C512 Beta

Du Jing's island was the nearest to where Yu Yuan had previously sunk.

As Mo Yan triggered his technique during the frenzied surge of magic power from the Crucible of Evil, he wasn't the first to detect it.

Yet, due to the proximity, he was the quickest to arrive.

Mo Yan struck repeatedly, and by the fourth attempt, Du Jing had already reached the scene, concealing himself in the shadows.

Watching Yuan Lianyao carry Yu Yuan further away, Du Jing, who had initially planned to stay hidden longer, could no longer contain himself and burst forth.

"Have we met somewhere before?"

The waters around Du Jing's island were a deadly kaleidoscope of colors, resembling serpentine paths.

As he spoke, hundreds of strands of poison had stealthily sealed off Yuan Lianyao's path.

Scratching his head, Du Jing experienced an odd sense of familiarity.

It was his first encounter with Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao in their true forms, yet their presence together evoked a sense of déjà vu, though he couldn't quite place it.

"Forget it."

Du Jing flashed a toothless grin, his voice whistling through the gaps and sounding even more peculiar beneath the sea.

"Du Jing! You dare to provoke the Ruby Hand?"

Yuan Lianyao, enveloped in swirling fire lotuses, glared furiously and exclaimed, "Baldie Du, have you grown weary of life? Don't assume the Ruby Hand knows nothing of your whereabouts just because you're skulking in the Godsblight Marsh!"

Whoosh!

Her Flame Deity emerged abruptly from the depths of her brow.

Like a fire phoenix reborn from the ashes, a myriad of fiery divine symbols danced around the Flame Deity.

"Baldie Du..."

Upon hearing this moniker, Du Jing's anger flared, but the mention of the Godsblight Marsh and the Ruby Hand quickly subdued him. He glanced sideways and said darkly, "You recognize me?"

"You were once a disciple of the Poison Cult, and after being expelled, you sought refuge in the Godsblight Marsh," Yuan Lianyao said with a cold smirk. "Du Jing, you hail from the Stormcrown Empire on the Aetherius Continent. Being the second-born in your family, you're also known as Beta."

Du Jing's face paled.

His masterful Venomcraft, rattled by the revelation, abruptly ceased.

As the venom, sinuous and vibrant like a water snake, neared Yuan Lianyao, it abruptly halted. On her back, Yu Yuan bowed her head and whispered into the ear of the red lotus. Employing telepathy, she discreetly revealed Du Jing's hidden history.

Yuan Lianyao's heart was in an uproar as she rebuked Du Jing. "You, you?" The bald, hunchbacked Du Jing grew increasingly frightened by her words.

"How did I come to know?" Yuan Lianyao asked icily. "Demon's Scar isn't far from your island. Did you think that after your Lunar Spirit left your body, no one would take notice of you? Beta, I suggest you start being honest. The Ruby Hand has thoroughly investigated you!"

"You know who I am, aware of Lord Faang Yao's and the state preceptor's favor towards me. You dare to strike at me in the depths of the sea? You're seeking your own demise!"

Du Jing fell silent. His naturally suspicious nature was shaken when Yuan Lianyao mentioned his name, background, and family standing, rendering him too frightened to make a move.

The Ruby Hand's growing dominance in the Everlands meant that if they had thoroughly investigated him and marked him for death...

"Get out of my way! And stay far away!" Yuan Lianyao commanded, sweeping her sleeves and sending a flurry of burning maple leaves forward.

Du Jing, his composure shattered by her fury, hastily withdrew the deadly smog he had intended for her. He then attempted a feeble smile, saying, "I had no idea you were the Ruby Hand's fire lotus. I mistook you for some rogue practitioner causing trouble at the sea's bottom."

He made way for her to pass.

Yuan Lianyao didn't spare him a glance. Following Yu Yuan's counsel, she exuded an air of supreme arrogance and detachment, fearlessly soaring past him.

Behind her, Du Jing continued to plead, "Please, no offense meant."

Yet the snake-like man's eyes, filled with venomous chill, followed Yuan Lianyao. It seemed he was ready to strike again should she show any sign of weakness.

Yuan Lianyao paid him no mind, steering the fire lotus and carrying Yu Yuan away.

"The more you show fear and unease, old man, the more he'll push his boundaries," Yu Yuan's voice, soft as a whisper, reached Yuan Lianyao's ear once they were at a safe distance. "Such a venomous snake must not be given any opportunity to strike, nor the slightest hope of success."

"He's not like other independent cultivators; his nature simply prevents him from taking real risks. He's always been afraid of provoking trouble here and there, always hesitant in his actions. But that's a good thing. It's precisely because of this, because it's him, that he's managed to stay out of harm's way."

"Stop talking," Yuan Lianyao said.

She could feel Yu Yuan's body shaking each time he spoke.

She was also aware of the surges of vitality from the Profound Gate in Yu Yuan's chest, pressed against her back, occasionally releasing bursts of explosive power.

Like a wild beast charging out of its den, this force was battering Yu Yuan's organs.

Despite her many questions and her curiosity about Yu Yuan's extensive knowledge of Du Jing,

She wanted to know why Yu Yuan was so familiar with Du Jing's nickname, "Beta," and his personality and character.

But she understood that now was not the time for inquiries.

"Okay." Yu Yuan fell silent.

No one understood Du Jing better than he did. When he had taken Du Jing on as a herb slave, he had thoroughly investigated his entire lineage. Having worked for him for many years, Yu Yuan was well-acquainted with Du Jing's disposition.

Some things never change with age, particularly one's nature.

Sure enough, as he had predicted, Du Jing backed down immediately after Yu Yuan leveraged his affiliation with the Ruby Hand, revealing Du Jing's origins and warning the sect to watch him closely.

Du Jing had always been one to prey on the weak and avoid fights he wasn't sure he could win.

"Yuanyuan, what's the rush?"

A colorful shell lay motionless beneath the sea.

Zhang Manman and Zhang Miao, the sister duo, were trapped inside, peering out at Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao.

The speaker was Zhang Manman.

In the water, she wore a sheer gauze, her ample bosom partially exposed, her red lips releasing bubbles as she gazed enticingly at Yu Yuan.

Zhang Miao's gaze skipped past Yuan Lianyao and fixed on Yu Yuan.

She regarded Yu Yuan as if he were a precious gem, her bright eyes suddenly sparkling, casting a radiant light that made Yuan Lianyao's heart skip a beat.

"We meet again."

Her cool voice echoed through the depths of the sea, melodious and clear as a songbird's call.

Yet to Yuan Lianyao, her sister's voice sounded like a volley of arrows piercing through the water!

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Yu Yuan's eardrums vibrated nonstop as his sister spoke.

"How did you manage to find me?"

Yuan Lianyao nonchalantly grabbed two maple leaves and pressed them to her ears, fixing her gaze on Zhang Miao. "Aren't you afraid of dying? Hasn't the elder of your Nightbane Sect taught you how to conduct yourself?"

Zhang Miao replied, "I have been taught."

"Then why do you persist in provoking me time and time again!" Yuan Lianyao exclaimed.

"I have no desire to provoke you," Zhang Miao said, her face calm and her demeanor earnest. "Therefore, please return that man to me. He was sharing a room with us. Had you not come aboard, we would have already been asleep, and perhaps even consummated the marriage by now."

At those words, the volcano of rage within Yuan Lianyao erupted.

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