Evan Chu's words left everyone around him utterly shocked. No one expected that, even in Nine-Shade City, someone would dare to speak to Princess Ivy like that—he was practically courting death. Quite a few onlookers began to worry for Evan; it seemed this youth was finished.
At this moment, the coachman roared, "How dare you show such disrespect to the Princess! You're asking for death!" As he spoke, he struck at Evan with a palm.
Evan absolutely despised people who bullied others by relying on their master's status. Instantly, he countered with a Demon-Breaking Fist. "Bang!" Fist and palm collided, and the coachman was sent flying several meters, the bones in his entire arm shattered by Evan's force, his face twisted in pain as he struggled to stand.
"Princess Ivy, I hope you don't blame me for being too harsh. I can't stand people who act tough just because of their master's power. I was talking to you, Princess—when did it become his place to butt in? Of course, if you want to protect your lackeys, I won't argue." Evan chuckled, casually revealing his name.
If Roxy were nearby, she might have appeared before him immediately, but Evan knew that was a long shot. The real breakthrough here depended on Princess Ivy.
"Heh, you've got guts—you're the first person who's ever dared to lay a hand on my servant. Your name's Evan, right? Not bad, and you're decently handsome too. Your strength is so-so. Now that you've injured my servant, how do you plan to resolve this?" Princess Ivy smiled at Evan.
Her smile was sweet, with not a hint of anger—she gave off a sunny, radiant vibe. But Evan knew things wouldn't be that simple; he understood all too well the meaning of honeyed words and a dagger behind the back.
"How does Princess Ivy want me to resolve it? I've heard you're not just beautiful, but also rarely ruthless in your actions. I trust you won't hold a grudge over something so minor. Of course, if you think this isn't minor and insist I give an explanation, I can accept that too." Evan replied with a smile, his tone calm and unyielding.
"In Nine-Shade City, if I want someone dead, they're dead. This must be your first time here, or you'd know my rules. Since you hurt my servant, break your own arm as punishment. Remember, don't do it again or you won't live to regret it." Princess Ivy declared.
"Break my own arm? You think a dog servant's life is worth my arm? I'm being polite because you're the princess here—I don't want trouble, that's all. Do you really think I'm afraid of you? So what if you're a princess, what's there to be proud of? You're no different from those arrogant, spoiled nobles—who could ever like someone so overbearing?" Evan snapped back, furious. He hadn't expected Princess Ivy, who was pretty enough, to be so venomous. In his eyes, no matter how beautiful, she was just a pile of pretty poison.
When Princess Ivy heard Evan talk to her like that, her flawless face instantly filled with anger. Faint bluish veins began to appear on her skin, making her look a little frightening as she glared at Evan and shouted:
"How dare you be so rude to me? I was planning to spare your life, but you clearly don't appreciate it. Fine, don't blame me for being merciless."
As soon as she finished speaking, a long soft whip appeared in her hand and lashed toward Evan. He could instantly sense the terrifying force behind it; if he were only at the Divine Martial Realm, that whip alone might have ended his life.
Evan didn't want to get tangled up with her any longer. He dodged her attack in a flash and shot up into the sky, pretending to leave. Of course, he wasn't really fleeing—he was deliberately luring Princess Ivy to chase him. Once he subdued her, he could find out how she got Roxy's jade hairpin.
Evan had barely flown a short distance when Princess Ivy caught up. "You think you can escape from me? You're overestimating yourself!" She was in front of him in an instant—her speed shocked even Evan.
But this was exactly what Evan wanted. To deal with a woman like her, he had to be even more ruthless—otherwise, he'd just get bullied. So he swung a palm at Princess Ivy, though it was really just a feint meant to provoke her.
Seeing Evan strike at her, Princess Ivy quickly dodged aside. Evan swept past her and, with a bold grin, grabbed a handful of her ample chest. He laughed, "Pretty face, great figure, curves like a goddess—nice and firm too!"
Princess Ivy never dreamed this guy would actually molest her. Her fury exploded. "You filthy scoundrel—you're dead!" she screamed, swinging her whip at Evan with deadly force.
Evan instantly flew dozens of meters ahead, laughing, "Spicy women are my favorite! If you've got the guts, kill me!"
Then he shot forward at full speed, not caring whether Princess Ivy would follow. He didn't dare use teleportation—moving that fast and far, he worried she wouldn't be able to keep up.
Princess Ivy had never suffered such humiliation. In her heart, she swore that unless she killed this scoundrel, she would never rest. Before she cut him down, she had to chop off that filthy hand of his—her pure, flawless body had been defiled by him. Still unaware of Evan's true intentions, she sneered, "Heh, you think your pathetic three-legged-cat skills can scare me? Let me show you what real power looks like!"
With that, she swung her long whip with all her might, filling the sky with crackling whip shadows that roared with the power of wind and thunder. The two of them chased through the sky, one ahead and one behind. Evan kept a steady distance of more than two li from her the whole time—if she sped up, he sped up; if she slowed down, so did he. Clearly, Princess Ivy was no pushover. This chase lasted almost half an hour.
"Evan, what exactly are you planning to do with this princess?" Luna, the sword spirit, asked. Evan dodged most of the attacks in a blur, but let a few whip shadows land on him. Even with his Seventh-Layer Starforge Body, he felt a sting of pain—proof of Ivy's formidable strength.
"Naturally, I'm going to force her to reveal Roxy's whereabouts. She's too high-status—a Nine-Shade City princess. I wouldn't dare kill her. I'll let her go after that." Evan replied indifferently. Princess Ivy watched as her attack landed, expecting Evan to be seriously wounded, but he stood there as if nothing had happened. Instead, he grinned at her—a smile full of danger.
"Heh, let me give you a method that's guaranteed to help you—interested?" Luna, the sword spirit, said with a laugh. A chill crept up Ivy's spine. This guy was a wolf in sheep's clothing—his earlier grab in the air had proven he wasn't a good man. If his strength really surpassed hers, she was in grave danger; in a place like this, no one would hear her scream.
"What method? You don't mean the Soul-Harvesting Art, do you? Only you can do that. If Sister Luna is willing to help, I'd be grateful." Evan replied. Fear flickered in her eyes as she considered fleeing, but Evan was already one step ahead. In a flash, he appeared before her, blocking her escape with a mocking smile. "Princess Ivy, your attacks are weak. You can't even scratch me!"
"This woman has a Pure Yin Constitution—it's extremely rare in the Shade Clan. If you absorb her yin qi, your strength will jump at least one full realm. She's gorgeous, she's ruthless with you, and honestly, I think this is the best way to deal with her. I guarantee, if you do that to her, she'll be completely devoted to you." Luna said. It was the first time Ivy had seen anyone move so fast. Stunned, she blurted out, "You... Who are you? What do you really want?"
"Who am I? Didn't you want me to kneel for you? That makes me your man, doesn't it? I already told you, but your memory's pretty bad! You're shaking—what are you so scared of? Ha! Look at you, trembling!" Evan laughed loudly, his voice ringing through the valley.
Evan was so startled he nearly fell out of the sky. How was it that every random woman he met was not only stunning, but also had some rare Pure Yin Constitution? There couldn't possibly be so many coincidences in the world. "You filthy scoundrel! If you dare be disrespectful, you'll have the whole world hunting you down. But I'll let you off just this once—I'm magnanimous like that. Next time, don't let me catch you!" Princess Ivy forced herself to sound calm, but her voice betrayed her panic.
Could it really be because he had a Pure Yang Constitution, and the heavens were giving him special treatment?
"I think I'd better forget it. What if she holds a grudge against me? This is her turf—I don't want a repeat of what happened in Wangtu City," Evan said.
"You don't have a choice. If you want to finish your mission quickly, you have to absorb her pure yin qi. Don't forget, your mother is still suffering in the Divine Dragon Hall. When a Pure Yin woman meets a Pure Yang man, it's destiny—they become a perfect pair. So relax!" Luna insisted.
At the mention of his mother suffering in the Divine Dragon Hall, Evan was overwhelmed by grief and guilt. It was only because he wasn't strong enough that he couldn't rescue her. Now, even in the Netherworld, he had to tread carefully—raising his strength was absolutely urgent.
Evan struggled internally over whether to take Luna's advice and 'deal with' Princess Ivy. He'd never done anything like this before—well, except with Selena Yale. Gritting his teeth, he decided he had to get stronger, no matter what. Princess Ivy was always arrogant and willful; this time, it would be her punishment.
He glanced at the terrain below and spotted a valley not far away—no sign of people anywhere. It was the perfect spot for dirty work. Since he'd chosen to be the bad guy this time, there was nothing left to worry about. With a flash, he dove straight down.
Princess Ivy saw Evan dropping to the ground and was instantly delighted. "That brat must've run out of netherforce—he can't fly anymore! I can't believe a mere Second-Layer Saint Martial kid could move so fast and fight so well. He's a real genius.
But after what he did to me—something so outrageous—even a genius can't be spared. If I don't kill him, my rage will never be satisfied." With that, she chased after him at full speed.
Evan landed and surveyed his surroundings. Not far away was a huge, flat boulder—plenty of space. He grinned to himself, "Let's see if you can handle me now. If I absorb her pure yin qi, maybe I'll break through two whole realms."
Princess Ivy quickly landed from above. Seeing Evan backing away, she sneered, "Run! Why aren't you running? Today, I'm going to rid the world of you. You filthy scoundrel—how dare you do something so shameless to me? You're dead!"
Evan laughed, "This place is deserted, and yet a woman like you chased a man all the way here—what are you really after? You think I'm scared of you? Today, you're the one who's doomed!"
Princess Ivy, still unaware of Evan's true intentions, sneered, "Heh, you think your pathetic three-legged-cat skills can scare me? Let me show you what real power looks like!"
With that, she swung her long whip with all her might, filling the sky with crackling whip shadows that roared with the power of wind and thunder. Clearly, Princess Ivy was no pushover.
Evan dodged most of the attacks in a blur, but let a few whip shadows land on him. Even with his Seventh-Layer Starforge Body, he felt a sting of pain—proof of Ivy's formidable strength.
Princess Ivy watched as her attack landed, expecting Evan to be seriously wounded, but he stood there as if nothing had happened. Instead, he grinned at her—a smile full of danger.
A chill crept up Ivy's spine. This guy was a wolf in sheep's clothing—his earlier grab in the air had proven he wasn't a good man. If his strength really surpassed hers, she was in grave danger; in a place like this, no one would hear her scream.
Fear flickered in her eyes as she considered fleeing, but Evan was already one step ahead. In a flash, he appeared before her, blocking her escape with a mocking smile. "Princess Ivy, your attacks are weak. You can't even scratch me!"
It was the first time Ivy had seen anyone move so fast. Stunned, she blurted out, "You... Who are you? What do you really want?"
"Who am I? Didn't you want me to kneel for you? That makes me your man, doesn't it? I already told you, but your memory's pretty bad! You're shaking—what are you so scared of? Ha! Look at you, trembling!" Evan laughed loudly, his voice ringing through the valley.
"You filthy scoundrel! If you dare be disrespectful, you'll have the whole world hunting you down. But I'll let you off just this once—I'm magnanimous like that. Next time, don't let me catch you!" Princess Ivy forced herself to sound calm, but her voice betrayed her panic.