Evan Chu glanced at Princess Serene and laughed, "I really have no interest in fighting you. With your current strength, you’re not even worth my attention. You’d better give up now before you embarrass yourself."
Hearing this, Princess Serene felt as if oil had been poured on the fire—her rage flared even higher. Normally, she was steady and composed, but whenever she met Evan Chu, she instantly lost her cool. For reasons she couldn’t explain, just seeing this guy made her feel unbearably annoyed.
"You arrogant brat! How dare you act so presumptuous toward me—today I’ll show you what real power looks like!" Princess Serene shouted furiously, her longsword swirling into a dazzling sword-flower as she attacked Evan Chu.
Princess Serene was a Nether Emperor—equivalent to an Immortal Emperor. Judging by the power of her attack, she was probably at the mid or late stage of that realm. Her offensive strength wasn’t something to be taken lightly, so Evan Chu didn’t dare get careless.
But he already had a plan to deal with her. With a thought, he instantly activated Light Transformation and vanished into thin air, leaving the crowd utterly baffled—they couldn’t understand how this guy could just disappear out of nowhere.
Princess Serene’s sword lost its target in an instant, and she was startled—only now did she realize this youth might be even stronger than the woman beside him. Such a powerful young man was unheard of in the Netherworld, making her even more curious about their true identities.
With her target gone, Princess Serene became much more cautious. She immediately spread out her divine sense, scanning the surroundings for any movement. Clearly, this disappearance was some kind of invisibility technique—if he moved, she should be able to detect his position. Even though she was now on the defensive, it was still better than being attacked outright.
Evan Chu didn’t actually want to hurt her, but if he didn’t teach her a lesson, she’d never learn her place. Besides, he needed to stir up enough trouble to draw out King Victor Zhao, the City Lord of Serene Nether City—only then could Chushade City and Princess Ivy know he’d arrived in the Netherworld and have a chance to find him.
Evan Chu’s body crept slowly toward Princess Serene, yet she had no idea he was approaching. Moving at a snail’s pace, he completely merged his body into the air itself—even when Princess Serene swept the area with her divine sense, she might not be able to detect him at all.
When Evan Chu reached Princess Serene, he suddenly grabbed her longsword with both hands and snatched it away before she could react. The abrupt move left Princess Serene completely stunned—her sword was taken in an instant, and she broke out in a cold sweat from the shock.
Evan Chu flashed tens of meters away, sword in hand, and revealed himself with a grin. "Not bad, this blade. Looks like a top-tier Nether artifact—it’d fetch enough silver for a few rounds at the tavern," he teased, openly admiring the weapon.
Princess Serene was so infuriated she nearly spat blood. In her eyes, her personal sword was priceless—one of the Netherworld’s finest treasures, worth far more than a thousand rounds of wine.
His words were utter sacrilege, like squandering a divine treasure. With her sword snatched away, her strength plummeted—she finally realized she’d run into a true opponent.
"Give me back my sword! Is dirty trickery all you know? If you’ve got guts, fight me fair and square! Admit it—you stole my sword because you’re scared of me!" Princess Serene snapped.
Evan Chu burst out laughing. "Wow, you really don’t think before you speak, do you? You’re out to kill me, and I took your weapon—what’s wrong with that? If you’re so capable, come and take it back! Save your breath."
"You—you’re nothing but a shameless rogue!" Princess Serene seethed.
The crowd below was thunderstruck. Who could have guessed Serene Nether City would face two such monstrous talents? If these two were here to stir up trouble, chaos was inevitable—their power was overwhelming.
Speculation ran wild about their origins. Some whispered they were prodigies from reclusive clans; others suspected they were secret weapons cultivated by rival royal factions.
Evan Chu shot Princess Serene a look. "We’re not here to cause trouble, so don’t push your luck. At your level, you’re no match for me. Maybe your father has what it takes—better call him out!"
Princess Serene’s face turned stormy. This youth’s contempt was a slap in the face—she couldn’t bear such humiliation.
"Even without my sword, I can still cut you down! Prepare to die!" Princess Serene shouted, her figure blurring as she launched a palm strike at Evan Chu.
Fueled by rage, her palm strike crackled with wind and thunder. The air itself shook, as if space might split apart under her fury.
Evan Chu didn’t even flinch. Instead of dodging, he charged straight in, meeting her attack head-on. As her palm neared, he casually struck out with his own, more to provoke than to harm.
Boom! The sky exploded with thunder. Evan Chu used seventy percent of his strength; Princess Serene went all out. Though Evan’s cultivation was higher, the clash was nearly even—he was even slightly on the back foot.
Princess Serene was blasted back dozens of meters before she steadied herself, her veiled face pale and her chest heaving—her curves trembling with every breath.
But Evan Chu couldn’t care less about her looks. Sure, Princess Serene was beautiful, but he felt nothing. Instead, he mused she might actually be a good match for his son Chase—maybe she’d make a fine daughter-in-law.
If Princess Serene knew this youth was planning to make her his daughter-in-law, she’d be utterly speechless.
Evan Chu was also knocked back dozens of meters, but he felt nothing. Smiling, he taunted, "With strength like yours, you’re not even qualified to spar with me. Talk about overestimating yourself!"
"You dare bully my daughter and still run your mouth? Aren’t you a bit too arrogant? No one in Serene Nether City has ever treated my daughter like this. Today, I’ll see for myself just how strong you are!" A booming voice thundered from above.
"King Victor Zhao! King Zhao is here—now it’s really getting exciting. He’s one of the Netherworld’s top experts. These two dared to stir up trouble in Serene Nether City; they’re doomed for sure!" someone in the crowd shouted, eager to be heard.
Evan Chu and the Emerald Immortal Empress both paused, glancing up at the voice. A middle-aged man descended, landing beside Princess Serene...