Evan Chu digested the information Sword Spirit Luna had given him, and immediately felt the weight of his responsibilities grow heavier.
After absorbing stellar force all night, Evan felt that about sixty to seventy percent of his energy had recovered—enough to unleash Shifting Position and Wind-Sweeping Shredding Clouds once each.
In the afternoon, Dominic Chu came looking for Evan. He was thrilled by Evan's performance today, and although he had many questions, Evan brushed him off by saying he'd explain everything in due time.
Before dawn, Evan quietly left the Chu estate—he had no desire to run into those bootlickers in the mansion. Now that he’d become the sensation of Flowing Cloud City, it was better to keep a low profile.
Since it was still early, he went alone to the mountaintop behind the estate, quietly breathing in the fresh morning air. The whole experience left him feeling utterly refreshed.
Evan sat down, slowly closed his eyes, and began to recite the heart formula of the Windchaser Sword Codex in his mind.
Starting from the seventh form, the last three moves had no written heart formula—only their names. He would have to comprehend them on his own.
He’d already mastered Wind-Sweeping Shredding Clouds for some time, so the next move to learn was the eighth form.
The eighth form was called Wind Over The World. Evan remembered that when he accidentally grasped the seventh form, Wind-Sweeping Shredding Clouds, it happened right after he broke through to fifth-level Mystic Warrior.
"Does that mean I’ll have to reach the sixth level before I can cultivate this move?" he wondered to himself.
"Not bad! You're teachable! Without enough stellar force, you can't even practice this sword art. Think about how much the seventh form drains you—
one move nearly wipes out half your stellar force. So what about the eighth form? Wouldn't it burn through everything?" Sword Spirit Luna's voice echoed in Evan Chu's mind.
Honestly, Luna was the best mentor Evan Chu could ask for. She saved him so much wasted time and kept him off countless dead-end paths.
He opened his eyes and realized the sun was already high in the sky. Lost in thought, he'd let the whole morning slip by. Evan Chu sprang up and dashed toward the City Lord's Mansion at full speed.
Today was the final day of the Family Tournament. Yesterday he'd slipped away quietly, and with Jenny Sima covering for him, no one dared question it.
But today was different. No matter how much of a genius he was, if he didn't compete, nobody would recognize him as the true champion—not even Jenny Sima could bend that rule.
By now, the tournament grounds were packed to bursting. This was the most exciting day—nobody wanted to miss it. The viewing platforms were so crowded that not even a drop of water could squeeze through.
On the arena, the nine group champions had already arrived. One of them wore a purple veil, giving off a mysterious vibe.
Jenny Sima stood on the stage, holding several draw lots. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she muttered, "Why isn't that guy here yet? Did I hit him too hard yesterday and injure him so badly he can't show up?"
The crowd erupted in discussion. Someone grumbled, "Evan Chu is really putting on airs—making us wait all this time. They should just cancel his qualification."
One person spoke up, and ten thousand voices followed. Instantly, a chorus rose: "Cancel Evan Chu's qualification! Cancel Evan Chu's qualification..."
The veiled girl on stage stiffened at their words, her eyes flashing like lightning as she glared at the crowd. She thought coldly, "If Evan loses his spot because of you, I'll make you pay—every last one of you!"
Another girl grew anxious, muttering to herself, "Evan Chu, where the heck did you go? Why aren't you here yet? Did something happen to you?"
Jenny Sima frowned and called out, "Everyone quiet! Give him one incense stick's time—maybe something held him up. If he's not here by then, his spot is canceled."
Jenny's words worked like magic. The crowd's chatter died down as everyone stared at the incense, waiting for time to run out.
Some hoped Evan Chu would make it in time; others wished he'd never show up at all.
On the viewing platform, Dominic Chu's face was full of worry. He knew Evan wasn't reckless—if he hadn't arrived yet, something serious must've happened.
Maybe someone got jealous of his talent and tried something, or maybe Evan just didn't want to compete and thought no one was his match.
No matter the reason, Dominic Chu couldn't accept it. This was about family honor, and an incense stick's time wasn't long. If Evan really didn't show, he'd be punished hard when he got home.
Just as Dominic's anxiety peaked, a lone figure sprinted toward the arena. Seeing who it was, he finally smiled. "That brat, always causing a scene. Today, the Chu family's years of humiliation rest on you."
As Evan Chu arrived, the crowd instinctively parted for him. After all, anyone who could slay a ninth-level Mystic Warrior wasn't someone you messed with.
Panting, Evan Chu rushed up to the stage. Before he could speak, Jenny Sima called out, "Evan Chu, you sure know how to make an entrance—keeping all of Flowing Cloud City waiting just for you. You're the first to pull that off."
Evan Chu grinned, "Maybe I burned too much energy yesterday and overslept. Sorry, everyone! Sorry for making you wait!"
"Get up here! Everyone's waiting for you to draw lots!" Jenny Sima's mood brightened as soon as Evan showed up.
This time, Evan Chu didn't dare look Jenny Sima in the face. Luna's warning echoed in his mind—stay away from her. He deliberately avoided her eyes, focusing on her figure instead.
But his gaze landed right on Jenny's chest—the very place he'd grabbed in his berserk state. Evan was totally clueless.
Of course, Jenny Sima saw exactly where Evan was looking. She fumed inwardly: "You little punk, still up to your old tricks. Just wait till the tournament ends—I'll teach you a lesson!"
Evan Chu stepped onto the stage and finally noticed there were already nine people standing there—the first-place winners from each group.
Seven guys and two girls, both of the girls had their backs to him so he couldn't see their faces. But if they'd made it this far, their strength was nothing to scoff at.
"Evan Chu, I thought you weren't coming!" One of the girls suddenly turned and walked up to him.
"Chu Lin Yue?" Evan Chu was shocked—he hadn't expected his cousin to make it into the top ten.
"Surprised? Can't I make the top ten too? I'm challenging you later!" Chu Lin Yue glared at him, full of fire.
"Anytime! Though you do look a little taller today, haha!" Evan Chu teased, just loud enough for Chu Lin Yue to hear.
Just as Chu Lin Yue was about to explode, the other girl turned around. But her face was hidden behind a purple veil.
Evan Chu finally saw her figure and aura, and froze—almost stumbling off the stage.
"Roxanne!" Unable to contain his excitement, he cried out her name.