"Kid, how are you feeling now?" Old Xu grinned at Evan Chu.
"Not dead yet, but my chest hurts a bit. By the way, old man, do you have any medicine for soul injuries? Get me some." Evan finished speaking and started to get out of bed.
"Soul injuries? That kind of medicine is super rare. I don't have any right now. Did you really get your soul hurt? Just chill here and rest for now. I know what you’re up to—bet you just want to go see those pretty ladies of yours, right?" Old Xu squinted, grinning mischievously at Evan.
"I do want to see them. How about you come with me? I’ll introduce you—then you can look after them for me in the future."
"Sort your own mess out first. You only just got back—spill it, what happened? If you don’t give me a good explanation, you’re toast this time."
"Uh, well, right now I’m a bit hungry. Go get me something to eat. Once I’m full, I promise I’ll give you a proper answer!" Evan was stalling for time—he still hadn’t figured out what to say.
Old Xu and Marcus Gongsun were speechless. This kid really feared nothing—he even dared to boss the dean around. He was probably the first in Heavenly Dragon Academy to pull that off.
"Kid, be serious. You’re the number one genius of Heavenly Dragon Academy now—the royal family will soon hear about the results of this tournament. Do you realize you’ll be leaving the Academy soon?" Old Xu said solemnly.
"The royal family, huh? I think you mentioned before—Heavenly Dragon Academy exists to train talent for them. Now that you’ve raised a genius like me, you must be thrilled, right? Bet you’ll get loads of rewards. Don’t forget to share some with me when the time comes." Evan looked completely unconcerned.
The two elders nearly coughed up blood from frustration. This was a critical moment—Evan Chu had killed the Sea Dragon Kingdom’s Third Prince. Revenge was inevitable, and soon the whole world would be hunting him. The consequences were obvious.
Dragoncrest Kingdom obviously won’t go to war with Sea Dragon Kingdom just for one genius. Weighing the interests, they’ll choose to sacrifice Evan Chu. But this guy doesn’t seem to feel any danger at all—he’s infuriating.
"Kid, you’re in deep trouble and you don’t even get it. You’ve got the guts to joke around—I swear, I wanna punch you!" Marcus Gongsun snapped.
Seeing their faces, Evan got the gist and straightened up. "If soldiers come, I’ll block them; if water floods, I’ll dam it. Even if Sea Dragon Kingdom hunts me, I’m not gonna spend my days scared out of my mind. If they dare come, I’ll kill them. What’s there to worry about?"
Evan spoke lightly on the surface, but inside he knew how serious things were. With his current strength, he was just an ant before true experts—surviving would be extremely tough.
"Good mindset, but you’re overestimating yourself. A single Heaven Martial Realm first-layer expert could kill you a hundred times over. In Sea Dragon Kingdom, there are tons of people like that. Do you really think you can escape?" Old Xu said.
"Alright, I don’t want to think about it for now. I’m actually starving, and I’m filthy all over. Let me wash up and eat first—we’ll talk later." Evan said, getting out of bed and heading for the exit of the secret chamber.
"Fine! We’re just warning you. There are Sea Dragon Academy people inside Heavenly Dragon Academy too—don’t get ambushed without even knowing it. Stay alert. The bath and food are ready—go on!" Old Xu said helplessly.
Evan Chu smiled and walked straight out of the secret chamber. The wounds on his body had already scabbed over, some had fully healed without a trace—astonishing both elders.
"If this kid can survive this disaster, I believe he’ll become one of Dragoncrest Kingdom’s top experts. Such terrifying recovery and composure in a crisis—very few people can do that."
"Who knows what trouble he’ll run into at the royal court this time? I think I’d better go with him—at least I can protect him on the way," Marcus Gongsun said.
"This trip is full of danger. Even if you go, I won’t be at ease. I’ll go instead—you stay at the Academy. News from the royal capital will come within ten days at most."
Right then, Evan was soaking in a huge wooden tub, slowly scrubbing away blood and grime. In his mind, he was puzzling over why the golden dragon phantom had appeared—and now vanished without a trace.
"Evan, the golden dragon phantom showed up because, at your most critical moment, you suddenly triggered a bit of your bloodline power—just a sliver of awakening. That power faded naturally after your attack." Luna’s voice sounded in his mind; she understood Evan’s thoughts perfectly.
"This is actually bad for you. It can help you out of a crisis temporarily, but every bit you use is gone for good. Unless you fully awaken your bloodline, there’s no way to recover it," Luna said, knowing exactly what Evan was thinking.
"Luna, let’s talk about the bloodline stuff later. What about my soul injury—do you have any way to fix it? Turns out using Heart-Sword against someone stronger than me has brutal backlash," Evan asked urgently, knowing Luna’s experience would help.
"There is a way, but not right now. You’ll need medicine that boosts mental force—stuff as rare as the Soul Snow Grass I need. Maybe you’ll find it at big city auctions. For now, just don’t use Heart-Sword," Luna replied.
Afterward, Evan pulled a clean white robe from his storage ring, got dressed, and left the bath to demolish the meal waiting for him.
Soon, full and satisfied, he headed straight for Roxanne Lin’s residential area. The women surely knew about his situation, but since he’d been in the dean’s secret chamber, no one dared ask directly—they must be worried sick.
From a distance, he could hear voices inside the room—girls and a few guys. Evan smiled and pushed open the door, joking, "Are you all talking behind my back?"
No one expected Evan to show up. Dressed in spotless white, looking full of energy, he didn’t look at all like someone who’d barely survived.
Everyone stared at him, half thinking it was a hallucination. Evan walked right in, grinning. "So cold, huh? Maybe I should just leave." He even pretended to step back out.
"Evan, you’re okay?" Jenny Sima was the first to speak. Instantly, all four women burst into tears of joy and rushed to Evan’s side.
"I’m fine! I’m your man—if I died, what would you all do? Stop crying, I’m standing right here, aren’t I?" Evan said, turning to close the door.
"Boss, as long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters! We were worried sick—your ‘sister-in-law’ squad hasn’t slept in days!" Sterling Yates blurted out.
Seeing the red-rimmed eyes of his brothers and women, Evan felt a sudden, indescribable emotion. With brothers and women like these, his life was already worth it...