With neither of them emitting ghost-qi, Evan Chu and Faye Knox were obviously not Ghost Clan participants in this trial. At once, the group of Ghost Clan cultivators treated them as monsters. One of the ghosts said, "Any monster that can take human form is definitely no pushover. That boy looks sharp, and the girl is dangerously seductive—everyone, be careful. If we can't win, retreat quickly!"
There were about thirty Ghost Clan members in this group, two of whom had reached Fifth-Layer Saint Martial Realm. But that level of strength was laughably weak before Evan and Faye—either of them could wipe out the whole bunch with ease, let alone both together.
Evan grinned. "Hand over your wooden tokens and get lost, or you'll all die here. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off easy for once."
Faye Knox instantly flared up at Evan's words. "You idiot thief! They already think we're monsters, and now you're asking for wooden tokens? That just proves we snuck in here pretending to be Ghost Clan! If we let them go, we'll blow our cover. What good are a pile of tokens if everyone knows who we are?"
Evan instantly felt embarrassed—he'd really forgotten that detail. Luckily, back when he'd let some people go, he was covered in ghost-qi. Awkwardly, he chuckled, "I said that on purpose. If we need tokens, then of course we have to kill these guys. I just wanted to see how you'd react. As expected, you're sharp and clever—my kind of woman!"
"You—you're such a scoundrel!" Faye spluttered, momentarily at a loss for words. Then, with a flash, she summoned her black longsword, spun out several sword-flowers, and instantly cut down a handful of Ghost Clan cultivators.
Against a Ninth-Layer Saint Martial expert, these Ghost Clan members didn't stand a chance. Evan simply stood by and watched Faye mow them down, knowing full well that with their strength, neither of them would have trouble winning this trial. It all came down to luck and who ran into more opponents.
In just a few breaths, Faye had already slain over ten Ghost Clan cultivators. She shot Evan a glare and snapped, "Thief, are you just going to stand there and watch? Planning to lose on purpose?"
"I think you look great when you're killing people. Wanted to enjoy the show a bit longer. But since the beauty asked, I'll reluctantly lend a hand!" Evan laughed, then flashed forward to join the fight.
Only now did the remaining Ghost Clan cultivators realize how terrifying the pair truly were. They scattered in all directions, trying desperately to escape. But without the ability to fly, their speed was pitiful—Evan and Faye caught up and slaughtered every last one in no time.
From this round of slaughter, Evan picked up thirteen wooden tokens. Faye had better luck—she killed the Ghost Clan member who'd spoken earlier and found over twenty tokens on him. Adding up the rest, she ended up with more than forty, making Evan seriously jealous.
The fighting had been fierce, but now that it was time to part ways, a sense of reluctant attachment lingered—especially for Faye. This young maiden, just awakening to love, didn't even realize she'd already fallen for the 'thief' she kept scolding.
Seeing her expression, Evan understood her feelings, but he had no choice but to steel himself for the sake of growing stronger. "Faye, don't forget our wager. There are plenty of tough monsters in the Land of the Undead—watch yourself, and don't be reckless like last time!"
With that, Evan flashed away using instant movement, vanishing from Faye's sight in a blink. He didn't dare linger—if he softened now, he'd never accomplish anything.
Watching Evan disappear, Faye choked back a sob and muttered, "You idiot, how can you be so clueless about a girl's feelings? Am I lucky to have met you, or just doomed?"
After standing there for a few breaths, Faye soared off in the opposite direction. "Thief, I'm going to beat you and show you how powerful I am!" she declared firmly as she flew.
Evan kept using instant movement, searching for a secluded spot to break through. He finally settled beneath a cliff, where a huge boulder jutted out over a flat stone ledge—spacious, surrounded by sheer rock walls, nearly impossible to climb. Even if Ghost Clan trialists came by, he wouldn't be disturbed.
Evan decided to make his breakthrough here, so he called out, "Luna, come out—I need your help!"
"I was just about to come out myself. When you break through to the Saint Martial Realm, my power will rise too. Are you asking me to stand guard for you?" Luna replied.
A flash of white light burst from Evan's brow, and a tiny silver sword flew out, instantly transforming into a stunning young woman in snowy robes—her beauty was almost fairy-like.
It wasn't Evan's first time seeing Luna's true form, but he still froze for a moment before saying, "Honestly, I just wanted to look at you. It's been so long, I've really missed you."
"Smooth talker. You think I don't know what you're thinking? Don't worry, I'll stay right here until you break through to Saint Martial Realm. This spot is perfect—I believe you'll succeed soon. But remember, no matter how much it hurts, you have to endure. You're different from everyone else, so the pain will be different too," Luna reminded him.
"I know. No matter how bad it gets, it can't be worse than breaking through the Sixth Layer of the Starforge Body. For you, I can do it—just watch me!" Evan grinned, flashing Luna a confident look.
Then Evan took out the Netherghost Violet Orchid from his storage ring. Instead of rushing to absorb its energy, he sat quietly, observing it and probing with his god-sense.
He spent nearly a full day like that before finally making a move—slowly circulating his Chaos Dragon Force, then channeling it into the Netherghost Violet Orchid. Gradually, his force and the orchid's energy began to resonate and fuse.
Only by achieving resonance could he actually absorb its energy. The process looked simple but was extremely tricky—many people failed and wasted the orchid, while others, unable to fully merge and resonate, suffered unbearable agony or even died from their bodies exploding.
Right now, Evan was more nervous than ever. He knew his Chaos Dragon Force had finally resonated with the orchid's energy—now all that was left was absorption. He could only hope he wouldn't face the kind of pain Luna had warned about.
With a thought, Evan placed both hands on the Netherghost Violet Orchid and began to slowly absorb its energy. Instantly, a fiery, daring current surged through his meridians toward his dantian... (To be continued tonight)