"Where... where are you going?"
Seeing Evan Lin about to leave, Yvonne Ding couldn't help but ask.
"To the ends of the earth."
Evan Lin yawned, too lazy to pay her any attention.
If Green Hair hadn't provoked him, Evan wouldn't have bothered killing them all.
As for Carter Cheng and the rest, that was Yvonne Ding's business—Evan had no interest in it.
Yvonne Ding stared blankly at Evan Lin's departing figure, lost in thought for a long moment before she finally snapped out of it.
The heavy stench of blood in the air made Yvonne Ding collapse to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
"What did you say? Green Hair and his whole crew are dead!"
Inside Northstar Bar, Carter Cheng—his hand still roaming inside Ruby Ding's clothes—looked at the man in front of him, frowning deeply as his expression turned dark.
Green Hair had been Carter Cheng's lackey for years, always handling the dirty and exhausting jobs Carter didn't want to do himself.
To Carter, Green Hair was just a dog—but at least he was a convenient one.
And now, just like that, he was dead.
As Carter Cheng heard the news, a flash of anger crossed his mind.
Even a dog has its master!
Who did it? Where did it happen?
Carter Cheng held back his fury. In his worldview, the more you suppress your anger, the more explosive it becomes when you finally let it out.
The man in front of Carter trembled with fear.
He was the manager of Northstar Bar. Tonight, the bar was hosting Carter Cheng and a bunch of Leighton City's rich kids—a great business opportunity.
But out of nowhere, disaster struck.
"It looks like... it looks like it was the driver who brought Yvonne Ding. The guy in the black car," the manager stammered.
The black car was still parked outside, unmoved.
When the manager went out, all he saw was Yvonne Ding's deathly pale face. The ground was covered in mangled flesh, as if something had gnawed on it—downright terrifying.
"When did Yvonne start knowing someone so badass? No way!" Ruby Ding frowned.
Yvonne Ding had always been bullied and ignored in the Ding family, mostly because she had no one backing her up.
If someone that fierce suddenly popped up behind Yvonne, Ruby would be the last to believe it.
"Maybe this was aimed at me. If it really was that black car driver..."
Carter Cheng pondered, then said slowly, "Get in touch with Ryan Cao. He should've seen the guy."
"Also, send Yvonne Ding home. At a time like this, I don't want any trouble because of her. Old Madam Ding's eyes are still on me."
"As for Green Hair's death, investigate thoroughly. There'll be a reward for whoever finds out!"
Carter Cheng's voice was icy.
"Yes, sir!"
A crowd of underlings immediately started searching for the black car driver.
...
Wearing a backpack and a baseball cap.
Evan Lin checked into a hotel.
"Three days from now, go to Magnolia Manor on the outskirts of Leighton City for tournament qualification."
"But right now, these herbs are the real priority."
Evan pulled out the ten century-old wild ginseng roots from his bag.
Ginseng like this wasn't even worthy of the word 'spiritual.' The ninth-grade spiritual herb he'd used before was technically a kind of ginseng too, not especially old, but since it had started developing intelligence, its medicinal power was fierce. It had instantly pushed Evan from third-layer qi refining all the way to the peak.
He was just one step away from Foundation Establishment.
"Ten century-old ginseng roots are just a little boost. With my current cultivation, I could break through to Foundation Establishment anytime—but if I do it before tempering my body and marrow, my spiritual foundation will be weak, and that'll hold me back in the future."
Evan calmed his mind.
Unlike others who only chase raw power.
As the Nine Mysteries Immortal Lord, Evan knew better than anyone how vital a solid foundation was for cultivation.
He'd once seen a guy stay in the qi-refining realm for a hundred years, only breaking through to Foundation Establishment when his lifespan was nearly up.
At that point, even with just Foundation Establishment, he could withstand a Golden Core expert's strike. That shows how crucial a strong foundation is.
Evan cleared his mind of distractions and popped all ten ginseng roots into his mouth.
Instantly, the ten roots transformed into ten waves of medicinal force, merging into Evan's blood and meridians.
Each wave felt weak at first, but when they combined, Evan's meridians tingled with a rush of comfort.
The dragon mark on his left hand, always dormant, didn't react at all to these waves.
Last time, when digesting the ninth-grade spiritual herb, the dragon mark had boosted absorption and made the effect much stronger.
But this time, it did absolutely nothing—like it had gone into deep sleep.
A long while passed.
Mist-like true qi slowly began to roll off Evan, swirling around him and condensing into droplets, almost tangible.
The swirling mist of true qi quickly drew out the Three Maiden Spirits.
But they all kept their distance, eyes wide with shock as they stared at Evan.
That seemingly ordinary mist was packed with overwhelming spiritual force.
Each wave of spiritual force felt like morning bells and evening drums, making you want to kneel without even realizing it.
...
Three days later.
Evan Lin slowly opened his eyes.
"The ten ginseng roots were fully absorbed on the first day, but now when I run the Grand Dao Qi-Refining Art, something feels different inside my body."
"The true qi that used to be as thin as a thread is now like a roaring river. I hadn't noticed this before."
Evan frowned, thinking it over, but couldn't figure it out.
To be honest, the Grand Dao Qi-Refining Art had always struck Evan as a freakishly powerful technique.
Only this time did Evan realize the art was suffused with vast righteous qi—an aura that normal people could never cultivate.
Even back then, as the Nine Mysteries Immortal Lord, the vast righteous qi in his whole body was only about the same as what he had now.
"Whatever the case, my strength has improved again. Time to head to Magnolia Manor and see what I can get out of it."
Evan showered, changed into fresh clothes, and finally headed out.
He took a taxi straight to Magnolia Manor.
The manor was located on the outskirts of Leighton City, surrounded by mountains and lush forests, with a private road winding up to the main gate.
Security was tight, with more than a dozen guards at the entrance, all looking tough and alert.
Evan Lin got out of the car, handed the driver a tip, and walked toward the gate with a calm expression.
"Name and affiliation?" a guard asked, eyes sharp.
"Evan Lin. Solo participant," Evan replied.
The guard checked the list, then nodded. "Go in."
Evan entered Magnolia Manor, taking in the elegant gardens and luxurious buildings.
A crowd had already gathered in the main hall—young masters and ladies from all over, each one looking extraordinary.
Evan found a quiet corner and waited.
Soon, a middle-aged man in a suit strode in, his aura imposing. "Welcome, everyone, to Magnolia Manor. I'm the host, Mr. Ding."
He glanced around the room, his gaze pausing on Evan Lin for a split second before moving on.
"The rules are simple: only those who pass the preliminary round can qualify for the main tournament. If you have any questions, ask now. Otherwise, follow me."