After the crowd dispersed, the Sea Dragon Hall Master, Evan Linfeng, Silver Dragon, and the Sea Dragon Hall Grand Elder entered an elegant room. The drinking was over; now it was time to plan their expedition into the Sea Dragon Forbidden Land.
Evan Linfeng’s face was slightly pale—a reaction from using the Icefire Divine Eye. He needed to restore his Chaos Divine Power and mental strength.
"Linfeng, are you alright? Do you need to recover first? That last strike must've drained you a lot!" the Sea Dragon Hall Master asked with concern.
"It did drain me quite a bit, but it’s nothing serious! Honestly, being Vice Hall Master is nerve-wracking. If I didn’t have the Icefire Divine Eye, the Third Elder might’ve killed me—my current cultivation is just too low," Evan said.
"Icefire Divine Eye? What kind of martial art is this, how is it so powerful? Even I felt a huge threat!" the Sea Dragon Hall Master asked in shock, while the Grand Elder looked at Evan Linfeng in confusion, eager for his answer.
"I cultivated this technique by accident! As for why it’s so powerful, even I’m not sure. All I know is, breaking open a spatial black hole relied on the Icefire Divine Eye—but it does have limits. Looks like we’ll need to delay entering the forbidden land a bit," Evan said helplessly.
"It’s up to you—whenever you say we go, we go. Everyone needs to be at their peak before entering the forbidden land, or it’ll be dangerous," said the Sea Dragon Hall Master.
"Young Master, you should recover your strength first! I know you’re eager to leave the Sea Regions, but some things can’t be rushed—they have to be taken step by step," Silver Dragon couldn’t help but say.
Evan glanced at everyone and smiled, "Alright then! We’ll set out in ten days! I’ll be counting on you, Hall Master!"
Immediately, the Sea Dragon Hall Master had the Grand Elder arrange a quiet room for Evan to cultivate. Silver Dragon joined him—after all, he was eager to learn about the Mainland Dragon Clan.
Silver Dragon also wanted to know more about the Sea Dragon Clan, so the two started chatting.
Evan took out the Chaos Pearl to absorb its energy. He didn't enter the Timewheel Bracelet again—restoring with the Chaos Pearl wouldn’t take long, and besides, he wasn’t sure how to face his women yet. With things unresolved, he didn’t want too many distractions.
Ten days passed in a flash. Evan had already restored his Chaos Divine Power, and after the battle with the Third Elder, he felt his strength had improved again, though he was still far from breaking through to mid-stage God-Venerable.
He wasn’t fully confident about this forbidden-land expedition, but since he’d promised Mina to find Ghostshade Herb for her, he had to deliver. Keeping one’s word was crucial.
When Evan stepped out of his room, he found the Sea Dragon Hall Master and Silver Dragon already waiting for him, which surprised him. Maybe it was because he’d said they’d set out in ten days, so everyone was here on time.
"Linfeng, you look like you’ve recovered well. Are we heading to the forbidden land today?" the Sea Dragon Hall Master asked.
"Looks like you’re all ready too. No point delaying—let’s set out now! Hope we all come back safe!" Evan said with a smile.
The four of them flashed into the air, with the Sea Dragon Hall Master leading the way. Not just anyone could enter the Dragon Clan forbidden land—even the Hall Master had to pass through a barrier to get inside.
Soon, the Hall Master stopped. "Up ahead is the Sea Dragon Clan’s forbidden land. You’ll need to cross this barrier to enter! I’ll break it open in a moment—when I do, rush in quickly. The barrier’s power is intense; ordinary people can’t break through it."
Of course, there’s another entrance to the forbidden land, but you’d need the special key to open it. That key vanished years ago, so this is the only way in now."
Evan and the other three nodded, signaling they understood the Hall Master’s instructions. The Hall Master’s hands erupted with dazzling white light; with a gentle wave, the space before them violently trembled. Unless you looked closely, you wouldn’t notice the barrier had already been broken.
Though the Hall Master’s gesture seemed effortless, it actually required tremendous power. If only one person entered, he could break through easily, but for four, it took a huge amount of energy.
Once the barrier was broken, the pressure was immense. The opening quickly healed from both sides. In fact, the spatial pressure here surpassed even that of late-stage God-Venerable domain experts.
Evan and the other three didn’t waste time—they darted inside, followed quickly by the Hall Master. The barrier sealed up almost instantly, and sweat appeared on the Hall Master’s forehead, showing how much energy it had cost.
Once inside the forbidden land, a deep, eerie aura washed over them. Strange sounds echoed every so often, and the environment was so dark it sent chills down their spines.
All four spread out their divine sense. Even though this was only the outer area of the forbidden land, they didn’t dare let their guard down. Occasionally, bones littered the ground—remnants of those who’d entered and never left.
"Everyone, be careful. It’s easy to hallucinate in this forbidden land—you might mistake your companions for enemies and attack them. To avoid accidents caused by heart devils, let’s keep some distance from each other," the Hall Master said.
The four immediately spread out, but still moved deeper into the forbidden land. A cold wind blew, sending chills through them.
After about an hour, nothing strange had happened. The Hall Master said, "We’re now at the edge of the central zone. Be especially careful here—and Ghostshade Herb might show up nearby. Search thoroughly!"
Evan and Silver Dragon only had a vague idea of what Ghostshade Herb looked like, but neither asked for details. They figured it’d be something unusual, with a strong energy fluctuation.
Gradually, the four drifted apart, though their divine senses could still detect each other. A hazy mist appeared, making it harder to see.
At that moment, Evan couldn’t help but think of Jade Chu and Tom Chu. If they were here, finding Ghostshade Herb and seeing through illusions would be a breeze. Heart devils would never trouble them.
Evan felt a pang of regret. If only he’d sent them into the Timewheel Bracelet earlier, they could’ve helped after breaking through their tribulation. But regret was useless now—he could only face reality.
After a while, Evan heard a faint noise ahead. His heart jumped—could there be monsters here? He quickly moved to investigate, and what he saw next left him stunned...