The air was alive with flowing energy.
At the tip of Evan Lin's three-foot sword, swirling vortices of qi began to condense.
Though the qi vortices seemed powerless, they sent fallen leaves on the ground swirling into the air.
Evan eyed the trunk of a tree so thick it would take three people to encircle it, then casually flicked his three-foot sword toward it.
The sword whipped up a fierce gust, and in the blink of an eye, it slammed into the trunk.
One second. Two seconds.
The three-foot sword vanished without a trace. The tree trunk in front of him showed no sign of movement.
But as the third second passed...
A cracking sound came from deep within the thick trunk.
The entire trunk began to split from the inside out. Bark burst apart, and countless wood chips flew everywhere, scattering across the ground.
The trunk kept cracking and shattering, then with a muffled boom—
The towering tree that once stood between heaven and earth was now nothing but strips of wood shredded by the swirling wind, scattered across the ground, leaving only a twisted stump behind.
“What just happened?” An old man passing by heard the noise, pulled his wife over, and stared blankly at the stump and the mess of wood on the ground.
“No idea. What happened to this tree?”
The noise had drawn quite a crowd. People gathered, staring in amazement at the branches and splinters all over the ground.
Evan Lin walked through the crowd, hands in his pockets.
"The power of that sword is still a bit too weak."
Evan felt a bit regretful. If that sword strike had landed on a person, it could have shredded their flesh and blood to pieces instantly.
Back when he was Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin, he could form a sword from the wind alone and split three Spirit Mountains with a single strike.
Now, the power really was much weaker.
Even so, just that one sword strike alone would be enough to wipe out most people.
Back at the hotel, Evan had just entered when he happened to see Rachel Liu about to go in.
When Rachel Liu saw Evan Lin, a ripple of emotion flashed in her calm eyes, though she concealed it well.
"You're up so early. Where did you go?" Rachel asked.
As soon as she spoke, Rachel was a little surprised.
Normally, she never cared about what any boy was doing. But just now, she had asked so naturally.
"Went out for some exercise." Evan walked past Rachel without slowing down.
Standing in front of the elevator, Evan pressed the button.
"Yesterday..."
Rachel followed, looking at Evan, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Running into Evan Lin at the Jared Qian Auction yesterday had completely taken Rachel Liu by surprise.
But what really made Rachel start to wonder about Evan's background was Damon Wang's attitude toward him at the end.
After she got home last night, her mother Julia Du—normally so proud and status-conscious—pulled her into her room for over an hour, bluntly asking about Evan Lin.
Rachel didn't actually know much about Evan, but what shocked her most was Julia's final request: she wanted Rachel to find time to invite Evan over for dinner!
That was something absolutely unimaginable before.
"Want to know what happened yesterday?" Evan glanced at Rachel by his side. From this angle, he had to admit she was pretty—an upturned nose, fair skin, and a slender neck leading down to curves far beyond her peers.
Today, dressed in a light blue and white shirt, Rachel Liu radiated an air of intelligence and elegance.
"Yeah, I want to know."
Rachel tilted her head, looked up at Evan, and—unexpectedly—didn't avoid his gaze.
"You can just imagine it."
Evan yawned and couldn't be bothered to respond. That annoyed Rachel, but the feeling faded quickly. "Are you still mad about yesterday?"
Julia Du's words yesterday had clearly put Evan in a bad mood.
Maybe her words weren't exactly sharp or mean, but people who've lived at the top of society for a long time—some are kind and treat others as equals, but most are used to looking down on those from humble backgrounds.
Julia Du definitely wasn't one of the kind ones.
"Nothing to be mad about. If you really want to know, I'll tell you: I went and stole Medicine King Valley's divine medicine." Evan's tone was flat.
Rachel shook her head slightly at that, thinking Evan must still be upset.
To Rachel, Medicine King Valley was a distant, almost legendary place. Everyone said that anyone from there was extraordinary.
Rachel was willing to admit that Evan always managed to surprise people, but in her mind, he still couldn't be compared to the mysterious Medicine King Valley.
"After the competition ends, are you free?" Rachel asked, feeling a bit odd at how Evan was ignoring her.
Ding.
Just as Rachel was speaking, the elevator arrived at the first floor.
The elevator doors slid open.
Inside, Sisi Shao, Owen Ou, and Allen Zeng were coming downstairs.
The six of them locked eyes.
Sisi Shao was stunned when she saw Evan Lin.
Before she could say anything, Rachel Liu's voice came from beside her.
"If you have time, my mom would like to invite you to our house for dinner—as an apology for what happened yesterday." Rachel's tone was sincere.
An apology?
For yesterday?
Rachel Liu is inviting Evan Lin to her house for dinner!
Three key clues quickly connected in Sisi Shao's mind.
Allen Zeng and Owen Ou also heard Rachel Liu's words. Both turned to look at Evan Lin, their eyes burning with jealousy.
"Well, look who it is—Evan Lin. Up so early, are you worried about tomorrow's competition?" Allen Zeng sneered, his smile not reaching his eyes.
"What are you talking about? He's Evan Lin, after all. With math skills like his and that cocky attitude, why would he be worried?" Owen Ou chimed in sarcastically.
Evan didn't hesitate—he reached out and lifted Owen Ou up with one hand.
"What are you doing!" Sisi Shao exclaimed, startled.
"What, are you going to hit me?" Owen Ou's face changed; he tried to break free, but couldn't.
Whoosh.
Evan tossed him out of the elevator, landing hard on his backside. Owen Ou grimaced in pain, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Sisi Shao and Allen Zeng hurried over to help Owen Ou up.
Evan was already in the elevator, never once looking Owen Ou in the eye.
"Damn! He just starts a fight at the drop of a hat—must be feeling guilty! I want to see how a violent thug like him can compete in the Olympiad!"
"The Olympiad is about brains, not fists! Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Owen Ou rubbed his aching backside, furious but too scared to confront Evan again.