Evan Chu's speed was so fast it was almost ghostly, weaving across the platform in a blur of afterimages. The youth's strike was dodged with ease.
“Dazzling speed!” the youth blurted out, eyes wide. Even his own movement couldn't compare—this was a guy who'd just broken through to the God-King Realm, and the gap between them wasn't just big, it was massive.
Evan ignored him and kept pushing Windshift to its limit, darting around the platform at his fastest speed, making it impossible for his opponent to track his movements or find a chance to counterattack.
Even Rainbow Court Mistress Rainveil, Vice Sect Master Shangguan, and other apex experts stared in disbelief. To them, Evan's speed looked slow—'slow' meaning not crawling like a snail, which was actually impressive for a newly advanced God-King. The contrast made the scene even more dramatic.
At this point, Young Guild Master Gavin Cloud was getting irritated. He was mid-stage God-Emperor and held a special status—if he couldn't kill this kid quickly, it would be a massive loss of face.
But attacking Evan was easier said than done. Every time he tried to unleash a martial skill, Evan's figure would vanish. He knew Evan had some kind of invisibility ability, which made things even trickier. The only way to control Evan's speed was to use a Space Domain.
Although unleashing his Space Domain on Evan felt a bit like bullying a junior, he had no other choice. With a thought, he instantly cast his Space Domain at Evan, blanketing the entire platform with his domain power.
This was exactly what Evan wanted. He'd already used the trick of breaking through an opponent's Space Domain several times, catching them off guard each time with great results. Doing it again now was only natural.
The pressure from a mid-stage God-Emperor was intense. Evan could easily withstand it, but he didn't want anyone to see his true defensive power, so he put on a show—half-kneeling on the platform, face twisted in fake agony.
“How could a mid-stage God-Emperor's Space Domain be something an early-stage God-King could handle? That kid's totally doomed! Time to rake in those Violet Cloud Crystals—easy money! Ha ha ha!” someone in the crowd shouted.
The crowd exploded, voices rising like a thousand waves. Everyone was convinced Evan Chu was finished this time—miracles don't happen every day, and nobody thought he'd pull off another one.
Lena Zhong and Zoe Rainveil both looked deeply worried, their faces tense with anxiety. All they could do was watch Evan suffer on the platform. At that moment, Evan happened to lift his head and saw Lena's disappointed expression—a flicker of warmth stirred in his heart.
He let a subtle, strange smile slip—half pain, half sly triumph. Lena, who knew him best, caught it instantly. She remembered: back when Evan fought Victor Bai outside Azure Moon City, he'd flashed that exact same weird smile at the critical moment.
Brilliant and perceptive, Lena instantly understood the meaning behind Evan's smile. He wasn't really in danger; everything was just an act. And with that, she suddenly remembered something even scarier.
Back then, Dominic Bai's bodyguard was an early-stage God-Emperor—no pushover, even at that level. He'd tried to harm her, but when Lena woke up, Evan was the only one left, unconscious. Evan said some mysterious expert had saved them, but never explained who. Thinking it over now, Lena realized Evan's coma was from severe spiritual exhaustion—the kind that only happens after using a technique way beyond your limits. If he hadn't killed the God-Emperor himself, how could that guy possibly have let them both live?
Back then, Lena had believed Evan couldn't possibly kill a God-Emperor, so she took him at his word. But now, everything looked different. Evan's coma was clearly from burning through all his spiritual power—something only possible if he'd used a technique far beyond what his realm should allow.
In other words, Evan had some terrifying life-saving trump card up his sleeve. Plus, he still had the Ethereal Divine Shuttle. Lena stopped worrying and even started to smile.
Master Wan noticed Lena's sudden change—she'd looked ready to cry a moment ago, but now she seemed totally at ease. It was rare and a little strange.
"Lena, why are you smiling? Did that foolish boy drive you mad with worry? I know how you feel, but this is a formal duel, with Rainbow Court and Heavenblade Sect running the betting. Even if I wanted to save him, I couldn't." Master Wan said helplessly.
"Dad, Evan will be fine. I was fooled by him for so long, but now I finally get it—he killed an early-stage God-Emperor back when he was just early-stage God-Lord. I didn't believe it then, but now I do." Lena whispered.
Lena's voice was quiet, but with three late-stage God-Venerables in the stands—Rainbow Court Mistress Rainveil, Vice Sect Master Shangguan, and Blue-Shade God-Venerable—her words reached their ears easily. Their spiritual senses were sharp enough to catch even a whisper.
"Really? You're not just imagining things, are you?" Master Wan asked, half-skeptical.
"Of course it's real. I was unconscious at the time, but when I woke up, the God-Emperor was gone and Evan was out cold. If Evan hadn't killed him, how could that God-Emperor possibly have let us go? And Evan's coma was from burning through all his spiritual power—he must've used a technique he shouldn't have been able to use at his realm." Lena explained, her tone dead serious.
Master Wan was stunned, but Rainbow Court Mistress Rainveil and Blue-Shade God-Venerable were even more shocked. Back then, they'd sensed a terrifying skill erupt and rushed over to investigate. Now, with Lena's explanation, it seemed all but certain Evan was the one who unleashed that move.
Both were seasoned veterans. Though full of questions, neither rushed to verify anything—if Lena was right, Evan wasn't actually in danger now.
Blue-Shade God-Venerable was now almost certain Evan was the old friend he'd been searching for all these years. Evan had powerful techniques but never dared use them, clearly to avoid exposing his identity and being forced to share his secrets.
Thinking of Evan's insane cultivation speed, monstrous talent, and the fortune of Violet Cloud Crystals he carried, Blue-Shade God-Venerable was now almost certain: Evan had to be the old friend he'd searched for all these years. The realization left him feeling like a heavy weight had finally lifted from his heart.
Evan, of course, was totally clueless that half the arena was starting to suspect his real identity. He didn't even realize that the whole mess had started with one tiny, throwaway smile. If he'd known a simple grin could stir up so much trouble, he'd have kept his poker face locked tight.
Right now, Evan was focused on communicating with the elemental energies inside the Space Domain. Young Guild Master Gavin Cloud's domain turned out to be triple-layered—no wonder it packed such a punch.