Suppressing the pain of his wounds, the Phoenix Temple Master fixed his gaze on Evan Chu and demanded, "Who exactly are you? Why do you know so much about my Phoenix Clan? You look young, yet your strength is terrifying."
Evan Chu paused, then replied, "I am Lord Frostbane, master of Frostbane Sect in the Azure Tide Ruins—the strongest sect master in the Ruins. That should make things clear. I came to the Phoenix Clan without malice, but you have repeatedly shown me disrespect. With my strength, destroying your clan would be effortless."
"Lord Frostbane? The ancient powerhouse Lord Frostbane? Impossible! Wasn’t Lord Frostbane killed on the Divine Battlefield?" The Phoenix Temple Master exclaimed in disbelief.
"Fallen? In truth, very few truly fell. The Six Demon Generals survived, as did the Blood Emperor and Nether Monarch Ming. Things are not as simple as you imagine, and cannot be explained in a few words."
"I came here to take Roxanne away. To enter the Netherworld, the four sacred beasts must join forces to open the entrance barrier. The Divine Dragon and White Tiger sides are ready—I trust the Phoenix Clan won’t fall behind. You and I both know how vital the Netherghost Violet Orchid will be once we enter."
The Phoenix Temple Master, still half-doubting, glanced at Evan and said, "We’re trapped in this spatial black hole. Breaking out is nearly impossible—even if I agreed to help, it would change nothing."
Evan Chu chuckled, "Don’t worry about that—leave breaking the spatial black hole to me. I just don’t want too many people knowing about today’s events. When I enter the Netherworld, the Phoenix Clan will get its share of the Netherghost Violet Orchid."
Evan tightened his grip on the Frostbane Sword. "Step back. Breaking the spatial black hole may trigger an energy storm—it could injure you."
The Phoenix Temple Master retreated dozens of meters, wanting to see how this youth would break the spatial black hole. Without Saint Martial sixth-layer strength, it should be impossible. Yet, after witnessing Evan’s terrifying attack, he couldn’t help but believe.
Evan slowly circulated his Chaos Dragon Force. Breaking the spatial black hole would be easy with Star-Cleave, but he dared not use that overwhelming power lightly.
His Chaos Dragon Force was far from full. Even if it were saturated, the feeling of being instantly drained left him deeply cautious—he wouldn’t use it again unless he was facing death itself.
Heaven-Cleave might be much weaker than Star-Cleave, but when fused with the power of the five elements, its might was almost on par. With a single thought, the Frostbane Sword erupted with a three-meter blade of sword-light, streaked with five dazzling colors—making even the Phoenix Temple Master, watching from afar, shudder in awe.
Evan swung the Frostbane Sword with all his strength, unleashing a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering aura. A blinding sword-qi slashed straight into the heart of the spatial black hole.
Boom! A deafening crash exploded before them, and a powerful energy storm swept up the meteorites inside the spatial black hole, the gusting winds fierce and terrifying.
The space around them shook violently, as if the mountains were trembling and the earth was quaking. The Phoenix Temple Master’s face turned even paler; at this moment, he truly believed Evan’s words. With such destructive power, wiping out the Phoenix Clan would be all too easy.
Even in their earlier battle, Evan had clearly held back—otherwise, the Temple Master wouldn’t just be injured, he’d be crippled or dead. How could someone who hadn’t even broken through to the Saint Martial Realm possess such strength?
Seeing that Heaven-Cleave hadn’t fully shattered the spatial black hole, Evan unleashed another slash. The same destructive force erupted, but this time, a real opening appeared—a small yet undeniable hole not far ahead.
This was the sign that the spatial black hole was breaking. But the hole was still too small for escape, and Evan’s Chaos Dragon Force was more than half depleted. Gritting his teeth, he swung his sword for a third time.
Boom! With that strike, the entire spatial black hole collapsed, vanishing in an instant. The meteorites disappeared, and the original sky reappeared—flowers, trees, mountains, and rivers clearly visible below.
Evan and the Phoenix Temple Master appeared in midair. The Phoenix Clan members immediately soared up; when they saw their Temple Master’s grievous injuries, their eyes burned with murderous intent. Some transformed into their true Phoenix forms, filling the sky with deafening cries.
Evan Chu’s face was pale from overusing his Chaos Dragon Force. He glanced at the Phoenixes and warned coldly, “You’d better behave, or I’ll wipe you out.”
“Who are you trying to scare, brat? Today’s the day you die without a grave!” screeched a Phoenix in its true form, flames roaring two meters high off its body.
“Stop! Don’t be rude to this senior! Everyone, withdraw!” the Phoenix Temple Master commanded.
The crowd stared at the Phoenix Temple Master in confusion. Why was he defending the youth, even while gravely injured? It was truly baffling.
“Temple Master, he’s our enemy! Why defend him, and why call him senior?” a Phoenix asked, bewildered.
“When I say stop, you stop! Do you think I’m a fool? Go back! I’m returning to the Phoenix Inner Sanctum with this senior. No one disturbs us without my order—anyone who does will be killed!” the Phoenix Temple Master barked.
The Phoenix Clan members were baffled but didn’t dare protest. Reluctantly, they descended to the ground, their eyes burning with anger and unwillingness.
“Let’s go see your Master first. Breaking the spatial black hole drained a lot of my Stellar Power—I need to recover,” Evan Chu said.
The Phoenix Temple Master led Evan Chu into the clan’s most hidden Phoenix Inner Sanctum, which had three doors. “My Master is cultivating in the first chamber, the Saintess in the second, and the third is my own.”
“Let’s check on your Master first. It’s been ten thousand years—I wonder what realm she’s reached after her nirvana. I’m genuinely curious.” Evan Chu laughed, then entered the first chamber with the Phoenix Temple Master…