Evan Lin looked at the woman in front of him. The aura she radiated was far more intense than that of Qin Qifan and the others—just standing there, she was like a ball of fire. "Every Mysterious Ruins is an extremely precious resource. Nothing inside should belong to you alone—not even a single person." Vermilion Bird stood there, brows slightly furrowed, her gaze toward Evan flashing with a hint of dissatisfaction. "You know perfectly well why you were allowed into Moonshade. Everything about Moonshade exists to serve Hidden Dragon. Your strength is far too weak; you simply can't comprehend anything within the Mysterious Ruins, let alone any beings you might interact with." "So you're saying you understand everything inside the Mysterious Ruins?" Evan looked at her. "If that's really the case, let me ask: what's the true meaning of these ruins? After all these years, has Hidden Dragon and Moonshade ever discovered anything fundamental?" "I'm the one asking questions now." Vermilion Bird didn't respond, her brows knitting tighter, flames flickering in her eyes, her tone unconsciously dropping lower. "As I said, I will never hand her over to you." Evan shook his head. Their gazes met, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense—on the verge of erupting. "By rights, I shouldn't lay a hand on you." Vermilion Bird took a deep breath, eyes narrowed, fixing her gaze on Evan, brimming with fighting intent. "You got into Moonshade because Azure Dragon vouched for you. But today, I want to see for myself whether someone favored by Azure Dragon is truly worthy of this exceptional fast-track entry." As she spoke, her eyes sharpened, stepping forward. In an instant, blazing scarlet lotus flowers bloomed all around her. The lotuses clustered together, each bursting open, and from their cores countless red lotus seeds shot toward Evan like bullets—lightning-fast. Evan was startled, waving a hand to form a wall of spiritual qi in front of him. In no time, the red lotus seeds crashed down like rain, pounding the barrier in endless waves, rippling it layer by layer. Evan paused, then stomped lightly and soared into the air. Almost the moment he left, the barrier before him shattered with a thunderous crash. The lotus seeds left trails of light and sparks everywhere. Vermilion Bird stepped forward, raised her head, and chased after Evan without hesitation. "Her strength is several times greater than Moonshade's people!" Evan was shaken. Previously he'd only met Azure Dragon, and hadn't fully grasped his power. He'd thought perhaps only Azure Dragon was truly strong among Hidden Dragon, and that in Moonshade, no one could really fight. But this Vermilion Bird, who started a fight at the slightest disagreement, was already using methods beyond the usual Pointing-to-Mystery Realm! Even if she could shape internal force, she was shaping within shaping, with countless transformations. Evan had to admit, Vermilion Bird's opening move made him reevaluate her. "Go all out. Today there's no Moonshade or Hidden Dragon—just you and me." Vermilion Bird's voice was cold, clearly intent on a decisive duel. She worried Evan might hold back due to her status. "No need." Evan shook his head, his fingers shifting as he condensed spiritual qi in his palm, forming a stone-like imprint and slamming it down at Vermilion Bird below: Mountain-Locking Hand Seal. This was a beginner imprint art Evan had picked up by chance; not as powerful as the Heaven-Flipping or Mountain-Suppressing Seals, but with his late-stage Foundation Establishment, it was the strongest he could safely use. As the seal landed, the ground below cracked like a spiderweb under the immense pressure, startling Vermilion Bird. Her face remained cold, but without hesitation, she thrust both palms up to meet the seal head-on. A thunderous boom erupted. The shockwave blasted out, Vermilion Bird's body shuddered violently, her face showing a hint of shock. Her blood surged, her palms went numb, but she managed to block the Mountain-Locking Hand Seal, break through, and instantly shot up to Evan, her palms blazing with internal force, striking at him again. "Interesting." Evan was surprised—he'd thought the Mountain-Locking Hand Seal would completely suppress Vermilion Bird, but she broke through. Even the most basic seal was leagues above Earth's martial arts; in Moonshade, no one could withstand it for a moment! "Hand over the woman you brought out—it's too important, you can't act on your own." Vermilion Bird's voice was cold as she unleashed more than a dozen palms in quick succession, each sending ripples through the air. "Enough talk. If you want her, beat me." Evan was done arguing; he sliced at Vermilion Bird with his fingers like a blade, fire erupting at his fingertips, drawing a blazing line through the sky. The heat made the ground ignite and crack, black scorch marks spreading through the concrete. "What kind of background do you have? How can your power be so strong?" Vermilion Bird dodged, glancing at the burning ground, secretly shocked. She never imagined this youth, barely twenty, could unleash such terrifying strength. The instant he gathered fire at his fingertips, Vermilion Bird felt her scalp prickle—the heat was overwhelming even for her. "Why are they fighting?" The others heard the commotion and rushed out, stunned at Evan and Vermilion Bird in the distance. "The ground is all on fire—how can concrete burn like this? Vermilion Bird must really be furious!" They'd missed the earlier scene and assumed Vermilion Bird had set the ground ablaze. As one of the Hidden Dragon Four Saints and a top name on the China Divine Martial List, Vermilion Bird was a legendary powerhouse. Yvette stood among the crowd, her face full of worry. "I didn't bring anything out from the Mysterious Ruins, and that person isn't from the ruins either. I hope you get that straight." Evan landed, Vermilion Bird not far in front of him, her brows tightly furrowed.
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