"You think you can handle this? Just you? I want to kill you right now—do you really think I'd give you another chance to hurt my daughter?" Nether Monarch Ming roared, giving Chu Linfeng no opportunity at all.
Chu Linfeng ignored him and instead turned to Princess Ivy, saying, "Ivy, do you trust me?" The words were simple, but his tone was deadly serious.
Princess Ivy looked at Chu Linfeng's expression and replied, "I trust you. As long as I can be with you, whatever you do, I believe in you!"
Everyone was stunned by Princess Ivy's trust in Chu Linfeng. No one expected this usually spoiled and willful princess to show such stubborn devotion—what had this boy done to make her follow him so wholeheartedly?
Chu Linfeng walked straight up to Faye Knox and said, "Faye, come with me somewhere, and you'll understand everything. If you want to hit me or kill me after that, I won't resist—but at least give me a chance to explain."
Faye Knox didn't answer, hesitating for a moment. But Nether Monarch Ming erupted in fury: "Don't even think about tricking my daughter again! I don't know why Faye would fall for a smooth-talking pretty boy like you, but in my eyes, you're worthless. What's the point of letting someone like you live? Let me finish you off right here!"
Nether Monarch Ming had reached his limit. Ignoring the Shade Lord's face completely, he struck at Chu Linfeng with a palm—a blow no ordinary person could withstand. Even with the Seventh Layer of the Starforge Body's defense, Chu Linfeng couldn't block it.
With Nether Monarch Ming's strength, the palm landed suddenly—it was impossible for Chu Linfeng to dodge in time. "Bang!" The force smashed directly into his chest, sending him flying backward like a broken kite.
Even the Seventh Layer of the Starforge Body couldn't withstand this strike. Nether Monarch Ming meant to kill Chu Linfeng outright, so he unleashed the full force of ten layers in that attack.
Chu Linfeng felt his chest bones shatter instantly, and his organs suffered heavy damage. He couldn't hold back a stream of pale golden blood—it burst out of his mouth uncontrollably.
"Evan! Evan!" Faye Knox, Princess Ivy, and Roxy Lin cried out in unison, their voices trembling with panic and heartbreak as they raced toward Evan Chu, desperate to reach him before it was too late.
At that instant, the Shade Lord’s fury erupted. "Nether Monarch Ming, you’ve gone too far!" he roared, unleashing a savage palm strike. Even if Nine-Shade City was reduced to rubble today, he would force Nether Monarch Ming to answer for this outrage.
Nether Monarch Ming countered instantly, and their attacks collided with a thunderous crash, warping the space around them. The explosive energy flattened buildings for dozens of meters; the grand hall itself shook as walls shattered and debris rained down.
"Shade Lord, don’t force my hand! If you do, Nine-Shade City will be wiped from existence!" Nether Monarch Ming bellowed, knowing he was in the wrong but unwilling to lose face before the Shade Lord.
"Shade Lord, please! Calm yourself! What’s done is done—do you really want everyone here to die in the crossfire?" The Shade Clan’s Second Elder cried out, desperate to keep the two rulers from turning the wedding into a massacre.
"Honestly, Nether Monarch Ming, Shade Lord—must you make such a spectacle? Remember your status! Nine-Shade City can’t withstand the two of you tearing it apart. I came to drink wedding wine, not watch a bloodbath! If you want to fight, do it elsewhere. My Beast Clan has plenty of people here, and I won’t let them be slaughtered for your feud!" The Beast King’s voice thundered through the hall.
"Agreed! I don’t want my human race dragged into your war either. Settle your issues peacefully. For now, let’s see if that boy even survived. After a blow like Nether Monarch Ming’s, even a Second- or Third-Layer Venerable could die. Evan Chu’s only at Fourth-Layer Saint Martial—his chances are grim." Zander Xiang, the human powerhouse, said, his voice heavy with dread.
"I’ve seen everything now—two rulers from different races battling over a human youth! What a spectacle!" The Ghost King mocked, half in disbelief, half in dark amusement.
The Ghost King deliberately stressed the words "human race," and everyone knew exactly what he was insinuating. Zander Xiang just smiled and replied, "Even if he’s human, he’s forced two apex rulers to clash over him. I won’t quarrel with them over this boy, so Ghost King, save your schemes!"
"Evan, wake up!" "Evan, don’t scare me!" "Evan, get up! If anything happens to you, what will I do?" The three women’s voices cracked with anguish as they sobbed over Evan Chu, their tears falling like rain.