At this moment, Evan Chu was still invisible. The black-clothed youth had no idea where he was, and the sudden attack of the Snowbound Divine Sword, carrying powerful sword-qi, forced him to defend in a panic.
He had no idea there was an even stronger sword-qi attack coming his way. Evan controlled his Heart-Sword freely; when the black-clothed youth swung his longsword at the attacking Snowbound Divine Sword, the Snowbound Divine Sword quickly dodged, leaving him striking nothing but air.
But in the blink of an eye, it flew back again in an eerie arc. Just as he was about to launch a second attack, a tearing sound erupted behind him—the powerful sword-qi from Evan’s Chaos Arm had arrived. This sword-qi, unleashed by the Chaos Arm, was so strong it could pierce clean through his body.
Caught between attacks from both front and back, the black-clothed youth grew flustered. He never imagined that, with his mid-stage God-King cultivation, he would be driven into such chaos and danger by a mere mid-stage God-Lord ‘ant.’
He could clearly sense that the sword-qi coming from behind was far more powerful, so he had no choice but to turn and defend against the formless sword-qi. He whipped up a flurry of sword-flowers with his longsword, trying to block it, but how could a rushed defense compare to Evan’s carefully aimed attack? The sword-qi quickly tore through his sword-net and struck his body.
The force was much reduced, leaving only a few deep, bone-revealing wounds on his chest without damaging his organs. But the Snowbound Divine Sword behind him stabbed straight into his body and pierced through to the front, sending a spray of crimson blood splattering across the Duel Platform.
"Ah!" The black-clothed youth screamed in agony. If Evan used Fireshift or Thundershift now, he could easily finish him off, but he didn’t—he didn’t want to expose his true strength in front of the crowd. Using Heart-Sword was already a last resort; if he could have avoided stepping onto the Duel Platform, he would have preferred it.
With a thought, Evan withdrew the Snowbound Divine Sword from the youth’s back, then sent it swirling through the air before launching another attack. Now Evan had completely seized the upper hand; the black-clothed youth was no longer a real threat, and taking his life would be all too easy.
The sudden reversal on the Duel Platform left the spectators astonished—a supposed weakling had not only beaten a powerhouse, but hadn’t suffered a scratch. Such a sight was almost unheard of, and everyone found it hard to believe.
Evan unleashed Heart-Sword again, firing a powerful sword-qi from his finger at the black-clothed youth. This time, the youth was too weak to dodge; his chest was blasted open, his God Infant wounded, and as the Snowbound Divine Sword neared his body, it flew back to Evan.
At that moment, Evan revealed himself, gripped the Snowbound Divine Sword, and said, "I'll spare you today. Even though your cultivation is higher than mine, you're still no match for me. This matter is settled—I don't want anyone else stirring up trouble. If anyone still harbors thoughts of revenge against Linfeng, I won't be so polite next time."
My own strength may be weak, but my elder brother's is anything but. I think everyone knows what Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable is capable of. Enough talk, Dominic Bai—you miscalculated. Did you really think a single God-King could kill me? You and your useless son are no different; both of you are hopeless fools."
Dominic Bai heard Evan say this in front of everyone and wished he could rush the Duel Platform and kill him on the spot. But he wasn’t as foolish as Evan claimed—now that Evan was protected by three major powers, he knew better than to act rashly.
Stormtower, the Shadow Divine Palace, and Rainbow Court would all back Evan. To go against him now would be suicide, so Dominic could only swallow his rage. "Kid, you got lucky today. But the future is long—pray you never fall into my hands, or I'll make you wish you were dead."
"Thanks for your concern, City Lord Bai, but let’s talk about that if the day ever comes. Honestly, I think you’ll only end up disappointed! Hahaha!" Evan laughed, acting as if Dominic Bai didn’t matter at all.
Evan stepped off the Duel Platform and walked over to Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable. "Old brother, the task’s done—shouldn’t we go to Rainbow Court and have some wine? I’ve heard Rainbow Court Mistress Rainveil has excellent wine, and I doubt she’ll be stingy!"
"You’re Linfeng, right? Your performance today truly surprised me. If you want to taste Rainbow Court’s wine, then please—come on in!" Rainveil laughed, then invited several other faction representatives to join as well.
As for the black-clothed youth left on the Duel Platform, no one paid him any attention. That’s just how things are in this world—the strong prey on the weak. Without enough power, you’re nothing; Evan could only sigh at the harsh reality.
Soon, everyone arrived at Rainbow Court. When they reached the manor gates, Evan took a careful look—Rainbow Court was truly magnificent. It made his old Frostbane Imperial Palace in the Immortal Realm look tiny by comparison: this estate was several times larger, with even more exquisite architecture, artificial hills, towers, pavilions, little bridges, and flowing water everywhere.
What shocked him most was that even fifty meters inside the manor, two female disciples stood guard, and the security was airtight. Each of these women was at the God-Lord Realm, and the deeper you went, the higher the cultivation—those standing at the main hall doors were already mid-stage God-Kings.
Of course, all this was just on the surface. Evan was sure there were hidden sentries as well—those were Rainbow Court’s true core strength. The entire manor was as solid as an iron fortress; anyone who dared to trespass would never make it out alive.
On the western side of Rainbow Court lay a vast training ground, spanning several li. Right now, it was bustling with activity—huge competition platforms had already been set up, and only some final details remained. Once inside, Evan saw the whole manor decked out in festive decorations, full of celebration.
Many have come to compete in Rainbow Court’s Marriage Tournament, and plenty more just to watch the spectacle. All the guests were housed in the western rest area to avoid unnecessary trouble, leaving the main hall a bit quiet by comparison.
For now, Evan didn’t want too much contact with the Ten Great Powers. His own strength was still too weak, and his identity could easily be exposed. He’d already drawn too much attention, and if anything else happened, he wouldn’t know how to handle it.
He didn’t enter the main hall but instead said to Rainveil, "Mistress Rainveil, Linfeng may have overdrawn his divine power on the Duel Platform just now and feels a bit dizzy. May I rest in a guest room for a while, if that’s permitted?"
Rainveil wasn’t fooled—she knew Evan hadn’t really exhausted himself, but simply didn’t want to enter the main hall with the others. So she told a nearby woman, "Escort Young Master Linfeng to a VIP guest room to rest, and make sure he’s well taken care of."
"Little brother, let me come with you and check on your condition!" Blue‑Shade God‑Venerable said.
With that, Evan and the two others left. Lena Zhong wanted to go too, but since she was a woman and didn’t have that kind of relationship with Evan, she could only hold back, though inside she was furious with him. She knew Evan was deliberately avoiding everyone, and planned to settle the score next time they met…