"What the hell is that?!" Melissa Mu's eyes went wide as she stared at the sky.
Up above, thick black clouds rolled in, gathering fast until they formed a solid mass.
These clouds made the ones summoned by the Old Immortal Sage's formation look tiny—now they stretched wide, blocking out the sun. In just a few breaths, they were hanging over everyone's heads.
"Is this really wind-and-rain summoning?" Uncle Victor Li was so shocked, he tried to stand but just plopped right back down, scared stiff.
Harvey Xie stood off to the side, watching Evan Lin as those clouds gathered overhead. His face went pale, and he crept backwards a few steps, then dashed over to Fire Elder, looking seriously freaked out.
"You... you—!"
Fire Elder stared at Evan Lin, totally speechless for a moment.
It was like he'd just realized something—his look at Evan Lin now had zero trace of the old contempt.
Wild Water Spirit energy swirled through the air, and the wind whipped Evan's hair. In those cold, sharp eyes, there was nothing but absolute authority.
"Wait—are you a Mystic Arts Adept too?!" The Old Immortal Sage's face twisted when he saw the change in the air.
"Mystic Arts Adept? Please. That's nothing." Evan Lin let out a cold laugh, his tone dripping with absolute arrogance—it hit everyone like a thunderclap!
"He doesn't even care about Mystic Arts Adepts? Does that mean he's already..." Uncle Victor Li trembled all over, unsure if it was excitement or sheer terror.
Melissa Mu bit her lip hard, barely stopping herself from screaming out loud.
Harvey Xie's face twisted. Only now did he realize why his inner force had vanished without a trace those previous times—it was all because of Evan Lin!
Fire Elder steadied himself, then quickly drew a line on the ground with his finger, muttering spells under his breath so fast it was obvious he was struggling.
The Old Immortal Sage didn't hesitate anymore—he lunged straight at Evan Lin.
"Even a Mystic Arts Adept needs time to gather power before casting! At this range, let's see if you can even form a spell!" The Old Immortal Sage roared, dead sure of his win, and shot toward Evan like a human cannonball.
"An ant trying to shake a tree." Evan Lin sneered, casually flicking his hand. Instantly, a water arrow formed in midair and shot straight for the Old Immortal Sage's chest.
"Ah!" The Old Immortal Sage's eyes bulged with rage as his body swelled, making him look like a straight-up monster.
A second later, he collided with the water arrow in midair. The arrow burst apart on impact, splitting into streams of water vapor around his body.
"It's useless! You can't possibly pull off a powerful spell in just a few seconds. And my body—it's way tougher than you think!" The Old Immortal Sage smashed through the water arrow and reached out, eyes blazing as he closed in on Evan Lin. "Die!"
"Is that so?" Evan Lin just shook his head lightly, clenching his fist. The Old Immortal Sage was right in front of him now, his arm only an inch from Evan's face.
But in the next instant, the Old Immortal Sage froze in place, unable to move another step!
"Impossible—my body... I can't move!" The Old Immortal Sage stared wide-eyed, mumbling in disbelief. He was so close to the youth, just one more step and he could've killed him!
Why?!
The Old Immortal Sage was furious inside.
Off to the side, Uncle Victor Li and Melissa Mu watched the scene unfold, chills running down their spines.
To their eyes, the Old Immortal Sage's body had suddenly bulked up, but right as he got close to Evan Lin, countless thin lines of blood burst out across his skin. Each cut was threaded with tiny water arrows darting through the wounds.
"Pathetic. You don't even know how you died." Evan Lin stepped forward, looking at the Old Immortal Sage, whose whole body was leaking blood like a busted hourglass. Evan reached out and took the Wanhe Ancient Jade from his chest, turning it over in his hand to inspect it.
As soon as Evan Lin took the Wanhe Ancient Jade, the Old Immortal Sage collapsed to the ground, limp as a pile of rotten mud.
His eyes were wide open, still full of vicious hate even in death. His face was turned toward the center of the yard, staring at the huge bronze cauldron and the incense burning down inside.
A curl of incense ash drifted down.
Up in the air, the Three Maiden Spirits finished devouring the Old Immortal Sage's evil ghost. Their aura grew even more intense, and each one flew back, satisfied, into Evan Lin's backpack.
The once-chaotic courtyard suddenly fell silent.
Uncle Victor Li and Melissa Mu didn't dare move. They just stared at the youth standing there, holding the Wanhe Ancient Jade, totally stunned.
"Hand over the Wanhe Ancient Jade, and maybe I'll let you live!"
Right now, the courtyard felt strangely empty.
Above, the clouds thickened, and rain started pouring down, soaking into the dirt with little splashes.
Fire Elder, who'd just been wrecked by the Old Immortal Sage's formation, glared fiercely at Evan Lin, eyes locked on the Wanhe Ancient Jade in his hand. His voice was icy.
"Wanhe Ancient Jade, huh? This thing could make a killer defensive artifact." Evan Lin weighed it a few times, muttering to himself.
Harvey Xie saw Evan Lin ignoring him and instantly scowled. "Hey punk! My master’s talking to you—are you deaf or what?!"
Fire Elder had only struggled earlier because of the Old Immortal Sage’s weird formation. Now that the array was smashed and Fire Elder had rested up, Harvey Xie’s confidence shot right back up.
"You talking to me?" Evan Lin narrowed his eyes, glancing at Harvey Xie.
"If I'm not talking to you, then—"
Before Harvey Xie could finish, the rainwater in the air suddenly swirled into a huge water sphere and smashed right into his face—BOOM! It sent him flying straight into the courtyard wall.
The whole wall collapsed, burying Harvey Xie underneath.
Seeing this, Fire Elder’s eyes flashed coldly.
"No manners at all. Doesn’t even know how to talk." Evan Lin said coldly, then looked over at Fire Elder. "Didn’t you say you’d let me live if I handed over the jade?"
Evan Lin turned calmly, fixing his gaze on Fire Elder.
"That’s right. Wanhe Ancient Jade is something Medicine King Valley has its eye on—no one else can touch it! If you agree, not only will I let this go, I’ll even break the rules and invite you to be a Medicine King Valley Guardian!"