Mutual Affection, Unable to Resist

That was right!

The martial soul Dugu Yan had awakened was Medusa, a queenly existence among snake-type soul beasts!

Her posture was bewitching yet majestic, her purple snake hair moving without wind, her vertical pupils seeming to hold a heart-pounding power.

A smug curve lifted at Dugu Yan's lips. As her emerald eyes shifted, charm and danger coexisted:

"Hmph, don't think I'll spare you just because you called me a queen!"

Lin Hai: "..."

This girl... Why does she have more scenes than I do? Which one of us is the protagonist?

Dugu Yan moved, turning into a streak of emerald light as she lunged at him.

She did not use any soul skills, relying only on close-quarters combat. Her movements were nimble but somewhat flashy—commonly known as Fancy but Useless Moves.

After spending half a month in seclusion, Lin Hai had been itching for a fight as well, and gladly met her challenge.

Thus, their first "contest" began in an extremely bizarre fashion—

What should have been an intense exchange of fists and kicks somehow became a close, tangled struggle of pushing, pulling, and tearing... exactly!

Seeing that he could gain no advantage in flexibility, Lin Hai curled his lips and instantly activated his signature skill—Earth Style!

His body sank into the ground like a clay ox entering the sea.

The next moment, a "sinful" hand burst from the earth, precisely grabbing Dugu Yan's newly formed snake tail covered in fine emerald scales, then yanking down hard!

"Ah!"

Dugu Yan cried out as she was dragged underground without any ability to resist, stopping only when the yellow earth had buried her up to her slender waist.

Lin Hai's upper body slowly emerged from the soil as well, leaving them face-to-face, eye-to-eye, in an ambiguous position.

Dugu Yan was ashamed and flustered, unable to move, like a stunning snake demon nailed to a chopping block.

Her gaze suddenly darted behind Lin Hai in terror, and she opened her mouth to call out, "Gra..."

Before she could finish, Lin Hai bent down and sealed her lips without explanation! Their lips met, staging a Dragon-Snake Strike...

At first, Dugu Yan showed a trace of resistance.

It was not resistance toward that "evil dragon." On the contrary, an inexplicable thrill and excitement even surged within her heart!

Her resistance came from... the dark-green figure behind Lin Hai! Part of that excitement and thrill came from it too...

However, the flood of dopamine and other happiness-inducing chemicals instantly washed away the dam of reason.

Social Death was already inevitable, so she might as well make this intoxicating pleasure last a little longer...

Thus, the delicate hands that had been pressed against Lin Hai's chest in a token attempt to push him away quietly climbed around his neck. The force of a push weighing less than one kilogram instantly became an embrace of infinite strength.

Just as Lin Hai's restless hand began to move underground—

"Ahem, ahem!"

A low cough filled with helplessness and awkwardness splashed over their heads like icy water.

Dugu Bo, who had somehow silently appeared at the doorway, truly could not bear to watch any longer.

How old am I, and you're making me watch this?

Suppressing the veins throbbing at his temples, he slowly walked over to them, crouched down, and spoke in a complicated tone:

"You two... can you still determine the winner today?"

"I think this takes quite a bit of stamina. How about... you fill yourselves up, rest and recover, then fight again?"

The two sprang apart as if electrocuted!

The "happy hormones" in Dugu Yan's body instantly faded, and she was so embarrassed that she wished she could bury her entire face in the dirt.

She inwardly cursed Lin Hai for being "too weak." Why had he not simply buried her completely...

Lin Hai, on the other hand, had a face toughened through long tempering by the Mysterious Town Golden Body.

Without changing expression, he instead met Dugu Bo's gaze and said righteously:

"Senior! We're mutually in love and unable to resist ourselves! Now, you should finally feel at ease... entrusting Yanyan to me, right?"

Dugu Bo's old face darkened. Unable to endure any longer, he fiercely slapped the back of Lin Hai's head.

"You brat!"

Then, reaching out irritably, he grabbed one in each hand and pulled them out of the soil like carrots—

When Lin Hai was pulled up, one of his hands was still hooked beneath Dugu Yan's arm, his fingertips only a hair's breadth away from that heart-stirring "dangerous place"...

Lin Hai remained perfectly composed. His large hand slowly slid down Dugu Yan's slender waist inch by inch before finally wrapping firmly around her snake waist.

His posture was steady and resolute, as if silently declaring—

See that? I'm slow and steady, and I take responsibility.

How could Dugu Bo possibly read such an elaborate inner monologue from Lin Hai?

In his eyes, the brat's actions were nothing but naked provocation!

It suited him perfectly. He had long wanted to test this Little Monster's capabilities.

Knowing that Lin Hai was immune to all poisons, Dugu Bo simply gave up on using poison. He directly released the Soul Power pressure of a Soul King, precisely locking onto Lin Hai and pressing down upon him.

At the same time, a gentle force pushed Dugu Yan aside.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?"

Watching her grandfather attack without a word of disagreement, Dugu Yan cried out urgently.

Dugu Bo acted as though he had not heard her, his eyes fixed firmly on Lin Hai.

When he saw that Lin Hai not only remained expressionless but even wore a faint smile, doubt rose in his heart, and he increased the pressure once more...

Even after raising it to his own limit, Lin Hai still looked calm and unruffled, smiling cheerfully.

Naturally, Lin Hai could not accomplish this through his own strength at present, but then again—Old Bodhi Tree had awakened.

It had quietly awakened during Lin Hai and Dugu Yan's unusual "battle."

Even with its intelligence, it truly could not understand why humans, when stirred by emotion, had to put mouth to mouth and "feed" each other.

Could this be what they called "helping each other through hardship"?

It had been watching with great interest when Dugu Bo suddenly interrupted them. Then this Old Monster actually used pressure to oppress its "landlord"?

That truly pushed this honest tree too far!

Its trunk trembled almost imperceptibly, and a gentle green ripple quietly spread over Lin Hai's body.

And thus came the current situation, leaving Dugu Bo stuck between a rock and a hard place...

Seeing the Old Monster's expression shifting and knowing he was having trouble saving face, Lin Hai stretched lazily at just the right moment, breaking the stalemate.

"Senior, it's time to prepare dinner, isn't it? Yanyan hasn't had a single grain of rice in over ten days!"

He glanced at Dugu Yan's "dangerous place."

"If she gets skinny from hunger, I'll take it up with you!"

Dugu Bo gave Lin Hai a complicated glance, then took back his Soul Power pressure.

"It is time to cook. Yanyan, what do you want to eat?"

Dugu Yan was still annoyed that her grandfather had ignored her earlier, and she snapped back:

"You ask what I want to eat every time, but don't we always end up eating whatever there is?"

"Pfft..."

Lin Hai was amused by the girl's bluntness. It seemed she had suffered quite a few grievances over food while living with her grandfather these past years.

Dugu Bo's old face heated up, and he awkwardly turned toward the kitchen.

Dugu Yan hurried after him as well. She was truly hungry. That moment earlier had been... enjoyable, but it had not filled her stomach!

Left alone where he stood, Lin Hai belatedly remembered something:

Old Bodhi Tree waking up was certainly a good thing. It could become powerful assistance for him, practically a heaven-chosen worker.

However, its drawback was equally obvious—