You're begging for mercy after the damage is done? Shen Yichen: Did you ask my lightning?

When the third clap of thunder struck, Ma Hongjun finally couldn't hold on any longer.

His knees buckled, and he knelt heavily on the ground. The ball of Evil Fire in his palm completely dissipated, and before the sparks could even land, they were crushed into nothingness by the golden light pressing down from the sky.

Bai Chenxiang was stunned.

She had just prepared herself to be burned through.

She held the short blade in her hand, her wrist still aching, and Ye Lingling's breathing behind her was erratic. Only one thought remained in her mind.

Block it.

Even if we can't stop it, we have to stop this one first.

But now, the fire is gone.

The circle of Evil Fire that trapped them collapsed inch by inch, as if it had been severed at the root, and even the charred black marks on the ground were swept away by the golden light.

Bai Chenxiang raised her head.

A golden figure slowly descended from the sky.

His robes fluttered, the blue Daoist robe swaying gently in the golden light, his black hair falling over his shoulders, and his face was so handsome that he seemed otherworldly.

The person didn't deliberately release their Soul Power, nor did they put on any airs; they simply stood there, and the entire forest seemed to be lowered in stature.

It's not about suppressing them.

It was Ma Hongjun was suppressed.

Bai Chenxiang's throat tightened, and she almost dropped the short blade in her hand.

Is this Shen Yichen?

Celestial Master of Taixu?

She had heard too many rumors about him before.

The Eighteen Betrothal Gifts, the Fate-Suppressing Cauldron, the Tribulation-Avoiding Garment, the Fortune-Swallowing Pendant, Void-Illuminating Mirror —even the Asura God was severely injured by a bolt of lightning.

But rumors are one thing.

To truly see is another matter entirely.

This person doesn't seem like Soul Master from the lower realms at all.

When he arrived, the tension in Bai Chenxiang's heart, which had been taut for so long, suddenly eased a little.

After relaxing, my legs felt weak.

It's over.

She almost died here just now.

The moment Ye Lingling saw that figure, tears streamed down her face.

It wasn't that her eyes slowly reddened, nor that she couldn't help but choke up.

She burst into tears all at once.

"Master Celestial Master!"

She rushed forward two steps, then stopped, afraid of looking too disheveled, clutching the Nine-Heart Begonia tightly, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"You've finally arrived! I thought... I thought I'd never see you again!"

Shen Yichen landed in front of her, the golden light disappearing into his Daoist robe.

He didn't look at Ma Hongjun first.

They didn't even give him a glance.

"Lingling."

His voice was soft, revealing neither anger nor urgency, yet it only made Ye Lingling cry even harder.

Are you alright?

Ye Lingling shook her head, tears falling onto her clothes.

"No... it's nothing."

She wanted to say that she hadn't been touched, that Bai Chenxiang had saved her, that Ma Hongjun had just scolded her, and that she was really scared.

But the words got stuck in my throat and I couldn't say them.

She was just a maid.

Even though Shen Yichen casually mentioned her as Titled Douluo, and even though she witnessed so many grand scenes with Hu Liena in Spirit City, deep down she was still that little girl from the Nine-Heart Begonia.

How could she not be afraid of being cornered in the woods like that, surrounded by Evil Fire, and stared at like that?

Especially Ma Hongjun's last line, "What kind of bullshit Celestial Master this?"

She wasn't afraid of dying herself.

She was afraid of dying a dirty death, afraid of bringing Taixu Temple, and afraid that Shen Yichen would frown if he found out.

Now he's here.

Ye Lingling then realized that the reason she had been holding on was because she had been secretly hoping for this moment.

Shen Yichen raised his hand and gently touched her brow with his fingertip.

A gentle Daoist aura entered his body.

Ye Lingling's chaotic Soul Power instantly stabilized, the petals of the Nine-Heart Begonia unfolded again, and the light that had been scorched gray by the Evil Fire brightened a bit.

"You've been frightened, go back and rest for the night."

Shen Yichen paused, his gaze sweeping over the scorch marks on her shoulder, and his voice lowered slightly.

"This isn't your fault."

Ye Lingling's tears fell again.

This sentence carries more weight than mere words of comfort.

This is what she fears most.

I'm afraid I'm useless, afraid I'll fail at my duties, afraid that even though I'm a member of the Taixu Temple, I can't even protect myself from the outside world.

Now Shen Yichen says he doesn't blame her.

She couldn't hold on any longer.

"Master Celestial Master, it was Miss Bai who saved me."

Ye Lingling raised her hand to wipe away her tears and quickly pulled Bai Chenxiang out.

"If she hadn't rushed out, I might already be..."

She couldn't continue.

Bai Chenxiang stood to the side, her clothes scorched in several places, her palms burned red.

She looked at Shen Yichen, her mind still a little dazed.

She didn't expect anything in return before saving the person.

But when she actually stood in front of Shen Yichen, she was still nervous.

This is none other than the Celestial Master of Taixu.

A person capable of cleaving God King into ruins.

When she cried out "Celestial Master, save me!" she was somewhat gambling with her life.

Unexpectedly, he actually came.

And they arrived so quickly.

Shen Yichen looked at her.

Bai Chenxiang stiffened and quickly bowed.

"Bai Chenxiang of the Speed Clan greets the Celestial Master."

After she finished speaking, her mind went blank again.

Is this etiquette appropriate?

Should I kneel?

She saved Ye Lingling, but in the end, she was just passing by.

Wouldn't someone like the Taixu Temple think she was meddling too much?

Bai Chenxiang became increasingly confused as she thought about it, her ears trembling with tension.

Shen Yichen simply nodded.

You did a great job.

Five words.

Bai Chenxiang was stunned.

She hadn't expected Shen Yichen to say that.

It wasn't politeness, it wasn't perfunctory, and it didn't feel like a condescending act of charity.

It was just a very simple affirmation.

But after hearing this, Bai Chenxiang suddenly felt a heat rising in her chest.

When she was cornered by the Evil Fire, she was actually afraid that she had made a mistake.

She carries intelligence, Speed Clan cannot easily get involved in such a major event. If she dies here, what will happen to her father?

But now, that wavering has completely dissipated.

Saving lives is the right thing to do.

She made the right choice.

Ma Hongjun knelt on the ground, his whole body trembling violently.

He looked up at Shen Yichen; the ferocity on his face was gone, leaving only a pale expression.

The oppressive aura pressed down on his soul, causing his Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul to shrink behind him, not even daring to spread its wings.

The Evil Fire that usually ran rampant within him now seemed to have encountered its natural enemy, shrinking back so much that not even a single flame could be squeezed out.

"Who... who are you?!"

Ma Hongjun's voice trembled, and he wanted to slap himself as soon as he asked the question.

Who else could it be?

In the entire Douluo Continent, who else could descend from the sky like that, extinguish his Evil Fire on the spot, and make Ye Lingling cry out for the Celestial Master?

Shen Yichen finally turned to look at him.

When that gaze fell upon him, Ma Hongjun felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and he immediately lowered his head.

cold.

It's not the cold outside.

It's the cold of a soul being turned out and left to bask in the sunlight.

All his evil thoughts, all his sophistry, all his ideas of killing to silence him, seemed to have been completely seen through by that one glance.

Ma Hongjun's lips trembled.

He must not die.

He cannot die.

He is Shrek Seven Devils, Tang San's brother, and the one who will stand at the top of the continent with his third brother in the future.

Even if they made a mistake, they shouldn't die here.

Yes, beg for mercy.

If you beg for mercy, there might still be a chance.

"Sir, spare my life!"

Ma Hongjun kowtowed violently, his forehead hitting the ground so hard that the sound was broken.

"I was wrong! I'll never do it again! I just lost control of my Evil Fire, I didn't mean to! Please spare my life!"

Shen Yichen slowly extended one finger.

The movements are very slow.

So slowly that Ma Hongjun could clearly see the finger rise, see a point of Purple-Gold Lightning appear at the fingertip, and see his death drawing ever closer.

Shen Yichen's fingertips fell.

Just a light touch.