"What? All of them are dead? How is that possible!" Evan Chu exclaimed in shock.
This place is crawling with experts—who would dare commit murder so close by? "Where did it happen, and do you know any details?"
"Right by the river, less than nine miles from here. Every single person had their blood drained—their deaths were terrifying. The bodies look like dried husks, completely blackened." The disciple stammered in panic.
As soon as Evan Chu heard this, his figure flickered—he instantly unleashed spatial teleportation. For him, covering nine miles only took a few jumps.
After Evan Chu left, the others quickly followed. Although the Freewind Palace Lord and the rest couldn't teleport, their speed was still astonishing—they arrived just moments after Evan.
Evan Chu scanned the corpses by the riverside, his brows knitting together. "It looks like the Azure Tide Ruins won't be peaceful anymore. The Demon Generals must all be awake now. Everyone needs to be cautious—these Demon Generals aren't the same as before. They're already under Venerable Solus's control. If they target a single sect, any sect could face total annihilation."
As soon as Evan Chu said this, the Freewind Palace Lord and Sacred Sword Sect Master both turned pale. If anyone else had said such things, they might have dismissed it as nonsense. But Evan Chu was Lord Frostbane reborn—he knew far more than any of them. When it came to these so-called Demon Generals, they only understood a fraction.
"Sect Master Chu, what do you mean? Is the Azure Tide Ruins really about to face a catastrophe?" the Sacred Sword Sect Master asked in astonishment.
"These people were all drained of blood. That blood is extremely useful for restoring their bodies and strength. This must be the work of the Demon Generals, who once served under the Demon Lord. In the Divine Battlefield war, six of the twelve Demon Generals died, but the other six were rescued by Venerable Solus."
Ten thousand years have passed, and now they're waking up. To regain their power, they must consume human blood—the stronger the victim, the faster their recovery. With so many Mist Rain Pavilion disciples killed this time, at least three Demon Generals must have been involved," Evan Chu analyzed.
"Sacred Sword Sect Master, after you were swallowed by that spatial black hole, the tournament was halted, and everyone dispersed. But after we left, Despair Valley suffered the same fate—all the people in the valley had their blood drained overnight. The deaths were horrific. Now it’s happened again, and it’s clear the Azure Tide Ruins are no longer safe," said the Sacred Sword Sect Master.
Evan Chu pondered for a moment, then said, "Everyone, don’t panic. The Demon Generals may have started hunting, but they won’t dare launch a full-scale assault on any major sect. It’ll take them years to recover their strength. But smaller sects are at risk. I believe we must make this public—let the whole Azure Tide Ruins know, so everyone stays vigilant. Otherwise, tragedy will repeat itself soon enough."
"Leave that to me. Right now, our priority should be finding the exact lairs of these dark forces. Then, all the major sects must unite to hunt them down. Relying on just one or two sects won’t be enough," said the Sacred Sword Sect Master, his voice resolute.
"Tracking these dark forces is no easy task. First, we need a powerful intelligence network. But Mist Rain Pavilion—the strongest network—has been wiped out, cutting off our main source of information. We’ll have to rebuild it from scratch. Leave this to me and Freewind Palace," declared the Freewind Palace Lord.
"Good. I know a thing or two about Demon Generals. Once I’ve settled Frostbane Sect’s affairs, I’ll personally patrol for their whereabouts. We must unite and utterly wipe out this evil," Evan Chu declared.
"Since it’s settled, let’s all return and make our preparations. I’ll be sure to attend your wedding, Sect Master Evan!" the Sacred Sword Sect Master said, then turned and left without another word.
"I need to return to Freewind Palace as well. With things like this happening, I have to make arrangements. You should be extra careful—now that you’re drawing so much attention, you’re bound to attract envy and trouble. Watch your back!" warned the Freewind Palace Lord.
After the two left, only Selena Yale remained, standing there. Evan Chu had exposed their relationship to everyone—now, Selena knew she could no longer remain Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion Master. No one dared oppose her, but she’d violated the sect’s rules as master. How could she ever command her disciples again?
"Sister Selena, just stay in Frostbane Sect. I’m planning to expand the sect soon, and you can help out," Evan Chu said.
Selena Yale shot Evan Chu a glare. "You’re unbelievable! How could you make our relationship public? Now I’m someone with no home to go back to!"
Evan Chu chuckled, "Isn’t it better to come clean early? Or did you want to wait until your belly’s showing? By then, the gossip would drown you. I’m doing this for your own good!"
"Lin Feng, you and I aren’t outsiders anymore. Just tell me the truth—why do you really want me to stay? I know nothing about expanding a sect, and honestly, you don’t need to worry about that. The disciples can handle it themselves!" Selena Yale said bluntly.
"Let’s head back. I’ll tell you everything once we’re there. The truth is, there’s something only someone as strong as you can handle," Evan Chu said with a smile.
By the time they returned, nearly everyone from the tournament had already left. Serena Dream had gone back to Freewind Palace with her disciples. Unrivaled Young Lord Marcus Blake and Young Lord Wenqin Quentin Wen had departed as well, leaving word that they’d come drink themselves senseless at Evan Chu’s wedding.
Bloodfiend Hall Master Darius Nie and Lynne Nie were still there. Seeing Evan Chu return, Darius Nie said, "Sect Master Evan, this whole business is far too strange. You need to be careful. Lynne and I will head back to Bloodfiend Hall and await the day you come to escort her as your bride."
"Don’t worry, Hall Master. I’ll be there on time to marry Lynne. And keep an eye out for anything unusual—the dark forces aren’t simple. If anything happens, send word immediately. With my speed, I can reach Bloodfiend Hall in under an hour," Evan Chu replied confidently.
"Good! Then we’ll take our leave. Take care!" Darius Nie said, then left with Lynne Nie and their disciples.
Evan Chu glanced at the mountaintop he’d split with a single sword and laughed, "Sister Selena, what do you think of my sword’s power?"
"No normal person could do that. You’re a monster! You haven’t even broken through to the Saint Martial Realm, yet you can kill a Third-Layer Saint Martial expert. Have your memories returned?" Selena Yale asked, incredulous.
Evan Chu grinned, "If they had, I wouldn’t fear the Demon Generals at all. But right now, there’s a task only you can handle—and it’s extremely dangerous. Do you dare accept it?"
"You think I’m afraid? For you and our child, I wouldn’t flinch even if it cost me my life…" Selena Yale declared, her voice full of passion and resolve.