Being burned by flames right now felt, to Evan Chu, like enjoying a natural shower in a rainstorm—the Azure Spirit Barrier cast by Jade Chu blocked out all the fire completely, so he couldn’t feel any heat at all.
Even without Jade Chu’s protection, Evan’s Fireshift state would make him immune to fire damage. Showing off fire element attacks in front of him was honestly just embarrassing.
Just then, the Grand Elder’s second attack landed—a pure sword-qi strike, its power immense. It slammed into the Azure Spirit Barrier, sending violent tremors through it and blasting Evan Chu back dozens of meters.
But he still wasn’t hurt at all. Evan was seriously impressed by Jade Chu’s defense. Now it was the Grand Elder’s turn to be stunned—these two attacks were his absolute strongest, especially the last one, which was his signature sneak-kill move. He’d taken out plenty of experts with it before.
He just couldn’t believe this youth actually took his proudest strike head-on and came out without a scratch. It was way too much. For a moment, he couldn’t accept it.
Down below, everyone was shocked again seeing how easily Evan blocked the Grand Elder’s attacks. Quite a few people knew exactly how terrifying those strikes were, and now they had to reevaluate Evan: he was a true powerhouse, someone who’d been hiding his strength all along.
Even the Shade Lord’s face changed a little. Sure, his own power far surpassed the Grand Elder’s, but even he couldn’t say for sure he could block attacks like that so easily. Which meant this kid might actually be strong enough to go toe-to-toe with him.
If Princess Ivy was right and Evan really was only at Fourth-Layer Saint Martial Realm, then this was just plain defying heaven. It was so unbelievable that nobody could wrap their head around it, and the Shade Lord started taking Evan even more seriously.
He was even hoping Evan would become his son-in-law. And if not, at least a friend—because someone like this was not to be offended. Otherwise, the entire Shade Clan could be doomed.
Princess Ivy, meanwhile, was grinning from ear to ear. Evan’s overwhelming strength made her feel proud all over again. Nobody would dare look down on him now, which meant their marriage was basically set in stone.
Just then, Evan Chu’s figure flickered and he teleported straight to the Grand Elder, swinging the Frostbane Sword with full force. It all happened in the blink of an eye—he unleashed Star-Cleave, pouring terrifying sword-qi into the attack and slamming it toward his opponent.
Space twisted again, and a gigantic phantom blade formed from sword-qi appeared before everyone. The pressure between heaven and earth instantly spiked, leaving weaker experts—including Princess Ivy—struggling to breathe.
The Grand Elder never expected Evan’s speed to be this insane—he could only swing his sword to block in a panic. But a rushed defense was no match for Evan: Star-Cleave shattered his attack and smashed directly into his body.
He was blasted away like a kite with its string cut, sent flying dozens of meters before crashing to the ground, unable to steady himself in midair or even get up for a long time.
The ground split open with a crack even more terrifying than before—so long its end couldn’t be seen. Dust billowed everywhere, making it hard to believe this was real.
The instant the Grand Elder hit the ground, Evan teleported again, appearing right in front of him and pointing the Frostbane Sword at his throat. He said coldly, “With trash strength like yours, you’re not even qualified to shout at me. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll spare your life—but mouth off again and next time it’ll be your death. Third-Layer Venerable, impressive? Killing you would be no different from squashing an ant.”
He said it loud enough for everyone to hear. Nobody dared look down on Evan anymore—they all saw him as a peerless powerhouse now. Plenty of people had already changed their minds, hoping he’d become the Shade Clan’s royal consort. That way, their clan would gain another top-tier expert and have way more clout among the Five Netherworld Races.
Evan calmly sheathed the Frostbane Sword into his storage ring and walked toward Princess Ivy. The Grand Elder, meanwhile, couldn’t even speak—every meridian in his body was severed, dozens of bones shattered, and a bowl-sized wound gaped in his chest, exposing ruptured organs. Some of them were already in pieces.
If he weren’t so strong, he’d already be dead from wounds like these. Even if he somehow recovered, his cultivation would drop massively—he’d be lucky to stay at Second-Layer Venerable.
To crush someone in a single move like that—Evan’s raw power left everyone in awe. Well, except for the Shade Lord. He glanced at the Grand Elder’s injuries and was secretly shocked: even he might not be able to wound the Grand Elder so badly in one blow, especially with that pitch-black chest wound. Nobody could figure out what kind of force had caused it.
“Carry the Grand Elder away and let him rest. From this moment, I officially announce that Evan Chu will become my son-in-law—the wedding will be held in a few days!” said the Shade Lord, showing not the slightest hint of blame for the Grand Elder’s defeat.
Evan just smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Shade Lord—since I’ve chosen Ivy, I’ll definitely take responsibility for her. I’ll do my best for the Shade Clan.”
“Good! Good! The Ghostveil Labyrinth really is a mysterious place—I’ve come here countless times, and every visit it feels like it’s changing. Why not stay and explore a bit? Maybe you’ll find something unexpected. Treat it as my meeting gift to you, if you’re lucky enough. I never found anything myself,” the Shade Lord said.
Everyone understood the Shade Lord’s stance now: he was completely ignoring the Grand Elder. With a peerless powerhouse like Evan at his side, why care about a weaker elder? Sure, the Grand Elder had contributed a lot over the years, but his overbearing attitude always left the Shade Lord speechless.
If not for the Grand Elder’s past merits, he would’ve been stripped of his title long ago. That would’ve stirred up a lot of controversy, but now, with Evan’s heavy blow, the Shade Lord could remove him openly and justifiably. It was a relief for everyone—and of course, nobody would offend a stronger man just to defend a crippled one.
Evan was startled by the Shade Lord’s words. “Shade Lord, could you be a bit more specific? What exactly is hidden inside this place?”