Evan Lin walked slowly along the official road, the old man's words echoing endlessly in his mind. He couldn't tell if entering All‑Stars City this time was right or wrong. With his current strength here, he was nothing but an ant—his life could be lost at any moment. He was painfully aware of this.
It didn’t take long before Evan Lin arrived at the city gate again. The guards immediately blocked his way, their eyes scanning him up and down. “Why are you coming into the city?” one of the guards asked.
“I came to buy a few things. The journey was long—I’ve walked for ages just to reach All‑Stars City. Please, sir, could you let me through?” Evan Lin replied earnestly. In the past, any guard who dared speak to him like this would have been killed on the spot, but now he could only endure it. Everything depended on strength.
“Let you through? Don’t even think about entering without Violet Cloud Crystals. Twenty low‑grade Violet Cloud Crystals—hand them over if you have them, and you can go in. If not, turn around and leave. Don’t dawdle here, or I’ll have you arrested.” the guard said.
Hearing this, Evan Lin felt a wave of bitterness. Others only needed ten low‑grade Violet Cloud Crystals to enter, but he was being charged twenty—obviously targeted and bullied. He wanted to argue, but seeing the guard’s contemptuous expression, Evan could only swallow his anger. One day, he would pay back every bit of this humiliation—with interest.
He took out twenty Violet Cloud Crystals from his storage ring and handed them to the guard, preparing to enter the city. But just then, the guard said, “Hold on, kid—did I say you could leave yet? Do you even know the rules for entering All‑Stars City? No causing trouble, no cheating or stealing, and no wandering the streets at night. Got it?”
“Got it. Thank you for the reminder, sir!” Evan Lin replied, forcing himself to be polite. If this guy kept pushing his luck, Evan really might consider killing him. His strength wasn’t overwhelming, but escaping would be easy—Earthshift and Light Transformation were perfect for that.
“Smart move. You can go now, but remember what I said—otherwise you’ll regret it!” the guard warned.
Evan Lin had just entered the city gate when the scar-faced man and the old Heavenly God arrived. The guards saw the scar-faced man and immediately asked, “Brother Liu, coming into the city? What’s the reason for this one?”
“I suspect this guy’s up to something, so I’m taking him back to the City Lord’s Mansion for questioning. You brothers work hard guarding the city—I’ll treat everyone to drinks another day.” the scar-faced man said.
The scar-faced man swaggered through the city streets with the old Heavenly God in tow. At the same time, Evan Lin was also walking slowly down the street, his eyes wide with curiosity at everything around him—this was his first time in the God Realm, and everything felt novel and strange. He wandered, looking everywhere, taking in the sights at a leisurely pace.
Soon, Evan Lin saw the scar-faced man and the old Heavenly God walking toward him. The old man saw Evan too, and in his eyes was a deep, sorrowful grievance that left Evan momentarily stunned.
How did the old man end up here? Judging by his expression, something must have happened—was it because of Evan? Where was the scar-faced man planning to take him? Several questions flashed through Evan’s mind.
To get answers, Evan had to ask the old man directly. With a thought, he used secret sound transmission: “Old sir, how did you end up in the city? Where is the scar-faced man taking you?”
The old man was briefly startled by Evan’s voice, but then replied via sound transmission, “Young man, this isn’t your fault. I was just careless. He’s taking me to the City Lord’s Mansion for interrogation, but don’t worry—even if I die, I’ll never reveal anything about you.”
Evan Lin was deeply moved. “Don’t worry, old sir. No matter how dangerous it is—even if it’s a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den—I’ll find a way to get you out. But for now, you’ll have to bear it a little longer. I can’t risk killing anyone in broad daylight on the street.”
The old man didn’t say anything, just nodded slightly before leaving with the scar-faced man, leaving Evan Lin standing there, full of guilt and frustration. He hadn’t asked for details, but he could guess—the God Stone was surely the cause. He hadn’t helped the old man; he’d only brought him harm.
Depressed, Evan Lin wandered the street. He wanted to save the old man, but he couldn’t rush things. The City Lord’s Mansion was surely formidable—if even a Protector had God‑Lord‑level strength, then the elders and the City Lord himself might well be at the God‑King Realm.
Facing such powerful enemies, Evan knew he’d be walking to his death. He wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could challenge God‑Kings as a mere late‑stage God‑Man. If he wanted to save the old man, he’d have to either sneak into the City Lord’s Mansion or get himself taken there as a prisoner—either way, he’d need to prepare.
Evan decided on the second option, but he needed time to get ready. After walking for a while, he spotted a restaurant not far ahead. Night was falling, and many buildings had lit their lamps—though here, the so‑called lamp light all came from glowing crystals, bright and dazzling.
Evan Lin walked into the restaurant, and a waiter greeted him right away. “Sir, are you here to eat or stay the night? Our restaurant offers full service—we guarantee your satisfaction.”
Evan glanced around and saw that the place was fairly busy. The restaurant seemed to be doing good business—having so many customers at this hour was rare.
“Both—I’ll eat and stay the night. Just bring a few dishes and some wine, and make it quick.” Evan said calmly.
It was Evan’s first time tasting God Realm wine, and he was a bit excited about it. If not for the old man’s situation, he would have wanted to drink heartily tonight—but for now, he could only sip slowly.
Evan picked a secluded corner to sit in, hoping to avoid attention and trouble. Soon, the waiter brought over a few delicate dishes and a pot of wine for him.
He ate slowly by himself, listening carefully to the conversations around him. After a while, he realized he hadn’t picked up any useful information, which left him a bit disappointed.
The food and wine in the God Realm tasted much like what he'd had in the Immortal Realm—nothing particularly special. When Evan first arrived in the Immortal Realm, some drinks could even boost cultivation, but maybe such wine existed here too, just not in a place like this. The finest wines were probably found in the largest cities, and must cost a fortune.
Just then, dozens of uniformed guards burst into the restaurant. “Stop eating, everyone! Line up outside—All‑Stars City is hunting the murderer who killed Protector Liu. Cooperate, or you’ll be executed on the spot!”
Everyone was shocked—who would have thought that eating a meal could bring such disaster? One by one, the customers stopped eating and walked out dejectedly. Evan Lin followed the crowd, thinking this might be his chance to get into the City Lord’s Mansion…