Ying Zhan was displeased. It had only gone to hunt for food, and now someone was targeting the person it was supposed to protect.
That’s right! Ying Zhan was also one of the strange beings Xing Yuan had found. However, it was different from Wen An; it was a creature purely transformed from an eagle, unlike Wen An, who was half-human, half-strange being.
Ying Zhan, the overlord of the sky, had found Su Yue with the help of its subordinate flying creatures not long after leaving the abyss. However, it kept its distance, strictly following Xing Yuan’s instructions to protect her from the shadows. It only left for brief moments to hunt for food and generally never let Su Yue leave its sight.
At this moment, Ying Zhan was glaring menacingly at Wen An, who clearly looked like trouble. How could someone so ugly dare to show themselves in public? Ying Zhan grumbled internally.
Upon seeing Ying Zhan appear, Wen An realized it was also one of the people sent by "that adult" to protect someone. But before it could even state its identity, the impatient Ying Zhan launched its attack.
Its sharp claws lunged directly at Wen An's head. Wen An, unable to dodge in time, sustained a rather deep gash on its neck. A Xuan was enraged by Ying Zhan's actions and lashed out with its tail, attacking Ying Zhan. Ying Zhan hastily spread its wings and flew higher, evading the blow.
It then swooped down again. Seeing that an explanation was impossible, Wen An decided to join A Xuan in dealing with Ying Zhan, thinking it would explain things after defeating it. Its attacks also became more forceful.
The two sides exchanged blows, fighting fiercely. Inadvertently, their bestial instincts were triggered, leading to what is commonly known as: getting carried away in a fight!
The battle instantly spread to Su Yue and her companions, who were watching from afar. To protect the other two, Su Yue continuously threw talismans and magical artifacts, but she was still injured by the residual energy of the battle, her arm instantly acquiring several not-so-small wounds. However, the distant fight continued, and the three, unable to retreat, could only continue to struggle.
In the abyss, Xing Yuan seemed to sense something and instantly opened her eyes. Xing Yuan clutched her chest, feeling a sense of unease. Had her elder sister gotten into trouble?
Xing Yuan vaguely perceived a direction and, disregarding her current unsightly form, immediately exerted all her strength to break free from the dozen chains binding her and rushed towards the perceived location.
The moment Xing Yuan broke free from the chains, in an unknown place, an old man suddenly opened his eyes. "Found you!"
Xing Yuan hurried towards Su Yue's location. Upon spotting Su Yue and the culprit, she angrily squeezed a wisp of her soul that she kept with her. Fingers are connected to the heart, and this was even more so for souls that were originally one.
Ying Zhan, Wen An, and A Xuan instantly lost their combat effectiveness. Their eyes, which had been red from the battle, were now filled with pain. Their bodies trembled and writhed on the ground.
Su Yue, already on the verge of exhaustion, felt her last thread of mental support vanish upon seeing her safety. She fainted and fell to the ground.
Xing Yuan moved swiftly, catching Su Yue in her arms before Hu Bing could, and stepped aside. "My elder sister, mine. No one else can touch her!"
"Who are you?" Hu Bing looked warily at the dark figure before her. However, she had also expended too much energy and found it difficult to even stand, let alone deal with the person in front of her.
Xing Yuan did not answer, focusing solely on healing Su Yue's wounds. Besides her elder sister, what did the lives of others matter to her? And since her elder sister couldn't see her now, there was no need for her to pretend to be docile.
At this moment, Ying Zhan and Wen An had also recovered. Their faces were etched with the relief of surviving a near-death experience. They hadn't expected that mere wisp of soul to affect them so profoundly, their lives completely in her hands.
The two cautiously crawled to Xing Yuan's side, prostrating themselves on the ground. Both beasts spoke in unison, "My lord, I was wrong!"
The moment they spoke, they looked at each other, confirming their fears in each other's eyes. They were filled with terror! They had fought amongst themselves and injured the person their lord was protecting.
As they confessed their mistakes, Xing Yuan had just healed the last wound on Su Yue. Although her elder sister was not seriously injured, Xing Yuan was still filled with rage. If she hadn't arrived in time, she might have seen her elder sister's corpse in this lifetime.
"Sincerity!" Xing Yuan uttered two words indifferently.
Ying Zhan quickly took out a heart feather it had accidentally lost years ago and respectfully offered it. "My lord, this feather is the most precious thing I possess. With it, I can command most flying creatures!"
"This, this is my reverse scale, incredibly hard. It can be made into armor for this, this lady to wear," Wen An, whose survival instinct had surged, also took out the most important item it possessed.
Xing Yuan accepted them without politeness and threatened them again in a cold tone, "This is the only time. If there is a next time, I will make you both turn to ashes!"
"Thank you, my lord!" The two replied in unison.
Hu Bing and Yuan Li stared blankly at the scene before them. Who was this person who could make such powerful demonic beasts bow in submission!
Seeing that Su Yue was out of danger, Xing Yuan reluctantly handed her back to Hu Bing and Yuan Li. She was too unsightly at the moment, and her elder sister would be frightened if she saw her in this state. So, she would meet her elder sister again after some time!
Looking at the items she now held, Xing Yuan immediately crafted two things: a pendant made from the feather and a small piece of armor made from the reverse scale.
"When, when this lady wakes up, you will hand these over to her. This will be compensation for their unauthorized fight," Xing Yuan explained, not wanting others to misunderstand her relationship with her elder sister.
"Let's go!" Xing Yuan said sternly to the two demonic beasts behind her.
Xing Yuan led the way in one direction, and Ying Zhan and Wen An exchanged glances before quickly following.
When they arrived at a deserted island, Xing Yuan's barely maintained human form instantly dispersed into black mist.
"Do you seem to have forgotten what you promised me?" Xing Yuan's tone was somewhat grim.
"My lord, you can't blame me. This guy attacked me the moment he saw me. I was merely forced to retaliate," Wen An felt very wronged.
"And you enjoyed fighting, didn't you? Everyone takes responsibility for their own actions. I, Ying Zhan, did make the first move. But my lord, you also know that neither of us are human. Controlled by desire, losing our minds is common. This wasn't something I wanted to do either."
"Regardless of the cause or consequence, from now on, you will stay here obediently. Without my permission, you are not allowed to go to human cities, or else, you know what will happen!" Xing Yuan threatened directly. They had lost all credibility with her.
"Yes, my lord!" The two had no objections to Xing Yuan's command. Instead, they were quite pleased. They were not human to begin with and lived quite well here, not wanting to leave.