"Your Highness Ziyou... you don't recognize me?"
Zhenhun looked at Ziyou with a wronged expression, finding it hard to accept that Ziyou perceived him as a villain.
He recalled how he had followed Ziyou through countless battles, protecting her from peril on multiple occasions. He was, in essence, the divine weapon Ziyou relied on the most.
Yet now, he was being treated as a bad guy. The bitterness he felt was a burden only he could bear.
Despite his sadness, Zhenhun understood that Ziyou was currently in a state of returning to simplicity. Not only her memories but also her inherent cultivation were sustained by Ye Ling. It was only natural that she wouldn't remember him.
After steadying his emotions, Zhenhun put on a smile, adopting a gentle demeanor as he addressed Ziyou. "Your Highness, I am not a bad person. I am this boy's master."
"You are little brother's master?" Ziyou, who had been hiding behind Ye Ling, blinked in surprise.
Seeing that mentioning Ye Ling prompted Ziyou to speak with him, Zhenhun's face lit up with joy. He nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! I am this boy's master. Without me, this boy wouldn't have reached this point!"
"Is that so?"
Ziyou looked skeptical and turned to Ye Ling for confirmation. However, Ye Ling was engrossed in receiving his inheritance and couldn't attend to anything outside, rendering him unable to answer Ziyou.
Zhenhun continued, "Your Highness, I speak the absolute truth. You can ask him yourself when Ye Ling wakes up."
"I understand..."
Without Ye Ling's confirmation, Ziyou didn't dare to fully trust Zhenhun. She could only hide behind Ye Ling and issue a warning, "I'm warning you, don't do anything rash! Little brother is very powerful. He even defeated the maid and the butler!"
"Maid and butler? What is all this nonsense?"
Zhenhun couldn't comprehend what Ziyou was referring to. However, fearing he might agitate Ziyou, he obediently retreated, awaiting Ye Ling's awakening.
And so, Ziyou remained hidden behind Ye Ling, exchanging glances with Zhenhun. The desolate, ice-bound village fell silent once more.
Sizzle!
After an unknown amount of time, black lightning arcs suddenly flickered around Ye Ling, and a large amount of demonic energy permeated the surroundings, coalescing into black chains within the village.
"What is this..."
Upon seeing the chains appearing around him, Zhenhun's pupils contracted slightly. He looked at Ye Ling with astonishment. "How can this boy use the master's skills?"
As Zhenhun watched in shock, the surrounding black chains seemed to come alive, spreading outwards from the village and gradually forming a formation with intricate patterns.
Ye Ling, meanwhile, stood at the center of this formation.
White runes manifested around them, and the chains within the village merged together, emitting a terrifying aura.
Zhenhun attempted to touch a chain but found that the moment he made contact, more than half of the spiritual energy within him was drained. Had he not quickly retracted his hand, he might have been unable to maintain his human form.
"Devouring Domain?" Zhenhun looked at Ye Ling with utter shock, a tempest of disbelief raging within him. "This boy has condensed his Devouring Domain into the chains?"
Typically, releasing a domain required the user to be at its center, expanding outwards in a circular fashion. The domain only took effect once it enveloped an enemy.
In battles between supreme beings, combatants usually guarded against each other's domains, either by countering with their own or by retreating from the domain's range to avoid being drawn in.
Domains released with oneself at the center were quite conspicuous, and their expansion speed was far slower than that of supreme beings. Thus, supreme beings could generally evade them with relative ease by simply being wary.
However, Ye Ling could now merge his domain with chains, and these chains could materialize out of thin air...
In other words, Ye Ling could now project his domain from a distance!
While projecting domains remotely might not be particularly useful for functional domains like Weiming Xujian or corrosive domains like Cang Feng's Corpse Poison Domain, the Devouring Domain that Ye Ling possessed, if merged with chains and then released... In that instant, Zhenhun grasped the terrifying implications of Ye Ling's newfound ability!
Not only could he easily overwhelm opponents of the same cultivation level, but even those stronger than Ye Ling would be highly susceptible to touching his chains, leading to their instant demise!
As Zhenhun was still reeling in shock, Ye Ling, at the center of the formation, suddenly opened his eyes. The chains in the village erupted, lunging towards Zhenhun.
"Damn it!"
Seeing the chains attack, Zhenhun's face contorted in alarm. He scrambled to dodge, but the chains were too fast and too numerous. Before Zhenhun could evade more than a few, he was ensnared and hoisted into the air.
Struggling in mid-air, Zhenhun glared at Ye Ling and roared, "What is wrong with you, boy? Why are you attacking me?"
Ye Ling, looking at Zhenhun suspended in the air, seemed highly satisfied with his new technique. He gestured to disperse the surrounding chains, allowing Zhenhun to descend, and said with a smile, "My apologies. I just wanted to test the power of these chains. You were the most suitable opponent here for me to practice against."
As he spoke, Ye Ling returned the power that had been siphoned from Zhenhun by the chains, simultaneously replenishing his spiritual energy.
Feeling the abundant spiritual energy surge within him, Zhenhun's face broke into a wide smile, completely unconcerned about the previous incident. He said to Ye Ling, "You're not entirely heartless. While this spiritual energy is not enough to fully repair me, it's sufficient for me to move freely for a while."
Ye Ling smiled, "This inheritance has benefited me greatly. Not only did I acquire this new killing move, but the life essence I expended while escaping has also been completely restored. In fact, my life essence has even increased significantly. I estimate that I will achieve a breakthrough before long."
"Another breakthrough?"
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Zhenhun sighed repeatedly. "Good lad! Your progress is truly astonishing; I don't even know what to say..."
Although Zhenhun envied Ye Ling's talent, Ye Ling's progress filled him with even greater excitement and anticipation.
After all, the world was in a precarious state, with powerful enemies lurking all around. In reality, time was not on Ye Ling's side. The faster Ye Ling progressed, the greater his chances of protecting the entire universe before disaster struck.
After conversing with Zhenhun, Ye Ling did not forget about Ziyou, who was still hiding behind him. He led her out, saying, "Come, Ziyou, let me introduce you. This is Zhenhun, my master."
Upon hearing Ye Ling's introduction, Ziyou blinked and looked at Zhenhun, asking innocently, "Isn't he a bad guy?"
Ye Ling shook his head and chuckled, "Not only is he not a bad guy, but he is also a great hero who can protect everyone. He will protect you from now on."
"Brother wants Master to stay by Ziyou's side to protect you. What do you think?"
Although Ye Ling had been busy with the inheritance, he was aware of what had transpired outside and knew that Zhenhun desperately wished to return to Ziyou's side.
Now that he no longer needed Zhenhun's protection, having him stay with Ziyou was a perfect way to fulfill their wishes.
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Zhenhun's nose twitched, and he was deeply touched. He thought to himself, "This brat still has some conscience. It wasn't a waste for me to teach him everything I know."
After hearing Ye Ling, Ziyou dropped her guard against Zhenhun and asked him, "Will you protect me from now on?"
Zhenhun immediately knelt on one knee before Ziyou and declared steadfastly, "Zhenhun shall pledge his life to protect Your Highness's safety!"
Seeing Zhenhun suddenly kneel, Ziyou quickly waved her hands. "No, no, you don't have to do that. You are a great hero, and you need to protect everyone."
Zhenhun replied, "I shall obey Your Highness's command!"
Zhenhun's sudden display of loyalty flustered Ziyou, and she looked to Ye Ling for help.
Ye Ling, observing the excited Zhenhun and the flustered Ziyou, chuckled and said to Zhenhun, "Master, Ziyou is just a child now, not the Creation God. This might frighten her."
Zhenhun also realized his mistake and immediately stood up, chuckling awkwardly. "Haha... I'm used to serving Your Highness, so I reacted without thinking. But don't worry, I will be a good guardian."
Ye Ling nodded. "With you here, I don't have to worry about Ziyou's safety. Please take Ziyou and help her familiarize herself with Earth's environment. I have many other matters to attend to and cannot look after Ziyou."
Zhenhun understood the pressure Ye Ling was under and patted his chest. "No problem. Ziyou will be under my protection, so you can focus on your own affairs with peace of mind."
Ye Ling: "Thank you."
Hearing that Ye Ling was about to leave, Ziyou looked at him with reluctance and asked, "Little brother, are you leaving?"
Ye Ling smiled, ruffled Ziyou's hair, and asked, "Does Ziyou like Earth?"
Ziyou nodded repeatedly. "I like it! It's so beautiful here, much more beautiful than the palace!"
Ye Ling smiled. "There are many places on Earth more beautiful than this. Zhenhun will take you to see them."
Ziyou then asked, "Can't brother take me?"
Ye Ling replied, "There are many bad people in this world who want to destroy it. Ziyou, you wouldn't want Earth to be ruined, would you?"
Ziyou immediately shook her head like a rattle drum. "No! Brother, you will protect this world, won't you?"
"Of course. That's why brother has so many things to do and cannot stay by Ziyou's side."
"I understand... I will follow Zhenhun. Brother, you take care."
"Ziyou, you're such a good girl!"
Ye Ling smiled and ruffled Ziyou's hair again. "Then you must be obedient and stay with my master."
"Okay!"
Zhenhun, watching Ye Ling so skillfully pacify Ziyou, was filled with admiration, marveling at Ye Ling's strength.
In a sense, Ziyou was still the Creation God, possessing immeasurable power and standing at the pinnacle of both the inner and outer realms.
The lives and deaths of billions of beings often rested on her whim.
Facing such a being, Ye Ling's ability to treat Ziyou as a child was something Zhenhun himself could never achieve.
Ye Ling handed the now-calm Ziyou over to Zhenhun. "She's in your care now."
Zhenhun replied, "Rest assured, I value Your Highness's life more than my own. With me by her side, Your Highness will face no danger. As for you, you scoundrel, be careful yourself and don't put yourself in peril again."
Although Zhenhun was unaware of what Ye Ling had endured, he knew that Ziyou must have been sealed in an extremely dangerous place.
For Ye Ling to bring Ziyou back, he must have gone through immense hardship, facing death countless times!
Ye Ling chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, I won't die."
Seeing Ye Ling's confidence, Zhenhun shook his head and let out a laugh, punching Ye Ling lightly in the chest. "You scoundrel! Get going!"
"Then, farewell, Zhenhun, Ziyou."
Ye Ling smiled, waved to Zhenhun and Ziyou, and then dissolved into the wind, heading to find Ye Qingyan.
Although he had rescued a Creation God, Ye Ling knew... his act of saving Ziyou would surely enrage the "Master."
The greater danger awaited him next!
His journey had only just begun.