Evan Chu collapsed to the ground, startling the two Scarlet Phoenixes hovering above. They couldn't figure out what was going on, so they quickly morphed into human form and landed right in front of Evan.
The wounded Phoenix Protector nudged Evan with his foot, surprised to find him totally unresponsive—like he was really out cold. He knew exactly how strong his own attacks were, and there was no way Evan should've been knocked out. The whole thing felt off.
"How'd he pass out? What did you do to him?" the other Phoenix Protector asked, frowning.
"What could I even do? Honestly, I wanted to chop this punk to pieces, but the fact that he could actually hurt me—this kid's got some real power," the wounded Phoenix Protector grumbled.
"Don't get reckless. The Temple Master said we have to bring him back, so let's just haul him in. Now that he's out cold, it's the perfect chance. Later, you can do whatever you want with him," the other Protector replied.
The wounded Phoenix Protector kicked Evan a few more times, making sure he was truly unconscious before grabbing him by the collar. He and the other Protector rushed to the barrier entrance. With a wave of his hand, a massive surge of fire-element power exploded forth, and a circular stone gate appeared before them.
Even though Evan Chu kept his eyes shut, his spiritual sense was busy scanning everything around him. He hadn't expected the barrier to be broken with a fire-element attack—it left him feeling a bit annoyed.
It didn’t take long for the two Protectors to drag Evan Chu into the Vermilion Bird Temple. Evan was tossed onto the floor, totally motionless. All eyes in the grand hall turned to the young man lying there, faces full of suspicion and curiosity.
"Temple Master, we've brought in the guy who broke our Vermilion Bird Clan's barrier. How do you want to deal with him?" the wounded Phoenix Protector reported.
Just then, the Phoenix Temple Master strode down from the dais. He glanced at Evan Chu on the ground, then at the Protector’s injuries, and asked, "You’re hurt? Was it that kid who did this to you?"
"This guy’s insanely strong. No wonder he dares to act tough in our Vermilion Bird Clan. But why did he suddenly pass out? That’s just weird," the wounded Phoenix Protector muttered.
"Throw him in the water dungeon. He dared to injure one of my Protectors—he’s not even worth sparing. But he looks so young, he’s probably from some major sect. Our Vermilion Bird Clan keeps a low profile, but if we kill him outright, it might draw unwanted attention. Maybe he’s still useful," the Phoenix Temple Master said coldly.
"Temple Master, this guy is really close with the Saintess. When we brought her back, he was with her. I bet he came for her," the other Protector chimed in.
"Left Protector, are you sure? He really has ties to the Saintess?" The Phoenix Temple Master looked surprised, then pressed for confirmation.
"I wouldn’t dare lie to you, Temple Master. The Right Protector was there too. If the Saintess hadn’t told us to spare him, we would’ve killed him on the spot," Left Protector replied.
The Phoenix Temple Master glanced at Evan Chu and said, "No one can let the Saintess know about this. She’s in closed-door cultivation right now, and can’t be disturbed just because of him. Kill him immediately. And strengthen the barrier at the entrance—don’t let anyone else cause trouble here."
Evan Chu heard that Roxy was in seclusion and couldn’t be disturbed. He felt a pang of disappointment, but there was no way he’d let the Temple Master just kill him off. He stretched, opened his eyes, and stood up like he’d just finished a nap.
"Man, that was a good nap. Why’s everyone staring at me? Don’t recognize me? No problem—I’ll introduce myself. I’m the guy your Saintess is engaged to. Yeah, Roxy’s my fiancée," Evan said with a grin, not looking even a little nervous.
He didn’t even bother looking at the Phoenix Temple Master, just swaggered around the hall, acting like he owned the place.
"Someone, take down this arrogant brat! He dares insult the Saintess—unforgivable! Kill him, now!" the Phoenix Temple Master roared, furious that anyone would ignore him.
"Hey, old man, you off your meds or something? I’m a guest here, you know. Is this really how the Vermilion Bird Clan treats visitors? Kill me? You’d better ask Roxy if she’s okay with that. If you murder her fiancé, who knows how she’ll react?" Evan shot back with a grin.
"You little punk! No one's ever dared threaten me—the Temple Master! Not even the Saintess. Die!" The Phoenix Temple Master was so mad at Evan he nearly lost it, unleashing a vicious palm strike.
The attack sent a shockwave blasting through the hall, making everyone scramble for cover. Evan didn’t dare take it lightly—judging by the power, the Phoenix Temple Master was at least fifth layer of the Saint Martial Realm.
Evan didn’t clash head-on. Instead, he used his teleportation skill to dodge the blow with cool, effortless precision.
The Phoenix Temple Master was stunned that a mere human could dodge his attack. He stared at Evan Chu and said, "Kid, you’re pretty fast. But since you dared step into my Vermilion Bird Temple, you’re not leaving alive."
Evan snorted, "Big talk for an old man. You think I’d come here just to be scared of you? If it wasn’t for Roxy, I’d have flattened this place already. You wouldn’t even have a temple left to show off in."
The Phoenix Temple Master was so furious he almost coughed up blood. Just then, an old man spoke up: "Temple Master, you don’t need to dirty your hands with this arrogant brat. I’ll cut him down myself."
"Be careful, Second Elder. This kid’s got some weird tricks—don’t let him hurt you," the Phoenix Temple Master warned.
"Don’t worry, Temple Master. He’s just a lowly human. I’ll kill him and let you vent your anger," the Second Elder replied.
Evan glanced at the Second Elder, his face full of disdain. "Old man, why don’t you value your own life? I really don’t want to kill you, so don’t push me. You’re nowhere near qualified to fight me."
The Second Elder wasn’t angry at Evan’s taunts. Instead, he chuckled, "Kid, you’re pretty calm for someone in this situation. You think you can bait me into losing control? Forget it. I’ve been around way longer than you."
Evan smirked, "Old man, you really think I’m trying to piss you off? With those weak skills of yours, I barely even notice you. If it wasn’t for Roxy, you’d all be dead already. I’m not here to kill anyone—I just want to see my fiancée. Hope you’ll cooperate."
"You think you’re worthy to see the Saintess? Since you’re so cocky, I’ll show you what ‘weak skills’ really look like!" The Second Elder flashed forward, summoning a longsword and slashing at Evan with thunderous force.
Evan’s patience snapped. ‘Fine, if you won’t give me face, I’ll teach you a lesson.’ His temper flared—talking to these people was exhausting.
He summoned the Frostbane Sword. The Second Elder’s sword-qi shook the whole hall, but Evan didn’t strike back immediately—instead, he teleported out of the hall, not wanting to wreck the place and have to explain it to Roxy later.
Seeing Evan escape, the Second Elder chased after him, followed by the rest of the hall. Evan’s speed made the Phoenix Temple Master frown. "He’s so fast it’s unreal. Maybe he really is as strong as he acts, or he wouldn’t be so bold here," the Temple Master muttered.
Evan didn’t leave—he hovered in midair, waiting. When the Second Elder caught up, Evan called out, "Old man, you’re so slow I’m losing patience. Today, I’m cutting off one of your arms to teach you some respect. Let’s see if you dare show off again."
As Evan finished speaking, Frostbane Sword gleamed coldly in his hand. He swung, seemingly casually, but the sword-qi and icy light sent chills through the crowd.
At that moment, the Phoenix Temple Master finally realized Evan wasn’t as simple as he looked. If Evan was really hiding his true strength, maybe even he couldn’t beat this kid.
The Second Elder slashed back, his sword blazing like fire, turning the sky crimson and making the air feel like a furnace.
But none of that fazed Evan. His mastery of fire was just as strong as the Phoenix Clan’s. Space around him shook violently, and suddenly a massive black hole ripped open—the Second Elder had torn the air itself. He was only third layer of the Saint Martial Realm, yet could break open space so easily. Sacred beasts really were on another level compared to humans.
Of course, the Second Elder wasn’t really a monster beast—he was a sacred beast, a true Vermilion Bird. Just as he thought Evan couldn’t possibly withstand his attack, something shocking happened.
His sword landed squarely on Evan, but it felt like striking solid steel—his hand nearly slipped off his sword from the shock.
But that wasn’t even the most shocking part. He saw clearly that his attack hadn’t seriously hurt Evan—just left a faint scratch, not even drawing blood.
Then Evan’s Frostbane Sword struck true, slicing the Second Elder’s arm clean off. Agony shot through him as his severed limb tumbled from the sky…