In the Death Crystal Field, that strange nightly sound drew many people, but no one could track down its true source. Some said it might be coming from deep within the Death Crystal Field.
This made those who came to watch the commotion stop at the edge, afraid they might stumble into some hidden space or strange place and get trapped inside.
In these seemingly turbulent shadows, a masked man watched the scene before him, his face twisted into an expression no one else could see.
"What’s wrong? Getting scared?" A voice laughed from inside a nearby formation.
"No, it’s just... Master, the sounds you made these past years have already alerted some Spirit-Wandering experts. I’m worried they’ll notice something strange here." The masked man, Warren Wong, said anxiously.
"Them? Hmph, laughable. Even the so-called top expert of the continent didn’t find me. I’ve already shed my golden cicada shell. Once I recover my peak strength and reclaim my body, my power will multiply. By then, even if he’s the continent’s number one, he won’t be able to do a thing to me." The voice inside the formation sounded full of disdain.
"Yeah." Right now, Warren wasn’t even sure if he was doing the right thing. But as long as this master grew stronger and could kill Evan Yang, it didn’t matter what happened to the continent or Evan in the future. Whatever evil this strange being in the formation did, it was none of his business. If anyone was to blame, it was all Evan Yang’s fault.
"Don’t worry. Once I finish devouring the remaining primordial spirits and restore my peak Spirit-Wandering Realm strength, I’ll help you break through to the Spirit-Wandering Realm. By then, taking care of that filthy beggar will be a piece of cake." Sensing Warren’s odd expression, the master laughed.
This was exactly what Warren wanted to hear, so he quickly replied, "Thank you, Master."
"Mm, go on then. In a few more years, I’ll be able to come out. When the time comes, I’ll have some fun with those Blue Clan juniors, reclaim my body, and challenge that so-called top expert again. If I can devour his power too, heh, it’ll benefit both you and me." The master’s voice sounded downright sinister.
Warren Wong nodded, then left the area. The person behind him fell silent again, continuing to absorb primordial spirit energy.
He found the tunnel and walked along it step by step, taking nearly half a day to leave. He arrived at the old Wong Clan mine, which was deserted except for a conspicuous tombstone—his father's.
"Dad, soon I'll bring him here as an offering for you." Warren stared at the tombstone and recalled his first encounter with that strange man.
The Wong Clan discovered this place long ago, along with a secret cave known only to three people: the discoverer, the clan patriarch, and Warren. Fearing leaks, the patriarch killed the discoverer, leaving only himself and Warren in on the secret.
Once, the clan patriarch brought Warren into the secret cave, following its tunnel to a hidden location.
There, Warren saw a terrifying man for the first time—someone who devoured cultivators' power to strengthen himself, surrounded by countless bugs that made Warren's skin crawl and nearly vomit.
But his father often captured people and brought them here for the monster to consume.
When Warren asked his father why he helped such a person, his father said that man could grant them great power. Warren was deeply influenced, and from then on, often accompanied his father.
After his father's death, Warren desperately needed strength to rival Evan Yang and defeat him, so he returned here. When the monster learned of the patriarch's death, he was shocked, but accepted Warren's request and made him the new emissary, granting him greater power.
With this boost, Warren gained immense confidence, eventually forgetting how many times he'd helped the monster, how many Soul-Forming cultivators he'd killed, and how many primordial spirits he'd seized for the monster to devour.
Back then, when weak cultivators were devoured, the monster recovered slowly. But after swallowing powerful ones, his aura grew stronger, and Warren benefited more and more.
This was why Warren kept serving the monster—even though his father had once warned him. After Evan Yang appeared and ruined the Wong Clan, Warren forgot those warnings entirely.
"Dad, don't blame me. I can't help myself. For you and my brother, I want him dead. That's why I seek power—so it's all Evan Yang's fault." Warren sighed helplessly after these thoughts.
Immersed in memories, Warren stayed there until midnight, when that voice sounded again and snapped him out of it. "I hope no one can discover where these screams come from," he muttered.
Warren knew the owner of that voice was the monster he served. Because it had absorbed so much power in recent years, every midnight it would go mad and howl frantically.
The reason it hadn't been discovered was because the monster hid somewhere in the Death Crystal Field. Even if someone entered, the place was shrouded in mist, and only Warren could reach it through a secret passage.
This was Warren's most direct way to meet the monster.
"Evan Yang, once he emerges, I'll reach Spirit-Wandering Realm. Then I'll show you what I'm capable of!" Warren, long used to the screams, snorted inwardly and left.
Aside from this, another major event erupted in the Death Crystal Field. The headquarters of the Free Alliance, located at its outskirts and protected by a massive formation, was not a place anyone could breach—even Spirit-Wandering experts had to attack with full force to damage it.
Ten people appeared simultaneously at the entrance of the formation.
"Have you confirmed everything?" the Blue Clan Patriarch asked Benson Blue.
Benson Blue nodded. "Yes, I've confirmed it. Evan Yang came here several years ago and never left."
"Good, if he's really here, I want to see how the Free Alliance can protect him!" The Blue Clan Patriarch smiled, then greeted the eight people behind him before starting to attack the formation.
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Soon, two people emerged from inside the formation.
Both were Spirit-Wandering experts, usually responsible for security. Hearing commotion outside, they rushed out and were shocked to see ten Spirit-Wandering experts.
One of them spoke up, "What do you mean by this?"
"You're from the Free Alliance, right? Just hand over Evan Yang, or the ten of us will attack!" The Blue Clan Patriarch, with eight helpers plus himself and his brother, spoke confidently and demanded Evan Yang.
"Evan Yang? Who?" The two exchanged glances, as if they had no idea who Evan Yang was.
Benson Blue frowned when he saw their confusion. "Don't play dumb. I've already investigated. Years ago, someone called White Wolf brought a beggar inside. That beggar never came out, and he's Evan Yang!"
Both were Spirit-Wandering cultivators, so their memories were sharp. They quickly recalled the incident—someone had entered and never left. Now, ten Spirit-Wandering experts were here for him.
"Wait here, I'll check for you." Knowing these ten were no ordinary people, one of them said, leaving the other behind and heading inside alone.
He quickly found Vice Alliance Master Grant. When Grant heard what was happening outside, his eyes turned cold. "You said ten?"
"Yes, two early Spirit-Wandering, six about our level, and the other two are likely mid-stage or higher," the man replied.
"Damn it, who could it be! Come on, let's take a look." Grant hadn't expected so many Spirit-Wandering experts to show up at the Free Alliance just for Evan Yang.
Grant walked a few steps, then paused and told the man to wait a bit longer. He left briefly, then returned with five more people.
Together, they headed outside.
Vice Alliance Master Grant brought five Spirit-Wandering experts, plus the original two, making seven. The Free Alliance was a terrifying organization—not like the Blue Clan group, who were allies with separate interests.
"Why are they taking so long!" Benson Blue asked impatiently, turning to the person left behind.
"Please wait, you'll have an answer soon." The man was deeply frustrated, facing ten experts alone—most stronger than him. If they wanted, they could kill him instantly.
The Blue Clan Patriarch was impatient, but endured, waiting for an answer from inside. If the Free Alliance refused to give face and insisted on protecting Evan Yang, he was ready to risk everything and storm in with his group.
According to Benson Blue, ten Spirit-Wandering experts were enough to challenge the Alliance, since they could only field about that many at once. Benson was confident, but secretly hoped the Blue Clan wouldn't break with them—because the Alliance had two terrifying peak experts, both at Spirit-Wandering peak, who rarely appeared unless the Alliance faced a crisis.
Still, there was no guarantee those two wouldn't show up if the Alliance was besieged by ten Spirit-Wandering experts.
So at this moment, Benson Blue hoped the Alliance would just hand the person over and avoid escalating the situation.
Just then, seven people came out—one who'd gone in earlier, and six new arrivals.
Grant and his group emerged to see ten formidable Spirit-Wandering experts. He frowned, "What do you mean by this?"
"I am the Blue Clan Patriarch, representing the Blue Clan. I wish to request a person from the Free Alliance," the patriarch said, seeing Grant's status and stepping forward quickly.
"Blue Clan? Are you all from the Blue Clan?" Grant was startled—when had the Blue Clan produced so many Spirit-Wandering experts?
Benson Blue explained, "These are friends of the Blue Clan. They're just accompanying us. We hope the Free Alliance will give us face and hand over the person we want."
"Who do you want?" Grant, now aware of their identities, acted as if he didn't know and asked anyway.