Evan Chu spread his divine sense throughout the Timewheel Bracelet’s inner world, searching for Princess Serena Hua. She’d been inside for some time now—he had no idea how she was doing.
The Timewheel Bracelet’s space was vast; Evan Chu’s divine sense couldn’t cover it all at once. It took him nearly half a stick of incense just to find Princess Serena Hua’s figure atop a scenic mountain peak.
Princess Serena Hua was still in soul form, but much stronger than before. The moment Evan Chu appeared in the sky, she noticed him. “You actually have time to come in here? This place really is mysterious and strange—the Immortal Essence here is unbelievably strong.”
Princess Serena Hua spoke with her back to Evan Chu. She knew all about his abilities, so nothing surprised her anymore, but she still had some burning questions that demanded answers.
“I just came to check on you, and to bring a few people in here for breakthroughs. The Immortal–Demon War is about to start soon, so I have to get everyone’s power up as fast as possible to feel at ease. Are you doing alright here? Is there anything you need me to help with?” Evan asked.
Princess Serena Hua turned around and glanced at this mysterious man. “This place is perfect for recuperation and soul-nourishment. Maybe in a few decades, or at most a hundred years, I’ll fully restore my soul and be able to reconstruct my body.”
Evan Chu knew Princess Serena Hua was the Nether Venerable’s daughter—a true powerhouse. At her peak, she could’ve killed him with a flick of her finger. Becoming like this was her tribulation, but now things were turning around, all because she’d met him. Maybe he really was the one destined to change her fate.
Looking around at the scenery, Evan said, “Honestly, I could help you reconstruct your body anytime, if you’re willing. Don’t get the wrong idea—I don’t mean anything else by it.”
“Heh, reconstruct my body? Maybe I should believe you, but I’ll never let you do it. During the process, you’d see my entire body. I am Princess Serena Hua of the Netherworld—the supreme princess! How could I let anyone see my body so easily? If someone does, there’s only one outcome: death!
But I couldn’t kill you, and I don’t love you either, so I won’t let that happen. I also hate owing favors to humans. Back then, my father owed Lord Frostbane a karmic debt and agreed to help him fight a war—only to never return.” Princess Serena Hua said, her voice tinged with sorrow.
“I don’t really know what happened back then—maybe it was just another tribulation. Since you’re not willing, I won’t force you. If I get the chance, I’ll help you return to the Netherworld,” Evan said.
Princess Serena Hua looked at Evan Chu in surprise, then suddenly said, “Why do you have a faint trace of Nether qi on you? Did you actually go to the Netherworld? That’s impossible! Tell me—what’s going on?”
Evan Chu hadn’t expected Princess Serena Hua to sense residual Nether qi on him even in her soul state—it caught him off guard. He asked, “Would Nether qi actually help you?”
“That’s right. If I could absorb enough Nether power, I could reconstruct my body much sooner—maybe even right here in this space. The Immortal Essence here is so strong, I don’t even know what I’ll become after reconstruction. Maybe I’ll turn into a monster who can absorb both Nether qi and Immortal Essence!” Princess Serena Hua said, her eyes blazing with anticipation.
Thinking for a moment, Evan immediately took out the storage ring he’d gotten from that demigod Old Ancestor. As a demigod, the guy’s ring had to be packed with treasures. Back in the Netherworld, Evan had actually forgotten about it—if he’d remembered, he might have already given it to Chase.
Sweeping it with his divine sense, Evan Chu found all kinds of rare treasures and spiritual medicines inside, but most of all, a huge pile of Netherstones—top-grade by lower-plane standards. Evan Chu dumped out a mountain of Netherstones and asked Princess Serena Hua, “Could these help you reconstruct your body sooner?”
Seeing the pile of Netherstones, Princess Serena Hua’s face lit up with delight. “I didn’t expect you to have so many low-grade Netherstones. Even if they’re low-grade, they’re still enough for me to absorb—since I’m just a soul right now. Thank you, Evan Chu. Once I reconstruct my body, I won’t forget your kindness.”
“Low-grade Netherstones? Princess Serena Hua, are you sure? These are the highest-grade Netherstones in my Netherworld! Are you saying that in your Netherworld, they’re just low-grade?” Evan Chu asked in shock, his voice full of disbelief.
“That’s right—they’re only low-grade, maybe not even that. The Netherstones here are very different from the ones in my world. We call them Nether Crystals, divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. I’m sure you get what I mean. In this realm, even low-grade Nether Crystals can’t appear—having these Netherstones is already a once-in-an-era fortune,” Princess Serena Hua explained.
“If that’s the case, I won’t bother you anymore. If you need anything, just ask. I’ll be staying here for a few hundred years anyway—my strength is still way too weak and needs a fast boost,” Evan said.
Princess Serena Hua nodded, though Evan Chu had no idea how she took away the Netherstones he gave her. Her figure flickered and vanished before his eyes, but a lingering, mysterious feminine fragrance—strange, captivating, and impossible to forget—hung in the air, making his heart stir against his will.
Evan Chu briefly lost focus, then laughed at himself. “How could I even think of anything happening with Princess Serena Hua? That’s totally impossible. If she ever found out I’m actually Lord Frostbane’s reincarnation, would she kill me on the spot to avenge her father?”
Shaking off the thought, Evan teleported back to where everyone else was cultivating. The Immortal Essence here was so strong that everyone was completely absorbed in training, so he didn’t disturb them. Cole Chu and Tom Chu were both practicing hard too—they’d been stuck in the storage ring for ages this time.
Evan found a stone wall and casually used Frostbane Divine Sword to carve out a cave about a meter high and two meters deep—just enough for one person to lie down. This would be his retreat chamber for closed-door cultivation.
Time meant nothing in seclusion. Evan was now at late Immortal Emperor stage; to truly break through, he needed massive Immortal Essence and a long stretch of time. Still, he wasn’t worried about it.
In a flash, five hundred years passed inside the bracelet. Evan Chu had cultivated all the way to the peak of late Immortal Emperor, ready to break through at any moment. The urge to ascend to the God Realm burned in his chest, but with the Immortal–Demon War still looming, he clenched his fists, forced himself to halt, and swallowed his frustration. The storm was coming, and he would face it head-on with his family—no matter what price he had to pay.