214: Make them so envious

Those flowers bloomed too quickly.

It wasn't just fast; it was practically an explosion.

Accompanied by a series of soft popping sounds, the originally crystal-clear and frost-cold Guanghan Palace transformed in the blink of an eye into a sauna filled with the atmosphere of a tropical rainforest.

Pink, red, and purple pollen filled the air—it was the 'Bewildering Spirit Powder', which possessed strong hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac effects.

"Achoo!"

Su Lin couldn't help it and sneezed again.

This time it wasn't from the cold, but from the choking air.

The scent was too pungent, as if a thousand pounds of low-quality perfume had been dumped into a boiling pot of water.

"Ye You!!"

Mu Qingxue's patience had clearly reached its limit.

She loathed these slimy, messy plants that dropped debris everywhere.

"You've dirtied my palace."

She slowly raised her hand, and within her palm, an exaggeratedly styled ice crystal greatsword was condensing.

"I'm going to pull these rotten weeds of yours out by the roots."

"Who's afraid of who!"

Ye You stood atop that massive man-eating flower, looking down with a provocative expression.

"This broken ice cellar of yours is freezing; Revered Master is going to catch a cold!"

"I'm providing heating for Revered Master!"

She tapped her foot, and hundreds of thick vines shot out like giant pythons emerging from a cave, whistling through the air as they lashed violently at the surrounding ice walls.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ice shards flew and flower petals danced wildly.

This wasn't a harem rivalry; this was clearly a demolition crew at work.

Su Lin sat on the only bed, watching the ice spikes and vines flying back and forth overhead, his heart so weary he didn't want to speak.

He just wanted to sleep.

Why was it so difficult?

"Revered Master!"

Just then, a slippery, warm vine with suckers silently coiled around Su Lin's waist.

Immediately after, a massive pulling force followed.

"Since it's too noisy here, let's go play somewhere else!"

Ye You's wild voice rang in his ear.

Before Su Lin could react, he was yanked into the air by that vine!

Whoosh!

"Ye You! You dare to run off with him!!"

Mu Qingxue's exasperated roar echoed from behind, along with the sound of countless ice swords piercing the air.

But Ye You was clearly prepared.

"See ya, ice-face!"

She snapped her fingers.

Those massive blooming flowers suddenly exploded simultaneously, spewing out thick dark-green smoke that instantly obscured vision and blocked Divine Sense tracking.

Taking advantage of this momentary chaos.

Ye You held Su Lin and crashed through the roof, disappearing into the vast night like a nimble leopard... The back mountain of Nanyu Imperial City was a royal forbidden garden that was never open to the public.

Ancient trees reached for the sky and jagged rocks stood tall; normally, no one dared approach except for specific animal keepers.

This was because the creatures kept here weren't ordinary rare birds or beasts, but high-tier Yao Beasts specifically raised to assist the imperial family in cultivating Dragon Qi.

But tonight, these normally ferocious Yao Beasts were all cowering in their dens with their tails between their legs, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Because an even fiercer predator had arrived.

Thud.

Su Lin's feet touched the ground.

Beneath him was a thick layer of fallen leaves, emitting the characteristic damp scent of humus.

He tidied his wind-blown hair and looked at his Fourth Disciple who had abducted him.

Ye You was crouching on a massive tree branch, her eyes glowing red in the darkness as she excitedly surveyed the surroundings.

"This place is nice."

She took a deep breath, a satisfied expression appearing on her face.

"None of that annoying incense smell, only the scent of meat and blood."

"This is the scent of nature."

Su Lin sighed helplessly.

"Ye You, you brought Revered Master to this wilderness just to smell this?"

"Of course not."

Ye You leaped down from the tree, landing lightly in front of Su Lin.

She wasn't wearing shoes, yet her fair little feet stepped on the soil without catching a speck of dirt.

"I brought Revered Master here to eat."

"To eat?"

Su Lin was taken aback.

"Didn't we just eat back in the palace?"

"That stuff didn't taste good."

Ye You curled her lip in disdain.

"Cooked meat has been dead for too long; the Spiritual Qi has all dissipated. It's like chewing on wood chips."

"Youer wants to treat Revered Master to something... fresh."

As she spoke, she suddenly spun around and made a grabbing motion toward the depths of the dark forest.

"Come out!"

Several dark green vines shot out like lightning, disappearing into the undergrowth.

Roar—! Wu...

A short beastly roar was abruptly cut short.

Immediately after, the vines retracted, dragging a massive 'Thunder-Spotted Leopard' and tossing it at Su Lin's feet.

That Yao Beast, which possessed a Soul Transformation Stage cultivation, had already been strangled to death, with several deep bloody holes in its neck.

Ye You squatted down, skillfully slicing open the Thunder-Spotted Leopard's chest with her nails and pulling out the still warm, beating core.

"Revered Master, for you."

She held the blood-streaked core, which pulsed with the power of lightning, out to Su Lin. Her eyes were bright, like a kitten presenting a treasure.

"This is very nourishing."

"Bite it open and suck the juice inside. It's sweet and gives a bit of a tingly, numbing sensation."

Su Lin looked at the bloody core, his stomach churning.

This girl's eating habits were truly... as wild as ever.

"Revered Master... is not hungry."

Su Lin with difficulty rejected this kindness.

"And Revered Master is human; I don't eat raw things."

"Ah?"

Ye You lowered her head in disappointment, her ears seemingly drooping.

"But... this was the best one Youer specifically picked out..."

Seeing her aggrieved look, Su Lin's heart softened again.

Although this girl's way of doing things was bizarre, her feelings for him were genuine.

"Well..."

Su Lin thought for a moment, took a handkerchief from his storage ring, and helped her wipe the blood from her hands.

"Revered Master appreciates the thought."

"But this thing... you eat it yourself."

"Really?"

Ye You's eyes instantly lit up.

"Then I won't be polite!"

She took a big bite, tossing the core directly into her mouth and crunching it loudly like a candy.

After finishing, she licked her lips contentedly and then looked at Su Lin again.

That gaze had become even more burning.

"Dinner is over."

She approached Su Lin step by step, backing him up against the trunk of an ancient tree as wide as a man's embrace.

"Now... it's time for the real business."

"What real business?"

Su Lin leaned against the tree trunk, looking at her warily.

"Revered Master."

Ye You braced her hands on either side of Su Lin's body, encircling him within her territory.

She leaned close to Su Lin, sniffing lightly at the side of his neck as if confirming a prey's mark.

It was an extremely pure life essence, carrying the unique aura of the Abyssal Devouring clan.

"This is..."

Ye You's eyes darted around, and she suddenly broke into a mischievous grin.

"Then shall we grow some little saplings here?"

Pfft!

Su Lin nearly choked on his own saliva.

"What on earth are you talking about?!"

"Growing little saplings!"

Ye You pointed matter-of-factly at the surrounding dense forest.

"The environment here is so good and the Spiritual Qi is abundant; it's perfect for breeding offspring!"

"The babies born from our union will surely be both smart and sturdy!"

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Su Lin quickly cut off her dangerous thoughts.

Ye You was relentless, her whole body hanging onto Su Lin.

"Eldest Senior Sister could do it, why can't I?"

"Is it because Revered Master dislikes that I'm a Yao?"

"It's not that I dislike it..."

Su Lin felt like he was about to suffocate.

Suffocation in the physical sense.

Ye You's two long, powerful legs were coiled tightly around his waist like giant pythons. The force was so great it even triggered the passive golden light of his Immovable Wisdom King Body.

And with her whole body hanging from Su Lin's neck, her seductive little face buried in the crook of his neck, she was breathing in deeply and frantically as if huffing a cat.

"If you don't dislike it, then let's have them!"

Ye You looked up, her vertical pupils flashing with a fervor called 'biological instinct'.

"Eldest Senior Sister's thing was an excuse; she just wanted to monopolize you."

"But I'm different."

She pointed to the surrounding vines that were growing frantically, and the glowing flowers that were quietly blooming in the night, emitting an ambiguous fragrance.

"My way of reproduction is very fast!"

She extended a finger and traced circles on Su Lin's chest, her tone seductive.

"It wouldn't even take ten months to grow a little Ye You or a little Su Lin!"

"When the time comes..."

Her eyes darted around, revealing a smile that made a chill run down Su Lin's spine.

"We can grow an entire forest!"

"Make them die of envy!"

Su Lin: "..."

What the hell, an entire forest.

This girl's head wasn't filled with dirty thoughts, it was an ecological disaster, wasn't it?

"Ye You, get down first."

Su Lin tried to peel this clingy piece of taffy off his body.

"This kind of thing isn't like planting trees; you can't be so reckless."

"And..."

Su Lin was just about to use the universal excuse of 'Revered Master is feeling unwell' to brush her off.

Suddenly.

Ye You, who was hanging on him, abruptly froze.

Those eyes, which had been full of lust and desire, underwent a qualitative change in an instant.

Her pupils suddenly contracted into pinpoints.

Her originally boneless body instantly tensed like a fully drawn bow.

She was like a beast in the middle of courtship that had suddenly caught the scent of a natural enemy.

"Shh—"

She reached out a hand and covered Su Lin's mouth.

On that hand, her nails had silently lengthened, glinting with a dark green light.

"Don't speak."

Her voice became extremely low. The previous sweet, coquettish tone had vanished completely, replaced by a hair-raising coldness.

"There's something filthy."

Su Lin was taken aback.

Immediately, he also released his Divine Sense.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

The sound of wind, the chirping of insects—everything was normal.

But Ye You's reaction couldn't be wrong.

As the possessor of the Abyssal Devouring Bloodline, her perception of 'prey' and 'danger' was sharper than any cultivator's Divine Sense.

"Where is it?"

Su Lin switched to secret voice transmission.

"Over there."

Ye You pointed toward the deepest part of the forbidden garden, a jagged Rock Forest where even members of the imperial family rarely set foot.

"The smell is disgusting."

She wrinkled her nose, her face showing an expression like she wanted to vomit.

"It's not the smell of rot, nor is it the smell of poison."

"It's a kind of... smell like mixing mud, rust, and moldy mummies together, and then boiling it all with water from a sewer."

"And..."

A trace of confusion flashed in her eyes.

"This scent doesn't belong to this world."

Doesn't belong to this world?

Su Lin's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be... remnants of the Otherworld Race?

No.

The five Mahayana Stage commanders of the Otherworld Race had all been used as Sky-Mending Stones to fill the gap, and the rest had become Gu Qiuyue's miners. How could there be any left?

"Let's go take a look."

Su Lin made a prompt decision.

"Hold on tight."

Ye You didn't need him to say it; she was already clinging to him tightly with all her limbs.

Su Lin formed a hand seal.

"Space, Fold."

Buzz!

The figures of the two distorted on the spot and then vanished into thin air, without causing a whisper of wind or even disturbing the surrounding fallen leaves... The Rock Forest.

The area was filled with jagged rocks and a sinister Yin Qi.

Several massive boulders intersected, forming a natural windbreak and a blind spot for vision.

Su Lin and Ye You's figures quietly emerged within the crown of an ancient tree a hundred yards away from the Rock Forest.

Su Lin immediately performed a concealment technique from the Myriad Heavens Star Chart, completely isolating their aura as if they were one with the great tree.

Ye You lay on Su Lin's back, her vertical pupils staring fixedly at the gaps in the Rock Forest.

There was light there.

It wasn't firelight, nor was it the light of night-pearls.

It was a ghastly white, eerie light accompanied by a sizzling electrical sound.

It was as if... space had been forcibly torn open by some power, revealing a wound.

Cough, cough...

A suppressed coughing sound came from the Rock Forest.

Immediately after, a voice that Su Lin was extremely familiar with, yet surprised to hear, spoke.

"Ex... Venerable Emissary..."

"I have already done as you instructed..."

"The Dragon-Locking Array is destroyed... the scar of heaven has also opened..."

"Why... why hasn't it descended yet?"

It was Sima Rongrong!

Su Lin's brow furrowed.

Wasn't this woman imprisoned in the celestial dungeon, fed poison by Chu Weiwei, and had her bones broken by Su Hongling?

How could she appear here?

And listening to her tone... she hadn't just colluded with the Otherworld Race.

"This is the 'vessel' you chose?"

A cold, mechanical voice, completely devoid of any human emotion, rang out abruptly.

That voice didn't come from a throat.

Su Lin focused his gaze.

Through the gaps in the rocks, he saw a shocking scene.

Sima Rongrong was kneeling on the ground.

Her current appearance was extremely wretched; every bone in her body was shattered, leaving her like a pile of mud. She had clearly been dragged out of the celestial dungeon like a dead dog.

And in front of her.

Two figures were suspended.

No.

They couldn't be called human.

They wore broad grey robes with hoods pulled very low, making their faces invisible.

"The aura... is completely different."

Su Lin was secretly alarmed.

These two things possessed no Spiritual Power, no Devilish Qi, and no Demonic Qi.

"Answer me."

One of the Grey-Robed Figures spoke, its voice still that grating electronic sound.

"Why... is the door closed?"

It extended a hand—or rather, a claw—condensed from black mist, and grabbed Sima Rongrong's head from a distance.

"That so-called Empress should have already died as a sacrifice."