When Violet Thunder Fox saw Evan Chu's current state, her heart instantly ached and tears welled up uncontrollably. Choking up, she cried, "Big brother! Big brother, what's wrong with you? How did you end up like this? Please don't scare Alex!"
But Evan Chu showed no reaction at all. Violet Thunder Fox's voice echoed through the valley, sounding heartbreakingly desperate and helpless.
"Big brother, how can I help you? Please tell me!" Alex Xiao sobbed, clutching Evan Chu tightly in her arms.
"Stop crying. Evan is like this because his Chaos Force in the dantian has been exhausted, and the backlash from using the Timewheel Bracelet. There's only one way to save him: bring him back to Frostbane Sect and take him into the underground secret chamber. Only the Stellar Power there can slowly restore him." At that moment, a familiar yet mysterious voice sounded in Violet Thunder Fox's mind.
"Who are you? Why are you helping my big brother?" Violet Thunder Fox asked in surprise, looking up at the empty air.
"Don't worry about who I am. I won't harm him. The longer you wait, the worse it will be for him. Whether Evan can recover this time depends entirely on you." The voice sounded again.
Hearing this, Violet Thunder Fox didn't hesitate any longer. She picked up Evan Chu and sped toward Frostbane Sect, not daring to waste another moment.
When Violet Thunder Fox returned to Frostbane Sect, everyone was confused as to why she was carrying an old man. Did she not understand the rules of propriety between men and women? Though she was a spirit beast, she now appeared as a young girl, making the scene look rather odd.
Joan He was curious as well, so she stepped forward and asked, "Alex, why did you bring back an old man? Who is he?"
Looking at Joan He, Violet Thunder Fox's tears once again flowed like rain, her whole demeanor sad and exhausted.
"Alex, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Is this person your relative?" Joan He asked in confusion.
Violet Thunder Fox glanced at Joan He and replied, "He is my big brother—Evan Chu, the Frostbane Sect Master! Now that he's ended up like this, what should we do?"
Her words immediately shocked some of the surrounding disciples, while Joan He stared at Violet Thunder Fox as if she were seeing a monster. "You say he's the Sect Master? How is that possible?"
"He really is my big brother. Look closely at his face, his sword, and his clothes. It's obvious he's burned up his life force to unleash some terrifying technique. But now he's unconscious—how are we supposed to save him?" Violet Thunder Fox choked out.
After hearing this, Joan He carefully examined the old man Evan Chu had become, and sure enough, he matched Violet Thunder Fox's description. The Frostbane Sword confirmed that this was indeed the Sect Master everyone had been searching for.
Joan He immediately made a decision and addressed the crowd: "The Sect Master is in this condition—no one is to spread rumors outside. This is very dangerous for Frostbane Sect. If I find out anyone is talking nonsense, I'll say this now: you'll be executed, no matter who you are."
Everyone promised to keep quiet; no one would be stupid enough to risk their life for gossip.
Then Joan He said to Violet Thunder Fox, "Alex, take the Sect Master back to his room first. I'll discuss with the elders to see if there's any way to save him."
After Joan He left, Violet Thunder Fox carried Evan Chu back to his room. His face was still pale and he remained unconscious, leaving her utterly lost and worried.
After a while, the voice of the Sword Spirit sounded in Violet Thunder Fox's mind: "Take Evan to the sect's underground secret chamber. When Joan He arrives, I'll tell you the exact location."
At this moment, Violet Thunder Fox could only put her full trust in the owner of the voice in her mind. After a while, Joan He entered with several elders from the sect, and they were all surprised to see Evan Chu lying on the bed. One of them spoke up:
"The Sect Master's condition is clearly the result of life force overdraft. We need to find medicine that can restore vitality, but such medicines are extremely rare. This is really worrying."
"Don't panic, I've already found a way to save my big brother, but I'll need Elder He's help. He needs to recover in the underground secret chamber. The rest of you just focus on your regular sect duties." Violet Thunder Fox said.
"You really have a way to save the Sect Master? Weren't you at a loss just now?" Joan He asked, half skeptical.
Violet Thunder Fox replied immediately, "Big brother just told me. When you left, he suddenly woke up and said he could only recover in the underground secret chamber, and that he specifically wanted your help."
After hearing this, Joan He couldn't argue further and told the others, "Let's do as Alex says. Also, check on the situation in the other sects. If all is well, have Heaven Ape, Dream Princess, and the others return. Frostbane Sect is far too weak without the Sect Master in charge—we can't afford any more trouble."
The other elders left, leaving only Violet Thunder Fox and Joan He in the room. "Alex, I know about the underground secret chamber, but I don't know where it is," Joan He said.
"Don't worry, I know the way. Just follow me," Violet Thunder Fox replied.
Violet Thunder Fox picked up Evan Chu and, following the Sword Spirit's instructions, went to a secluded courtyard and stopped near the pavilion by the rockery.
After pressing the hidden mechanism to open the underground chamber, an entrance appeared by the rockery. Joan He was shocked—she'd been in Frostbane Sect for years, yet had no idea the secret chamber was here, while Alex had only just joined and already knew more than she did.
Once inside the secret chamber, Joan He couldn't stay calm anymore. The place was so miraculous, it seemed almost divine. Violet Thunder Fox set Evan Chu down inside the chamber.
She then produced a milky-white stone from her hand—Evan Chu's Starflare Stone, which only the Sword Spirit could retrieve from his storage ring using divine sense.
"Infuse Stellar Power into this stone and the entrance to the Stellar Cultivation Chamber will appear," Violet Thunder Fox said, handing the Starflare Stone to Joan He.
Following Violet Thunder Fox's instructions, a round stone door appeared on the wall not far away, leading them to the final chamber.
When the Stellar Cultivation Chamber opened, Joan He was shocked again. She'd never even heard of such a powerful chamber. Violet Thunder Fox explained, "There are three more chambers ahead. One of them is empty—the medicines were already taken by my big brother. Take out the rest of the treasures. If Lynne Nie returns, bring her here."
"And don't lose this Starflare Stone—it's the only way to open the chamber. I'll stay here with my big brother; you go handle your business!"
After Joan He left, Violet Thunder Fox laid Evan Chu on the ground. The Sword Spirit said, "Try channeling some of your Stellar Power into his body—if he starts absorbing it, you can slowly stop. This process will be extremely slow; it could take a day, a month, or even a year, so be prepared."
"I understand! I won't be afraid of any hardship for my big brother!" Violet Thunder Fox declared. She propped Evan Chu up, pressed her palm to his back, and slowly channeled Stellar Power into his body...