The system's anxious voice echoed in her mind, "System: Stop acting cool, save the fire quickly, Lord Ling!" Ling Xi remained unmoved, fixated on the extraordinary being opposite him.
"System: You'd best shut up."
"System: I told you not to toy with your love rival... what is this..."
"System: Say one more word, and I'll send you on a pilgrimage to the West."
"System: ..."
The talisman in his hand instantly burned out, and the surrounding flames vanished without a trace.
Sensing the man's scorching gaze, Ye Ziling's eyes flickered with an unreadable expression, and she paused for a moment.
He was truly a persistent shadow.
The two mother snakes hadn't managed to kill this man, so it seemed she had underestimated him.
She slapped her palm on the table, causing the teacup to leap up and shoot towards the man like a gust of wind.
The aroma of tea brushed past his cheek. Ling Xi did not move; the teacup was caught steadily by him.
Not a single drop of tea spilled.
Ye Ziling looked up. On that clear, peerless face, a trace of contempt curved his lips.
"Good tea." His throat moved, and he took a small sip.
Shen Yueru stood stunned at the side. Seeing the two of them locked in a stalemate, their eyes filled with the smell of gunpowder, she turned to Ye Ziling and reprimanded, "Why are you like this? I kindly helped you deal with those scoundrels from Cui Ling Xuan, how could you treat my senior brother like this?"
"Are you referring to the incident where you scared those disciples away using someone's name?" Ye Ziling raised an eyebrow, her eyes shimmering.
"You... you're the one using someone's name! I saw them bullying the few with their numbers, so I resorted to this tactic. Besides, today is the Immortal Examination mobilization assembly. Father instructed me not to cause any deaths." Shen Yueru glared at her, her face flushed red.
Truly ungrateful.
"Oh, right, Senior Brother Ling, why are you here?" Shen Yueru looked at Ling Xi in confusion.
"Since it's the Immortal Examination mobilization assembly, how could I bear to let my junior sister be overwhelmed and stressed alone?" Ling Xi smiled gently.
Ye Ziling was uninterested in their conversation. She scanned the surroundings but couldn't find the slightest trace of Mu Heng.
This brat, taking so long to pay, had he been robbed?
"Miss Ye, are you looking for someone?" Ling Xi gazed at her with deep eyes, his tone leisurely, "Looking for your beloved?"
His tone was flippant, his voice lingering.
As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Heng entered, hunched over and limping.
"Which shameless bastard dared to drug my food!" Mu Heng cursed as he approached.
He had only paid for a meal and sampled a few bites. He didn't know which brat had put the demon-dispersing powder in the food, causing him to vomit until he was dizzy.
Ye Ziling was slightly stunned.
If she guessed correctly, the culprit was right in front of her.
Seeing the two opposite him, Mu Heng froze.
"Aren't you..."
Mu Heng remembered. Wasn't this the man Ye Ziling had asked him to tie up and bring back?
So he was that beast tamer prodigy? Does that mean the demon-dispersing powder was his doing?
Mu Heng became angry as soon as he thought of it. He rolled up his sleeves and angrily said to Ling Xi, "You scoundrel, you actually put demon-dispersing powder in the food! I'll beat you to death!"
A hint of mockery flashed in Ling Xi's eyes. Watching him fly into a rage, he chuckled absentmindedly, "I'm willing to take your advice."
The debt from being tied up and taken to the snake cave last time hadn't been settled, and now he had delivered himself to his doorstep.
Perfect.
Without further ado, the two engaged in a flurry of punches and kicks, fighting fiercely.
"Senior Brother Ling, I'll help you!" Shen Yueru immediately stepped forward to assist when she saw them fighting intensely.
Although she didn't understand what was going on, Ling Xi was her senior brother, so she naturally had to help her own.
As Shen Yueru took out a talisman, Ye Ziling seized her wrist.
"Let go!" Shen Yueru struggled a few times, but her wrist remained unmoving.
"Matters between men," Ye Ziling narrowed her phoenix eyes, "it's best for girls not to interfere too much."
She wanted to see how many moves Mu Heng could block, and in doing so, understand Ling Xi's abilities.
She still had an unresolved question from last time: why was her immortal power ineffective against him?
Was it because this man's strength was too great, or was it due to the flaws in this body?
"Let go of me!" Shen Yueru couldn't listen. She desperately shook off her hand, her hands flipped rapidly, and the talisman transformed into a green spiritual light, striking towards Mu Heng.
Seeing her use magic, a cold glint flashed in Ye Ziling's eyes. A bee needle shot out from her sleeve, neutralizing Shen Yueru's talisman.
"You..." The girl's eyes widened in surprise. Before she could even see the move she used, over a dozen disciples in blue robes, accompanied by divine beasts, surrounded the four of them.
"Oh, why are there two more helpers?" the long-faced man said with a sinister smile, commanding the divine beasts behind him, "My darlings, time for an extra meal!"
"Lu Yi, it's you again!" Shen Yueru's eyes widened in fury. Seeing the group of snarling Heavenly Wolves behind them, she pointed and cursed, "If you can't beat them, you use divine beasts? Despicable and shameless! Releasing divine beasts in a public place, aren't you afraid I'll tell Elder Chu?"
Lu Yi was not afraid. He bared his yellow teeth and said, "I wondered who it was. So it's the esteemed Miss Shen. Your acting just now was quite good; I almost believed you!"
"Tell Elder Chu? I wonder who was impersonating the Palace Master of Jiu Ling Palace just now. If I tell Jiu Ling Palace about this, I wonder who will be disgraced!"
Ling Xi's expression turned cold as he felt a gust of chilling wind sweep past him.
These meddlesome pests were truly persistent.
Mu Heng also sensed something was wrong and immediately stopped fighting.
"Too much nonsense," Ye Ziling drank the last sip of tea, her palm closing slightly, a cold glint in her eyes.
"My darlings, attack!" Lu Yi shouted sternly. The Heavenly Wolves roared and ferociously pounced towards them.
Before the Heavenly Wolves could get close, thousands of bee needles flew through the air, shooting the wolf pack down onto the ground.
Lu Yi's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but he quickly became smug again.
The fallen Heavenly Wolves all stood up, their mouths agape, and once again pounced towards them in a single file.
Ye Ziling's eyes darkened.
The demonic beasts of Cui Ling Xuan could be resurrected; how could she have forgotten this?
Just as she was about to attack again, a golden light suddenly appeared behind her, condensing into several Taotie, which quickly tore the Heavenly Wolves apart.
"Senior Brother Ling, well done!" Shen Yueru had just smiled knowingly at Ling Xi when the scattered flesh and blood on the ground suddenly coalesced, and the wolf pack revived again.
"This is our Cui Ling Xuan's exclusive secret beast. No one, not even the King of Heaven, can do anything! If you kowtow to me three times and please me, I'll consider it for now..."
Before Lu Yi could revel in his triumph for long, a chill spread through his body. White smoke filled the surroundings, and the Heavenly Wolves were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, shattering into pieces.
"This... impossible!"
Immediately, the demon cores rose from the shattered ice.
Ye Ziling retracted her palm, a murderous intent flashing in her eyes, "Either get out, or die."
Mu Heng put his hands on his hips and echoed, "Did you hear that? Get out or die?"
Lu Yi smirked, spat to the side, and could only turn away in a fit of rage, "Let's go!"