Only now did Evan Chu truly realize the terrifying power behind Luna, the Sword Spirit. He never imagined she wasn't even from this world—it was almost beyond belief.
"Your family should be able to restore your body, right? Why won't you go back—is there some hidden reason?" Evan Chu asked.
Luna hesitated a little. Evan could be so thick-headed sometimes—he really didn't get even the simplest things. But in the end, she said, "If I go back, I'm afraid we may never see each other again in this lifetime. Do you actually want me to leave?"
"No, I want you to stay by my side forever. When I'm strong enough, I'll help you restore your body and make you my woman—that's my promise to you, a promise that will never change for a lifetime," Evan said.
"I believe you, because I don't want to leave you either. When you restore my body, I'll be your woman. Even if people from the Imperial Palace come, they won't separate us," Luna said with a slight choke in her voice.
Gradually, Evan Chu calmed himself down. He'd already decided: tomorrow he'd go meet the Mermaid King—his "cheap father-in-law"—to explain his plan to enter Weakwater and obtain the Water Spirit Pearl, and then awaken the bloodline power within him to break through to an even higher realm.
After that, Evan left the room. He hadn't seen Skylar Yule, Selena, and the others for a whole day, and wondered if they were getting used to palace life in this foreign land. He decided to go check on them.
He knocked on the door of Claire Ouyang’s room next door and said, "Claire, I'm going to visit my friends. Do you want to come along?"
"Your friends are my friends too—of course I'll go! I'm your wife, so it's only right I host them properly now that they're here!" Claire laughed, then walked with Evan toward where Selena and the others were staying.
At that moment, Selena and the other three were chatting in a pavilion in the palace’s rear garden. It took Evan and Claire quite a while to find them.
When Evan and Claire approached, Selena and the other three immediately stood up and greeted Claire, "Greetings, Princess!"
Claire quickly replied, "No need to be so formal. From now on, just call me Claire. You're all Evan's friends, which makes you my friends too—acting formal would just make things awkward."
Because things had been so hectic, Evan had never formally introduced Selena and the others to Claire. So he said, "Claire, this is my sworn big brother, the Second Prince of the Heavenly Dragon Empire."
"And that's my cousin Luna Chu. Actually, we were born on the same day, but neither of us knows who's older. She likes to call herself the elder sister, while I prefer being the elder brother."
Claire glanced at Luna Chu and Evan, then laughed, "You two even have a story like that? That's pretty rare!"
Just as Evan was about to introduce Selena, Claire spoke up first: "This older sister must be just as beautiful as me, or she wouldn't wear a veil. She must be your confidante, right? Am I correct?"
Evan silently nodded and glanced at Selena, feeling somewhat helpless inside.
At that moment, Selena said, "Princess, our relationship isn't what you think—we're just..."
Before she could finish, Claire cut her off with a laugh: "You don't need to explain! I really don't care how many women Evan has—honestly! I'm not a jealous person. With his special constitution, he's destined to need more than one woman. You seem older than me, so I'll call you 'older sister' from now on."
"I don't know exactly how strong you are, but I can sense your power isn't below mine. Evan is lucky to have met you."
None of them expected the Mermaid Princess to be so generous. Their goodwill toward her shot up, and soon everyone was chatting like old friends—especially Luna Chu, who quickly started calling Claire 'sister-in-law' this and 'sister-in-law' that.
Evan explained to Skylar Yule, Selena, and Luna Chu that he planned to dive into Weakwater to search for the Water Spirit Pearl. When he revealed he’d already obtained the Goldscale Coat, all three were utterly stunned.
None of them had ever dreamed the legendary Goldscale Coat would turn out to be just a necklace—it was almost unbelievable.
The five of them chatted for a long time before heading back. Evan told everyone he’d be going into seclusion for a while before diving into Weakwater, and asked them to stay in the palace. During that time, Claire would accompany and look after them.
When they got back, dinner was already prepared. Evan and Claire were supposed to eat with the Mermaid King and Queen, but since they’d skipped the morning meal, it would have been rude to join now—so they’d have to wait until tomorrow.
After dinner, Evan and Claire leaned together by the window, quietly watching the sky. Neither spoke until the moonlight spilled through the window—then Evan finally said, "I’ll need a few days this time. No matter what you see, please don’t panic, okay?"
Evan was worried that awakening his bloodline might cause some Divine Dragon traits to appear—last time, scales showed up on his hand. Who knew if he’d get horns or claws this time?
If Claire saw him as a monster, the consequences would be unimaginable—so Evan had to warn her in advance, just in case she panicked when something strange actually happened.
"I understand. We haven’t been together long, but I know you’re no ordinary person—and you have plenty of secrets. Whatever happens, I’ll support you!" Claire said.
"Thank you, Claire. It’s getting late—let’s turn in." Evan smiled.
A blush immediately spread across Claire’s cheeks, and she nodded shyly.
That night was another unforgettable one. The two let go of all their inhibitions and gave themselves completely to each other, only stopping in the depths of the night.
Evan could have kept going, but worried Claire’s body might not be able to handle it, so he held back. As for Luna, the Sword Spirit, she too suffered through her own kind of spiritual torment.
The next morning, Evan and Claire woke up early and went to meet the Mermaid King and Queen. Evan explained his plan to search for the Water Spirit Pearl in Weakwater, but they immediately objected. In the end, it was Claire’s support that convinced them to agree.
Of course, both rulers were also delighted that Evan had completely cured Claire’s Yin Poison—their longstanding worry was finally gone.
After lunch with the Mermaid King and Queen, Evan and Claire returned to their rooms. Claire went back to her own next door, while Evan shut his door and prepared to awaken his bloodline power.
He sat down by the bed, and just then, the Violet Thunder Fox—whom he hadn’t seen in days—suddenly appeared. "Big brother, are you about to break through to the next realm?"
Seeing the Violet Thunder Fox, Evan was struck by a thought. He produced the Flame Spider’s demon core and said, "I’m about to awaken my bloodline power, but this demon core should help you. Go ahead and absorb it!"
The Violet Thunder Fox’s eyes lit up at the sight of the demon core, and he grinned, "Thanks, big brother! This is a real treasure!"
Evan smiled at the fox’s delight and said, "How about we break through together?"