"Everyone, you probably have no idea about the Frostbane Sect Master's true identity, do you? In reality, he's a member of the dark organization that's been causing such an uproar lately. You've all been deceived by him—he's been plotting this for ages, and tonight I'm going to expose his ugly face!" the black-clothed man declared.
Evan Chu was stunned for a moment. The world truly is full of surprises—now someone was actually pulling the classic trick of a thief crying thief, and the target was none other than himself.
Both the Freewind Palace Lord and the Sacred Sword Sect Master were taken aback as well. They knew Evan Chu extremely well— even if he hadn't warned them earlier about the dark organization showing up tonight and the poison in the food, they would never have suspected him.
Who was Evan Chu? He was the Frostbane Sect Master—the reincarnation of the ancient super expert Lord Frostbane. There was no way he would ever do anything to harm the great sects.
Evan Chu glanced at the black-clothed men and said, "I'm curious to hear how you supposedly know about my grand plan to wipe out the Nine Great Sects. If you can't explain yourselves, don't expect to leave Frostbane Sect alive tonight."
"Hahaha! Evan Chu, you really are calm—acting so composed even now. Fine, I'll tell you exactly what's going on." The black-clothed man paused, swept his gaze over the crowd, and continued:
"All of you have already been poisoned by this man, but you don't even know it. The toxin is colorless and tasteless—once infected, your Stellar Power will be completely sealed off. If you don't believe me, try circulating your energy and see for yourselves. I'm telling you, death is already knocking at your door."
The moment he spoke, a wave of commotion swept through the crowd. Many people immediately tried to circulate their Stellar Power—and sure enough, they found themselves unable to do so. Some disciples from smaller sects grew restless, demanding that Evan Chu give everyone an explanation.
Just then, an elderly man suddenly stepped forward and shouted, "Scoundrel! How dare you slander the Sect Master—Evan Chu isn't someone you can defame. Die!"
With that, he struck out at the black-clothed man with his palm. The black-clothed man responded instantly, and the force of their clash sent a gust of wind that swept all the bowls and chopsticks off the nearby tables. After a thunderous boom, both men staggered back several steps before regaining their footing.
It turned out that the elderly man who spoke was actually Master Shaw, the Crescent Moon Sect Master. Evan Chu had once saved his life, so there was no way he would ever believe the black-clothed man's slander—especially seeing those black robes, which only fueled his anger.
"So that's all a Fourth-Layer Saint Martial Realm expert amounts to! If you dare shield this poisoner, you must be one of his accomplices. Tonight, you die too!" the black-clothed man shouted arrogantly.
"Heh, how interesting—really interesting! Tonight is my wedding night, and my bride is still waiting for me in the bridal chamber. Yet you lot insist on causing trouble here—I'm flattered. Tell me, which Demon General are you? Could you be the Extinction Heaven Demon General? Where's your Extinction Heaven Demon Sword? Show it to me if you dare," Evan Chu said with a laugh, making no move to attack just yet.
He then turned to Master Shaw and said, "Sect Master, I'm deeply grateful for your trust. Clearly, these dark organization people have been planning this for a long time. If we let them escape tonight, the Nine Great Sects will lose all face."
At this point, the other sect members looked lost, especially those who had been poisoned. They didn't know who to trust anymore. One of them suddenly said to Evan Chu, "Sect Master Chu, we came to celebrate your wedding, but now we've been poisoned. Everyone believes you didn't do this, but we still need a reasonable explanation from you."
"Everyone, calm down. If you've been poisoned, go back to your own rooms and rest. If you haven't been poisoned, stay here—tonight is going to be a bloodbath. If you end up getting killed because you weren't poisoned by the dark organization, don't blame me for not warning you," Evan Chu said.
The various sect masters quietly told their disciples that this had nothing to do with Evan Chu, urging them to leave as quickly as possible. Soon, more than half the people had withdrawn.
"Evan Chu, it seems you already knew about our plan. I'm curious—how did you find out?" the black-clothed man asked.
"Heh, do you really think the Hidden Plague Demon General's gu poison is unmatched in this world? To me, it's child's play. Of course I knew about your plan—tonight, you delivered yourselves right into my hands, so don't blame me for being ruthless!" Evan Chu replied.
Evan Chu's words made the black-clothed man shudder, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "Looks like you know quite a bit. All the more reason you can't be allowed to live!"
As he finished speaking, a pitch-black longsword appeared in his hand, its blade radiating demonic qi. The sword looked very much like the Extinction Heaven Demon Sword Evan Chu had once drawn for Heaven Ape in a cave, but Evan knew this was definitely just a replica.
Evan Chu also drew his Frostbane Sword, then said to Palace Lord Yurong Hua and the others, "Palace Lord, everyone stay alert. Tonight, we must do our utmost to slay these villains."
He unleashed Tyrant Cleave in a flash—a powerful arc of sword qi slashed toward the black-clothed man. Evan Chu knew exactly how strong this move was, but his opponent quickly countered with a sword qi attack just as fierce. The two sword auras collided with a deafening boom, forcing both men back several steps before they steadied themselves. It was a perfectly matched exchange.
Evan Chu and the black-clothed man began their duel. Palace Lord Yurong Hua, the Sacred Sword Sect Master, and the other sect members also joined the fray. In an instant, a fierce battle erupted.
The experts on the ground were cautious, as their powerful attacks could easily injure the weaker sect members nearby. Many fighters took to the sky to continue their battle, and thunderous explosions echoed through the air.
"Frostbane, why is your strength so weak? You still haven't broken through to the Saint Martial Realm—could it be you lack the Nether Orchid? Want me to ask the Lord to give you one so you can advance?" the black-clothed man taunted as they fought.
"Heavenbane, you're nothing special either—tonight is your death day!" Evan Chu retorted, unleashing Soul Rend toward his opponent.
Seeing Evan Chu use this move, the black-clothed man dodged just in time, then said, "I didn't expect your Soul Rend to reach the strength of a Third-Layer Saint Martial Realm expert. I'm truly impressed! But if that's all you've got, it's not enough. Don't forget—I know your techniques inside and out. Why not show me your Heaven-Splitting Slash or Star Cleave?"
Evan Chu was shocked—this guy was so familiar with his moves and so powerful that killing him would be no easy task.
"Oh, I forgot—you can only use Earthsplitter at best right now. Heaven-Splitting Slash and Star Cleave are still beyond you. Go on, show me your Earthsplitter and let's see how strong it is!" the black-clothed man laughed.
"Heavenbane, if you've got guts, come with me and see if I can't kill you!" Evan Chu challenged immediately.
"You think I'm scared of you?" the black-clothed man shot back.
Instead of using instant movement, Evan Chu sped off in flight—but was quickly overtaken by the black-clothed man. "Frostbane, your speed is slower than a snail. Let's not waste any more time—let's settle this right here!"
With that, the longsword in his hand erupted with a mass of demonic qi, and a dazzling white light suddenly burst forth from within the black mist...