Evan Chu nodded at the two in greeting, his heart surging with excitement to see them again. But at the moment, Xiao Ying was nowhere to be seen—maybe he was still in seclusion or training somewhere else, so he hadn’t come back yet.
Just then, a voice as clear as silver bells rang in Evan’s ears. He looked up to see a girl in a snow-white dress, looking like an immortal fairy, appearing in the crowd and running straight toward him.
As soon as she reached Evan, the girl threw herself into his arms and choked out, "Big Brother, you finally came! Macy thought you didn’t want her anymore."
Evan’s face flushed a little—this girl really dared to be so affectionate in front of everyone, making him feel awkward. He gently pushed her away and said, "Macy, how could Big Brother ever not want you? You’ve gotten even prettier, you know. But there are a lot of people watching us right now, so let’s talk when we get back."
Macy’s face reddened too, a little shy as she looked at Evan and said, "It’s just because I was so excited to see you again, Big Brother. Besides, they won’t mind."
"Master, why don’t we head inside the main hall first? I’ll have the servants prepare wine and a banquet to welcome you!" Heaven Ape suggested respectfully.
"No need for a banquet, Heaven Ape. I’m just passing through. I’ve got urgent business in the Heavenly Dragon Empire right now. We can celebrate when I come back." Evan replied.
Heaven Ape was a bit taken aback, then said, "You could always leave tomorrow! I haven’t seen you in ages, and I’ve got a lot I want to say to you."
Evan knew what he wanted to talk about. "Let’s save Xiao Ying’s situation for when I get back. If you want to come with me, that’s fine too—we can chat on the road."
"Big Brother, I’m coming with you to the Heavenly Dragon Empire! It’s been so long since I’ve been back, I really miss it. Don’t forget, the Heavenly Dragon Empire is my old home too!" Macy Mei chimed in.
Right after Macy Mei spoke, Savage Earth Dragon and Goldwing also asked to come along. Evan Chu couldn’t refuse, so he agreed to their request.
"No time to waste—let’s head out now! The sooner we get back, the sooner we can drink!" Evan laughed. Just like that, four more joined the party heading to the Heavenly Dragon Empire.
"Macy, what realm have you reached now? Tell Big Brother about it!" On the way, Evan asked the Violet Thunder Fox.
"I’ve already reached Eighth-Layer Saint Martial Realm, so now I have eight tails. When I break through to the Ninth Layer, I’ll grow my ninth tail—that’s all thanks to the Thunder Spirit Pearl you gave me. If I hadn’t absorbed its lightning power, I never would’ve advanced so quickly. But breaking through to the Ninth Layer is going to be even harder." Macy Mei said.
"What’s so hard about it? Tell me, maybe I’ll have a way to help you out. You know, Big Brother’s pretty strong these days!" Evan grinned.
"To break through to the Ninth Layer, I need a ton of lightning power. But here, lightning only shows up during storms, and even then it’s so weak and rare. If I just rely on absorbing that, it’ll take at least ten years—maybe even longer—to really break through." Macy said, sounding a bit down.
"So that’s all it is? That’s easy! When we get back, Big Brother will help you break through. Need lightning power? I’ll get you plenty." Evan said breezily. Macy thought he was just trying to comfort her.
Seeing Macy still looked a bit unhappy, Evan smiled and teased, "You think Big Brother’s just kidding you, right? Take a look at this!"
As soon as Evan finished, he activated Thundershift—purple lightning crackled and flashed in his palm, leaving Macy Mei so stunned she couldn’t speak for a long time.
"See? Big Brother wasn’t lying. This is just a little lightning—if you need the big stuff, I can get that for you too. All you have to do is focus on breaking through." Evan said with a smile.
"Big Brother, you’re amazing! Macy will break through to the Ninth Layer as soon as she can and grow her ninth tail. Then I can use my clan’s secret art to become a real human—and finally be your woman. I’ve been waiting for that day for so long!" Macy Mei said earnestly.
Evan was a little startled inside. He’d always known that once the Violet Thunder Fox evolved nine tails, she could transform into a human—and she’d joked before about wanting to be his woman. But hearing her say it again so seriously made him feel complicated.
Everyone was flying fast, joking and chatting along the way. By noon, they arrived at the teleportation gate. "Hope we don’t end up in the White Tiger Clan’s territory again! These teleportation gates are wild," Evan laughed.
"Let’s just head in. No matter where we land, we’ll end up in the Heavenly Dragon Empire eventually, so why worry?" Roxanne Lin said.
Everyone stepped into the teleportation array. This time they were lucky—they didn’t end up somewhere random, but appeared right in the Mermaid Kingdom’s territory. Claire Ouyang recognized it instantly.
After traveling most of the day, Evan and his group finally arrived at the Great General’s Manor in the Heavenly Dragon Empire. As they appeared at the manor, Jenny Sima, Rhea Yang, and Lily Tang were chatting happily in a garden pavilion.
When they saw Evan, the three women were stunned. He’d been gone nearly three years—a nearly unbearable wait. Now, seeing him again, all three burst into tears of joy and rushed into his arms, not caring about the other women at his side.
"Evan, you’re finally back! You’ve been gone almost three years. We’ve waited for you day and night—finally you’ve come home." Jenny Sima said, looking at Evan.
"I know I’ve kept you waiting. This time I’m here to take you all back to the Azure Tide Ruins—and to hold your wedding with Roxanne Lin there, as it should be. You’ve all suffered so much these years, and I promise I’ll make it right." Evan said.
Rhea Yang and Lily Tang glanced at the women beside Evan, their expressions changing slightly. "So these are your women, huh? No wonder you didn’t want to come back—you’re surrounded by such stunning beauties."
"Lily, don’t say that. You’re all the same in my heart—no one’s above anyone else. From now on, you’re all sisters, so don’t fight over me, okay? I hope you understand what I mean!" Evan said.
Lily Tang and her friends sized up Serena Dream and Lynne Nie, while Lynne and the others looked back at them. Realizing their looks were about equal, everyone silently marveled at Evan’s ability to gather so many beauties—left speechless once again.