"How could your big brother ever lie to you? If I wanted to trick you, why would I come to such a dangerous place to find you? Just wait, little sister, and you'll see whether I'm telling the truth. Now let's go take that Wind Spirit Pearl and get you out of here!" Evan Cross said.
Just then, the Wind-Binding Pearl actually flew into Evan Cross's palm on its own. It felt warm, almost like human body temperature, and was incredibly comfortable to hold.
"Big brother, you better not go back on your word, or you know what will happen." The Wind-Binding Pearl even trembled slightly in Evan Cross's hand, her voice ringing clearly in his ear.
"Of course! Your big brother knows all about your tricks, and with your help, how could I ever fail?" Evan Cross flattered her shamelessly, feeling a bit embarrassed by his own thick skin.
With the Wind-Binding Pearl in hand, Evan Cross no longer feared being blown around by Glasswind's tornado. He quickly entered the tornado filled with wind blades, but now, when the blades hit him, he felt only a slight sting—his skin wasn't even broken. Evan was so shocked his mouth could've fit a whole egg.
The defense of the Sixth Layer of the Starforge Body was worlds apart from the Fifth Layer. Evan could hardly imagine how insane his defenses would be if he broke through to the Seventh Layer. In a flash, he darted right into the center of Glasswind.
The tornado kept raging, and the wind blades were as dense as a fine rain, but when they struck Evan Cross, he barely felt a thing. He never expected his defenses to be this monstrous.
But the center of this black Glasswind was huge, and finding a tiny Wind Spirit Pearl was still a headache. Evan Cross turned to the Wind-Binding Pearl and said, "Little sister, do you know where the pearl is? It's my first time here, and I don't know the place at all—I need you to show me the way."
"That's easy! The Wind Spirit Pearl is five meters ahead of you. With me here, Glasswind won't blow you away, so relax!" The young girl's voice came from inside the Wind-Binding Pearl.
Evan Cross grinned from ear to ear and quickly flew toward the spot five meters ahead. Sure enough, a small cyan bead was wrapped in black wind element—if he hadn't come so close, he never would've found it. No wonder nobody could spot it even at such a short distance.
Evan Cross reached out and grabbed the Wind Spirit Pearl. Relief flooded his heart—it hadn't been easy to get this pearl. First the Savage Earth Dragon, then breaking through inside Glasswind, and finally tricking the Wind-Binding Pearl's artifact spirit. Now, he finally had it.
"Little sister, I've got the Wind Spirit Pearl now. Time to keep my promise and take you to see the world outside." With that, Evan Cross flashed out of the Glasswind tornado zone.
With the Wind Spirit Pearl and Wind-Binding Pearl gone, Glasswind instantly became an ownerless storm. It spread out in all directions, sweeping countless yellow sand into the air. The giant tornado split into several smaller ones that raced away.
Where Glasswind had been was now a vacuum—no yellow sand anywhere. A deep, bottomless pit appeared. Evan Cross looked down and saw dark-red magma at the bottom, stunned by the sight.
When he got the Wind-Binding Pearl before, there was no magma. Maybe the Wind-Binding Pearl was only in the middle of Glasswind, not at the very bottom—otherwise, the pit wouldn't be so deep.
As Glasswind slowly dispersed, Evan Cross called into the yellow sand nearby: "Savage Earth Dragon, you can come out now! This Primordial Dragon is taking you out of Skywind Valley."
As soon as Evan Cross finished speaking, the Savage Earth Dragon burst out of the yellow sand, showing its true form—a massive earth dragon, dozens of meters long, appeared before him.
Seeing Evan Cross unharmed and floating in the air, the Savage Earth Dragon felt a strange sense of awe. Just as it was about to ask how Evan survived inside Glasswind, it realized Glasswind had vanished.
"Lord Golden Dragon, what happened to Glasswind? Did you really make it disappear? That's unbelievable!" The Savage Earth Dragon exclaimed, staring at Evan Cross like he was a monster.
"I'm the Dragon Clan's young master—a mere Glasswind is nothing to fear. Now that Skywind Valley's Glasswind is gone and I've got the Wind Spirit Pearl, it's time to leave!" Evan Cross declared.
At this moment, the Savage Earth Dragon was completely convinced by Evan Cross. Even if he never became a Dragon Shrine Protector, he decided to follow Evan anyway. It felt proud to serve such a powerful golden dragon.
"Little sister, I'm really grateful for your help. If you ever need anything, just ask. If I can do it, I'll do my best for you." Evan Cross quietly said to the artifact spirit inside the Wind-Binding Pearl.
He didn't dare offend this little spirit—if she really pinned him and turned him into Glasswind, he'd be stuck forever.
"I just want to see the world. Take me flying everywhere! I can't show up in person yet, but when the time is right, I will. For now, I can use my divine sense to scan everything around us," the artifact spirit girl said.
Evan Cross's heart skipped a beat—this artifact spirit must be hundreds of thousands of years old, and her divine sense had to be insanely strong. He didn't dare compare her to Luna, but she couldn't be that much weaker.
"Little sister, how far can your divine sense reach?" Evan Cross asked. If the Wind-Binding Pearl's artifact spirit's divine sense was strong, he'd save a lot of trouble—he could even use her as a sensor for the environment. If she knew what he was thinking, she might just pin him and turn him into Glasswind out of spite.
"I can scan thousands of li around us—anything that happens, I'll know right away. If you ever need me to check something with my divine sense, just ask! That way I can also learn more about the outside world," the artifact spirit said.
"Thank you so much, little sister! If I ever need anything, I'll definitely look for you. But holding you in my hand is a pain—why not just attach yourself to me?" Evan Cross suggested.
He wanted to put her in his storage ring, but worried it might annoy the little spirit, so he hesitated.
"I know you have a storage ring. Just put me in there—I can still see the outside world and talk to you from inside," the artifact spirit replied.
Only now did Evan Cross realize he'd picked up another treasure. With this insanely powerful divine sense, entering the Thunder Pool would be much easier. After putting the Wind-Binding Pearl in his storage ring, Evan and the Savage Earth Dragon soared into the sky, ready to leave Skywind Valley as fast as possible...