Evan Chu turned at the sound, surprised to see that it was Lynne Nie standing alone, looking at him. The black veil on her face made it impossible to read her expression.
"May I ask why Saintess Lynne Nie is looking for me? And how did you know I was here?" Evan asked.
"We waited for you at Freewind Palace for days, but you never showed up. Eventually, everyone left disappointed. Since I figured you’d definitely come for the tournament, I kept searching for you—and it looks like I found you first. Seems like we really are fated," Lynne Nie said with a smile.
"Heh, you say we’re fated, so we are? Becoming my woman isn’t that easy—you’d better be prepared," Evan Chu laughed.
"Who said I wanted to be your woman? You’re really shameless. The tournament’s tomorrow—do you have any confidence in taking first place?" Lynne Nie asked.
"Nope. I’m just here for the excitement—I never even thought about rankings. By the way, who else is looking for me?" Evan asked.
"Marcus Blake and Quentin Wen are both searching for you. Last time you left in such a hurry, everyone was worried for ages. You know, Selena Yale from Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion is famous in Azure Tide Ruins for being ruthless—her Heavenly Fragrance Poison is legendary, and she especially hates men. How did you escape from her?" Lynne Nie said.
"There are too many people talking here—it’s not the right place for this conversation. Saintess Lynne Nie, do you know of somewhere quieter?" Evan suggested.
"You’re not planning to do something bad to me, are you? Even if you try, I’m not afraid. There really is a secluded spot here in Despair Valley—I’ll take you," Lynne Nie said, then left straight away.
Evan Chu followed after her. Not long after, he saw Quentin Wen and Marcus Blake arrive. "Quentin, do you think Young Lord Peak will show up for the tournament?"
"He probably will. If he wants everyone to know about Frostbane Sect, he’ll definitely participate. I just worry he might run into trouble on the way and miss the competition," Quentin Wen said.
"Let’s keep searching. I wonder if Lynne Nie found him yet. Who would’ve thought she’d fall for Young Lord Peak at first sight? I really didn’t expect that," Marcus Blake said.
The two of them then left to keep searching for Evan Chu and Lynne Nie. Meanwhile, Evan and Lynne were quietly sitting on a grassy hillside in Despair Valley, talking.
"That day, why did Selena Yale come looking for you? We all suspect the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion disciple massacre is connected to you—only you would have the strength to kill them," Lynne Nie said.
Evan Chu glanced at her and laughed, "Go on, I’m sure you haven’t gotten to the main point yet!"
"Maybe you knew Selena Yale was coming, so you left in a hurry. And the fact that she asked about your whereabouts only confirms what everyone thinks—you’re the one Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion is hunting. But I still don’t get how you escaped from her.
You’d used up most of your Stellar Power, and Selena Yale has already broken through to the Saint Martial Realm—handling you should’ve been a breeze. Can you tell me what really happened?" Lynne Nie asked.
Evan Chu stood up, glanced at Despair Valley in the distance, and said, "I like talking to beautiful women face-to-face. You’re wearing a veil—there’s no sincerity. How could I just tell you such a secret?"
Lynne Nie smiled, "Young Lord Peak has such particular tastes—how odd. You’ve already seen my face once, so seeing it again shouldn’t matter. Do you know what it means to ask a veiled woman to remove her veil?"
"No idea. Does it mean I have to marry her? Both you and Serena Dream have taken off your veils for me, so I’m the one getting the short end of the stick," Evan Chu laughed.
"So full of yourself! You think we’re that easy? Just tell me how you escaped from her!" Lynne Nie laughed.
With that, she took off her veil herself, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face. Seeing such a beauty, Evan Chu laughed, "You really are stunning. Serena Dream must be just as beautiful. That night, she disguised herself—scared me good!"
"You could tell she was disguised? Serena Dream’s disguise technique is supposed to be unrivaled. How could you possibly know?" Lynne Nie asked in surprise.
"She could tell I was disguised, so of course I could see through hers. It’s only fair. Look, it’s just the two of us here—talented man, beautiful woman. If we don’t do something, wouldn’t that be a waste of such a lovely setting?" Evan Chu laughed.
Lynne Nie’s cheeks flushed red. Suddenly, she felt this guy was actually dangerous. She stared at Evan Chu suspiciously, "What are you talking about?"
"Just kidding. No need to get so nervous. Do you know who Selena Yale is? She’s my sister—why would she kill me? So all those rumors are wrong. There was never any massacre at Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion. Those stories were spread on purpose, just to find out where I was," Evan Chu said.
Lynne Nie looked at Evan Chu, half believing, half doubting. "Is that true? How could it be? You must be lying to me."
"Alright, we’ve talked long enough. You should head back—if people find out you were alone with a man, it wouldn’t be good for your reputation. You get what I mean, right?" Evan Chu laughed.
Lynne Nie had wanted to stay longer, but after Evan said that, she felt embarrassed to linger. She put her veil back on and said, "I’ll go now. I hope I never run into you during tomorrow’s competition."
After Lynne Nie left, Evan Chu smiled. "I don’t have time for romance right now. Sorry, Lynne, but I’ll have to let you down. If fate wills it, I’ll think about these things after Frostbane Sect truly becomes one of the Ten Great Sects."
Evan Chu then took out a few pieces of Life Essence and began absorbing them. Rather than just sitting here, he figured he might as well replenish his Chaos Dragon Force.
After absorbing several pieces of Life Essence, his Chaos Dragon Force was fully saturated. By now, night had fallen over Despair Valley. Many people, like Evan Chu, quietly absorbed Stellar Power in the darkness. Since Despair Valley wasn’t big enough to house tens of thousands, everyone understood the situation.
The next day, the exciting moment arrived. Evan Chu slowly walked down from the hillside. Around the huge arena in Despair Valley, every sect had gathered.
Evan Chu looked around. Each sect had its assigned spot—the Nine Great Sects were front and center, while the weaker sects were in the back. After searching for a while, he finally spotted the Frostbane Sect banner, but he didn’t go over.
Frostbane Sect had brought fewer than fifty people this time, including He Juan. On the arena, ten people appeared—among them were the Freewind Palace Lord and Selena Yale. It looked like the Nine Great Sects’ leaders and the Despair Valley Lord were all present…