The destructive force of this lightning strike stunned Evan Chu. Half the mountain was blasted to dust, and the ground beneath his feet trembled violently. If Evan weren’t so overwhelmingly strong, he might not have been able to remain standing at all.
Damn! This is insane—Thundershift’s attack power is actually on par with Heaven-Cleave. And I’m still totally unskilled with it. If I master this move, the damage I could unleash would be terrifying! Evan muttered to himself.
Seeing the commotion he’d caused, Evan Chu didn’t dare linger a moment longer. He instantly teleported away, not rushing back to Nine-Shade City but instead pausing beside a roaring river.
Comprehending a space domain and resonating with thunder elements—this was Evan’s most urgent goal. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t form a space domain, but he refused to ask Luna about it, afraid she’d just mock him.
A vast, surging river stretched before him. The current was fierce. Evan Chu found a clean rock on the bank and sat down, closing his eyes to rest and slowly expanding his divine sense, trying to communicate with the thunder elements in the air.
Thunder elements were the most violent particles of all. As soon as Evan’s divine sense approached, they either repelled him or vanished instantly. After half a day, he still hadn’t managed to make any progress.
But Evan didn’t get discouraged. The harder an element was to resonate with, the more powerful it would be. Just imagine—if he could suddenly unleash a bolt of lightning in the middle of a clash, catching his enemy totally off guard, how satisfying would that be? The raw power and paralyzing effect of thunder were exactly what he needed.
With that thought, Evan threw himself fully into communicating with the thunder elements. Time passed unnoticed—there was no day or night in the Netherworld, and Evan had no idea how long he’d been sitting there. At last, the thunder elements stopped rejecting him and reached a tacit agreement with his divine sense.
I did it! That was Evan’s only thought. But he didn’t rush to control the thunder elements—instead, he took his time communicating with them, as if they could actually talk back, drawing more and more thunder elements together.
When the thunder elements had gathered, Evan willed them into a single bolt of lightning—several times larger than the ones he’d summoned with Thundershift. The lightning crashed down onto the river, sending water splashing everywhere.
The river exploded upward as the lightning struck, blasting a vacuum dozens of meters wide and killing countless fish and shrimp instantly. The river quickly surged back to fill the void, a truly bizarre sight. Evan marveled—this was just the result of casually gathering thunder elements. In real battle, he could stall an enemy with words while silently condensing thunder above them. Even a Fifth-Layer Venerable expert might not survive such a sneak attack.
“Such terrifying power... and this was just from casually gathering thunder elements. If I stall an opponent with words and keep drawing in thunder, what would happen if I struck them with a bolt like this? Even a Fifth-Layer Venerable couldn’t withstand it. This is the perfect move for a sneak attack!” Evan thought to himself, a grin spreading across his face.
Luna’s voice rang out in his mind, full of surprise: “Lin Feng, it’s incredible that you could comprehend such a skill. This is a special technique—far above ordinary space domains. I’m truly happy for you. So, what do you plan to do next?”
Evan replied, “I’m planning to head back to Nine-Shade City and check on Roxy and Ivy, then discuss with the Shade Lord how to deal with the other races. The Beast King is definitely my first target. I’ll also call Sean Xiao—Old Man Xiao—along. I didn’t see him at the wedding, so who knows where he’s gone.”
Luna cautioned, “Starting a race war isn’t something to take lightly. Even though you’ve mastered Windshift and Thundershift, your realm is still too low. I think you should wait a bit before making any big moves.”
Evan shook his head, anger burning in his eyes. “I can’t wait. Just thinking about that Beast Clan prince makes my blood boil—he actually dared to hurt Roxy! Honestly, I want to rush over to the Beast Clan right now, but I know it’s not wise. I have to discuss things with the Shade Lord first. You understand how I feel.”
Luna relented, “Do as you wish. You might not be able to defeat the Beast King yet, but you should have no trouble protecting yourself. Especially with your speed—there’s no one in the Netherworld who can catch you. That’s your greatest advantage.”
Evan nodded. “This time, the Beast Clan is definitely going to pay. I’ll also check on Ryan Ouyang’s situation. I’m heading back to Nine-Shade City now.” With that, he activated instant-movement. Now that he’d mastered Windshift, his teleportation was so fast it was almost indescribable. In just a few breaths, he arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion.
Evan’s sudden appearance startled the staff of the City Lord’s Mansion. Everyone knew the Prince Consort had been in closed-door cultivation, so seeing him here was strange—had the seclusion been a rumor, or was there something urgent?
Most of the mansion’s staff retreated at the sight of Evan. Not one dared approach him—they all knew his cultivation realm wasn’t high, but his attack power was absolutely terrifying, and even the Grand Elder wasn’t his match.
Evan didn’t linger and went straight to the main hall. The Shade Lord was sitting leisurely in his chair with eyes closed, resting. When he saw Evan enter, he was slightly surprised, but quickly smiled and said, “Lin Feng, you’re out of seclusion? Why didn’t you let me know? I could’ve prepared a banquet for you!”
“Father-in-law, there’s no need to stand on ceremony—we’re family. By the way, has anything special happened in the Netherworld while I was in seclusion?” Evan asked.
The Shade Lord replied, “No major events, just minor ones. But there’s a rumor going around that’s very unfavorable to you. You should be careful—even though I’ve suppressed it, you’ve caught a lot of attention.”
“What rumor? How could something like that be pinned on me?” Evan frowned.
The Shade Lord said, “The rumor came from the Ghost Clan. It claims you were the one who destroyed Grimchart City, and that you came to Nine-Shade City to escape their pursuit, then became my son-in-law. Honestly, I’m curious myself if it’s true.” He looked at Evan, waiting for a response.
Evan met the Shade Lord’s gaze. “Father-in-law, do you believe it? And if it’s true, what would you do?”
The Shade Lord smiled. “Lin Feng, we’re already family. Even if you really are the mysterious person who destroyed Grimchart City, I wouldn’t resent you at all. You’re part of the Shade Clan now. If the Ghost King dares to come for you, I won’t stand by. By the way, did you gain anything from your closed-door cultivation?”
Evan looked at the Shade Lord and said, “Father-in-law, I really was the one who wiped out Grimchart City. Thank you for supporting me so much. As long as I’m with the Shade Clan, I’ll do everything to make us the strongest race in the Netherworld. My recent cultivation gains were huge—facing the Beast King shouldn’t be much trouble.”
The Shade Lord was stunned. He’d already suspected Evan, but hearing him admit it directly was something else. However, Evan’s last words puzzled him. “Are you saying you’ll leave the Shade Clan? Are you planning to return to the human race?”
“You’re overthinking it, Father-in-law. I was just speaking hypothetically. Even if I do leave someday, I won’t return to the human race. I’ll make the Shade Clan number one before I ever go. For now, I want to hear your thoughts.” Evan said.
The Shade Lord fell silent, thinking for a moment before replying, “Right now, the five major races are in a stable balance. No one wants to attack another and let the other three profit. Everyone’s watching and waiting. I’d like to hear your opinion.”
Evan said seriously, “The Shade Clan is strong enough to stand alone now. I may not be as powerful as you yet, Father-in-law, but aside from the top figures of the five races, no one can rival me. With both of us, the Shade Clan has two apex-level experts. I think you know what I mean.”
The Shade Lord knew Evan’s strength well—he’d seen him survive a killing blow from the Nether Monarch and cripple the Grand Elder in one move. Having Evan in the clan was like adding wings to a tiger.
“So, what’s your plan? If it’s reasonable, I’ll support you! I trust you—and after receiving Mirage Immortal Grass from you, my own strength has improved. Honestly, I’m itching to make a move myself,” the Shade Lord said.
Evan grinned. “Since you’re so supportive, I’ll be direct. I want to take on the Beast Clan first. They have the largest numbers but are the weakest overall, and most of them are just muscleheads. As long as we defeat the Beast King, claiming the Beast Clan’s foundations will be easy.”
The Shade Lord frowned. “Attack the Beast Clan? The Beast King might be arrogant, but his relations with the other top rulers are actually pretty good. Only the Ghost King is on bad terms with the others. If we really want to make a move, maybe it’s smarter to target the Ghost Clan instead?”
Evan shook his head. “Don’t doubt our strength, Father-in-law. I have a friend at Third-Layer Venerable, probably Fourth-Layer by now—Sean Xiao. With the three of us leading, the Beast Clan can’t possibly resist. Once we wipe them out and take their territory, the Shade Clan’s strength will skyrocket.”
The Shade Lord’s expression grew serious. “That sounds good, but have you considered the consequences? If we really destroy the Beast Clan, the other three races will definitely form an alliance against us. The outcome could be disastrous.”
Evan replied, “I doubt they will. If they really wanted to ally, they’d have done it already. The relationships between the top rulers are all superficial and full of hidden hostility. For example, if Zander Xiang from the human race asked you to join an anti-Ghost alliance, would you accept?”
The Shade Lord snorted. “Of course not. The Shade Clan isn’t weak—we don’t need to ally with anyone. That’d be underestimating us.”
Evan nodded. “Exactly. If you think that way, so do the other rulers. If we destroy the Beast Clan, the other three races won’t do much. Only if we try to wipe out a second race will they consider allying—lips gone, teeth cold. Trust me, Father-in-law, let’s take out the Beast Clan first. I’m confident!”
The Shade Lord said, “Go rest for now—you’ve been in seclusion a long time, and Ivy’s missed you. Let me think it over and give you an answer in a few days.”
Evan nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave the hall.