Evan Chu turned to see Lillian Zhang, Roxanne Lin, and several other women suddenly appear. He couldn't figure out how they knew he and Yvonne Xuan were at the riverside behind the mountain—were they secretly following him? But that seemed pretty unlikely.
The women appeared before Evan and his companions. "Evan, we want grilled fish too! You can't just favor Yvonne and Lynn and bring them here for delicious food while leaving the rest of us sisters behind," said Selena Yale, half-jokingly.
"Weren't you all resting? How did you end up here?" Evan couldn't help voicing his confusion.
"We were going to rest, but the sisters suggested we see whose room you'd visit tonight. But you never showed up, so everyone thought something was up and went to check your room, only to find you weren't there either.
So we searched the whole area for hundreds of miles to see what you were up to. Who would've thought you'd be here enjoying grilled fish? Tell us honestly—were you deliberately avoiding us?" Selena pressed.
Evan hadn't expected such a small thing to upset the women. That was no good—harmony at home meant everything. If they started feeling left out, it could cause real trouble. So he quickly said, "Don't overthink it! I treat you all the same. How about I grill some fish for you right now?"
With that, Evan jumped into the river, caught a few big, fat fish, cleaned them, and started grilling again. Only then did the women's dissatisfaction finally subside.
After eating grilled fish, the women all burst out laughing. "Evan, how does it feel? Pretty stressful, right? We're just reminding you again—having too many women is nothing but trouble. You're so outstanding, more and more will fall for you, but with so many, there's no way you can take care of everyone. So you should know when to stop," Faye Knox teased.
"Got it, got it. I won't mess around, so you don't need to worry about me. The Immortal Realm is peaceful for now—everyone should seize the time to get stronger."
Lynn, it's about time you headed to the Phoenix Clan. You need to undergo your second Nirvana. Now that Immortal beasts and Immortals live in peace, you can go straight to their territory to cultivate. Just reveal your true identity—I believe the Phoenix King will treat you as an honored guest, and everything else will naturally fall into place," Evan said.
"I know, I'll head there in a few days. It's just that Macy Mei is still in closed-door cultivation, and I'm a little worried—maybe she's just too anxious. Shouldn't you go check on her?" Roxanne said.
Just mentioning Macy made Evan jump—he really hadn't seen her since coming back. If nobody had brought her up, he might've almost forgotten, which left him feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I'll make time to check on her. The moonlight's beautiful tonight, and it's rare for us all to gather and enjoy such a quiet evening. Let's just spend the night here by the river!" Evan laughed.
"What's so great about the moon? I'm a little tired, so I'm heading back to rest," Lillian Zhang said.
"I'm tired too. Lillian, let's go back together!" Faye Knox said.
One by one, the women who'd come all left, leaving Evan, Lynn Ling, and Yvonne Xuan sitting there, totally confused about what the real intention was. Did they just come to ruin the mood? The earlier 'battle' was already over, after all.
"Evan, let's head back too. Tomorrow Lynn and I are going into seclusion. If we want to be with you in the God Realm, we've got to work hard," Yvonne said seriously.
"But you also need to take care of the other sisters—so nobody feels slighted. We don't know how long this seclusion will last, but hopefully when we come out, we can give you a nice surprise," Lynn Ling added.
"I understand. Once everything's settled, I'll go into seclusion too—there's still the Immortal-Demon War waiting for me," Evan said.
With that, the three of them headed back. The next day, Lynn and Yvonne went straight to the underground chamber for seclusion, while Evan spent a few more days accompanying the other women—fulfilling his 'obligations,' so to speak.
Three days later, the other women also went into seclusion. Roxanne made the trip alone to the Phoenix Clan's territory, but before she left, Evan gave her a Dragon Scale so the Phoenix Clan wouldn't think she was impersonating someone who knew him. Plucking that scale hurt like hell, but for the woman he loved, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.
Evan didn't go into seclusion right away. He still had a ton of things to handle—settling the Immortal beasts at Frostbane Imperial Palace, and checking up on Princess Ivy and Chase Chu after their ascension to the Netherworld. He had to see for himself if they were in any danger.
Evan prioritized the tasks—after making sure the Immortal beasts were settled, he returned to Frostbane Imperial Palace. With the Immortal Realm at peace and nothing major happening, he decided to visit the Netherworld to check on Princess Ivy, then come back for closed-door cultivation.
His main focus during seclusion would be cultivating the Nine-Heaven Divine Dragon Metamorphosis. After seeing Marshal Goldrake unleash its power, he was seriously tempted—it was a technique that stacked attack power, the most heaven-defying skill in the Dragon Clan.
But Evan's Nine-Heaven Divine Dragon Metamorphosis was even more comprehensive and precise than Marshal Goldrake's—after all, it was created by the Primordial Dragon himself. Who could know more than the original creator?
"Jade, want to come with me to the Netherworld?" Evan asked Lady Emerald directly after finding her.
"Young Master, you're heading to the Netherworld? Do you know where the entrance is? It's even more hidden than the Demonic Realm's entrance—finding it is a huge hassle," Lady Emerald said.
"I've already found it. Remember? The place where we got the soul medicine—that's the entrance. Look at your memory!" Evan laughed.
"Of course I haven't forgotten—I was just testing you. You're going to the Netherworld for those few people who ascended, right? Princess Ivy's one of them. She can't absorb Immortal Essence, so she was destined to ascend to the Netherworld," Lady Emerald replied.
"Nothing gets past you. It's true—both Ivy and Chase Chu ascended to the Netherworld. I still don't get why Chase would end up there, since he can absorb Immortal Essence," Evan said, feeling a bit frustrated.
"Maybe it's because Chase has Hidden Divine Meridians. Someone that extraordinary is bound to be different, so don't worry too much. When do you plan to leave for the Netherworld?" Lady Emerald asked.
"I'm heading out now. Once I make sure they're safe, I'll come back for seclusion. When I finish, I'll face the Immortal-Demon War and then ascend to the Immortal Realm to fulfill my mission," Evan said.
"Let me get ready. We'll leave the palace in a bit," Lady Emerald said.
Soon, Lady Emerald returned. Evan summoned Goldwing, and the two of them rode off toward Godfall Valley. Now that the barrier at Ascension Valley was gone, people were coming and going all the time—Immortal beasts, Immortals, and plenty of treasure hunters looking for loot left behind when late-stage Immortal Emperors failed their tribulations.
Evan ignored the crowd and headed straight for Bloodlake...