217: Chapter 218 The Girls Choosing Mounts

When Lin Muyang walked out of that shattered spatial rift as if returning from a stroll, bringing with him Hansa Bami and those seven dual-winged dragons whose heavy auras and dragon might still lingered, the entire sky over Crocodile Shark Island fell into a deathly silence.

The wind seemed to have stopped, and the waves seemed to have quieted.

Time seemed to be frozen, and the air stagnated to the point of suffocation.

The battlefield, which just a second ago was fiercely clashing with booming energy collisions, now only had the background noise of energy remnants buzzing and waves hitting the reefs. Everyone's actions, expressions, and even breathing seemed to have been pressed with a pause button.

Behind Senior Xu, those high-level angels who were just full of momentum and ready to slaughter in all directions, all stopped their actions simultaneously. Their holy flame greatswords hung in mid-air, the light of their punitive light arrows gradually dimmed, and even the ethereal harp music ceased abruptly. On their beautiful and holy faces, for the first time, expressions resembling confusion and astonishment appeared. They all looked at the black-clad young man walking out of the spatial rift, and... the strangely composed group behind him.

Time Utterance's withered fingers still maintained the phantom-grasping spellcasting posture, but the spatial shackles binding Yves Martin had long since dissipated into nothingness due to her heart being shaken. On her wrinkled face, those eyes capable of perceiving the mysteries of space were now also filled with disbelief. She saw Lin Muyang safe and sound, saw Hansa Bami's complex and awe-filled expression, and even more, saw those seven dual-winged dragons—which should have been Hansa Bami's strongest reliance—now floating "obediently" behind Lin Muyang's camp... What is this situation? Negotiation? Reconciliation? Or some even more inconceivable situation?

Heartstring pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, trying to see more clearly. He was always known for being calm and rational, but this scene before him caused his well-honed thinking to experience a brief crash. His powerful spiritual power subconsciously swept over, trying to perceive the aura remaining within that shattered space, trying to find the traces of the other eleven powerhouses... However, what was fed back was only a void, and faint, rapidly dissipating energy and embers of soul annihilation belonging to different powerhouses. This discovery caused a chill to instantly crawl up his spine.

In stark contrast to the three of them were the nine attackers who were originally aggressive and holding the winning ticket.

The charming smile on "bewitching siren" Marianne's face had long since disappeared, replaced by a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and a trace of imperceptible panic. The light of the 【Seven-Colored Shelter Prayer Beads】 in her hand had dimmed significantly. She looked at Lin Muyang, then at Hansa Bami, who was standing with hands down and even a trace of respect in his expression, then at the group of stunning young ladies behind Lin Muyang who were smiling and unharmed, and finally, her gaze fell on those seven dragons... Even though she was knowledgeable and had extraordinary intelligence, her brain couldn't quite process this at the moment.

Wasn't it supposed to be twelve against one, a sure win?

Wasn't it supposed to be Hansa Bami leading the team personally, with seven dragons coming out together to suppress everything?

How long has it been? Ten minutes? Or fifteen minutes?

Where are the people? Where is Slake? Where is Brock? Where did those eleven top-tier powerhouses, who could make a region tremble just by stomping their feet, go? Did they go on vacation?

And this old thing Hansa Bami, who usually held his head high and looked down on everyone, when has he ever shown such... almost submissive expression to anyone? And his dragons! Those seven unruly pure-blooded dragons who wouldn't submit to anyone but Hansa Bami, why are they now acting like seven tamed big lizards, staying there quietly, not even daring to snort?

An absurd yet bone-chilling thought uncontrollably popped up: Could it be... that kid really killed all eleven of them in such a short time? And conveniently persuaded Hansa Bami?

No, impossible! Absolutely impossible! Those are twelve Nation-Guarding Level powerhouses! Not twelve cabbages! Even if they stood still and let him kill them, he couldn't finish them off in ten minutes! Not to mention there were seven dragons helping!

Could it be a soul contract? Marianne was worthy of being a spiritual master; her thinking turned extremely fast. She instantly thought of one of the backup plans for this operation—that specially made soul contract scroll. Did Hansa Bami use the scroll and successfully make Lin Muyang sign the contract and submit? So now they are one family?

But if Lin Muyang was controlled by the contract, why is Lin Muyang walking in front, calm and composed? And Hansa Bami is following behind to the side, with a complex expression? And besides, what about the others? Signing a contract doesn't mean you have to make everyone else disappear, right?

Marianne's thoughts raced, her expression shifting, and for a moment, she didn't know how to speak or how to deal with this situation that completely exceeded expectations.

That Elf Archer, the old frost mage, the two melee strongmen, the assassin in the shadows, and the other auxiliary or control-type powerhouses were also stunned, looking at each other, seeing the same shock and bewilderment in each other's eyes. Their weapons were still pointed forward, the energy light on their bodies had not completely extinguished, but their desire to attack had long been blown away by this bizarre scene before them. Fight? Fight whom? How to fight? Lord Hansa Bami seems to be on their side now? Then why are we still surrounding these three people from the Xia Kingdom?

And Yves Martin, who was abandoned at the edge of the battlefield and almost died in the spatial shackles, was now even more dumbfounded. His face was pale, his lips trembling as he looked at the slowly healing spatial rift, then at Lin Muyang, then at Hansa Bami, and finally his gaze fell on his own slightly trembling hands. "I... the space I created was shattered from the inside? What kind of power is this? And what exactly did Lord Bami experience inside?"

Just in this extremely bizarre silence, Lin Muyang's voice sounded, calm, indifferent, as if he were just asking a casual greeting.

"Oh? It's quite lively outside." He scanned the audience, paused slightly on Senior Xu and the others, and nodded gently: "Senior Xu, it's fine now, everyone can go back first."

This casual tone, as if he had just dealt with a trivial matter, allowed the tense opposing sides to disperse and go home.

Hearing Lin Muyang's voice, Senior Xu's tightly strung Heartstrings finally relaxed a bit, the worry on her beautiful face eased slightly, but the doubt in her eyes deepened. She took a deep breath, her jade hand waved lightly, and the eight angels behind her restrained their battle stance, but still maintained vigilance. Her beautiful eyes stared at Lin Muyang, then looked at the strange combination behind him, and couldn't help but ask: "Lin Muyang, are you... alright? What is this... regarding Lord Hansa Bami? And, where are the others?"

This was the question everyone wanted to ask. Everyone's ears pricked up involuntarily, their eyes burning as they stared at Lin Muyang, waiting for his answer.

Hearing this, Lin Muyang's gaze calmly swept over Marianne and the other nine attackers who were facing a great enemy again. The corners of his mouth seemed to hook up a very faint, imperceptible arc, and then he said clearly in a flat tone that sounded like he was saying "The weather is nice today":

"Of course, they are dead."

Dead.

Two words, light as a feather.

But they hit the hearts of Marianne, Yves Martin, and the other nine attackers like two heavy hammers, making their breathing choke, and their faces instantly turned pale.

They were also like two huge rocks thrown into the heart lake of Senior Xu, Time Utterance, and Heartstring, setting off huge waves. Dead? All dead? Eleven top-tier powerhouses, including existences like Slake and Brock, in such a short time... all dead?

How is this possible?!

"Impossible!" Marianne exclaimed, her voice distorted by extreme shock and a trace of fear: "How long has it been? Ten minutes! How is it possible in ten minutes... Lord Hansa! What is going on? Where are Slake and the others? Where is Brock? Where is 'Madame Crystal'? Where are they? Did they use some special means to hide?"

She seemed to be grasping at the last straw, looking eagerly at Hansa Bami, hoping to get a different answer from this "insider," even if it was just a lie, an excuse.

However, Hansa Bami only slowly raised his head. That rugged face covered with a beard was now filled with helplessness, bitterness, and a trace of deep fatigue and... awe. He didn't look at Marianne, nor did he look at anyone else, just cast his gaze to the distant sea level, and said a few words slowly in a dry and heavy tone, as if he had used up all his strength:

"Marianne... don't ask. They... are all dead. I saw it with my own eyes."

Boom!

Hansa Bami's own confirmation was like a thunderclap, exploding in the minds of all the enemies!

Marianne's delicate body trembled, she staggered back half a step, and the light of the 【Seven-Colored Shelter Prayer Beads】 in her hand dimmed completely. Her charming face lost all color, leaving only unbelievable paleness. The other eight attackers were even more struck by lightning; some had dilated pupils, full of horror; some felt cold all over, as if falling into an ice cellar; some had their weapons fall out of their hands with a "clatter," without even realizing it.

"Dead… they're really all dead…"

That young man from the Xia Kingdom, whom they had regarded as something already in their pocket, an easy catch, had, in a mere ten minutes within a sealed, independent space, single-handedly slaughtered all twelve of the world's top assassins, leaving only Hansa Bami behind—and it looked like he had even been subdued?

This could no longer be described as a miracle or something inconceivable; it was something that completely overturned cognition and challenged their worldview!

However, before they could even recover from this bombshell of news, a scene occurred that made their brains shut down even more.

Behind Lin Muyang, those stunningly beautiful the young ladies seemed to treat the heavy atmosphere before them as nothing at all, already starting to discuss things as if no one else were present. Their voices were crisp and pleasant, yet they struck the fragile hearts of Marianne and the others like heavy hammers.

The Elf Princess Lilia's large, emerald-green eyes sparkled with excitement as she pointed at a forest dragon behind Hansa Bami—one that was entirely emerald green, with scales that looked like they had been carved from jade, and exuded vitality—and chirped, "Brother Muyang! I want that green one! The wood-element dragon! It feels so full of life; it must be very comfortable to ride!"

The Succubus Maiden Elabess covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes dancing with mischief as she said, "Little sister Lilia, in some cultures on Blue Star, doesn't green have a rather special meaning? Are you sure you want to choose this one?"

Seraphina's gaze was cool as it landed on a frost dragon—slender in build, covered from head to tail in crystalline ice-blue scales, and radiating a biting chill. For once, a hint of fondness appeared in her pale purple eyes: "If it's possible… I would like that blue ice dragon."

The Nine-tailed Fox Maiden Su Daji, meanwhile, took an interest in a lightning dragon that was relatively smaller in size but looked exceptionally spirited, its entire body wreathed in crackling, silvery-white electric arcs. Her nine fluffy fox tails swayed gently as a faint smile graced her stunningly beautiful face: "That white lightning dragon is so pretty; I feel like it would be very fast~"

Alice's crimson eyes swept over the remaining dragons, but she seemed uninterested, merely yawning lazily.

The Yama Maiden Gui Wanwan sat sideways on her massive black scythe, swinging her legs as she watched her sisters' excitement, pursing her lips in a light chuckle: "They're just a few big lizards; look at how happy you all are."

The chattering of the young ladies sounded exceptionally clear, and jarringly so, over the silent sea.

Xu Ruohan, Time Utterance, and Heartstring looked at each other again, all seeing confusion in one another's eyes. What were these girls talking about? Distributing dragons? And picking and choosing at that? What on earth was going on? Was now really the time to be discussing this?

Marianne and the others were completely dumbfounded. Distributing dragons? What did they take Hansa Bami's pure-blooded dragons for—the ones he regarded as his life and treasured above all else? Toys on a supermarket shelf? And to discuss them by color and attribute like this?

Then, they watched as Lin Muyang, as if he had heard the young ladies' words, turned slightly. With a gaze so flat it held not a shred of emotion, he glanced at Hansa Bami, who stood with his hands at his sides, and said in the casual tone of someone ordering around their own servant:

"Did you hear that? Do as they asked and temporarily transfer a portion of the control over your dragons to them. Let them get familiar with them."

The muscles on Hansa Bami's rugged face twitched imperceptibly. Deep within his eyes flashed a bitterness and helplessness so thick it could not be dissolved, mixed with a hint of resignation. He recalled the contents of the contract he had just signed, which had used his soul as collateral… He, Hansa Bami, the American Empire's legendary Giant Dragon Summoner, would from now on unconditionally obey all of Lin Muyang's orders. Furthermore, these young ladies under Lin Muyang's command held the same status as Lin Muyang himself; their will was his will.

Resistance? Breach of contract? The punishment of soul annihilation meant he didn't dare harbor even the slightest thought of it.

To survive, for the sake of his family… he had to endure all of this. Even if it meant handing over the dragons he had painstakingly raised and regarded as partners, like gifts, to a group of young ladies to "play with."

"Yes… Master." Hansa Bami squeezed these two words from his throat, his voice dry and hoarse. He took a deep breath, as if using every ounce of his strength, and slowly raised the hands that had once forged countless dragon contracts and commanded dragons in battles across the four corners of the world.

Following his obscure, ancient Dragon language incantations and complex hand gestures, beams of light in various colors, representing different elemental contracts, flowed from his fingertips like living threads, connecting to the seven dragons behind him.

Those seven pure-blooded dragons, which had been hovering quietly and watching everything with majestic dragon eyes, trembled slightly the moment the contract light touched them. A flash of unwillingness and struggle crossed their dragon eyes, but under the mandatory, undeniable order conveyed from the depths of Hansa Bami's soul, they ultimately lowered their proud heads and emitted low, submissive dragon roars.

Immediately, Hansa Bami changed his hand gestures, and the contract light connecting him to the dragons split into several strands. Like light, airy ribbons, they drifted toward Lilia, Seraphina, Su Daji, and the other young ladies Lin Muyang had named.

the young ladies curiously reached out to touch the ribbons of light. The light, as if endowed with spirit, wrapped around their fingertips and wrists before quietly sinking into their bodies. A strange connection was established between them and their corresponding dragons. Although it was only temporary, shallow control access—far less profound than the soul contract between Hansa Bami and the dragons—it was enough to allow them, for a certain period, to command and ride these behemoths just like a true Dragon Rider.

"Wow! It really works!" Lilia was the first to sense the mental link with the emerald forest dragon; though weak, it was clearly present. Her little face flushed red with excitement, and she impatiently flapped the thin, cicada-wing-like elf wings on her back, flying lightly toward the forest dragon that was countless times larger than her.

The forest dragon's emerald eyes glanced at this excited little elf, and it exhaled two puffs of green mist scented with grass and trees from its nostrils. It seemed somewhat helpless, but it still slightly lowered its slender neck, allowing Lilia, with her silver-bell-like laughter, to land on its broad, platform-like back.

Seraphina moved elegantly, like a fairy under the moon, drifting down onto the back of the ice-blue dragon, which was covered in diamond-shaped ice crystals. Her pale purple eyes held a sense of wonder as she reached out a fair, white hand to gently stroke the cold, smooth dragon scales.

Su Daji, like a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, flashed and appeared atop the white lightning dragon. Her nine fox tails brushed gently against the horns on the dragon's head, causing the dragon to snort in dissatisfaction and spray a string of tiny electric sparks, though it did not shake her off.

The other young ladies, including Alice and Gui Wanwan, who weren't particularly keen on dragons, also curiously attempted to establish communication with the dragons assigned to them. Some flew onto the dragon's back, while others observed from up close, having the time of their lives.

For a moment, an extremely bizarre and impactful scene appeared over Crocodile Shark Island:

On one side, the two opposing parties were at daggers drawn, the atmosphere heavy to the extreme—Xu Ruohan and her two companions stood ready alongside the eight angels, while Marianne and the other nine powerhouses looked pale and shaken.

On the other side was a "playground" with a completely different vibe—several stunningly beautiful young ladies were riding or standing on the backs of massive winged dragons, excitedly trying to command these legendary creatures. Their crisp laughter intertwined with the low dragon roars, diluting the aura of slaughter in the air.

And Lin Muyang, the core of all this, simply hovered in mid-air calmly, as if the absurd and shocking scene before him had nothing to do with him. Hansa Bami stood like a dutiful beast tamer and butler, hands at his sides, standing to the side and behind Lin Muyang, watching as the dragons he treasured like his own life were carved up by the young ladies, his expression complex and indecipherable.

Marianne and the others were completely petrified, their minds blank. They looked at the young ladies laughing on the dragons' backs, looked at Hansa Bami standing with his hands at his sides, then looked at the terrifyingly calm Lin Muyang, and finally looked at each other, all seeing the same word in each other's eyes—

Absurd!

What on earth… has happened to this world?

Xu Ruohan, Time Utterance, and Heartstring were also speechless for a long time. The plot twist before them had completely exceeded their range of comprehension. Lin Muyang… not only had he come out alive, but he had also seemingly taken out eleven of the attackers, and… he had "recruited" the last and most troublesome one, Hansa Bami, along with his seven dragons? Judging by this display, he had even distributed the control of the dragons to his subordinates, the young ladies, to play with?