Evan Chu glanced at the figure before him—it was indeed a soul projection, just as Luna had described. This was a spirit body, but its form was already half-real, half-illusory; in a few more years, it might actually restore its true body.
"Venerable Solus, you went to such lengths to drag me into the Divine Battlefield—what exactly do you want to explain? Why couldn't you just tell me in the Azure Tide Ruins? Are you really expecting me to break open the void of this Divine Battlefield and send you back to your original world?" Evan demanded.
"Breaking open the void is indeed my ultimate goal, but your current strength is far too weak to achieve that. You have three years. If, after three years, you haven't reached the power to shatter the void, then everyone close to you will vanish from this world because of you," Venerable Solus replied coldly.
Evan's face changed instantly at these words, fury erupting sky-high. The Frostbane Sword in his hand trembled violently. "What did you say? You dare threaten my family? Are you courting death?"
A dragon's reverse scale—Evan's family was his reverse scale. No matter what his loved ones did to him, he would defend them at all costs. That was why, back then, he had fought the City Lord's Mansion experts for the sake of his notorious second uncle.
"Frostbane, don't play games with me. I'll be blunt—even if you reached the ninth layer of the Saint Martial Realm, you'd still be no match for me. Killing you would be all too easy. But right now, I can't kill you. If you can't shatter the void in three years, that's when you and your family die," Venerable Solus repeated coldly.
At this, Evan's hand holding the Frostbane Sword sagged helplessly. Not even a ninth-layer Saint Martial expert could rival this guy—just what realm had Solus reached now?
"Right now I can't even break through to the Saint Martial Realm—how could I possibly help you shatter the void? You've got the wrong person. I can't do it, so go find someone else!" Evan protested.
"In all the world, only you, Frostbane, can accomplish this. To break into the Saint Martial Realm, you need the Netherghost Violet Orchid—but that's not the main point. Only in the Netherworld can you truly break through and gain the power to shatter the void. Frostbane, if you complete this task, I promise to spare your friends and family. Here—this is the map to the Netherworld entrance. The rest is up to you!" Venerable Solus finished, producing a scroll from his hand.
Evan took the scroll, glanced at it, and said, "So the entrance is in the Divine Battlefield too? How am I supposed to get back? Without the help of the Scarlet Phoenix and Obsidian Tortoise, I can't break through the barrier into the Netherworld at all."
"After you've spent some time in the Divine Battlefield, you'll naturally discover a way out. This place is a trial ground—and there are still eight ferocious beasts waiting for you. I actually prepared all these beasts for you back then. You ought to thank me!" Venerable Solus said.
Evan felt unsettled. According to this guy, he'd set everything up ten thousand years ago—this kind of foresight was just too terrifying.
"If I go to the Netherworld and the Demon Generals attack my sect, then what? You need to give me a promise, or I won't go. I bet you're even more desperate to escape to another world than I am!" Evan insisted.
"Don't worry—until you return from the Netherworld, none of them will attack your sect. But if you fail your mission, then the moment you come back might be the sect's extermination. Think it over carefully! By the way, the Divine Battlefield really does contain the Wind Spirit Pearl and Thunder Spirit Pearl. Search well!" Venerable Solus replied.
Evan was about to ask something else, but Solus's figure vanished in an instant, as if he'd never been there at all—truly bizarre.
Another three-year pact. Evan felt like these three-year contracts kept finding him—but this time, the stakes were way higher. At any moment, his sect could be destroyed and his loved ones wiped out.
He looked around at the shattered stones covering the ground. A gust of wind swept through, kicking up sand and dust until the air was thick with smoke and flying debris—he couldn't see a thing. Evan quickly teleported into the sky, scanned the distance, and then vanished.
"Evan, there really are Wind Spirit Pearl and Thunder Spirit Pearl here. You need to find a way to get them. Once you master Windshift and Thundershift, even if you haven't broken through to the Saint Martial Realm, your strength should reach the eighth layer of the Saint Martial Realm. And if you refine all the demon cores you've obtained, you might get some unexpected gains," Luna said.
"Windshift? Thundershift? If I master those two, does that mean you can finally get your body back?" Evan asked.
"Restoring my body does require you to master all seven transformations, and you also need to reach the Ascension stage. Don't rush it—first, focus on finding the Heavenward Spirit Water and the Wind and Thunder Spirit Pearls," Luna replied.
"Getting these things is easier said than done. The Divine Battlefield is full of danger, and I don't even know the exact locations—it's like searching for a needle in a haystack. I don't know where the exit is either; it's really like the heavens are sealed above and the earth is sealed below," Evan said, feeling frustrated.
"Heh, Evan, why are you acting so defeated? Don't forget—the Frostbane Sword still has the Demon Lord sealed inside, and the Flame Dragon Sword holds the Fire Dragon, who fought in the last Divine Battlefield war. They know this place way better than you do. Even after ten thousand years, they should still be able to point you in the right direction. Try asking them both, and then compare their answers for the most accurate location," Luna advised.
Hearing this, Evan suddenly saw the light. Maybe the weight of responsibility had left him so overwhelmed that he didn't know where to start, and he'd completely overlooked the obvious. It's just like they say: the onlooker sees clearly, while those involved are lost in the fog.
Immediately, Evan took out the Frostbane Sword from his storage ring and tried to communicate with the Demon Lord inside. But after a long while, there was no response at all, leaving him a bit disappointed.
He quickly pulled out the Flame Dragon Sword and tried communicating with the Fire Dragon. This time, he succeeded. "Fire Dragon, do you know the specifics of the Divine Battlefield? Where exactly is the Heavenward Spirit Water? And where can I find the Wind Spirit Pearl and Thunder Spirit Pearl?"
The Fire Dragon, hearing Evan's questions, immediately asked, "What do you need those things for? I do know about the Heavenward Spirit Water—it's in a canyon inside the Divine Battlefield. That canyon is extremely strange; anyone entering it will have their strength cut by more than half, and there's a powerful miasma inside."
"But as for the Wind Spirit Pearl and Thunder Spirit Pearl, I don't know. I only know there's a Thunder Pool and a Heavenly Wind Valley in the Divine Battlefield. I'm not sure if what you're looking for is connected to those two places..."