Evan Chu had no intention of letting that elder off. As he unleashed Absolute Cleave, his other hand flashed out with the Wind-God Sword Art, aiming to kill the opponent outright. The fewer enemies left before the big battle started, the less pressure he'd have to face.
The elder, caught off guard, could only muster eighty percent of his true power. Even so, a late-stage God-Venerable's eighty-percent strike was terrifying, making the entire space violently tremble.
Evan Chu and the elder's attacks clashed high above the Martial Testing Ground in the City Lord's Mansion, sending shockwaves through Sea-Sky City. The whole city shook, alarming everyone inside—one look at the City Lord's Mansion and it was obvious: a fierce battle had erupted there.
The innkeeper was tense and anxious. He hadn't expected things to escalate into an all-out war. With Evan Chu and Silver Dragon facing the City Lord's elite, outnumbered and outgunned, there was almost no hope of victory—and any chance to save his son now seemed impossibly remote.
Inside their guest room, the middle-aged man and Mina wore grave expressions. "Dad, they're really fighting in the City Lord's Mansion. Do you think they're in danger? Should we go help?" Mina asked, her voice full of worry.
"With our current situation, we can't even get close to the City Lord's Mansion. Even if we did, we'd just get in the way. Let's stay here and wait for them to come back—maybe a miracle will happen," the middle-aged man said helplessly, never expecting things to escalate so quickly.
In no time, the people of Sea-Sky City swarmed toward the City Lord's Mansion like a hive of bees. No one wanted to miss such a spectacle—after all, anyone bold enough to stir up trouble there was courting disaster, and their fate was sure to be miserable!
Evan Chu's fierce sword-qi collided with the elder's lightning-blasted sword-qi, unleashing a monstrous storm of energy that ripped the ground apart and hurled debris into the sky. In just a few breaths, chaotic power blanketed all of Sea-Sky City, terrifying everyone.
At that moment, Evan Chu unleashed the Wind-God Sword Art again, sending razor-sharp wind-blade sword-qi slicing toward the elder. Everyone present—except Silver Dragon—was left utterly shocked by the display.
This strike was nearly as powerful as the last, making the Sea-Sky City Lord's face change instantly. "Not good! The Third Elder's in danger!" he cried, then shot into the air at breakneck speed, clearly desperate to intervene.
As he soared into the sky, the Sea-Sky City Lord drew his sword and slashed out, sending a wave of sword-qi to intercept Evan Chu's wind-blade sword-qi. The two forces were evenly matched, and the attack was neutralized—otherwise, the Third Elder would have been obliterated on the spot.
Even so, Evan Chu's attack left the elder half-dead, blood streaming down his body as he was blasted hundreds of meters away before crashing to the ground, unable to rise.
A closer look revealed that more than half of the Third Elder's bones were shattered, and the deep wounds exposed even broken organs. Even if he somehow recovered, his cultivation realm would drop—and right now, he had no strength left to fight.
Evan Chu was also knocked back several dozen meters by the elder's attack, but his body showed no sign of injury—just a dull ache. The Ninth Layer of the Starforge Body wasn't a joke; even a full-power blow from the enemy would at most wound him, never threaten his life.
The Sea-Sky City Lord was also blasted back dozens of meters before stabilizing himself. He stared at Evan Chu in shock—he'd totally misjudged this early God-Venerable, whose attack power was terrifying. What puzzled him even more was why the poison hadn't taken effect.
Seeing the Sea-Sky City Lord dare to attack Evan Chu, Silver Dragon flew into a rage and instantly lunged at the City Lord with a furious strike, its power anything but small.
But as Silver Dragon attacked the City Lord, another elder intervened. If Silver Dragon hurt the City Lord, he'd be struck in return—so he was forced to redirect his attack, then quickly retreated to Evan Chu's side.
Evan Chu smiled at Silver Dragon and joked, "How was my performance? See, I threw those guys into total chaos with just a few moves. Look down on me, will they? They're just asking to die!"
"Young Lord, are you alright?" Silver Dragon asked, ignoring Evan Chu's banter.
"Do I look hurt to you? Just remember what I said—focus on keeping yourself safe. I'll handle these clowns myself!" Evan Chu replied calmly. He might not kill them all, but he could at least make an example of one, forcing the rest to flee.
Just then, the Sea-Sky City Lord glanced at the distant Third Elder and said, "Second Elder, go check on the Third Elder. I can't believe I misjudged this guy—he's way stronger than I thought!"
The Second Elder quickly flew to the Third Elder's side. Seeing the horrific injuries, his heart turned cold. "That kid hit you way too hard. Don't worry, brother—I'll get revenge for you!"
"Thanks, Second Brother! I want that brat torn to pieces, but be careful—his attack power is freakish. Even at eighty percent, I couldn't match him. He's only early-stage God-Venerable, but he hits like a late-stage God-Venerable," the Third Elder said through gritted teeth, enduring the pain.
The Second Elder returned to the Sea-Sky City Lord. "City Lord, the Third Elder's injuries are critical. Even if he recovers, his strength will drop. We can't let this go! That kid is ruthless, and he's wrecked the City Lord's Mansion—clearly, he came prepared to cause trouble in Sea-Sky City!"
"I understand perfectly. He'll pay for this! Pass my order—put the whole city on alert. If those two try to escape, use any means necessary to keep them here!" the Sea-Sky City Lord commanded coldly.
At that moment, two more elders arrived beside the Sea-Sky City Lord. "City Lord, why waste words? Just kill these two outright. Anyone who dares make trouble in the City Lord's Mansion is asking for death!"
The Sea-Sky City Lord's face turned liver-red with rage. He glared at Evan Chu in the distance and spat, "I really did invite wolves into my house. Today, you two must die!"
Evan Chu burst out laughing, "Hey, you old fossil, don't blame me! If you'd treated us with courtesy, maybe we could've been friends. But you poisoned the wine—you really think we wouldn't notice? There's something you forgot: we're born immune to all poison! Hahaha!"
Hearing Evan Chu's words, the Sea-Sky City Lord was driven into a fury. "Brat, I'll kill you!" he roared, then flashed forward, launching a deadly attack at Evan Chu...