Evan Yang smiled. The Palace Lord knew Evan wasn't here to cause trouble on purpose. If Evan really wanted to stir things up, given his cultivation, it would be a headache. Better to lose an enemy and gain a friend, so the Palace Lord laughed and said, "We'll leave it at that. Thank you for showing mercy."
"It's nothing," Evan replied with a smile, then released Faye Gale.
Once freed, Faye Gale tried to move again, but the Palace Lord sent her a voice transmission: "His strength is at Nine Tribulations. If he really wanted to act, you'd already be dead. Stop now."
Faye Gale froze, feeling extremely unwilling. The Palace Lord said to Evan, "Since you won, let her show you around."
"Thank you, Palace Lord," Evan said with a smile.
The Palace Lord nodded, then said to the crowd, "You can all return. And you—" The last was directed at the Cloaked Warden, who received the order, nodded, and left the Fiend Palace gates.
The crowd also dispersed at the Palace Lord's order. The young master was unhappy, but there was nothing he could do—even his aunt lost, and his father treated Evan with unusual respect. Helpless, he could only go back to being a young lord, frustrated by these events.
After the Palace Lord left, Evan smiled and said, "Let's go."
"Dream on! Who wants to be your guide?" Faye Gale snorted coldly.
"Miss Faye, why are you still so stubborn?" Evan said with a helpless smile.
"Why do you care if I'm stubborn? Just because you beat me doesn't mean I'll show you around," Faye Gale snorted.
Evan smiled, then changed his face in front of Faye Gale. When she saw that face, Faye was stunned. "You—"
"Are we going or not?" Evan smiled, returning to his original appearance.
"Don't think you can just change your appearance and make me believe you. Are you really him or not?" Faye Gale was both shocked and worried, unsure if this was a fake.
Evan smiled. "Last time, during the pill duel in the Human World, you were chased by the Black Hand Gate. Wasn't it me who helped you?"
Faye Gale was shocked. Only she and Evan knew about the Black Hand Gate chase. Hearing Evan say this, she couldn't believe it. "It's really you?"
"Of course it is. Back in Fiend Palace, I only kept my identity secret because of Elder Liu—you know, I killed his grandson, but then his grandson came back to life, which was pretty strange." Evan smiled.
"So you've been lying to me all along!" Faye Gale felt tricked. The person Fiend Palace was hunting had been hiding right under her nose, and it was someone she knew well as General Wood.
"I already said it was a special situation. Today I've brought Elder Liu here, so if you want to hold a grudge, there's nothing I can do. I'll leave now." Evan said helplessly, preparing to go.
Faye Gale called out, "Stop!"
"What is it?" Evan asked.
"I'll show you around!" Faye Gale's feelings were complicated—she felt tricked, but also wanted to follow Evan.
Evan smiled and, together with Faye Gale, found a secluded spot and released everyone one by one.
When Faye Gale saw Evan with so many women, her expression was helpless—Evan was truly unbelievable. Evan introduced Ye Chen and the others.
When Ye Chen and Derek found out Faye Gale was from Fiend Palace, they were shocked—they knew Fiend Palace had always been hunting Evan.
Evan smiled. "It's all fine now. She'll show us around soon. Derek, go do your thing—this is your real playground."
"Thank you, Master. I'll go now—you all have fun." Derek understood Evan meant for him to find a place to cultivate.
It had to be somewhere with Fiend Crystal Souls, which best suited his body. Derek's friends left with him.
That left Evan with five women, all of them top beauties. When Evan walked through the city with five women in tow, many men looked on with envy.
But Faye Gale was born and raised in the Fiend Realm, and the aura she gave off made those men too intimidated to approach.
Some Sixth- and Seventh-Rank Fiend Palace generals who didn't recognize Faye Gale tried to block the group, using inspection as an excuse to take Evan and the others away.
Faye Gale took out her authority token. When they saw it, the generals begged for mercy, cursing their luck for nearly offending such a big shot from Fiend Palace.
Word quickly spread that Evan's group included a major figure from Fiend Palace. Many people became afraid to approach, while others envied Evan even more.
Evan smiled helplessly. "What a strange entourage," he thought.
On the road, Faye Gale gradually became friends with the other four women and learned about their pasts. Evan became the target of their combined teasing, constantly getting ribbed by the five.
One day, Evan stopped and said, "You all seem to be enjoying yourselves. How about this: Miss Faye, you take them sightseeing. With you guiding, they're safe. I'll head back to Fiend Palace and enter the Demon-Fiend Underpalace to cultivate. Sound good?"
"Go on, go on. We don't need you here anymore," Faye Gale laughed.
The other women all wanted to play a bit longer and told Evan to go train. Evan felt relieved—at least in the Fiend Realm, with Faye Gale's protection, they were untouchable. Elder Liu had been dealt with, and nothing else could threaten Fiend Palace now.
So Evan said goodbye to the five women and left for Fiend Palace.
Outside Fiend Palace, Evan thought for a moment and switched back to his General Wood identity, not wanting to attract too much attention. He went to the Demon-Fiend Underpalace gate and met the old gatekeeper.
The old man checked Evan, who showed his authority token and entered. He went straight to the tenth floor and kept advancing.
At the sixteenth floor, after defeating his clone, the upward staircase reappeared. Evan climbed it step by step.
At the thousandth step, the crushing pressure returned. Evan began battling against it, polishing himself.
He lost track of time while training. Meanwhile, Faye Gale took the four women sightseeing in the Fiend Realm. After three months, Xin Jiang and Chu Tianlan started feeling unwell, so Faye Gale brought them back to Fiend Palace and asked Elder Shaw for some pills.
This chapter isn't over yet ^.^—click next page to continue reading!
The pills allowed Human World natives to stay here for up to a thousand years with no problem, which made the four women very happy.
So they followed Faye Gale out for more sightseeing. With her leading the way, Fiend Palace members and outside wanderers who heard about the five women dared not interfere.
Whenever Faye Gale saw low-level cultivators, she would discipline them herself; if they were from Fiend Palace, she'd just flash her authority token. After several years, the story of the five women spread across the Fiend Realm—everyone from children to adults knew about them.
Their fame grew, naturally attracting attention.
One of those interested was the Corpse-Refiner, who couldn't wait to capture Evan. After learning Evan had traded Elder Liu to Fiend Palace, he became obsessed with refining Evan into a Living Corpse Thrall. Unfortunately, the Nether Patriarch went out but came back empty-handed.
"How are things in the Human World?" One day, the Corpse-Refiner asked the Nether Patriarch, who had just returned from the Human World.
"Evan Yang became Grand Pavilion Lord of the Genius Pavilion—a major force in the Human World. He offended the Fenn Family and the Three Palaces, so their people have never stopped trying to capture him," said the Nether Patriarch.
"Grand Pavilion Lord? So he has some background. Forget the Human World—he came to the Fiend Realm years ago and became friendly with Fiend Palace. But now, who knows where he is?" said the Corpse-Refiner.
"He's back?" the Nether Patriarch exclaimed.
"That's right, he's back," replied the Corpse-Refiner.
"That's troublesome. I heard he's reached the Nine Tribulations Realm. I'm no match for him now," said the Nether Patriarch, embarrassed.
"What? Nine Tribulations?" The Corpse-Refiner was shocked at Evan's strength.
"Yes. I spent years in the Human World gathering information. He broke through two lightning tribulations at the Genius Pavilion, reaching the second tier of Nine Tribulations," said the Nether Patriarch.
"Two lightning tribulations?" The Corpse-Refiner's eyes burned—he admired Evan's physique.
"That's right," said the Nether Patriarch.
"Looks like you'll have to handle something for me. I've got spies in Fiend Palace—they say Elder Liu was captured by Evan. Elder Liu isn't very strong now, but if we stimulate him and use his remaining influence in the Fiend Realm, we can draw Evan out again," the Corpse-Refiner said with a cold smile.
"Liu Yan? The Lewis Family Patriarch?" the Nether Patriarch asked in surprise.
"Exactly. Go handle it. Coordinate with the spies and find Elder Liu's location. He's probably crazed now—just right for me," said the Corpse-Refiner with a cold smile.
"Yes, I'll go right away," said the Nether Patriarch.
"Be careful. Once you get Elder Liu, kill the spies—they're just under my control, but I worry someone might trace them back to me," said the Corpse-Refiner.
The Nether Patriarch nodded and, following the Corpse-Refiner's instructions, left Corpse-Refiner Mountain.
"Evan Yang, your body will be mine!" The Corpse-Refiner's eyes gleamed. He'd tracked Evan for so long without success, but now Evan was in the Fiend Realm, somewhere nearby.
In a place called Fiend Abyss, saturated with endless killing qi, nobody dared stay long. It was used as a punishment ground, driving people mad until they died.
Elder Liu was there, long since lost his mind, howling madly.
Until someone appeared, took out a pill, and, as Elder Liu raged, shoved it into his mouth. Elder Liu fell unconscious.
That person took out a space ring, put Elder Liu inside, and flashed away from Fiend Abyss, slowly leaving Fiend Palace.
Not far outside Fiend Palace, the Nether Patriarch was waiting.
"Senior," said the person carrying Elder Liu to the Nether Patriarch.
"How did it go?" asked the Nether Patriarch.
"I was in charge of Fiend Abyss today, so I put Elder Liu into this space ring," the person said with a smile.