Chapter 223

Chapter 223: Shameless

Accompanied by the sorrowful wails of the dying Hellhound, Shui Lianyi’s avatar returned, grabbing Zhang Yang, who was still snatching holy treasures, and rushed forward with all her might.

Zhang Yang couldn’t help but glance back one last time.

There—strands of purple hair silently pursued them.

As they emerged, Shui Lianyi’s avatar transformed into a droplet of water, which Shui Lianyi gently tapped with her finger.

Boom!

That single droplet of water, weighing thousands of pounds, struck the crack in the ground, causing it to rumble violently.

Instantly, massive waves of holy light burst from the crack, while countless Forbidden Law Patterns spread across it, forcefully sealing it shut.

Bang!

The crack in the ground closed completely.

A small strand of purple hair was severed in the process.

That was the hair of God King Taiyi.

Zhang Yang instinctively reached out to grab it.

"Do not touch!" Shui Lianyi commanded.

Zhang Yang hurriedly withdrew his hand.

That strand of purple hair suddenly trembled violently, shooting toward Zhang Yang’s forehead like a sharp sword.

The sight caught Zhang Yang completely off guard.

He had never expected God King Taiyi to be this terrifying.

Smack!

With a flick of her finger, Shui Lianyi turned the severed hair into powder.

Zhang Yang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, muttering, "That was close!"

"It was indeed dangerous," Shui Lianyi said gravely. "I never thought this would even disturb the creatures of the underworld."

Zhang Yang hesitated before asking, "Was it right to destroy that droplet of blood and eliminate the Hellhound inside?"

Shui Lianyi looked intrigued. "What were you thinking at that moment?"

"Instinct," Zhang Yang replied. "I didn’t want to act, but something told me that if I didn’t, an even greater disaster would follow. I suspected the Hellhound might open a passage from the underground to the surface, so I chose to destroy it without hesitation."

Shui Lianyi gave a slight nod of approval. "Your actions were correct, and your guess was mostly right."

Her response made Zhang Yang’s heart stir.

"There is indeed an underworld," Shui Lianyi said.

So it was real!

For the first time, Zhang Yang truly felt that the vast world was far more complex than it appeared.

Then, he heard Shui Lianyi say, "Even my knowledge is limited. I only know that before the era of the competing races, there was an immortal era—an age when the underworld truly existed. However, for some unknown reason, it later shattered.

"During the era of the competing races, many evil and ghostly races were exterminated, but some fled underground, using the remnants of the underworld to survive. Eventually, they were sealed away forever by the immortals of the human race.

"It was a true, eternal sealing. Theoretically, they should never return to the world."

"The Hellhound race was one of them."

"After the Eternal Night, Hellhounds never appeared in the world again—only Hellfire Seeds occasionally surfaced."

"But this time, a Hellhound actually emerged… and as you described, even after being slain, its half-body still appeared. That means there is a serious problem."

They both felt the gravity of the situation.

But at this moment, there was nothing they could do.

They could only remain alert and, if necessary, warn the great Saint-level forces of the world.

However, on the other hand, for Shui Lianyi, the fact that God King Taiyi was still alive was an even greater issue.

Her plan was simple.

Seal the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins forever.

Then, find a way to claim that strand of immortal fire for herself.

But with God King Taiyi still alive, even if he was currently restrained, his presence complicated things.

This was an incredibly powerful figure from a thousand years ago—a top Saint of his era.

Even in his current state, he could seriously interfere with her plans.

However, now that Shui Lianyi knew God King Taiyi was behind this, she could take appropriate action.

Shui Lianyi needed careful planning and thoughtful arrangements to execute her next steps.

Her immediate priority was to take Zhang Yang’s storage bag.

"What are you doing?" Zhang Yang exclaimed.

This bag contained numerous holy weapons and treasures. If placed in the Vast Forest, it could bring immense benefits.

Shui Lianyi swiftly took the contents from the storage bag and then tossed it back.

Zhang Yang opened it and instantly turned pale.

Inside, there were only a golden Holy Bell, a Holy Sword, and a Holy Blade—everything else was gone.

"Get down! It was me who helped you down."

"You’re alive because I assisted you."

"Considering that you had the awareness to destroy that droplet of blood and helped eliminate the Hellhound’s half-body, I’ll leave you three holy weapons."

"I’m being very generous, don’t you think?"

Shui Lianyi’s words nearly drove Zhang Yang to rage.

Generous?

She had taken dozens of holy weapons and treasures, leaving him with less than a tenth, yet she still had the nerve to call it generosity.

"Can I curse?" Zhang Yang asked.

At that moment, a wave of Holy Might descended, making him feel as powerless as an ordinary person.

Shui Lianyi smirked. "Your previous reckless behavior and disrespect toward me have already made me resent you, yet you still dare to act so boldly?"

Zhang Yang gritted his teeth. "My holy weapons and treasures!"

Shui Lianyi teased, "Without me, would you have made it back?"

"Without me, you wouldn’t have escaped. Without me, you wouldn’t even know that God King Taiyi is still alive. Without me, you wouldn’t have destroyed the Hellhound. If the Hellhound had truly escaped, the first to suffer would have been the Daybreak Phoenix Ruins—and by then, we would have been long gone. So, in the end, you should be thanking me."

Zhang Yang snapped, "At the very least, we should split the treasures evenly. That would be fair."

Shui Lianyi wore a playful smile. She was somewhat amused by Zhang Yang.

Not only was he fearless, but he was recklessly bold, daring to compete with her—the number one goddess of the past thousand years—over treasures.

Because of this, she began to see him in a new light.

A person truly devoid of fear could be terrifying when they grew stronger.

Perhaps, in his eyes, the Mystery of Eternal Night and the inability to become an immortal were mere trivial matters—suggesting that he might, in time, unravel them.

After pondering for a moment, she said, "I have many things to do next, and I need countless holy weapons and treasures. Even these aren’t enough."

Even the Touching Heaven Realm was not an easy place to navigate.

Zhang Yang still wore a cold expression, clearly dissatisfied.

Shui Lianyi continued, "So, I’ve decided—if Yuluan can awaken the Chi Dragon Royal Bloodline to its utmost limit using the Silver Dragon Holy Sword before the emergence of the Great Path Sacred Fruit tree, I will take her as my disciple. She will be my first disciple in this lifetime."

Zhang Yang blinked.

Then, without hesitation, he bowed deeply and declared loudly, "I will represent Yuluan in accepting you as her master!"

Bang!

Shui Lianyi kicked him away in frustration.

"Shameless!"

This guy had completely ignored her conditions and had the audacity to appoint someone else as her disciple on his own.

It was utterly ridiculous, a blatant disrespect toward a saint.

Zhang Yang got up, rubbing his side—only to find that she had already vanished without a trace.

"Am I shameless?" Zhang Yang muttered, touching his face. "I think I look quite handsome."