War was hell unleashed—corpses piled everywhere, blood soaking the earth until the ground itself ran red. The stench of blood was so thick it seemed to stain the sky crimson, choking every breath with death. This was no battlefield; it was hell itself come to life.
This time, Evan Chu hung back on purpose, slipping away quietly—because Sword Spirit Luna insisted on it. He didn't get it at first, but Luna rarely spoke up so seriously.
Luna’s request had Evan baffled, but when she explained it was for Shadow, the Bloodshadow Berserker Lion, it finally clicked. Of course—Shadow and blood, how could he have missed it?
From the name alone, anyone could tell Shadow was born for blood. This battlefield, drenched in rivers of gore, was a feast beyond imagining for him—a paradise for a beast like that.
When Evan Chu summoned Shadow, the beast nearly exploded with excitement, his eyes wild. "Boss! With all this blood in the air, why didn’t you let me out sooner? I could've been feasting already!"
Evan blinked, totally clueless. He could only mumble, "Go on, hurry up and absorb it. I still have to catch up with the army."
The battlefield was deserted now, nothing left but corpses. Shadow flashed with red light, swelling until he was as huge as a mountain, then opened his jaws wide and devoured the blood-soaked air like a monster unchained.
After half an hour, Shadow finally stopped. Evan took a breath—the air was clear again. If not for the mountains of corpses, no one would believe a war had raged here.
Shadow finished up and tossed out, "Boss, this blood-reek is top notch. I need time to turn it into real power, so don’t bug me." With that, he vanished without a trace.
Evan could only shake his head, speechless. He wasted no time—activating Shifting Position, he shot off after the Heavenly Dragon Empire’s main army.
For three days and nights, the Heavenly Dragon Empire’s army crashed through the Sea Dragon Empire’s lines like a tidal wave. Both sides paid a heavy price in blood, but the Heavenly Dragon soldiers, burning with fighting spirit, lost only half as many as their enemies.
With less than three hundred thousand Sea Dragon troops left and nearly six hundred thousand Heavenly Dragon soldiers still standing, the Sea Dragon Empire was staring defeat in the face.
Victory reports flooded into the Royal Capital, sending the Heavenly Dragon Emperor into a frenzy of joy. After Roland Lowell and Evan Chu left for the front, Skylar Yule cracked down hard—publicly beheading several ministers and slowly restoring order.
All the executed ministers were Winston Ying’s cronies. The only regret? Winston himself slipped away. Now, everyone was just waiting for the army’s triumphant return.
The Sea Dragon Emperor was so furious he killed several attendants outright. What should have been a sure victory had become a nightmare—he was haunted by the threat of his nation’s destruction.
With the Heavenly Dragon army less than a hundred li from the Sea Dragon capital, ready to strike at any moment, the Sea Dragon Emperor couldn’t eat or sleep. The fear of annihilation gnawed at him night and day.
War between empires devoured men and resources like a beast. In the end, the Sea Dragon Emperor was backed into a corner—he had no choice but to propose a truce to the Heavenly Dragon Emperor.
The truce terms: the Sea Dragon Empire wouldn’t dare provoke war for five hundred years, and would pay ten million high-grade Starstones in tribute every year for fifty years. It was almost too generous to believe.
These terms were insane—almost too good to be true. Even if the Heavenly Dragon Empire conquered the Sea Dragon Empire, squeezing ten million high-grade Starstones out in a year would risk rebellion and chaos.
In the end, the Heavenly Dragon Emperor agreed, putting Roland Lowell in charge of signing the treaty. The news hit the soldiers like a slap—they were bitter and indignant, feeling cheated out of total victory.
Roland Lowell felt the same bitterness, but he couldn’t defy the Emperor. With no choice, he signed the treaty and led the army back to the capital, heavy-hearted.
The Heavenly Dragon Empire had won, but most felt no joy. They could have crushed the Sea Dragon Empire, wiped them out completely—but now, their enemy had been spared at the last moment.
But then Roland Lowell dropped a bombshell—the Emperor would give the entire first year’s tribute to the warriors who fought, even the families of the fallen. Ten high-grade Starstones for every soldier! For ordinary troops, that was a fortune beyond their wildest dreams. The mood flipped instantly; the army roared with excitement.
Afterwards, Evan Chu and the others mounted Goldwing and soared back to the capital. Skylar Yule and the ministers were already waiting at the gate, faces bright with anticipation.
As soon as they hopped off Goldwing, Skylar Yule strode up grinning: "You all fought like heroes! Tonight, the victory banquet’s on—you drink, you feast, you don’t go home until you’re drunk!"
Roland Lowell burst out laughing, "Second Prince, you’re too generous—coming all the way out here to welcome us! Come on, let’s get inside and celebrate!"
Evan Chu and his crew strode into the capital. The banquet was held in the palace, and for Evan and Gavin Wei, it was their first time inside—so of course, they couldn’t help gawking at everything like country bumpkins.
Selena, on the other hand, was cool as ever—just quietly following behind, unfazed by Evan and Gavin’s wide-eyed wonder.
Soon, they were ushered into a golden hall that glittered like the sun, tables loaded with wine and delicacies. At the head sat a middle-aged man in golden robes—the Heavenly Dragon Emperor himself.
Evan Chu could feel the Emperor’s aura from across the room—majestic, commanding, every inch a true king.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" "Greetings, Father Emperor!" the crowd called out in unison. Evan Chu quickly bowed and echoed them, feeling a little awkward but determined not to mess up.
"Rise, my loyal ministers! Today, my heart is truly at ease! The Heavenly Dragon Empire’s victory rests on the shoulders of Great General Roland Lowell—and the rest of you are worthy of celebration too!" the Emperor declared, voice booming across the hall.
"Serving the Empire is my duty, Your Majesty. But the real hero here isn’t me—there’s someone else who deserves all the credit." Roland Lowell said, glancing pointedly at Evan Chu.
"You mean that young genius, Evan Chu? Let me see for myself what kind of youth could earn such praise," the Emperor said, stepping down from the throne and walking straight to Evan.
The Emperor looked Evan up and down, then broke into a broad grin. "Heroes really do emerge from the young! To achieve so much at your age—just tell me what reward you want. If the Empire has it, it’s yours!"
Evan felt a rush of excitement, but he knew this wasn’t the time to brag—or to ask for what he really wanted. He bowed, "Serving the Empire is every citizen’s duty, Your Majesty. Your favor alone is more than enough."
All eyes turned to Evan—the youth not yet twenty. Ministers who’d never seen him started whispering, but Evan didn’t care. He stood tall, calm and collected.
"Good! To be so calm and steady at your age—you’re truly a pillar of the Empire. General Lowell has told me all about your feats. For your achievements, I’m making a once-in-a-lifetime decision: I’m promoting you straight from Royal Capital Guard to Protector-General of the Realm. What do you say?"
"You’re young, but your talent’s off the charts. Give it time, and you’ll stand shoulder-to-shoulder with General Lowell as one of our greatest heroes," the Emperor said, eyes shining with approval.
Protector-General of the Realm? Evan Chu almost blanked out. Was this title really handed out so easily? And 'Protector-General'—those words were heavy, almost crushing. He felt the weight settle on his shoulders, but also a surge of pride. This was just the beginning.