A storm was brewing, but Evan Chu was completely unaware. Looking at the shocked crowd, Evan grinned and said, "That's it for today. I don't want to hear of anyone provoking my women again. Otherwise, I'll kill without mercy!"
Though his expression was all smiles, the killing intent radiating from him sent chills down everyone's spine. Those three words—'kill without mercy'—struck the crowd like a thunderclap.
No one dared refute him, because Evan Chu's strength was right there for all to see. A newcomer who could easily defeat the academy's fourth-ranked expert—who would dare provoke him?
Lily Tang's face stayed flushed. The 'mother tyrannosaurus' temperament had somehow turned into that of a gentle, demure young lady—exactly the result Evan liked best.
"You all head back. I need to find the dean and grab a few things. Maybe I'll give you a surprise!" Evan said, then instantly used Shifting Position, vanishing from sight with a few leaps.
This day was destined to be anything but ordinary. Evan Chu's dominance left an indelible mark on everyone's hearts, and many had already begun to rank him among the academy's top three.
From afar, Evan Chu spotted Marcus Gongsun and Dean Xavier waiting for him in the pavilion. Marcus's face looked especially sour.
"Haha, sorry to keep you waiting, deans. Let's get down to business!"
"Kid, you've got guts. Do you even realize I'm a Heaven Martial Realm powerhouse? I could kill you with a wave of my hand, and yet here I am being threatened by you. Unbelievable!" Marcus Gongsun complained immediately.
"Old man Marcus, you did wrong, so you deserve the consequences. Serves you right!" Evan Chu showed no fear of his opponent's strength.
"Old man? Are you blind or something? If anyone here's an old man, it's the guy next to you! I'm barely your father's age at most—you're killing me here!"
"Enough, enough! Evan Chu, you really are the academy's most outstanding talent. That's the only reason we've let you get away with so much, but don't push it—at least show some basic respect!" Dean Xavier couldn't help but chide him.
"Alright, I get it. Are my things ready yet? Oh, and by the way, old man, I already burned through all the Starstones you gave me in the Stellar Cultivation Chamber. Next time, bring more. I'm about to break through to the second level of the Earth Martial Realm." Evan Chu kept his cheeky grin.
Hearing this, the two Heaven Martial Realm experts felt more than a little uncomfortable—not because he'd used up all the Starstones, but because it seemed so wasteful.
But the real shock was that he had jumped straight from sixth-level Xuanwu Realm all the way to the Earth Martial Realm—three stages in just eight days.
No one had ever heard of such a thing. What was even more unbelievable was that his attack power had already reached above fifth-level Earth Martial Realm.
If a genius like this could be cultivated, he'd become a super powerhouse in no time, and the royal family's influence would soar.
Marcus Gongsun kept silent. He'd agreed to Evan Chu's terms, but for now, there was nothing he could do except rely on Dean Xavier.
Dean Xavier squinted and sized Evan Chu up from head to toe, then smiled, "Evan Chu, even though we're the deans of Heavenly Dragon Academy, there are plenty of things we just can't do. Honestly, we're just working for someone else."
"Come on, old man, don't try to play dumb with me. Heavenly Dragon Academy is one of the top academies in the kingdom—don't be so stingy! Be generous, so I can power up and crush the experts from Sea Dragon Academy in the future." Evan Chu laughed.
"As for Starstones, at most we can add five high-grade Starstones per month to your existing stipend. That's the absolute limit for us—after all, the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom is just a small country, and the Starstone output is pretty limited."
"As for the Soul Snow Grass you wanted, the academy only has one stalk. I can give it to you right now, but there's no way we can get you the other two. Maybe you could substitute something else?" Dean Xavier said helplessly—there was just no way to offend a genius like Evan Chu.
Even though Dean Xavier had the most authority in Heavenly Dragon Academy, there were plenty of royal spies planted here. With a talent like Evan Chu appearing, the academy had to take him seriously—offending him could have unimaginable consequences.
He'd considered reporting Evan Chu to the royal family and letting them handle it, but the royal capital was just too far away. Even riding a flying beast back and forth would take dozens of days, and there was no guarantee they'd even agree.
Evan Chu thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you have any Sacred Snow Lotus?"
"Sacred Snow Lotus? What's that? I've never even heard of it!"
"Iceflame Crystal?"
"Nope."
"Heavenward Spirit Water?"
"Not a chance!"
"What the hell! You guys have nothing? Are you messing with me?" Evan Chu was thoroughly disappointed—Heavenly Dragon Academy really was dirt poor.
Marcus Gongsun and Dean Xavier both wore bitter expressions. They'd never even heard of the things Evan was asking for—where did he learn about them?
"We're not messing with you. Honestly, we've never even heard of most of what you're asking for. Is there anything else you could use as a substitute?" Dean Xavier said, looking innocent.
Just then, Luna the Sword Spirit's voice sounded in Evan Chu's mind: "Linfeng, you really overestimate these two old guys. Sacred Snow Lotus and Heavenward Spirit Water aren't easy to get—in fact, even the entire Heavenly Dragon Empire probably doesn't have them. You might still have some hope with the Iceflame Crystal."
"So where am I supposed to find those? If the Frostbane Sword can't be unsealed, it'll just be a decent sidearm and never reach its true potential—a total waste." Evan Chu was at a loss.
"The Heavenly Dragon Empire is the weakest country on this continent. Honestly, even a single city in the Azure Tide Ruins is bigger than it, let alone places like the Netherghost Domain, Dragon God Valley, or Divine Battlefield. The outside world is vast—you just don't know it yet."
Luna's words left Evan Chu stunned for a moment. After a while, he finally asked, "Are there lots of experts in those places?"
"Not really. In those places, Heaven Martial Realm cultivators are as common as Xuanwu Realm cultivators here. Divine Martial Realm experts are the real main force. It's too early for you to worry about this—wait until you break through to the Heaven Martial Realm."
"For now, just take that stalk of Soul Snow Grass and forget about the rest. Don't push too hard—sometimes, overpressuring people backfires. Once I've absorbed the Soul Snow Grass, you'll need to absorb the Nine Yin Qi from Jenny Sima."
"When Chaos Qi appears in your dantian, I'll teach you Ninefold Stellar Transformation!" Luna said, clearly concerned for Evan Chu.
Evan Chu seemed to understand, so he smiled at Marcus Gongsun and Dean Xavier, "Since you can't do anything more, I won't force it. Just give me the Soul Snow Grass and Starstones. Don't worry—if I say I can do something, I will."
Seeing Evan Chu compromise, both men breathed a sigh of relief. Dean Xavier pulled out a simple, old-looking ring and said, "The Soul Snow Grass and Starstones are inside this ring. It's a storage ring—I'm giving it to you today. It'll be much more useful in your hands than in mine."
"A storage ring?" Just from the name, Evan Chu could tell it worked like a storage belt, only the ring was smaller and easier to carry. He accepted it without hesitation.
He sent his spiritual sense into the ring's space and gasped, "Holy crap, it's huge in here! Pills, martial arts manuals, Starstones—this must be Dean Xavier's real stash!"
Stunned, Evan Chu asked sheepishly, "Old man, are you sure you didn't grab the wrong ring?"