"Brother, this aura..."
Ye You's expression shifted slightly as she saw the aura coiling around the monster. She immediately gripped the Xuanyuan Sword, her senses on high alert. "Have those people from the Shadow Hall not given up on seizing the ultimate power yet?"
Ye Ling carefully examined the monster before them, but shook his head. "This monster doesn't seem to be targeting us?"
Ye You, who had been preparing for a fierce battle, was suddenly stunned by Ye Ling's words. She looked at him in surprise. "Brother?"
Ye Ling said softly, "As soon as it appeared, it stared at the Xuanyuan Sword in your hand. It completely ignored us, as if it didn't recognize us."
At this moment, the monster's bell-like eyes swept over Ye Ling and Ye You below. It said in a deep voice, "You two truly have great courage. Do you know who I am?"
Ye Ling signaled Ye You to remain calm, then stepped forward and asked the monster with a smile, "Why don't you tell us, who are you?"
"I am the Mountain God of Mount Buzhou, one of the Twelve Pillars of the Shadow Hall, Yuan Xiao Long!" Yuan Xiao Long declared, his voice like thunder, causing Ye You's eardrums to ache!
Ye Ling looked at Yuan Xiao Long and smiled. "Since you are one of the Twelve Pillars of the Shadow Hall, how could you not recognize us siblings?"
Yuan Xiao Long acted as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He burst into laughter, "Hahaha! What kind of characters are you two little brats to be worthy of my recognition?"
Seeing Yuan Xiao Long's demeanor, Ye You couldn't help but lean closer to Ye Ling and whisper, "Brother, is this guy an idiot? Or perhaps an imposter?"
The Shadow Hall was originally established by extraterrestrial forces to infiltrate Earth. Their goal was to seize the inheritance of the Creator God.
The Twelve Pillars of the Shadow Hall were all high-ranking members, with cultivation at least at the True Martial Realm, and some even possessing Saintly cultivation!
If such a high-level member of the Shadow Hall claimed not to recognize Ye Ling and Ye You, it was likely that even before Ye Ling made a move, the Shadow Hall itself would have dealt with him.
Ye Ling merely smiled at this point and continued to question Yuan Xiao Long, "Since you are so powerful, why are you still suppressed beneath this altar by the Xuanyuan Sword, used as a battery?"
This altar not only drew power from the Xuanyuan Sword, but also from Yuan Xiao Long, who was trapped beneath it.
If the power of the Xuanyuan Sword was pure, yang, and righteous energy, then Yuan Xiao Long's spiritual energy was yin, gentle, and malevolent. With the former above and the latter below the altar, they were like the positive and negative terminals of a battery, embodying the principles of yin and yang.
"You!!!"
Yuan Xiao Long seemed to have been struck at his most sensitive point by Ye Ling, his eyes filled with boundless rage.
"I think you two little brats are tired of living!"
With that, Yuan Xiao Long manipulated the evil spirits and vengeful souls that had gathered from the surroundings, sending them to attack Ye Ling and Ye You.
However, the evil spirits and vengeful souls present were only of the fifth or sixth rank, with the strongest barely reaching the seventh rank. Before Ye Ling even made a move, those spirits were directly scattered by the sword energy of the Xuanyuan Sword.
It was then that Yuan Xiao Long noticed that the Xuanyuan Sword had already recognized Ye You as its master. His eyes shifted slightly, and he said sternly, "Who exactly are you, girl, to have the Xuanyuan Sword recognize you as its master?"
Ye You asked in confusion, "What's so strange about a divine weapon recognizing its master? Doesn't this just mean I've been recognized by the Xuanyuan Sword?"
"Nonsense!" Yuan Xiao Long roared. "The Xuanyuan Sword has been tainted by extraterrestrial energy and has lost its consciousness. How could it possibly recognize a master again?"
"What means did you use?"
"Tainted by extraterrestrial energy?" Hearing Yuan Xiao Long's words, Ye You looked at the Xuanyuan Sword in her hand with renewed confusion, feeling that something was amiss.
The Xuanyuan Sword had already recognized her as its master, and she was perfectly aware of the situation within the sword.
There was absolutely no extraterrestrial energy within it!
Unable to detect any abnormalities within the Xuanyuan Sword, Ye You still felt uneasy. She transmitted her voice to Ye Ling, asking, "Brother, my cultivation is low, and I couldn't detect any extraterrestrial energy within the Xuanyuan Sword. Could you help me take a look?"
Ye Ling transmitted back, "I've already examined the Xuanyuan Sword. If there were any problems, I wouldn't have let it recognize you as its master. That guy is just spouting nonsense."
"Spouting nonsense?" Hearing Ye Ling's words, Ye You frowned slightly, puzzled. "Why would he lie like that?"
Ye Ling carefully observed Yuan Xiao Long, and a thought suddenly struck him. He took out the mountain cloth from his spatial ring, threw it in front of Yuan Xiao Long, and asked, "Do you recognize him?"
"Second brother?"
Upon seeing Shan Bu lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth, Yuan Xiao Long first exclaimed in surprise, then breathed a sigh of relief, saying thankfully, "No... this is just second brother's clone... you scared me. I thought, with just you two brats, how could you possibly capture my second brother?"
Yuan Xiao Long muttered to himself, then stared at Ye Ling and Ye You again, asking, "Who exactly are you people, and why is my second brother's clone with you?"
"He's your second brother?" Ye You looked at Yuan Xiao Long with utter disbelief, as if she had heard the most incredible thing in the world!
This Yuan Xiao Long was a chimera, while Shan Bu was a goat spirit. The two seemed to have no connection whatsoever!
"Can't we be sworn brothers?" Yuan Xiao Long roared, then immediately returned to the main topic. "You two, don't try to change the subject. If you don't answer me, you won't be leaving Mount Buzhou today!"
Seeing Yuan Xiao Long's reaction, which didn't seem faked, Ye You became even more confused and looked at Ye Ling. "Brother, what is going on? I'm getting more and more bewildered."
Ye Ling said, "Yuan Xiao Long's memory has most likely been altered. However, his situation is different from the goat spirit. It seems even his own memories are in disarray."
"I suspect Yuan Xiao Long also used that device that can alter brain structures, but it failed, ultimately leading him to this state."
Ye You asked curiously, "Then how did you know Yuan Xiao Long recognized the goat spirit, Brother?"
Ye Ling murmured, "I guessed... But now that my guess is correct, there's another hypothesis that needs verification."
With that, Ye Ling instantly moved to Yuan Xiao Long's head and reached out to press it!
"Audacious!!!"
Seeing Ye Ling dare to attack him first, Yuan Xiao Long roared, his hands lunging towards Ye Ling!
Unfortunately, Yuan Xiao Long's speed was as slow as an infant's compared to Ye Ling.
Ye Ling easily broke through Yuan Xiao Long's defenses and placed one hand on its head!
Boom!
A large amount of demonic energy surged from Ye Ling's palm, pouring into Yuan Xiao Long's brain!
"Release me at once!"
Yuan Xiao Long felt a massive influx of demonic energy into its head. It tried to struggle but found its entire body completely restrained by Ye Ling, unable to move at all!
It was only then that Yuan Xiao Long realized the vast difference between itself and Ye Ling.
A chasm of difference!
Soon, Ye Ling withdrew his hand and instantly moved to Ye You's side.
Thump!!!
Yuan Xiao Long's massive body crashed to the ground, causing the earth to tremble.
Ye Ling looked at the fallen Yuan Xiao Long and said, "My guess was correct. This Yuan Xiao Long is not from the Shadow Hall. It's a pawn of a third-party force."