Evan Yang smiled, preparing to observe the area with Liam Willow and learn about the layout here.
On the way, Evan Yang took the opportunity to ask around about the participating sects. There were simply too many sects and clans this time, so it was hard for him to know whether the Yang Family had arrived yet, or where they were at the moment.
"Looks like I have to find the Ethereal Sanctuary Palace Lord," Evan Yang muttered to himself, since he knew Ethereal Sanctuary was colluding with the Yang Family.
"What are you spacing out for?" Along the way, Liam Willow noticed Evan Yang was distracted and kept asking about sects he'd never even heard of.
"Nothing, just trying to figure out a few things. Looks like it's not so easy—almost nobody knows anything here," Evan Yang said.
"I really don't know about the Evan Yang you're looking for, but I do know about Ethereal Sanctuary," Liam Willow replied.
"If you don't know, then you've wasted your time in the Immortal Realm," Evan Yang said with an awkward smile.
"What's that supposed to mean? You're underestimating me. Besides, the Ethereal Sanctuary you mentioned is actually pretty famous," Liam Willow laughed.
"Do you know if they've already arrived on Mistmount Star? And where are they now?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"They've already arrived. They got here before you did, and they've already entered the area. Quite a few people came—they're all from Ethereal Sanctuary and some other clans and sects," Liam Willow explained.
"Oh? Really? That's great, but I still don't know where they are." Evan Yang muttered.
"That's easy, watch me." Liam Willow laughed.
Liam Willow glanced around and found a patrolling guard. He asked, "Hey, brother, I need to find someone from Ethereal Sanctuary urgently. Where are they?"
"Urgent? What kind of urgent matter? Are you sure you're from Ethereal Sanctuary? If not, don't blame me for being harsh." The guard looked Liam Willow over and asked.
"I really am." Liam Willow replied.
"Then let's see if you have an Ethereal Sanctuary authority token." The guard asked.
Liam Willow froze, surprised at how strict the security was—even just finding someone required thorough questioning. At that moment, Evan Yang spoke up: "Here."
The guard took Evan Yang's authority token, saw it was indeed from Ethereal Sanctuary, and noted it was for a junior member.
"Alright, I'll tell you. Head north—there are lots of uniform buildings there. Those are where the various sects and clans are stationed. Just ask the guards there and they'll help you find the Ethereal Sanctuary people." The guard explained.
"Thank you," Evan Yang replied, then put away his authority token and left with the still-dazed Liam Willow.
"When did you become someone from Ethereal Sanctuary?" Liam Willow asked suspiciously.
"Me? A long time ago, I guess." Evan Yang smiled, not even knowing himself that one day he would use this old authority token.
Liam Willow scratched his head and looked at Evan Yang, puzzled. But since Evan had made it clear, he could only assume Evan was someone from Ethereal Sanctuary, so he asked curiously: "Did something happen at Ethereal Sanctuary? Is that why you want to find them?"
"Not exactly. This time I'm searching in secret, not openly. Even if I find them, I can't admit any connection to Ethereal Sanctuary—just observe." Evan Yang said.
"Why?" Liam Willow asked, confused.
"Because I'm the one they hate." Evan Yang smiled.
"Then why are you still going?" Liam Willow asked, still confused about why Evan Yang wanted to find Ethereal Sanctuary.
"I have things I need to do. If you want, you can wander around here. When I'm about to leave, I'll let you know." Evan Yang thought for a moment—having Liam Willow follow him wasn't ideal.
"Alright, I'll wait for you. If you need anything, just contact me." Liam Willow nodded, knowing Evan Yang had things to handle and it wasn't helpful to tag along.
"Okay, you stay here. And these Immortal Source stones—I don't need them for now, so take them." Evan Yang handed all the Immortal Source he'd earned from selling wine to Liam Willow, then left alone.
Watching Evan Yang leave, Liam Willow looked around at the stalls and muttered, "Guess I'll hunt for treasures myself. Maybe I'll find something good." So he sat down and began browsing.
Evan Yang left and headed straight for the place the guard mentioned. After flying for about fifteen minutes, he saw rows and rows of buildings.
These buildings were all luxurious and newly built, set up specifically for the tournament.
Evan Yang arrived at the outskirts of the area and was stopped by guards. After some questioning and showing his authority token, he learned where Ethereal Sanctuary was located. He went in, disguised, not worried about being recognized, so he acted naturally, as if he were just looking for someone.
After winding past hundreds of buildings, Evan Yang finally reached his destination. The building was massive—just Ethereal Sanctuary’s alone could hold hundreds of people. Outside, he saw a signboard listing the sects staying there.
"Ethereal Sanctuary—this is it." Evan Yang muttered.
Now he needed to find a spot to study the people here, especially the Ethereal Sanctuary Palace Lord, and whether there was direct contact with the Yang Family. If so, he could find the Yang Family.
Just as Evan Yang was deciding what to do, a group emerged from the building, led by the Ethereal Sanctuary Palace Lord, followed by others—some young, some old. Evan Yang glanced at them, at first casually, but then froze when he saw a familiar figure.
"It’s her?" Evan Yang exclaimed in surprise.
The person Evan Yang saw was none other than Flower Fairy, Palace Lord of Hundred Flowers Palace. She had gained her qualification thanks to Evan Yang’s protection, otherwise she would have lost it long ago.
Evan Yang had ascended early to the Immortal Realm because of the tower. Now, after more than a hundred years, seeing an old friend here made him emotional. He quickly calmed down and wondered, "Strange, why is she at Ethereal Sanctuary? Did she join them too?"
With this question in mind, Evan Yang waited until they'd left, then followed behind, wanting to see what they were up to.
Flower Fairy had no idea that Evan Yang was watching from not far behind.
The Ethereal Sanctuary Palace Lord led them for a while and arrived at a garden, where other sects and clans were gathered.
Evan Yang saw that the clan leaders and sect masters present were the same people who had discussed the Territory War Contest before—now they were all here.
"What are they gathering for?" Evan Yang wondered, noticing that all the sects and clans had brought their own followers, just like Ethereal Sanctuary.
Seeing this, Evan Yang wanted to figure out what was going on—especially since Flower Fairy was involved.
"Nangong Palace Lord, you’re finally here—we were just waiting on you," said the Qing Family patriarch.
"Sorry, I was picking candidates just now, so I’m late," the Ethereal Sanctuary Palace Lord said with a smile.
Everyone nodded, and then Ethereal Sanctuary took their seat. Next, a man who looked like a guard stood up, waved something at the sky, and a gentle formation appeared in the garden. The guard said, "Alright, now it’s soundproof—and shields all sight."
"Thank you for your help," said the Ethereal Sanctuary Palace Lord.
The guard nodded and left. Evan Yang pretended to walk outside, and once the guard was gone, he slowly approached the formation and checked it—it wasn't complicated and could be entered easily.
So Evan Yang went in, blending in among the crowd. Only those with status had seats; the rest stood. No one really knew who was who, so Evan slipped into the back and watched what was happening.
"Let’s begin," said the Qing Family patriarch to the Nangong Palace Lord.
"Yes, I’ve received the contest rules, so I invited everyone here. We’ll pick a few representatives from our families and sects to participate," said the Nangong Palace Lord.
"Rules? Isn’t it the same as before—one team per sect and family?" the Qing Family patriarch asked skeptically.
"No, this time there are too many sects and families participating. To improve quality and efficiency, each group will pick three people from each realm: Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, Profound Immortal, and Immortal Lord. That’s twelve participants total," said the Nangong Palace Lord.
"And the external helpers you mentioned, Palace Lord?" the Qing Family patriarch asked curiously.
"Those helpers are for the final contest," said the Nangong Palace Lord.
"The final contest?" the Qing Family patriarch asked, confused.
"That’s right. This time there are a hundred planets as the final prize. Whichever group wins, those planets belong to them. I’ve arranged for that family to compete for all one hundred planets in the final contest," said the Nangong Palace Lord.
"I see. That’s fine, we’ll leave it to them. For our own group, how many planets can we get?" asked the Qing Family patriarch. The other clan leaders and sect masters also wanted to know—after all, they contributed planets for the contest, and if the results are worse than before, their planets on Flowcloud Star would be wasted.
"Our eight families and sects contributed more than three hundred planets. As usual, first place gets a thousand planets, second place gets eight hundred, third gets six hundred, fourth gets four hundred, fifth gets two hundred, sixth gets one hundred, and seventh to tenth each get fifty," said the Nangong Palace Lord.
"We contributed over three hundred? Then we must at least make the top four to break even," said the Qing Family patriarch.
"Exactly. So we must get into the top four. Plus, if the clan leader wins the final contest, we can add another hundred planets," said the Nangong Palace Lord.
Everyone saw hope. Their faction was formidable, and there was a good chance to get into the top four. So before that, they needed to select their elites.