A surge of powerful yin energy poured into Evan Chu’s body. In the past, this yin energy would have been a great tonic for him, but now that his cultivation had reached saturation, he couldn’t absorb it at all—a complete waste of treasure.
Slowly circulating the yin energy together with his Pure Yang Qi through his meridians, Evan Chu stopped moving. Then he channeled the energy into Lily Tang’s body. “Lily, quickly absorb this energy and circulate it for a few cycles inside you.”
Lily Tang instantly reacted to Evan Chu’s voice, circulating the mysterious energy inside her body. Evan Chu climbed off her and quietly waited by her side.
After an hour, Lily Tang had completely absorbed the mysterious energy. She felt refreshed and invigorated, the sensation of breaking through again and again making her so excited she nearly cried out. “Evan, this is incredible! I actually broke through three cultivation realms in such a short time. I never imagined this was possible.”
“Just three realms? Rhea Yang broke through four! Come on, let’s keep fighting!” Evan Chu laughed, then started the most primal exercise again. Soon, Lily’s passionate cries echoed throughout the room…
When everything settled down, Lily Tang was completely exhausted and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Evan Chu gazed at the sleeping woman in his arms, feeling a surge of emotion. Counting his women—Roxanne Lin, Selena Yale, Dream Princess, Claire Ouyang, Lynne Nie, Serena Dream, Rhea Yang, Jenny Sima, and Lily Tang—he realized he already had nine core partners.
Once Sword Spirit Luna regained her body, she’d surely join his women, and soon Macy Mei would evolve into a nine-tailed celestial fox. With so many women, things could get chaotic—he really couldn’t take in any more, or the consequences of jealousy and conflict would be unimaginable.
Now that matters with his women were settled, he had to return to the Azure Tide Ruins as soon as possible, find the Obsidian Tortoise, and unite the power of the Four Divine Beasts to open the gate to the Netherworld. For now, he’d have to escort Claire Ouyang back to the Mermaid Kingdom, then return to the Azure Tide Ruins with Roxanne Lin.
Time passed quickly. At dawn the next day, Evan Chu left his room. A few days after Evan’s departure, Skylar Yule came to the Great General’s Manor to formally propose; Luna Chu was now officially his fiancée, with their wedding set for next month. The whole Heavenly Dragon Empire would celebrate, and a general amnesty would be declared. But Evan Chu wouldn’t be able to stay for their wedding.
Afterward, Evan Chu left the Great General’s Manor and headed to Roland Lowell’s residence. He hadn’t properly greeted him since returning to the Royal Capital. After a few words, Evan Chu gifted him some Starstones—the most valuable and helpful resource he could offer right now.
From Roland Lowell, Evan Chu learned that Rowena Luo had finally found a fiancé—a nobleman’s son who was decent in both character and conduct, and who listened to Rowena in everything. Rowena was gradually moving on from her old obsession with Evan Chu, which genuinely made him happy.
After leaving Roland’s residence, Evan Chu headed to the imperial palace. After all, he was still a subject of the Heavenly Dragon Empire and his family lived in the Royal Capital—it was necessary to maintain those ties.
The Moonspirit King was delighted to see Evan Chu. Even though Evan had spent over two years away from the Heavenly Dragon Empire, his influence remained unmatched.
Evan Chu also gifted the monarch some Starstones before leaving. As for Skylar Yule, he didn’t bother visiting—after so long together, there was nothing urgent left to say.
When Evan Chu returned, his women were already awake. Jenny Sima immediately asked, “Evan, where did you go? Why were you gone so early this morning?”
“I had to take care of a few things. Jenny, Rhea, Lily—I need to return to the Azure Tide Ruins right away. Time is short, so you three should stay here for now. Once I’ve handled things, I’ll come back for you. I know it’s unfair, but please forgive me,” Evan Chu said.
His words made the three women’s faces change instantly. “Evan, when will you be back? Are you going to make us wait three years again? If so, I won’t accept it,” Lily Tang protested.
“It won’t be that long, I promise! I’ll definitely bring you to the Azure Tide Ruins within a year at most. Your cultivation is still too weak—if danger strikes, I won’t be able to protect you. Use this time to train hard; once you break through to the Heaven Martial Realm, you’ll be able to fly and protect yourselves. It’ll be much easier then,” Evan Chu said.
He knew leaving Lily Tang and Rhea Yang right after their weddings was a bit much, and Jenny Sima hadn’t even been officially recognized as his wife yet. But priorities mattered—he couldn’t let romance delay what was truly important.
“Jenny, when I come back, I’ll give you a proper title as my wife. Roxanne, Claire, let’s go!” Evan Chu called.
“You’re not going to say goodbye to your father? Or at least greet your brothers?” Claire Ouyang asked.
“No need. I trust they’ll understand.” Evan Chu replied. Then he tossed a storage ring to Jenny Sima, saying, “There are Starstones inside for cultivation. Distribute them to everyone, but keep a low profile—don’t show off your wealth.”
Jenny Sima nodded, her eyes shimmering with tears, which made Evan Chu feel a pang of guilt. With a flash, he soared into the sky—he really didn’t want to linger in this atmosphere and make things even more painful.
Roxanne Lin and Claire Ouyang also flew up after him. Watching the three depart, Rhea Yang, Lily Tang, and the others silently vowed to raise their strength as fast as possible. Even if they couldn’t help Evan Chu, they refused to become burdens.
The three of them flew straight toward the teleportation gate leading to the Mermaid Kingdom. After passing through, they arrived once again on the small offshore island. This time, the old man who had once given Evan Chu a token was nowhere to be seen. Joan He had told Evan that the old man was actually a Frostbane Sect elder, exiled for breaking sect rules.
This time, passing through the island’s gate was nothing like the first time—there was still a tearing force, but it was negligible. Maybe it was because Evan Chu’s cultivation realm had improved so much.
“Claire, we’ve finally returned to the Mermaid Kingdom. Aren’t you happy?” Evan Chu asked.
“Not happy. Not at all.” Claire Ouyang replied.
“Why? Didn’t you want to see your royal father? Why aren’t you happy?” Evan Chu was puzzled.
“I’ll get to see my father, but I’ll be separated from you. I don’t know when you’ll come to the sea realm to find me again. What if you never come?” Claire Ouyang’s eyes shimmered with tears.
“It’s fine. You know the way to the Azure Tide Ruins. And with your reputation in the Western Beast King Hall, no monster beast in the forest would dare trouble you. Whenever you want, you can come back to me,” Evan Chu said.
(Happy New Year!)
Chapter 634