ice-and-Fire Dual Heaven wine."
With that, he swept his palm horizontally over the cups. Instantly, all the wine froze into ice, and a wave of bitter cold spread through the room.
Everyone was astonished by Evan Chu’s display. There were very few who could manipulate the water element to such an extent.
Then Evan Chu swept his palm again over the cups, and flames sprang up atop the frozen wine. The scorching heat instantly drove away the chill in the room.
The flames quickly died down, and Evan Chu smiled, "Please, everyone, try the wine!"
Everyone picked up their cups, feeling both warmth and chill on the surface. Taking a sip, they experienced a fiery heat and icy cold at the same time.
"Amazing wine! This is the first time I’ve ever tasted something so wondrous. Young Lord Peak, your skill is truly unmatched—it’s exactly that Ice-and-Fire Dual Heaven sensation. I never expected you could command both water and fire elements at once. I’m honestly blown away!" Unrivaled Young Lord exclaimed.
Everyone was secretly amazed by Evan Chu’s display. Only someone who had mastered both ice and fire elements to the extreme could pull off such a feat. Now they finally understood why Young Lord Ethan, usually so aloof, treated Young Lord Peak with such courtesy. Evan’s strength was truly unfathomable—just as Ethan said, he might not be inferior at all.
"Young Lord Peak, you really are full of surprises. Today I’ve finally seen it for myself. You said you’re a disciple of Frostbane Sect—what’s the story behind that?" Lynne Nie asked.
"I’m sure everyone’s heard of Frostbane Sect’s former glory, but it’s fallen on hard times these past years. Without Sacred Sword Sect’s protection, it might have already been wiped out in Azure Tide Ruins. For that, I have to thank Unrivaled Young Lord’s sect. I was just a disciple taken in by a Frostbane elder in a foreign land. My master has already passed away, and his last wish was for me to return to Frostbane Sect and recognize my ancestral roots. So I consider myself a Frostbane Sect man, even though I haven’t actually visited the sect or seen what it’s like now." Evan Chu explained.
"Once the auction’s over, Young Lord Peak, I’ll go with you. I’m heading back to Sacred Sword Sect anyway—our paths line up perfectly!" Unrivaled Young Lord said.
"I’ve got nothing else to do, so I’ll come along too. I really want to see what Frostbane Sect is like, since it produced a monster like Brother Peak." Quentin Wen said. At this point, he’d switched from calling Evan ‘Young Lord Peak’ to ‘Brother Peak.’
"I’d be honored! Here, let me toast everyone!" Evan Chu said, raising his cup and downing it in one go.
"Young Lord Peak, Serena Dream and I won’t be joining you, but since you’re all here in Freewind Palace’s territory, you must visit at least once—especially a talented youth like you. In fact, Freewind Palace and Frostbane Sect have a bit of history together." Young Lord Ethan said.