366: Gentle Paradise

Before her voice could fade, another voice filled with a charming laugh rang out:

"Benefactor Yao~"

Han Ruyi's figure swayed like a blooming peony,

as she naturally took Yao Delong's right arm, a faint, delicate fragrance wafting over.

Her eyes shimmered, her gaze toward Yao Delong carrying undisguised admiration,

"Last time Benefactor left in such a hurry, Ruyi wasn't able to host you properly.

Since you've come to Biqiu City today, no matter what, you must let Ruyi fulfill her duties as a host.

I know every brick and tile in this city very well; I can surely take Benefactor to find the most interesting and worthwhile places to see."

The two women, one on each side like a pair of delicate twin lotuses, sandwiched Yao Delong in the middle.

Li Linger was cute and lively, while Han Ruyi was charming and seductive—two completely different styles,

yet at this moment, they both had the same goal: to monopolize the position by Yao Delong's side.

The air seemed to freeze instantly.

Li Linger pouted her small lips, glaring dissatisfied at Han Ruyi, and tightened her grip on Yao Delong's arm.

Han Ruyi responded with a captivating smile, the strength with which she held Yao Delong's right arm also quietly increasing.

Yao Delong only felt a soft yet firm "pincer grip" on both arms simultaneously, and his body froze instantly.

He looked toward Li Chen and Han Tianzheng not far away as if for help.

Seeing his sister's "food-protecting" behavior, Li Chen

could only scratch his head helplessly, giving a smile that said he was unable to help.

Han Tianzheng's lips also twitched slightly as he watched his daughter's proactive, almost "bold" posture.

His old face couldn't quite bear it, so he could only cough awkwardly twice, look away, and sigh inwardly:

Truly, a grown daughter cannot be kept at home! But... looking at Yao Delong being fought over by the two women,

whether it was Li Chen or Han Tianzheng, a trace of satisfaction flashed deep in their eyes.

Who among the Elders wouldn't be moved by such a brilliant and promising young man?

"Benefactor Yao, shall we go?" Han Ruyi said with a charming smile.

"Brother Delong, let's go quickly!" Li Linger shook Yao Delong's arm.

Yao Delong: "..." He felt like a piece of cargo being fought over.

"Cough, then... then I shall trouble you two."

Steeling himself, Yao Delong was "coerced" by the two women,

and was pulled out of the heavily-atmosphered discussion hall against his will.

Watching the "intimate" backs of the three as they left, Moyang Sect Elder Mo Yan's face darkened even more, and he snorted coldly:

"Hmph! Ridiculous! With a great enemy before us, he still has the mind for romance!"

In his view, Yao Delong's behavior was simply a desecration of the upcoming battle!

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Void Realm where no one noticed, a faint Divine Thought took everything in.

The figure of Peak Master of Heavenly Sword Peak Li Cen seemed to blend into the shadows,

but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl into a playful arc as he laughed inwardly:

"This kid... his luck with women is truly unstoppable. But... hehe, there's going to be a good show to watch."

He continued to follow secretly with great interest.

The streets of Biqiu City were far less bustling than in the past.

Pedestrians were sparse, most walking hurriedly with worried expressions.

Many shops were closed, with only a few selling Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and weapons still open, though their business was exceptionally brisk.

A faint scent of blood and gunpowder smoke filled the air,

as the halo of the city-protecting array flowed overhead, bringing a sense of illusory safety.

However, this somber and tense atmosphere seemed completely unable to affect the two beauties beside Yao Delong.

"Brother Delong, look over there! The Spirit Honey Snow Lotus Soup at that 'Baiwei Hall' is superb! Shall we go try some?"

Li Linger pointed at an elegantly decorated shop in the distance, full of excitement.

"Benefactor Yao, although Baiwei Hall is good, when it comes to nourishing Origin Qi and nurturing the Divine Soul,"

it has to be the 'Nine-Rotation Jade Marrow Dew' from the 'Yunling Pavilion' in the east of the city."

Han Ruyi spoke with a beaming smile, subtly guiding the direction,

"And that place is near the 'Star-Gazing Platform' in the east. The view is excellent, and you can look out over the Great Desolate Forest,"

although now... well, it might not look very good, it does have a certain somber and vast feel to it."

"Linger just likes sweet things! Brother Delong, don't you agree?"

"Benefactor has had a long journey; nourishment should be the priority. Ruyi is thinking of Benefactor's health."

The two women went back and forth, seemingly introducing the sights but actually hiding sharp words, neither giving an inch.

Sandwiched in the middle, Yao Delong felt his head was as big as a barrel, finding this more troublesome than facing a Soul Transformation Great Yao.

He could only give vague answers, letting the two women half-push and half-pull him as they "toured" the city.

Li Cen's Divine Thought was like an invisible eye, appreciating this "shura field" with great interest, marveling inwardly:

"One is as lively as fire, the other as charming as water. This kid is quite lucky with the ladies... but seeing his distressed look is also quite interesting.

Hehe, this is much more interesting than watching those old fogies scheme against each other."

While watching the show, he also sent out a thread of Divine Thought,

sensing the increasingly restless and oppressive terrifying Demonic Qi deep within the Great Desolate Forest outside the city, thinking:

"Soon... that group of Yao Beasts seems unable to hold back much longer.

Kid, enjoy this brief 'Gentle Land of Dreams.' Soon, it will be time for you to fulfill your boast that 'one person is enough.'

I want to see just how much real skill you have hidden up your sleeve!"

Yao Delong was "held hostage" by Li Linger and Han Ruyi on either side as they walked through the slightly desolate streets of Biqiu City,

feeling that this was more of an ordeal than facing an army of thousands.

The two women smiled beautifully, but their words hid sharp edges,

one wanting to take him for desserts and the other for supplements, neither yielding a step.

"Cough,"

Yao Delong cleared his throat, forcibly interrupting the next round of "debate" the two women were about to start,

casting his gaze toward the towering city walls in the distance,

"Although the scenery in the city is good, with the Beast Tide pressing down, it is ultimately a major concern.

How about... we go to the city tower to take a look?

It would also be good to familiarize ourselves with the battlefield in advance. Perhaps... the Yao Beasts' attack is right before us."

These words were half to change the subject and half because he had a faint premonition.

When he entered the city, his Divine Soul had keenly captured a gaze from high in the clouds,

a gaze that was extremely obscure and carried a thick Demonic Qi sweeping over him.

That was by no means an ordinary demon bird; it was more like a special scout.

Sure enough, just as Yao Delong and the others ascended the towering, heavy city tower of Biqiu City, which was covered in old and new battle scars,

hundreds of miles away at the edge of the Great Desolate Forest, in the depths of a cold, damp, and Demonic Qi-filled giant grotto.

A figure was perched upon a throne built from piles of white bones.

Its form was roughly humanoid but covered in fine, dark-gold shimmering scales,

with hideous bone spikes growing at its joints. Its head was half-human, half-beast, with a spiral horn on its forehead,

and its vertical pupils were like molten gold, flashing with cruelty, cunning, and greed.

Its aura was like a dormant volcano, violent and oppressive, having remarkably reached the Peak of the Ninth Rank,

only one step away from becoming a Tenth Rank Shapeshifting Yao King!

It was the mastermind behind this Beast Tide—the Golden Scale Demon Marshal!