Volume 1, Chapter 32: You have been plotting against your sister all this time! I will fight you to the death!

Under normal circumstances, a basic skill like an Energy Blast is nothing more than a flashy display used to train one’s energy and mental power—much like doing calisthenics; no matter how well you perform them, they have no real combat value.

However, if you were to ask a heavyweight boxing champion capable of shattering walls with a single punch to perform calisthenics, it would be a different story entirely.

Calisthenics can still kill a man if performed by such a person.

And the Energy Blasts in Lin Yao’s hands were far more absurd than Mike Tyson doing aerobics—it was as if he were possessed by Superman!

"BOOM—!!"

A thunderous, earth-shattering explosion erupted!

The first beast to pounce, a level 16 Twin-Tailed Iron-Bone Lion, bore the brunt of the attack and instantly learned the terrifying power of Lin Yao’s energy blast.

The deep blue orb of energy in Lin Yao’s palm shot out instantaneously, slamming into the Twin-Tailed Iron-Bone Lion with the force of a thunderbolt.

There was no cinematic flying through the air, nor was there a gaping bloody hole.

The poor lion didn't even have time to let out a whimper before the overwhelming energy impact blew it into a mist of blood, turning it into scattered bones and flesh across the ground.

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence, everyone stunned and dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed.

After a few seconds of silence, Xia Mengying was the first to snap out of it.

She looked at Lin Yao in disbelief, a surge of ecstatic hope igniting within her despairing heart.

On the other side, Xu Pengda and Zhao Cheng were so terrified that their souls nearly left their bodies; they retreated repeatedly, almost by reflex.

"Send your beasts to test his strength! Hit him with your long-range skills!" Xu Pengda shouted to his subordinates, not forgetting to issue orders despite his terror.

At the same time, Zhao Cheng roared, "I’ve already notified Young Master Zhao and his team! They’ll be here soon!"

Lin Yao’s mind raced; he needed to end this quickly.

Once he finished off Xu Pengda and the others, he would immediately take Xia Mengying and leave. After all, his "Damage Sharing" ability did not apply to her. If Zhao Wuji and Qin Tanlang arrived with their main force, Xia Mengying might not survive the barrage of flying skills.

Just as Lin Yao and Xia Mengying were being surrounded and engaged by Xu Pengda, Zhao Cheng, and the others, Xia Yumeng stood on a nearby small hill, having arrived late to the scene.

Her initial reaction was to lead her three Shadow Werewolves down to assist, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Instead, her eyes lit up as she pulled out a recording crystal ball, excitedly capturing the highlight reel of Lin Yao—that "old monster"—unleashing his might.

Within the encirclement, Lin Yao seemed as if he had activated an invincibility cheat. Every time he raised his hand, a beast tamer or their beast was effortlessly blasted into smithereens by his energy blasts.

"Boom!"

Lin Yao fired another solid, tangible energy blast from his palm, and the two-story-tall Raging Brown Bear was instantly blown to pieces.

The level 17 behemoth didn't even grunt before being reduced to scattered flesh in the dazzling blue explosion.

With the battle reaching this point, the surrounding beast tamers dared not stay and die. Terrified to their cores, they turned and fled.

Even Xu Pengda and Zhao Cheng abandoned their companions and scrambled away for their lives.

But how could Lin Yao let them escape?

Holding Xia Mengying firmly with one arm, he continued to condense energy blasts with the other, picking them off like a sniper, killing Zhao Cheng and the others one by one!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

One after another, the deep blue energy blasts whistled through the air. Whether they turned to run, erected defensive barriers on the spot, or desperately drove their beasts to return and fight to the death, they were all annihilated by a single strike.

In less than half a minute, all ten beast tamers and their beasts had been wiped out; not a single one escaped Lin Yao’s grasp.

Having finished the fight cleanly, Lin Yao immediately summoned a swarm of Shadow Soul-Eaters to roam the area and devour the residual energy, rapidly replenishing his own consumption.

Once that was done, he finally had a moment to look down at Xia Mengying, who was still clinging tightly to him. He raised an eyebrow and said with a mischievous grin, "My dear wife, the battle is over. Let’s celebrate—give me a kiss!"

Caught in the ecstasy of surviving the ordeal, Xia Mengying had almost lost her sense of reality. Hearing this, she stood on her tiptoes without a second thought, moving to plant a kiss on his lips.

But just as their lips were about to touch, she suddenly snapped back to her senses. Her pretty face flushed red, and she quickly pulled back, punching him in the chest and scolding, "Kiss your big head!"

She glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes, indignant and embarrassed. "And another thing! You clearly had the ability to deal with them, so why didn't you say so sooner?! I really thought we were doomed, and that’s why I... I let you take so much advantage of me!"

Xia Mengying was a mix of embarrassment and anger, feeling like crying but having no tears left. She was grateful for his life-saving grace, but it was infuriating that this scoundrel had been hiding the truth and playing with her all along!

Lin Yao scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled, "Hey, you know my situation better than anyone, right? When we first met, I was only a measly level 8."

"How could a level 8 beast tamer do what I just did? There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. How could I have pulled it off without paying a price?"

At this reminder, Xia Mengying froze.

That’s right!

Lin Yao had indeed only been level 8! Even if he had leveled up over the past few days, he would be at most level 9.

For a level 9 beast tamer to kill over a dozen beast tamers of level 16 or higher—and their beasts—was something she would never have believed a few minutes ago.

Thinking of this, Xia Mengying felt a pang in her heart, and her nose grew sore, nearly bringing her to tears.

With red-rimmed eyes, she apologized repeatedly: "I’m sorry... Lin Yao, I’m truly sorry!"

She then frantically looked him over, terrified that he might suddenly collapse and lose consciousness. "Please, don't give up hope! Even if you used some forbidden secret technique that overdrafts your life, as long as we can get back to the Rose Family, I will find a way to save you. I won't let anything happen to you!"

Seeing her like this, Lin Yao found it hard not to find it amusing: Xia Mengying had clearly been completely fooled by him.

This young lady from the Rose Family was kind-hearted and adorably naive; Lin Yao couldn't bear to keep deceiving her any longer.

He coughed twice and said, "Ahem... actually, I’m perfectly fine."

He paused, then flashed a grin. "And by the way, everything you said just now—including your earlier promises—they all still count!"

Xia Mengying looked at him suspiciously. "Are you sure you’re really okay?"

"Certain and positive!" Lin Yao nodded with a smile. "Better than ever."

As soon as he spoke, the worry vanished from her beautiful face.

Her body trembled slightly, and a blazing fire ignited in her eyes as she ground her teeth. "You little scoundrel! So you’ve been plotting against me all along! I’ll fight you to the death—!"

Before she could finish, her embarrassment and anger boiled over. She decisively withdrew the attributes she had been sharing with Lin Yao and lunged forward, knocking him onto the grass.

However, Lin Yao rolled with the momentum, instantly reversing their positions so that he was on top and Xia Mengying was underneath.

For a moment, Lin Yao pressed down on her soft, fragrant body, the two of them pressed tightly together in a pose that was intimate to the extreme.