"Rest assured, Temple Master. We will complete the mission." The two middle-aged men in the great hall spoke in unison, then flashed away, leaving the hall behind.
At this moment, Evan Chu wasn't attacking with full force. He'd made such a commotion that if the Phoenix Clan didn't show up, it would be downright strange. He was waiting—waiting for someone to take him inside directly.
Just then, Evan Chu saw a huge surge of energy ripple across the cliff opposite him. He instantly retreated dozens of steps, knowing the Phoenix Clan had finally arrived.
The two Phoenix Temple Protectors emerged from the entrance barrier and, seeing Evan Chu standing there alone, paused in surprise. Of course, Evan was just as shocked when he saw the two of them.
After all, these were the very same two who had taken Roxanne Lin away before. Evan Chu remembered them vividly—one had even seriously injured him. If Roxanne hadn't pleaded on his behalf, he might have been killed on the spot.
"Kid, didn't expect it to be you. You've got some guts, actually finding the Phoenix Clan's entrance. Looks like you've had quite a few lucky encounters these past two years—otherwise, your strength wouldn't have soared like this," one of them said.
Before Evan Chu could reply, the other spoke up: "Why are you here? If you're hoping to see the Saintess, forget it. She's in seclusion now—even if you want to meet her, it's impossible."
"So you're telling me to leave? What if I don't? What will you do to me?" Evan Chu asked, knowing things wouldn't be that simple.
"Leave? You think we'd let you walk away? You actually dared to damage the Phoenix Clan's entrance barrier—pretty bold. You'd better come with us and accept punishment in the clan," the other said.
These two were both ninth-layer Divine Martial Realm experts, but being magical beasts with innate fire attributes, their attack power was at least on par with first-layer Saint Martial Realm cultivators. Evan Chu glanced at them and laughed, "What if I refuse? You two think you can haul me back? What a joke!"
Evan Chu was deliberately provoking them—being dragged in without a fight would be humiliating, and after what they'd done to him before, he wanted to make these two suffer a bit.
Just then, the Sword Spirit spoke up: "Evan, don't be impulsive. Whatever happens, wait until you're inside the Phoenix Temple. If you can endure, then endure—unless you have no choice, don't make enemies of the Phoenix Clan. Otherwise, seeing Roxanne Lin will be next to impossible."
"What's the big deal? I could just demand Roxanne from the Phoenix Temple directly. With my strength, do you really think I'm afraid of them? Luna, you're overthinking it," Evan Chu said.
"You really are thick-headed. If you actually fall out with the Phoenix Clan, have you thought about how Roxanne would feel? And the Phoenix Clan isn't as simple as they look. For now, you absolutely shouldn't seriously injure these two—trust me on this," the Sword Spirit said.
Evan Chu had honestly considered killing these two, but with the Sword Spirit's advice, he could only grit his teeth and hold back. Still, he wasn't about to let them just haul him off—he had to put up some resistance.
This time, Evan Chu didn't draw the Frostbane Sword. Instead, he used the Flame Dragon Sword—a weapon he hadn't wielded in ages. It felt a little unfamiliar in his hand.
The Phoenix Temple's Left and Right Protectors were furious that Evan Chu actually dared to resist. If they didn't teach him a lesson, people might think just anyone could waltz into the Phoenix Clan's territory.
One of them moved in a flash, chopping a palm at Evan Chu. The blow was packed with brutal fire energy—enough to seriously injure most experts. But Evan was different. His defense was monstrous, and to him, this attack was like a tickle. Plus, his understanding of fire was no weaker than the Phoenix Clan's, so he could completely ignore the flames.
He kept unleashing the Windchaser Sword Art, sword qi and fierce winds howling all around. The attacks weren't actually that strong, but he made it look fierce and intimidating. Evan layered his defenses so tightly it seemed like he was fighting for his life, leaving no openings for the Protectors to exploit.
Seeing how tough Evan Chu was, the two Phoenix Temple Protectors didn't dare underestimate him. They attacked together, and for a while, the three of them fought fiercely—booming explosions echoed through the valley, the sound carrying far and wide...
Spotting an opening, Evan Chu slashed one of the men across the back with his sword. He held back his strength—if he'd gone all out, he could've killed both of them instantly.
A deep, bone-revealing gash split open on the man's back, blood streaming out and staining his robes red. The wounded Protector's face twisted into a ferocious snarl, looking as if he wanted to devour Evan Chu alive.
"That's enough, Evan. If you push any further, this won't end with them just dragging you back—it'll turn into a fight to the death," the Sword Spirit warned.
"Got it. Worst case, I'll just play dead and see what these two can do to me," Evan Chu said.
After Evan Chu wounded the middle-aged man, the guy went berserk. A red glow flashed over his body, and an ear-splitting bird cry rang out in Evan's ears.
Suddenly, a gigantic red bird—far bigger than a Goldwing Vulture—appeared before him. Its beak and claws gleamed with a ghostly light, sending chills down Evan's spine.
Evan Chu had to admit—the Phoenix's true form was actually beautiful, especially those long, flame-red tail feathers that looked just like burning fire. He couldn't help but feel a little covetous.
If that Phoenix knew Evan Chu was eyeing its tail feathers, who knows if it would go berserk again.
The Phoenix charged at Evan Chu, moving at terrifying speed. With a flap of its massive wings, dust and debris filled the air, and the valley was instantly shrouded in swirling grit and grass.
Evan Chu kept running, playing the part of the underdog. If he kept provoking them, this really could turn into a fight to the death. He was fast, too, and for a while, the Phoenix couldn't do a thing to him.
Then the other Phoenix revealed its true form as well, even faster than the first. It quickly overtook Evan Chu, boxing him in from both sides and forcing him to stop.
At that moment, the wounded Phoenix's claws blazed with red light, and a storm of claw shadows filled Evan Chu's vision.
Evan Chu hadn't expected the Phoenix Clan to have such a trump card. Those claw shadows packed serious power—if it were anyone else, they'd probably be dead. But Evan wasn't worried. He let the attack hit him and collapsed to the ground, playing dead... (Last night I went to my fifth aunt's house for New Year's, drank a bit of beer and got totally drunk. Didn't have the strength to write, lost my perfect attendance, and now my head still hurts. Drinking really messes things up. Slept until now—still miserable.)