Location of the Free Alliance Eastern‑Continent Base

The three guardians' opinion of Evan Yang soared yet again. In their hearts, they all hoped Evan would join the Free Alliance—if he did, they'd surely gain another Spirit-Wandering expert, maybe even someone who could rival the Blue Clan.

Of course, this was only their speculation. They placed high hopes on Evan, but he himself had no idea that he'd become so important to these people.

After returning to Jax Jia and the others, Xin Jiang immediately pressed Evan about the white-robed man's identity. Evan explained, but didn't reveal their true purpose.

When Xin Jiang and the others heard that the white-robed man was one of the guardians stationed at this stronghold, they were shocked and found it hard to believe.

But that was the truth. Evan didn't bother to explain further. Since he needed to find them easily in five days, he decided not to leave and instead met many old acquaintances here.

Brandon Tu, Tiger Sun, and others—Tiger Sun had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm, and the Rising Sun Sect disciples had all improved significantly. During this period, Evan personally tested some of their abilities.

So Evan stayed at the stronghold for a few days. During this time, he received a lot of news.

The Blue Clan was in an uproar. When they heard Evan Yang had appeared in Myriad City and at Jinxiu Peak, they refused to believe it and sent people to both places to investigate.

At Jinxiu Peak, they found the sect master unable to use any spiritual power, confirming that Evan had really been there. The Blue Clan was baffled by how he managed to show up, and as for whether to keep breaking the Shadowhand Guild's Immortal-grade formation, they began making new plans.

Not only did the Blue Clan face upheaval, but the Huang Clan was also thrown into chaos. And the cause of all these major events was just one person—Evan Yang.

Evan Yang's reputation soared yet again. Some versions of the story claimed that after just over a decade of cultivation, he was already only a step away from the Spirit-Wandering Realm—news that left everyone stunned.

"That news travels fast," Evan said with a smile when Xin Jiang brought it up.

"I never expected you'd cause so much trouble again." Xin Jiang admitted she could barely see through Evan anymore—she had no idea how he cultivated, or where he found the nerve to provoke both the Blue Clan and Huang Clan.

"They started it, so they have to pay the price." Evan felt no guilt at all. If they hadn't provoked him in the first place, none of this would have happened.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed." Xin Jiang was now completely convinced by Evan's strength—and her hopes for him grew even stronger. She eagerly looked forward to the day Evan would reach the Spirit-Wandering Realm, so he could finally use that mysterious Wyrm-Shell Drill.

Evan just smiled. On the fifth day, he told Xin Jiang and the others that he had matters to attend to and needed to leave, reminding them to stay cautious.

His sudden departure made everyone curious, but Evan's overwhelming strength quickly reassured them.

Evan then headed to the mountain cave, where Wyatt Wolf was already waiting. Wyatt smiled and said, "Come, I'll take you there."

Evan nodded, and the two of them left the stronghold together.

"Where's the real core of your Alliance?" Evan asked Wyatt Wolf after days of travel, but they hadn't seen a single person along the way.

"You'll know soon enough," Wyatt Wolf said with a smile, leading Evan onward.

They stopped at a certain spot. Evan frowned and asked, "Here?"

"Yes," Wyatt Wolf nodded.

"Why is your Alliance's core in the Death Crystal Field?" Evan had now arrived at the gorge—he remembered finding three fragmented souls here before, and was shocked to return to this place again.

"Don't worry, it's not inside, just at the edge. Just follow me, and whatever you do, don't get separated—there are many powerful cultivators training here, and you could accidentally stumble into someone's private space." Wyatt Wolf warned Evan.

Evan knew well how terrifying the Death Crystal Field was—so far, it was the most extraordinary place he'd ever seen. Nothing could fly here; everyone had to travel by land.

Seeing Evan agree, Wyatt Wolf led the way, with Evan following close behind. Along the route, they passed many mines, but most were abandoned.

Wyatt Wolf led Evan through twists and turns, passing many places. In Evan's eyes, they weren't heading straight into the Death Crystal Field, but rather circling around its edge.

Evan didn't ask further, simply following Wyatt Wolf until, after most of the day, they arrived at a forest. At the entrance stood two statues.

The two statues were shaped like fierce beasts.

Wyatt Wolf touched one of the beast statues, then turned to Evan and said, "Stay close to me—don't go the wrong way. If you stumble into a formation, even a master array-crafter like you might not get out."

"Alright." Evan was curious—what kind of formation could be set up in the forest?

Seeing Evan agree, Wyatt Wolf led him step by step inside. Evan followed closely, activating Heaven's Eye Sight to observe the surroundings. He soon realized this was indeed a formation—and not an ordinary one. The haze in front of him meant it surpassed ninth-grade formations.

Evan had no choice but to stay close behind Wyatt Wolf. They spent about an hour inside before finally reaching the tunnel entrance.

At the tunnel entrance, Wyatt Wolf stopped and called out, "Wyatt Wolf of the Eastern-Continent Base has arrived."

It seemed there was a dedicated guard inside. As soon as he heard the call, a flash of light appeared at the tunnel entrance. Wyatt Wolf turned to Evan and said, "Come, follow me."

Evan followed Wyatt Wolf inside, immediately sensing several powerful auras—one of them obviously belonged to a Spirit-Wandering Realm expert.

"A Spirit-Wandering expert?" Evan muttered.

"Yes, there are two Spirit-Wandering experts guarding the entrance," Wyatt Wolf replied.

Guarding the entrance with Spirit-Wandering experts—Evan was speechless. The Free Alliance really was powerful.

The path ahead surprised Evan. Once inside, there was a pattern to the route—if you stepped off, something strange might happen.

"This is a mechanism the Free Alliance acquired long ago. We don't know who built it, but everyone agrees it's powerful—strong enough to injure even Spirit-Wandering experts," Wyatt Wolf explained as he led the way.

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Even Spirit-Wandering experts could get hurt? Evan wondered what kind of mechanisms were hidden here to have such power. He didn't try anything, just kept following Wyatt Wolf, who explained each checkpoint as they went.

Evan passed through many tunnels and traps, finally arriving at a grand hall carved inside the mountain.

At the very center of the hall, several characters were engraved: "Free Alliance."

The force behind those words was obvious—Evan could tell the engraver must have been at least Spirit-Wandering. With his current cultivation, carving such deeply etched, detailed characters would still be difficult.

"Wait here. I'll go find the Vice Alliance Master," Wyatt Wolf said, then headed down a side passage alone.

Evan looked around and realized the entire chamber was clearly made by hand. He admired the precision—every corner was perfectly shaped, every pillar massive and sturdy.

"Is this where the Free Alliance holds meetings?" Evan noticed a few stone tables and chairs.

There wasn't much else—everything looked plain and simple.

Not knowing how long Wyatt Wolf would be gone, Evan found a seat. Just as he sat down, a stranger appeared and, without a word, attacked him.

Evan dodged in a flash. The newcomer stared at him, "You're fast. Are you one of the new recruits for the Free Alliance?"

"No," Evan replied.

"No? Then why are you here?" The stranger stared at Evan, confused.

"Someone brought me," Evan said.

"Oh? You seem strong—why not join the Free Alliance?" The man was suspicious after hearing Evan wasn't here to join.

"Why should I join just because I'm strong?" Evan countered.

The question stunned the man. "Strange—don't you like the Free Alliance?"

"The Free Alliance? No, I think it's great," Evan denied.

"If you think it's good but don't join, you're really an odd one. Are you looking down on us? In that case, let me see how strong you really are." The man laughed, thinking Evan was being arrogant.

He started fighting Evan right there in the hall.

Since they were inside the mountain, both men held back their power—if they went all out, they'd risk destroying the hall, which was unthinkable. So, their attacks stayed within a small range.

In close quarters, Evan was confident. His footwork and fist techniques were sharp; when his punch landed, its force tripled.

The man blocked it head-on, then stepped back, staring at Evan in surprise. "Your strength is impressive."

"You're not bad yourself—you weren't even hurt." Normally, Evan's triple-strength punch would injure anyone hit directly, but the opponent was fine, just pushed back by momentum.

"Me? That's because I'm wearing a true artifact—it weakened your attack. Without it, I'd be seriously injured." the man replied.

"I see." Evan nodded, understanding the man's defensive artifact.

"This hall is too small. Do you have the guts to fight me in a specialized battle space?" The man, seeing Evan's strength, wanted to test him further.

Evan was bored anyway, so he agreed and followed him.

Led by the man, Evan entered a specialized space. This arena was built so that even if both unleashed their strongest attacks, the formation wouldn't break.

"I'm Drake Xiao. What's your name?" The man cupped his hands to Evan inside the arena.

"Evan Yang," he replied.

"You're Evan Yang?" Drake Xiao was stunned.

"You know me?" Evan asked, puzzled.

"I don't know you, but I've heard your reputation. Before coming here, I wanted to challenge you and see if you were as legendary as they say. But something came up, so I ended up stationed here. Now, by chance, I've finally met you—this is my chance to cut loose." Drake Xiao was even more battle-hungry than Wyatt Wolf.