The Chu Family's main gate swung open, and a mere servant at the third level of Body Tempering stepped into view. He calmly announced toward the carriage, "My patriarch invites you inside!"
After tossing out this line, the servant simply walked away on his own.
The Divine Sea–peak martial artist driving Ethan Xu’s carriage was stunned, and so were all the onlookers.
A dignified Core Formation master had arrived, yet Evan Chu sent only a third-level Body Tempering servant to open the door.
"Evan Chu must have given up hope and decided to go down swinging—sending a servant just to insult the other side!"
"Or maybe Evan Chu already ran off. I bet the Chu estate is empty by now!"
"Run? You think he could? My master once told me that a Core Formation expert develops spiritual sense, able to cover at least a kilometer. Evan Chu couldn’t escape even if he tried!"
While the martial artists in Gracefield Town were busy speculating, the Divine Sea–peak driver’s face grew darker. He turned back toward the carriage and said, "Mr. Xu, Evan Chu is really too much—sending only a servant to greet you."
"No need. Why bother with a dead man?" came a cold, indifferent voice from inside the carriage, carrying a faint sense of authority.
"Go!"
The Divine Sea–peak martial artist snapped the whip and drove the carriage straight into the Chu estate.
Just as the carriage entered the estate, the wide-open gates slammed shut, cutting off the view of everyone outside.
The carriage rolled forward, passing the Chu Family’s Martial Arena Plaza and into the outer courtyard. Just as it was about to enter the inner court, the Divine Sea–late driver abruptly stopped.
Standing calmly a few meters ahead was a tall, handsome young man in white robes.
"Are you Evan Chu?"
The Divine Sea–peak driver glared at him, a flash of anger in his eyes.
Evan ignored him and instead shouted toward the carriage, "Is a Core Formation master some bashful maiden? You’ve already entered my Chu estate and still don’t dare show your face? Or are you just too ugly to meet people?"
"You’re insolent! Courting death!"
With a furious shout, the Divine Sea–peak driver leapt from the carriage, lunging straight at Evan.
"Splurt!"
A flash of sword light—midair, the charging Divine Sea–peak expert’s body split cleanly in two, crashing to the ground in a spray of blood and organs.
"You’ve got some nerve!"
The carriage door swung open, and Ethan Xu stepped out—a stern-faced, black-robed man in his early forties. He looked down at Evan and said, "Do you realize your actions have already enraged me?"
"Oh? So what if I have?" Evan replied playfully.
"It means you might have had a sliver of hope just now, but now you’re dead for sure. Regretting it yet?" Ethan Xu’s face twisted into a mocking smile.
In truth, even if Evan hadn’t killed the Divine Sea–peak driver, Ethan would have done it himself. He was only saying this to indulge his cat-and-mouse mentality.
"Why should I regret anything?" Evan scoffed.
Ethan Xu paused. "Aren’t you afraid of death?"
"Of course I’m afraid of dying, but I don’t think you’re capable of killing me!" Evan grinned.
Ethan Xu was so angry, he laughed. "You’re confident, but also foolish. You have no idea how vast the gap is between Divine Sea and Core Formation!"
"No," Evan shook his head. "You have no idea what it means to step into the Chu estate."
"Oh? What, is this supposed to be some kind of dragon’s lair?"
Ethan Xu looked momentarily uncertain, then released his spiritual sense to cover a kilometer around. Finding nothing unusual, he relaxed—though he was annoyed that he’d almost let this kid’s bluff rattle him.
Evan smiled. "Not a dragon’s lair—something far scarier. From the moment you entered, your life and death are no longer under your control. Only I decide whether you live or die."
Ethan Xu chuckled. "Enough with your little tricks, kid. Tell me—how do you want to die?"
Evan’s expression turned oddly amused. "You really think I’m just bluffing?"
"Still playing games at this point? You’re asking for death!"
Star‑Snatching Moon‑Grasping Hand!!
In the next instant, Ethan Xu reached out—a surge of energy twisted through the air, and a giant jade-white hand formed overhead, radiating invisible pressure that made the air itself thick and heavy.
If a Divine Sea–peak expert were caught in this environment, even moving would become extremely difficult.
In the next instant, the jade-white hand swept down, grabbing straight for Evan’s head.
But just as the giant hand was about to seize him, Evan’s body scattered into starlight and vanished.
"What—what’s going on?"
His confident grab came up empty, leaving Ethan Xu surprised—and with a growing sense of dread.
He released his spiritual sense again, but to his shock, there was no trace of Evan within a kilometer—nor a single Chu Family member anywhere.
"A formation!" Ethan Xu’s heart skipped a beat as he realized the possibility.
"I told you—once you stepped into the Chu estate, your life and death were no longer your own. Do you believe me now?"
A voice echoed down from the sky.
Ethan Xu looked up and saw Evan floating a hundred meters in the air, watching him with a mocking smile.
"Die!"
Ethan Xu unleashed Star‑Snatching Moon‑Grasping Hand again.
But once again, his grasp caught nothing.
His unease grew stronger by the second.
"Splurt!"
Suddenly, a foot-long wind blade appeared out of nowhere and sliced off his left arm with ease.
Agonizing pain shot through him, making Ethan Xu stagger.
"Bastard!"
He roared, swinging his remaining arm and unleashing a tangible fist imprint that blasted outward, seeming to shatter the buildings around him. But as the scene rippled, the destroyed structures instantly returned to normal—like an illusion.
"Don’t waste your strength. Without my permission, you can’t even harm a single blade of grass here!" Evan hovered in midair, looking down at him with disdain.
"Die!"
Unwilling to accept defeat, Ethan Xu attacked Evan again—but it was just as futile as before.
"Now, I’ll ask you a question. If your answer satisfies me, I might spare your life. If not, you die!" Evan’s voice turned icy cold.
After a long silence, Ethan Xu replied, "Ask."
Evan asked, "Do you know what my father went through after he ran away from home at sixteen?"
"You’re just toying with me!" Ethan Xu roared in anger. There was no way he knew what Thomas Chu had experienced.
"So you don’t know." Disappointment flashed in Evan’s eyes. "In that case, you die!"
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of green wind blades appeared around Ethan Xu. Though he tried to defend himself, erupting his energy to form a thick protective shield,
the wind blades sliced through his shield like tofu, then cut him into dozens of bloody pieces.
Outside the Chu estate, the gathered martial artists were waiting anxiously. Suddenly, the gates swung open again.
A pair of guards stepped out, splitting into two lines to flank the gate.
"Hey, brother guard, how’s the Chu Family holding up now?"
A martial artist stepped forward and asked one of the guards.