Evan Yang listened to Tanner Xiao's explanation, which made a lot of sense. Then he asked another question in confusion, "So there are different grades of geniuses too?"
"Yeah, Red is first grade, Orange second, Yellow third, Green fourth, Cyan fifth, Blue sixth, and Violet seventh. The higher the grade, the more advanced it is. So, fifth to seventh grades are directly invited by the Three Palaces, third and fourth grades are recommended by the Genius Pavilion and usually get in, and as for first and second grades, even though they're the lowest, with some time they can often rise to third grade," Tanner Xiao replied.
"There are that many grades? This world really is hard to understand." Since arriving here, Evan Yang found not only were there many experts, but also a lot of rules. Most importantly, your treatment depended heavily on your strength.
"This world? Don't you have anything like this where you're from?" Tanner Xiao was honestly curious—just what kind of planet was Evan Yang from, to not even know these things?
Evan Yang laughed. "Nope. If we did, would I be asking you?"
"Yeah, that's true." Tanner Xiao laughed after hearing Evan's answer.
Originally, Evan Yang had planned to leave by himself, but after all this, he had a new idea.
"Brother Tanner, looks like I'll have to trouble you for a few days," Evan Yang said awkwardly.
"What are you saying? If you stay, I'll be happy! Come on, I'll get someone to arrange a place for you right now." Tanner Xiao was excited to hear Evan would be staying.
Evan Yang smiled faintly, but in his heart he was planning to use the Shaw Family's protection to slowly fade from everyone's view. If he just disappeared suddenly, he'd definitely get labeled as a 'prospective genius' and draw even more attention.
So Evan Yang started learning to keep a low profile, since it could save him a lot of trouble. Otherwise, with his current strength, he could easily rely on his speed or other means to leave this place.
Tanner Xiao led Evan Yang into the manor, where they met the butler. The butler quickly brought them into the main hall. As soon as they entered, Evan saw two people: one was Cyril Xiao, and the other he recognized—a man with a beard nearly reaching his waist, none other than Landon Lynn of the Lynn Family.
Seeing Landon Lynn, Tanner Xiao was startled and tried to hurry Evan around the hall, but Landon Lynn had already noticed them and laughed, "Tanner, you're back."
Since they were called out, Tanner Xiao had no choice but to bring Evan Yang forward respectfully. "Uncle Landon."
Uncle Landon? Evan Yang guessed the man's identity right away. He hadn't expected someone from the Lynn Family to show up so soon. Thinking their strength might even surpass Spirit-Wandering, Evan wondered why so many things kept happening—now the family patriarch was here in person.
Landon Lynn nodded, then turned his gaze to Evan Yang. "You're the one who blocked my daughter?"
Evan Yang was about to speak, but Tanner Xiao quickly explained, "Uncle Landon, it's not what you think. I asked him to help me block her."
"Oh?" Landon Lynn circled Evan and Tanner with interest, then showed a strange smile. "Good, good, young and promising. What's your name, little brother?"
"What's going on?" Evan and Tanner were confused—was this supposed to be someone coming to scold them?
But since he'd been asked, Evan Yang replied, "I'm Evan Yang."
"Evan Yang? That's the first time I've heard that name. Where's your hometown? Which star system and planet are you from?" Landon Lynn muttered Evan's name, made sure he didn't recognize it, then smiled.
Which star system, which planet? Evan Yang had no idea what continent he was from. Now he couldn't even return home—he'd come here and had no way back.
What should he do? Evan Yang finally said, "I'm from Northridge Star."
"Oh? You're from this planet too?" Landon Lynn was surprised to hear Evan belonged to Northridge Star.
"Yeah." Evan Yang smiled, but secretly thought, "Northridge Star is so big, and there are so many people—do you really know everyone?"
After Evan Yang confirmed it, Landon Lynn nodded slightly. "Not bad. My daughter was a bit rude today, but you were generous and didn't hold it against her. Please don't take it to heart."
"So, is this a reconciliation or what?" Evan and Tanner were totally confused.
Before Evan and Tanner could process it, Landon Lynn left with a cheerful smile.
Cyril Xiao laughed, "Tanner, I've got things to do these days, so you take care of your friend for me."
Then he smiled at Evan and Tanner, and left the hall as well.
"Brother Tanner, is that man really the Lynn Family patriarch?" Evan Yang asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, absolutely. But it's strange—shouldn't he be here to scold us? Why did everything he said sound so weird?" Tanner Xiao wondered aloud.
Evan Yang thought for a moment, then sighed, "Looks like the genius effect you mentioned might be working."
"Uh, maybe you're right." Tanner Xiao recalled how his dad and Landon Lynn reacted earlier and finally understood.
"Your world really is different. But I do have a favor to ask you," Evan Yang said to Tanner Xiao.
"What is it?" Tanner Xiao asked curiously.
"I'll be going into seclusion at your place for a few days. Give me a quiet room, don't let anyone near me, and don't tell anyone what I'm doing." Evan Yang decided to use the Shaw Family's connections to cultivate in peace. Even if outsiders wanted to come, they'd need the Shaw Family's permission—and Evan trusted Tanner Xiao.
Tanner Xiao, hearing Evan wanted to go into seclusion, quickly offered him his usual cultivation spot. The room was surrounded by thick walls, and even divine sense couldn't see inside from outside.
Evan Yang was very satisfied with the place. After thanking Tanner Xiao, he stayed alone in the cultivation chamber.
Tanner Xiao, bored, sat outside the chamber with his eyes closed.
"This guy really goes all out." Seeing Tanner Xiao like that, Evan Yang laughed, but was grateful he hadn't let Evan's secret slip earlier.
Tanner Xiao knew Evan Yang wasn't really from this planet—he'd come from somewhere else. But earlier, Tanner didn't show any reaction, which proved how loyal he was, treating Evan as a true friend.
Evan Yang took out the Sky-Piercing Tower and entered it, since his clone had already gathered information about the Out-of-Body Stage.
Looking at the Strange Fiend, who'd already been lectured many times by his clone, Evan Yang smiled, "How's it feel? Comfortable?"
"You—you really made it outside?" The Strange Fiend asked Evan Yang's main body in disbelief.
"Yeah, and I've learned a lot of new things—like the Three Palaces, five grades, Genius Pavilion, and so on," Evan Yang said with a smile.
"You're crazy, you're crazy! I don't want to go crazy with you. Please don't let me out!" The Strange Fiend suddenly didn't want to leave the Sky-Piercing Tower anymore.
"By the way, why are you so scared? With your strength, on a fifth-class planet you could live peacefully. Going out wouldn't kill you," Evan Yang was curious about the Strange Fiend's behavior.
"You don't know. Back then, I stirred up a lot of trouble. If I go out now and get recognized, I won't even know how I died," the Strange Fiend said with a weary look.
"Oh? Is it really that bad? What did you do to be so afraid?" Evan Yang was surprised.
"Stole something from the Three Palaces—what do you think, scary or not?" The Strange Fiend looked at Evan Yang, completely frustrated.
"Definitely scary. But how did you manage it, given your strength?" Evan Yang was shocked by the Strange Fiend's actions and curious about what he'd stolen from the Three Palaces.
"Uh, it's a long story. Back then, I saw some Three Palaces people on a planet, searching a cave for the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects' embryo. I got greedy, killed them, and thought that was it. But they had a backup plan—they recorded my image and sent it across every star system. Knowing the consequences, I kept running. In the end, I fought the Three Palaces people to the death, thought I was going to die, but then found your unadministered planet and destroyed the formation." The Strange Fiend recalled.
"Go on." Evan Yang listened as if hearing some earth-shattering tale—after all, fighting the Three Palaces meant the Strange Fiend's life was tragic.
"After that, I was seriously injured. To avoid being discovered while recovering, I went to the Death Crystal Field and started my plan there," the Strange Fiend sighed.
Evan Yang already knew most of the later plan, but something caught his attention. "So the reason you can control so many weird bugs is because of that treasure, right?"
"You're right. It's exactly because of it that I can breed so many bugs." The Strange Fiend was now completely at Evan Yang's mercy—if Evan wanted, he could throw him out and the Three Palaces would surely kill him, so he answered whatever Evan asked.
"Let's make a deal," Evan Yang said with a big smile.
"You want it?" The Strange Fiend understood Evan Yang's meaning right away.
"Yeah. With something that can summon so many bugs, I'd have lots of helpers, right?" Evan Yang smiled.
"It's a good idea, but that thing isn't easy to control. If you're not careful, it'll bite back and you might get eaten by the bugs yourself," the Strange Fiend warned, dampening Evan's enthusiasm.
"If you can do it, why can't I?" Evan Yang asked skeptically.
"That's because I've spent tens of thousands of years learning to control them. And I've turned myself into something that's not even human anymore," the Strange Fiend retorted.
"Not human?" Evan Yang looked at the Strange Fiend, puzzled.
The Strange Fiend explained, "You know, humans have limited lifespans. Only through cultivation can we extend them. I'm at the mid Out-of-Body Stage, so my lifespan tops out at about five thousand years, maybe a bit more."
"Honestly, you've already lived way past that." Evan Yang was surprised after hearing this.
"Yeah. That's why I fused myself with a bug—the kind you saw before. I can transform into an insect," the Strange Fiend said to Evan Yang.
Talking about people turning into bugs, Evan Yang remembered Wang Hong and the Hundred Insect Tribe, who could transform and get stronger.
Seeing Evan Yang lost in thought, the Strange Fiend continued, "Bugs live longer than humans, so that's how I've survived. And when the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects fused with my bug body, I ended up getting bitten back by all those insects."